Chapter 51: Fifth Epoch, 1068

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Stepping through the door of white fog, he felt no sense of anomaly, merely taking an ordinary step forward. Beneath his feet remained solid ground, while everything around him was shrouded in white fog, resembling entry into the world of an illusory dream.

And within this hazy, peculiar mist, just as Professor Garcia had said, the whispering voices at his ears seemed never to have spoken so much at once:

[Outlander, you have stepped into the "Corridor of Time."]

[A message from the Ancient God, "Father of the Infinite Tree":]

[Autumn of the 5th Epoch, Year 1068, South Continent, Hope Town.]

[Event: The fall of the Old God, "Creator of Innocence."]

[Duration: 10 minutes.]

Aside from the abruptly appearing specialized terms such as "Corridor of Time" and "Ancient God," the information thus far matched what Professor Garcia had described.

[You have obtained additional information.]

[The figure of the Father of the Infinite Tree gazes upon you.]

[The Ancient God of Time grants you a trial.]

[Witness the final wish of the Old God, the "Creator of Innocence," before His fall.]

[The Father of the Infinite Tree will grant you a reward: Arcane Art - Chronos-Tangled Blade, Miracle Spirit Rune - Echo.]

The voices ceased. Staring wide-eyed in the white fog, Sian stood in astonishment and muttered:

"An Ancient God? The Corridor of Time? What are all these?"

[Your soul is highly sensitive, so the information I obtain is more than that of an ordinary Ring-Warlock's 'other self.' I do not understand the meaning within.]

[Then what about the mission?]

[The Ancient God of Time grants you a tri...]

"There is no need to repeat what I heard; I know you are not a repeater. I mean, what does this mean? Have I encountered the extremely rare situation mentioned by Professor Garcia? And why is this... Ancient God 'gazing' at me? Could it be that He has always existed and has not fallen?"

He stared with wide eyes into the depths of the white fog, yet could discern no clues, as if this world known as the "Corridor of Time" consisted solely of mist and endless void. At this thought, Sian inexplicably felt a creeping horror. This world was unquestionably far more complex than what was currently visible on the surface.

[The Ancient God has given you a task. Complete it and obtain the Ancient God's reward. This at least appears to have no disadvantages. Also, the remaining time is 9 minutes and 23 seconds.]

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"Can't you explain yourself more clearly?"

[I would like to tell you, but I cannot provide the answer.]

Sian lifted his foot and stepped forward. With just a single step, the surrounding white fog inexplicably vanished. Professor Garcia had clearly stated that for an investigator traversing time, being enveloped by white fog was the normal state of affairs.

More seriously, Sian found himself standing on a street resembling a backward medieval town. The street was littered with sewage, stones, and mud, while the air was heavy with the stench of animal waste and rotting food. The adjacent houses were low and dilapidated, and the sky was unusually gloomy, obscured by heavy storm clouds on the verge of rain.

Gaunt, indifferent townspeople dressed in dark, tattered rags turned their heads to stare at the well-dressed young man. This was nothing like remaining unconnected to the past era simply by avoiding active contact.

The people of past time had observed the person from future time.

"What is this..."

[Look up.]

Looking up, before him hung the colorful signboard of the "Hope Town Toy Shop," standing out as seemingly the only color within this monochrome, dilapidated photograph of a scene. Understanding his objective, and before the townspeople could close in, Sian reached out and pushed open the door to enter the shop.

The townspeople were locked outside, the threshold dividing the interior and exterior into seemingly two different worlds.

The bell at the door chimed, and the sweet aroma of candy permeated the shop. A wide array of colorful wooden, metal, and ceramic toys filled nearly every shelf, and the drowsy young man behind the counter raised his head.

He was dressed brightly, wearing a ridiculous clown hat with white polka dots on a red background. His attire contrasted sharply with the corpse-like, numb townspeople outside. Had he not been able to see the outside through the toy shop's window, Sian would have deeply doubted whether this place was still "Hope Town."

