In the astral world, a tranquil darkness stretched endlessly, filled with moonflowers and night incense grass.
Deep within the darkness, a lady in a black classical dress, who rested her head upon the moon, opened her eyes.
Her layered yet uncomplicated garments were adorned with scattered starlight, resembling the night sky.
Her form appeared somewhat ethereal, as if rippling outward, and her face was veiled in layers of mist—hazy yet extraordinarily beautiful.
She wore a layered but simple black dress, dotted with countless sparkling lights like stars embedded in the night.
Aaron felt as though he had fallen into a hazy dream, his senses sluggish and illusory, yet his consciousness remained clear. He frantically channeled his spirituality to connect with the Nation of Disorder.
It might have been a long time, or perhaps just an instant.
When Aaron opened his eyes, he found himself in a serene darkness surrounded by night incense grass and deep-sleep flowers, exuding a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
Not far away stood a Gothic palace that seemed to merge with the surrounding darkness. Its details were exquisite, its colors muted yet still magnificent.
"Hmm... Not that foggy town."
"This... Could this be the astral world? The divine kingdom of the Evernight Goddess?"
"Is the Evernight Goddess inside that palace?"
As he made his way through clusters of night incense grass and deep-sleep flowers, Aaron pondered silently, gradually approaching the palace ahead.
At the heart of the palace, the "Evernight Goddess" sat upon an ancient high-backed chair, still clad in that layered yet uncomplicated black dress.
The sparkling lights on her dress reflected off the dome, walls, and pillars of the palace, creating a quiet and dreamy starry sky.
Aaron stepped into the palace respectfully, his head lowered. The moment he was about to raise his gaze, his spiritual intuition screamed warnings at him. An unprecedented sense of death washed over him.
*Thump, thump.*
He could hear his own heartbeat clearly, his brain stinging with pain.
The "Evernight Goddess," whose face was veiled in layers of mist, seemed to sense this. She slowly raised a hand.
Instantly, everything before Aaron's eyes was draped in a black veil. His spiritual intuition gradually returned to normal, the stinging in his brain eased, and the sense of impending death faded away.
"Do not look directly upon a god!" That was the only thought left in Aaron's empty mind.
This served as a harsh wake-up call. The superiority complex of a transmigrator with foreknowledge and the confidence brought by the Sephirot had inevitably made him somewhat complacent.
Though he had reminded himself to be cautious, his actions had still been reckless.
'This is a true Sequence 0 deity, and I actually forgot the most basic rule—never gaze directly at a god.
This is a real world of mystery and horror. Death here is final—I don't have Klein's ability to resurrect within Sefirah Castle.
The only resurrection-related method is the Black Emperor's revival, which is far beyond my current level.
If I keep acting recklessly, I'll really die. Thankfully, it was the Evernight Goddess this time, and She didn't strike me down—just pulled me into Her divine kingdom. And that near-death experience was entirely my own fault.
Sigh... At my current Sequence 9 level, if I die, I won't even qualify to become a wraith.'
His thoughts raced—self-reflection and self-admonishment intertwined. Once he felt his condition stabilize, he didn't dare delay. Keeping his head lowered, he bowed respectfully.
"Respected Lady of Crimson, Evernight Goddess."
His voice echoed in the silent, tranquil palace, but there was no response—only an apparent scrutiny, an observation.
Then, the voice of the Evernight Goddess rose like a soft nocturne, bringing serenity:
"You carry traces of something familiar to me... and even..." She paused. "A being of very high status is closely connected to you."
Aaron's mind raced. 'Familiar traces? Could She mean remnants of God Almighty or the Celestial Worthy?
No, the Evernight Goddess was sealed by the Celestial Worthy in Sefirah Castle. She shouldn't have any connection to God Almighty—no familiarity there.
Then why did She say "some"? Are there issues or hidden dangers in me that even I'm unaware of?
The "being of very high status" must refer to the Sephirot, the Nation of Disorder. I wonder if the Evernight Goddess doesn't know it wasn't sealed in the Western Continent or if She sensed it but chose not to mention it.'
Not daring to delay, he responded:
"I come from before the First Epoch—from that... comparatively beautiful world."
"Back then, I was caught in a shipwreck and absorbed by the Sephirot, the Nation of Disorder. With the help of the Celestial Worthy and God Almighty, I fused with this Sephirot. But as a result, I was forced to slumber until the Fifth Epoch, descending into the Will family fifteen years ago."
Her voice, like a nocturne, rose again, serene and soothing:
"The Nation of Disorder, God Almighty, the Celestial Worthy, and the time before the First Epoch... It seems you do know quite a bit."
"How did you learn my true name? And what is your purpose?"
Aaron cursed inwardly. 'I can't exactly say I read it in a book, can I?'
But he wasn't panicked. Following his prepared response, he answered:
"Though I was dormant within the Sephirot, I occasionally gleaned fragments of information from the outside world. Since my descent, I've been studying the history since the First Epoch."
"I learned of the true name of the Goddess of Misfortune from the Dark Ages of the Second Epoch and that She might belong to the Evernight pathway. Your honorific—'Empress of Misfortune and Horror'—further confirmed my speculation."
"I wish to go to Backlund, but the Loen royal family has angels of the Arbiter pathway who could detect my uniqueness. Thus, I hope to become Your blessed one, to receive the protection of Concealment and mask my anomalies."
'I need to be careful about what I say and what I leave unsaid.
Absolutely cannot mention "fellow Earthling"—at least not now.
The Evernight Goddess also comes from before the First Epoch, a secret likely known only to the former City of Silver's Creator—now Adam—who might have guessed it.
Later, Klein only confirmed it through the number of broken cocoons in Sefirah Castle and a series of deductions.
Since I come from the Nation of Disorder, it would be illogical—and impossible—for me to know this secret under normal circumstances.
Trying to play the "fellow Earthling" card now would backfire. But I can voluntarily reveal that I'm from before the First Epoch, letting the Evernight Goddess make the connection Herself, thereby gaining some sense of kinship.
As for the Loen royal family having angels of the Arbiter pathway, I can explain it away with "hidden records of the Will family." But mentioning that George III might already be Sequence 1 is absolutely off-limits.
There's no way to explain how I'd know that, and it would severely impact the rest of this conversation.'
She responded faintly:
"A bold speculation. And you are clever. But why should I help you?"