“So the Dreamlands will consume the mortal world?”
“In theory, yes, but the actual situation is unknown.” President Olei shrugged. “After all, it didn't actually happen back then.”
“It was stopped?”
Lynch recalled what he had felt in Red Moon Memories—the gods, at the cost of their own lives, stopping the apocalypse at the very last moment.
“The mortal world's defense mechanism held, avoiding complete collapse.”
“Hmm? Are you sure?”
Lynch frowned. This contradicted what he knew. He had seen it directly through the memories of an eyewitness, so it couldn't be wrong. Did that mean history was mistaken, failing to record the deeds of the gods?
However, the president didn't answer. He simply looked at him with a very strange gaze, then shook his head in silence.
Was this a dangerous question that couldn't be asked? Did it fall under forbidden knowledge?
Lynch felt a touch of regret. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden jolt struck his mind, like a bolt of lightning clearing the fog in his brain.
He suddenly realized something: perhaps no one was wrong, and it was only his own understanding that had been flawed.
The great catastrophe was indeed stopped by the gods, and the mortal world's defense mechanism had indeed held.
The two weren't contradictory—provided that the so-called defense mechanism of the mortal world was the gods themselves.
The existence of the gods was part of the entire world, individuals materialized by the world's laws to resist the erosion of the Dreamlands.
Lynch stood dazed for a moment. People of this world wouldn't dare contemplate certain things or imagine certain scenarios, but having transmigrated from another world, Lynch had an unconventional way of thinking. Thus, he immediately hit upon the crux of the matter.
The Dreamlands represented the fear and despair of living beings, so what about the gods?
From start to finish, the gods always represented the awe, yearning, reverence, and hope of living beings—the exact opposite of what the Dreamlands symbolized.
Could the two really not be two sides of the same coin?
The Dreamlands were the collective consciousness of all living beings throughout time. But before living beings existed, did the Dreamlands exist? Did the gods exist?
As a defense mechanism against the Dreamlands, the gods must have come into being along with the birth of the Dreamlands. That meant the doctrines preached by various churches over millions of years—that the gods created the world and mankind—were actually false. The reality was precisely the opposite: living beings had indirectly birthed the gods.
'N-N-Neighbor, did I just think of something extraordinary?'
【Mm.】
'A dark night for murder, a good time to silence a witness.'
【Mm. Are those your last words?】
'Hss, you're joking, right?'
【Of course not. I'm fooling an idiot.】
'...'
【Besides, are you sure what you guessed is the truth?】 Lady Luna said faintly, her gentle voice laced with a bit of teasing and cunning. 【Your guess is built on the premise that the history he spoke of is completely authentic. So are you sure what he said is true?】
How the hell would I know? If I'm an idiot, where would I even find out?
【Therefore, you will never truly guess the answer. Overthinking it is useless—that is why the gods laugh when humans think. However, this forbidden knowledge isn't particularly meaningful to you. You are different from them.】
Lynch suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Reminded by Lady Luna, he realized that there were two other ladies beside him.
He came from a godless world, so matters regarding the origin of the world—like who created whom—didn't matter to him and didn't shock him in the slightest. But for the natives of this world, it was entirely different.
This was a world-view-shattering concept. Once a person thought along these lines, their faith would completely collapse, inevitably leading to erratic behavior and blathering blasphemies. If they could rebuild their mental defenses and reconstruct their faith in a short time, they might return to normal. But if their mind wasn't strong enough and remained in chaos, they would become one of those madmen destroyed by forbidden knowledge, as spoken of by the world.
So the old president hadn't been playing mysterious earlier—there really were countless pitfalls hidden in these matters. I... Ow!
A finger poked his waist. The sudden attack sent Lynch jumping away, clutching his ribs as he turned back to glare. But the moment he turned around, he found both ladies looking at him with deep concern.
Huh? Oh, right. Dazing off while listening to forbidden knowledge is pretty frightening.
Looking back at President Olei, the old gentleman's expression was also tense. Only after confirming that Lynch's eyes were clear did he softly exhale in relief.
“Are you all right?” Natalie hid her murder weapon away, while Diana noticeably relaxed as well, shooting him a reproachful look. “Why did you suddenly start dazing off?”
I'm fine, but if it were you two, who knows. Lynch decided to bury his thoughts deep in his heart forever, reaching out his hands to hold theirs. “I'm fine. I was just pondering what the president said. I think the president is right—the four revelations of divine grace aren't omens, but catalysts.”
President Olei offered a noncommittal smile, his eyes filled with deep meaning, but he obligingly shifted the topic. “Academic research must be rigorous. We have no evidence to conclude that the Four Horsemen of Divine Revelation are not omens. I am merely stating from the perspectives of historical research and occultism that the four disasters accelerate the Dreamlands' pressure on the mortal world and are directly linked to ultimate destruction. As for whether they also serve as omens, there are too few conditions to determine. Why? Are you worried that the plague will escalate and trigger a great catastrophe?”
Seeing that someone had handed him an excuse, Lynch immediately went along with it. “Mm, I am a bit worried.”
“Normally, it shouldn't. The gods have returned, so it's not easy for the filth of the Dreamlands to erode the mortal world. It cannot be achieved through just any random disaster. The power of faith will gradually neutralize the amplification that fear brings to the Dreamlands. Therefore, theoretically, to break through the mortal world's defense line, one would need to continually amplify the four root fears within a short period, preventing the amplification from being neutralized in time before destruction can be induced. It's not something a mere plague can cause.”
The president didn't pay too much mind to it, but Lynch couldn't help but ask, “Does this also mean that it doesn't even require a set order? As long as four disasters corresponding to the four root fears are gathered within a specific timeframe, it will induce destruction?”
“Yes, but I have always said they might induce destruction, not that they definitely will. In reality, the probability is extremely small, like getting hit on the head by a falling flowerpot while walking past a building.”
“But what if someone happens to be unfortunate enough to get hit by that flowerpot?” Lynch pressed. “Will the ending of the First Age repeat itself?”
“Hard to say, but the current prevailing view is... it wouldn't be that severe. Besides, don't underestimate the power of the gods. The great catastrophe of the Fourth Age is an example.”
???
“Is there something wrong with the Fourth Age?”
The president opened his mouth, his eyes full of exasperation. “Student Lynch Levive, your professor is still alive. Doing this to him is... Forget it, if I don't help you understand today, you probably won't let me go.”
Lynch nodded vigorously, his expression firm and filled with resolve.
The president let out a sigh, completely giving up his struggle, as a brief yet little-known piece of history slowly unfolded before the three of them.
“It all begins with the First Age...”
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