Chapter 147

Chapter 147

Within Lane's divine kingdom.

Archie lowered his head, browsing through the ancient books that the Prophet had given him before leaving. Most of the contents recorded the secrets and knowledge that the Prophet had gathered over the past few centuries.

"The identity of a Prophet does not grant us the ability to see the future but rather provides early intelligence to assess unknown situations. Therefore, you must not only master the cultivation and application of your abilities but also accumulate as much knowledge as possible. After all, there's a limit to how many times you can use your powers in a day."

With that, the Prophet waved goodbye and left the divine kingdom, leaving Archie with several ancient books, all of which contained secrets from the distant past. Some were even written in Old English, Latin, or even Ancient Greek. If not for Archie's academic prowess during his school days and his coincidental proficiency in Latin, he would've been stuck at the very first reading hurdle.

Even so, the obscure knowledge was a nightmare for him. If not for the thought that these insights might come in handy for Lane in the future, he would have given up long ago.

The Sphinx was also sharing the workload, occasionally grumbling in the Gap of Dreams, "Damned Prophet, do you expect us to finish all these books in a short time?!"

Flipping a page, the Sphinx couldn't help but complain, "Who knows what's happening outside now? It's been so long since Klein was called out by Lord Lane, and he still hasn't returned. Is that guy so favored? By the time we're done with these books, there might not be a place for us by Lord Lane's side anymore."

Archie held back his frustration and closed his eyes.

"Moreover, that Prophet disappeared mysteriously. Who knows what he's up to? Perhaps he used those books as a distraction and slipped away while Lord Lane was absent!"

"Sigh, I wonder how Lord Lane is doing. Could it be that he encountered some trouble and that's why he hasn't come to see us? He must have run into something troublesome!"

"Shut up," Archie sighed inwardly. He had spent days reading and listening to Sphinx's endless complaints for hours on end.

In that instant, Archie recalled the Prophet's words about Origin Abilities being a reflection of their hosts' inner selves to some extent.

But surely this guy is an exception, right?

Unaware of Archie's mental grumbling, Sphinx was pondering how to urge Archie to check on the situation when he noticed someone entering the room.

Archie was currently in a reading room within the University of Michigan's library. When the Prophet visited earlier, he discovered that the library housed many ancient texts, so he generously contributed his own collection. Of course, Archie had to read them first before any other professors or students could borrow them.

The reading room was on the second floor, a quiet place where few people ventured. Most students preferred to stay on the ground floor. Hearing footsteps, Archie instinctively assumed it was Lane and looked up.

But the person who entered left him rooted to the spot.

"Albert..."

"Long time no see, Albert," the blond man said with a wry smile. "How have you been?"

As Archie and Albert caught up, elsewhere, Kerry was also reuniting with an old friend in a research facility. However, unlike the genuine friendship between Archie and Albert, Kerry was rather wickedly flaunting before Amos the second timeline he had witnessed.

"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect you to still be Lord Lane's priest in another world line. Of course, that's just another world line. Sigh, compared to reality, it's rather cruel, isn't it?"

Amos: ...

Well, why are you telling me this? Are you insane?

The blob of flesh in the petri dish let out bubbles in resentment, seemingly blaming Kerry for his conscience. But Kerry was not the type to have one.

At heart, Kerry was a mad scientist who would give everything for his curiosity and impulses. Otherwise, he wouldn't have collaborated with Amos in the first world line. If Lane hadn't appeared, he might have indeed allowed, or even facilitated, the apocalypse due to his curiosity about the evil god.

Therefore, while Archie and Albert were genuine friends, Kerry and Amos had a superficial friendship. They were brought together by their lack of conscience, curiosity, and the desire for amusement.

After deliberately provoking the bubbling anger of the flesh in the petri dish, Kerry felt somewhat relieved. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to see that Lane had been standing there for quite some time.

"Well, Lord Lane," Kerry said instinctively. "I didn't mean to release him. I just came to power up the petri dish."

Amos: ...?

Lane's lips twitched. "Relax, I'm not accusing you of any secret liaisons. I need to speak with Amos about something."

Cary let out an 'oh,' glanced at the increasingly enthusiastic Amos, and understood that Lane wanted to have a private conversation. He turned and left the research institute.

After Cary departed, Lane looked at the innocent bubbling chunk of Amos in the petri dish. "You can actually regenerate on your own, so there's no need for this pitiful act. I want to talk to you."

