On the island before Odis and Bernadette, there were towering, deep green trees that gave Odis the illusion that they had shrouded the mountain peaks.
The Dawn docked some distance from the island. After ordering the crew to stand by on board, Odis and Bernadette disembarked together.
Odis raised his hand, and a phantom light fell on the two people, making them invisible.
Bernadette then summoned an "invisible servant" and placed a "peeping eye" on it, letting it scout ahead and share the "invisible servant's" vision with Odis.
Upon entering the forest, Odis, who had used a silencing spell, looked at the treetops and couldn't help but say, "It's too quiet here."
This vast forest was devoid of birdsong, the roars of wild animals, and even insects; it seemed as if no living creatures existed there.
Bernadette also said, "It seems that the situation here has changed a lot over the past hundred years."
According to Russell's diary, there were many extraordinary creatures that had become extinct in the outside world, and it was said to be quite lively.
Odis said, "Let's be careful."
Then he added, "But there's no need to worry too much, the 'Lord of Mysteries' will be watching this place."
This time, there is a genuine "hidden presence" watching over this place, and the Celestial Master can, to some extent, be equated with the "Lord of Mysteries".
Bernadette was taken aback. Wasn't it said that the "Lord of Mysteries" was going to give up his own self?
Odis had only briefly discussed this issue with Bernadette before, because it involved some higher beings, so Odis did not continue to talk about it, and Bernadette did not ask about it again.
Now is not the time to talk about this. Having such a high-level being watching over us does make us feel relatively at ease.
The two continued to follow the "invisible servant" at a distance, when suddenly, the view opened up before them, and the huge trees ahead suddenly became sparse.
Not far ahead, there was a vast open space where countless creatures were crawling.
Among them were red dragons with flames flowing from their skin, tree-men with burls serving as eyes and fissures as mouths, demons, giants, and feathered serpents.
They are indeed extraordinary creatures that have become extinct in the outside world.
There were also some humans and normal animals, all facing one direction, with their upper bodies or heads prostrate, seemingly worshipping some unknown being, and none of them made a sound.
At this moment, Bernadette whispered, "I know four of those five people: Green, Uncle William, and they are all my father's men!"
Are they worshipping Emperor Roselle, who is currently in a state of "seeking resurrection"?
Odis looked at the five people and asked, "Why are there five people?"
The "Secret Seeker" approach is quite sensitive to "numbers," Odis said: "I remember it was mentioned in the diary as the "Four Horsemen."
But we saw five people.
Bernadette also noticed something amiss. She carefully observed the fifth person and recalled the figure in a portrait: "That's Benjamin."
She was familiar with William and Edwards, but didn't know Green much, and had never met Benjamin.
Odis recalled: "Members of the Abraham family who helped the Great discover the island."
That makes sense.
Bernadette then asked, "But why are they all here?"
Odis thought for a moment before saying, "On this island, it's best not to mention the one who polluted this place, the one who corrupted your father's existence. It's also best not to mention his authority."
"Think about it again based on our previous conversation."
On the way to the island, Odis told Bernadette everything she knew about the "Fallen Mother Goddess".
Bernadette then thought back and realized that this might be what is called "rebirth".
The two did not proceed forward, but cautiously waited for their "prayer" to end.
A few minutes later, the creatures all straightened up at the same time, and the entire primeval forest seemed to come alive all at once. In the blink of an eye, the creatures all disappeared.
Bernadette memorized the direction the humans had left in, then manipulated the "invisible servants" to look at the spot where they were worshipping.
She saw a huge rock there, on which sat a simple stool made of dark red wood.
Odis said, "It's best not to go and observe that place."
While angels can effectively avoid being contaminated by the Old Ones or the Pillars, that is only when angels try to avoid direct contact with beings of that level. If they actively approach them, they will still be contaminated.
Bernadette then suggested, "Let's go see some of my father's men; perhaps we can get some clues from them."
Odis nodded in agreement.
Bernadette then headed toward Edwards, whom she had been in contact with the most, and entered the woods again. Soon they discovered one pale corpse after another among the trees.
Some of them were dragons, some were phoenixes, and some were demon wolves. At first glance, the two of them seemed to have arrived at a huge graveyard.
Bernadette took a deep breath and said, "If it weren't for the power of prophecy, I would have thought that these skeletons were worshipping the divine stool on that giant rock just now."
The moment they saw the graveyard, their prophetic abilities activated automatically. They saw a vision: extraordinary beings giving birth to offspring before their deaths, leaving their exceptional characteristics to them, while they themselves struggled to find an unclaimed spot in this area of the primeval forest, where they quietly died, gradually decaying into bones.