"Welcome to the Hope Town Toy Shop, how may I..."

The young man wearing the ridiculous hat cut himself off mid-sentence. He locked eyes with Sian, who stood frozen by the door. At that moment, the detective from the future time suddenly felt as though his heart was about to stop beating.

A crushing pressure emanated from the man behind the counter—a sense of falling akin to facing an abyss or standing before the infinite sky, which compelled Sian to take an involuntary step backward until his back pressed against the door.

A bloody hue suddenly clouded his vision, and he realized his eyes were bleeding. Reaching up to touch his face, he discovered that blood was flowing from his ears, his nose, and even the corners of his mouth. His internal organs ached fiercely, his head swelled, and his consciousness gradually grew hazy. Although the entity before him occupied a space no larger than an ordinary human, the position that entity held within the fabric of the world was by no means that of an ordinary person.

The toys inside the shop came alive within his field of vision, and a chilling laughter composed of children's voices echoed in his ears:

"The Saint..."

Knowledge concerning deities was the very first thing Sian had perused upon acquiring his textbooks.

Divinities were higher-dimensional entities. If they wished to manifest without distorting the rules of the material world, they had to possess a vessel within the material world upon which to descend; this was known as the Saint form of the gods. And the figure behind the counter was undoubtedly the Saint form of the Old God, the [Creator of Innocence]. If not for the fact that the entity harbored no malice and its power had dwindled to its absolute lowest level, the injuries Sian sustained would have been far worse than this.

Supporting himself against the door behind him, he could barely remain standing. Hallucinations and auditory illusions monopolized his senses, yet his mind possessed an extraordinary clarity at this moment, even granting him the illusion of imminent detachment from his physical flesh. He actually heard singing at that moment—a song composed of childish voices, continuously tempting his mind toward madness.

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The whispering voice in his ear chimed in, reminding him of the appearance of the "Miracle" element, yet the absence of "Blasphemy" indicated that this deity was a benevolent god.

"Interesting, person of the future."

The young man behind the counter said softly. This, of course, was not in Dalarandish, yet Sian understood it nonetheless.

"Didn't Professor Garcia say that all one needed to do was witness? Why have I directly confronted an Old God?"

He pressed his back against the door in agony. The whispering voice of the woman in his ear seemed to be speaking, but he could no longer distinguish the words. Yet, the woman's whispers seemed to carry a certain power, helping him at least avoid an immediate faint.

"What is it you wish to do?"

The ancient deity asked gently. Though appearing as a young man, Sian inexplicably felt that the entity was ancient and withered. Seeing Sian's agonizing state, the entity reached out and pointed a finger toward him.

There were no flashy light and shadow effects, yet the agony in his flesh and senses vanished instantly. Awakening as if from a dream, Sian felt as though his entire body was drenched in sweat, with only a faint memory of pain lingering in his mind.

"I am here to... witness your final wish. Thank you for your healing."

Sian spoke with a trembling voice. Though the pain was gone, the terrifying pressure he had perceived still caused his body to instinctively recoil. The gods of this world were genuine higher-dimensional existences, rather than merely powerful mortals. Mortals could not gaze directly upon deities.

The Saint shook his head:

"I merely protected you from the influence of the divine essence, and this protection cannot last very long. As for my wish? No, you are still too weak; you would need at least the afterglow of a god to undertake such a task. Return. At least for now, you should not have come here."

"What is the afterglow of a god?"

"I cannot speak of it; it is a divine secret. Knowledge has weight, and you cannot bear it."

The Saint's voice was exceedingly gentle.

"Then, can you at least answer one question of mine? Just one question."

Sian held up a single finger. This was a rare opportunity he could not let pass. Despite the head-swelling sensation of oxygen deprivation, he remained lucid and understood what he had to do:

"What is... an Ancient God?"

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