The God of Knowledge and Truth Awakens

Dream Realm.

The world behind the Door of Truth.

The city was a crystallized memory from an ancient era. It preserved every house, clock tower, workshop, and shop that once stood in Anho City, much like a timeless photograph.

This photograph captured countless Trilobite People, their lives frozen in that moment. Although they were long gone, their echoes lingered within this place.

Every single detail here was formed by an immensely powerful ghost force.

An extraordinarily potent special being, a ghost who had advanced to become the Lord of Death, had created this city.

At that moment, a vibrant flower branch drifted down from above.

The branch slowly pierced through the barrier of frozen time, descending into the ancient city below.

As the colorful branch descended, everything in the old photograph began to move.

It was as if someone had pressed play on a paused scene.

In a three-story building near the city walls, located in the Saint An District of Anho City, Asai put on his fitted clothes, grabbed his cane, and donned his hat.

He stood up straight before the mirror, carefully examining his reflection.

"Not bad at all."

He had always been proud, even from a young age, admiring those nobles from the big cities.

Now, he could finally wear these clothes proudly and walk with his head held high down the busiest streets.

After studying under the old priest in Rolling Stone Town's temple for two years, he had finally seized an opportunity. With his excellent talent, he became a priest at the Ice Temple of Anho City.

In a few years, even if he couldn't advance further within the Ice Temple, he could at least enter other important institutions for Ability Users in Anho City.

He might even work independently, perhaps opening a ritual workshop to produce various miraculous items.

A wonderful life and future seemed to await him.

Asai walked down the stairs from the second floor.

Downstairs, his mother was urging the maid to prepare food. She even jumped in herself when she felt the maid moved too slowly.

However, Asai came down with no intention of eating. He shouted a quick goodbye as he prepared to leave.

"Mother, I'm heading out!"

Seeing Asai's behavior, his mother rushed over and grabbed him by the back of his collar.

Asai stumbled, his body tilting backward.

His noble bearing vanished instantly. He once again resembled a mud-covered monkey struggling in his mother's grasp.

His mother grabbed his arm and dragged him back inside.

"And where do you think you're going? You haven't even had breakfast!"

Asai's mother forcefully pulled him back, insisting he finish breakfast.

Asai found this terribly annoying. "I can get something outside. Why must I eat here?"

His mother stood watching him eat. "Because food outside costs money."

Asai shrugged carelessly. "But I have money."

His mother glared at him. "And even if you have money, you ought to save it."

Only after seeing Asai properly eating did his mother finally turn to leave.

But she immediately noticed Asai's cane resting nearby.

His mother picked up his cane and tapped it on the ground a few times, like a blind person testing their way.

"You're not blind or eighty years old. Why carry a crutch?"

Asai explained, "Mother, it's not a crutch. It's a cane, the latest style from the city. All the nobles and scholars carry one."

He waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, you wouldn't understand."

His mother remained unimpressed. "No, I suppose I don't understand these city folk."

Asai continued eating while turning to watch his mother, who had walked further into the house.

She was carefully wrapping up the money Asai had given her and placing it in a small box. She was currently trying to decide where to hide it.

She handled it with such caution, as if terrified someone might steal the money.

Asai raised his voice. "Mother, if thieves really wanted to break in, they'd find it no matter where you hide it."

"Besides, there aren't that many thieves around here."

But his mother looked completely serious. "Back when we lived in Rolling Stone Town, we had nothing, so naturally no one came to steal!"

"But it's different now."

"Now that you have money, thieves will surely come sniffing around."

Asai shook his head. "No thief would be foolish enough to try and steal from a temple priest's home."

That was true.

It wasn't just because of the temple priest's status. Who knew what ghostly things these priests, who wielded divine techniques, kept in their homes? These Ability Users possessed various supernatural items and traps.

Even if someone managed to steal something, who knew what traces or marks might be left on them, allowing the owner to track them down immediately?

After finishing his meal, Asai finally left, twirling his cane while adjusting his hat.

The old building at the corner had been torn down to make way for a new workshop.

Asai gazed at the tall buildings and the commercial street, its glass display windows stretching as far as the eye could see.

He watched the Trilobite Men and Women dressed in their brilliant, luxurious clothing.

