A gray fortress stood alone in the desolate wilderness, looking like a dormant beast in the midst of the vast wind and snow that almost obscured the view.

However, if you get closer, you can see that the inside of the large floor-to-ceiling glass window, which looks like the eyes of a "giant beast", is bright and warm. On the dance floor with a high dome, figures staggered back and forth, pushing cups and changing lamps. The asymmetrical candelabra of thirty-nine on the left and thirty-eight on the right hung high above their heads, embellishing the ball with splendor and grandeur.

On the second-level platform at the edge of the dance floor, Vanna holds a crystal goblet filled with light gin, looking down. In her eyes, the people on the dance floor who hugged and danced to the rhythm of the band all had illusory black lines extending upward, thin and numerous, densely packed.

Most of the ends of the black lines spread to the ends of the void at infinity.

The rest of the part, however, is clearly rooted into the depths of the castle, swaying like seaweed pushed by the current, pulling the various parts of the people connected to the black line, guiding them to perform all kinds of movements that are no different from ordinary people, even the ornate and trivial court dance steps.

The black lines on Vanna's own body, although equally ethereal and illusory, did not stretch out to any place, but formed a standard circle end-to-end, constantly swimming back and forth, resisting the faint attraction in the depths of the castle.

At the moment of entering this historical hole, Vana first felt that the joints of her body were as heavy and stiff as filled with lead water, and then a certain intuitive picture appeared in her mind, intuitively seeing her skin yellow-brown and shriveled, like a worn-out doll that had been buried for a long time, and countless raised flesh buds surging under the skin, like tiny worms hiding in each cell.

On the other hand, in the face of those black spirit threads that are enough to make ordinary people feel dizzy and frightened, and in the face of those secret puppets who unconsciously fiddle with others, Fanna did not feel any psychological discomfort, but instead had an urge to reach out and play with the lines and "direct" a grand drama herself.

This slightly detached, seemingly controllable feeling, briefly fascinated Vanna. This caused her to fluctuate spiritually, and the worms that wriggled under her skin became more active, growing outwards and turning into translucent worms.

For a moment, Vanna's appearance and outline as a "human" seemed to be blurred, and at any moment it would disintegrate into a mass of transparent worms, each running to different places.

Soon, however, the sensation of strangeness faded and disappeared, replaced by knowledge and memories that flooded into the mind.

As Vanna's memories continue to recover, a large area of lost historical fog is lit up one by one. If a high-level "audience" is present, you can see that Fanna's mental island is also changing, and the surrounding subconscious sea is brewing a terrible storm. With the crackling sound of shattered glass, the illusory islands that originally reflected many of the Fifth Age Indisian-style scenery disintegrated one by one, revealing their true faces.

It looks like a silhouette of the eerie Quaternary period, with asymmetrical buildings and streets, which are particularly depressed and silent due to heavy snowfall.

Clustered high above these intersecting streets is the castle where she is now, and together they form a small town called "Diran". In the Quaternary period, the word had a variety of meanings, such as "stable and unshakable".

"Whew, this is the 'Spirit Thread'......"

After initially regaining her self-awareness, Vanna withdrew her gaze, raised her hand and pressed it around her eyes with a slight headache, consciously reining in her spirituality and calming down.

Antigonus wasn't with her. Having served as a duke in the Quaternary Age, he could also enter the "Diran" through his own historical hole, but the scenery would never be the same as that of Vanna.

- This is some kind of law that cannot be broken, and "historians" can only go to times or events that they have experienced or know enough about. Although the demon wolf has experienced a long time among angels, it does not have the omniscient and all-powerful authority to spy on every inch of the history that has happened in the world.

Here I am safe, at least for a short time...... Thoughts flashed through her as she looked at the glass in her hand and placed it back on the long table with cold cuts and desserts.

The knowledge in her mind told her that the higher sequence of the soothsayer's path could even evoke the spirit thread of the dead.

When visiting a family of soothsayers, it is best not to touch any food.

"Although, I should consider this a 'homecoming' rather than a guest......"

Passing through the bustle of people and secret couples, Fanna muttered silently out of the ballroom, away from where the warm candlelight could shine, and slowly ascended the stairs by the faint crimson moonlight leaking through the narrow stone windows, the sound of footsteps "knocking" through the silent corridor where no one was there.

Away from the crowds, the castle became eerie and silent again, the axe-like patterns on the walls looming in the dimness. Vanna touched the counterintuitive patterns with her hand, and remembered that when she was very young, she seemed to have been lucky enough to see the only emperor who made all kinds of twisted laws.

He left only a dark and distorted but extraordinarily majestic silhouette in Vanna's memory, and there was no way to get a glimpse of his true face.

