Cerces quietly watched Anaxagoras.
As expected, the words that came out of his mouth were exactly what she anticipated.
"I'm certain of this now: Before the Titans that we are well acquainted with were born, a group of heroes roamed the land."
"These heroes followed a prophecy and took possession of divine authorities one by one, until they eventually became the pantheon of the new world..."
"...Just like the Flame-Chase Journey of today. Amphoreus' history is cyclical in nature."
Anaxagoras looked straight at Kephale, speaking his thoughts without the slightest concern.
This was already a final conclusion, a settled matter.
Hearing this, Cerces recalled the scenes she had just witnessed. A faint smile formed on her lips. "Heh, what a startling revelation... This means that the demigods who bear the Coreflames will also become the new Titans at the World's End, thereby shaping a new world?"
She no longer doubted the truth of the information.
Just as Anaxagoras had said, there was no longer any need for doubt.
"I believe that this is the truth behind the "Era Nova" as mentioned in the prophecy."
Anaxagoras nodded.
Golden Scions, Demigods, Titans, Genesis. And then the next cycle repeats the same process, sustaining Amphoreus in this way.
"This is... utterly unbelievable." Castorice's eyes flickered.
...
: Alright, it's confirmed. The cyclical theory is basically certain now.
: Phew… Anaxagoras really set up a massive stage for us and put on quite a show.
: So at its core, it's cyclical!?
: Holy shit, that line from that PV just came back to me, wasn't it about right from the start…?
: What was the next line again?
: …Hope… despair… something like that.
: Bruh!
: Stop joking around for a second, guys! Amphoreus's cyclical nature must have some meaning.
: How could a normal world fall into such an endless cycle?
: This kind of cycle must be strongly related to the Black Tide. Otherwise, I can't think of any reason for it.
...
Across the comments, viewers speculated endlessly. Many of their guesses had already been confirmed.
Yet one lingering question remained in their minds: What is the meaning of this cycle…?
In a normal world, even when facing an apocalypse, like Jarilo, that world would follow a clear trajectory:
Apocalypse → gather strength → continue resisting → until burned to ashes or saved.
A clear, downward path from peak to end.
But when viewers ran through Amphoreus's cycle in their minds, the pattern became:
Apocalypse → recreate the world → apocalypse → recreate the world?
The most intuitive feeling was that Amphoreus seemed completely incapable of resisting the apocalypse.
The situation would rapidly deteriorate in a short time.
Even with power far surpassing Jarilo's, it still couldn't prevent this from happening.
All they could do was settle for the next best option, restart the world.
But even after restarting, the threat of the apocalypse remained, leading to the repeated cycle described above.
Good grief. Is this basically bug abuse?
Putting the cycle aside, just the fact that these people could continuously recreate the world, where does that kind of power even come from?
And despite possessing such power, they still couldn't contend with the Black Tide. So what exactly is the Black Tide?
Peeling back layer after layer, the viewers found answers to some questions, only to be left with even more.
But they didn't mind too much. From a viewing experience alone, the story Anaxagoras presented was shocking enough, and the characters were vividly brought to life.
It didn't lose at all to the previous two episodes.
...
: Can't figure it out…
: Why do I feel like Amphoreus is like an onion? Peel one layer, and there's another.
: Yeah, seriously…
: If we could witness a re-creation firsthand, maybe all the answers would become clear.
: But that prophecy about everyone parting from one person, and only that person being able to witness the miracle… that really worries me.
: This cycle has outsiders involved though, maybe that'll change things.
: Setting aside all the mysteries, this part really brought Anaxagoras to life.
: The conflict between humans and gods was written so well.
: Feels like Castorice is about to get more development too.
...
The comments scrolled past.
On screen, after finishing his explanation of the "truth," Anaxagoras paused briefly.
Partly to give Castorice a moment to catch her breath and also to assign her a new task.
After a moment, Anaxagoras walked closer, looking into her eyes as he spoke seriously. "Castorice, I need you to complete your part now."