To the Trilobite People, this city was like paradise on earth, a marvel even within the Yinsai Kingdom. The Snake People could only imagine such a place in their wildest dreams.

Ever since Sage Sandean brought miraculous power to the mortal realm, the Yinsai Kingdom had undergone earth-shattering changes, developing faster with each passing day.

The Yinsai Kingdom could have used this power to overcome their harsh environment and push civilization to new heights. Instead, all the Trilobite People seemed to do was indulge in the luxury and abundance brought by these miraculous techniques.

Yet, in that moment, no one seemed to notice this potential failing.

Asai walked to the street, which was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners.

Trilobite People in various colorful outfits stood before the glass windows, craning their necks to look into the distance.

"They're coming!"

"They're coming!"

The city was holding a grand festival called the Redemption Festival. It was created to commemorate the second-generation saint, Stan Tito.

It was on this day that Stan Tito saved the city, ending the monster disaster caused by the mad King Samo.

It was also on this day that the great God Yinsai reclaimed the Royal Bloodline's monster power and granted mortals the ability to use rituals and miracles, bringing joy and salvation to their lives.

Boom boom boom.

Dense drumbeats and accompanying horn blasts sounded as a procession dressed in festival clothing approached from the distance.

The procession carried a puppet as they gradually drew near. People on both sides of the street bowed respectfully, many even kneeling in prayer.

Amid the festive atmosphere, the procession arrived before Asai.

The crowd suddenly pressed together, everyone trying to get closer to the procession.

Asai lifted his head.

On the carried platform was a puppet supported by fabric shells, arriving with the morning light.

This time, Asai wasn't watching from the other end of the street against the light. He saw the brilliant sunshine clearly.

The sunlight not only shone upon him but illuminated every detail of the puppet.

Cheers rose from the crowd. "Hero and Saint!"

"The great Stan Tito!"

Asai stood by the street, joining the crowd's cheers. He raised both hands high, holding his cane and hat.

"Stan Tito!"

"Stan Tito!"

"..."

The crowd's voices merged into an ocean of sound as everyone was swept up in the joy.

"How wonderful!"

"This is the big city. This is Anho City."

"I love it here."

A smile spread across Asai's face as he continued waving his arms with the crowd until the procession finally passed.

The festival atmosphere was in full swing. Everyone on the streets was laughing, and acquaintances greeted each other warmly.

Walking down the street, Asai ran into the captain of the Saint An District security team.

He knew the captain well. When he was younger, he had thought that if he couldn't become a priest, he would definitely become a security team captain who caught criminals.

The captain extended his hand in greeting. "Asai! Good morning to you!"

Asai returned the greeting, imitating noble etiquette. After putting his hat back on, he curiously asked the captain.

"Captain! Good morning. Is it true what I heard? You caught that vicious criminal yesterday?"

"The one who killed the noble from out of town?"

The captain replied seriously, "Well, we haven't held the trial yet, so I can't discuss the case itself."

"But perhaps I can share one interesting detail."

Asai asked eagerly, "Oh? What's that?"

He leaned in slightly. "Were you able to piece it together from some small detail, some overlooked evidence?"

The captain told Asai, "The interesting detail, Asai, is that the criminal looks exactly like you!"

Asai turned away slightly. "Ah, Captain, surely you jest."

The captain insisted, "No, truly. For a moment, I almost thought it was you."

Asai walked along with the security captain, arriving at a pastry shop across from the Saint An District security office.

Although he had already eaten at home, he was in the habit of buying something to take to the Ice Temple.

Before he could speak, a voice came from behind the counter.

"Ah, good morning! You want the usual block of sweet paste, right?"

Inside the shop stood an adorable little girl, just barely taller than the counter. The shop owners, her parents, were usually busy in the back, letting their child help watch the front.

Asai loved watching this tiny girl bouncing around reaching for things. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure for him.

Though his guilty pleasure would soon be ruined, as children grow quickly. In just these few months, she had grown quite a bit.

In a few more months, she might catch up to Asai, who remained short due to poor nutrition as a child.

Asai leaned on the counter. "Yes, please. Goodness, little one, how you've shot up!"

The girl replied, "Do you think so? Colin and the others are growing even faster!"

