Truman gazed out, beholding a colossal mountain range that pierced the clouds, its peak obscured from sight.
In the distance, the faint roars of terrifying beasts echoed, accompanied by the howling of wolves reverberating through the air.
"This place is actually near the divine kingdom of the Annihilation Demonic Wolf?!" Truman gasped, drawing a sharp breath.
What a masterful play of hiding in plain sight!
Truman's hand, clad in the Glove of the Ancient, reached into the air as if grasping something intangible. In an instant, he vanished.
When he reappeared, he had put some distance between himself and the divine kingdom of the Demonic Wolf of Destruction.
Soon after, he encountered all manner of bizarre and grotesque creatures.
Demonic Wolves, Mist Treants, Thousand-Faced Hunters—extraordinary beings that, in later eras, could serve as potion ingredients—were all visible here.
This was the vicinity of the Annihilation Demonic Wolf's divine kingdom. These creatures, or rather the extraordinary characteristics within them, were unconsciously drawn here, converging upon this mountain range.
When such beyonder beings gathered, the scene was predictably chaotic.
Wild beasts might eventually be sated, but these creatures only grew hungrier the more they consumed.
Blood, madness, and grotesquery—scenes that challenged the limits of human comprehension unfolded before Truman's eyes. At any moment, he could see extraordinary beings driven insane by consuming too many chaotic characteristics.
Of course, there were also those rare "chosen ones" who survived the madness and, by sheer luck, ascended to a higher level.
Truman observed for a long time, once again marveling at the chaos that preceded the emergence of the First Blasphemy Slate's sequence formulas.
In this era, the name of the Ancient Sun God had yet to spread across the world, and the Blasphemy Slate naturally did not exist.
As he prepared to leave, the hem of his Robe of the Sage fluttered, and his fingers subtly manipulated the Glove of the Ancient, tugging at the spirit body threads of the area.
The Robe of the Sage was constantly analyzing the knowledge of this world, with the Glove of the Ancient being a key component.
Truman, leveraging the Traveler's mimicry, could manifest many abilities.
"Why doesn't this Saint reveal himself?" Truman wasn't trying to doom the hidden figure but gently tugged the spirit body threads, forcing the Saint to emerge.
Since Truman addressed him as a Saint, this figure was at least equivalent to a Sequence 4 in later eras.
At that moment, a figure materialized in the air.
It was a young man with a tense expression, dressed in a gray-white robe. His hair was thick, his demeanor refined, though his appearance was rather unremarkable.
"Are you a god?" the young man asked, his voice tinged with apprehension.
However, both the Book of Dreams' intuition and the Robe of the Sage's knowledge warned Truman that this man held no reverence for so-called gods.
He was observing Truman, his gaze lofty like that of a dragon, as if no movement could escape his scrutiny.
Moreover, it seemed as though something was vanishing…
Hypnosis and virtual personas from the Spectator pathway, causing him to forget certain memories or even modify his own personality?
Thanks to the Book of Dreams and Robe of the Sage, Truman was alerted to this. If he were facing a Warrior pathway demigod, they might have been deceived out of their very characteristics.
Truman studied the man and then realized something. "You're human?"
Indeed, this was a human.
The young man's expression shifted with just the right nuance, while Truman's own face took on a peculiar look.
"What's your name?" Truman inquired.
"Hermes," the young man replied, already searching for an escape route as invisible forces spread at the spiritual level.
Truman smiled. Was this another case of dreams coming true?
This was one of his goals for venturing out—who could've imagined he'd encounter him right away?
Truman released the spirit body threads, and the tension between them quickly eased.
"I'm not a god. I'm human too," Truman explained to the Saint.
Truman held a certain fondness for this foundational figure of human mysticism. After a moment's thought, he dispelled the secretive power of his divine badge, causing Hermes's eyes to widen slightly.
"Truly human?!" Hermes confirmed, noting that Truman's spiritual body bore no trace of mysticism or corruption—purer than a newborn human infant!
"But…" Hermes harbored doubts but visibly relaxed, at least on the surface.
In this era, Hermes was still young, driven by the ideal of carving out an extraordinary path for humanity, reflecting his strong sense of belonging to humankind. Truman's human identity was enough to lower some of his guard.
To be honest, humans in this era were often excessively naive…
"You're observing how these extraordinary beings advance?" Truman glanced at the Thousand-Faced Hunter before Hermes, one of the "chosen ones."
After a chaotic battle, it had devoured the crystal of a Six-Winged Gargoyle, lucking into a surge of power.
"You're studying them to find a pattern?"
"From Sequence 6 to Sequence 5 isn't a huge leap. With a bit of luck, it's reasonable—just driven mad in the process," Truman commented casually.
His simple remark sent a shock through Hermes, the concept of "Sequence" opening a new world to him.
Though unfamiliar with the term, Hermes's robust foundation in mysticism—solid even by later eras' standards—allowed him to faintly grasp its profound implications.
It represented order, and hope for humanity!
Hiss! A Saint of the Dragon pathway (later known as the Spectator pathway) couldn't hide his thoughts. His thirst for knowledge even resonated with the Robe of the Sage on Truman's body.
"Can you teach me about these Sequences?" Hermes bowed, requesting earnestly.
Truman chuckled. "Of course, but I have a small request."
"Take me to various human city-states to find certain people."
"…No problem!" Hermes hesitated briefly before agreeing.
The other party was a pure human—surely not worse than the supernatural races that enslaved or fed on humans, right?
Hermes likely hadn't yet encountered the concept of a "traitor to humanity"…
"Excellent. But, if I may ask, how did you become a Saint? It's somewhat related to Sequence knowledge." With the atmosphere relaxed, Truman asked curiously.
Related to Sequences… Hermes gained some insight. Truman's era-transcending knowledge shone brightly in the eyes of an explorer like him, stirring his heart further.
"When my city-state was destroyed by a monster, I forcibly consumed a crystal imbued with mystical power…" Hermes briefly recounted the event.
"Hermes is currently equivalent to a Sequence 4 Manipulator in later eras…" Truman thought to himself. "And during the city's fall, the resonance of despair or resolve to die with it likely fulfilled the ritual by chance."
"You were very lucky—and remarkable." The Manipulator's ritual hinged on resonance; without the resolve to perish with the city, the ritual wouldn't have succeeded.
"So, what are your thoughts on your advancement?" The two walked together, leaving the chaotic battlefield behind, discussing Sequence knowledge.
The Spirit World faithfully recorded everything, and in later eras, Ancient Scholars would glimpse this pivotal moment in human history through the fog of time.
(End of Chapter)