Seeing that Audrey was willing to attempt the investigation mission, Derlau nodded and said, “I’ll give you the detailed information later, but I have to warn you that this matter is rather dangerous. You must not be careless.”
Upon saying that, Derlau paused for a moment and said, “If you encounter an accident, and you can’t solve it by relying on yourself. You can try to say a name. This will bring you salvation.”
“What name?” Audrey asked as she had a guess in mind.
Derlau’s expression immediately turned solemn.
“It comes from the Holy Bible of the Third Epoch’s Creator. It involves the highest mystery of the mind domain, and it has a close relationship with something of the Psychology Alchemists.
“It’s ‘Adam.’”
Adam… Audrey didn’t find it surprising at all, but she showed her puzzlement on the surface, as though she didn’t know what this name meant.
Derlau didn’t explain and instead said, “As a councilor, you should be in charge of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. However, you and Wrath have just joined the ranks, so there must be an observation period first. Besides, the former committee member of the Backlund region, Hvin Rambis, has lost a rather important Sealed Artifact. We are considering whether we should change the usage method of Sealed Artifacts and allow usage only via an application.
“In other words, all the Sealed Artifacts will be kept in this mind city. You usually won’t hold onto them, and can only use them temporarily after an application for particular incidents.”
The woman in charge of Feysac’s capital’s St. Millom immediately shook her head.
“There is a very serious flaw in this method. That is that we are unable to deal with any sudden accidents. Be it enemies or monsters, once we encounter them, we will not have the time to apply and retrieve the Sealed Artifact.
“I believe that the current method is good enough. Everyone wields a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact to deal with accidents. When there’s a need, we can apply for other items.”
Derlau laughed and said, “This was indeed better in the past. But now, you don’t have to worry.
“As long as you have the chance to resist an accident, then you can directly enter this mind city to avoid the enemy and obtain the item.
“If there’s no chance, just as I said, reciting the name ‘Adam’ will do.”
You said “Adam” twice. That entity is probably already watching. No, “He” might have been watching from the very beginning… Audrey’s heart almost beat faster when she heard that.
“Then how do we enter without your invitation?” Mr. Envy asked as he nodded.
Derlau pointed at his face and said, “From this council meeting forth, you can take your persona mask out of this city.
“No matter where you are, as long as there are at least two humans around you, yes, other than you, you will be able to wear the corresponding persona mask and enter the city.
“And these seven masks are illusory. They are closely connected to what you know, and there’s no need to store them in a special way. With just a thought, you will be able to take them out of the sea of collective subconscious.”
At that moment, the man, who was wearing the Gluttony mask and exuded a feeling that he was lost in indulgence, thought for a while and said, “Will bringing the persona mask out of this city affect our mental state and true personality?”
“There will be some effects that need attention. But I believe that you are all experts in the mind domain. You have the ability to resolve problems in this aspect,” Derlau said frankly.
Audrey was a little worried that these seven persona masks had something to do with Adam, but she didn’t dare think about it in the mind city. She forced herself to rein in her thoughts and replied to what Derlau had said before, “I can accept the two safekeeping methods of the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I’ll patiently wait for the probationary period to end.”
“Miss, you aren’t proud,” Miss Sloth, who looked like she was sleeping, commented with a smile.
After discussing the mind dragon in East Chester County, the other five councilors began introducing things that were worth paying attention to in their respective areas as an exchange of information.
During this process, Mr. Gluttony, who seemed to be capable of eating an entire cow at any moment and wore ten rings, said, “The Constant region hasn’t been peaceful recently. There have been many miracles happening one after another.
“First, Constant City was rebuilt overnight. Second, Belltaine City’s citizens collectively lost their memories of a certain period of time. Third, a powerful archmage who grants the wishes of others for pleasure has been wandering the eastern shore of the Midseashire. He’s called Merlin Hermes. Related to this, there’s an item known as the ‘Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.’
“Other than that, I also noticed something strange. Many rats, cockroaches, and crows in Constant City have lost their souls, days after the city was miraculously restored.”
“Why were you able to sense this problem?” Mr. Lust looked up at Gluttony from the bottom.
Gluttony gulped and said, “I’ve been researching the mind problems of ordinary creatures recently. Rats, cockroaches, and crows are my experimental subjects.”
The councilors immediately started discussing the direction of this research before the meeting officially entered the third stage.
Their academic exchange enriched Audrey’s knowledge quite a bit. She listened very seriously and would occasionally share her thoughts and insights.