Asai shook his head at the mention of his student. "That Colin... I don't know what they're feeding him these days. He's grown so fast."

"He's taller than me now, you know."

Asai placed money on the counter and took the paper-wrapped sweet paste block.

He arrived at the Ice Temple, where his student Colin, an apprentice of the Ice Temple, was waving to him.

"Teacher!"

"Teacher!"

Asai walked up the steps. Colin immediately spotted the paper package in Asai's hand and declared hopefully.

"Oh, Teacher, how kind! Did you bring that knowing I might be hungry?"

Asai held it tight. "I certainly did not buy it for you."

But after saying that, he still handed it to Colin.

Asai first completed his assigned temple duties, practicing ritual array carving and producing items using various miraculous techniques.

Then he spent some time reading in the library before teaching Colin and the other priest apprentices in the afternoon.

Though he had only studied for a few years himself, his strong talent had already made him a Second-Rank priest capable of teaching apprentices.

Asai returned the library books. By this time, it was getting dark.

On his way home, the entire street suddenly began to distort.

A flickering figure appeared on the empty street, looking directly at Asai.

It was someone who should have been locked in the city prison at this hour. He wore priest's robes with a Truth Symbol on his right hand.

It was Ghost Polik.

"God Asai. Xiao is about to be revived. He has stepped onto the Path of Wisdom, although it is not a complete reincarnation."

"He already possesses the Gate of Spirituality. Next, he might..."

Though Asai clearly saw and heard him, he just lowered his head and walked past.

"I don't know you."

"And I don't know any Xiao."

He had seen this person many times but knew they didn't truly exist.

They were just an illusion, a figment of his imagination.

"What's wrong with me?" he thought. "Have I caught some strange illness?"

"I must check the temple library tomorrow. Perhaps there's some record of this condition."

Asai walked down the street, and everything returned to normal.

However, when he got home, he found the house in an uproar.

There were exclamations and shouts.

Asai was startled, thinking thieves had really broken in this time.

He rushed inside to find his mother and the maid standing together, shouting about something in the courtyard.

Seeing Asai return, his mother immediately pointed at the object and yelled.

"Asai, look! What is this strange thing?"

"It just grew here suddenly. It wasn't here this morning!"

It was a tree bearing colorful flowers.

It looked somewhat like a Sun Cup but was very different.

This era had no trees. Plants could only grow in the ocean. The Trilobite People had no idea what this thing was.

The maid also remarked, "How beautiful! What kind of plant could it be?"

Asai didn't know what it was either but told his mother and the maid, "Stay back for now. Don't get too close."

Yet, he instinctively felt it probably wasn't dangerous. He thought of the figure that had suddenly appeared earlier and felt this must be related.

"It must be some supernatural item," he thought, "perhaps some kind of tool connected to that figure I saw?"

"Don't worry," he said aloud, "I'll take care of it."

That night, Asai suddenly woke up.

The look in his eyes changed completely.

It shifted from sunny brightness to gloomy profundity.

He slowly walked downstairs and into the courtyard.

The Rainbow Tree gave off a faint glow under the moonlight, appearing even more beautiful than in daylight.

It possessed a beauty that transcended this era, a miracle crossing time and space.

Asai reached out and touched the Rainbow Tree's flowers.

Thoughts crossed mountains and seas, traversing space itself.

The world transformed before him.

Visions appeared before his eyes, scenes that didn't belong to Anho City.

He saw vast green lands and beasts running through jungles. He saw flocks of Winged People soaring through the sky alongside white clouds.

These were incredible sights from the previous era that could never be seen now.

He saw beautiful Wood Nymphs sending folded paper letters to faraway places.

Finally, he saw the dreamlike starry sea.

Brilliant stars filled the sky. Each twinkling light marked where a life had once existed.

Those who had existed and been lost had all transformed into stars, remaining here.

At this moment, Ghost Polik's figure appeared again beside Asai.

Polik stood under the tree and spoke to Asai.

"God Asai, the messenger of the Divine Beings will carry your thoughts to the departed. They will deliver them to the dreamlike starry sea, where all life and spirit eventually return home."

"This flower branch can carry what you want to say and what you never got to say."

