Greeting

When Neph said goodbye to Klein, she was actually struggling with a new problem.

The joke about "White Angel" pinpointed the discovery of her spying, making Neph suddenly realize that if she were to explore the history of the First Epoch, she would be discovered in the same way.

But if she doesn't look, will no one know she's there? Neph frowned, for before she could act, Klein brought good news.

"I obtained the ingredients for my Sequence 3 Potion," he exhaled. "Through an item on Hvin Rambis, Lady Arianna told me it came from the Cosmos, and on Her advice, I sacrificed that item to the Goddess."

He paused for a few seconds, then observed Neph's expression. "You seem troubled."

"Because I'm going to say hello to my My Lord's predecessors, and yours as well," Neph said with a smile.

Klein didn't immediately realize what she was saying. When he did, his expression showed clear astonishment, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why?!"

"I have to go," Neph said, "Because my eyes can see the past, and some answers cannot be found in the present."

Klein was about to speak when Neph added, "I think I should have someone watch over me—maybe I should do this with my My Lord— "

"So what exactly is it?" Klein frowned. "Is it related to the secrets hidden in the Cosmos again?"

"It's worse than that," Neph told him. "The secrets of the Cosmos can be countered if we are well prepared, but this is different. If it really happens, even the pollution of the Cosmos will not escape destruction."

Klein's expression changed abruptly. He moved his lips slightly and whispered, "Apocalypse— "

Neph didn't speak.

Klein took a deep breath and then asked, "Do you have a way to speed up the digestion of the Potion?"

"To play the role better," Neph replied.

"What a coincidence," Klein's expression froze for a moment, "Arrodes told me the same thing."

Neph couldn't help but chuckle. She told Klein, "Your Pathway involves performance, so it's very closely connected to the Spectator. If you can't find enough High Sequence to handle your fright, spreading the paranormal legends further might be a good idea."

Klein thoughtfully noted this down, then asked again, "Can you help me separate Hvin Rambis's Beyonder Characteristic?"

It was easy for Neph to agree. After handing over the separated Beyonder Characteristic to Klein, she once again entered the "Forsaken Land of the Gods."

When she brought this up with the "True Creator," the "True Creator" told her, "Adam and I mentioned this, but I think He was too hasty."

"If you have indeed brought back something from your past memories, then given our current situation, no one can save you."

"I know," Neph said, "But more than that, I'm worried about whether you can ensure I don't cause any problems if I do bring something back."

"This is why Adam wants you to go now," the "True Creator" told her, "If you go any further, we might not be able to do it in our current state."

Neph paused briefly, then sighed after a few seconds and exclaimed, "It's offensive to say that, but—"

"Your Divinity Aspect is indeed as aloof and unapproachable as I've come to know it."

"You've come to me because you've already made up your mind?" the "True Creator" asked her.

"Cheek's fifth Honorific Name must be very important," Neph replied. "I think the holder must be able to invoke His Divine Descent. I absolutely cannot get an answer from here—or perhaps you have already tried another one, is that right?"

Without waiting for the "True Creator's " reply, she continued, "You have watched me come this far, and I only hope that if anything unexpected happens, you can say goodbye to my friends on my behalf."

"I agreed," the "True Creator" replied, "But I was actually quite surprised."

Neph looked at him questioningly. "The True Creator" replied, "I've seen it all this way. You told Amon that the reason He couldn't become the Lord of the Mysteries was because He lacked courage and sacrifice, but in my opinion, you lack both of those qualities as well."

"That sounds awful," Neph's lips twitched. "I have to admit I didn't."

She sighed, then continued, "But I suspect that if I don't go, you won't get an answer for at least the next six or seven years, and—I doubt my guess is right."

She hesitated for a few seconds before asking, "Do you speak Chinese?"

"No," the "True Creator" replied calmly and decisively.

"That's terrible," Neph rubbed her forehead. "About the City of Calamity," I once heard a saying— Prophecy?

In conclusion? Well, anyway, it was written in my native language.

She carefully read aloud, "Isolated yin cannot grow, solitary yang cannot produce; yin contains yang, and yang contains yin; when yin and yang unite, all things arise—this is the way of Heaven."

"Yes, I know you don't quite understand this sentence. Actually, I'm a little confused myself because it's in classical Chinese—but in my native language, some of the words in it correspond precisely to the concept of ' the Creator'— "

"Moreover, it is closer to the Oldest One than the Primordial."

"This passage comes from the Western Continent?" the "True Creator" asked her.

"Yes," Neph nodded, "But I'm not entirely sure of the specifics."

The surroundings fell silent. After a few seconds, Neph couldn't help but speak again, "Actually, this is just right. I have few attachments in this world. Even if something really happened to me, there would be very few people who would worry—hmm, if I stay for a few more years, I might not want to leave—"

"----That's why I don't want you to go," the "True Creator" seemed to sigh. "We can all be sure you didn't make this decision out of a spirit of sacrifice, which can only mean that you lack attachment to the world of the living—I'm worried you won't come back."

"No," Neph suddenly became certain, "As long as you promise me one thing, I will definitely come back."

"What?" the "True Creator" asked in disbelief.

"I'd like to send you a mural," Neph, lowering her head and clearing her throat as if to cover her mouth, "Something like the Last Supper —would you be willing to provide me with some details?"

This time, an even deeper silence fell around them. The "True Creator" remained silent for a long time, and just when Neph thought He wouldn't speak again, the voice rang out once more. "I shouldn't have advised you."

Neph smiled slightly, but before she could reply, the voice continued, "Considering your Pathway —would it put your mind at ease if I said I would remember you?"

