Becoming a Demon of Knowledge was one of the cornerstones of Lynn's independence, while his connection to others served as the anchor to his humanity. This anchor was the foothold that allowed "Lynn Sotos" to maintain his identity amidst the countless bubbles, preventing him from becoming just "Lynn Sothoth" in the process.
Without these people he cared about, even if "Lynn Sotos" became independent in the end, he would only be a shell. Perhaps he would drift for a while, but eventually, he would return to the sea of bubbles, no longer special in any way.
On the contrary, as long as someone remembered him, as long as someone cared for him, "Lynn Sotos" would always have meaning. Even if he faded temporarily, he would eventually return through those memories.
"If you could become the Lord of Mysteries, that would be even better. As the pillar of the world, you could serve as my anchor, which would be quite helpful." Lynn smiled and looked at Klein, saying, "So, remember me, my friend. As long as someone remembers me, I will never truly disappear."
"…Alright, I will." Klein was silent for a few seconds before solemnly responding.
"Good." Lynn chuckled lightly and then turned his gaze toward the direction of Zaratul's long-missing door, stretching lazily. "Next, let's go see Antigonus. I wonder if the half-asleep little doggy still remembers me."
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat heavy moments before, lightened again, as if nothing had happened. Everything seemed to be just an illusion for Klein.
Lynn quickly arrived at the door to the hall where Antigonus was imprisoned. He pulled out a black obsidian slab from somewhere, embedded it in the door, and then carved a symbol representing 'open' on it.
Light began to appear along the lines of the symbol, gathering together until, amidst the brightness, an illusory door opened. The structure behind the door appeared more like a false projection than a real building, revealing an empty hall.
No, to be precise, the hall wasn't entirely empty. Suspended from the ceiling were numerous secret puppets, male and female, old and young, but all equally exquisite in appearance. They looked as if they were holding a gathering that would make anyone obsessed with beauty ecstatic, or perhaps performing a grand opera, waiting for applause from the audience.
However, hidden behind this "spectacle" was a danger that could deter any Beyonder below the level of an angel. Invisible threads extended from the hall, and the one who stood in their path, right in front of the door, was Lynn.
Lynn, unperturbed, simply smiled and said, "Such enthusiasm from a little cute doggy~ So, Antigo, have you decided to become my pet?"
At these words, Klein, who had been on edge and would have been pulled into the hall by the spirit threads if not for the protection of the historical projection of the future Fool, twitched slightly. For a moment, he didn't even know how to respond.
What surprised him even more was that as soon as Lynn's words fell, the previously eager spirit threads retreated in a flash, much faster than when they had appeared, as if terrified that they would suffer if they lingered.
Klein: "…"
For some reason, although surprised, he wasn't particularly shocked.
He could only think, 'As expected of the infamous Lynn!'
'What exactly had Lynn done to Antigonus? Even though the latter had gone mad, he still feared him so much?'
"I've never done anything to the cute doggy. Don't slander me," Lynn said, as if sensing Klein's thoughts, with a smile. "Little Antigo isn't afraid of me because of what I did before. he's merely instinctively fearing the aura I carry now."
After all, to be safe, Lynn had borrowed a little power from his main body, which naturally imbued him with a trace of that aura.
For the present Antigonus—whose consciousness was chaotic and who was essentially a blend of a Celestial Worthy and Antigonus, with only instincts remaining—this aura would only evoke fear.
After all, "The closer you are to the concept of Mysteries, the more easily you are assimilated by 'me,'" Lynn muttered softly, so quietly that Klein couldn't hear it clearly.
Without further explanation, Lynn casually strolled into the hall. He quickly arrived at an ancient stone seat.
On the chair, countless transparent maggots squirmed together, growing wildly, extending near-invisible tentacles.
"Ugh, so gross! Japanese media totally ruined the image of having tentacles," Lynn muttered, glaring at the pile of maggots before turning away in disgust.
Klein, still under the filter of his historical projection, wasn't harmed by the mythological form but was still disgusted by the mass of maggots and tentacles, his face turning pale. 'Would I have to become something like that in the future? And did he really need to make me remember all that stuff from the internet?'
Lynn also found the sight distasteful. If Antigonus had been in a normal state or in his furry form, he might have enjoyed catching up. But a pile of uncontrollable maggots? No thanks.
He preferred something fluffy, even if it was only superficially so.
"Sigh…" Lynn shook his head, then telekinetically pulled the Fool card from the mass of tentacles. He didn't touch it himself but tossed it over to Klein.
"Here, take it. You earned this with your own picture."
Klein, noticing Lynn's clear disgust: … 'You just don't want to touch something that tentacles have touched, do you?'
Though feeling a bit nauseous from the tentacles, Klein—who would eventually become like this entity—managed to adapt, grabbing the Fool card with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.
The trip to the Foggy Town had yielded far more than Klein had ever imagined.
It almost seemed like Lynn knew his time was running short and was in a rush to arm him.
The excitement Klein had felt moments ago faded, replaced with a heavy heart as he looked at the angel of secrets, silently repeating the name "Lynn Sotos" in his mind.
He didn't know what else he could do for Lynn, but since Lynn wanted him to remember him, Klein would ensure he did so.
"Alright, mission accomplished. Let's head back!" Lynn finally snapped out of his daze, or more accurately, returned his attention to the present after briefly focusing on the Fourth Epoch. Just now, his Fourth Epoch self had successfully advanced to Sequence 1 Illuminator. Although the potion didn't instantly digest, most of it was already absorbed. The rest would be resolved once he introduced some revolutionary technology to the Solomon Empire.
'Perfect!'
In high spirits, Lynn smiled at Klein and said, "Work hard on your advancement, Klein. I hope by the end of the year, I can offer my blessing for your ascension to demigod."
(End of Chapter)