Sasrir silently observed everything, scrutinizing each chair.
Finally, he looked at Truman, his face shrouded in a thick shadow, concealing his thoughts.
Lilith and the goddess, meanwhile, stared at the "Mother Goddess" and "End" chairs, sensing an inexplicable connection to their symbolic meanings.
"Of course," Truman said with a smile, "the fifth chair, Dream!"
The final chair symbolized boundless dreams, orbs of light floating in a sea of fantasy, the pinnacle of all beauty, representing dreams made reality, wishes fulfilled.
Five chairs, five positions, encompassing the three cosmic pillars, an implied fourth, and Dream.
"Please, take your seats!" Truman sat first in the "Dream" chair.
Sasrir, Amanises, and Lilith each took their places.
Thus, only "Great Old One" remained vacant.
"Still missing one…" Truman sighed. This seat would likely wait millennia for its master.
Before him sat the ultimate combination of Sun, Moon, and Stars!
"What does this symbolize?" the goddess asked.
"Pillars and dominion!" Truman declared, though only Sasrir reacted. Lilith and the goddess were yet to grasp such knowledge.
"From now on, let's call this the Dream Parliament. Any objections?" Truman inquired.
The gods shook their heads. This was Truman's domain, capable of suppressing their inherent madness and indifference—they owed him gratitude.
"But these seats aren't fixed. Guard them well," Truman warned the three.
Lilith was the most vulnerable, at risk of being consumed by the entity on the moon if she faltered.
Lilith and the Goddess of Misfortune nodded slightly. They sensed that even as true gods, they'd only embody part of these symbols.
There might be a level beyond true gods.
Sasrir remained silent.
"The Dream Parliament's meetings are up to you. Call one when needed, or come here to escape madness's erosion," Truman said, setting the rules on the spot.
"Agreed," Lilith said, raising her hand first. Here, she felt truly herself, unburdened by madness.
The other two nodded.
"Good. I can't think of anything else for now. Feel free to discuss. Oh, and one more thing—conversations here are private, known only to you," Truman said, crossing his hands, exuding the aura of a secretive meeting's convener.
The goddess approached Lilith, and after a brief exchange, they hatched a secretive, long-term, ruthless plan that sent chills down Truman's spine.
"These are probably the two most unprovokable goddesses in the world."
Sasrir, after confirming his role in the plan, began exchanging glances with Truman, eventually opening a private channel to chat idly.
"Lastly, to a fruitful partnership and a farewell to the ancient gods soon to perish."
Truman conjured wine glasses before each god—white vodka for Sasrir and himself, blood-red wine for Lilith and the goddess.
Clink!
The four glasses met, and the gears of fate began to turn, history's tide surging forward.
…
The Goddess of Misfortune's consciousness returned to her body, exiting her secretive state.
Her eyes gleamed brightly, fixed on the Giant King's Court. "The Twilight Giant…"
"Not yet the right time," the goddess said, sinking back into silence.
Truman, meanwhile, had returned to the Ancient Sun God's divine kingdom.
The Deep Dark City was merely the goddess's anchor point, with little combat capability and no means to join this war. Returning there was pointless—being its pontiff brought no sense of accomplishment.
"Does your divine kingdom need a pontiff?" Truman asked Sasrir.
In that moment, Truman saw an exceptionally vivid expression. "Can pontiffs double up?"
Sasrir was speechless. He could clearly sense the faith anchor on Truman—pontiffs, as divine representatives, couldn't hide that aura.
"Ahem! Just asking!" Truman said, a bit embarrassed.
"How about a Angel of Dreams under the Creator?" Truman had surveyed the Sun God's divine kingdom, where the believers numbered dozens of times those in Deep Dark City, all true devotees.
With the faith anchor from Deep Dark City, he could already wield Sequence 1-level power through the Book of Dreams. With dozens more, could he rival a god?
He was truly envious!
In this world, true believers never tied themselves to a single church…
Sasrir had never heard such a request and was momentarily at a loss.
"Well…" As Sasrir struggled to respond, a thought stirred in his mind, making his look at Truman even stranger.
"The Lord has agreed," Sasrir said, his expression odd, unsure what his master was planning.
The next moment, he grew solemn. "The Lord has made a prophecy: Dreams become reality!"
Truman raised an eyebrow. "His prophecy?"
Sasrir nodded slightly.
Even without full mastery of omniscience and omnipotence, the Ancient Sun God's prophecies carried immense weight.
"Dreams become reality…" The prophecy had many interpretations.
"Henceforth, you are the Angel od Dreams under my Lord!" Sasrir said solemnly. "I'll record you in the holy scriptures, compile your deeds, and spread them among the faithful."
"This…" It came so easily that Truman was stunned.
"I accept this offer!" Truman accepted the Angel of Dreams title. The Ancient Sun God might have plans for him, but this was essentially a transaction.
He needed those faith anchors.
"Good!" Sasrir nodded, arranging a residence for Truman and even granting him a prime territory.
But before Truman could settle his territory, Sasrir brought urgent news.
"Lilith has joined the war with her sanguines. Other ancient gods are stirring, preparing to enter the fray."
Truman's expression hardened at the news.
The ancient gods were mobilizing. The divine war hadn't erupted yet, but battles among subordinate gods and angels had begun.
In this era, ancient gods understood the role of anchors. Before a full divine war, destabilizing anchors was a common tactic.
In an age of madmen, being crazier didn't make you much stronger—it just made you more prone to mistakes.
"You'll head out with Medici and the others to the Giant King's Court."
"As for your task… do whatever you want."
Truman officially set off for the Giant King's Court, now the eye of the storm—a storm, ironically, he had sparked!
(End of Chapter)