At the same time, inside the observation chamber of the Scepter δ-me13, countless streams of data rapidly flickered across the surrounding floating screens as Lygus suddenly received a series of alerts from the Scepter itself.
[An unknown force is interfering with Okhema and the Sea Siren Kingdom.]
[Data cannot be merged, reboot impossible, process forcibly suspended, extreme anomaly detected, suspected virus, scanning in progress…]
[An unknown virus has enhanced the twelve factors, locking two data streams, unable to forcibly advance.]
[Administrator notified.]
Seeing the endless strings of alerts continuously appearing before his eyes, Lygus could not help but feel puzzled.
"A virus? Who could bring a virus into Amphoreus?"
As he checked the turbulence within the data stream, it revealed violent fluctuations in its core logic.
[Extreme anomaly... Initiate deep scan...]
[Deep scan…]
[Analyzing energy field composition...]
[Failed.]
[Composition unknown. Unable to parse.]
[Analyzing energy source...]
[Failed.]
[Source unknown. Insufficient permissions.]
[Analyzing rule logic…]
[Failed.]
[Logic paradox detected. Unable to modify.]
[Judgment: Unknown virus interference.]
[Judgment: High-risk level.]
[Program 'Era Nova' forcibly suspended.]
[Data modules 'Okhema' and 'Sea Siren Kingdom' locked by unknown rules. Unable to merge. Unable to reboot.]
[Warning: Forcibly advancing the program may cause core data chain collapse.]
[Administrator has read.]
When Lygus looked at the notification logs on the Scepter, a sharp headache immediately began throbbing through his head.
"It can't be... Are you saying even Irontomb can't swallow it?"
"Out of all possibilities... this mysterious virus must have been deployed by those people from the Garden of Recollection."
"Trying to steal my masterpiece? Heh, how naive..."
A cold sneer slowly formed on Lygus's face.
He understood perfectly well that Amphoreus was never some simple entanglement between three Paths, but a brutal deathmatch between three different Paths.
Erudition, Destruction, and Remembrance.
Originally, it had only been a deathmatch between Destruction and Erudition, but midway through the process, Remembrance had suddenly inserted itself into the conflict, attempting to reap the final rewards at the very last moment like a lurking scavenger waiting in the shadows.
Because of that, throughout all these years, Lygus had not only been tirelessly facilitating the birth of Irontomb but had also been constantly watching for interference from the people of Remembrance.
Now that he carefully thought about it, even the previous incident involving the Path of Abundance had most likely been orchestrated by the Garden of Recollection as well.
In his eyes, they clearly had been planning this for a very long time.
"You think locking the data will allow you to interfere with me?"
Lygus let out a cold, disdainful laugh as he gazed at the countless streams of data flowing across the floating screen before him. Dense layers of symbols continuously flickered within his robotic pupils, reflecting the rapidly changing information.
In the next second, without wasting even a single second, he immediately began programming.
As one of the nine Thought Fragments of Zandar One Kuwabara, Lygus could be said to be Nous's creator and father, so his understanding of calculations, logic, and programming had long since reached a level incomprehensible to ordinary lifeforms.
Using fourteen-line algebraic programming derived from the same origin as Nous itself, writing an 'antivirus program' within Amphoreus was nothing short of a dimensionality-reduction strike to him.
No matter how mysterious the virus from the Garden of Recollection might be, in front of him, it was merely a slightly more troublesome obstacle at best.
[Generating 'Antivirus Program – Simulated Entity'.]
[Target: Eliminate anomalous individuals within Amphoreus.]
[Simulation object generated: Emanator of Destruction - Zephyro.]
[Reason: Its 'Destruction' attributes provide the highest efficiency for data annihilation.]
[Simulated entity generating…]
[Generation complete.]
[Program codename: Zephyro.]
[Permissions: Temporary elevated.]
[Deploying…]
Seeing his new creation, Lygus slowly smiled in satisfaction.
He had collected the combat data of Lord Ravager Zephyro long ago, and now that invaluable data was finally proving its worth.
