Lin Chuan reclined in his chair, staring at the notebook spread open before him, his expression somewhat dazed.
I remember... I think I was just analyzing why I fell victim to the Celestial Worthy's "Fooling" and "Blind Stupidity" the first time I projected my consciousness, while also considering my next moves? Yes, that was it.
He sat up straight, turned to the latest page of his notebook, and reviewed and summarized the plan he had just settled on:
First, escape before the "Original Creator" awakened. The farther, the better. Ideally, he would flee straight to the edge of the universe. He absolutely could not spend another second on the biggest ticking time bomb in the entire universe.
Second, after the Oldest One split off the six great Sefirah, he would find a way to follow the "Hermit" and "Paragon" Pathways and devour the "Knowledge Moor." That would complete him and expand his symbolism of being "beyond the Oldest One."
The main problem at present was that Lin Chuan was using the unique nature of his symbolism of being beyond the Oldest One to forcibly manifest his own Sefirah in reality, when it should ordinarily have "returned to nothingness." But this inevitably made his power extremely unbalanced and unstable, limiting his output while leaving him prone to self-destruction.
However, thanks to the unique nature of "emptiness" and "beyond the world," Lin Chuan could follow other Pathways even while being a Sefirah that had gained sentience. As long as he devoured a Sefirah with similar symbolism, the problem would resolve itself.
Of all the Sefirah, the "Knowledge Moor," which would emerge in the future and contain the authorities of analysis and knowledge, was the one he needed most.
Closing the notebook, Lin Chuan stood and drew back the curtains. Soft, bright morning light instantly flooded the room. He had spent quite a while experimenting with his Sefirah, and it was already the next morning.
Bathed in sunlight, he felt himself in an extraordinarily mysterious state, as though he existed in two entirely different dimensions at once. One version of him stood solidly in the room in reality, feeling the warmth of the sunlight; the other had become a boundless void, his true body as a sentient Sefirah.
Strangely enough, the two seemed to overlap perfectly at the same coordinates. Yet he handled this complex experience with remarkable ease, without the slightest sense of dissonance or discomfort.
"Sefirah Castle projects the spirits bound to it. But I'm a Sefirah that gained sentience myself. How can I still project a spirit like that?" Lin Chuan pressed a hand to his forehead, deep in thought. "No, perhaps this isn't projection. This feeling... is more like Amon. They seem to be avatars, but in essence, they're all different parts of the same being."
But Amon can do that because the Cowardly Trio's mythical creature forms are Worms of Time and Spirit Worms that can gather and scatter, separate and reunite. And the Lord of the Mysteries already possesses authority over avatars-or rather, creating Marionettes and puppets. Splitting into countless selves and being everywhere is his specialty. What gives me that ability?
Lin Chuan vaguely sensed that he could project more of his will into other people or Beyonder creatures at any time, with the actual upper limit of assimilation completely unknown. This strange ability that had appeared out of nowhere left him full of questions, but after turning it over in his mind, he could only attribute it to the unique nature of his symbolism of being "beyond the Oldest One."
Lin Chuan looked down at the back of his hand. His skin was smooth and unmarked, with no patterns appearing on it. Still, he was certain that he could now return his consciousness to his Sefirah whenever and wherever he wished, without performing any ritual. It was his body to begin with, after all, and the process was as simple as switching the account he was logged into.
He turned and left the bedroom, walking straight through the living room to the bathroom. After taking a deep breath, he raised his hand, pushed open the bathroom door, and looked at the mirror above the sink.
The young man in the mirror wore black-framed glasses. His face was rather thin, and an indelible weariness lurked deep in his eyes. This was exactly how he had looked before transmigrating.
"So I really have changed back..."
Lin Chuan was not surprised. It seemed this was an effect of reestablishing his connection with his Sefirah.
After all, in Lin Chuan's own conception of himself, this was how he ought to look, rather than having the appearance of that original body. Compared with his previous appearance, he still subconsciously identified more with the person he had been before transmigrating.
The change in appearance might cause some minor trouble for his next moves, but that hardly mattered now. There was no time to waste; he needed to act immediately. Who knew when the Oldest One underground would wake up? Hopefully, he still had enough time.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018.
For this civilization on the brink of the apocalypse, this was merely an unremarkable day amid the dust of its vast history. But at a funeral home in a certain city, a funeral was being held that was difficult to call either ordinary or extraordinary.
Somber funeral music and muffled sobs filled the funeral home. Dressed in a solemn black suit, Lin Chuan stood among the mourners, looking at Zhou Mingrui's familiar smile in the black-and-white memorial portrait, his heart a tangle of emotions.
He knew perfectly well that Zhou Mingrui was currently hanging in Sefirah Castle and would one day awaken in Tingen City as Klein. But for Zhou Mingrui's parents, the pain of losing a loved one was devastatingly real.
As the funeral drew to a close, Lin Chuan stepped forward to offer his condolences to Zhou Mingrui's parents and older brother.
All three visibly froze when they saw him. Zhou Mingrui's father, his eyes red, looked Lin Chuan up and down before speaking with some hesitation and confusion. "You're... Lin Chuan? Why do you look so different?"
"I've been through some upheavals lately and fell seriously ill. I lost so much weight I barely look like myself, and even my bearing has changed."
Without batting an eye, Lin Chuan offered the plausible excuse he had prepared long ago, then accurately recounted the details of last month's birthday celebration.
Hearing those familiar memories, Zhou Mingrui's parents finally set aside their doubts and confirmed the identity of the man before them. Once again, they could not stop their tears from spilling over.
Before leaving, Lin Chuan took three smooth jade pendants from his pocket and solemnly placed them in the Zhou family's hands.
"Uncle, Auntie... These are protective charms I obtained when I visited Mount Longhu a while ago. They're said to have been personally consecrated by a virtuous senior Taoist priest, and they can ward off evil and keep you safe. Mingrui is gone, so you must take care of yourselves. Keep these jade pendants with you, if only as a keepsake."
After making sure all three had accepted the jade pendants themselves, Lin Chuan bowed slightly. He sighed, the grief and heaviness on his face just right. "Mingrui's accident has been a terrible blow to me, too, so I'd like to go to another city to clear my head. If you ever need help with anything, please be sure to call me."
Consumed by their immense grief, the Zhou family asked no further questions. They merely nodded numbly, and he could not tell whether they had heard him.
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