Following the Demon Spirit puppet’s aircraft, they no longer wandered aimlessly through the vast Endless Desert.

As dusk approached, the Abyss Royal City began to emerge faintly on the horizon.

The entire city was surrounded by a barrier that kept even the smallest grain of sand from entering.

The Cup of Desire pinned to Oran’s chest shifted slightly, its flower cup turning toward the distant Abyss Royal City.

“Master Oran, this city…”

Gamel hesitated, the words catching in his throat. He seemed to want to say something more but could not.

Finally, he managed to ask, “Is this the Abyss Royal City?”

He struggled for words to describe the sight. The city was magnificent, with an imposing exterior and thick, unyielding walls. Towering, peculiar buildings stood in rows, their structures connected by intricate corridors, rope bridges, and stone pathways.

The city carried the weight of the ancient and grand primordial era. Its complex and awe-inspiring construction reflected the former prosperity of the Abyss civilization.

As they spoke, the aircraft and flying carpet drew near the city.

Oran sat upon the flying carpet and answered Gamel.

“This is the Abyss Royal City.”

“What’s wrong?”

Gamel replied, “It feels as if we have arrived in another world.”

An indescribable shock filled Gamel’s heart. This city seemed to manifest a corner of the prosperity from the previous era that Oran had spoken of.

Although he had not been able to see the Lost Kingdom in the clouds, he felt fortunate to witness this Abyss Royal City in the sea of sand.

The sight gave Gamel a clearer understanding of the ancient era.

The aircraft descended gracefully through the towering city gate tunnel. The flying carpet glided closely behind it, slipping inside.

Ray stepped off the aircraft, his first action to rid his body of sand. He used divine techniques to clean himself thoroughly.

“This is the worst part about this place,” Ray said. “There is sand everywhere you go.”

He patted his metal head, which made a clang, clang sound.

Only then did Gamel understand why these Demon Spirit puppets wore clothes. Sand entering their metal bodies was not only uncomfortable but also hindered their movements.

Afterward, Ray led them through the labyrinthine city, guiding them between its tall buildings.

Throughout the city, the forms of numerous non-human presences could be seen.

Metal puppets, clay jar puppets, and glass puppet figures moved along the corridors outside the buildings. Occasionally, kite-shaped Demon Spirits glided through the sky above.

The city, with its fantastical design and the endless yellow sand surrounding it, created a scene both grand and dreamlike, as if it belonged to a mythological world.

Lost in thought, they passed a palace and eventually arrived at the Demon Spirit Pyramid.

Ray stopped here and turned to Oran.

“Oran, you have to stick around this time,” he said. “Help me build a new aircraft. My old one is good, but building a new one sounds like fun.”

Ray was straightforward. He did not seem to know what it meant to be polite, yet he understood that asking for help required giving something in return.

Oran nodded, his tone carrying a hint of meaning.

“Perhaps I will need some help from you as well.”

Ray departed, and a voice emerged from within the Cup of Desire.

“Master Oran… do I have to go in, too?”

Gamel felt the immense power of the Demon Spirit Pyramid. He could sense a vast force extending beyond reality, connecting to an unseen and mysterious dimension.

That power was far beyond what any mortal could possess.

His initial anticipation quickly gave way to fear and unease.

He realized that stepping inside meant facing a deity, the legendary God of Demon Spirits.

When Oran had spoken of it before, the idea had seemed so straightforward.

Meeting a deity had sounded like a simple task.

But standing here now, Gamel understood the true weight of such an encounter in the eyes of an ordinary person.

It was no surprise that his emotions were in turmoil.

Oran understood Gamel’s turmoil and sensed the worries in his mind, especially after they had witnessed the fate of mortals who encountered a deity.

“The Ruhe Great Gods are not like other deities,” Oran said reassuringly. “They hold immense power, and their every action carries unimaginable consequences.”

“Besides, we are not here to disrespect the divine.”

“So, there is no need to be anxious or fearful.”

“Gamel, Lady Elena is a noble and just deity. She has shown me kindness many times.”

Oran walked down the steps, entering the Demon Spirit Pyramid.

The moment his gaze fell upon the ancient temple dedicated to the Creator, the entire realm turned upside down.

Looking around, Oran knew at once that he was no longer in the mortal world.

He looked toward a distant, profound darkness that had no end.

“The Dream Realm.”

“The Kingdom of the Gods.”

Oran had journeyed through the Dream Realm with the dream-dwelling nymph race, so he recognized this place immediately.

