"I think I've discovered something…"
Lilith turned around, and Truman's brow twitched, a bad feeling rising.
"Every living body seems to contain a kind of 'divinity,' but they're so weak—why do they have 'divinity'?"
Before Lilith stood a humanoid creature… woven entirely from flowers and grass.
Its grass-woven body was eerily agile, leaping from Lilith's hand to the ground, dancing clumsily, almost comically at first glance.
"As an ancient god, I never paid attention to creatures below demigod. Now, I'm finding something different."
Lilith's eyes lit up, and for the first time, Truman saw a new spark in them.
Curiosity?
He wasn't sure, but for Lilith, it likely wasn't a bad thing.
"This isn't exactly good news for me," Truman said, kicking the humanoid creature aside.
"If divinity exists in every living body, what about humanity? I realize my understanding of humanity was too simplistic."
"So, I think I need some references."
Lilith plucked a blade of grass, her floral crown glowing faintly. The grass writhed, coming alive, even gaining a rudimentary "soul."
"You're planning to give these things true souls and lives to act out what humanity is?"
"What do you think?" Lilith looked at Truman.
"I think you should see these things' true nature." Truman sighed, dispelling the dreamlight in the castle.
This castle, built by him, suppressed a certain madness. This was why Lilith's anomalies spread but didn't cause mass casualties in the territory.
When he withdrew the dreamlight, that madness, unbound, erupted.
The "items" Lilith had forcibly given life to underwent horrific transformations.
The maid who'd greeted Truman swelled, limbs and rotting corpses bursting from her body, tearing her robe, exposed.
Her form shifted constantly—werewolf, wraith, puppet—bearing traits of all three.
The "humanoid creature" Truman kicked collapsed into a writhing mass of uncanny flesh, laced with the scent of flowers, trees, and grass.
The newly ensouled grass became a tangle of fleshy tentacles.
Worse, countless blood-red eyes with tentacles crawled from crevices, dancing chaotically, radiating disordered madness that even stirred Truman's destructive urges.
Even Lilith looked repulsed. This was what she'd suppressed before meeting Truman—the world's essence.
"Broadly, humanity might not need to be sought in humans, but these things, rooted in madness, are what you least want to see."
"You gave them life and crude souls, but you know they can't become true life." Truman restrained himself, still nauseated.
"Purify!" He channeled external sunlight into the castle.
This was the Sun God's divine kingdom; without dreamlight's barrier, such filthy, evil things couldn't survive here.
"Ah!" Nearly all the monsters wailed under the sunlight's purification, unable to resist.
Only the "Puppet" characteristic's stitched monstrosity showed resistance.
But Truman glanced at it, and the "Puppet" became a marionette, stepping out from a pile of ashes.
"You must ensure your actions don't trouble others."
Truman sat before Lilith.
"To us, these things are trivial, but to ordinary humans, they're catastrophic."
"Your inquiry into humanity and divinity isn't wrong," Truman commented, drawing on his understanding of the world's essence.
Lilith's eyes brightened, fixed on Truman, awaiting his answer.
"All things bear divinity, from the original Creator," Truman shared a later-era insight. "Humanity, though, you must find yourself."
"I can tell you it's possible."
Later eras saw two wolf cubs achieve it.
"But as a friend, I hope you can temper your curiosity with restraint and discipline," Truman advised sincerely.
"Desire, restraint, discipline…" Lilith mused. "Is that your understanding of humanity?"
Truman paused, recalling he'd once said desire was part of humanity.
"Alright, I agree, for our friendship," Lilith nodded lightly.
"…Good." Truman nodded, letting dreamlight fall again, seeping into the castle, blocking the sunlight.
He spent time restoring the dream territory, saving those tainted by the puppet.
Amid devotees' grateful praises, Truman left, seeking Sasrir.
"You've seen the Scroll of Civilization. What's your next move?" Truman asked directly.
Among the Sun God's angels, he was unique, with an autonomous territory, personal devotees, and the ability to speak so candidly with the Right Hand of God.
"The right future will come," Sasrir replied, devoid of other emotions, willing to share future plans with Truman.
Truman was among the few unbothered by his status.
Truman nodded lightly. The future in the Scroll of Civilization would arrive, meaning centuries remained before the Ancient Sun God's divine war to reclaim authority.
"Alright, if you need me, find me. I'm preparing to enter the Book of Dreams."
"Enter?!" Sasrir's pupils shrank, his face grave.
"Yes, enter! I'll return intermittently," Truman chuckled, having made great progress in exploring the Book.
"Be careful," Sasrir warned, suspecting the Book of Dreams was a Sefirah-like entity.
From his perspective, entering the Chaos Sea wasn't so simple, was it?
He wielded the Chaos Sea's power only through the Blasphemy Slate.
Sasrir said no more, only cautioning.
Truman smiled and nodded.
He returned to the dream statue, merging into it, plunging into the Book of Dreams in a dim space.
His goal was the depths of the Dream Ocean, a resplendent realm, like a convergence of all beings' dreams, desires, and aspirations across time.
(End of Chapter)