The world of pseudo-history, inside the newly re-manifested city of Heopolis, within the massive pyramid.

Within the massive pyramid—surrounded by countless murals and inscriptions, atop an altar suspended over a great abyss—the legacy-bearer of Revelation from a distant age, the Heaven-Anointed Sage Viagetta, was at this moment releasing her spirituality in a burst of radiance. Her withered undead body gradually disintegrated in the process.

"Wait a minute. You just said this Sacred Land was hidden in history using Heaven's Arbiter's divinity. So… once you're gone, won't this place collapse?"

Dorothy, standing before her, asked bluntly as she watched Viagetta slowly fade. Viagetta's reply echoed through the space.

"No, it won't. Though I will no longer be here, the ritual I left behind still remains. The spirituality stored within the Sacred Land is sufficient to sustain the ritual and keep the sanctuary intact."

Viagetta answered calmly, and Dorothy paused before asking another question.

"Then if I take the godhood with me, will this Sacred Land be forced to return to reality, unable to sink back into history?"

"No… The godhood is only necessary to support the most critical Archival Rite. Since the rite has already been successfully completed, the Sacred Land can be freely manifested in the real world or returned to pseudo-history—as long as it's under the control of a godhood bearer. However, without divine support, it won't function properly…

"To completely control this Sacred Land, you not only need to possess divinity, but also to truly reach the Archetype Realm. What I've gifted you merely allows you to wield the godhood for a limited time. You can use that time to manifest the Sacred Land, drive back strong enemies… and if you still have time left from the gift, you can choose to hide the Sacred Land again.

"But if you do that, once the gift ends, you'll lose all contact with the Sacred Land. Without Heaven's Arbiter's divinity inside, and without someone from the Archetype Realm to preside over it, all its functions—including the pseudo-history world—will go dormant and unusable. Only if you one day truly reach the Archetype Realm and return with the godhood, then… the entire Sacred Land will be yours."

Viagetta patiently explained the relationship between Heaven's Arbiter's divinity and the Sacred Land. Dorothy, after hearing it all, understood.

"So… once Viagetta fades, and the divine gift she gave me expires, all the pseudo-history power spread throughout Busalet will disappear completely. I won't be able to create or enter the pseudo-history world here anymore—unless I become a true Gold-rank and bring godhood back with me…"

Dorothy nodded quietly at the realization, then asked another question.

"I have one more thing to ask. Since I'm now designated as Heaven's Arbiter's successor… will the four pharaohs outside recognize me? Will they see me as your heir—or even as the Arbiter's future inheritor?"

At this, Viagetta paused slightly before answering.

"That… is unclear. The only one who knows for certain that you were chosen by the Divine Mentor… is me, who directly received Their divine oracle. The others know nothing of the Seer of Fate. They are unaware that, before Their fall, the Divine Mentor had already designated a successor—not to return Themself.

"Among them, some still believe the Divine Mentor will one day resurrect, even after all these years. They would surely accept Their return—but not necessarily accept a successor, as that would mean the Divine Mentor has truly perished. So their acceptance of you… is an unknown."

Hearing this, Dorothy fell silent for a moment, then spoke candidly.

"Can't you explain it for me? Tell them I'm the rightful successor? Or at least give me something to prove my identity?"

"You're overthinking it. Even if I told them directly, they likely wouldn't listen. After all, they didn't receive the Divine Mentor's oracle themselves. If I told them They had completely fallen and they must now serve Their successor… they'd likely think I was scheming something."

Viagetta responded bluntly. Dorothy furrowed her brow and asked again.

"So the problem is that Heaven's Arbiter only revealed the Seer's oracle to you? Why only you?"

"That… I don't know. The Divine Mentor never explained. Aside from me, They weren't willing to reveal Their plans to anyone else. It's as if They deliberately wanted no one besides me—hidden in the depths of history—to know that They had chosen a successor far in the future…

"Besides me, the only one who might have sensed something was Shepsuna, the 'Radiant Mind'. The Divine Mentor seemed to have given her some form of enlightenment—letting her glimpse a vague outline of Their intent. But it was only that—an outline. Shepsuna doesn't know the exact content of the oracle like I do."

Dorothy pondered this, then asked again.

"So the four pharaohs would rather believe in the Arbiter's return than in the rise of a successor? And what about you? Don't you hope for Their return? Are you really willing to give this godhood to me—rather than use it to try and resurrect Them?"

Viagetta fell silent for a moment before replying.