The Demon Spirit Pyramid was a mythical artifact, divided into two distinct sides.

The inverted pyramid existed in the mortal world, while the upright pyramid resided in the Dream Realm.

However, very few were capable of entering the upright Demon Spirit Pyramid.

Atop the pyramid stood a temple. Inside the hall, a statue of the God of Demon Spirits, Elena, was enshrined. At this moment, the deity herself stood beneath her own statue, her gaze fixed on Oran.

The God of Demon Spirits stood silently, yet in the eyes of Oran and Gamel, dense patterns and seals emerged behind her. The sight was overwhelming and all-encompassing.

They saw the Abyss of the primordial age transform into a massive whirlpool behind her. The wills of countless People of the Abyss seemed to echo through the air, calling her name.

She was the inheritor of the will of the People of the Abyss and the final bearer of an entire civilization. The weight of her presence was immense.

Just looking at her, they felt pressed down by the heavy atmosphere of civilization and the oppressive force of mythical power. They immediately lowered their heads, unable to meet her gaze.

Oran stepped forward and bowed.

Although Elena had not possessed divine status when they last met, she had shown kindness to Oran. For this reason, Oran held deep respect for her.

“Great God of Demon Spirits, Lady Elena.”

“God Iva asked me to bring you His blessings. He congratulates you on returning from the ancient savage years and ascending to divine status in this era.”

“May you recover all that was once yours and restore the glory of the Abyss civilization.”

Elena’s voice came from above. It was the voice of a noble lady, yet it held a quality of hardness, like a knight forged from steel.

“Please convey my gratitude to God Iva for his blessing.”

“However, what was once mine belongs to the past, much like time that cannot be reversed.”

“The new era brings its own tales, and even mythology must embrace this truth.”

“There is no need for him to console me.”

Elena spoke with her usual directness, leaving Oran unsure how to reply. He realized these words were not truly meant for him.

The words that followed, however, were.

Elena turned her gaze to Oran’s God’s Form. A flicker of emotion crossed her expression as she regarded him.

“Oran, you were once a snake person, then a puppet, and now you bear God’s Form.”

“You seem to transform every time we meet.”

“What form will you take the next time we cross paths?”

Oran answered, “Great Lady Elena, perhaps I have just been fortunate.”

Elena chuckled softly, seeming to hold little regard for the word fortune.

“Everyone who reaches this step is fortunate, but fortune does not last forever. For some people, a moment of fortune is an opportunity. For others, it is a disaster.”

“Oran, the fact that you gained the favor of the wood nymphs and are valued by God Iva shows that you possess qualities others do not.”

Having said this much, Oran took the opportunity to ask the question that had been troubling him.

“Lady Elena, a question has lingered in my mind on my way here. May I ask you something?”

Elena did not speak, only looking at Oran.

Oran understood her silence as permission to continue.

“What do you think is the most important quality for becoming a deity?”

“What is needed most to become one?”

When God Iva told Oran he would become his follower, this question had been on Oran’s mind ever since.

He had gained some understanding of the relationship between gods and humans in the Thunderlake Kingdom. Now, however, he sought the perspective of a true deity.

He wanted to ask a deity who had lived through an entire era what qualities one should possess.

He also wanted to know what he himself must possess if he truly wished to become a deity.

Elena responded in a calm yet profound tone, “To become a deity, no specific quality is required. There was once one who, by sheer fortune, ascended without needing anything at all.”

Her words left Oran dumbfounded. Gamel, already dizzy from a topic meant for gods, felt completely lost.

Oran struggled to comprehend it.

“To become a god… needing nothing at all?”

Meanwhile, a single, incredulous question raced through Gamel’s mind. ‘Becoming a deity?’ he thought, unable to contain his disbelief.

Elena continued, “He was born a deity, but not from blessings. Instead, his birth came from nightmares and calamities.”

Her voice fell into reminiscence, as if she were recalling the savage affairs of the primordial age.

“He was known as the Little Person in the Bottle, an Evil God born from within its confines,” Elena began, her tone steady yet reflective.

“A creation of Anhofus, a being of immense power but without purpose or direction. Even eternal life became a curse to him, like poisoned wine.”

“He was trapped in that bottle from the moment of his birth, adrift on an endless sea, with no destination and no anchor to steady him.”

“Anhofus may have created him and granted him a place in mythology, but the one he despised most was Anhofus himself.”

Oran could not grasp who Anhofus was. He struggled to comprehend what kind of being could create mythology. The tragedies and pain hidden behind the myths and epics of the primordial age were even harder for him to fathom.

