On a theological level, Talos and Lorkhan are, to some extent, indeed unified. Setting aside mirror-like actions such as Taibo disemboweling Wulfharth, the mere fact that Taibo, Zurin, and Wulfharth were all identified as Shezarrines (reincarnations of Lorkhan) was enough for Talos to gain Lorkhan's mantle.
Now, he has the most authority to speak to the numidium. After all, both Lorkhan's and Wulfharth's hearts were used to power the numidium; the Brass Tower owed Talos.
In deep space, two angry gods communicated through their souls.
Lorkhan: "Long time no see, Little Monster."
numidium: "..." Its Core shrieked "Deny!" "Deny!" Its rage was unending.
Lorkhan: "Don't be so cold, we can talk. I know you understand, otherwise you wouldn't be wasting time with me here."
numidium: "..." The sound of denial echoing in the void continued to surge, as if it would erupt in an attack at any moment.
Lorkhan: "Oh, you're so quick, aren't you? I know what your situation is. Teenagers are just like you, always saying no, saying opposition, rebellion, individuality, independence. But actually, hey, listen up, you were created, by those bird-men of the Dwemer—never mind them, no matter how loudly you speak, you are just a tool, an obedient tool, hehe, when I first activated you with Wulfharth's heart, I felt like I had discovered a treasure. Sure enough, you were too useful, you directly toppled the Crystal Tower of those pointy-faced bastards."
Every word was like a spear, striking directly at the Brass Tower's soft spot: it was a bound crier, yet it never knew why it cried. Its anger swelled endlessly in namelessness, and now Lorkhan clearly told it—the Brass Tower's existence was a paradox!
The numidium, which had dominated the universe for over six hundred years, shattered into smoke and clouds with a few light words.
Lorkhan secretly wiped a bead of sweat; he had truly been one step away from passing away.
Now, his mission was complete. The numidium was destroyed, the Dragon Break stopped, and countless timelines began to merge.
A transparent, red-glowing heart flew from deep space, merging into Lorkhan's chest. He let out a joyful cry and vanished from this universe.
...
Jonas arrived at the Burial Crypt.
This was a spherical spaceship at The Core of the Leviathan, where the remains of the Serana, the Tranquil Matron, rested.
He passed through unimpeded.
He traversed the relief-carved corridor and reached the burial chamber deep within the spaceship, a small, square room with a complete gravity field and gas circulation system.
Sensing a presence, the magic lights in the four corners of the room gradually lit up. Layers of purple silk curtains hung from the ceiling; the pale white magic light couldn't penetrate them. The muted light had a watery texture, concentrating on a white stone statue in the center of the room.
Jonas gazed at the statue of Serana.
She was the raw stone of Simon's Tower, Simon's "love."
It was she who scattered high-and-mighty faith among mortals. Nourished by this faith, Simon's path of CHIM finally reached completion, allowing him to transcend this world.
It's truly hard to imagine that in countless previous reincarnations, Simon had never fallen in love with anyone, and thus had never mastered CHIM. Only this time, in a few timelines, he fell in love with an unexpected person, letting go of the one he had secretly held in his heart before, and embracing new life.
Simon did not lack love for himself, for humanity, or for the world. What he lacked was selfish love. Serana was his most selfish, most possessive love.
Integrating personal desires and ideals, he took the crucial step of transcending the self.
For an avatar, such an achievement was enough; he could report to the Bodhisattva.
Jonas snapped his fingers, and the statue rose, revealing an upright coffin. The lid slid open, revealing a pale female skeleton.
No, Jonas frowned, the Tranquil Matron's body shouldn't have decayed. She was the raw stone, and should be in a wonderfully activated state, not cold and lifeless like this.
Had the merging of timelines moved her location, and this was a false corpse?
Impossible, Jonas saw through all mysteries, knowing that this was indeed Serana.
Without finding the raw stone, he couldn't shatter Simon's Tower, which was the key to victory.
Perhaps something he didn't remember had happened? The boy snapped his fingers, pulling Septimus Signus from the void, plunging a hand into his brain, and extracting the square tablet.
This was the purpose of the memory device: to record everything in meticulous detail for the God-above-God to review upon waking from his dream.
Past events surfaced.
Through A-Ran's eyes, he saw the Shadow King breaking the Dragon Cocoon in Saarthal, and the Dragon Break rapidly spreading.