"Of course, I long for Their return. But in the oracle They gave me, the Divine Mentor stated clearly: after Their fall, They will never return. If anyone claims to be Them after that, or declares Their return—it is false. It is blasphemy.

"He warned me: Never attempt to resurrect Them by any means. Even if it succeeds… the one who returns will no longer be Them."

"…No longer Them…"

Dorothy echoed quietly, brows furrowed. Just as she was pondering the meaning of those words, Viagetta spoke again.

"From here on, you're bound to encounter our old colleagues. So I have some suggestions—for how to approach them."

"Suggestions? I'm all ears."

Dorothy replied directly.

Viagetta's voice continued.

"Among the four, the one you should consider approaching first is Shepsuna. Of the five High Sage Kings of the Sacred Dynasty, she was the only woman besides me—and once stood at the pinnacle of the Foresight Path. As I said before, she glimpsed a portion of the future and could, to some degree, sense the Divine Mentor's will. She was the one closest to Them—second only to me—and the one who most respected Their will.

"If she can correctly discern Their intent, she may accept you more readily than the others. But… be cautious. Approach her carefully. Don't let misunderstandings arise."

"Next is Setut. Once a master of the Roaring Fury Path, his nature is—contrary to that name—the calmest and kindest among us. He always cared most for ordinary mortals. The nation he ruled was one of the most vibrant of the Sacred Dynasty.

"Even as an undead, I doubt he'd stay confined to a tomb. He's probably out exploring, more in tune with the changing times. You may find him easier to talk to."

"Then there's Taharka, once the apex of the Spiritual Threads Path… He's the one who cares least about mortals. He possesses a powerful desire to control, having ruled his nation and people like puppets. He was a brilliant ruler—and a cold one. His kingdom was the strongest, yet also the most unfeeling.

"He's obsessed with gathering subordinates—of all races—and compelling them to serve him with true loyalty. His pride is immense… Even I sometimes couldn't command him. No one but the Divine Mentor ever earned his complete allegiance. So if you deal with him—be very, very careful. He will likely never recognize you."

Viagetta continued speaking slowly, while Dorothy carefully recorded everything in her heart. After she finished speaking about the first three, she paused briefly before continuing on to the fourth.

"Finally… there's Hafdar. He will likely be the most difficult for you to deal with—or perhaps utterly impossible. He was once the guide of the Lost Divinity Path, and among us, he pursued scholarship and mystical research with the deepest dedication and the most obsession. His talents and achievements were unparalleled. But he was also a stubborn fanatic. Though a genius, his methods were extreme and rigid. It was he who developed the ritual that turned the four of them into undead.

"Because of his personality and talents, he is also the most unpredictable after all these long years.

"Hafdar sees the Divine Mentor as his one and only teacher—his eternal source of wisdom. It's almost impossible for him to abandon his faith in the Divine Mentor. Even if I personally tried to persuade him, it likely wouldn't work. So he's also the least likely to accept you. It's best not to approach him lightly…"

Viagetta spoke with an ethereal tone, and at this point, her seated corpse had nearly vanished—only her head remained.

Dorothy silently nodded after committing everything to memory. Watching Viagetta fade, she asked one final question.

"Then… one last thing. Do you hope that someday, I can become the second Heaven's Arbiter?"

Her expression was solemn as she asked. The last echo from Viagetta—now fully vanished—responded.

"As for that… I don't know. I hope you can become the second Divine Mentor. But I also hope you don't walk Their old path again...

"I cannot answer your question. Beyond this point in time, I see no further fate. I have no guidance left to offer. So… trust your own choices, Seer of Fate."

Her final words echoed through the vast chamber within the pyramid, slowly fading. On her seat, there remained only a slumped robe—and, atop it, a small floating violet orb.

"…Goodbye, Teacher."

Dorothy exhaled softly at the sight. Just as she reached out toward the hovering orb, Viagetta's voice echoed one last time through the space.

"One final thing… Whether by fate or coincidence, among the people you brought into this history, there is one who carries my blood. If possible… please look after her."

"What?"

Dorothy's eyes widened at the words, brows furrowing as a familiar face surfaced in her mind.

…

Time returned to the present.

In the desert of Busalet, the ancient city of Heopolis still stood beneath the overcast night sky. Above it, Dorothy, clad in Viagetta's robes, hovered midair, replaying her final conversation with the Heaven-Anointed Sage in her mind—having just driven away her formidable enemy.

Down below on the streets of the sacred city, several gazes were fixed on Dorothy. They belonged to the four undead pharaohs who had fought Unina and sustained severe damage. They stared at the figure in the sky, some with anxious or conflicted expressions.

