Anaxa's words echoed in the hanging garden corridor, their lingering sound seemingly blending into the breeze and whispers of the flowers and plants in the Garden of Life.
His assertion about " Erudition " as both a prisoner and Eternity measure is not only a cold deconstruction of the Nous, but also a tempering and forging of the concept of " Eternity ".
Lygus listened quietly, his tone completely calm, only his deep eyes seemed to hold the birth and death of billions of stars.
As Anaxa's last resolute syllable fell, a strange silence descended upon the garden, broken only by the faint sound of sap dripping from exotic flowers in the distance.
"Exquisite... cruelty."
' Lygus ' finally spoke slowly, his voice low and deep.
He nodded slightly, his movements still so elegant. "You used the lens of mortal logic to glimpse a corner of the workings of this magnificent being."
To regard " Erudition " as a prisoner, and its labor anchored to "moments" as a measure that endows " Eternity " life...
"I must admit, this perspective is incredibly insightful."
' Lygus ' paused, his gaze passing over that Anaxa and landing on the more distant ' Worldbearing ' Kephale.
This truly reveals the relationship between " Erudition " and " Eternity "; they can be interdependent gears, one Eternity etching itself within a cage, the other being imbued with dynamic meaning in the process of etching.
"Without the prisoner's chisel, the latter's monument cannot be perceived; without the Cornerstone of ' Eternity,' the prisoner's carving will lose the universe it carries."
Just then, Cerces's voice rang out unexpectedly beside Anaxa:
"Son of man, raise your head..."
Almost instinctively, at that Anaxa and ' Lygus ' raised their heads at the same time.
The warm sunlight on the Garden of Garden of Life... vanished, replaced by suffocating darkness.
It wasn't nightfall, but rather an unimaginably vast entity that blocked out all light.
Then, from the deep cosmic background, a colossal stone hand, beyond the limits of human comprehension, silently descended towards the location of the Garden of Life.
It is composed of an unknown amber stone that has been eroded by cosmic storms, and its surface is covered with riverbed-like grooves, each groove seemingly engraved with the vicissitudes and silence of hundreds of millions of Years.
At that Anaxa could clearly sense that this giant hand was not a physical entity, yet it carried a sense of presence that was heavier than any physical entity.
Its slow descent alone caused the entire space to groan under its strain.
The light escaped around it, and the clouds were pushed aside by an invisible force, instantly blotting out the sun.
At that Anaxa understood that the oppressive feeling did not come from a physical impact, but from a conceptual upheaval.
As the giant hand descended, the entire " Amphoreus " slowly collapsed toward the garden.
The plants, brimming with life, were eerily still at that moment, their branches and leaves drooping, as if expressing an instinctive awe for this incomprehensible existence.
Even time itself slows down in the shadows.
' Lygus ' stood in the shadow that blotted out the sky, as insignificant as a speck of dust.
The gentleness in his tone had vanished completely, leaving only an almost divine, emotionless calm.
He turned slightly to the side, making an ancient gesture in the direction of that Anaxa —not a bow, but more like an introduction.
"Your Excellency, please."
The voice of ' Lygus ' pierced through the almost solidified sense of oppression and clearly entered Anaxa's ears.
"The supreme deity who Worldbearing ( Eternity ) is listening."
As soon as he finished speaking, the stone hand hovered, and shadows enveloped everything.
In the " Eternity " audience section, after listening to Ye Yan's story, the mask flew over again.
"Huh? Which timeline is this? Has ' Eternity ' descended at this moment?"
"It's just... one of countless possibilities."
Ye Yan savored his milk tea at a leisurely pace. In any case, everything should be taken into account with reference to the timeline in which the Astral Express is located.
The story of " Trailblaze " continues, and at this moment, " Eternity " is just a small interlude.
Aren't you Curiosity? What will this place look like when the " Journey of Flame-Chase " comes to an end?
The masked man shook his head. " Aha ~ You speak so mysteriously, those Riddlers and History Fictionologists should be calling you their leader."
" War of the Aeons ' doesn't start for a day, Aha feels itchy all over with ants crawling on him; there's no fun at all!"
"Wrong, your very existence is a huge source of amusement."
Ye Yan brushed the mask away. " Amphoreus " might not offer much fun, but what about the next stop?
" Dual-Phase Paradise "... Haha~ He knew what tricks Aha was going to pull in just one second, come and guess!
"The tower collapsed, and people fled."
"Because the sun is about to set, and will suffer a terrible destruction."
Ye Yan murmured, "The allegory of ' Destruction ' is the sun, so let's guess, does ' Elation ' correspond to the moon?"
Because the sun is going to be destroyed... um, because the moon is going to fall?
So, what is the allegory about " Eternity "? A normal person would guess an hourglass, while a humorous person would guess milk tea.
Why will the sun be destroyed and the moon fall? Because the milk tea is all gone!
"This is ridiculous, don't even think about using the word ' Eternity '."
Meanwhile, at the " Demigod Council " Dawncloud Cliff
The Mydei mentor Craterus, approached Xing and Phainon from behind. "It's been a long time, you two."
Xing turned around. This was her first time meeting Craterus. Seeing this older man, she felt a sense of déjà vu about someone she knew.
"Hello, Oleg of Amphoreus."
"... What nonsense are you spouting? Is this the kind of valiant warrior that the young master praises so highly?"
"Long time no see, Lord Craterus. What brings you here in such a hurry..."
Before he could finish speaking, Craterus made a shushing gesture. "Shh, be quiet...!"
"Keep your eyes peeled, see those hyenas with fake smiles? They're Canis's men doing the dirty work."
"I've ordered my people to hold them back, but don't make a scene. Unless you want to get serious and start a fight," Craterus warned.
"Sorry. So, what happened?"
Craterus asked, "Did you hear thunder last night?"
"Thunder in broad daylight, it's impossible not to hear it."
Xing covered her forehead; sometimes she envied people who slept well.
"Thunder... Thank goodness, it's Acheron! We're saved!"
"Huang... what?"
Craterus scratched his head and looked at Xing. Was this really the valiant warrior that the young master praised and strongly supported?
"Ahem~ elaborate?"
"The thunder is the beacon of ' Strife,' a message from the young lord. He has hurled a messenger javelin at Okhema, with only a few words on it."
" Those Flame Thief, though dead embers may reignite; beware."