I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

The researcher placed the black box on the table with the gentleness of someone placing a fragile treasure.

He stepped back, clasped his hands in front of him, and his almost transparent gray eyes swept over everyone present. "The Sage's Crown, a relic of Hermes, the third great sage of the Church."

"After his return to the Kingdom of Our Lord, this crown was born from his relics. Its appearance is that of a willow crown, withered and cracked, no different from any cheap handicraft sold in any country market."

He paused.

"It only becomes lush and leafy when touched by someone at sunset. At other times, the willow leaves remain withered—unless a human wears it."

Mason lay sprawled on the table, chin resting on his arm, long, fiery red hair cascading over the edge. "So it can only be used at dusk? What are we waiting for now?"

"Please allow me to explain in detail." The researcher took out a roll of parchment from his sleeve, unfolded it, and found it covered with densely written church cryptic text. "The Sage's Crown's abilities are divided into three levels: basic abilities, core abilities, and passive effects."

He raised his glassy eyes.

"There are three basic abilities. First, omniscient vision: the wearer can simultaneously 'see' the entirety of everything around them. Not with their eyes, but with their consciousness. Everything within a radius of several miles is in their mind."

Bruno frowned. "Wouldn't that be even more powerful than the eyes of an elf?"

"Yes, it is more powerful than the eyes of most elves. Secondly, it can predict the future: 'see' a certain possibility of the future. According to the Church's research, the Sage's Crown represents one of countless timelines."

Alex frowned slightly.

"Thirdly, the flood of knowledge: instant access to a vast amount of knowledge. Lost languages, ancient technologies, complex magic formulas... the wisdom that scholars cannot reach even after a lifetime of research can be poured into the mind in an instant."

Anna asked softly, "What about the side effects?"

The researcher paused for a moment, then sighed and said:

"Basic abilities themselves have no side effects... but if used only at dusk, choosing to acquire a massive amount of knowledge may cause the user to lose themselves. Your consciousness will be washed away, submerged, and assimilated by countless unfamiliar thoughts. You are still you, but you are no longer just you."

The room fell silent again. Alex nodded slightly and then asked:

"What about core competencies?"

The researcher lowered his voice even further, as if he had mentioned something taboo.

"The core competency is called 'cognitive interference.'" He said, "This touches upon a higher level of wisdom—influencing the thoughts of others."

He held up one finger and said:

"Mind stealing: reading the target's surface and deep thoughts. He knows what you're thinking."

The second finger.

"Memory Weaving: Viewing, copying, modifying, and even deleting other people's memories. It can make you forget your own name and make you believe that someone you've never met is a long-lost relative."

The third finger.

"Logical distortion: Implanting a viewpoint or logical chain of reasoning to make the target believe it without question. For example, making an enemy believe 'my sword is a snake' and thus discard their weapon. This is not blatant brainwashing, but rather leading the other party to deduce the wrong conclusion themselves. The most terrifying thing is that they believe it to be their own judgment."

Mason stopped slumping over the table. She straightened up, leaning her staff against the edge of the table, her fingers unconsciously clenching her cuffs, her voice slightly strained:

"This thing...is it really a sacred object? Or an evil one?"

The researcher's tone remained impassive. "The difference between a sacred object and an evil one lies in the user's character. To the Church, this is a sacred object. The power of the Sage's Crown is neutral—but its side effects are enough to drive anyone insane."

"What side effects?" Alex was also a little curious. Something with power comparable to a holy sword should have significant side effects, right?

The researcher closed his eyes and began to speak, as if reciting a mantra:

"Mental overload. Using the core ability will cause severe mental disorder, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, resulting in personality splitting, or worse, your consciousness will be assimilated by the collective consciousness of the ancient sages stored in the crown. You will no longer be 'you,' you will become Hermes, become the Great Sage, become something pieced together from the fragments of countless deceased people."

His voice trailed off.

"Furthermore, the pleasure of omniscience is highly addictive. Once crowned, that feeling of 'knowing everything' becomes addictive. After taking it off, the enormous gap leads to mental breakdown... without exception."

Bruno's greatsword slipped from his knees, the tip striking the floor with a dull thud.

