Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1341 Harvest and New Problems (Part 2)

Only after Amon, who had opened his arms to face the supernova, turned to ashes, and half of the palace that had been affected by the explosion and most of the high-backed chairs and bronze tables slowly returned to normal, and new gray mist filled the void created by the explosion, did Klein slowly sit back in the main seat of "The Fool," his expression softening.

If the authority of "Source Castle" had not returned to itself, and if the spirit had not clearly told him that "wrong" Amon was no longer in this space, he would have even thought that this was a little game played by that deceitful and cunning god.

“Even I couldn’t withstand that explosion. Unless the damage was pre-emptively grafted, if the main body were hit, it would definitely enter the resurrection process… Not only the ‘Mistake’, but the bodies of the ‘Diviner’ and the ‘Door’ are equally frail…”

He muttered to himself, waiting for the gray mist to repair the palace and the long table of the Tarot Society on its own, watching as specks of light lit up from the spot where Amon had "died," and gathered on their own to become physical.

Some of them are "Time Worms" with twelve semi-transparent segments, some are "Star Worms" forged from dazzling starlight, and some are just pure specks of light.

Amidst this cluster of objects, a monocle made of crystal that Klein found somewhat familiar, and a pair of eyeballs that seemed to be formed from pure starlight, with layers of illusory doors constantly flashing inside, floated toward Klein.

The monocle is unique to the "wrong" pathway, so the other one is very likely the "gate" pathway... There are very few starlight attracted by the "gate," but the Time Worm and the "wrong" pathway have many characteristics... It seems that Amon really came to the "Source Castle" in his true form. I always thought he was lying, and that what came was just a well-disguised clone. As long as I transfer some characteristics to the clone, use the authority of the "gate" to open the door and let him in, and then start competing for the source matter authority immediately, it will be difficult for me to see the problem... While Klein was thinking, he actively resisted the aggregation effect between extraordinary characteristics, causing these characteristics that were not of the same pathway as him to stop a few meters away from him.

If he gets any closer, he will find it difficult to resist the aggregation.

After briefly analyzing the characteristics of the points of light surrounding "uniqueness," Klein quickly discovered that all three "Time Worms" were here, along with several Sequence 2 "Destiny Trojans." As for the "Star Key," there was only one, unsurprisingly.

"From this perspective, the clone that Amon left outside to prevent himself from losing control and to bring back the Celestial Venerable is at most just an ordinary angel, perhaps with multiple Sequence 2 clones, depending on how many other 'Trojan horses of fate' remain besides Pales..."

Klein muttered to himself, using the gray fog to separate the different properties and prevent them from coalescing.

"That's true. If it's just an avatar, that God might realize it's a deception, and the Celestial Venerable might take the opportunity to cause trouble. But if Amon creates a 'Time Worm' for Him in order to make the avatar he leaves behind have a higher status, then his own incompleteness might cause him to lose control during the process of releasing his suppression of the Celestial Venerable, thus causing the entire plan to fail..."

Thinking of this, he quickly put the monocle that evoked some terrifying memories even further away, lest he inadvertently accept the uniqueness of the "error".

Both his own condition and his past experiences with other gods told Klein that now was not a good time to accommodate the extraordinary properties of other adjacent pathways.

If he were to become a true god with dual or even triple pathways right now, he would probably have his body taken over by that Celestial Venerable the moment he ascended to the Ancients and became the strongest "pillar" in one step.

At that time, the Celestial Venerable, who had shown little threat in the conversation and "battle" at the Source Castle, would not give up his resurrection just because "God" was about to be resurrected. As far as He was concerned, it was fine to delay his own resurrection if He could put the other party's coffin lid shut. But if the opportunity really presented itself, He would not mind resurrecting first and then personally putting God's coffin lid shut.

In short, maintaining the status of "The Fool" for the time being is the most stable... He collected his thoughts, and Klein found the one belonging to "Queen" Angel among the countless crimson stars scattered by the supernova explosion. His spirituality spread, and he checked the other party's condition.

The latter seemed to be in a special mirror world. Although Klein could sense her state, he could not see her specific image as clearly as before, as if he were looking through an opaque glass.