"Let's deploy another 'Theoros' to watch this through to the very end as well."
Since his previous avatar had already been cut down by Khaslana, Lygus immediately sent another of his avatars into Amphoreus, simply to enjoy the spectacle once more from a front-row seat.
===
Amphoreus, Okhema.
At this moment, the song, enhanced by BGM, carrying the power of courage and protection, still echoed throughout the Eternal Holy City of Okhema like an eternal hymn, protecting the entire city like an impregnable fortress bathed in golden radiance.
Whether inside or outside the city, countless voices filled the air without end.
Inside the city walls, the streets and plazas were filled with the cheering voices of countless citizens, their cries overflowing with excitement and relief, while outside the city, the battlefield was drowned in the roaring and hissing of the black tide creatures, their twisted bodies firmly blocked beyond the golden light of BGM and unable to advance even a single inch forward, no matter how violently they struggled.
"Long live the Deliverer!"
"Long live!"
"We're safe!"
""OOOOOOHHH—!!!""
Hearing the deafening cheers of the citizens resounding throughout the city, the exhausted soldiers standing atop the walls were reinvigorated, while the Chrysos Heirs revealed long-awaited smiles of relief.
Hysilens, standing atop the northern city wall with the cold wind brushing past her black hair, quietly felt the joy and celebration both within and beyond the city, causing the tightly wound strings in her heart to finally loosen a little.
"Lucian's abilities... really are the strongest..." Hysilens murmured softly as she gazed down at the helpless black tide creatures below the walls. "So this is the power from beyond the sky..."
If she had not lived through another life, she would never have understood all these absurd and unimaginable phenomena, and at this moment, she would probably still be charging around meaninglessly outside the walls like a reckless fool, fighting in vain until her death amidst the endless black tide.
"Mm, Big Brother Lucian's the best."
"Mm..."
On Hysilens's right side, Tribbie stepped out from a Century Gate and remarked with a small, satisfied smile on her face, while on Hysilens's left side, Castorice stood quietly with her scythe held in her hands and nodded softly in agreement, a faint smile appearing on her usually expressionless face.
Right after Tribbie's appearance, several more Century Gates appeared one after another atop the city wall, their glowing portals flickering with light before Aglaea and the others stepped out from them one after another.
Now that the invincible domain created by BGM was firmly in place, they could finally relax and rest for a while after enduring the relentless battle for so long.
"So this is his power, huh... Now I'm one-hundred-percent sure he's definitely the Deliverer we've been waiting for!"
Phainon praised Lucian without the slightest hesitation the moment he stepped out from one of the Century Gates, his eyes practically shining with admiration and excitement.
"You're that happy?"
Mydei, who had come out from one of the Century Gates right after Phainon, heard his words and immediately shot back with an irritated expression.
"How many of those monsters did you kill, anyway?"
Hearing that sudden question, Phainon raised his brows slightly before responding casually.
"Too many to count. Anyway, it's definitely more than you."
"Tch, you're just relying on having more Coreflames than me—taking shortcuts."
"Being able to contain twelve Coreflames is still my own ability. If you've got the guts, try holding twelve and not getting burned to death."
"HKS!"
Seeing Phainon and Mydei start quarreling with each other yet again, even after returning safely alive, Aglaea rolled her eyes helplessly before chiming in.
"Mydeimos, did Cifera steal Castrum Kremnos's dictionary or something? Is that the only word left in it?"
Hearing that, Mydei paused for a brief moment before scoffing dismissively.
"Aglaea, I've noticed that after you regained your humanity, you've gotten kind of annoying."
Just as Mydei's words fell, a lively and familiar voice suddenly rang out nearby.
"Seamstress, I heard you talking about me from a mile away."
On top of the nearby watchtower, Cipher remarked with a playful smile before lightly leaping down toward the wall with an elegant acrobatic flip, her body twisting fluidly through the air before she landed smoothly and effortlessly atop the wall.