Chapter 38 Greeting

Neph paused for a moment, then gave a soft smile, her eyes sparkling with multicolored light. "If you continue, I'll really regret it."

The only phrase Record is "the Original Creator awakens," which was actually the true Apocalypse at that time.

This is a very magical thing. Neph discovered that she could see history before the First Epoch, including the history of the Oldest One awakening. Normally, this is impossible to see, because after the Original Creator awakened, even the Historical Void was destroyed. Even "Scholar of Yore" from before the First Epoch could only see the ruins of civilizations at most.

And it seems that she really does have memories of the time before she Oldest One woke up.

Most lives were destroyed in that Catastrophe, but a very small number of lucky survivors emerged. Many of these survivors combined with Beyonder Characteristic, mutated, and formed the mutated creatures we know today.

Neph sought to find history not here; she focused on the "City of Calamity" among the Nine Sefirot, ultimately stopping at one particular point—

The Oldest One will awakened in the "City of Calamity," and the "God Almighty," with a premonition, swallowed the "City of Calamity." Then, the sleeve, gradually being gathered and possessed by instinct, saw Neph.

"And then?" Adam asked her.

"Then—" Neph's expression became hesitant, "I saw a grayish-white mist, and under its cover, I escaped back."

Adam stared at Neph for a few seconds, then calmly said, "During the Fourth Epoch, I conducted an experiment, an experiment concerning the City of Calamity '."

"The Blood Emperor" Tudor? Neph asked.

Adam nodded, adding, "But it's clear that the experiment failed. I sensed then that there might be other problems within the City of Calamity '."

"There's something I don't understand," Neph raised her hand, "Why won't you let me see the Fourth Epoch?"

"Do you think it's safer to see the Mirrored Original Creator than to see the Primordial God Almighty?" Adam countered. "At least there's the ' Lord of the Mysteries ' opposing the Primordial God Almighty, but the Mirrored Original Creator— "

"Wait a minute," Neph interrupted the conversation, "Why are we suddenly zooming into the Mirrored Original Creator?"

"If I had to pinpoint where Cheek is hiding the problem, I could only think of the Mirror World," Adam replied. "That's His domain."

He paused for a few seconds, then added, "That's none of your business. You can go see your friends with peace of mind, after all—"

"You've already made the impact you were supposed to have."

Okay, that makes a lot of sense.

Neph was kicked out in a daze. She checked the prayers and realized that she had missed the "Rose School's" hunt.

When she asked Klein about it, Klein told her, "We didn't find the target."

Neph frowned slightly, glancing suspiciously at Klein. This result wasn't surprising, since they hadn't found their target in the storyline, but Neph couldn't help but wonder, "The ' Mother Tree of Desire ' doesn't seem to be paying much attention to you right now—compared to—it doesn't really care about you much, it hasn't even considered having children with you—"

"Have a baby?" Klein interrupted her.

Neph gave him a polite smile, and Klein suddenly shivered, as if this was far more terrifying to him than regular pollution.

Before Neph could ask, he quickly changed the subject. "Have you finished your greetings?"

"----That's a terrible topic," Neph gave him a half-smile. "Perhaps you shouldn't have asked, but have you ever considered that I might bring something back from the past?"

"----?" Klein froze.

"Poor child," Neph said softly, "We could have chatted if you hadn't asked that question. She really wanted to say goodbye to you."

"I must remind you," Klein began tactfully, "That your eyes are smiling for you."

"Have you ever thought of this as a performance as well?" Neph asked him in return.

Klein shook his head and said honestly, "I'd rather believe that if that were the case, you wouldn't have been able to get to me at all."

"Unless your Lord has already fallen."

"----This hypothesis is even worse than the previous topic," Neph rolled her eyes. "Fine, since you're so bored, do me Divination."

"What?" Klein was taken aback.

"Help me pick an auspicious day," she said, "I want to hang up the people of the Church of Storms on that day."

"Why are you in such a hurry all of a sudden?" Klein was taken aback.

"I'm afraid my My Lord will sell me out again," Neph said softly.

She already knew what kind of person Adam was, so Adam decision wasn't surprising at all. Rather, the fact that Adam was willing to choose the path he thought was safer for her—or at least the path he verbally described as safer—was already enough to surprise Neph.

She wasn't actually angry, because although the choice she made was what Adam wanted, whether or not to go was ultimately her own decision. Since she had agreed, she couldn't possibly vent her anger on someone else.

But that doesn't mean Neph would want this to happen a second time, especially since a second time might not necessarily be with her consent.

Considering the timing, Feysac's air raid on Loen was also around this date, so Neph didn't plan to wait any longer.

Klein refused to pick an auspicious day for her, but Neph was not discouraged and went to Bernadette instead.

This request puzzled Bernadette, but Neph still obtained the Divination results, and on the morning of October 9, 1350, a great upheaval occurred in Backlund.

Klein saw the news in the newspaper; it was urgently inserted into the * Backlund Morning Post *, printed on the front page. "----This morning, concerned citizens discovered dozens of Church members dressed in clergy robes suspended in the air outside the Holy Wind Cathedral, their bodies painted with Symbol of the Church of the Sun, suspected to be Cultists of the Church of the Sun who have entered the country----"

"That's strange," Fors said to Hugh after finishing the newspaper. "Why would the followers of the Church of the Sun do this to the Church of Storms? And even leave their mark? It doesn't seem like something they would do."

"I don't know," Hugh shook his head, "But I think I need to remind you that your deadline is tomorrow."

"Oh no!" Fors's face changed drastically. She jumped up, rushed into the study, and slammed the door shut.