"She won? That wretched aura is gone… Was it Viagetta who won?"

"Seems that way… But the real question now is: is that really Viagetta up there? Something about it just… feels off."

"Hey! Shepsuna! Say something already! Is that Viagetta or not?! You're the one who got restored—wasn't that by using the Divine Mentor's relic?!"

As the pharaohs questioned the identity of the figure above, Hafdar was the first to loudly call out to Shepsuna, who he believed knew more than anyone.

"……"

But Shepsuna—still in her restored human form—stood silently, unmoving, gazing at the sky. She gave no reply. Seeing this, Hafdar gave a scornful snort.

"Tch… Here we go again…"

As if recalling unpleasant memories, Hafdar clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back to the floating figure. He was about to ascend himself and confirm the truth when the figure—"Viagetta"—suddenly moved.

She raised a hand and gently waved. An invisible force swept through the air, and a massive change began.

The vast ancient city began to shed its reality, reverting into countless glowing lines—structures reduced to a lattice of intersecting strands. These glowing constructs thinned rapidly—from intricate to minimal, then to nothing. In mere moments, the entire city vanished into the void.

"The Sacred Land… is returning to history…"

"Wait! Viagetta!"

"Stop! What are you doing?! Viagetta!!"

The three pharaohs cried out in alarm, wanting answers—but "Viagetta" gave no reply. She vanished from the real world together with the entire city.

In an instant, the once-grand capital was gone. The thick fungal fog vanished. The fetid, fleshy terrain disappeared. The magnificent city was no more. All traces of the mystical spectacle had vanished. The Busalet desert returned to its usual desolate state—as if nothing had ever happened.

"Damn that Viagetta… What is she thinking?! Just because she's the guardian of the Sacred Land, she thinks she can ignore us?!"

"She inherited the Divine Mentor's greatest legacy… She's the only one of us who still retains her full power, yet for thousands of years she's done nothing but hide in the depths of history! Why should someone like that have the Divine Mentor's favor?! I'll—ugh…"

Hafdar roared in anger at the sudden disappearance of Heopolis and "Viagetta." But mid-rant, a strange surge coursed through his spirit, cutting him off. He staggered, raised his withered hand—and saw fresh blood filaments still running through his mummified fingers.

Clearly, Unina's divine corruption during the battle had severely damaged their spirits. Though her retreat had purged her godhood from the area, the damage and spiritual residue remained—and couldn't be easily removed.

"…Say something, Shepsuna. What was that 'Viagetta' really up to?"

On the other side, Taharka turned to Shepsuna, asking in a heavy tone.

Shepsuna, now back in her undead form, was silently restoring her veil over her terrifying face. Calmly, she replied.

"Everyone… we're all badly injured. Now is not the time for bickering. Let me return you to your tombs so you can recover. Once you've regained your strength, we can discuss this again."

With that, Shepsuna raised a hand. A massive necromantic summoning array glowed beneath the feet of Hafdar, Taharka, and Setut.

"Wait—Shepsuna—!"

Setut tried to stop her, but she had already activated the spell and whispered softly.

"Necromantic Repatriation."

As her words fell, the summoning array flared, and the three pharaohs were returned to their tombs. Left alone, Shepsuna looked skyward—toward the space where "Viagetta" had stood—then conjured a summoning array for herself.

With another flash of spiritual light, Shepsuna vanished.

The desert of Busalet fell silent once again, returning to its empty stillness, as though nothing had ever happened.

…

Taking advantage of the last remnants of the buff given by Viagetta, Dorothy returned Heopolis to the depths of pseudo-history, concealing it once more. In doing so, she deliberately chose not to engage directly with the undead pharaohs.

Thanks to Viagetta's earlier warnings, Dorothy understood clearly: the undead pharaohs might not accept her identity as the successor to Heaven's Arbiter. The reason they gathered to defend the Sacred Land against Unina was because they still held loyalty to the Arbiter.

But if someone suddenly appeared claiming that Heaven's Arbiter had completely fallen, would never return, and that they would replace Them as successor—it was highly unlikely such a group would accept it easily. Therefore, Dorothy believed that directly confronting them as the Arbiter's heir was unwise. Too many uncertain variables—too many things beyond her control.

Thus, she chose for now to avoid engaging the four pharaohs. Later, when the time was right, she would approach them one by one—as Viagetta had suggested—from the more approachable to the more difficult. She would gradually work to win over their support. If she could win even one over, that would be enough. If she couldn't win them all, so be it.

