Truman's gaze fell upon the strikingly handsome man, and for a moment, he was almost dazzled. He had to admit, the man was just a tad more attractive than himself!
"If someone like him took the Demoness potion, what would happen? Shame there's no chance to find out."
In Truman's mind, the Robe of the Sage had already analyzed a piece of information, and he recognized this angel.
[Angel of Destiny: Ouroboros]
That was the only piece of information, and it was something Truman already knew.
Through the vision granted by his Book of Dreams, this Angel of Destiny was enveloped in a dense shadow. Beyond that shadowy veil lay an ocean of indescribable color.
He was favored by an existence of extraordinarily high status.
"Danger!"
For the first time, Truman sensed an overwhelming sense of crisis. Whatever lay beyond that shadow could have a terrifying impact on his existence!
"It's as threatening as eternal slumber!"
"The Chaos Sea… Sefirot must not be touched!" Truman came to this realization.
The Book of Dreams seemed to sense Truman's will and flipped open on its own. Phosphorescent dreamlight spilled forth, on the verge of clashing with that dense shadow!
"Stop!" At that moment, Truman's eyes nearly reflected the figure hidden behind the shadow.
Under his will, the dreamlight transformed into radiant, multicolored butterflies, like dreams manifesting into reality with dazzling brilliance.
Fortunately, the other party also restrained their restless power, preventing the sea that seemed to contain all secrets from flooding forth.
The two avoided a collision on the level of Sefirot, but the ripple of their powers still spread outward.
"Trouble!" Truman hadn't anticipated this situation and could already sense a gaze locking onto him.
That gaze carried a hint of ferocity and madness. The giants were no gentle race, and causing a disturbance here would have predictable consequences.
"It's probably the Goddess of Harvest, Omebella," Truman thought.
This was her domain, and the aura of a Sefirah naturally caught her attention. She was responding to her devotees' prayers by casting her gaze here, and she was likely not far away!
Before Truman could react, he felt every blade of grass turn hostile. The very land seemed to shift, rejecting him, as if it sought to become his grave.
Even his own body began to change—his hair started to wither, as if it were a plant wilting away.
Truman's form flickered, becoming ethereal, dissolving into streams of complex knowledge, transforming into a torrent of information.
"Hey! Why are you still dazed? Let's go!"
Truman glanced at Ouroboros, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the Chaos Sea's power. Grabbing the stunned Hermes, he teleported to Ouroboros's side, and the three began to roam, attempting to enter the Spirit World.
But before they could fully cross into the Spirit World, a mass of wildly growing plants blocked their path.
"Mystical reappearance, the Emperor's new clothes!"
In an instant, the hem of Truman's robe fluttered, and an invisible cloak woven purely from knowledge enveloped them.
They seemed to vanish yet remained real, drifting lightly through the plants.
The three resumed their roaming and entered the Spirit World.
The Glove of the Ancient, imbued with abilities from two pathways, held privileges in the Spirit World, so Truman wasn't overly concerned about Omebella. This battle was entirely unexpected and not part of the plan, so he decided to retreat quickly.
Without hesitation, Truman prepared to fully exit the battlefield, only to be blocked by a decaying twilight.
Now things were serious! The Giant King, sensing the Sefirah aura, had also cast his gaze here.
The gap between a true god and Sequence 2 could be likened to the later-era Death Archon nearly being "killed by a glance" from the Blood Emperor.
"If you dare, take a good look at me!"
Truman, roughly gauging the Book of Dreams' status, raised it boldly, hoping to let the Giant King catch a glimpse—ideally letting the dreamlight fall upon him!
If the Chaos Sea could contaminate the Dragon of Imagination, there was no reason his Book of Dreams couldn't do the same!
"Let there be light!"
A clear, magnetic voice rang in Truman's ears, prompting him to lower the Book of Dreams.
A god had intervened, sparing him the trouble.
The Sun blazed in the boundless heights of the Astral World, its searing light tearing through the decaying twilight.
"Roar!" A terrifying bellow shook the entire Spirit World.
Yet, under the blazing sunlight, the decaying twilight seemed too chaotic and disordered to break through the Sun's blockade.
"Let's go!" Truman looked back and saw a terrifying giant's silhouette. He wielded a greatsword, clad in tattered armor, his true face obscured, with a backdrop of dim twilight.
This was Giant King Aurmir!
This was an ancient god! Truman hadn't expected to encounter him. All this stemmed from the unpredictable clash between the Chaos Sea and the Book of Dreams.
"Could the Book of Dreams truly be a Sefirah? But I've never heard of it!" Truman pondered in frustration as their roaming completed.
Guided by an external force and Ouroboros's awakened destiny interference, they arrived in an unfamiliar kingdom, within an unfamiliar church.
Before them stood a man radiant as the Sun, dressed in a white clerical robe with a silver cross hanging at his chest.
Truman's first impression was of his eyes—pure gold, like miniature suns.
This was, of course, the current Sun God, later known as the Ancient Sun God.
"Who are you?" Truman and the Ancient Sun God spoke simultaneously, their gazes locked on each other.
But in the next moment, both consciously closed their eyes and turned their heads.
In that fleeting instant, Truman saw a dark, secret-laden sea containing all the world's mysteries, while the Ancient Sun God beheld a shimmering expanse of phosphorescent dreamlight holding all beautiful aspirations.
Both were worth exploring, but both also sensed danger and averted their gazes, severing the mystical connection.
Otherwise, a clash resembling Sefirot would erupt again.
"You may call me the Sun God," the Ancient Sun God said, looking again but without the probing intensity, his gaze now ordinary.
"I'm Truman," Truman replied, his eyes dimming their flickering dreamlight.
"Truman?" The Ancient Sun God paused, pronouncing the name in a way foreign to this era: "truemen?"
"Let there be light?" Truman echoed the Sun God's earlier words.
As expected, the Ancient Sun God's demeanor shifted slightly.
The atmosphere between them took on a subtle, indescribable change.
Well… probably for the better.
(End of Chapter)