"It will speak to everyone you care about, everyone you can't let go of."

Asai didn't respond. He just quietly lifted his head to gaze at the heavens.

The next day, Asai woke unusually early. His mother, however, had already been up before dawn, bustling about as always.

She was polishing things in the main hall, over and over again.

She seemed very content with their current life.

Mother turned to look at Asai coming down the stairs. "Well now, you're up early today! That's rare for you!"

Asai said nothing, just sat down beside his mother.

Mother also sat down beside Asai. She seemed to sense his mood.

She knew Asai wanted to talk with her, though he didn't want to speak himself. He just wanted to listen to her talk.

Just hearing his mother's voice could put Asai at ease.

"Ah, life is so good now, isn't it?"

"It feels like I'm living in a dream."

Asai looked at his mother and managed a small smile. "I'm glad you like it here, Mother."

She couldn't stop grinning. "My goodness, moving to the city really has changed you! Getting all polite with your old mother now?"

Mother went on, reminiscing about the past. Having good days often made one think of past hardships.

"That house we used to live in, remember? It leaked so badly. When it rained, the dripping was just terrible."

"And we never ate such good food back then."

As she spoke, her topics wandered further. "Do you remember?"

"When you came back from the temple that time... you hadn't managed to become a priest apprentice? And those horrid boys in town, they all came to bully you."

"They were just awful children."

Asai suddenly lifted his head, staring at his mother, his mouth slightly open.

But his mother remained lost in memories, unconsciously continuing.

"So you went to work in the town warehouse. And I was planning to work at the mayor's house, collecting cloth scraps to make things to sell... but then I got caught in that awful rain and fell so ill..."

Asai stood up abruptly, his expression contorted. His pupils dilated with pain as he shouted, his voice hoarse. "No!"

"That never happened! None of it!"

He looked at his mother, disbelief warring with rising panic. "Mother, what are you saying?"

"I did become a temple priest apprentice, didn't I?"

"We did leave Rolling Stone Town! We got the good life we always wanted, didn't we?"

Only then did his mother react, realizing the events in her memory completely mismatched everything that had actually happened here.

In those memories, Asai had failed... Asai's brain was compressed... blind in one eye and lame in one leg... she caught a serious illness... And then... She died?

Mother felt utterly strange, not understanding what this was. "Huh?"

"None of this... happened?"

"Why did I... Why did I remember that?"

Mother's face showed complete bewilderment. She didn't know where these memories came from. These things had never happened in this illusory Anho City. Those terrible events only existed in the outside world, not within the Door of Truth.

Asai stood rigidly, his body visibly trembling.

Mother noticed Asai's state. She looked at him, then carefully drew him into an embrace. "Asai... are you frightened?"

She stroked his face and said softly, "Oh, Asai, don't be afraid."

"If you're scared, just cover your eyes! Like this!"

"When you can't see anything, you won't be afraid anymore."

"Don't look at the difficult things outside. I'll always be right here beside you. I'll always protect you."

Darkness filled Asai's vision, but he recalled again the feeling of his mother's warm palm. His tears flowed endlessly, like pouring rain. He reached out and hugged his mother fiercely.

"No."

"I'm not afraid."

"I just... Mother, I miss you so much."

Mother looked at Asai, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. Her gaze softened as she gently stroked Asai's face, looking at this proud son who always gave her cause for worry.

"Just live well, Asai. Promise me."

"It doesn't matter what you become... whether you end up blind or lame."

"Whether you're a simple priest or a king."

"Or even..."

"A Divine Being."

"All I want is for you to live well. To live properly in this world."

Long, long ago, Asai's mother had spoken similar words.

That was what she said to him after he failed to become a priest apprentice.

Back then, he was blind in one eye and lame in one leg.

Asai's mother was an ordinary woman from the lowest levels of the Yinsai Kingdom. She couldn't speak philosophical words. She was always fretting over little things.

Live well.

This was her simple view of life and her only expectation for Asai.

Live well.

That was enough.

Hearing these words again, Asai's strength seemed to leave him, and he sank to his knees.

He hugged his mother's legs tightly, his head bowed low. His voice was thick with suppressed sobs. He wanted to howl out his despair and rage, but it all melted into a painful reluctance to part.

