Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1379 Deliberation and Unyielding Pride
In the astral realm, which seems to encompass all authority and symbolic concepts in the universe, a realm shrouded in ceaseless storms and lightning, and a realm composed of countless books where countless figures traverse and read knowledge, happen to converge in an unpredictable cycle.

At the same time, a dark realm filled with deep sleep flowers and night-blooming herbs drifted below them, causing the three to overlap.

This attracted the attention of the Outer Gods who were constantly monitoring the changes within the barrier. Those terrifying faces, beyond description, drew near to Earth, pressed against the transparent astral barrier, and tried to see the changes inside.

They are not particularly interested in normal changes between divine realms, but if a deity leaves the astral plane, making the barrier more vulnerable, these ancient beings who are waiting for the final "doomsday" around Earth would not mind launching a joint attack to bring that day to an earlier date.

But soon, the symbolic representations of "vision" and "attention" shifted to the divine realm of the "Goddess of Calamity," which seemed to have collided with the three kingdoms due to a misplanned path. Explosions occurred continuously within the mirror-like space that reflected the light emanating from the outer gods, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

Does this signify the fall of a deity? Or the start of another divine war within the barrier?
Instantly, all the ancients were drawn to it, having no time to pay attention to the clash between the divine kingdoms of the three gods: the Lord of Storms, the God of Wisdom, and the Goddess of Night.

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.

In the boundless darkness, clusters of moonflowers and night-blooming jasmine surround a Gothic palace, its exterior magnificent and its details exquisite, yet it seems to blend into the darkness.

Inside the palace, four high-backed stone chairs surround an ancient-looking stone table, each with a different figure on it.

Three of them were deities whose divine realms nearly collided, allowing their consciousness to be projected there:
Wearing a long, dark dress adorned with starlight, her face covered by a thin veil, she possessed a serene beauty that was impossible to truly discern—the "Goddess of the Night," Amanisis.

A middle-aged man with a majestic appearance, wearing black armor engraved with symbols of raging winds and waves, carrying a cloak made of lightning, surrounded by mist, known as "Lord of the Storms" Leodorus.
The old man, draped in a robe adorned with symbols and words made of countless gold threads, with his hood removed to reveal his gray hair, and holding a closed brass book in his hand, is "Herabergen, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom".

The three deities, all belonging to the "righteous gods," occupied one side of the stone table, while facing another somewhat hazy figure.

The latter did not deliberately conceal his figure. He wore a simple black robe made of clergy, with a silver cross hanging on his chest. His hair was pure black, but his eyes were golden. His face had deep contours, sunken eye sockets, and a calm expression with a hint of a smile.

He is the human form of the "true creator" Grisha Adam without authority and symbols, the form in which the "ancient sun god" first emerged from the sea of ​​chaos and came into this world.

This caused Leodoro and Hrabergen, who had been invited to the dialogue, to occasionally drift into their buried memories, their expressions sometimes appearing dazed.

“The performance of ‘disaster’ won’t hold their attention for long, and my ‘secret’ could be broken at any moment. So make a long story short.”

Amanisis, who convened the meeting in secrecy using many symbols of her own divine kingdom, spoke in a soft, ethereal tone, yet with a hint of unusual anxiety hidden beneath.

He was not the main character in this conversation, but was responsible for ensuring that the meeting of multiple gods would not be discovered by the Outer Gods, and also for ensuring that "Storm" and "Wisdom" would not be attacked by the "True Creator" who had already mastered the "Chaos Sea" and possessed three pathways, whose strength surpassed that of ordinary true gods.

Under His gaze, the composed Grisha Adam glanced at Leodoro and Helabogen, and said:
"My angel kings, the time has come."

"All the conditions have been met, but those beings outside the barrier will not give us any more time to prepare."

He was referring to the five omniscient and omnipotent paths that brought together the "Chaos Sea," becoming the pillar-level Old One symbolized by the fallen "Primordial God."

Long before the fall of the "Eternal Sun," Grisha had secretly contacted his three angel kings to learn of their attitudes toward him and to make subsequent arrangements accordingly.

Now, the "Lord of Mysteries," one of the three pillars, is about to be born, and the "Cataclysmic Destruction" is only one step away from fusion. The power inside the barrier is enough to support Earth's fight against the Outer Gods.

At this point, what is needed is the strength of another pillar to ensure that Earth truly wins the final battle, rather than barely managing a draw, leaving more hidden dangers, or failing at the last hurdle and losing the war.

