The Kingdom of Rouen, Beckland. Folth, still asleep, suddenly awoke from her dream and instinctively turned her gaze toward the window. She had experienced this before—several times, prior to joining the Tarot Circle, she had woken up at night under the full moon's curse—but today, she felt no familiar ache, only an unfamiliar flutter within her. The curtains blocked the view, so she could not gauge the time from the faint light. Without thinking, she turned over, got up, and swiftly pulled open both the cloth and the sheer layers of the curtains. The sunlight, piercing through the thin mist, flooded into the room, dispelling the accumulated darkness. Standing at the window, Folth gazed upward, her face clearly expressing confusion: The sun had already risen, the red moon had long since set—yet she still felt the sensation of the full moon's curse, as if it were just beginning. And it was still days away from the full moon! …… The Indis Republic, its capital, Trier. One by one, early astronomers, enthusiasts of esoteric studies, and extraordinary individuals hidden among ordinary people have turned their gaze toward the sky. The layered clouds of the night have dispersed, and the vast, luminous moon has completely obscured the light of the stars. This moon is no longer the familiar crimson hue—it is now a brilliant, pure white, exceptionally bright. All who have witnessed it are stunned. This is a moon they have never seen before. Neither the standard textbooks of human society nor the esoteric literature have ever recorded such a phenomenon! Beyond the common phases of waning and full moon, and the occasional "blood moon," the moon has never exhibited such a transformation—absolutely not, at least over the past thirteen centuries since the Fifth Age. Only now do the witnesses realize that the moon comes in colors beyond merely crimson and blood red. ………… In the Sacred Abandoned Land, the City of Silver. Due to the high frequency of lightning during the afternoon, Deric and the others have all noticed the unusual conditions in the sky. The familiar lightning and darkness that they had known, completely vanished within just a few seconds—without a trace. A vivid, crimson circular glow, filling half the sky, stood out so clearly and so prominently, illuminating everything with unparalleled clarity. Among the more intellectually agile residents of Silver City, those who had studied the standard textbooks and seen the accompanying illustrations of the moon instantly drew connections. A wave of astonishment and bewilderment swept through their minds: "Is this the moon?" "The Red Moon?" "Have we actually witnessed a red moon?" Soon, the crimson hue of the moon gradually faded, revealing a bright, cool, and serene appearance. The residents grew increasingly puzzled, unsure of what had transpired. Derek Berg, who had heard accounts from the Tarot Circle members—such as Mr. The Hanged Man and Miss Justice—was even more stunned and amazed, as this phenomenon had never before been observed even beyond the realm of the divine-ignored lands. A few seconds later, the moon vanished, and profound darkness once again enveloped everything, with frequent lightning now serving as the primary source of light. "What happened just now?" "Did you see that red glow?" "The moon! It's the moon!" "It's the Crimson Moon!" "Is this a sign that we're finally breaking free from our current predicament?" "Will our second exploration of the 'Kingdom of the Giants' proceed smoothly, and will it open the door to the outside world?" Amidst their bewilderment, the majority of the residents of Silver City instinctively regarded this phenomenon as a positive omen, a favorable sign in the realm of mysticism. Only Chief Colin Iliath and Elder Loviara of the Six Councilors appeared grave, their brows furrowed with serious concern. ... Within the ancient palace, atop the gray-white mist. Having largely unraveled Amun's scheme, Caine naturally shifted his focus back to the "secrets" he had just uncovered. Regarding this, he had previously made some speculations, but when the truth finally unfolded, he found it far more terrifying, more dramatic, and more despairing than he had imagined: "Being able to have the 'Starry Sky' notice me indicates that at least the majority of the secrets revealed by Amun are authentic... Indeed, there is truly another level above Sequence 0—this should be the rank of the ancient sun god. Yet, its condition appears less than ideal; it has been betrayed and has since fallen, decomposing. 'According to Amun, using 'Creator' to describe this level is insufficient. He refers to it as 'above the sequence.' There are also beings who use 'transcending the sequence' to denote this rank, suggesting it has escaped the limitations of extraordinary pathways?" "...the deities refer to this rank as 'The Ancient Ones,' 'Outer Gods,' or 'The Celestial Beings.' This reveals two things: first, beyond this world, within the boundless cosmos, there exist entities of the 'Ancient Ones' and 'Outer Gods'—the very creators—such as the one who encompasses the moon. ...The brown stars and orange stars appear to be the original planets, yet they have transformed so much that even Emperor Rosel cannot recognize them anymore. Is it because the 'Ancient Ones' or 'Outer Gods' dwell upon them, observing our world? ...The 'Ancient' in 'The Ancient Box' stems precisely from the mutation caused by contamination from the 'Celestial Beings.' ...Yes, there are likely multiple 'Ancient Ones' or 'Outer Gods.' Why are they all gathered around this planet, watching something? ...They have not yet launched a direct invasion, because there exists a force