This must be related to her becoming a deity as well. It wasn't that there was a problem with "Source Castle," but rather that her status had improved... Klein felt relieved, created a fragment of his own image and threw it into the star belonging to Angel, inviting her to meet him above the gray fog. Only then did he have time to browse the prayers of other Tarot Society members and believers of "The Fool" and "Sea God."

New Silver City, Partis ("City of Dreams"), and Yharnam City are all safe. The sporadic attacks on cities in the archipelago such as Bayam have ended. With the systematic defenses of the major churches and the help of the military's extraordinary individuals, there are no major problems in the various countries of the Northern Continent. "Justice," "The Magician," "The Hanged Man," and "The Star" are all safe. Benson, Melissa, and Lily Granger are still taking refuge in the church. The leader of the Temperance Faction, "The Messenger" Renette, has dealt with the seriously injured and escaped Sear. Seeing that the people he cares about, who also provide him with anchor points, are still alive, Klein's face showed a relieved smile.

With the fall of the "Bound God," the death of the "Divine Abomination," and the destruction of the Shadow Tree by its roots, the power of the "Mother Tree of Desire" within the barrier has been largely wiped out. Those believers of lower and middle ranks, or even those who have merely received blessings and been corrupted, are no longer a threat. Once the protection of the Outer God is gone, it will not be difficult for the Church's Extraordinary Ones to lock them down.

Unfortunately, Thorzner, the "God of Spirits" who has lived from the Dark Second Age to the present, has been corrupted too much. He himself must have realized that things were beyond redemption, which is why he chose to die completely in battle and break free from the control of the Outer Gods... Klein thought with some regret.

He had considered trying to save the angel king, who was once considered part of the "human camp," but time was of the essence. Klein himself had to accommodate the uniqueness and ascend to godhood, so he couldn't offer help at this time. Angel, although still having some strength left in the battle, also had to guard against interference from the outer gods and needed to finish the battle quickly, making it difficult to spare his life.

"At least He can rest in peace, no longer suffering torment, and no longer giving birth to new 'divine abominations'..."

Just as Klein uttered a sigh, he noticed a fierce light rising from the "Queen's" seat to his left. The surrounding gray mist paused, and Angel's long dress, draped in flames of destruction, appeared as if encapsulating all the beauty in the world.

At that moment, the historical fog held by "Source Castle" seemed about to launch an attack, but in the end, control was handed over to Klein.

This is a true manifestation of his mastery of that source essence, rather than merely a state of merely borrowing a position.

Thus, Klein also discovered that Angel, who came above the gray fog, was not the spirit of the previous "original body," but rather a kind of mirror-like existence. Of course, this was not because Klein had pulled the wrong person, but rather a manifestation of Angel's status rising again. She was now a true god of Sequence 0 and possessed a certain degree of protection from the source matter, and was already able to contend with the "Source Castle's" ability to pull spirits into it.

Unless I truly become the "Lord of Mysteries," other true gods shouldn't be able to come here... Of course, Amon, that "bug," is an exception... Sigh, in any case, we are fundamentally different from before. Fortunately, we can still reunite, instead of being separated because of the unexpected events I previously guessed... These thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, his smile faded, and he spoke with a serious expression and tone:

"Congratulations on becoming the 'Primal Witch'."

"Why are you suddenly so formal?" Angel crossed her arms and looked at Klein with dissatisfaction. Then, under his gaze, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and glanced down. "I thought those snake hairs hadn't recovered yet."

"Very good, still the same Angel..." Klein chuckled, his serious demeanor vanishing instantly.

Only then did he realize that he had retained a considerable amount of "humanity" and had not become cold or stubborn in order to fight against the initial spiritual imprint of the Celestial Venerable that was reviving within him, thus revealing what ordinary people would understand as "divinity".

He silently made a wish, then smiled and asked:

"What's the situation on the 'True Creator' side?"

……

After briefly recounting to Klein how he located the "divine abomination" Sherah, tracked him to the hidden cursed land, recounted the heroic sacrifice of the "bound god" Thorzna and Sherah's escape, and how he ascended to godhood by taking a potion to bring about the apocalypse for the angel king, Angel began to elaborate on the confrontation and outcome between the "true creator" and the "eternal sun."

