Even before this, Bernadette's spirituality had issued frantic warnings, but she had instinctively assumed the danger came from ahead—from Nast Solomon, who had begun reciting the honorific name of the "Great Mother," the "Mother Goddess of Depravity."
In her past experience, such fanatical followers of evil gods were far from rare. The most troublesome outcome of reciting an honorific name was a god turning their gaze upon the recipient of their blessings, conveying power through a "bestowment" or direct descent to aid their believer.
Thus, while blowing the horn and using its sound waves to destroy everything around her, she mentally contacted the servant dispatched by the "distorted" command once more, ordering it to bring that crucial Sealed Artifact. The angelic standing of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact would suffice to resist even the corruption caused by a True God's descent and provide some ability to fight back.
But when Nast's recitation of "Mother Goddess of Depravity, Origin of Evil, The Undying, Filthy Mother Nest" reached Bernadette's ears, she realized in astonishment that the problem lay not with Nast, but with herself.
An ordinary person, or even a Beyonder with limited knowledge, might not immediately associate this honorific name with a specific existence. But as a Sequence 3 of the Mystery Pryer Pathway, Bernadette had endured the Hidden Sage's knowledge infusions whether she wanted them or not, and possessed considerable knowledge herself. At once, she pieced together the previously disconnected fragments in her mind:
"Above the stars dwell terrifying existences that corrupt anyone who merely learns of them," "When a gaze descends from the stars, the earth will shatter," "Above Sequence 0, there may be existences beyond the level of True Gods," "Even after gaining control of their own Pathways, True Gods remain wary of gods from Adjacent Pathways"...
*...The