The ringed cross divine symbol slowly emerged behind “Harald,” and then gradually transformed, ultimately mutating into a golden sun symbol.
The platinum-colored holy power shone incomparably bright, not diminished in the slightest by the shift in symbol.
The divine power that had originally been under Charlotte’s control suddenly reversed, transforming into chains that bound Gods, sealing Charlotte completely. High in the sky, “Harald,” his golden hair dancing in the air, once again raised the Moon Goddess’s divine core in his hand.
“My dear teacher, everything… is over.”
Silver divine power erupted suddenly. The Dreamy Moon's Heart emitted a fantastical yet dangerous radiance, drawing the entire world into a dreamscape filled with illusions.
The silver moon hanging in the sky cast down its radiant light, and wherever the moonlight touched, all was turned to stone. Charlotte’s body, too, gradually became coated in a layer of gray, the crimson glow around her fading away.
Only a moment later, Charlotte had been turned into a stone statue within that moonlight.
Moon Seal!
This was the most powerful sealing divine incantation of the Dreamy Moon's Heart, capable of stripping and sealing the life force of any being bathed in moonlight, transforming them into moonstone imbued with anti-magic properties.
“Harald” looked indifferently at the now lifeless Charlotte and slowly approached.
Platinum brilliance gathered in his hand, gradually forming a golden dagger inscribed with intricate and arcane patterns—just a glance at it was enough to cause dizziness.
Blade of Judgment!
This was a god-slaying artifact, a replica of the Sea King’s Trident created by the many Gods of the Holy Court. Though it lacked the original’s power to strike at the very root of divinity, it was still more than capable of sending a god into eternal slumber.
Of course, its greatest power wasn’t in slaying Gods—but in deprivation, the ability to strip from other Gods whatever the wielder wished to take. It was the very artifact used by the Creator God to judge and punish Evil Gods in the myths of the Myria Continent!
“Harald” raised the Blade of Judgment—and stabbed it into Charlotte’s chest!
With the blade at its center, cracks began to spread across Charlotte’s petrified form. Crimson halos flowed through the fissures like water, gleaming with hints of gold—that was the “divine blood” gushing out.
With cold indifference, “Harald” gouged open the statue’s chest—and extracted a still-pulsing crimson crystal.
It was Charlotte’s blood divine core.
“Finally, I have you…”
Looking at the burning divine fire within the blood divine core, “Harald’s” expression revealed satisfaction.
But the next second, he froze.
Crimson tendrils spread from the divine core like vines, winding up his arm and around his body.
A thorned rose pattern flickered faintly within the divine core—and at the same time, a faint thorny rose symbol began to appear on “Harald’s” forehead.
“Got you at last.”
A cool, melodious voice rang out.
Path of Darkness: Seal of Blood!
In the next instant, crimson brilliance exploded. The silver moon in the sky turned blood red, and the dreamscape of illusions shattered with a roar. Even the Dreamy Moon's Heart, floating in midair, lost its radiance and transformed into a small divine shrine!
“Myrick Shrine!”
That divine artifact in the sky wasn’t the Dreamy Moon's Heart at all—it was actually the spatial artifact, Myrick Shrine!
Seeing the shrine in the sky, “Harald’s” expression finally changed.
He quickly looked around—only to find that, at some point, the surrounding valley had become an endless sea.
Sensing spatial energy different from that of the Myria Continent, his expression grew increasingly grave.
“Myrick's divine space? When did this happen?”
“Long ago, of course.”
A hollow voice replied.
The stone statue slowly shed its gray hue and regained life, returning to Charlotte’s form.
However, Charlotte’s current state clearly wasn’t good.
Her face was pale, blood at the corner of her lips, and a deep, bone-revealing wound in her chest still bled golden-crimson divine blood. Both her divine core and divine flame were completely gone from her chest cavity.
But “Harald’s” expression was anything but relaxed—in fact, it had grown even more serious:
“So that’s it… You never used the Dreamy Moon's Heart from the beginning…”
“Of course. The Dreamy Moon's Heart belongs to the Moon Goddess, and you are her elder brother. Naturally, I had to be on guard… and the Moon Goddess’s divine core is in your hands as well.”
Charlotte replied calmly.
She had never used the Dreamy Moon's Heart!
Indeed—everything around them had been an illusion from the very beginning!
Charlotte hadn’t summoned the Dreamy Moon's Heart, nor attempted to use it to seal “Harald.” From the start, she had employed the Myrick Shrine, using the Dreamy Moon's Heart’s power as a cover, drawing everything into the divine space forged by the Myrick Shrine!
