"I've already secured the elixir formula of the 'Emperor of Knowledge' from the oldest of organizations. Now, it's time to seek out the corresponding materials. It might have passed into the hands of an angel, or perhaps it has fused with the surrounding elements, transforming into a twisted, evil monster—or a chaotic, terrifying 'Level 0' seal. In any case, caution is essential; ideally, I'd like to find a suitable ally. The name 'Emperor of Knowledge' for this Sequence 1 elixir is truly intriguing. Had I not directly examined the 'Defiled Stone,' I would have assumed it belonged to the 'Reader' path, under the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Even more surprising is that these two paths do not appear to be interconnected." "I once discussed this matter with that enigmatic leader and Mr. Hermes. We essentially reached a consensus: the 'Reader' path represents the 'omniscience' aspect of 'all-knowing,' while the 'Seer' and the 'Universal Scholar' embody knowledge itself—two distinct facets: one more mystical, the other closer to reality." "Hmm. Once I become the 'Emperor of Knowledge,' Bernadette will have no need to worry about the 'Hidden Sage's' influence, nor will she fear the relentless pursuit of knowledge." In the end, the Emperor had turned toward the 'Seer' path. I wonder if he successfully became the 'Emperor of Knowledge...' Perhaps precisely because of this, he severed ties with the Steam Church completely, and later, when facing opposition from all quarters, found himself with no allies—only turning to the 'Dusk Monks' for hope. Cain thought this over, half-wistful, half-speculating. Beyond this, he expressed considerable interest in his explanation of why the "Reader" path cannot be exchanged with the "Seer" or the "Universalist" paths, believing that further exploration might reveal the underlying patterns and principles governing such exchanges. "To most ordinary extraordinary beings, the 'Reader,' 'Seer,' and 'Universalist' all belong to the domain of 'knowledge,' and thus should be strongly interconnected—yet the 'Reader' appears as an outlier here. "The 'Reader' falls under the 'All-Knowing' aspect of the 'All-Knowing and All-Doing' category. The 'Seer,' or 'Shepherd' path, belongs to the 'All-Doing' aspect of that same category. There is indeed some overlap between them—such as the mutual reinforcement of broad learning and diverse abilities, which allows for interchangeability between them. "From this perspective, the 'Storm' path's embodiment of all-powerful capabilities across land, sea, and air becomes understandable. The 'Observer' path, representing the domain of the mind, serves as a powerful complement to the 'Storm' path. Then, why can the 'Sun' path be exchanged with them?" Given that the last being to hold the title of 'All-Knowing, All-Powerful' was the ancient Sun God, does this imply that the 'Sun' serves as the foundational essence that embodies 'All-Knowing, All-Powerful'? "Hmm... Following this line of thought, the 'Seer' and the 'Scholar' represent different aspects of 'knowledge' itself and thus are interchangeable—then what distinguishes the 'Assassin' from the 'Hunter'? And what about the paths of 'Night', 'Death', and 'War'?" Kline immediately thought of many such questions, yet he lacked both the time and sufficient information to delve into a deeper analysis. As a result, he temporarily set them aside, mentally lifting the third page of his journal to the forefront. A quick glance revealed that Kline's mental focus instantly sharpened, as this entry differed significantly from the previous ones. It bore no date, and the spacing between the words was unusually wide—being a copy of the original, one could clearly perceive the extraordinary weight of the pen strokes. As Kline scanned the yellowed pages, the content flowed directly into his mind: "No! Impossible! How could this be happening?" "If my guess is correct, then surely there must have been others who experienced something similar!" "No! No! How could this happen!" "I see things telling me that everything—everything—will be destroyed. Even what I have built will vanish. No! I will not accept this ending!" "We must strive to save ourselves. No more relying on the Seven Deities!" "Only by ascending to the throne of Sequence 0 can I, and those I hold dear, be preserved!" "Shall I attempt to bring the 'Gate' Lord back into the real world? No! Though He claims to be only Sequence 1, I believe He is far from ordinary. He may very well bring me unforeseen disasters!" The Chinese characters, significantly larger than the previous two pages, sprawled across the yellowed paper in a sparse and irregular manner. Though the content was not extensive, it caused a wave of sharp, recurring headaches in Caine's head. When writing this journal entry, Emperor Roscel likely already held the status of Sequence 1's "Emperor of Knowledge." The passionate, emotionally charged content he composed carries a strong sense of mystery. That is, if Klein read these passages in the real world, he might very well go mad—suffer a mental breakdown, even lose control! Fortunately, the "Recluse" lady doesn't speak Chinese. Otherwise, she would have undergone mutation during her forced memorization of the content. Even if she understood it, she would surely have felt extremely fatigued, with significant energy expenditure. Prolonged exposure and sustained focus would inevitably lead to hallucinations and, likely, signs of loss of control. Klein thought to himself with a sense of relief. His attention quickly returned to the journal itself, where new questions arose: "What exactly did the Emperor see that stirred him so deeply and prompted