Elena emerged from her memories. She stood silently before the temple, her gaze fixed downward.

“Oran, becoming a deity does not require any special quality. Anyone has the potential to ascend.”

“But that is just the start.”

“What truly matters is why you want to become a deity, the purpose behind it.”

“It is that unwavering obsession, the one thing you cannot let go of, even after countless ages.”

“That is what defines you.”

“It is your anchor in the endless flow of time, the thing that keeps you steady.”

“It is your vessel to navigate the river of time, your anchor, your guiding light.”

Elena’s exquisite metal puppet face beneath her hood bore no expression as she spoke words as cold as metal.

“If you are still unsure, it means you lack the heart to become a deity, the strength to endure eternal life.”

“It also means you risk becoming like the Little Person in the Bottle.”

“Consumed by arrogance, lost in confusion, and ultimately destroyed by the very power you wield.”

“Oran, for those without the heart of a deity, eternal life is not a gift—it is a curse.”

“Over the ages, everything you hold dear will fade away.”

“All that you are will erode, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell—alive, but without purpose, without a heart.”

“Time may not claim your body, but it will break your spirit and shatter your will.”

Oran listened to Elena’s words, raising his head to look at her.

In that moment, the deity in his eyes appeared entirely different. The usual descriptions like mighty, powerful, or eternal felt hollow and inadequate.

He seemed to see a radiant, pulsing heart within the figure above.

These beings could ascend to divinity not merely because of their power, but because they carried an anchor that would never fade. Their hearts continued to shine, even as the relentless flow of time tried to wear them down.

Elena noticed the uncertainty still lingering in Oran’s heart.

“Iva chose you to become his follower, but the final choice still rests in your hands.”

“Have you truly thought carefully about what kind of divine being you wish to become?”

Oran did not speak. At that moment, he was also asking himself the same question.

“Oran, do you have the heart to bear the weight of eternal life, the heart of a deity?”

“Have you truly considered what it means to be a deity, and what kind of deity you wish to become?”

In that instant, Oran suddenly thought of Old Tut and the oath they had made together in their youth when they joined the Tower Spirit School.

“The Tower Spirit mysteries.”

The Tower Spirit mysteries were not the belief of a single person. They represented the shared ideal of their group of alchemists, the goal they pursued together.

Oran thought he could faintly see a ray of light shining from the distance.

The radiance guided his path and illuminated his heart.

“I see now,” Oran said thoughtfully. “I need to find my own boat.”

He paused, shaking his head as the light before his eyes grew brighter, revealing something unexpected.

“No, not a boat,” he corrected himself. “For me, it is something else entirely.”

He looked ahead, his voice steady and resolute. “It is a tower, a tower that shines with light, a pure white tower.”

Oran had finally come to a realization. His expression shifted, reflecting his newfound understanding.

He turned to Elena and bowed, his gratitude for her wisdom and guidance clear in the gesture.

As he was about to leave, Oran paused. He straightened his posture and addressed the God of Demon Spirits with a serious tone.

“Lady Elena, there is something you must know.”

“The Creator has descended upon the mortal world.”

Elena seemed unable to react for a moment, as if she did not dare believe what Oran was saying.

“What did you say?”

She paused, her expression shifting as she processed his words.

“You mean to say…” she began, then stopped and shook her head.

“No, that cannot be. You could not have seen Him yourself.”

Her gaze sharpened. “It must have been Iva, was it not? He is the one who saw the Creator.”

Thinking it over, she concluded that only Iva could have seen the Creator.

This deity, personally created by the Dream Sovereign and known as the Dream Realm Ferryman of the previous era, was the only one who could directly face an existence like the Creator, for he originally came from that place.

Oran said, “While passing through Thunder Marsh, I noticed some unusual activity from the Sky Beast God of Thunderlake.”

“I informed God Iva, and He mentioned that the Creator had descended into the mortal world.”

“God Iva then traveled to the Lost Kingdom in the sky to witness the God who created everything, along with the various Sovereigns.”

Upon hearing the name Lost Kingdom, Elena was first puzzled, then remembered something.

“The Lost Kingdom in the sky?”

“That must be the God-Descended City.”

“It is the place where the Creator first descended, the city constructed by the Second King of Wisdom, Yesael.”

As she continued, her voice softened into a low murmur meant only for herself.

“Did the Creator descend there because He longs for the First King of Wisdom, Redlichia?”

