"Romanticism... Romanticism..."
Bologue stood in the elevator, the floors descending continuously. He was muttering to himself as if pondering so unresolved enigma.
The conversation with Canary didn’t last long; Bologue just wanted to confirm her situation with Bai Ou. However, during the subsequent chat, Canary presented Bologue with a riddle.
A riddle that even Bologue couldn’t figure out.
Is it to embrace the pleasures of the present, diminishing all complexity and narrativity, forgetting oneself, and losing oneself in pure ecstasy, or like Belphegor, tirelessly collecting all the poems to usher in a grand finale?
Bologue couldn’t discern which was better; both had undeniable reasons to uphold their ideals. But one thing was certain: whether it was the Zongge Orchestra or the Unfettered Poetry Society, Bologue believed that all their thoughts stemd from a fear of the end.
No matter what they did, they couldn’t change this singular ending.
Bologue couldn’t help but ask, "Does eternity truly exist in this world?"
Faced with an inevitable end, the Zongge Orchestra and the Unfettered Poetry Society gave different answers, representing the attitude of the devils behind them. Bologue felt this question had no truly correct answer, only a suitable one.
Initially, Bologue sowhat agreed with Belphegor’s answer, but after talking with Canary, he felt Belphegor’s answer wasn’t satisfying.
He needed another answer, one that might unravel the poets’ confusion, but Bologue had yet to find that answer.
Bologue chose not to dwell on the matter. Ultimately, he belonged to the Order Bureau; as long as it didn’t affect him, Bologue didn’t care about the conflicts between the Zongge Orchestra and the Unfettered Poetry Society.
Returning to the core chamber, Geoffrey was slightly surprised to see Bologue back so quickly. After a brief greeting, Bologue approached Lebius and asked in a low voice, "Any progress?"
Lebius shook his head, eyes fixed on Gold’s figure lying on the bed.
Aimou and Duwa hovered around Gold; the research target had shifted from waking Gold to the sealed black iron box. Nolen had brought in so equipnt, turning the area into a makeshift laboratory. Strange light flickered as arcs danced on the black tal’s surface.
"I have a hypothesis."
Suddenly, Duwa looked up at the others, "I want to conduct a test."
Lebius asked, "What test?"
Duwa beckoned everyone, "All of you, co over and apply force to the tal in turns to see if we can affect its nature."
"You said..."
Geoffrey’s words were cut short by Duwa’s stern interruption. When dealing with his field of expertise, Duwa’s attitude was unexpectedly firm, "Hurry up!"
"Alright, alright."
Geoffrey sighed and shook his head, too lazy to argue with Duwa in his fervor. He pressed his hand against the tal’s surface, unleashing his own ether, trying to influence the tal.
High concentrations of ether were a potent energy. The canyin glow from the ether repeatedly rubbed against the tal’s surface. With Geoffrey’s negative power user’s ether intensity, ordinary tal would shatter easily; however, this tal exhibited extraordinary inertness, unaffected in the slightest.
Geoffrey withdrew his hand and shook his head, admitting his failure.
Duwa then turned to Lebius, who cooperatively pressed his hand against the tal surface as well.
Bearing various Tai Chi Techniques, Lebius’s mastery of ether far surpassed Geoffrey’s. Azure light encroached upon the tal surface, and upon close observation, the tal seed to bear so repulsive force, maintaining an imperceptible gap from the light.
The tal rejected all ether.
"Looks like I can’t do it either."
Lebius released his hand, admitting his failure didn’t an much to him. Next, all eyes turned to Bologue, signaling him to give it a try.
"Can he do it?"
Duwa was sowhat doubtful; with both negative power users stymied by the tal, what could Bologue, a Prayer Believer, accomplish?
Lebius, not wanting to explain too much to Duwa, simply said, "He’s fine."
Bologue pressed his hand onto the tal’s surface. The touch felt cold, like touching a piece of hard ice. Unlike Lebius and Geoffrey, his influence on the tal was limited to the release of ether, but Bologue’s Secret Energy could directly act on the tal.
Secret Energy·Cauldron Fla.
Blue flas ignited between his fingers, instantly engulfing the tal. Just as before, a vacuum region existed between the fla and the tal’s surface. Bologue could clearly sense a repulsive force emanating from the tal, rejecting his ether.
Bologue gradually clenched the tal, gripping it firmly, while the flas gnawed at the tal bit by bit, bringing it under his control.
Duwa’s eyes lit up gradually, but in the next mont, a trendous repulsive force burst forth, shattering Bologue’s ether, extinguishing the burning flas, sending air swirling violently.
"Failed again," Duwa steadied the toppled equipnt, "but at least there was a reaction."
"Wait a mont."
Bologue didn’t want to give up and aid to try again. He took out the Touch of Erosion, a delicate tal hand armor, and put it on, believing he could use its power to overco the tal’s repulsion and seize control.
Seeing Bologue about to attempt once more, Duwa grew tense; this item was Duwa’s treasure.
Lebius intervened, clearing obstacles for Bologue, "Let him try."
Bologue again pressed his hand against the tal’s surface, unleashing Secret Energy. The blue flas enveloped the tal once more, initiating a new round of command control.
Blue trails of light covered Bologue’s arm, and even the tal hand armor faintly glowed. Initially, Duwa thought it was another ether assault, but soon realized, with the aid of the Touch of Erosion, the efficiency of the Cauldron Fla’s invasion had increased significantly.
Like a haphazard swarm of biting serpents, they gnawed at the tal’s repulsion force. What surprised Duwa further was Bologue’s Alchemy Matrix was extending. It disconnected from Bologue’s body, using the flas as a dium to attempt to cover the tal, turning it into part of Bologue.
This astonishing discovery left Duwa briefly at a loss, pondering whether to contemplate the tal’s peculiarity or Bologue’s unique Secret Energy. Just as he was torn, the two opposing ethers broke through the repulsion, briefly touching the tal’s surface, and a small section was draped with the Alchemy Matrix.
As Bologue attempted to command, a more formidable repulsive force erupted, shattering Bologue’s Secret Energy once again. This ti, the repulsion consolidated into an invisible impact, sending Bologue flying backward, though Lebius caught him in ti, stabilizing his form.
"Still doesn’t work. What on earth is this thing?"
Bologue was startled by this bizarre object, and from the known intelligence, it seed to repel all ether, reminiscent of an Origin School tactic.
Duwa isn’t focusing on the tal anymore but looks at Bologue with confusion, "What’s with your Secret Energy?"
Lebius rudely interrupts Duwa, "This has nothing to do with the matter at hand, Duwa."
Duwa is silent for a mont, his eyes fixed on Bologue, replaying the strange power Bologue had just displayed in his mind.
"I think I know what this thing is now."
Duwa redirects his gaze, lightly tapping the tal, "Tell them to stop establishing the Curved Path Gate. This thing is impassable."
Bologue curiously asks, "What is it?"
"If my guess is correct, this is one of King Solomon’s great creations."
Duwa’s voice lowered, as if revealing a dreadful secret, "And it was created to protect the primordial object..."
After a few seconds of silence, Duwa breaks it, "In the legacy of King Solomon obtained by the Order of Truth, there is a description of it. King Solomon nad it ’Constant tal.’
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