“Alright, this conference will end here.” After a while, Derlau clapped his hands.
Audrey subconsciously wanted to stand up and lead the other councilors into bowing and bidding farewell. However, she quickly came to her senses and continued sitting there, being the penultimate person to stand up.
Before leaving, she asked curiously, “Mr. President, does this city have a name?”
“Yes.” Derlau laughed. “The Garden of Eden.”
Garden of Eden… Audrey saw that the other councillors were walking towards the door and asked thoughtfully, “There are many cathedrals here. They should represent a faith. Uh, I wonder which existence the ‘residents’ here believe in?”
Derlau nodded and replied solemnly, “The omnipotent and omniscient Creator.”
…
Garden of Eden… The omnipotent and omniscient Creator… If this wasn’t created by Adam, I’ll write my name backward! Above the gray fog, inside the ancient palace, Klein looked at the crimson star representing Miss Justice and silently muttered to himself.
In addition, to recite “Adam” when faced with danger as a response would indicate a problem without concealing anything.
Ever since Miss Justice entered the Garden of Eden, the true vision provided by Sefirah Castle had been suppressed. Klein could only use Audrey’s point of view to observe the surroundings, just like how Queen Mystic Bernadette’s fixed viewpoint back on the primitive island. To a certain extent, this also showed the status of the mind city, Garden of Eden.
Klein gently tapped the edge of the long mottled table and conjured a pen and paper to write his thoughts.
This wasn’t something he couldn’t analyze based on his own thinking. Instead, when facing an existence like Adam, he needed to repeatedly ponder and analyze the details. Thus, the words that formed on the paper helped him to read them back and forth so as to notice and make up any missing details.
“Basic premise; Adam has already advanced to Sequence 0 using the full-scale war from before. By becoming a true god, ‘He’ can be known as a Visionary.
“Miss Justice happened to become a Sequence 4 Manipulator after Hvin Rambis’s death. She may be able to convince others, but she can’t convince Adam.
“What does Adam want? Setting up a Sequence 4 saint doesn’t match ‘His’ identity as a Visionary unless ‘He’ has another ploy up ‘His’ sleeves…
“His real target is the mind dragon, or is it me who’s backing Miss Justice?
“Care and vigilance must be enhanced on this matter. We must not be careless.
“In the Garden of Eden, the cathedral that the Psychology Alchemists councilors were using is similar to Adam’s corpse cathedral. However, it’s only a little similar. The stone columns on its exterior are inlaid with several skulls. There is no corresponding layout inside, and the color is dark-black and very gloomy. What does this mean?
“What does that grayish-white dragon coiling around the huge cross symbolize? The first step in resurrecting the Creator has been successful?
“Uh, Adam is already a Visionary. If ‘His’ father or the original Creator returns, ‘He’ would be the first one to be unlucky. ‘He’ is willing to sacrifice ‘Himself’? This is the meaning of being ‘zealous’?
“That rabbit is suspected to be Hermes… However, as an angel of the Spectator pathway, it doesn’t make sense for ‘Him’ to not be able to remove Miss Messenger’s transformation curse after so long, especially since ‘He’ has a Visionary who can provide help… Hmm, did Hermes do it on purpose?
“Yes, the president of the Psychology Alchemists, Derlau, mentioned that to the Spectator, death only represented the end of one’s identity. He can still participate in other theatrical plays in other aspects as another identity…
“By combining them together, does this mean that once the Spectator pathway reaches Sequence 3 or Sequence 2, they can separate the identities they once held and make them become living people? And even if these identities were to die, it wouldn’t lead to the deaths of their real bodies?
“It does look like the preamble to becoming a Visionary…
“Hmm, the rabbit that Hermes turned into after being cursed was separated as an identity which later directly participated in the Psychology Alchemists? What does ‘He’ want to do? Back then, when the Twilight Hermit Order communicated, ‘He’ was sitting beside the Emperor…”
After Klein was done writing, he put down his fountain pen and carefully read the contents a few times, his heart clouded with mystery and puzzlement.
In the end, he could only decide to continue observing and be vigilant.
And at this moment, Audrey had already taken the carriage she used, exited the Garden of Eden, and returned to the park in Empress Borough with the man-made lake.
She wasn’t in a rush to pray to Mr. Fool, hoping that there would be a better way to seal the Pride mask. She returned to her luxurious villa as though nothing had happened.