The flesh blob floated up and down in the nutrient solution before it started growing gradually.

Pink buds began to sprout from its surface, developing within the liquid. They first formed into tentacles resembling a baby's arm, which then grew larger until they transformed into the body of a young man inside the petri dish.

Amos.

His long, black hair spread out in the fluid within the dish, while his delicate, somewhat feminine features gave him the appearance of a sirening mermaid from the depths of the sea.

Amos placed his palm against the glass wall of the petri dish, his gaze fixed on Lane with fascination.

Lane remained expressionless, his fingers moving slightly. The vine lifted the lid of the dish and wrapped around Amos, lifting him out.

"I can free myself," Amos stated.

Lan: "I know, but you were planning to break the petri dish, right? Maybe you should just stay in there."

Amos: ...

With a pout, Amos asked, "Isn't there an option that doesn't involve me?"

Lan: "There was. The original plan was to bury you as fertilizer for the flowers."

Amos: ... Well, that sounds worse than being in the petri dish.

"What do you wish to discuss with me?" Amos inquired.

Lan's gaze at Amos was rather complicated.

To be honest, he hadn't initially planned on releasing Amos. He had merely been keeping him contained until he could find a way to permanently eliminate Amos. However, after witnessing the first and second timelines, Lan's perspective changed.

Don't misunderstand; this didn't mean he forgave what Amos had done to Arkham. It was just that compared to Amos's sins, the impending apocalypse in the near future was of greater concern.

Amos clearly knew something, and in the first timeline, this fellow had even become one of 'God's' subordinates, a direct factor in the apocalypse.

Lane reined in his expression and asked coolly, "Do you know that 'Judas'?"

"What 'Judas'?" Amos asked.

"Don't play dumb," Lane said. "Your answer will determine whether I bury you or split you up into petri dishes again."

"But I really don't know!" This time, Amos was genuinely aggrieved.

Amos's blank expression seemed genuine, and Lane furrowed his brow. Could it be that at this point in time, Judas had yet to become connected with Amos?

Lane felt slightly disappointed. Originally, he had come to speak with Amos in the hope of gaining information about Judah, but it seemed that was not going to happen.

"Then forget it."

With that said, Lann raised his hand, and the vines entwining Amos began to wind tighter, apparently preparing to recompose him and return him to the cultivation vessel.

"Wait!" Amos pleaded for reprieve, "While I cannot provide information on 'Judas,' I do possess other valuable intel. Are you not interested in the 'Perfects' and the 'Celestials'?"

With an expressionless face, Lane said, "Perfect Humans are the humans from the ancient times who lived in the Dream World without degeneration. The current humans are individuals who have been castrated in some aspects, right?"

Amos's eyes flickered with surprise, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Alright, it seems I truly can't provide you with any value. I didn't expect that you even know this kind of information."

"Oh, that's not true. You were the one who mentioned it," Lane said with a strange glint in his eyes. "It was another version of you from a different worldline."

"It was the me who served as your High Priest, huh." Amos's expression turned even more bitter. He hadn't expected that this card would be played by another worldline's version of himself. He also didn't know how much confidential information the other had revealed. This was one of Amos's trump cards, which he had planned to use to negotiate with Lane. Now, he had dug his own grave.

He might as well become fertilizer for flowers for the rest of his life.

As he was about to revert to his blob form, Amos frantically searched through his mind for information that could pique Lane's interest. In a desperate attempt, he quickly said, "Are you interested in the challenges beyond the Fourth Layer of the Gap of Dreams?"

Lane paused, raising his gaze to look at him.

Amos heaved a sigh of relief and finally managed to force a smile on his face. "I don't know how much critical information you already possess, but I'm willing to tell you everything I know. I only hope you'll give me a chance."

"Alright, go on."

"The challenge of the Fourth Layer of the Gap of Dreams is despair," Amos said, knowing that Lane's patience was limited. He spoke quickly, as if afraid that he would be thrown back into the petri dish at any moment. "The test itself is simple: witness the future fate of this world. The difficult part is that many people, after realizing that destruction is inevitable, suffer mental breakdowns or even commit suicide within the Gap of Dreams."

"Those who pass this test are either exceptionally resilient in willpower or have found some form of belief," Amos said, looking at Lane. "A trust that someone will guide them towards hope."