"Mm!"

"Mm!"

"I know... Mother... I know..."

Asai finally understood.

No matter how he tried to hide it or deceive himself.

The illusions here were just illusions, merely his memories of his mother.

There was no one else here, only his own memories.

And his deep longing for his mother was something these illusions could never truly satisfy.

Sunlight shone into the house.

Asai sat at the table writing something, his pen moving rapidly across fabric scrolls.

Mother came over and asked Asai, "Who are you writing all those letters to?"

Asai turned his head, a gentle smile on his face. "To all of you, Mother. To everyone."

Asai wrote several letters, dividing them into multiple scrolls.

He walked into the courtyard and placed the letters into a hollow in the Rainbow Tree.

Colorful light swirled around the tree, and flower petals floated gently in the air.

The letters in the tree hollow vanished.

Asai lifted his head to look at the sky.

"If somehow... you can receive these... please, let me know!"

With these words, everything around him began slowly dissolving.

From this heavenly paradise of a home to the streets outside, to the entire city.

Those familiar and unfamiliar people dissolved one by one into the void.

Finally... only Asai remained.

Dream Continent.

In the Letter Spirit Realm, Saint Raphael was the nymph on duty today.

This somewhat careless and lively nymph sat under a tall Rainbow Tree as paper planes spiraled down from the sky, landing neatly in her hands.

"Whoosh!"

Nymph Saint Raphael pinched a paper plane and sent it flying into the tree hollow.

With each one she sent out, she made wind whistling sounds with her mouth. It seemed to be a kind of ritual for her.

The Rainbow Tree glowed again, delivering several special letters directly into her hands.

Saint Raphael was very curious as she picked up these unusual letters.

"Goodness! Letters from a Divine Being? The God of Knowledge and Truth?"

"And they're not even made of paper?"

"Well, this is the first time I've ever seen letters like these!"

The nymph looked at the scrolls, somewhat troubled.

"But... how am I supposed to fold these into paper planes?"

Actually, they could be delivered without being folded into planes. However, Saint Raphael felt that kind of flight lacked soul, that kind of delivery wasn't dreamy enough.

Finally, she decided to deliver them personally.

Conveniently, all these letters were destined for the Dream Starry Sea.

The Wood Nymph traversed the Dream Starry Sea, searching for the corresponding recipients and their life dreams.

Wood Nymphs were themselves a dream race. They moved through this dreamlike realm effortlessly, like fish swimming through water.

Strangely, she found the recipients for the first few letters but couldn't find the last one at all.

"Hm? This person doesn't exist?"

"How can I possibly not find them?"

"Could it be...? Did the God of Knowledge and Truth make a mistake?"

Inside the Door of Truth.

The God of Knowledge and Truth, Asai, dreamed. That dream power originated from the Creator's divine realm, pulling him into a deep slumber.

Asai didn't resist. He welcomed it gladly.

In the dream, he saw the Saint An District security captain, his student Colin, and the pastry shop owner's family.

He dreamed of many, many people and saw many colorful life dreams.

But uniquely, he didn't dream of his mother.

He went from hopeful anticipation to disappointment, then to confusion.

At this moment, a beautiful black-haired girl wearing a flower crown appeared in the dream.

The girl told him, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't find the recipient for that last letter. Are you sure the address was correct?"

"If it's wrong, well, you'll just have to try sending it again next time!"

With that, the girl vanished from his dream.

Asai opened his eyes.

A powerful force spread through the void as the Door of Truth began to open thunderously.

Hum hum~

Two massive doors slowly pushed apart with a deafening grinding sound.

A huge, transparent shadow appeared within the Door of Truth. It then slowly condensed into the figure of a young man wearing a black formal suit, complete with a hat and cane.

Crowds of the Polik family ghosts appeared before the Door of Truth, kneeling reverently before the young man.

"The Polik Clan offers its highest respects to the great God of Knowledge and Truth."

Ghost Polik looked at the young man, his eyes filled with unparalleled fervor.

"God Asai, you've finally... finally awakened."

"You are the embodiment of truth, the most learned one, the Divine Being who seeks truth itself."

"We will follow in your footsteps, pursuing eternal truth."

"Whether it takes 250 million years, or even longer."