"So that's how it is. Grisha Adam's true purpose was indeed to threaten that God, to make Him slow down the resurrection process, so that a true Old One could quickly emerge through these five pathways to oppose the possible resurrection of the Celestials..."

Klein nodded slightly, all his doubts resolved.

"You and He had already discussed this beforehand?" Angel asked, frowning, feeling that he was the only one kept in the dark about this whole time. "If it weren't for Gray's matter and the fact that He clearly stood on Earth's side during the last 'Vortex' project, I wouldn't have been willing to kill 'Eternal Sun' and give Him the opportunity to seize the 'Sun' pathway."

For her, while a pillar-level Ancient was necessary to save Earth and defeat the Outer Gods, she could wait until Klein became the "Lord of Mysteries" before he appeared, thus ensuring her side was at least invincible. "Of course not!"

Seeing Angel's dissatisfaction, Klein quickly clarified, and then told her the whole story of how he took advantage of Zarathustra's ambition to become "The Fool" in one step, how Amon took advantage of the "Gate" to come to the Gray Fog and started a "Battle of the Source Castle" with her, the truth of which was difficult for outsiders to see, and how he also deceived the Celestial and God.

Angel was dumbfounded.

"Amon actually gave up the opportunity to become the 'Lord of Mysteries'... His 'courage' came from Gerdruf? So, like Bernadette, he's been searching for his father?"

She murmured, feeling as if the whole world had changed before her eyes.

“He probably didn’t give up so easily. The main reason is that my direct ascension to godhood by taking advantage of the opportunity to accommodate uniqueness exceeded His plan. Otherwise, given Amon’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have minded kicking me off and becoming the Lord of Mysteries himself.”

Klein analyzed, but he wasn't entirely sure himself.

Given that "blasphemer's" style, perhaps it really is possible... Angel thought to himself, and then asked in return:

"How far are you from becoming the 'Lord of Mysteries'?"

Unlike the path of "Destruction Catastrophe" and other source materials that were sealed in the Western Continent, "God" and "Lord of Mysteries" are the only two Ancients who can advance ahead of others. And "True Creator," who has experience in this area, will inevitably progress faster than Klein on this path.

This is also what Angel is most worried about. In the context of fighting against the Outer Gods, Grisha Adam can become allies with her and Klein, but when it comes to things "inside the Earth", the two are very likely to clash, especially since both are "pillars". In order to prevent the resurrection of the true Celestials and God, they both have legitimate reasons to dismantle each other's pathways.

Klein shook his head and said:
"I don't know either. There is no shortcut to the True God's journey to the Old Days. There are no rituals to assist, no pre-emptive 'acting' methods. It is a direct confrontation with the spiritual imprint within the source essence and extraordinary characteristics."

"Based on the information I received from the goddess, the optimal order to become the Old One is to first grasp the source matter as a single-path deity and then accommodate adjacent paths. There are no other techniques."

"In this respect, I am not far from becoming the 'Lord of Mysteries,' but I will definitely need some time to stabilize."

As he spoke, he summoned the monocle and the pair of starlight eyes that were shrouded in layers of gray fog, and made them float and spin around Angel.

As the crystal lens, seemingly still shimmering with a mocking light, drifted past her eyes, Angel felt a sudden chill. She waved her hand, pushing "Amon" a little further away, before saying:
“No wonder that Grisha, the ‘True Creator’ who merged with the ‘Dreamer’ Adam and took the lead, is still a one-way true god. He must have shepherded the uniqueness of another path, so that while gaining more authority, it would not affect his later control of the ‘Chaos Sea’.”

Klein also remarked:
"Now that He has also mastered the 'Sun' pathway, storms and wisdom are even harder to withstand. Perhaps soon, the two gods will be demoted to the King of Angels..."

Heraborg, the "God of Wisdom," has already demonstrated His astonishing wisdom, but the proud and volatile "Lord of the Storms," ​​Leodorus, may not submit. He might choose to settle things in a war of the gods... Angel speculated based on the information he had.