Bernadette noticed a black stone pillar deep within the cemetery.
So she manipulated the "invisible servants" to approach the stone pillar, and only after getting close did they realize how enormous the stone pillar was.
It is as thick as five or six people could hug, and thirty or forty meters high. Its surface is covered with ring-shaped weathering marks, like wearing an ill-fitting ring.
Odis knew that this stone pillar must be related to the "fallen mother goddess", so she was reluctant to go near this graveyard.
But he also knew that with the protection provided by the current barrier, there was no danger in staying around here for a while.
Bernadette then noticed: "The remains around the stone pillar are not too badly decayed."
Odis grunted in response and watched his surroundings with great vigilance.
In fact, the two people's true forms were still quite far from the graveyard. After being promoted to angels, their ability to control "invisible servants" underwent another qualitative change, such as reaching an astonishing distance of tens of kilometers.
If there were some ritual magic, this distance could actually be extended to "the entire continent," but that would require a stable spiritual support point, such as a believer who prays incessantly on the other side of the continent, or someone performing a "secret ritual."
Just then, the two heard a rustling sound, like a breeze passing through the leaves.
Those were the sounds coming from around the "invisible servants," not from Odis and Bernadette.
Bernadette once again directed the "invisible servant" to look at the black stone pillar. Pieces of decaying flesh around the pillar fell away one by one, and new flesh grew out.
This change lasted for less than ten seconds before stopping, and a small number of the remains showed no signs of decay, appearing as if they had just died.
The next second, a mutated curly-haired baboon and an eight-legged wolf wobbled to their feet.
Their fur is slightly white, their skin is a little dry, and their eyes are wooden and indifferent.
Then, the two creatures, which were already dead, each determined their own direction and left the graveyard in different directions.
Bernadette's gaze froze for a moment, finally understanding why the creatures on this island struggled to reach this area before they died, and why they had to die here.
She remarked, "Here, death doesn't connect to eternal sleep, but to a new beginning."
Bernadette was a little confused as to whether this was the authority of the pillar called "Fallen Mother Goddess" or the "Black Emperor" approach that distorted the underlying logic around her.
Odis said, "This 'new beginning' is more bizarre than the living dead or anything like that."
Everyone knows that zombies have no consciousness and only obey the summoner's commands, but who knows what kind of monster is inside these "reborn" creatures?
Bernadette said, "Let's move on."
Her spirituality realized that she couldn't let the "invisible servant" stay there and continue to be affected by the next tide-like "new beginning." Otherwise, it would likely develop some strange will and might even "come alive."
With this prediction, Bernadette was able to discern that it was the influence of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" authority, not the "Black Emperor" authority.
Of course, it could also be the combined effect of both types of authority.
The "invisible servants" continued forward, and Odis and Bernadette simply bypassed the graveyard and the black stone pillars.
After walking for more than ten minutes, the "invisible servant" saw a wooden house.
Odis remembered what happened next: the "invisible servant" found Edwards in the cabin, and the old man with all-white hair, an aged face, and extremely cold eyes, after looking at the "invisible servant" for a few seconds, actually realized that the "invisible servant's" master was: "Your Highness."
Bernadette paused for two seconds before responding. She was very experienced in handling extraordinary events and chatted with Edwards as before.
Edwards warned Bernadette to be wary of Green and William, as he felt that these once reliable companions had become strange; for example, he had attended the funerals of these good friends, but they had all come back to life.
Bernadette and Odis exchanged glances and realized that Edwards was acting strangely, but of course they couldn't provoke him at this moment.
Bernadette then asked Edwards to take her to her father's tomb, so the two of them lagged far behind, and soon a magnificent, deep black tomb came into view.
Its shape is that of a pyramid, with part of it hidden inside the mountain, giving it a magnificent appearance.
The surrounding giant trees concealed its presence well. It's not that the trees were taller than the mausoleum, but rather that the combined protection of the mountains and trees made the mausoleum seem to blend into its surroundings.
However, there was no vegetation or even a single weed around the mausoleum.
The "peeping eye" on the "invisible servant" reveals that the mausoleum is inscribed with various characters and symbols, and the huge stone gate, which is about twenty or thirty meters high, is carved with the Civil Code promulgated by Russell.
Odis thought to himself: This proves the stupidity of George III and the Loen royal family. The Black Emperor's ascension ceremony did not need to bankrupt so many families, impoverish so many people, or cause so many deaths.