At that time, all source matter, uniqueness, and sequence 1 extraordinary characteristics will be the targets of the Outer Gods. Some more mobile angels may be able to escape this star system with a small number of their followers, find a habitable planet at the edge of the universe where no one knows them, and re-establish themselves, allowing civilization to revive.

But as gods, unique gods, none of the four present can escape.

Leodorus and Helabogen were well aware of this, so they did not immediately express their opinions. The former had a somber expression, a storm was brewing around him, as if he were deep in thought, while the latter, clutching the brass book in his hand, asked in return:
"So fast?

"Wouldn't merging now increase the risk of the 'Primordial God' awakening?"

His tone was as if he were discussing an academic issue, rather than deciding the life or death of himself and another deity beside him.

“There will be that risk,” Grisha nodded immediately in reply, “but it’s within a controllable range, and ‘God’ also has concerns that his actions might trigger a stress response in ‘Celestial,’ ultimately leading to a repeat of the mutually destructive battle of the First Era.”

"Moreover, there are more pressing issues to address now. We can no longer wait for the right opportunity to arrive. We must quickly bring other potential ancient deities into contact with the source matter of the Western Continent."

As he spoke, He looked at Amanisis, whose expression was hidden in the shadows of her veil, and made a pointed remark.

Upon hearing this, Helabogen nodded slightly and said with a smile:

"I understand."

He placed the book on the stone table, pressed one hand on the cover, and seemed no longer concerned with the content of the following conversation.

As the holder of the "omniscient" authority, Herabergen had long ago prepared a way out for himself. His avatar "Heraberg" in the Church of Knowledge has the rank of Sequence 2 "Cherubim". Even if the original body perishes, it can be resurrected in the form of knowledge and memory inheritance in the avatar. Moreover, Grisha promised that after the end of the world, Herabergen could return to the Lord's side as the King of Angels.

The allure of near-immortality and the opportunity to learn even more is self-evident.

Compared to Him, who made a swift choice, the other deity seemed somewhat hesitant.

This is not the path where the "Lord of Storms" is located. It is impossible to reduce the sequence in the form of an avatar, returning from sequence 0 to sequence 1 or sequence 2, which will not affect the appearance of "God".

With the help of the "True Creator" who already possesses the power of the "Sun" pathway, these are not problems.

What prevented Him from bowing His head was still that touch of pride in His heart.

This thought was quickly reflected in Leodorus's answer:

"The storm will not yield to the old master, nor will it surrender to the outer gods."

"I will fight the apocalypse in my own way."

The gods beside the stone table all knew that even the ancient gods of the Dark Ages, who possessed multiple paths of power and whose strength surpassed that of ordinary gods, perished at the hands of the ancient sun god who was "half of the Old Ones." When a single-path Sequence 0 god confronts the true Old Ones outside the barrier, there can only be one outcome.

Upon hearing this, Grisha chuckled and shook his head, saying:
"Your stubbornness and hardline attitude are meaningless in terms of the difference in status. The 'Superstar Overlord' who is more realistic and also possesses 'material' authority, symbolizing the existence of fundamental forces and space, can directly devour your attack and you yourself."

Leodorus was not angry at these words, because he knew they were true.

Not only the "Superstar Overlord," but none of the Ancients outside the barrier could be shaken in the slightest by His self-sacrifice. Just as when He was still an angel and not a god, He harbored the same resentment towards the Ancient Gods who ravaged the earth, yet was powerless to fight against them.

Just then, Amanisis, who had been silent all along, spoke in a low voice as if talking to herself:
"Self-sacrifice does not necessarily have to be accomplished in a tragic way with death; giving up everything for the greater good is also an important manifestation."

"This is not surrender or bowing down, but a manifestation of the essence of power."

Leodorus's stormy eyes looked at the goddess of the night, and his expression softened slightly.

A moment later, the storm and lightning around Him subsided, and the light in His eyes slowly faded.

He nodded.

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.

Deep within the “Land Forsaken by God,” at the top of a continuous mountain range.

Beside the enormous cross, the figure of Grisha Adam, dressed in a black robe, emerged from the shadows.

His body rapidly grew larger, instantly surpassing the cross standing atop the peak. His shadow rose like a curtain, merging into his body, forming a body with five heads and shadowy outlines that seemed to have eyes peering into the surroundings.

A huge cross seemed to support Him from behind, and a golden sun rose slowly above His head.

At the same time, the dark sun that had shrouded this continent for thousands of years fell, and the darkness that had kept the Forsaken Land in danger disappeared.