After murmuring to herself, she suddenly asked Oran again, “Did he see?”

After a brief pause, she clarified.

“The Creator?”

Oran nodded. Iva had indeed seen the Creator, guided by the Dream Sovereign.

He had even heard the Creator’s guidance and divine oracle.

Oran described the Creator’s descent upon the God-Descended City, explaining the events and circumstances he had learned.

Finally, he recounted the disturbance caused by the Creator’s departure from Thunderlake.

From that moment on, no one knew where the Creator had gone or where He would descend next.

The God of Demon Spirits, Elena, fell silent, standing quietly before the temple.

Oran left, passing through the gate of the Demon Spirit Pyramid’s realm and returning to the mortal world.

Atop the upright Demon Spirit Pyramid in the Dream Realm, Elena stood alone, guarding the temple built by the People of the Abyss, a relic from the previous era.

She remained there for an unknown length of time before finally turning to step into the temple.

Inside, Elena stood quietly, gazing at the ancient, delicate divine statue. The statue appeared as if shrouded in a thin veil of white mist, revealing only its outline while concealing its features.

“What a pity.”

“I was unable to witness Your form, even for a fleeting glimpse of Your glory.”

Elena spent a long time in thought.

The initial feelings of regret and disappointment slowly began to fade.

She knew there was no way for her to see the Creator, no way to leave the Tower of Demon Spirits. Her ascension to divinity was achieved through a mythical artifact, and the price she paid was eternal confinement within the Demon Spirit Pyramid. She had traded her freedom for the liberation of the Demon Spirits.

Even if she could leave the Tower of Demon Spirits and journey to the God-Descended City, she doubted she could enter it, just as Iva had been unable to.

Still, a thought lingered in her heart.

If the God Yinsai could one day come to Abyss City, perhaps as His believer, she might be fortunate enough to witness the Creator herself.

But the more she thought about it, the more unlikely it seemed.

Although the Abyss Royal City was also established by Yesael and could be traced back to an era older than the God-Descended City, its significance could not compare.

The sacredness did not come from the city itself, but from the land it was built upon.

Just as the Trilobite Man regarded the God-Servant City and the Sacred Mountain as holy ground, that was their sacred place for welcoming the God Yinsai. It was a place defined by King Yesael, a final resting place of faith, and the sleeping ground for generations of the Trilobite Man.

However, that was only significant to the Trilobite Man. For the Creator, the God-Descended City naturally held far greater meaning.

Elena pondered for a moment, her voice soft and reflective.

“Maybe that is why the Creator chose to descend there,” she said, a hint of regret in her tone.

“Perhaps everything is already set in motion, and those who see Him are simply following a path laid out by fate.”

She paused briefly before continuing with quiet resignation.

“I am but a humble believer. Perhaps I was never meant to witness His glory.”

Elena was a descendant of the First Abyss King. She studied under the First Sage of Truth, Sandean. Although she was one of the People of the Abyss, she also inherited the will of two generations of saints.

In her childhood, she often heard stories about the First Abyss King making pilgrimages alongside the Saint. These tales had left a deep impression on her.

She had always hoped that one day, she too could climb that legendary God-Given Land and walk through the sea of Sun Cup Flowers.

As a mortal, she dreamed of it.

As an apostle, she longed for it.

Even as a divine being, the thought had never left her mind.

Perhaps, in the presence of the Creator, the distinction between mortal and deity held no significance at all.

Finally, she slowly approached the statue of Yinsai.

“This is the era of the divine month, the time when the Creator walks among mortals. Truly, an era of hope and promise.”

Elena paused briefly before continuing, her tone shifting slightly.

“And yet, what of the Demon Spirit race?”

“As the inheritors of the Abyss civilization, what role will they take in this unfolding era?”

Elena gazed out from the Demon Spirit Pyramid.

The vast expanse of Abyss City and the entire kingdom of Demon Spirits unfolded before her.

After stepping out of the Demon Spirit Pyramid, Oran decided not to leave immediately.

He intended to stay in the Abyss Royal City for a while to carry out an experiment he had been eager to begin.

At that moment, Gamel turned to Oran with a curious expression. “Master Oran, are you really going to become a deity?”

Oran nodded slightly. “I had not considered it before, but God Iva believes I have the potential to walk alongside Him as His follower.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “Gamel, a true believer is not someone who follows faith blindly. A true believer is someone who understands and inherits the deity’s will, someone who can stand beside the deity.”

Oran’s gaze shifted to the horizon as he continued, “A new era is coming. The gods are moving forward, civilizations are advancing, and everything is changing.”

