Chapter 148

Chapter 148

The Prophet appeared outside the Divine Realm.

Upon hearing this news, Lane raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He knew that the Prophet had left the Divine Realm, but initially, Lane hadn't planned on confining him. The imprisonment had been a momentary outburst of anger. However, after the Prophet had taken the initiative to teach Arch, Lane naturally saw no reason to continue to restrict his freedom, allowing him to roam freely.

Come to think of it, during the great turmoil in Orland, Lane had known that the Prophet and Destiny were among the spectators.

He had assumed that the Prophet would never return, yet here he was, appearing outside the Divine Realm once more.

What did he intend to do this time? Lane snapped his fingers, and instantly, the Prophet's figure materialized before them.

"I didn't expect you to have the courage to show your face before me," Lane said with a wry smile.

The Prophet, however, merely offered a bitter smile before handing over the book that served as his physical form to Lane.

Upon seeing the book, Lane couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment. There was no other reason; the book appeared as if it had been an ancient tome, dried by the winds for many years. Despite its seemingly pristine condition when Lane last saw it.

"That's not strange. No one can live forever, not even Fate. As a Sealed Artifact, though I don't die, using my powers comes with a cost. Usually, the host shoulders that burden since there was never a new generation to pass on."

Speaking thus, the Prophet turned his gaze towards Archie, "But fortunately, I've finally waited for this generation."

Archie couldn't help but purse his lips, a hint of discomfort flickering across his face. Even the Sphinx, who had been indignant about the Prophet stealing the spotlight, fell silent. Clearly, they sensed an unusual aura.

"Firstly, I apologize for the trouble Fate has caused you before its demise."

Lahn pondered for a moment. "It's true that it's troublesome, but without him, 'Judas' might have already become God."

That would've been even more troublesome. With God's countless followers across the globe, if he had succeeded, he would likely have become the most powerful deity on Earth. At that time, if he were to initiate the apocalypse, even Lahn wouldn't have a way to defeat him.

The best outcome would be to huddle with the players within their divine realm, barely surviving. At that point, whether his identity was exposed or not would make little difference.

Thus, while Lahn was unhappy that Fate had revealed his identity and caused him public humiliation, he didn't question Fate's choice any further. Compared to the worst-case scenario, this was tolerable. At least Fate's decision had bought them precious time to figure out how to deal with the apocalypse.

The Prophet smiled. "You truly are... gentler than we could have imagined."

"I only know that getting angry won't change anything," Lane said calmly.

"Yes... How fortunate humanity is to have an entity like you on our side," the Prophet murmured, then lifted his head and continued, "Before I depart, let me offer my assistance once more as compensation for the inconvenience caused by fate."

Lane: "I thought there was bad blood between you two."

Previously, the Prophet had mentioned not being particularly close to Fate.

The Prophet: "No matter how poor our relationship was, we've been acquaintances for thousands of years. Love or hate, all our conflicts vanished with Fate's departure. Now, I feel only weariness, for the one person who understood me and whom I understood is no longer in this world."

Lane's heart stirred slightly. He looked deeply into the Prophet's eyes, or rather, at the book in his hand that was gradually cracking.

He suddenly said, "Actually, I don't need your help. Sphinx can do what a Prophet can."

At this, Sphinx lowered its head, frowning. "Well, actually, not quite. I'm still quite new to this."

Archibald glanced at Sphinx in surprise but quickly regained his composure. He asked the Prophet, "The information you have must come at a considerable cost, right?"

The Prophet smiled at them. "Indeed, revealing such intel could invite backlash from the rules of the Dream World."

Lanwen frowned. "What kind of intelligence?"

"It's about the gods," the Seer said, passing the book to Lanen. "If I were to reveal it verbally, this vessel's life would be forfeit. If you trust me, you can read it directly. I won't deceive you."

Lanen gazed deeply into the Seer's eyes before taking the book and beginning to read.

The Seer's ability was similar to the Sphinx's, albeit with a different manifestation. One employed a question-and-answer format, while the other appeared in written form on a book.

Lines of text soon emerged on the pages.

'Fate has placed humanity's hopes upon you, just as it has with me. Thus, feel free to exploit me to your heart's content.'

Lanen's eyes flickered, as if he had sighed silently.

He took the pen offered by Archi and quickly wrote on the book:

'How can I unlock more authority and power?'

The words left black ink stains on the blank page, which were promptly absorbed by the parchment. Soon, new text materialized on the page.

