"Legend had it that, long, long ago, there were eight mountains at the gates of Okhma City."
"These eight mountains blocked the roads into the city, causing serious inconvenience for the people."
"Then, an Earth Beast taller than the mountains appeared."
"With one bite, it devoured seven of them, leaving only the one now beneath Kephale's backside..."
Within the Cloud Stone Celestial Palace, light streamed through the towering dome, scattering mottled patterns of light and shadow.
A faint mist hung in the air.
Yan Huan reclined sideways on a lounge chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest as he listened to Anaxa recount that absurd legend of the Earth Beast.
"...People called it the Great. Colossal. Ultimate Earth Beast. Ripper of Mountains. Maniacal Trash Producer. I couldn't make up the rest."
"—Great Ripper for short."
Anaxa's voice carried a faint echo through the vast bathing pool.
He leaned against a stone pillar carved with intricate patterns, the angelic halo above his head casting a gentle glow.
"Hold on."
Yan Huan raised a hand, his expression clearly disgusted, his brows nearly twisted together.
He stared at Anaxa.
"Can you tell me where the hell you came from...?"
"Weren't you supposed to be born a hundred years from now?!"
Anaxa adjusted his posture.
"I have been wondering about that myself."
His tone carried a detached calm.
"In the previous cycle, after Re-Creation failed, everything in Amphoreus should have been formatted and restarted from the beginning. But it seemed..."
He pointed to his head—or rather, the phantom formed by his condensed soul.
"My soul fragments were rather resilient. Perhaps it was thanks to the powder ground from that Soul Bead of yours that I was able to retain a trace of consciousness in the gap between the old and new."
His gaze passed