When Aiven opened his eyes again.
In front of him was not the imagined "Fichaz Sea Abyss" with blue skies and clear waters, but a bizarre, chaotic, and eerie space incompatible with the material world.
The first thing he saw when he looked up was a gigantic stone cross floating in mid-air, defying gravity.
Even for an Upper-Rank Wizard, it was an indescribably spectacular sight, but under the dim yellow "Hell Filter," this world seed like a graveyard for the forgotten.
Looking down again at his feet, there were graves upon graves, dried bones upon dried bones, tombstones upon tombstones, stretching all the way to the dim yellow sky.
It is said that a person dies twice: once when they breathe their last and their body is buried in the ground, and the second ti when they are completely forgotten by the living.
And here, it seed like the sedints buried beneath the banks of history accumulated over countless years. Probably no one could rember them, nor were they recorded in any written words, becoming the most inconspicuous wave in the long river of ti.
But... there was sothing different.
Although it had beco sowhat ethereal, the irritating insect buzz seed to constantly ring from the dry bones, the soil, the stones, the air... even the light, reverberating from all the inorganic matter composing the world.
Invisible yet omnipresent.
"What the heck is this place??"
At this ti, the others who were with Aiven had disappeared, leaving only Milan, who scread in shock at the sudden change.
After recovering from the shock, the instant he saw Aiven, he darted over like a startled rabbit, feeling slightly at ease again.
This "Prophet" who was passionate about pursuing significant events did not lack adventurous spirit, provided that... he stayed with his capable combat partner.
"We don't seem to have left the [Clock Tower]; instead, we've delved further in, is this the seventh layer?"
Gazing into the distant horizon, at the magnificent sky-reaching stone wall, Aiven used the Cosmic Dragon's keen spatial perception ability to make his own judgnt.
At the sa ti, Milan had already used the tarot cards in his hand to make a vague prophecy.
"Upright Priestess: Unleashing inner mysterious potential, a prophecy of future changes, deep thinking, acute insight, accurate intuition."
"What does it an?"
As Aiven waited for Milan to explain the prophecy, another voice suddenly arose beneath their feet:
"It ans, of course, to follow my old man's commands. Quick! Quick! Quick! Boys, get moving; our ti is running out. Also, please get off my feet; you're stepping on ."
Swish! Swish!
The two quickly jumped aside, turning to see that at the spot where they were standing lay a human skeletal fossil already rged with the stone.
An old man with silver beard and hair dressed in a simple white robe slowly erged from the fossil skeleton, his body as insubstantial as smoke and dust, like a remnant image left in the world.
Even though they had seen many ghosts before, the old man, whose style clashed with the space's aesthetic, left them puzzled: "And you are...?"
The "old man," who hadn't communicated with normal humans for countless years, had long forgotten what it ant to beat around the bush. Although slightly displeased at their wasting ti, he managed to explain the situation in an orderly manner.
"Ha, you co to my house, yet don't know who I am?...
That usurper scoundrel has virtually seized complete control of the entrances to the various layers of the [Clock Tower], leaving with control over only part of the outer layer. Only during the entry and exit processes of the [Clock Tower] can I exert a limited influence over your teleportation path.
On the base logic of 'Eye of the Giant' in the sixth layer of the [Clock Tower], I deliberately set the most stringent rules and gave you the worst ship to eliminate you sooner, so you'd be kicked out of the [Clock Tower] by the rules.
Unexpectedly, you stubbornly held on until the end, almost delaying a major event!..."
Initially, the two were resentful about being deliberately targeted, nearly kicked out by a pirate if not for their luck.
But after a few words.
They were astonished, reevaluating the old man before them. He turned out to be the legend who failed to fuse after achieving embodint at the Mysterious Source, the unfortunate School Chief, Crowned Wizard Graham Nicholas!
'It feels like the trope of carrying an old man around in one's storage space to save the world...
Could it be that my true golden finger is actually an old man? But this old man is a bit la, not so ancient god, he hasn't even completed the Truth Embodint, leaving only an extrely thin remnant soul.'
And yet.
What this ancient Crowned Wizard, who almost completed "Truth Embodint," said next made the two nearly jump up.
"If you don't act fast, you're in big trouble!..."
The [Clock Tower] has almost completely changed hands, with a powerful ancient god titled "Chaos Worm," "Star Driller," "Master of the Underworld," Shude l, having replaced the "Clock Tower School" as the new master here.
This ancient god, equally adept in the space-ti domain, was also the culprit responsible for the fusion failure of the [Mysterious Source: Clock Tower]!
Moreover, the [Clock Tower] has beco His lair, and in the long-drawn-out tug-of-war with the remaining souls of the "Clock Tower School" mbers, He has gained overwhelmingly dominant control. The school's side is left with only one, who may disappear into thin air at any mont, the School Chief Graham.