"Please, go ahead." Castorice suppressed the turmoil in her mind and nodded.
"In our world, there exists a city which perfectly matches that description: Styxia."
"And take this: The Nousporists' masterpiece: the Philosopher's Stone. It was made by transmuting all of the Sages' wisdom into a single entity, with their flesh and blood as its foundation."
"Think about the story of the dragon. This stone will lead you to your real hometown, allowing you to reform the door to the nether realm and discover Thanatos's fate."
Anaxagoras crossed his arms, his tone calm.
"But before that, Castorice, with the assembly about to begin, don't forget the promise you've made."
"Soon, I will inform Caenis that you are my ally, and that you will stand with me to secure the three most critical votes."
The tangled mess in Castorice's mind finally cleared a little.
She looked at Anaxagoras, her mouth opening slightly in surprise, wanting to say something, yet she obediently closed it again.
Only one thought remained in her heart: Anaxagoras is pulling off something clever again…
She had originally been prepared to walk down a dark path with Anaxagoras, all for the sake of saving the Stelle.
But now, Anaxagoras was basically telling her, that earlier was just an act.
He was never on Caenis' side. He was just playing along. One could imagine how Castorice felt at this moment.
And the viewers felt the same.
From their perspective, Anaxagoras had been driving at full speed, rushing forward, even taking Caenis along for the ride.
Then suddenly, he slammed the brakes, spun the wheel, drifted, and switched to a completely different road.
And yet, somehow, everyone felt, that what Anaxagoras did was absolutely right.
Instead, they thought… Yeah, that's exactly the kind of thing he would do. Nothing surprising.
...
: Bruh…
: Why am I not even surprised?
: Anaxagoras is basically like a small child, does whatever he wants, goes wherever he pleases.
: I'm dying of laughter!
: So true!
: If he wants to ally with Caenis, he does it. If he doesn't, he just switches to Aglaea.
: Morality, alliances, those are basically jokes to someone like him.
: Feels like Caenis is about to suffer.
: Hahaha, serves him right. That idiot keeps going on about citizens and rules, he needs someone like Anaxagoras who doesn't care about rules to deal with him.
: Exactly.
...
The audience burst into laughter. They had also been drawn in by that moment from Anaxagoras.
Right now, all they felt was a wave of joy. This move perfectly suited everyone's tastes.
Then, under Anaxagoras's detailed arrangements, everyone began to see the rough direction things would take next.
Caenis invited him to form an alliance, but in reality, it was to use the upcoming citizens' assembly, using votes and speeches to completely suppress Aglaea and the others.
And the votes of the Chrysos Heirs were crucial. That's why, even when Anaxagoras lashed out at Caenis so aggressively, she had to endure it.
However, the audience felt no tension or worry at all. Instead, every single one of them was filled with anticipation.
Anaxagoras had already decided to act as a double agent, and at the citizens' assembly, in front of everyone, he would reveal the truth he had discovered.
Who wouldn't look forward to seeing Anaxagoras show off there?
Even more interestingly, because of the "defection" of the two Chrysos Heirs, that Caenis would definitely believe things were going her way.
The audience could hardly wait to see the look on Caenis' face.
After confirming the plan, Anaxagoras and Castorice immediately began to act.
....
Outside the Demigod Council, with the help of golden threads and nymphs, the general movements of Anaxagoras and Castorice were almost completely transparent to Aglaea.
But the one thing she didn't know was that the two had already secretly negotiated in the Dawncloud.
At this moment, outside the Demigod Council, the place was bustling with people.
Phainon, Stelle, Aglaea, and Tribbie stood together in a group, discussing in low voices.
"Not long ago, the Council of Elders sent people here. It seems they're preparing to make a move." Aglaea looked at the nearby crowd, her eyes deep as she spoke calmly.
"Make a move?!" Stelle widened her eyes, saying in disbelief, "What now?!"
Seeing Stelle's reaction, Phainon couldn't help but laugh, and even Aglaea, despite having little humanity left, let out a faint chuckle.
"It's not what you think."