Of course, after the fall of the "Eternal Sun," the divine kingdom has been located in the astral plane for a long time. Only five gods remain who can repair the barrier and resist the attacks of the outer gods. Even if the "True Creator" already has an absolute advantage, He should not take the initiative to start a divine war in the short term. He may even have to take the place of the "Sun" to shine and provide heat, while maintaining the normal operation of the Earth within the barrier and contributing to the support of the astral plane's barrier.

In Angel's view, who had become a god and glimpsed the secrets of the true god, as long as one had not truly become the Old One and possessed a position above the sequence, the role of single-path and multi-path true gods in supporting the barrier was not much different; quantity was far more important than quality.

When the barrier was in crisis twice, the "Black Emperor" Roselle could not stay in the Astral Plane forever. His divine kingdom was a real country that had long since changed its flag and only its customs and culture remained. Unless he could create a new kingdom, he could not support the barrier for long.

So it seems I'm the only one who truly belongs to the "mobile force"? Angel was taken aback, suddenly realizing that the burden on his shoulders had become much heavier.

As a newly ascended "Primordial Witch," her divine kingdom is a special mirror world, which was born from the overall mirror world at the moment of her ascension to godhood. Although she cannot move to the astral plane, she can use it as a support to share the pressure of other gods.

Even if her true form goes to the Astral Plane, her mirror clone can still walk the earth. Angel Grey can also share her status and abilities for a short period of time, maintaining the barrier and allowing Angel to move freely.

Unlike Angel, the previous "Primordial Witch" Chic was unable to do these things. Her mirror image did not reconcile with her, but instead surrendered all her power through seduction and instigation. This made it extremely difficult for the real body to exchange with the mirror image. Coupled with the threat of the "First Creator", Chic had to rely on divine intervention to even go to the real world, let alone cooperate with the gods and join the ranks of the defensive barrier.

Aside from Angel, the other gods each have their own difficulties. Klein needs to stabilize his state as soon as possible to prevent the Celestial from realizing that "God" has not truly resurrected and choosing to continue vying for control of his body. The "True Creator" also needs to guard against God doing the same and find a way to reclaim the pathways of "Storm" and "White Tower." The "Demon King" Fabuti is in dire straits, and as for Amon, who just relinquished his divine position and faked his death to escape...

"Do you think Amon chose to give up 'Source Castle' and become a carefree angel because he anticipated these troubles?"

Angel rolled his eyes and muttered to himself.

"Perhaps the idea of ​​'the light at the end of the world' frightened Him. This sounds like a very busy 'god'... It's hard to imagine that He would do such a thing."

Klein laughed too, teasing Amon a few times, which made Angel beam with joy, happy that one of their greatest threats had disappeared.

Of course, becoming a true god is not the end. The two still have a lot to do. The collected characteristics need to be allocated and properly placed as soon as possible. The world order after the fall of the "Eternal Sun" will change again. Whether the Outer Gods, whose power is gradually being driven out of the barrier, have other conspiracies are all things that need to be thought about and discussed.

Before that, both newly ascended true gods need to stabilize their mental state, and as each other's most important anchor, the best way for Angel and Klein to stabilize their state is naturally...

When Amon gave up everything and put on his old brass monocle, the "Battle of the Source Castle" between the two gods still broke out.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the new week began, at exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, streaks of deep red light flashed within the palace shrouded in gray mist, and all members of the Tarot Club gathered once again.

At every gathering, Audrey, the "Justice" who was responsible for leading everyone to greet Mr. Fool, stood up from her chair, faced the head of the long table, and was about to bow her head to praise the Fool when she suddenly noticed something was wrong and abruptly raised her head.

Sitting on the high-backed chair belonging to the "Fool," shrouded in gray mist, was a tall woman with long, flowing blonde hair, whose silhouette alone was captivating!
“Good afternoon, everyone,” the woman said gracefully, her familiar voice leaving everyone stunned and incredulous. “Mr. ‘Fool’ is absent, so I will be hosting today’s gathering.”

P.S.: A two-in-one creation...

(End of this chapter)