The two people also understood that the dominant force behind the "ga process" was indeed two consciousnesses, which is the main reason for the contradictions that occurred.
Additionally,
Aiven realized that at least the "Maze God" Aihote and the "Master of the Mist Sea" Loygor could still hold their ground in the Material World.
However, the entity known as "Chaos Worm" Shude l could only hide in the cracks of space-ti with the essence equivalent to Tier 5 using the [Clock Tower], making it difficult to step into the Material World.
This indirectly indicates its formidable power.
Now, after countless years of slumber in the [Clock Tower], just like the "Maze God" Aihote, it is gradually awakening and has even allied with similar entities outside, including an evil True God.
"Almost at the sa ti you set foot on the sixth layer, an outsider entered the seventh layer. Although the tiline of the Ancient Gods awakening might seem long to humans, it won't be long before it's completely awakened!"...
This "Chaos Worm" inherently possesses imnse adaptability, with its essence of [Chaos] being highly malleable.
Using the space-ti rules contained within the [Clock Tower], it launched a reverse erosion. Over countless years, its radiated power alone had corrupted most of the beings inside the [Clock Tower] into its Beloved.
The independent spaces large and small, from the inside out, were gradually falling.
If it completes the analysis of the Divine Power Crystal under a True God's protection, gaining the key to freely traverse the Material World would be a catastrophe for the entire world.
The [Clock Tower], already at the end of its tether, would be the first to bear the brunt, swiftly becoming a part of the "Chaos Worm's" power. The once-glorious "Clock Tower School" would cease to exist completely.
Therefore, the past appearances of the [Clock Tower] in the Material World were not to distribute gifts but a final struggle to find suitable personnel to enter the core area of the seventh layer to weaken the sleeping source of corruption.
However, due to the constraints of the underlying rules, only visitors with Extraordinary Traits matching could reach the corresponding depth. Even after four attempts, they were the only Qualified ones eligible to help on the seventh layer.
"Whether a catastrophe can be avoided with the Dragon Vein of the [Cosmic Dragon] and the descendants who inherited part of the knowledge of the 'Clock Tower School,' it all depends on you!"
The [Cosmic Dragon], called "Cosmos" since ancient tis. But so wizards believe that "ti" as an attribute doesn't exist in the world at all, and it's just an illusion given to humans due to changes in material.
The so-called tracing of history is rely because of the recording of historical processes in the World Root Source, essentially no different from the mory Capturing Technique, as no one is known to have changed the past.
But at least the [Cosmic Dragon], a type of Dragon Species, does possess the corresponding essential basis, so Aiven being chosen by the old man isn't too surprising.
However, Milan, feeling unjustly implicated, expressed his disagreent:
"Our 'Prophetic School' is indeed a part of the 'Clock Tower School' heritage.
But while the 'Prophetic School' similarly explores the river of ti, it focuses more on interpreting the various possibilities of the future, which can also be terd the intangible [Destiny].
By giving up most of the casting abilities and specializing in one path, it's already vastly different from ti and space."
The old man, however, dismissed it with a wave of his hand:
"Once you fully understand the changes in ti and space, you will find that so-called [Destiny] is actually predetermined, written into the first particle of matter that changed at the world's inception.
Therefore, you two being here is arranged by [Destiny], so accept it with composure; resistance is futile."
Understanding the crux of the matter, the two shook their heads vigorously like rattles and spoke in unison:
"Battling an Ancient God? Sorry for the bother, goodbye!"
The white-bearded old man, who had been amicable until now, changed his expression instantly upon hearing this:
"Naive! You think you can leave after taking my treasured items without helping resolve the issue? Once it awakens and sees two delectable snacks, what do you think it'll do: eat or not eat?"
Damn... Shaless!
The two instantly fell into disarray; this old geezer, whose true body had long beco a fossil, was indeed ruthless, truly wasting your perfect grandfatherly appearance with those white whiskers.
Graham, seeing right through them, began to play rogue:
"Ha? My life is almost over; why would I care about image?
However, I know your capabilities are limited. I don't need you to face the Ancient God's true form; I want you to prevent its complete awakening. If possible, try to remove its traces in the [Clock Tower] to delay its recovery ti.
Finally, provide growth ti for the inheritors!"
Saying this, he deliberately or unintentionally glanced at Milan, who once acquired the inherited Magic Book, while gesturing towards the stone wall.
"Deal with those guys first!"
Aiven, looking around, had already seen the circle of Skeleton Kings surrounding the stone wall, each wielding giant swords and wearing crowns of various designs, totaling 364, one less than the days in a normal year.
"Aren't those your defense forces? These guys, they seem... sowhat familiar."
As he spoke, he suddenly felt that the things on their heads seed sowhat familiar.
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