Aside from what I just thought of… Cullen's ancestor—the unnamed Duke who authored The Feast of Blood—is also highly suspicious…
The author of The Book of Necromancy was a "Death Consul," and it was strange enough for him to record "new potion formulas"… Maybe it was due to the influence of a previous transmigrator brought here by the Pure White Eye!
Is that why Lilith has been paying particular attention to me? Because that Duke, who was possibly a transmigrator, left a deep impression on her?
Moreover, my unclear "connection" with that so-called God of Luck… Could it be because He is one too?
And ever since I transmigrated, I've been repeatedly caught up in incidents involving Witches and Hunters…
Could it be that these two pathways also had transmigrators from the Pure White Eye? Is that why I keep getting entangled in related events?
Hmm… That lion once said that only the "Calamity Seal" could understand the Emperor's nonsense… and it always assumed I was the inheritor of that Seal…
Could it be that some unfortunate soul actually transmigrated into a Sealed Artifact?
As for the Witch pathway… I don't have a clear suspect yet…
Looking at the timeline—there's the "God of Luck" spanning the Second and Third Epochs, the unknown Blood Duke from the early to mid-Fourth Epoch, the "Death Consul" from the later Fourth Epoch, the Abraham family's "Wanderer" from the early Fifth Epoch, then the "Disciple of Silence" Danit… after that, a hundred years ago, there was the "Calamity Seal"… and now, this Planter-pathway Beyonder…
I've already identified seven possible transmigrators… Who knows how many more remain undiscovered?
Yet, despite the influence of so many transmigrators, this world's historical trajectory hasn't deviated much…
Should I be impressed by the "Sunset Shut-in Society," or were all my predecessors just that incompetent?
At this thought, Ebner once again felt the urge to investigate the mysterious "Unknown Land" behind his so-called "golden finger," the Pure White Eye.
But he quickly suppressed the impulse. Lilith had warned him—until he became an Angel, entering that place would only lead to contamination.
Given how the ancient goddess had always shown him goodwill, Ebner was willing to trust her on this.
Besides, until I reach at least the Demigod level, I doubt I'd be able to uncover anything meaningful. At most, I could design rituals to probe it from different angles in a safer, more controlled manner…
Even that would be best attempted after I formally become a "Mysticism Magister," when I can more intuitively observe the essence of Beyonders.
Sighing, Ebner pulled his thoughts back from their wandering depths and refocused on the barrier at the bottom of the cliff.
The core of this barrier is likely a high-grade Sealed Artifact from the "Arbiter" pathway. That would explain why it can "distort" and eliminate all other paths into the valley, leaving only one option—jumping off the cliff…
Cullen, Judy, and their team are trapped inside. Even with Captain Arsenoff carrying a "Sacred Artifact," it would be difficult for them to break through…
They lack the ability to "analyze" and pinpoint the barrier's weaknesses. All they can do is brute-force their way through…
And Arsenoff's Sacred Artifact is more suited for defense than offense…
However, a barrier without an active host is relatively simple for me to deal with. It's just like those protections that Vannie's grandfather, Mr. Salli, set up in the Intis Embassy. Theoretically, I could even modify its "core" and repurpose it for my own use…
If only I had a magical item of equal grade to replace it…
After some contemplation, Ebner let his cloak lift him into the air. Meanwhile, he activated the "Gate Between Dream and Reality," allowing his spirit to enter the Dream Labyrinth Tower.
Even if he could locate a weak point, breaking through the barrier would still require the power of a Demigod. That meant he had to exchange for a high-level charm. —I'll just have Cullen reimburse me later.
The "Calamity Charm" was too disruptive—it could easily draw the attention of the "Sea King," who was still stationed in Bayam. That left the "Ninth Law" as his only viable option.
However, when Ebner opened the "exchange list," he was surprised to see a new option—Radiant Sun Charm.
Radiant Sun Charm…?
Isn't this the high-level charm Klein crafted using a method he swindled off the "Eternal Blazing Sun," made by extracting divine blood power from the "Mutated Sun Holy Emblem"?
Its appearance on the list… means Klein must have reenacted its creation in one of the Dream Labyrinth's layers…
Tingen's scene? Or the "False God's Miscarriage" battle in his second loop?
Recalling some details "The World" had hinted at during the Tarot Club's intelligence exchange, Ebner quickly formed a theory.
The so-called "False God" in the Dream Labyrinth definitely wouldn't be the real Creator… so does that mean this time, Megose was actually carrying Old Man Sun's child?
And that's why Miss Sharon got contaminated, forcing her to recite the Fool's honorific name and join the Tarot Club…
Nodding thoughtfully, Ebner shifted his gaze away from the Radiant Sun Charm. While it was undoubtedly powerful, it had the same issue as the Calamity Charm—too conspicuous. Especially at night, it could easily draw the attention of the "Sea King."
Returning to reality, Ebner found himself holding a dark-gold charm covered in the Sword of Judgment symbol and densely packed magical runes.
Since the Ninth Law's power was constantly depleting, he didn't waste any time. He immediately flew to the barrier's weak point and pressed the charm against it.
In an instant, dark-golden light burst forth, weaving together countless legal symbols and magical markings that merged into the barrier. The force of Law swiftly took over, neutralizing all effects of "distortion," "exploitation," and "amplification"—and with that, the barrier collapsed!
…
Deep in the valley below the cliff, Judy and Cullen were locked in a desperate battle. The former had nearly exhausted her supply of seeds, while the latter had been forced to rely on "Dark Magic" to summon the dead as a last line of defense against the rampaging plants.
But at that moment, the oppressive barrier covering the sky abruptly vanished, and for the first time in decades, moonlight shone down into the valley.
Bathed in the crimson glow, the once-maddened and ferocious plants suddenly became tranquil, then withered and decayed, their remains turning into patches of soil in mere moments.
These creatures had been the valley master's creations—by all rights, they should have perished alongside their creator. But the barrier had "distorted" their conditions for death, keeping them alive to guard the valley…
Yet now, with the barrier's destruction, their existence had finally reached its end.
Judy let out a long sigh and dropped unceremoniously onto the ground, panting heavily. Beside her, Cullen wiped away a rare bead of sweat—something that shouldn't appear on a vampire's body. His normally handsome face twisted in pain, clearly struggling against the backlash of some Sealed Artifact.
As Ebner gently descended to the valley floor, he took in the scene and chuckled, "Need a hand?"