This could very well be a positive and uplifting process, or even a process that promotes social development.
However, Odis then realized that it was also possible that the royal family members simply did not care about the fate of ordinary people, believing that as long as it was convenient for everyone to be promoted, there was no need to care about the issue of social development.
It was only then that Bernadette reminded Edwards: "Do you remember the years you spent in Remenberg?"
After Roselle was assassinated at White Maple Palace, the Edwards family fled to Remburg, where Edwards lived for some time before his death.
Edwards was visibly taken aback: "I remember, I seemed—I seemed to be dead!"
At this moment, his expression became very complicated; while still somewhat blank, his face was filled with disbelief.
Then Edwards raised the axe in his hand, and the wolf slammed it down on its own head, as if trying to stop bad thoughts from popping into its mind.
Drops of milky-white brain matter dripped down the axe's edge. He said to Bernadette's "invisible servant," "Don't come near me..."
Edwards then turned around and walked step by step into the woods.
Bernadette took a deep breath. She could choose to continue hiding it, but she felt that would be too disrespectful to the knight who was once famous throughout the Northern Continent.
Bernadette then had the "invisible servant" say to Edwards's retreating figure, "Your descendants are doing very well and have achieved a certain level of success."
Despite suffering a severe head injury, Edwards, who was still walking briskly, paused briefly before continuing on his way.
Odis waited quietly for Bernadette for a few seconds until she composed herself before discussing with her, "The island's forces haven't discovered us yet. I suggest we sneak in quietly."
Bernadette nodded. "Okay."
The "Invisible Servant" was still leading the way. As they left the woods and entered the empty area before the mausoleum, Bernadette clearly felt that the "Invisible Servant's" spirituality seemed to have become stronger.
She carefully observed her surroundings while keeping an eye on the state of the "invisible servant."
When the "invisible servant" reached the enormous stone gate, Bernadette said, "It can't get in."
However, the two did not immediately join the "invisible servants," but instead cautiously approached the open space in front of the mausoleum.
Just as they had guessed, their own spirituality grew rapidly, becoming more abundant than ever before.
At the same time, their hair and nails were growing rapidly. Bernadette's bun was coming undone because of her longer hair, and Odis also got a head of long hair.
They monitored their condition and, seeing nothing unusual, continued forward.
The two of them used "teleportation" to reach the entrance of the mausoleum. Because it involved high-level pollution, they did not use their "prophetic" abilities. They only sensed through their spiritual perception that the next action was dangerous, but it seemed acceptable.
So the two of them transformed into streams of information, passed through the stone gate, and entered the mausoleum.
They stood inside the stone gate, cautiously surveying their surroundings.
The mausoleum was empty, with nothing but dark walls and a central platform.
On the high platform, there was a chair that seemed to be prepared for a giant. It was made of black iron, with complex and twisted strange patterns engraved on its surface, and the top of the backrest extended upwards into the shape of a crown.
At this moment, there was no one on this huge chair; it seemed to be waiting for its emperor to return.
Just as the two were about to tentatively explore forward and approach the high platform, they suddenly found that their bodies were completely unable to move.
Immediately afterwards, Odis felt as if her ears, eyes, and even teeth had their own thoughts and made their own sounds.
The empty mausoleum was filled with giggling laughter or wailing cries.
These sounds echoed within the mausoleum, sending chills down one's spine.
Odis cursed inwardly, "Damn it!" and said, "This is a bit scary!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a stream of information from his body, which was the "rebirth" of his various organs.
If extraordinary beings below the level of angels were to stay here for even a short while, they would be corrupted by the power of "new life".
The two of them easily resolved the abnormality on their bodies and then walked towards the huge chair on the high platform. As soon as they stepped onto the platform, a gust of cold wind blew towards them, making their scalps tingle again.
The moment Odis opened the "Eye of Secrets," he saw a dark figure on one side of the enormous throne.
The dark figure raised a hand, and Odis's thought of "speaking" was suddenly "distorted" into "listening attentively."
Bernadette also saw the dark figure, and she immediately "recreated" the dark red "Spear of Longinus." However, as she directed the spear to thrust forward, the spear, which exuded an aura of destruction, kept retreating.
At this moment, Odis was finally able to open his mouth: "That is—the target—"
Odis originally intended to say "That is your father," but halfway through, he suddenly realized that his words were about to be distorted and might become "That is your son" or "That is your daughter," so he temporarily changed it to "self-proclaimed."