"Method One: Devote vast amounts of time to understanding and contemplating one's essence, a process that, for a deity, would likely span tens of thousands of years."

"Method Two: Continuously repeat the exercise of one's domain. Prayers embody a god's essence, and the act of embodying it is the journey of a god discovering oneself."

As soon as these words appeared, Lane sensed his power draining into the pages. However, halfway through, the process spontaneously ceased, and the pages began to yellow and crumble, making the already worn book even more fragile.

Was the Prophet's life fading because this knowledge surpassed what he was capable of comprehending?

Time was of the essence, so without hesitation, Lane discarded Method One. What about Method Two then...

Repeating one's domain? But currently, unlocking domains could only be achieved through his unique Dream Gap, which was tied to true believers. This had nothing to do with practicing any domain.

Wait, no!

A sudden flash of insight flickered in Lane's mind.

All true believers were nodes in the fate that led to humanity's destruction...

Edmund had died in the first timeline, yet he was alive and well in this one. Carlon was supposed to return to Orland City to resume his criminal activities. Albert and Archie would become vengeful spirits haunting the shadows. Cyril and Amos might even have crossed paths with Judas.

Now, the fates of these individuals had indeed been altered, even upended.

Didn't this align with his prayer phrase, "Disruptor of Fates"?

If they were the nodes that led to humanity's downfall, carrying multiple threads of cause and effect, it could explain why only these believers would manifest as light spots in his Dream Gap.

Becoming a True Believer = Having a Light Spot = Fate thoroughly disrupted = These individuals would no longer return to their original life paths.

But wait.

Lan continued writing on the page, "Aside from converting these fate nodes into believers, what other ways are there to quickly unlock divine authority?"

Words swiftly appeared on the next page.

"By altering the fates of many at once, quantitative change can lead to qualitative transformation."

Altering the fates of many?

Hadn't he been doing precisely that all along?

Lane thought of Michigan and Arkham. If the events of the First Worldline were true, then Michigan was doomed to destruction, as was Arkham. But he had altered that fate.

Yet, he hadn't unlocked any new privileges by altering the destiny of the people of Arkham.

Lane wrote down his confusion. As he watched, the book, which embodied the Prophet, visibly decayed. It seemed as if it would crumble into countless pieces with just a gentle touch, and the speed at which the words appeared slowed down.

"You're sure you didn't gain any power after saving Arkham? And Michigan—what doesn't exist in human perception doesn't count. Only what happens in reality can directly or indirectly change the destinies of those around you."

Lane froze. Power increase...

Of course there had been an increase. In fact, after saving Arkham, Lane, who had previously been an ordinary person with a strength of five, had soared to the point where he could clash head-on with a False God possessing a pseudo-divine kingdom. His understanding of divine power and spiritual plants had also advanced rapidly during this time. However, he had always attributed it to the growth in the number of his believers.

But based on the current information, it did seem odd. The Fallen Angel God's believers weren't fewer than his. Gabriel had followers across the world, yet still wasn't a match for Lane. Perhaps it wasn't just the increase in believers but also because he 'put into practice his corresponding prayer'?

Upon closer reflection, wasn't this rule similar to the Divine Incarnation Ceremony, which reenacted myths? Except, this wasn't a myth, and the scope of the corresponding prayer was more ambiguous. Besides, Lane had randomly made up that prayer in the first place, so he never imagined that it held such hidden secrets.

Wait, does that mean that the 'me' in the Second Worldline, who turned all humans into trees, had the same purpose? Because he was the 'new ruler of nature and forests.' When humans became trees and the world became a forest, they naturally fell under the jurisdiction of the Pastoral God.

As Lane's mind raced, he noticed that the pages in his hand were growing increasingly fragile, seemingly reaching their limits.

As Lane was about to set the book down, he witnessed the ancient tome meeting the same fate as the previous one, disintegrating into sand within his grasp.

"It seems you have grasped the truth. Thus, my mission is accomplished."

"Wishing you boundless prosperity in your martial endeavors^-^"

The sand gradually obliterated the script, slipping through his fingers.

With that, the two great sages who had guided humanity for a millennium both departed.

Lane watched in silence as the Prophet vanished from his palm. He looked up at Archie and said, "Let's erect a monument for him at Mu University. A sage should not slumber in anonymity."

Archie nodded gravely.

Lane knew what he needed to do next. There was only one way to verify the Prophet's information.

He had to find a way to bring Mu University back into reality.