Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The light in the sanctuary remained soft, as if time itself had lost its meaning here.

Rune stood still, feeling the gentle touch of the hand on his head. Zetsu's movements were very light, like petting a docile pet, rather than treating a "Lord of the Gods".

"So, you can't use your previous powers now, right?"

Antilinen withdrew her hand, her heterochromatic eyes looking down at Rune. Her tone had changed from "you" to "you," as if she were confirming something trivial.

Rune felt a slight tightening in his heart.

Is Zesshi Zetsumei doubting herself? Rune vaguely remembers that Zesshi Zetsumei's reasoning ability was quite good.

But he showed no sign of anything amiss on his face. He simply nodded and repeated the same explanation he had given to the High Priest—the side effect of a world-class artifact: the original body is in a state of time freeze, and although this body is weak, it can indirectly extend lifespan.

Antilin listened without showing any expression.

After Rune finished speaking, she said, "I see."

Then she reached out and patted Rune's head again.

"The God of Judgment isn't as terrifying as the God of Death describes him to be."

Rune's lips twitched.

He dodged the hand and looked up at her: "Can everyone in the Theocracy see the records of Sirshana?"

"This is one of the top secrets of the Holy Kingdom," Antilin said in her usual languid tone. "Only the high priests and awakened gods know about it."

Rune nodded thoughtfully, then asked the question that truly concerned him: "So, that guy Sirsha's only assessment of me was 'terrifying'?"

Antilin tilted her head, as if she were recalling something.

"Of course there are others."

She paused, then started counting on her fingers: "Cowardly, greedy, stingy..."

She counted three fingers, then stopped, thought for a moment, and added another: "It seems like there's also... a bad temper?"

Rune's eyebrows twitched.

"There should be many more." Antiline put down her hand, her expression still indifferent. "But I rarely look at those records; they're too thick."

Rune was silent for a second.

Then he took a deep breath.

"Damn you, Sirshana!"

His voice echoed through the empty sanctuary, carrying just the right amount of anger.

But only he himself knows how much of that anger is genuine and how much is an act.

The guiding conversation was successful.

This is exactly what he needs. He can then use the denigration of Sirshana to highlight his understanding of the "divine realm," thereby alleviating Zesshi Zemei's suspicions.

Rune's gaze fell on the huge scythe behind Antiline.

"This scythe was named 'Charon's Guide' by Sirsha. Rune walked over, stretched out his hand, and stopped an inch from the blade. "Charon is the ferryman of the dead in our world's mythology, responsible for ferrying the souls of the dead across the River Styx."

Antilin followed his gaze to her weapon, but did not stop him from approaching.

She was very familiar with this scythe. As the strongest hidden trump card of the theocracy, she was able to copy and use the trump card skills left behind by the original owner by virtue of her innate EX-level ability [Contact Sensing].

That is why she was able to master the ultimate technique of Death, Sirshana—"Death is the end of all life."

"This is a product of his chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)," Rune continued, his tone filled with undisguised disdain. "He's clearly just a skeleton, but he insists on dressing himself up like an artsy guy. If you saw him running around in the game wearing ridiculous gear, your faith would probably crumble."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Antilin.

Do you know what he likes to do most?

Antilin blinked but did not answer.

"He likes to use the image of Death to dance a really stupid dance," Rune said, gesturing a couple of times. "It's that kind of dance where the skeleton twists and turns. Every time he finishes, he asks us, 'Wasn't it cool?'"

Antilin's expression remained indifferent, but something seemed to flicker slightly in her heterochromatic eyes.

"And that scythe," Rune continued to criticize, "He insisted on adding a glowing effect, saying something like 'the Grim Reaper's scythe must have the light of a soul.' But the first time he used it, the light was so dazzling that it made him dizzy and almost got killed by the Boss, so they removed it later."

As Rune spoke, he laughed first.

That smile did indeed carry a hint of genuine nostalgia.

Antilin looked at him and suddenly said, "So little Rune knows a lot about things in the divine realm."

Rune's smile faded, and he nodded matter-of-factly, "Of course."

"That……"

Antilin reached into her bosom and pulled something out.

"Can Little Rune help me put this together?"

Rune looked down.

That was a Rubik's Cube.

The standard six-sided 3x3 Rubik's Cube has its colors scrambled, with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and white mixed together without any discernible pattern.

Antilin handed the Rubik's Cube to him, her heterochromatic eyes holding a hint of expectation.

Rune was stunned.

rubik's cube.

This is a product that Sirshana and his group brought to another world.

The problem is, Rune has hardly ever played with a Rubik's Cube in his entire life.

In his previous life, he was not interested in Rubik's Cubes and had never memorized their formulas.

In his previous life, he was busy with work and spending money on YGGDRASIL, so he didn't have time to study this thing.

After transmigrating, he devoted all his energy to planning for the future over the past six years, and he never even touched a pastime like a Rubik's Cube.

He took the Rubik's Cube and spun it around in his hand twice.

The colored blocks flipped on my fingertips, revealing absolutely no pattern.

"I……"

Rune paused for a moment.

Antilin's gaze was fixed on his face, her heterochromatic eyes unblinking.

"I only know how to fight on one side."

After Rune finished speaking, he felt a little embarrassed.

The mighty "God of Judgment" can't even solve a Rubik's Cube properly.

Antilin was silent for a second.

Then she spoke, her tone still cold and aloof, but Rune could clearly detect a hint of...pleasure in it?

"I can assemble both sides."

Rune paused in his movements.

He looked up at the girl in front of him who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old.

He's almost two hundred years old.

They can only assemble two sides.

Still proud?

"You..." Rune opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Would you like to learn, little Rune?" Antilin suddenly took a step closer, a rare hint of interest flashing in her heterochromatic eyes. "I can teach you how to assemble both sides."

Rune looked at her and remained silent for three seconds.

Then he slowly asked, "How long did you work on it?"

"More than a hundred years."

Antilin's expression remained unchanged; she merely tilted her head slightly.

"Is there a problem?"

Rune took a deep breath.

"no problem."

Rune felt he was somewhat outmatched by Jue Shi Jue Ming.