Lane's expression remained unchanged; he had already learned about the fourth level from Kerry earlier.

"The fifth level is Confusion," Amos continued. "In truth, this test begins much earlier, but its effects become more apparent only after passing the fourth stage."

"What do you mean?" Lane frowned.

Amos smiled and extended his arm, revealing a few pinkish growths on it.

"You're talking about... metamorphosis?"

"Indeed, metamorphosis. Our bodies will gradually become more akin to the grotesques, with faster wound recovery and abilities surpassing human limits," Amos's eyes gleamed. "Initially, after learning the truth about the Perfect Ones, I believed humans were evolving into their form, or perhaps reverting. But I was wrong. It's no longer possible for humans to evolve into Perfect Ones. Ultimately, we all transform into grotesques."

"At this level, we lose our human emotions gradually, unsure whether we are still human or grotesque. Once we lose touch with our nature and become confused, we lose our humanity completely, turning into wandering grotesques within the Glimpse of Dreams."

"The sixth level doesn't have a conventional test, or rather, it's an extension of the fifth. After all, the transformation from human to grotesque is a process. Some argue that this process itself is a test. As we detach from our human identity, many can't accept their monstrous selves and choose suicide."

"The seventh level takes us even further. We become genuine anthropomorphic grotesques, retaining only the rationality of a human while our bodily functions closely resemble those of a grotesque."

"Then what is the trial for this level?" Lane asked curiously.

Amos merely smiled and replied, "Who knows which version of you will awaken one day—the human or the monstrous?"

Lane froze, a chill running down his spine.

Wait, he's not human, and there's no trial for him. Never mind then.

No, that wasn't right—Archie and the others still had their trials to face.

However, Amos's information was indeed valuable, even if it wasn't much use to Lane, who had never relied on a Dream Rift to advance. But it could be beneficial to Albert, Edmund, and Archie.

"What about the levels after that?"

"There aren't any," Amos shrugged. "The stairs beyond the seventh level are broken; we can't ascend further. Thus, no one has ever reached the eighth level. Some say the seventh is the limit, transcending the boundaries of what humans can attain."

Lane sensed a vague intuition that this might somehow relate to the talents extracted from humans, the part that coalesced into the Ark.

But he hadn't expected Amos to know so much, or rather...

Lan looked deeply into Amos's eyes. "You've reached the seventh level, right?"

Otherwise, there was no reason for him to know so much. No wonder this guy was so hard to kill.

In some ways, Amos had surpassed the realm of humanity. It was just unclear what kind of bizarre transformation he underwent.

Amos smiled but didn't deny it. "You must have your own sources of information. You can verify the intelligence I've shared. It should prove that I have no ill intentions toward you."

"Please believe me, I won't harm you. On the contrary, I'll even offer assistance."

"Then you plan to stab me in the back when the time is right?" Lane said. "Why would I trust you after witnessing you betray Solon and learning how you destroyed Arkham?"

"How can they compare to you? !" Amos suddenly grew agitated. "Your radiance is like the blazing sun high in the sky. Mortals can't hold a candle to your light! I never even dared to think..."

"Did you really never think about plucking my flower?" Lane's gaze was teasing. "Did you never think about it, or did you try but fail?"

Amos immediately hung his head. "I failed."

That was why he had decisively switched targets. He couldn't achieve it, so he wanted to appreciate this ultimate flower up close, to witness its most beautiful bloom.

When Amos had plotted against Arkham City before, he had the same intention in mind. He was nurturing this ultimate flower in his own way, and it had indeed unfolded as he wished, with the entire city becoming Lane's followers.

After all, tending to flowers was an instinctive task for every gardener.

But Amos didn't see anything wrong with his approach: "Isn't the outcome the same? I will always be at your service, assisting you as long as you remain powerful. You can view me as a loyal dog or the sharpest sword in your hand. Anything you desire, any enemy you wish to eliminate—I'll take care of it for you… Why can you accept Albert, Carrens, and Edmund, but not me?"

Amos had investigated Lane's other followers before. There was no need to mention Edmund and Albert, who were part of the Audit Bureau, originally an opposing force to Lane. Carrens had also harbored malicious intentions towards Lane initially. Didn't they both end up under Lane's command? So why not him?

Speaking of morality, it was laughable. Wasn't Kley any more conscientious than him? Had Carrens' hands been any less stained with blood?