The Dreamy Moon's Heart, the Moon Seal—they were all illusions conjured through Charlotte’s understanding of the artifact, executed via the Myrick Shrine.
And the true Dreamy Moon's Heart? It was still sealed within her consciousness. During the illusion, she had merely leaked a trace of its power—to mislead “Harald’s” judgment!
If Charlotte hadn’t already possessed the Dreamy Moon's Heart, perhaps “Harald” would not have fallen for the trap.
But since she did, and since “Harald” was not the rightful owner of the Moon Goddess’s artifact… and given how the spatial properties of the Myrick Shrine so closely mirrored the sealing abilities of the Dreamy Moon's Heart… under all these layers of misdirection—
She had truly managed to fool Harald!
Of course, what truly convinced “Harald” beyond doubt… was Charlotte’s condition—
She had really taken that stab. He had truly torn her divine core from her body!
And yet, “Harald” felt no sense of victory.
A divine core is the foundation of a God. At the Mythic level, the physical body becomes largely irrelevant—true divine consciousness and soul are already fused with the divine core.
Thus, to strip a god’s core during a sealed state is completely different from stripping it while they are in normal condition.
In other words, Charlotte’s true self was no longer the body that had taken that stab—
But the blood divine core now held in “Harald’s” hand!
And caught completely off guard, Charlotte’s Blood Seal had turned the tables and bound “Harald” instead. Even if only for a few heartbeats—it was more than enough.
Azure radiance erupted. A golden trident descended from the heavens, severing “Harald’s” left arm in one blow. The silver Moon Goddess’s divine core fell and was immediately swallowed by the surging sea.
In the next moment, silver light blossomed—the true Dreamy Moon’s Heart… finally revealed itself.
Moonlight as soft as water fell upon “Harald,” and under his gaze—shocked and furious—it crawled up his body as gray petrification spread across him.
At the same time, crimson radiance erupted—the blood divine core in his hand unleashed an unprecedented flood of divine might, pouring directly into his body!
…
Charlotte arrived in a golden world.
Countless voices of prayer echoed from all directions: some praises, some confessions, some filled with fervor, others with confusion…
Vaguely, she seemed to see believers kneeling reverently beneath towering statues of the divine, praying devoutly.
These were the prayers of devout followers.
And this place… was “Harald’s” mental world.
No—more precisely, it was his divine soul world.
Though Charlotte preferred the name it took in the mortal realm—
The faith network of the Holy Court.
In this golden world, holiness and light were the dominant tones.
Endless misty clouds stretched across the sky, radiant and dazzling like a heavenly realm. Beneath her feet, white steps spiraled upward, leading into the distance.
Charlotte climbed the steps, walking forward.
With each step, the clouds on either side shifted and changed, transforming into various scenes.
There she stood above the Holy City, receiving the worship of all beings.
There within a divine palace, ruling over the Gods.
And there—amidst endless crimson—battling the True Ancestor of Blood…
These scenes were Harald’s memories.
Charlotte saw Harald, saw the many Gods who once roamed the Myria Continent, and saw… her past self.
As she climbed, the scenes evolved. The higher she went, the further back in time they reached. Charlotte saw the rift among the bloodborne deities, saw Harald and others besiege the True Ancestor, and clearly witnessed… the appearance of the True Ancestor of Blood during the blood clan civil war.
It was her.
Her adult self.
Only… the “her” in that moment looked utterly deranged, nothing like the Charlotte she knew herself to be.
Charlotte paused briefly—but did not stop walking.
She continued forward, and the scenes shifting on either side grew increasingly familiar.
She saw Harald fighting at her side.
Saw herself granting Harald the power of the bloodborne.
She even saw Harald leading humanity in rebellion against the elven rule, founding the Free City-States Alliance, and releasing divine power to destroy the towering spires that once imprisoned the entire Northern Frontier.
Of course, she also saw that familiar northern tribe—the timid, well-behaved child trailing behind a golden-haired girl, respectfully and excitedly calling her “teacher”…
Everything she had experienced while traveling through history now replayed like a film on either side of the steps—at once familiar and strange.
Familiar—because many of those events were ones she herself had lived through after her journey across time.
Strange—because Charlotte noticed that in all of Harald’s memories, a certain figure was conspicuously missing—
Lilith.
Charlotte continued ascending.
And then, what she saw was no longer Harald’s memory.
But rather… the memory of the Sun God Helios.
Or more accurately, the memories from before he was reincarnated as “Harald.”
Helios’s memories began with the cataclysm that destroyed the entire western continent…