However, the immortal emperor who had been circulating in the Northern Continent for hundreds of years finally fell due to betrayal. While the two order-devouring consuls sat on their thrones opposite each other, the Zarathus, who had been loyal to the emperor himself, retreated north with the emperor's descendants with the "true creator" and established the Second Empire.

The "Dilan", a worthless town that had been abandoned and abandoned due to its proximity to the territory of the northern giants, has since become one of the most important frontier layouts, and has been garrisoned by the Zarathu family.

At that time, Vanna was one of the leading families who was sent here, ranking in the fourth sequence of "Sorcerers".

As a demigod who experienced the heyday of Solomon's First Empire, and as a junior with the blessing of the family's ancestors, Vanna still had some vigorous ambition in her heart at that time. Even though there were seven gods and several extraordinary families in the adjacent path, and there were many talented family members like her, she still had a chance to move up.

Reminiscing and moving forward, Vana quickly ascended to the third floor of the main fort, through a long gallery hung with large portraits, and towards the heavy door that led to the study.

Before she could raise her hand and knock on the door, the door opened automatically, and a large pale yellow light as thin as water poured out.

This light does not dispel all shadows, but rather interweaves and sways with them, making what is seen and heard more blurred, as if a veil is cast over the eyes, giving people a sense of mystery and inscruciability.

Vanna's breath faltered slightly, she lowered her head respectfully, controlled all her expressions with the help of her extraordinary abilities, and walked into the room.

She is now both browsing history and "participating" it, unable to be as free as a real spectator, but can only play her past self and act step by step according to her memory.

In the room, several family members, tall and short, male and female, also stood silently like stone statues, their eyes drooping, waiting for the ancestor of the family who sat on the throne to speak.

After Vana was in place, it seemed that the people had arrived, and the low voice of the ancestor of Zarathu, who could not hear the specific age, sounded loudly, and said slowly in a tone peculiar to a soothsayer:

"The tide of the times is about to sweep over......

"The fate of both you and your family will go in an unpredictable direction.

"Hehe, you are all the young generation that the family can be proud of in recent years. I know that many of you aspire to go further on the path of the extraordinary, to truly cross that boundary, to reach the top of the extraordinary world.

"It will be the best of times and the worst of times for you...... Now, the family is willing to give you a chance. ”

Tuk, tuk...... The ancestor of Zarathu tapped his fingers on the table, and said with a smile the knowledge that the younger generations coveted:

"Sequence three, 'Ancient Scholars'. The recipe for the potion is: a pair of eyes and 100 milliliters of blood from the dog of Fugen; The Floccy Heart of the Wolf of the Mist...... The ceremony is......

"The ritual is to be completely detached from reality for at least three hundred years, to take a potion after it has become history and does not belong to the current era!"

Although the pre-sequence has an extremely strong ability to control the limbs, so that several family children can still maintain respectful listening expressions on the surface, under the spiritual vision of the sequence of the day angel, the mental luster of several little guys who are instantly active cannot be concealed.

It would have been nice to have access to the next Potion recipe.

But with so many people getting it at the same time, it's worth thinking about.

The Extraordinary Family is extremely generous in the cultivation of its descendants, but it is also extremely cold and realistic, and no one who can ascend to the demigod level will still have naïve thoughts. Although they didn't bring any seals with them when they came to meet the ancestors, it did not prevent them from secretly preparing to borrow power through various methods, obtain miracles, and slaughter blood relatives.

Only Fanna, who seemed to be a person in the game and was actually a chess watcher, felt in a trance after hearing the requirements of the promotion ceremony, and finally lit up this historical hole completely.

After the resurrection of the "Black Emperor" Solomon, the two empires have two true gods, which are enough to form a wrestle in the battle of the gods.

But on the other hand, in the rank of angels, the Second Empire is at an absolute disadvantage, with only four Angels in the first order. And except for the "Angel of Destiny" Ulorius, the remaining Medici, Zarathu Ancestor, and Zoroaster will all face a powerful threat from the same or adjacent paths.

Even though he remained loyal to Solomon, the ancestors of Zarathu had to think about how to preserve their family's bloodline in the worst-case scenario.

This is not just a matter of human nature, but also a practical consideration.

If one day he is to be resurrected by the imprint of extraordinary traits, a descendant who is related by blood and has a strong occult connection to Him is always the best choice.

There is no chance of becoming a god for the time being, and the risk of switching adjacent paths will not be reduced...... After all this consideration, combined with the promotion ceremony of the "Ancient Scholars", the ancestor of Zarathu selected several descendants with excellent qualifications and let them advance through "false" potions. One of the main materials of this "false" potion is the projection of history.

"For at least three hundred years, we will be able to avoid the disasters and wars of most of the extraordinary worlds......"

