Chapter 24: Mad Ravings

Chapter 24: Mad Ravings

Countless Demonesses of varying sizes brought destruction like the collapse of all things, causing the entire main peak of the Hornacis mountain range to develop in the direction of a gigantic stone sphere.

This made the dilapidated outer walls of the ancient palace collapse rapidly, exposing Klein, together with his avatar and marionette in the center of the hall, to the astral world.

Just as the black, python-like tentacles were about to surge into the palace, a crimson moon rose within this apocalyptic scene.

Around the hall bathed in moonlight, clusters of wheat, flowers, mushrooms, and trees instantly grew. They tangled with one another, stacking layer upon layer, sealing Antigonus’s palace within.

At this moment, the hall where Klein stood seemed like a ruin buried for thousands of years in history and forest, completely swallowed by nature.

The black, python-like tentacles with eyeballs at their tips were blocked outside by the madly growing plants.

They lifted themselves and repeatedly struck the natural “barrier,” causing layer after layer to petrify and crack, or collapse outright.

Yet whether it was wheat, flowers, mushrooms, or trees, their rebirth came extremely quickly—no sooner had they returned to Mother Earth’s embrace than they grew anew.

Thus, those natural barriers were born layer upon layer, then destroyed layer upon layer; destroyed layer upon layer, then reborn layer upon layer. The two sides entered a certain state of deadlock.

The Earth Mother, who controlled the Moon pathway’s Uniqueness, blocked the Primordial Demoness Cheek.

At that moment, a ray of “light” invisible to the overwhelming majority of Beyonders fell straight down from above, striking the nature barrier rooted in plants.

The light had no physical form. It seemed to be composed of vast and complex streams of information. In an illusory state, it pierced through the gaps between the plants like a torrent, rushing straight toward Klein, who was about to take the translucent mask.

The Hidden Sage!

At that very moment, hazy light surged up from the void, displaying one projected scroll after another around Klein.

Some recorded humanity’s helplessness and misery when facing extraordinary species. Some, in epic strokes, recreated scenes of humans using themselves as experimental subjects, attempting to fuse with Beyonder materials to gain power and save their race. Some described the countless strange and unique customs brought by the Black Emperor. Some carried all kinds of inventions, books, and viewpoints. Others were like replicas of the present world, composed of massive machines belching steam, ever-taller buildings, and clothing more convenient for movement.

These contents made the seemingly thin scrolls give off an extremely heavy feeling, because what they carried was civilization—the enlightenment and development of human society through different stages.

Back then, the God of Craftsmanship had not digested the Sequence 1 potion, Civilization Enlightener, particularly well before advancing to Sequence 0 for various reasons. He had maintained reason and clarity, but this also forced Him to devote more of His spirit to resisting the tendency toward losing control and madness. Among the seven orthodox gods, His state was somewhat worse than the others.

The reason the Church of Steam had been the weakest orthodox Church was not only that it had the shortest history and least accumulation, but also because the corresponding true god’s state had not been especially good.

It was only when Roselle, as a “Son of Steam” and a member of the Church, initiated the Industrial Revolution and brought all kinds of ideological currents that the God of Craftsmanship seized the opportunity to change His title to the God of Steam and Machinery, share in the progress of civilization’s enlightenment, and digest the corresponding potion.

As a true god of a neighboring pathway, after the Hidden Sage chose to…