But there was no red moon or stars in the sky; instead, it was shrouded in a velvety black curtain.

In the darkness, bearing the "sun," the sinful "True Creator" smiled and said:

"Come, my angel kings."

From the distant horizon, a streak of lightning hurtled toward this place at the speed of light. Deep within the clouds, a massive white tower crashed down, its countless bronze eyes fixed on the shadowy giant with five heads.

The many changes that occurred within the barrier finally caught the attention of the outer gods. They stopped trying to analyze the seemingly crumbling but never truly problematic kingdom of the "Goddess of Calamity" and instead looked at this land.

But everything here is "hidden".

Amanisis, the "Goddess of the Night," no longer conceals her power. As a "half-Old One," she uses her status as an eternal night and a symbol of secrecy to provide cover for Grisha Adam in his fusion.

Yes, long after she had initially grasped the power of the tributary of the "River of Eternal Darkness," Amanisis possessed half the status of an Old One. Although this was slightly inferior to the "Goddess of Calamity," the "Fool," and the former "Ancient Sun God" who truly contained the source matter, she was more effective in certain uses of authority and in some key symbolic matters.

The key here is the mastery of "source matter," rather than one or more extraordinary paths. Even if a single path can only utilize a portion of the source matter's power, rather than all of it, it is still far superior to the level of a Sequence 0 True God.

This is also the origin of the most correct promotion path: "first master the source quality through a single approach, and then accommodate the uniqueness of other approaches."

……

At the same time, everyone awake in the world, including Audrey who had just returned to reality from her dream, noticed that the starry sky above them had changed.

The twinkling stars disappeared, and the larger, rounder red moon vanished.

The world seemed to have fallen into a true eternal night.

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.

On the Evernight Plains of the Fusak Empire, the near-perpetual darkness of winter keeps temperatures at freezing levels, and raging blizzards never cease. The few residents can only survive the season by relying on their usual food reserves and warm houses.

Amidst the wind and snow, a blood-stained flag, piercing straight into the ice, burns with invisible and colorless flames, melting the surrounding ice and snow and turning the cold wind into a blazing heat.

Three figures stopped in the night, all looking southeast.

"It seems He has already convinced the other two guys."

Theramypolus, the "angel of redemption" with the face of Amon, chuckled and spoke to the two angels confronting him.

Of course, calling them angels is not accurate. One of the archangels who chased Him all the way from the Hornach Mountains was Mr. "Door" Bethel Abraham, a Sequence 1 archangel, and the other was the true angel king, "The Conqueror" Angel Grey.

But now they are both drawn to the sudden phenomenon and have temporarily stopped taking action, playing the game of "you run, I chase".

Hearing Amon's mutterings, both of them understood. Gray waved his hand, stopping the banner that was suppressing the opponent from radiating an aura of conquest, and asked:

"Wouldn't merging at this point weaken the barrier?"

In her mind, the safest and most secure order would be to first give birth to the "Lord of Mysteries" to break the seal on the Western Continent, then have the Goddess of Night and the Goddess of Steam, who had just come into contact with the power of the source, take turns leaving the Astral Plane to accommodate the source's ascension to the Old Ones, and finally have the "True Creator" merge with the storm and wisdom.

With black hair and black eyes, draped in a black robe, and exuding a somewhat somber, fateful aura, Amon shook his head and said:
"He must have his own considerations, and the fact that the barrier hasn't collapsed yet means that other gods have gone to the astral plane to support it, such as the 'Black Emperor,' and the Earth Mother isn't as bad as she seems."

"Furthermore, the 'Fool' should have already awakened, or rather, He was never truly asleep."

“But there’s no need to be so anxious,” Bethel said, looking up at the dark, lifeless sky. “There are still four months until the predicted ‘end’.”

Amon took off his hood, glanced at the sky, and laughed:

"Normally, that is indeed the case. The actions of the gods within the barrier and the efforts of those outer gods will push fate to this point."

"But if things continue like this, their defeat will be inevitable, which is unacceptable to the 'Fallen Mother Goddess'."

"Not long ago, I unearthed an important clue in the memories of Theriporos, the angel of 'destiny,' which is the most important symbol of the two paths that the 'Fallen Mother Goddess' now possesses, and also the important reason why she still has the symbol of support after her essence was torn apart."

"He conceives the original sin of this universe, the 'primordial chaos.' Once this symbol is used, the astral barrier that holds our world together may shatter in an instant, and the end of the world will come at a time that no one can predict."

(End of this chapter)