"You just said 'without exception'?"

"Without exception," the researcher repeated. "Everyone in history who has used the core power of the Sage's Crown has ultimately died of a mental breakdown. Some died on the spot, bleeding from all seven orifices—the brain cannot process such a massive flow of information, causing the brain to overheat, accelerate aging, and even... die of old age in a very short time."

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Alex remained silent for a long time.

He finally spoke, his voice calm, but a hint of seriousness flickered in his eyes, "What about the passive effect?"

The researcher's expression changed.

The change was subtle, like a deeper, long-suppressed... fear.

He took a deep breath and continued, "The Sage's Crown doesn't need to be 'used'; it 'works' on its own. Outside of evening, it expands outward from itself—forcibly bestowing vast amounts of knowledge upon all humans while simultaneously extracting the rationality from all non-human beings. The result is... turning them into madmen without a sense of self."

His voice echoed in the empty room, as if it came from a very, very far place.

"Everyone in the town where the sage had once retreated—humans, livestock, even rats—had gone mad."

Anna gripped the holy book tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Alex's gaze fell on the black box. "Therefore, it must be sealed away."

"It must be sealed in a specially made lead box," the researcher corrected. "Once opened outside of dusk, all living beings within a radius of dozens of miles will lose their minds in a very short time."

He paused, then added, "At dusk, its passive effect temporarily disappears. That's why it can only be used at this time: activating it is a disaster."

Mason took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Is it safe to open it now?"

"Safe. Dusk has fallen, and its passive effect is temporarily dormant. But please remember, only pure-blooded humans can use it, and each person can only use it once. Don't be greedy, and don't try to use the core ability. Once you see the future, remove it immediately."

Bruno scratched his head. "What if we see a bad future? Can we look at it a few more times and see if there are any other possibilities?"

"No." The researcher's answer was firm. "When the Sage's Crown is used a second time, the crown will think that you have 'adapted' to its power, and will release the full load at once, causing your brain to be burned out instantly."

Alex stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the dark red light on the western horizon.

The sun was sinking below the horizon, and dusk was rising like a tide, turning the entire city of Kold into a warm orange-red.

He turned to the researcher. "I have only one question: why is such a powerful and dangerous relic kept in the Western Region?"

The researcher remained silent for a moment.

His gaze shifted from Alex to the twilight outside the window, as if he had seen something that ordinary people couldn't see.

His voice was very soft, so soft it was as if he were talking to himself, "This is a safety net."

"What kind of insurance?"

The researcher turned his head, and for the first time, an indescribable emotion appeared in his almost transparent gray eyes.

"If the Western Fortress falls, and if the Demon King's army breaks through the defenses and advances unimpeded, the Sage's Crown can be opened."

His voice was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if he were reciting a pre-written plan.

"No one needs to wear it. Just open the lead box. Its passive ability will drive all creatures in the Western Wasteland—humans, demons, monsters, and even dragons—insane in a very short time."

"There are no winners, no losers, only a desolate wasteland shrouded in madness."

It felt as if all the air in the room had been sucked out.

Mason opened his mouth, unable to speak.

Bruno gripped the hilt of the greatsword tightly, his knuckles cracking.

Anna closed her eyes, her lips moved slightly, and she prayed silently.

Alex stood by the window, the twilight casting a dark red glow on his blond hair.

His expression was calm, but something was subtly churning in his deep blue eyes.

He began, his voice hoarse, "So, everyone in the Western Frontier—the soldiers of the Third Legion, the civilians in the city, the adventurers of the Adventurers' Guild—is..."

"It's all the price of insurance," the researcher finished his sentence for him. "The Patriarch doesn't want it to come to that. Neither do I. But if that day ever comes—"

He paused, then sighed.

"It's better than letting the demons raze the entire kingdom to the ground."

No one speaks.

The twilight outside the window grew deeper, and torches on the distant city walls lit up one after another, like a lit fuse.

Alex remained silent for a long time.

Then he turned around and walked to the table.

"Open it up. Since everyone only has this one chance, let's not waste it."

The researcher's right hand rested on the lock of the black box.

Click.

The latch popped open.