Spirit World (1)

The blade that sliced across his wrist was cold to the bone, and hot blood poured from the wound.

Archbishop Sonic paid no heed to the pain or the cold. He stared hollow-eyed at the sky, as if gazing into the divine kingdom at that still mighty, imposing figure. That was his lord, his supreme god, the one to whom he had devoted his entire life. And yet now...

Even an immortal god could die. It was utterly beyond Sonic's understanding. Only after his aged body had lost so much blood that it began to weaken did his mind grow clearer and clearer. His pale, dry lips lifted slightly. With his faith in ruins, he actually smiled!

High Priest Sonic looked up at the sky once more. His gaze crossed the endless Void to fix on the divine kingdom of nature, as if he had found hope again. The ashen, defeated air about him vanished, replaced by fierce ambition and a rising will to fight. He murmured, "The old god has fallen. A new god will be crowned. This age will belong to me!"

As he spoke those words, Sonic's gaze became unshakably firm...

Elsewhere, Green had been holed up in the barracks, enjoying a remarkably comfortable few days.

Their movements were restricted, but there was nothing to complain about in the barracks. The food was plentiful and tasted good, and some unknown Magic Artifact installed there kept the Psychic Energy abundant and gentle, making the place ideal for cultivation.

With the Graveyard as his tremendous advantage, Green cared little for that benefit. Others were different. Many Transcendents in the Anomalies Bureau field teams came from modest backgrounds and often undertook dangerous missions. Short on money and resources, they discovered the benefits and threw themselves into cultivation, scarcely caring