It was another day without visitors. The spacious Archaeological Association was cold and quiet, with only the receptionist lying at the counter, fast asleep as usual.
Hmm? A good opportunity.
Lynch made a shushing gesture to the two ladies, then tiptoed toward the back.
However, just as he passed the counter, a fee box blocked his path. Even though the receptionist was still lying face down on the desk, her arm had stretched out right in front of him.
Dammit, doesn't the museum have free admission?
But glancing at the empty money box, Lynch stuffed a shilling into it before walking calmly into the back hall of the Archaeological Association.
Quiet and deserted in the front, noisy and chaotic in the back—this was the Archaeological Association's usual style.
When he had visited last time, it had only been a rough frame, but after more than a month, the eerie skeleton was nearly assembled.
Lynch had seen the original creature in the Swelling Daughter's world. Her apostle had been riding one when pursuing him. Only later did he learn that this creature was called a Byakhee—a mysterious heteromorph born in the Dreamlands. They were often used as mounts or carrier pigeons, capable of carrying a rider back and forth between the Dreamlands and the mortal world, though on occasion, they would take a rider on an unknown journey of no return.
Professor Green was leading a few assistants in examining the exact placement of several bones. This time, no mystery relic seemed to be running out of control, nor were any bugbear specimens suddenly reviving in the basement. Yet, as Lynch looked at that strange skeleton, he couldn't help feeling it was bursting with eerie life, ready to leap up and go wild at any moment.
Whatever. Better pretend I didn't see that.
So Lynch closed his eyes, following Professor Green's gestures, and found President Olei in his office.
The old president was fiddling with several manuscript pages. Lynch took a look and recognized them as the remnant pages of the Revelations of Glaaki that he had handed over to the Archaeological Association earlier. Seeing Lynch enter, the president was in high spirits and repeatedly invited Lynch to study the revelations with him.
“It doesn't matter if you can't read it, I can translate it for you.”
Well, thank you so much. What a nice guy you are...
Knowing the old man was teasing him, Lynch couldn't help rolling his eyes. He took a few steps back to guard Officer Natalie's back before explaining the purpose of his visit.
Naturally, he didn't mention the Shadow Alliance's conspiracy, merely stating that he had recently come into contact with the student of the Great Arcanist Leonardo inside a mystery relic, which had sparked a strong interest in the great catastrophe at the end of the First Age.
“That is not knowledge meant to be known,” President Olei said, wiping away his playful demeanor and turning serious. “If nothing is forcing your hand, it's best not to investigate it—don't even think about it.”
“But something is forcing my hand.”
“...” The president was choked up for a good moment, unable to respond. After a long silence, he sighed. “Forbidden knowledge is dangerous, not because an evil god will immediately hunt you down after hearing it—though there certainly is forbidden knowledge with that effect, it's rare. The danger of most forbidden knowledge lies in how it changes your perspective on reality. At that point, you might not actually be insane, but if you fail to master your mindset, you will, in complete rationality, speak words the world deems mad and commit incomprehensible, horrifying acts.”
“Is that what the history of the great catastrophe is like?”
“Yes, parts of it are. Once you hear the forbidden portions and come to grasp their implicit meaning, unless your psychological defenses are exceptionally solid, you'll lose your mind—at least temporarily.” The president let out a sigh. “Everyone's perception is different, so no one knows what specific detail might drive a person mad. That's why we refrain from revealing that period of history as much as possible, offering only vague descriptions, and even we avoid thinking about it whenever we can. Given how much you've helped us, I don't mind answering your questions, even if it involves the highest tier of forbidden knowledge. But I must make sure you understand the consequences. So, Mr. Lynch Levive, are you certain you still need to know?”
“I... do.” Lynch felt a bit unsure, but he gritted his teeth. “I learned about the great catastrophe at the end of the First Age through certain channels—plague, war, famine, death, and then the end of the world. What I don't understand is why those four disasters triggered total destruction. Theoretically, there shouldn't be an inevitable connection between them. I used to suspect the four preceding disasters were merely revelations, omens foreshadowing impending doom. But recent events have led me to overturn that hypothesis.”
Lynch wasn't lying. If his judgment regarding the Shadow Alliance's objective was correct, those four disasters were definitely not just mere revelations. Man-made revelations were meaningless and could not trigger subsequent destruction, unless they weren't omens at all, but actual catalysts.
President Olei hesitated, pondering for a moment before speaking. “I can't be sure how you'll react once you hear it, but this isn't among the strictly confidential matters, so it shouldn't be a major issue. However, after listening, you had best avoid overanalyzing it, or you'll have to bear the consequences yourself.”
The three exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and nodded seriously.
“Indeed, many beginners regard the four disasters as a revelation, even coining the name 'Four Horsemen of Divine Revelation.' But that is incorrect. In truth, it's very likely that those four disasters directly induced the ultimate great catastrophe.”
Seeing the bewildered expressions on their faces, the president explained:
“First, you must understand: what exactly are the Dreamlands?”
I know this one—an officer taught me on my very first day.
Lynch answered immediately, “The manifestation of the collective fantasies and dreams of all living beings, symbolizing the nightmares and fears of all life.”
“Not bad. It seems you didn't completely sleep through class.”
Huh? This was covered in class too?
“The Dreamlands are the collective consciousness of all living beings, the manifestation of their fears and nightmares. Conceptually, they run contrary to the mortal world, yet they constantly erode it. It's only because the mortal world possesses a self-defense mechanism capable of automatically resisting the Dreamlands' erosion that both sides remain in a tug-of-war, forming a bizarre coexistence.”
“Hss... What if it fails to block it?”
“If it fails, the mortal world will be completely assimilated by the Dreamlands.”
Neighbor, is this the truth behind why you joined hands to fight the Dreamlands back then? Did you successfully prevent this tragedy?
As Lynch thought this to himself, President Olei continued his explanation:
“Due to the nature of the Dreamlands, human fear serves as its best nourishment. The more people feel fear, and the greater that fear is, the more powerful the Dreamlands' influence becomes. While the nightmares and fears of living beings are diverse, if you categorize them, most can be reduced to four fundamental types.”
The president held up four fingers and said slowly, “Fear of disease, fear of chaos and disorder, fear of hunger, and most severe of all, fear of death.”
Seeing the three stunned into silence, Olei let out a sigh:
“These four root fears correspond one-to-one with the so-called four revelations of divine grace. Whenever a disaster breaks out, the corresponding fear in living beings deepens drastically, supplying the Dreamlands with far richer nourishment. As the four disasters repeatedly unfold and people's fears grow exponentially, the power of the Dreamlands spirals completely out of control. The mortal world's defense mechanism can no longer withstand it, and then... bang.”
Rate on N.U.