temporarily separating the inner and outer realms. ...Does this originate from the Seven Gods?" "...Looking at the prophecy of the approaching end in late 1368, perhaps the Seven Gods did not play the most crucial role—they still hadn't surpassed the sequence. It would only be when, in 1368, the true barrier vanished, allowing the 'Old Ones' or 'Outer Gods' to break free from restriction that the world's end would finally arrive?" As this thought formed, a series of lingering questions suddenly surfaced in Caine's mind: Why did the 'Goddess of Night' risk sparking a divine war to secure the uniqueness of the 'God of Death's' path? Why did the Seven Gods allow the emergence of a 'Black Emperor'? Why did the angelic kings like Adam and Amun step into the spotlight after centuries of silence, now in this age? Why have the remnants of the Second Age Ancient Gods begun to reappear so prominently? And why, within the 'Source Citadel,' did only one 'Transcendent' emerge during the first four ages, while two have appeared in just over a thousand years of the fifth age?" Phew. Regardless of whether it's good or bad, it's steadily striving to improve itself and face the end of days... Given that such a masterful strategist as the goddess chooses such an adventurous course, is she preparing to transcend the Sequence and become an "Old One"? Only a few decades have passed—time doesn't wait. Is it also the case that the One has been quietly supporting me with the same expectations? At least twice, Adam has been able to resolve my issues directly without intervening. Aside from the fact that we genuinely don't harbor deep enmity, there's also that factor at play. Klein lightly tapped the edge of the weathered long table, murmuring softly: "What's key to becoming an 'Old One' or an 'Outer God' is one of the Nine Primordial Substances?" Surveying the empty "Aurelian Spire," Caine sighed, murmuring to himself, "I'll have to see the second 'Defiled Stone' to know exactly what's going on—unfortunately, I don't know when the opportunity will arise." He then shifted his focus to other matters: Perhaps the ancient Sun God has fully transcended the sequence? If indeed a native 'Elder Thing' has emerged, then at the time of the End, humanity would still have a glimmer of hope. His fall is more complex than I imagined. That's precisely why King Rosel said that only Sequence 0 could preserve himself and those he holds dear. Have the 'Elder Things' or the 'Outer Gods' managed to infiltrate and exert influence? Well, given that seven of the principal deities and the "True Maker" and other antagonistic gods all oppose the "Primordial Moon" and the "Tree of Desire," it's likely that their true forms are indeed the "Elder Things" or the "Outer Gods"... It's no wonder the "Tree of Desire" can directly mislead my divination above the gray mist—it's the most dangerous entity I've ever encountered! I now understand what the "Elder Things" and the "Outer Gods" are seeking as they gather around this world—they likely intend to claim the Nine Primordial Substances, with the destruction of the world merely a side effect. Thinking this through, Caine suddenly remembered a statement made by the "Tree of Desire" through Cyntha: "General, I would like to have a child with you." Caine instantly shivered, and seriously began to consider the safety of his return to the real world. He already has a certain understanding of the "Heavens," and with a mere conscious shift of thought, he can directly connect with the "Elder Things" and the "Outer Gods"—and thus, be gradually eroded. If the "Fort of Origins" hadn't severed our previous connection, I wouldn't have dared return to reality... Klein thought carefully and decided to ask his psychologist, Miss Justice, to hypnotize him, so that the relevant information could be stored deep in his subconscious until a specific cue prompted him to remember. He had originally intended to directly summon the projection of Miss Justice within the historical rift to carry out this task, but he considered it a delicate matter—should the operator lack deep insight into the realm of the mind, minor errors might occur, and once such errors arose, the gaze of the "Ancient Ones" and the "Outer Gods" would inevitably turn toward them. Ah, he should also have Miss Justice hypnotize herself to forget this very thing... After weighing the matter carefully, Klein transformed his request into a stream of light and sent it into the deep crimson star representing Miss Justice. Not long after, Miss Justice, Audrey, arrived upon the gray mist, having just finished her breakfast and still at home. The bronze long table had vanished, and in the ancient palace stood only a desk and two chairs. "Mr. World, what is it this time that you're forgetting?" Audrey asked, posing the most crucial question, her gaze fixed on Germán Spalro seated across from her. Cain rubbed his temple and, in a low voice, recounted the hidden elements—"the Starry Sky," "the Ancient Days," "the Outer Gods." This revelation caused Audrey, representing "Justice," to widen her eyes gradually, as though a divine entity had invaded her entirely. When Cain finished, she remained silent for several seconds, then spoke in a similarly low tone, with a touch of bewilderment: "Is this truly the truth of the end? Even the Seven Gods cannot save us?" "Before Caine could respond, Audrey gave a self-deprecating smile: 'I thought all the things I've been doing lately were meaningful... 'I thought the worst news I could imagine was that the kingdom of Run would be defeated and the Church destroyed... 'But compared to what you've told me, all of this seems so insignificant."