Vana whispered to herself, looking up as she stepped out of the queue.

With her act of "breaking" the established trajectory, the pores of history trembled, and the other Zarathus in the room also looked at Fanna.

Like her, they have brown and lively eyes, and they have a young or old but equally attractive appearance, and they are not particularly delicate or beautiful.

Because their ancestors have always taught them that the most important thing for a true "Faceling" is to recognize themselves.

Some inexplicable complex thought took root in his chest. Vanna was silent for a moment, then continued: "After successfully completing the ritual and waking up, the effectiveness of the false main material will not be maintained, and out of the instinct of aggregation and self-completion, we will inevitably actively seek out or passively approach the original main material that has a mystical connection to that historical projection. ”

Sitting upright on the throne, the almost dark eyes of the ancestor of Zarathu reflected the figure of Fanna gradually approaching.

On the table in front of him sat a crystalline heart the size of a toddler's head, and the translucent valves and chambers were filled with a grayish-white viscous mist that slowly stirred as if it were still alive.

In the void of history, where everything is in the past, only the heart of this demon wolf of the fog is real, a precious gift left by the ancient family to the descendants.

Feeling a strong desire to unite herself, Vanna did not hesitate to reach out to this heart.

As soon as the two came into contact, the heart of the Misty Demon Wolf was inevitably absorbed into Vanna, completing the mutilated trait and promoting her to become a true "Ancient Scholar"!

A faint smile appeared on the face of the ancestor of Zarathu, and it cracked and vanished along with the other false apparitions, leaving only a whisper that was barely audible:

"Remember, all the gifts of fate have already been marked with a price code......"

Antigonus, who was quietly waiting in the depths of the fog of history, also opened his eyes at this time and looked around.

The course of history has changed, but it has not caused any waves in the real world. Only certain high-level sequences contaminated with the authority of fate can see that the tributary of fate, which has been stagnant for a long time, finally swells up in new waves and is subsumed into the tide of the times.

Vanna's figure stepped out of the hole in history. Behind her, the castle of Diran, which has lost its owner, is like a gray and white photograph framed in a grand ball.

One day the Sages looked at each other for a long time, and Antigonus calmly asked, "What is that?" ”

He saw Vanna holding an envelope in her hand.

The latter's expression was a little stiff, between indifference and serenity, as if he was still adjusting to the divine conflict brought about by promotion, but his gaze still softened for a moment when he fell on the envelope.

It stands to reason that soothsayers who are prone to schizophrenic tendencies need "anchors" early on to stabilize their state, and the probability of a sudden promotion like Vanna's can reach a terrifying height.

However, due to the special nature of the promotion ceremony and promotion materials, the unique historical pores that the Zarathu family had mastered acted as "anchors" at this time, giving her enough buffer time to adjust herself.

"To be honest, I thought I was going to get the seals that had been handed down by my family, or the recipes and materials." Vanna was even in the mood to curl the corners of her mouth and make a small joke, "But only one letter...... I haven't watched it yet. ”

As she spoke, she opened the envelope and pulled out a thin sheet of paper.

It seems that the person who wrote the letter didn't have a lot to say to her.

Or maybe it's too late to say more.

Elegantly handwritten, italicized letters, neatly arranged, clearly state:

"To my compatriots:

"I was the first lucky one to complete the ceremony and complete the promotion.

"Hehe, maybe the only one.

"After the fall of my ancestors and the decay and dispersion of my family, I took the inheritance here and secretly established an esoteric order. In the year 1351 of the Fifth Age, I retrieved the Sequence One trait that once belonged to us from the sleeping ancestors of Antigonus, and I was successfully promoted.

"The end is near, and I have ushered in the final test and opportunity to compete for the position of 'fool'. If I succeed, the letter will be destroyed.

"If I fail, I will be left behind to guide the members of the Esoteric Order in their search for the extraordinary properties of my early separation.

"Those who are not descendants of Zarathu will be attracted to Orville and will be promoted using the traits I have fully digested, and will become my resurrection vessels; Those who have the blood of the Zarathu family will be attracted by the castle of Diran, and use the materials left by their ancestors to promote safely.

"Congratulations, my brother or sister, after spanning thousands of years of history, you have finally become a complete 'Ancient Scholar'.

"It's a pity that the 'fool' is not me.

"The Ancestors once said, 'All gifts are marked with a price,' but fortunately I have nothing left to give you, so you don't have to pay anything.

"Choose. We are clowns who are often teased by fate, faceless people who have nowhere to stay, miracle masters who can only have a moment of happiness. But there is only choice, and there is priceless freedom that is eternal and unchanging.

"May you not forget the name of Zarathu."