The mysterious leader of the "Twilight Hermit Order" liked to sit there, silently watching everyone talk. Once he wanted to do something, consensus was quickly reached... This really fits the characteristics of the Spectator pathway... The more I think about it, the more I feel that He is Amon's brother, another son of the Creator, Adam... The Emperor, after learning many secrets from Mr. Door in his later years, should have been able to make a similar judgment... Klein, while cross-referencing the diary's description with what he knew and his guesses, moved his eyes down to read the rest of this page:
"March 11: The more I recall yesterday's events, the more terrifying it feels. A demigod-level existence had its fate decided in just a few words, without even a chance to object. And the composition of that ancient secret organization makes me believe that there is nothing they cannot do except go against the churches of the seven orthodox gods. Even overthrowing a country is not impossible.
How fortunate that I was pulled into this organization! Otherwise, I might have one day encountered an inexplicable and unavoidable assassination and died with my eyes wide open!!
An organization that hides behind the scenes, secretly judging others and deciding the life and death of targets, is hard to accept just thinking about it. Even as a member, I feel a bit terrified.
This world is far more dangerous than Earth. You might have naturally high spirituality, or just flip through an ancient book, or just travel by ship for trade, or just fancy a beautiful girl, or just love traveling and enter certain castles, or just be woken up by the noise of a next-door fight, or just invent something meaningful—and you might still die inexplicably and miserably!
And this is one of the motives for me to improve and strive to advance, to take control of my own fate. I am sure I can succeed—I am the protagonist of this era, haha."
"March 12: I feel it necessary to actively seek and collect materials from the Fourth, Third, and even Second Epochs. My experience in that ancient secret organization tells me that countless secrets may be hidden within them, secrets that could influence the direction of the current epoch.
Unfortunately, such materials are disgustingly scarce—either stored by the churches or destroyed. I doubt I can achieve much with just my own subordinates. The best way is to increase my Sequence, gain a higher position and greater authority within the church."
From this page, it is clear that the Emperor established contact with Mr. Door long after joining the 'Twilight Hermit Order,' possibly already at a high Sequence. Otherwise, he couldn't have withstood Mr. Door's ravings... Compared to the Emperor, my exploration of history is far easier: the Fourth Epoch is in his diary, the Second Epoch is in the City of Silver, and I occasionally encounter evil spirits derived from remnant souls of Angel Kings... Hmm, starting from the middle period, the Emperor's 'chuunibyou' seemed to have improved... Klein easily flipped to the second page of the diary:
"May 18: Lately, I've been having nightmares. I dream I'm wearing silver-gray ancient armor, sitting on the edge of a cliff. In front of me, black mist rolls silently, bottomless, filled with corruption and evil. Just seeing it affects me. In the end, as I watch over the Abyss, my face grows intricate black patterns, my skin hardens, viscous liquid flows on its surface, and my eyes completely lose reason.
This is the reflection of the Abyss! The reflection of the Abyss I saw last month and tried to enter!
As these nightmares become more frequent, I find myself more prone to extreme thoughts. What used to be just anger leading to a beating now might trigger thoughts of dismembering the target. Also, dark red lumps have appeared on my back, and my body temperature is gradually dropping.
Am I being corroded by the Abyss?
I need to confirm and solve this!
I can't go to the Church for now; otherwise, I'd have to reveal the existence of that primitive island and the Abyss.
Hmm, I can consult the priests and bishops of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun.' They should be better at purification!"
"May 19: Through connections, I received secret treatment, and I immediately felt much lighter. All the previous anomalies are improving.
But in my relief, I also think about a question: I only explored the periphery of the Abyss, never contacting any high-rank demon, and even had certain items on the 'Black Throne' to resist corrosion, yet I still was unconsciously affected, showing signs of descent. Those Beyonders on the 'Criminal' pathway who periodically sacrifice to high-rank demons must suffer even more severe erosion. Over time, they likely become incurable and can only be completely purified, along with their aura.
Similarly, high-Sequence Beyonders, especially Angels, should be able to actively influence lower- and mid-Sequence Beyonders of the same Pathway, with range limits depending on level. Once they become True Gods, they can probably 'communicate' unhindered across the entire world and the Spirit World...
Thinking this deeply, wouldn't I be influenced to some extent by the 'God of Craftsmen,' no, now called the 'God of Steam and Machinery'? That's a bit frightening. It seems only by becoming a demigod can I initially break free?
Fortunately, since the Fifth Epoch, there have been no instances of True Gods leaving the Starry World and descending to the Earth. For Pathways without a True God, the problem is not so severe."
"May 20: After a period of lethargy, I have returned to the social scene!
Damn those bastards secretly laughing at me for not going out lately, saying I've been living it up too hard and got weak! Just because I had nightmares and couldn't sleep well, and my dark circles were obvious?
Ha, I'll show them what natural talent is!!"
I wonder what the influence of an Angel level on mid- and low-Sequence individuals of the same Pathway looks like... Ultra-long-range transmission of ravings? Active attraction of characteristics? Divinity that can respond when the other party recites a holy name, no matter where they are? Direct erosion or deprivation of Beyonder characteristics upon encounter? If all these are present, that's equivalent to a miniature god... No wonder in the Second Epoch, Angels were called lesser gods... Klein's thoughts drifted, then he flipped the page and began to read the last diary entry:
"October 12: Edwards came running to me, saying that a knight under him had accidentally discovered a strange little chapel, possibly related to pre-Fourth Epoch faith worship.