As soon as Aglaea saw Cipher appear before her once more, she froze for a brief moment, as though caught off guard by his sudden arrival, before a faint trace of nostalgia and apology quietly surfaced deep within her eyes.
It couldn't be helped.
All this time, she had never understood why Cipher had suddenly left Okhema without saying goodbye and deliberately avoided her afterward.
Perhaps she had unknowingly done something wrong and hurt her feelings back then?
Seeing that Aglaea was not responding and instead remained standing there silently while staring at her, Cipher's expression softened slightly before she continued.
"Seamstress, you don't seem as inhuman as the rumors make you out to be after all. You can actually joke around."
Upon hearing those words, Aglaea let out a soft sigh before responding with a faint, almost helpless smile.
"I encountered a turning point. Mr. Lucian's power restored my humanity."
"Lucian again..." Cipher muttered with a slight frown. "Where is he anyway? Lemme see this big shot too!"
"He's not in Amphoreus for now," Hysilens calmly interjected from the side. "And you, kitten fish, what business do you even have meeting him? None, right?"
Cipher blinked for a moment before turning toward Hysilens, her body subconsciously shrinking back a little.
Even though she was a cat while the other was a fish, and cats were supposed to be the natural predators of fish, instead of Hysilens fearing her, it was actually Cipher who feared the other instead.
It couldn't really be helped.
Back then, when Cipher was still a child, because she had secretly stolen fish once, she had been ruthlessly dealt with by Hysilens on the spot. Because of that traumatic experience, she ended up developing psychological trauma and would unconsciously feel nervous whenever she saw this sea siren.
"Fine! If I don't get to see him, then I don't get to see him! I don't care anyway!"
Cipher bared her sharp teeth at Hysilens while subconsciously taking another small step backward before quickly hiding herself behind Castorice.
"Cifera, all these years... why were you avoiding me?"
Aglaea suddenly stepped forward and asked in a low, solemn voice, her gaze fixed directly on Cipher.
If she had still lacked humanity like before, she would never have asked such a question out loud, nor would she have even cared enough to ask in the first place.
But now, things were different.
"Don't ask. I can't tell you right now..." Cipher brushed the question aside while shifting her gaze elsewhere, clearly not daring to meet Aglaea's eyes directly. "You just gotta know it has something to do with Okhema."
Everyone present could tell that something deeper was going on between the two of them, but in the end, nobody chose to say anything, unwilling to casually meddle in matters that clearly involved their past.
In the end, after a brief silence filled the atmosphere, Aglaea slowly nodded in understanding.
"...Alright, then I won't ask. Just stay in Okhema from now on. It's fine even if you don't come to see me."
Seeing Cipher's behavior and the subtle hesitation hidden beneath her calm expression, Aglaea, who knew her quite well, vaguely guessed part of the truth.
If Cipher said it like that, then she must have used her authority of Trickery to influence something extremely important within Okhema—something so critical that it absolutely could not be exposed to anyone.
If that were the case, then it would explain why Cipher had suddenly left Okhema without saying goodbye and had kept deliberately avoiding her ever since.
Since that was the case, Aglaea chose not to think about it any further, lest she accidentally ruin things by digging too deeply into a truth that Cipher clearly did not wish to reveal.
Seeing that Aglaea was no longer pressing further, Cipher inwardly let out a small sigh of relief, relieved that Aglaea had not continued digging deeper and seen through her lie.
Needless to say, the current humane Aglaea was far easier to deal with than the cold and inhuman Aglaea, who wanted to understand everything with absolute clarity, leaving no room for ambiguity or concealment.
Just like that, the group, reunited after such a long time apart, gradually relaxed and gathered together, casually chatting with one another as the tense atmosphere from earlier slowly faded away.
However, just as the joy and relief of surviving the catastrophe had lasted for less than three minutes, a sudden change abruptly occurred.
Khaslana, whose senses were far sharper and more sensitive than the others', immediately raised his head and looked toward the sky, his expression instantly turning serious.