“This is what the Creator desires. It is the will of the Supreme Deity.”

Gamel tilted his head, his tone thoughtful. “Why does it feel like the Creator you speak of and the one I know are not the same?”

Oran knew the name of the God Yinsai, but he dared not speak it.

He remembered hearing the Trilobite Symbiotes recite it once. While the symbiotes could call the God Yinsai “God” without consequence, when Oran had tried to speak the name, he had nearly vanished from the world.

If not for the intervention of the storage nymph, Saint Raphael, he might have disappeared entirely.

“If there is an opportunity, you will understand.”

Gamel did not receive an answer, but his thoughts drifted to the temple atop the Demon Spirit Pyramid.

It was clearly the hall of another deity, yet the God of Demon Spirits had moved her own statue outside. She stood as if she were a sentinel, guarding and protecting the hall.

The image of an ancient deity standing watch over another deity’s temple like a servant was a startling and unforgettable sight.

In an empty house in the Abyss Royal City, a new occupant had settled in.

Oran began unpacking item after item from his spatial ring, gradually filling the room. Among them were various instruments commonly used by alchemists.

On the table, several Cups of Desire of different sizes were neatly arranged.

Each Cup of Desire was enclosed within its own cover, which was inscribed with ritual magic arrays. The covers seemed designed to prevent the Cups from escaping.

Oran sat at the table, holding an alchemy notebook that belonged to his close friend, Old Tut.

He flipped through its pages, reading the contents again and again, before finally returning to the very first page.

He read the preface, then leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window.

After a moment, he began to read the words on the page aloud.

“Everyone knows to lift their heads and gaze at the stars in the sky.”

“They all want to grow wings and soar with the wind.”

“But no one looks down to build the ladder to the sky.”

“Because building a ladder is too troublesome and takes too long. Perhaps the ladder cannot be completed even until one’s death.”

“However, not everyone can grow wings, and wind does not come at every moment.”

“Those gifted few who grow wings will ultimately become unrepeatable legends, disappearing into history. Those lucky ones who soar with the wind will eventually fall silent when the wind stops, forgotten by all.”

“They change only themselves, not the world.”

“But if we possess a ladder to the sky, just like the ancient Snake People built the Tower of Heaven in the City of Life, we can all ascend to the sky and touch the stars.”

“In that era, everyone can grow wings, everyone can soar with the wind.”

Oran reflected on his journey. He had witnessed the division and conflict in the Land of Sunrise during ancient times, and he had once led the White Tower Alchemy Alliance to establish a nation.

He had seen how mortals in the Thunderlake Kingdom blindly followed faith, and he had come to understand the dangers of ignorance.

There were moments when he even questioned the purpose of the birth of intelligent species.

But now, he began to realize that the existence of intelligent species held a deeper meaning.

It was a process of continually striving toward civilization.

This process, however, did not happen on its own. It required the dedication of mortals, the contributions of extraordinary individuals, and even the influence of the gods.

Oran felt that he might be part of the force pushing this process forward.

At least, he wanted to become that force.

“I want to forge an entirely new world, an unprecedented civilized world.”

Oran looked at the alchemy notebook in his hands, and the figure of Old Tut appeared before his eyes.

“Old Tut, lend me your wish!”

“Let us realize it together.”

As his words concluded, light radiated from Oran’s body.

A Lamp of Covenant appeared, and countless lamp spirit shadows emerged from within. The light coalesced into a shadow, surging into the glass cover before him and into the Cup of Desire.

The Cup of Desire began to grow rapidly, reaching half a person’s height. A face formed within the flower cup, bearing a resemblance to Oran.

However, it had no memory or wisdom, only a single thread of obsession.

Oran observed its creation and carefully removed the cover. This time, the strange life form did not attempt to escape. Instead, it leaned gently against Oran’s palm.

Oran could sense its will and wish because it was an extension of his own. It carried the shared dream he had with Old Tut about creating Tower Spirits. It held the ultimate mystery pursued by generations of the Tower Spirit School and their hopes for the future.

“It is born from desire,” Oran said.

“If desire leads to depravity, then what about desire that brings happiness? That brings hope?”

He paused, then answered his own question. “It can also be called a wish.”

Oran intended to use it as the core to realize the ultimate mystery of the Tower Spirit School.

The Tower Spirit.

A being with its own personality and consciousness that would remain loyal.

A life form capable of following a wish and tirelessly working toward its fulfillment.