musicians of old

Chapter 916 The Price, and the Promise

"What changes could there be?" Fan Ning regained his composure and asked calmly, "You're not stupid, and neither am I."

Since the two sides had a conversation before setting off for the top of the tower, a basic consensus had already been reached.

Furthermore, the clear and consistent aspects of the interests still exist.

Let's cooperate first, eliminate the dangerous elements, and veto this most foolish possibility.

As for what happened next...
“Very well, then, it’s about time.” Pogrerich nodded slightly after hearing this. “Please go to your assigned positions.”

"Want me to help smash 'Blade' again?" Fan Ning laughed.

“No need.” Pogrerich began to pace slowly, strangely, and with an oppressive air, along the outermost arc of the hexagram.

really.

He has obtained the right of passage through the wound of the "Door Gate".

Although the system is reset now and the player's position has temporarily dropped, it is sufficient to simply go up and go through the door again as a formality.

Even the "resistance ceremony" only needs to be set up symbolically and kept in perfect condition to achieve the purpose of paying tribute.

As for Fanning's role in His plan, it was simply because the ritual required prayers and a musical work of sufficient artistic merit and secret power to provide the power for ascension.

Of course, to some extent, the unparalleled secrets about "noon" contained in the Sixth Symphony remain an excellent choice for the current ritual, but the particularity of the "hammering" is no longer important.

The extremely limited cooperation between the two lasted from the time of “sunset and moonrise” until Pogrerich was brought to the vicinity of the “Dome Gate”.

“But then,” Fanning couldn’t help but ask, “the corruption of the ‘Secret of the End’ is still waiting above. What’s the difference?”

"The pollution and rebellion of knowledge only cause defiance on the first offense," Pogrerich said calmly. "I have seen the truth above, and that is the difference."

"Then... are you planning to go and fight the corpses of 'Gathering Point' one-on-one?" Fan Ning asked again.

Even dangerous individuals with ulterior motives seem to have little interest in the matter of personally ascending to the position of Witness Lord, and even repeatedly mock the experiences of others in the secret history who have passed through the gate.

Now that he knows the source of the spread above the "X coordinate" is a concept that can't even be considered an "opponent," Fan Ning understands even less about the significance of reaching the summit.

“This is not a problem for an artist to worry about,” Pogrerich glanced at him.

"Huh?" Fan Ning chuckled. "Director, let me make one final statement: back in the mortal world, I was somewhat second in line for the discussion group. Even now, we are still collaborators for the time being. I have the right to know how my collaborators act. If your chances of winning are really not that great, I'd rather let my own ideas take the lead, even though that chance is pitifully small. At least I'll accept the defeat more convincingly afterward. If the world goes back to garbage time, I, Fan Ning, will just run off to the virtual world and sleep my way to the end. And don't bother asking me to organize a game for you two anymore."

“‘The power to break the deadlock’ possesses the strongest divinity when there is a 40% chance of success. I have already taught you that.” Pogrerich replied calmly. “As for the truth that has been learned above, it requires a greater price, but it is not mainly paid by you, so you don’t need to ask any more questions.”

Fanning frowned.

Will it require a greater cost? And will the main expense not be borne by oneself?
After completing the second lap around the six-pointed star, Pogrerich was now suspended in mid-air. Ripples spread through the air from his steps, and countless streaks of light, representing regulatory characters and clauses, began to coalesce along the tower's edge.

"Keng——"

The remnant of the "blade" in his hand suddenly disappeared and reappeared directly above Fanning in the next moment.

Fan Ning felt as if he had gained immense divine power, as if he could control his own limbs.

It can be above any rule of control in this world, can confront anything head-on without being at a disadvantage, and can protect anything it wants to protect during the command process.

However, the knife was hovering above his head!
“Play your role well, such as recreating your ‘tragic’ symphony; worry about the ending you should worry about, such as the price you are born with, such as the art of the future ‘new world’. For a considerable period of time, they can survive within the framework. This is an exchange, and also a privilege.”

Pogrerich's voice detached itself from human characteristics and gradually transitioned towards a purely "preroman" form.

In the polluted air, layers of murky, refracting light began to form, reflecting the blood-red six-pointed star on the ground into the deep sky.

The two triangles that were pulled out of position became distorted and tilted, stretching out in a very discordant way.

"The Serpent of Truth" and "The Moon of Noon" generate sticky threads between each other, forming a pair that stretches diagonally upwards in the sky; "The Unfallen Fire" and "The Endless Fugue" flicker like oil lamps, seemingly about to fall diagonally downwards in the sky.

And the vertex of the triangle they share is once again... a remnant of the "old days" that has somehow swapped positions with the bow in the center of the six-pointed star!
A thin beam of light, mottled with color, shot straight into the deep sky from the moment the baton was drawn. The magenta aurora and blue-green lightning flashed violently in my eyes, but after only a few breaths of symbolic resistance, it was completely filled with another kind of "noise" filled with a chaotic and colorful scene.

The so-called dispute between the "original doctrine" and the "exorcism" sects has once again gone through a meaningless formality, and the triune pillar of the "heresy" has begun to rise in the sky!

The "ring-shaped ruins" are surrounded by mountains and plains in all directions, and every particle that constitutes the characteristics of things begins to spread outward.
"Recreate the 'tragic' symphony? Hah."

Yesterday's events unfolded one after another, and the situation deteriorated even faster than before, but Fan Ning smiled, shook his head, and slowly took a step forward.

With my eyes closed, my thoughts wander.

The Van der Schaaf Collection is filled with an atmosphere of unease.

Fanning, surrounded by guests, stood on the platform inside the protective shield, watching the chief appraiser, Nikolayevich, inexplicably convulse and die, and watching the curator, Lelic, coldly order the body to be removed.

He recalled how, during their previous parting, Miss McAdam in the artifacts restoration room waved encouragingly, and Miss Nancy in the hammer-wielding elevator shaft stepped on his shoulders to enter the abandoned door.
He flipped through the so-called "evidence of corruption" one by one, examining each sheet before discarding them on the ground, as if there was nothing on them that he needed to see.

"To recreate the 'tragic' symphony?"

The monastery choir conductor's seat under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

"Wow---"

As the grand Easter Mass was about to begin, Fanning leaned forward, reached out, and turned the pages of the music stand in front of him. The Neume score of the "March and Hymns in A Minor" had become blurred and distorted, and what emerged were some completely different Chinese characters.

"If you climb the hill on a beautiful summer evening, remember me, remember how I often climb up from the valley; look over there at my grave in the churchyard, and see the long, wild grass swaying in the wind in the afterglow of the setting sun."