"If I had met you first, would things have been different from the start?" Amos pursed his lips, his dark eyes fixated on Lane.

Just like what Kley had suggested.

If he, Amos, had betrayed Soren and rescued Lane from the hospital, he would be the one standing by Lane's side now.

"Even if it's you, I still wouldn't trust you."

Lane stepped in front of Amos, pointing at his heart. "I'm curious, do you really have a heart in there?"

"You've spoken so much of your loyalty to me, yet you haven't truly become my believer. Likewise, I sense nothing from you here."

This was why Amos's declarations of loyalty didn't affect Lane at all.

So far, Lane knew that the specks of light in his Dream Gap corresponded to those who became nodes of fate. If Amos were to also become his believer, there was no doubt Lane would unlock more powers.

On the other hand, this fellow only talked the talk but had no intention of genuinely becoming a true believer.

How could Lane trust him? Should he trust his smooth-talking tongue or his history of betrayal?

Suddenly, Lane felt a bit disinterested. He snapped his fingers, and the vines slowly retracted from Amos's body.

Faced with Amos's suddenly excited gaze, Lane said, "In consideration of the intelligence you've provided, you can move freely in my Divine Realm. But if you dare to cause trouble within or attempt to leave…"

"You know what will happen."

With Judah's threat looming over Lane's head, he had no choice but to consider keeping Amos around.

There were only a few paths for him to grow stronger: unlocking the Ark, expanding his Divine Realm, and ascending the layers of the Dream Gap to gain more divine authority.

Lane needed to prepare for multiple possibilities. Ogier was already working on the Ark, the expansion of the Divine Kingdom would continue, and as for unlocking divine authority, that was the only thing that gave Lane trouble. The layers of the Dream Gap were tied to true believers, and based on the previous cases with Archy and the others, it seemed to be linked to these key figures of destiny. This meant that if Amos became his believer, he could unlock the higher layers.

But what should he do with the fact that there were only seven nodes while the Dream Gap had nine levels? He didn't know. There were only seven nodes in total, and the last one belonged to Judas. It was clear that this guy wouldn't worship him. So could Lane only unlock six layers?

Rubbing his forehead in frustration, Lane glanced at the overjoyed Amos and let out a long breath. He casually planted a parasitic seed within Amos without waiting for him to plead for him to stay. Then, Lane turned around and vanished from the research institute, reappearing in the headmaster's office.

Relying on the Dream Gap for now wasn't feasible unless he fully understood its rules.

"Ogier..." Lane instinctively began to ask but then chuckled to himself. What was he thinking? Ogier had already gone to the Dream World.

He really wasn't used to it. Ever since he came to this world, Ogier had always been by his side; they had never been apart.

Shaking his head, Lane pondered for a moment before vanishing from the headmaster's office once more.

He went to find Archy.

Within the Divine Kingdom, Lane could track everyone's movements, so with a thought, he knew that Archy was still in the library of Miskatonic University. His figure soon appeared in the library, surprised to find Albert there as well.

"My Lord." Upon seeing Lane arrive, Archy and Albert immediately stood up, seemingly just finishing their conversation.

"I seem to have interrupted you," Lane said.

"We weren't discussing anything significant," Albert replied promptly, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "I was merely apologizing for my past actions."

Archie crossed his arms. "That apology is long overdue."

"Sorry," Albert said again.

Lane observed the two of them, a flicker of realization dawning on him. This visit to the Audit Bureau likely put to rest some of Albert's lingering regrets.

"Did you find the truth you were seeking?"

"More or less," Albert said slowly. "I've made contact with Ms. Judith, and she plans to rebuild the Audit Bureau on the ruins of the old one. She intends to reexamine all previous cases, including what happened to Archie's father. That's what we were just discussing."

"I see," Lane noted, a subtle shift in his thoughts. He too had something he wished to discuss with Judith, at least to gauge the Audit Bureau's current stance on him.

But there was a more pressing matter at hand.

Lane turned to Archie. "How's your study with the Seer coming along?"

Archimedes understood. The Sphinx, sensing an opportunity, promptly emerged, puffing out its chest and declaring, "There's no issue anymore!"

At long last, it was his, the Sphinx's, time to shine once more!

But just as he was about to pose a question to Lane, Lane suddenly furrowed his brow, sensing a familiar visitor outside the realm of the gods.

The Prophet.