After returning Heopolis to pseudo-history, Dorothy removed Viagetta's robes within the inner world and carefully stored them away. Changing back into her own clothing, she rose once more into the air and cast one last glance toward the grand ancient city buried deep in the desert of pseudo-history. Then, just as Viagetta's power was about to fade, she used it to transport herself out of pseudo-history, returning to the real world.

The place where Dorothy reappeared was not the battlefield where she'd fought Unina. Instead, it was a remote desert not far from Bastis, where Nephthys, Vania, and Ivy—now reduced to just an iron coffin—were currently gathered. Dorothy had deliberately sent them there earlier for safety.

"How did it go, Scholar? What happened out there?"

Seeing Dorothy suddenly appear, Vania immediately asked anxiously. After confirming that everyone before her was safe, Dorothy responded.

"It's over. I successfully entered the Sacred Land left behind by the First Dynasty in Busalet and spoke with an ancient sage who had inherited the Divine Mentor's legacy. She personally intervened and successfully drove out that great traitor of Radiance you were worried about. At the very least, she won't be returning anytime soon. We're safe for now."

Dorothy's calm explanation brought immense relief. Nephthys, who had been nervously on edge, let out a long sigh and plopped down onto the sand.

"Whew… So we really drove her off, huh? That wasn't easy. After everything I've heard from you, that woman sounded terrifying. Thank goodness she's gone…"

As Nephthys spoke with relief, Dorothy gave her a long, silent look—so intense that it made Nephthys visibly uncomfortable.

"Uhh… Scholar? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing."

Dorothy's voice returned to its usual calm.

"Anyway, since the crisis is over, let us part ways for now. Radiance faithful—I hope that once you report this to Holy Mount, they'll begin taking the expansion of the Afterbirth Cult much more seriously."

She glanced toward the iron coffin beside them.

"Thank you all for your help today, descendants of Revelation. I'll provide Lady Amanda with a full report on what transpired. The reappearance of the traitor Unina, now directly blessed by the evil god known as the Mother of Chalice—that alone will shake Holy Mount to its core. I only hope the Cardinal Council can come together when that time comes."

From within the coffin, Ivy responded.

"Our thanks to you as well. So much happened tonight… I'll need time just to organize the details before reporting. A heretic who defected four hundred years ago has now resurfaced—and what's more, she's become the leader of the most powerful heretical cult in existence. This is one of the most significant events to strike Holy Mount in centuries. It will demand the full attention of every cardinal."

"But that's not all," Ivy continued.

"There's also the resurgence of the ancient Church of Revelation. I can now confirm that this so-called Heaven's Arbiter Sect is indeed the legitimate successor of the First Dynasty from seven thousand years ago. And before my eyes, they reclaimed their former Sacred Land—and within that Sacred Land, there may be ancient sages powerful enough to repel even a god-blessed Unina."

Though she had not seen the battle directly, Ivy had witnessed the miraculous reappearance of that grand city, the Sacred Land. She saw it stretch across the horizon until it reached even where she stood. She saw Yunina—seemingly invincible—be driven back. This proved that this ancient legacy still possessed tremendous power, something Holy Mount could not afford to ignore.

"For us to repel a servant of an evil god, your strength was vital," Ivy said to Dorothy.

"I hope that in the future, we'll have more opportunities to cooperate against the spread of heresy."

Hearing the underlying message, Dorothy chuckled softly.

"Cooperation, hmm… Not impossible. But before that, you'll need your cardinals to get their act together and form a unified front."

Dorothy's tone was casual but firm. Ivy hesitated slightly before answering.

"In a time of crisis, I believe the cardinals will overcome their divisions…"

"Let's hope so."

Dorothy smiled after replying, then reached out and grabbed the still-resting Nephthys by the shoulder, startling her.

"Wha—?!"

"We're leaving."

With that, Dorothy used the last remnants of the power Viagetta had left her to once again traverse the pseudo-history world. She planned to exit it near Busalet's border, taking Nephthys with her to avoid any direct contact with the inevitable Church reinforcements.

As they traveled swiftly through the depths of pseudo-history, Dorothy began to reflect on the greatest reward she had obtained from Heopolis—not just godhood, but also the thing that had been her goal all along.

The Gold-rank Ritual of the Pure Reason Path: Heaven-Anointed Sage.

To advance, one must:

—Learn a mystic history related to six domains;

—Discover the pasts of six current or former major deities;

—Discern their present conditions;

—And personally witness their true forms—or a portion thereof.