such a sharp, passionate tone?" "No. There's something unusually intense and impulsive in the tone—something that doesn't quite fit a person of long-standing high office, nor does it align with the dignity of an angel. Even in his final days, when the Emperor said, 'After my death, let the floods rise,' he remained composed, unaffected. What has influenced him? Or what has corrupted or eroded him? Furthermore, he mentioned that others besides himself have experienced such things—what exactly does he mean? Does he refer to the phenomenon of crossing dimensions? Indeed, there were others on Earth who had inexplicably traversed through space and time—me, for instance, and many more." Thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. Without delay, Caine allowed the three pages of journal entries to vanish, then smiled gently at the 'Hermit' Gauthier, asking, "Have you decided what you'd like to request?" Gauthier bowed gracefully, as if prepared, and said, "I would like to know why the Emperor, in his later years, became so wildly passionate." "Oudelie, the 'Justice,' blinked, suspecting she had misheard. She had completely expected the 'Wise One' to pose something so substantial upon opening her remarks. Moreover, how did she know that Emperor Roscel was mad in his later years? And furthermore, how could she ask such profound questions based solely on three pages of journal entries—this didn't seem to follow the principle of equivalent exchange! A cascade of thoughts surged through Oudelie's mind, yet she didn't interrupt the 'Wise One.' On the contrary, she grew increasingly interested and unexpectedly animated, eagerly awaiting the response from the 'Challenger.' The 'Hanged Man' Aljere, the 'Moon' Emlyn, and the 'Magician' Fotherse all held their breath, turning their gaze toward the head of the bronze long table. Only 'The Sun' Deric and 'The World' remained largely unconcerned. After a moment's reflection, the 'Challenger' Cline smiled gently and said: 'First, let us establish a fact. 'I am not all-knowing, nor all-powerful.' He said it with a self-deprecating ease, yet the "Seers" and others showed no sign of surprise—indeed, they appeared even more respectful. To them, the idea that the "Fool" was neither all-knowing nor all-powerful was entirely evident. Even without mentioning their individual speculations about the "Fool's" current state, the simple fact that the distinguished figure, bearing no such designation in his title, was not described as omniscient or omnipotent was sufficient proof. Moreover, none of the current true gods or evil gods possess titles implying complete knowledge and power! Having thus subtly established the tone, Caine began to respond to the "Seers'" questions: "I too would like to know what befell Roxel in his later years. It is certain that, for some unknown reason or influence, Roxel turned his attention toward the Sequence 0." He did not elaborate on what Sequence 0 specifically meant—within the Tarot Circle, those who knew were well-informed, while those who were less familiar could still sense the significance. Sequence 0... did the Great Emperor wish to become a god? It's no wonder they say he went mad in his later years... "Justice" Audrey understood what sequence 0 represented and was moved by it. "The Hangman" Aljer shared the same sentiment. "The Hermit" Gauthieria clearly grasped the significance of sequence 0 as well; she nodded thoughtfully and then looked away. Sequence 0... "The Moon" Emlin and "The Magician" Forse each pondered the two words, as though realizing for the first time that there was a higher rank above sequence 1—one belonging to the true gods! "The Sun" Deric, however, remained puzzled, gazing at the " Fool" with bewilderment, not understanding why the prominent King Roscel, so visibly active, sought to claim sequence 0. In the Silver City, every resident, whenever given the chance, aspired to become a true god of sequence 0, either to create a more livable environment for all or to lead everyone away from the abandoned land. Kren said no more, leaned back against the chair, and surveyed the room before saying, "Begin, then." "Having said that, he guided 'World' to look toward 'Sun' Deryck, and with a low, warm smile remarked, "Your 'Notary' potion recipe is now ready." "Thank you, 'World' sir," Deryck said sincerely, "as per our agreement, I will record this debt and await your next request." "Very well," Klein replied while maneuvering 'World,' making him feign a formal request to 'The Fool.' Not long after, the potion recipe arrived in the hands of the young 'Sun.' Deryck eagerly accepted it, quickly scanning the parchment as though hungry and thirsty: "Sequence 6, 'Notary.' Primary ingredients: one portion of crystallized root of the Elder Tree, five tail feathers of the Covenant Bird. Secondary ingredients: 100 milliliters of juice from the Radiant Covenant Tree, one Golden Sun, one White-Spined Sun, and five drops of Water Fern juice." "Without waiting for anyone else to speak," the World turned to the Pendulum, Aljer, and spoke once more: "You know, the recipe for the 'Sea Singer' potion and its primary ingredients are now ready." Ah? Audrey of Justice and the others blinked in surprise. The Prophet, Gautheria, stared at the World in genuine astonishment. She remembered clearly that Germain Spalro had only recently hunted down the Slayer, Gilsheias last week—where had he obtained the recipe and the primary ingredients for the 'Sea Singer' potion then? Had he perhaps slain another 'Sea Singer'? That would indeed be a significant figure within the Storm Church—almost at the senior level. Just one week ago! Gautheria found it utterly unrealistic.