Bernadette paused for a moment, her intuition seemingly sensing something. Seeing that the black shadow didn't attack, she immediately said in fluent Mandarin, "Hometown!"
The shadowy figure paused abruptly, looked at Bernadette, and then repeated in a hoarse voice, "Homeland—"
The voice hesitated for a moment, then, as if remembering something, it abruptly took a few steps back: "Leave!"
Immediately afterwards, two slits appeared on his face, as if two asymmetrical eyes had grown out.
But those "eyes" had no pupils; they were entirely bloodshot.
Then another crack appeared on his shoulder, filled with the same pure crimson light.
The shadowy figure's voice was tinged with obvious pain: "Get out of here!"
Bernadette gazed at the black figure, her expression revealing an unconcealable sorrow. She could sense that it was her father, the man who called himself "Caesar," Russell Gustave.
At this moment, more cracks appeared on Roselle's body, as if something glowing red inside him was struggling to tear his flesh apart and come out.
The next second, Rosell used the "Black Emperor's" ability to make his black figure become much more illusory, seemingly turning into some kind of illusion.
This made him feel as if he were isolated in another world, with an invisible barrier between him and reality.
The frequency of the crimson cracks on his body has decreased, and the cracks that appeared before are slowly healing under the influence of abilities such as "distortion" and "alteration".
After waiting for about ten seconds, Rosell, having recovered, laboriously raised his head and smiled at Bernadette: "You've truly become a big shot in the mystical world, able to do it yourself—"
Just then, he suddenly looked at Odis: "Who are you?"
Odis smiled and said, "The one who came to help you alleviate your pain."
Rosell seemed to realize something: "You are Odis: 'Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger.'"
"A pagoda to suppress the river demon?"
"Uncle, it's chicken stew with mushrooms now!"
Russell took a sudden step forward: "You're the one—"
Because his movements were too fast, the cracks that had just disappeared reappeared. He took a deep breath and tried to suppress the crimson light within his body.
Bernadette grabbed Odis's hand and said somewhat urgently, "Think of something quickly."
"Wait a moment, wait a moment." Odis used his "Eye of Secrets" to carefully examine the surrounding situation, then raised his hand and mobilized the power of the "Wilderness of Knowledge." With a thought, he set up an array, using a sealing formation to greatly reduce the power of the "newborn" in the surrounding area.
The cracks in Roselle's body seemed to have suddenly lost their support and healed instantly.
Outside the mausoleum.
The whole island seemed to tremble; all the trees shook, and all the animals roared.
In the animal graveyard, a layer of green moss grew on the black stone pillar.
On the high platform inside the mausoleum.
Odis smiled and said, "You two chat first, I'll go set up a magic circle."
"Wait a minute." Roselle, who hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, called out to Odis: "You're a man?"
Odis touched her long hair: "I usually keep my hair short."
"In my prophecy, Bernadette's closest transmigrator is a man?" Although Roselle's head was a complete black shadow, and his expression could not be seen, Odis could feel the emotion of "my cabbage has been eaten by a pig."
Odis scratched his head and smiled, "Did your humanity suddenly take over?"
"Get out!" Rosell roared in exasperation. "I actually left you a treasure! I should have left you a bunch of curses!"
From the moment Roselle stopped Odis and said "Wait a minute," they began speaking in Mandarin.
Although Bernadette couldn't understand, she could still sense that her father seemed very angry.
She quickly replied, "Father! I've grown up now."
Rosell took a few steps back, seemingly powerless, and sat down on the enormous throne. Then, with a pained expression, he said to his daughter, "Do you know that he is from the same generation as your father? He could be your uncle."
Odis raised her hand slightly and said, "I should clarify this point; I'm a member of Generation Z."
The two of them started chatting in Intis.
"Bullshit!" Rosell said mercilessly, "When the post-00s generation transmigrated, they were still high school students. They hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society, and it's unknown whether they could survive in this dangerous world."
Odis smiled and said, "To correct you, I'm a freshman in college, but my age doesn't affect my genius in artificial intelligence."
Rosell paused for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Fang Tianshi?"
1
"Yes, yes, that's the name." For Odis, her Chinese name was already quite unfamiliar.
Russell had seen the news before he traveled through time: "Didn't you die in the fire?"
Odis simply said, "That's when I traveled through time."
Russell paused for a moment, then said, "He really is a Gen Z."
Moreover, he was an outstanding post-00s student. He remembered reading in the news that he was a high school student who had made breakthrough progress in artificial intelligence research.