"This is the Demigod Council. There are still certain rules and procedures. Caenis has sent people to invite the Chrysos Heirs faction to debate with her."
"To decide whether to continue the Flame-Chase Journey."
Aglaea patiently explained to Stelle.
"A debate..." Stelle rubbed her head, looking troubled. "If Himeko were here, maybe... but me... I probably wouldn't be much help."
"The debate itself is secondary. What matters is Anaxagoras and Castorice. Their situation is still unclear."
"I don't know whether they've already reached some agreement with the Council of Elders. In short, the situation is extremely unfavorable."
Aglaea sighed, her tone weary. Caenis truly was as cunning as a venomous snake.
After the Chrysos Heirs faction suffered a series of heavy blows, she immediately made her move.
The information brought by the golden threads connected into a clear chain in Aglaea's mind.
First, she advanced the assembly and spread the news among the citizens, without informing Aglaea. Then, she took the opportunity to walk openly with Anaxagoras through the area, letting the public witness it.
Only after all that did she inform Aglaea about the upcoming citizens' assembly.
And because Aglaea's attention had been entirely focused on Anaxagoras the whole time, she had overlooked this.
It could be said that the Chrysos Heirs were already fallen into a passive position.
"For the Council of Elders, deceiving the majority is far easier than deceiving a single person. The so-called citizens' assembly is merely a substitute for spears, a different kind of weapon."
"This debate was never about honor. But precisely because of that, respect for people becomes all the more precious."
"Phainon, you are a flawless Chrysos Heirs, with a deep understanding of humanity."
"This time, I hope you can represent the Chrysos Heirs as the speaker."
After thinking for a moment, Aglaea personally chose Phainon as their representative. Phainon showed no hesitation and nodded seriously in agreement.
"I thought Aglaea would take the stage herself." Stelle scratched her head.
"No. Very little of my humanity remains. Over time, like Caenis, I've gradually distanced myself from the people. If I were to debate, I would only end in complete defeat."
Aglaea's honesty left Stelle at a loss for words. The group fell silent once more.
Aglaea said nothing further and led them into the Demigod Council.
At this time, some time had already passed since Anaxagoras and Castorice went to Dawncloud.
But inside, it was still bustling with voices. Different factions were fiercely debating whether to continue the Flame-Chase Journey. But clearly, Aglaea's side was at a disadvantage.
Not far away, when Caenis saw Aglaea enter with her group, she revealed a smug and sinister smile.
She did not avoid Aglaea's gaze at all.
And behind her, Anaxagoras and Castorice, who had just arrived from Dawncloud, also looked in this direction.
Clearly, Anaxagoras had already completed the final negotiations. Caenis was now brimming with confidence.
Right in front of them, she strode boldly to the very center of the council.
"Honored council members, I deeply miss the beautiful age described in those poems."
"In those times, Amphoreus was home to nearly a thousand city-states of different beliefs. Titans walked among mortals, living closely with them."
"But now, refugees from all directions have left their homes and flocked to the Holy City. We have nowhere left to retreat."
"In the past, we had no choice. But now, the Council of Elders has brought us another possibility."
"That is, to abandon this futile act of recreating the world! To reshape the world of humanity, and return Amphoreus to its Golden Age!"
Caenis spread her arms wide. Her words carried a powerful sense of incitement.
"But how can you reverse time? Even Oronyx doesn't have such power to return to the Golden Age."
Not far away, a reputed figure couldn't hold back any longer.
Voices of agreement rose around him.
Caenis, however, remained completely calm. She stepped aside, allowing Anaxagoras and Castorice to come forward.
"One of the Seven Sages of the Grove of Epiphany, Anaxagoras, and the Hand of Death from Aidonia, Castorice! With these two heroes, I can promise all of you the return of the Golden Age!"
Inside the council, after a brief silence, it instantly erupted into noise.
Supporters of the Chrysos Heirs faction turned pale.
Only the audience, barely holding themselves back...
They still couldn't laugh. Not yet. Now wasn't the time. The still had to hold it in.