This progressed to the time when Serana met Simon, and then this event became a universal event across all timelines.
This current timeline was not the origin of the Dragon Break, but the Shadow King's timeline. In this line, Jonas was a little girl.
But the Serana here was the Serana from the Dragon Break's origin, and the Leviathan was also brought over from that time.
The Shadow King ascended to godhood after breaking the Dragon Cocoon, but in reality, he fell into a semi-zero-sum state.
The Three-God Cult was established, Serana became the raw stone, and Simon's Tower was erected.
All of these were fine.
Until Serana's death and burial in the coffin, in a place where no life existed, the memory device could not ascertain the truth.
Jonas pointed at Serana's remains, and time flowed backward. Decayed flesh regenerated, her body resurrected. At this moment, a faint, ethereal will from the unseen realm entered Serana's corpse.
That familiar feeling, Jonas knew, the person before him was Simon.
"Boy, you've come."
Jonas was at a loss for how to respond for a moment, and fell silent. This time he understood why the raw stone was inactive. Because Simon had also "died"; he had died with Serana. But now that Serana was resurrected, he also descended.
Simon chuckled, "Quite a surprise, isn't it? I had originally thought of abandoning the task given to me by the Bodhisattva and just quietly staying with my Secunda. But you were too curious."
Jonas shook his head, "Sir, go. I'll let you go, with the lady. "Since Simon was alive, that was for the best. If he left to achieve his unfading epiphyllum, the God-above-God would not be replaced by the Bodhisattva's godhood.
"I don't want to hurt you either, but you really shouldn't have resurrected me."
Jonas's face turned pale, "Is that so? I didn't know." Only then did he recognize that the person before him was not Baishan, but Lu Yuan; the Bodhisattva had personally intervened.
White jade horns slowly grew from both sides of Serana's forehead, flourishing like a summer tree canopy. Her face became neutral, and her long flaxen hair, dark and shiny, cascaded down, coiled into a snail bun. Her eyes radiated endless tenderness, which, to the God-above-God, was extreme malice.
"It's merely coming to my world for reincarnation, what's there to fear? You are still you. Boy, I'll give you one last chance, kill me."
The God-above-God was immediately overjoyed, "Really? You're willing to give up all of this?"
The God-above-God and Lu Yuan were already closely connected. If the Bodhisattva voluntarily relinquished his godhood, then his divinity would be inherited by the God-above-God, making him even more powerful.
Lu Yuan chuckled, "The karma left by my own avatar, I still have to repay it."
Jonas gritted his teeth and pierced Lu Yuan's heart with a finger, watching him shatter into a myriad of light, merging into himself. Endless profound truths surged into his mind.
The world is me—the God-above-God understood this principle, that all things arise from one dream. He smoothly accepted this portion of power.
The world is not me—the God-above-God also understood that although all things are one, individuality cannot be denied. This also went smoothly.
If the Bodhisattva's wisdom only extended this far, then the God-above-God could safely digest the divinity without his godhood being annihilated.
But ultimately, it was not.
A further truth: The world is not-not-me. The God-above-God was instantly bewildered, his thoughts confused.
One step further: The world is not-not-not-me. The God-above-God began to doubt his own existence, falling into an abnormal terror.
Even further...
Zero-sum struck.
Jonas shrieked, shattering and dissolving, but was fixed by Bodhisattva Lu Yuan's finger, his spirit collected into his sleeve.
superior affinity, beneath the God's head, the epiphyllum quietly closed, wrapping the human head like a full flower bud, and suddenly flew into the ethereal realm, into Bodhisattva Lu Yuan's palm.
...
Seek life from light
Seek peace from darkness
All encounters are not coincidences
Fate has long arranged them
At the moment of reversing life and death
It is truly the time of dawn
...
As a spark of spirit returned to the Bodhisattva's Pure Land before reincarnation, Simon opened his quest panel one last time.
[Quest: Avenge and Redeem]
Description: In previous games, I swallowed my anger for the plot. Now that I have the chance, the Chicken God of Riverwood is about to fall from grace!
Quest 1 (Unfinished): Infiltrate Riverwood.
[Miscellaneous] (Unfinished): Have a chance to help Azura find her lost item.
He thought with hesitation and embarrassment: These things have been completed many times in the previous few reincarnations, so it should be okay to consider them done, right?
By the way, what the hell is the Chicken God of Riverwood, and why did it escape again?
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