Odis smiled and said, "Uncle Roselle, you must be in your 30s."
Russell cleared his throat: "Hmm."
Odis said, "My parents are a few years older than you, so it's normal for them to call you uncle."
"Alright, alright." Rosell sighed. "You've passed the age hurdle, but I don't know what kind of person you are."
"That goes without saying," Odis smiled. "He's known as 'Honest and Reliable Young Man.'"
Although Bernadette didn't know what "honest and reliable young man" meant, she still smiled and said, "Father, he is very talented and hardworking, and is an excellent young man."
Russell waved his hand: "Okay, okay."
"You've never praised your father like that before."
Then he asked Odis, "What did your parents do after you traveled through time?"
Odis said, "My parents passed away four years ago—"
"That's such a wonderful thing." Rosell couldn't hide the joy in his voice, because it meant that his daughter wouldn't have to deal with mother-in-law issues.
Rosell then asked, "You're an angel now, aren't you? Have you joined some secret organization?"
"They are angels now," Odis said. "They have established their own organization."
Russell smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad, young man, you have guts."
He paused, then said, "Then you—"
Only then did Roselle realize that he might have been a bit long-winded: "What did you mean by saying you were going to set up a magic circle?"
Odis said, "I just observed the surrounding situation and your condition. Using a magic array can help suppress the pollution in your body, but the effect of that magic array can only be achieved on this high platform."
Rosell was visibly taken aback: "A magic circle can have such an effect? You—do you know who corrupted me?"
"I know," Odis replied. "Don't worry, I've been studying magic arrays for many years, trust my expertise."
"However, it also requires an extraordinary characteristic at the angel level to provide power support for the magic circle."
In addition, the "wilderness of knowledge" is needed to provide support in terms of status.
Russell nodded: "That's more like it."
Bernadette, who was standing nearby, asked, "Isn't there a better way?"
"I need to be promoted before I can find a better method," Odis said. "It's hard to say right now."
"However, I estimate that there will be an opportunity in the future for Emperor Rosell's uncle Rosell to leave this mausoleum and move freely outside."
Now is not the time to explain the Celestial Master's arrangements.
Bernadette nodded. "I understand."
So Odis took out the spiritual materials she had prepared in advance: "You guys chat, I'm going downstairs to draw a magic circle."
This ritual must be performed using materials rich in spiritual energy.
Odis "teleported" from below the platform, and Roselle looked at Bernadette: "Let me see what my little princess looks like now."
Bernadette's eyes immediately reddened: "Daddy!"
She had waited far too long for that "Dad," and felt guilty and regretful.
I blame myself for not thinking about it back then; there must be a reason for my father's sudden change in temperament.
I regret leaving my father when he needed me most.
As Odis listened to the father and daughter's conversation, he slowed down his movements, hoping to give them some time.
After a few minutes, Odis suddenly straightened his head and looked towards the massive stone gate. His intuition told him that danger was imminent.
He guessed that when he used the seal on Fazhe earlier, the island's power sensed the aura of the "wilderness of knowledge".
Odis then quickened his pace and swiftly completed the magic circle.
Then, while retrieving the characteristics of the "Duke of Entropy" from the "Wilderness of Knowledge," he replied from the high platform: "It's getting more and more dangerous outside. Let's come back after our abilities have improved again."
Bernadette also sensed the growing danger outside. She looked at the black figure on the enormous throne with some reluctance and said, "Father."
"Go, child," said Rosell's shadow. "If this spell is effective, then I won't have to go through all this trouble and pain."
Then he said seriously to Odis, "Protect her! If you're a fickle person, I won't forgive you!"
"Don't worry about leaving Bernadette in my care! I'll treat her well," Odis said.
Russell raised his hand: "I really want to beat you up."
This was clearly a deliberate attempt to puncture his lungs.
Odis smiled, took Bernadette and flew away from the high platform in the center of the mausoleum. After taking a deep breath, he once again mobilized the power of the "Wilderness of Knowledge" and poured it into the magic he had just drawn.
The surrounding mystical symbols suddenly emitted a bright, holy light, forming phantom images that floated up. Odis held up the extraordinary properties of the "Duke of Entropy" in his hand, and these properties slowly rose up, coming from the very center of the high platform.
Immediately afterwards, a semi-circular light black film formed around the platform, completely isolating it from the outside world.
Rosell, seated on the enormous throne, stretched his hands, surprisingly finding himself completely unaffected by the corruption that had tormented him at that moment: "That kid's philosophy is truly bizarre!"