Beneath the grand palace, a flickering point of condensed dark golden mist pulsed rhythmically, emitting waves of prayer:
"You are the Embodiment of Order."
"You are the Master of Rules."
"You are the Divine Judge of All Mortals."
Within the vortex of dark golden mist atop the towering throne embedded with a chaos-eyed orb, a figure abruptly opened its eyes and gazed downward at the pulsating point of mist.
With a wave of its hand, the connection was severed. The prayers echoed through the majestic hall before gradually drowning beneath layers of faint whispers and anguished howls.
"Threefold honorifics—'Embodiment of Order,' 'Master of Rules,' 'Divine Judge of All Mortals.'" Ren Yu murmured from his seat upon the throne. "This must be the Night Emperor switching pathways to achieve Sequence 0—'Justiciar'—after the split of the Tudor-Trunsoest United Empire in the Fourth Epoch."
"I'd love to witness the War of the Four Emperors, but I'm still too weak. Until I possess strength matching my rank, I must proceed with caution. Just because my last attempt at observation succeeded doesn't mean I can afford arrogance. Right now, at least the Six Gods' alliance is still watching the Night Emperor's apotheosis, not to mention the True Creator and the resurrected Solomon. If any of these deities detected my spying, the consequences would be dire."
"Truly the Age of Gods. The Original Creator's and Chaos's residual imprints have mostly eroded. One more period of dormancy should weaken them enough to no longer drive me mad. Just a little longer…"
Faint murmurs reverberated through the vast hall as the boundless dark golden mist expanded and contracted like breath.
Then—
"You are the Emperor who reigns over the mortal realm;"
"You are the Great Ruler of the Republic;"
"You are the Shadow of Order and Knowledge..."
Ren Yu's eyes snapped open, locking onto the pulsating point of mist below. "Roselle. This has to be Roselle switching pathways to become the Black Emperor. Let me recall—in 1198, Roselle forcibly advanced to Black Emperor, only to be assassinated by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the Sauron family, dying in the White Maple Palace."
"Given Roselle's rank and power at the time, at least one—if not both—of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery must have intervened for his death to be so abrupt and silent. It's 1198 now. Klein awakens in June 1349, and the Apocalypse arrives in July 1368. Less than 200 years remain."
"With the Fifth Epoch's arrival, the Primordial Barrier weakens significantly. The Seven Gods no longer walk the earth, retreating to the astral realm to sustain the barrier. The conflict between Roselle, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Steam and Machinery must have drawn the attention of other deities and Kings of Angels. This might be a risk worth taking."
"A shame, my fellow transmigrator. Right now, I possess the rank of a Sephirot but lack the power to cleanse the Mother Goddess of Depravity's corruption. Once I ascend to an Outer Deity, I'll save you. As for your daughter Bernadette and your quasi-granddaughter Edwina, I can assist in their advancement rituals—consider it repayment for diverting the gods' attention." Ren Yu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Still, this is a rare opportunity. The only problem is that the Original Creator's and Chaos's imprints aren't fully gone yet. I can't leave the Sephirot now. Was this all part of God Almighty and the Celestial Worthy's calculations? Damn it. I can't afford to quit halfway. Then… this is the only way."
As he rose, the boundless dark golden mist churned violently. Strands of mist surged from Ren Yu's form, streaking toward the pulsating point below.
Then—silence.
The mist settled. Inside the grand hall, Ren Yu slumped back onto the throne with a pained grunt. "Just tapping into a sliver of the Sephirot's power caused backlash. If not for the Original Creator's and Chaos's imprints weakening each other over the epochs—now barely clinging—that recoil alone would've driven me mad."
"The Apocalypse nears. I must prepare in advance. Some risks are necessary. Soon…"
——
1198
Trier, Capital of the Republic of Intis
At the confluence of the Lyon and Serenzo rivers north of the city, a sprawling estate housed a towering spire. At its peak, an ancient knight's shortsword rested atop an altar.
From this height, the southern skyline of Trier flickered with distant firelight, dark clouds churning above. Suddenly, a wisp of dark golden mist materialized and plunged into the sword. Gold and dark hues flickered across its surface before fading into dormancy.
Feynapotter Capital, Southern Outskirts – Serenzo District
Inside a slightly aged garden villa, a strand of dark golden mist seeped from the void into a pale green diamond necklace. The gem flashed once, then dulled.
Port of Bono, Northwest of the Raging Sea
Within a dilapidated two-story building, dark golden mist coalesced around a dagger with a pale blue hilt before vanishing into its blade.
West of the Pas Valley, Northern Star Highlands – Caesar Port (Intis Colony), Southern Continent
A translucent skull at the center of a hybrid Intis-Bayam-style structure absorbed a wisp of mist that appeared out of thin air.
Ilursil, Capital of East Tarkey County, Kingdom of Loen
Amid a sprawling complex at the city's heart stood a towering, rust-red copper spire studded with weapons. Dark golden mist seeped into an iron-black token placed within.
Abruptly—
A vast, terrifying presence erupted from the spire's base. An invisible force swept through the structure before receding into silence.