At some unknown point in time, a humanoid figure with a male body shape and a black-and-white body had appeared high above Okhema without anyone noticing his arrival.
He was wrapped haphazardly in strips of white cloth that floated around his waist and left arm, while a pair of long black pants covered his lower body. Unlike ordinary human hands, however, his fingers were sharp and clawed, carrying an unnatural appearance that resembled some kind of monster more than a human being.
Over his head was what appeared to be a strange type of fabric that completely covered his face in white, bandage-like strips, concealing all facial features beneath it, and those white strips also extended down his back in a fashion similar to long flowing hair, drifting slowly in the air despite the absence of wind.
He was armed with a thin, long black sword, while five metallic rectangles floated silently behind him, extending along the left side of his body like a distorted metallic wing.
Suddenly, with his entire body radiating an overwhelming killing intent that seemed capable of freezing the surrounding space itself, the figure slowly raised one arm and pointed the sword straight toward Okhema as a terrifying mass of destructive energy—so powerful that it was enough to instantly vaporize stars and burn everything into absolute nothingness—began frantically gathering and compressing around the blade of the sword.
In an instant, the surrounding space even began trembling faintly under the pressure of that terrifyingly concentrated power.
Everyone throughout Okhema, finally noticing the figure in the sky because of the horrifying energy he emitted, instantly felt a chill run through their hearts as they looked upward at the terrifying scene before them.
At this moment, nearly everyone shared the same horrifying feeling—as though the instant that sword descended, the entire world itself would be completely destroyed beyond recovery.
If not for the protection provided by BGM, many people would probably have already gone weak in the knees from overwhelming fear, while some weaker individuals might have already fainted solely from the terrifying pressure emitted by the figure alone.
"Who is that...? A black tide creature?"
Hysilens muttered with concern as she finally noticed the figure standing high in the sky, her expression gradually turning serious.
Given that the unknown being in the sky carried such intense killing intent, his intentions were definitely nothing good.
"He... looks so weird..." Tribbie muttered with a slight frown as she stared at the distant figure. "But his killing intent is really strong... He must be an enemy."
"Is it Lygus's doing...?"
Castorice voiced her guess softly, causing Khaslana, who was also looking up at the figure in the sky, to feel an inexplicable irritation rising within his chest before a strong sense of hostility instinctively surged through his mind the moment he saw the figure.
"Tch, that guy gives me this urge to kill him. I want to cut off his right hand, but it also feels like I can't cut through him..."
Hearing Khaslana's words, Aglaea immediately shook her head.
"Don't go by feelings. You definitely can't beat him."
Her tone was calm, but also extremely certain.
Aside from her, everyone present could clearly feel that the energy pressure emitted by that being was even greater than the pressure four hundred million Coreflames could produce.
Eventually, even the surrounding air itself seemed to grow heavier solely because of his presence.
===
Dawncloud, Worldbearing Altar.
Standing at the top of Dawncloud, Lygus's avatar revealed a satisfied smile as he calmly watched the spectacle unfolding below, his expression filled with absolute confidence in the power of his 'antivirus program.'
In his view, with just a single sword strike, the simulated Zephyro would surely erase that damned mysterious virus, together with all the mutated entities infesting Amphoreus.
As for Khaslana, he had probably already begun another recurrence by now, completely unaware that everything happening here was about to be forcefully reset once again.
Just as Lygus thought Zephyro's descending sword was about to strike down toward Okhema and bring everything to an end, another completely unexpected turn suddenly occurred.
Suddenly, the endless black tide besieging Okhema abruptly stopped for a brief instant before violently turning around and surging straight toward Zephyro in midair, creating a spectacular and bizarre scene like a massive waterfall flowing backward against the sky itself!
Seeing such an unpredictable phenomenon unfold right before his eyes, Lygus was stunned once again, the satisfied expression on his face instantly freezing in place.
"What's going on? Why is the Scepter swallowing my antivirus?!"
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
[Support me and read next chapters early at: patreon.com/VALRRR]