"Speaking of Amon..." Lynn clearly noticed what Klein was thinking. He stroked his chin with interest and said, "Actually, I suspect that Amon has already infiltrated our ranks. Of course, I don't mean this era, but the Fifth Epoch."
As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Lynn, while also giving a glance toward Klein. No one seemed worried about it, not even Adam, who merely frowned, showing a trace of helplessness in his gaze.
"Amon..." Memories related to Amon flashed through Klein's mind, and his expression became subtle. "Is he planning to abduct me?"
"That's possible. Given the current situation, if he wants to make a move, his best option would be to target you," Lynn nodded, not blinking as he concealed the fact that Amon had already come close to Klein due to his deliberate inaction.
As for why Lynn would allow this, the reason was simple. If Klein were in his normal state, Lynn would never have let him face Amon while still at Sequence 3. It would be meaningless.
But the Klein before him had inherited part of the Fool's future legacy and had the ability to summon the future Lord of Mysteries. With Lynn by his side, there was every chance that they could turn the tables on Amon. It would also settle the grudge from the original story, where Klein was kidnapped.
Moreover, this would help Amon realize sooner that meddling with them would be futile—especially with Sasrir's views on the matter and the presence of that rebellious little Amon. Lynn wasn't planning to annihilate him completely. Pressing this troublesome child into submission would be the best outcome.
Lynn then turned toward Klein with excitement, asking, "So, what's your plan? Do you want us to deal with him, or will you face Amon yourself?"
Klein seemed to fall into deep thought, absentmindedly caressing the gemstone bracelet on his wrist. After a few seconds, he nodded firmly. "I want to try it myself. I want... to personally break this fate."
In the original destiny, he was helplessly parasitized by Amon at Sequence 3 and had to escape through death. But now, although his personal strength still fell short of Amon's, with the historical projection of the Lord of Mysteries at his disposal, he felt it was worth a shot.
In a sense, it would be like letting his future self avenge the kidnapping.
'And...' Klein glanced at the bigwigs around him and felt a sense of peace.
The Fool was not one to hesitate. When there was a thigh to hug, he wouldn't hesitate.
"No problem. I'll have the Angel of Secrets back you up," Lynn gestured an "OK" sign. Just then, the food was served. The group quietly finished their meal, only to hear a rumbling sound outside, with faint flashes of white light in the sky.
"Well, our journey ends here. I'll now lead everyone back." Lynn wiped his mouth, stood up, and looked at the group with various expressions. He sighed, "Let's go. This is beyond your control now, and it's beyond mine."
"Your family and friends are already waiting for you in Sefirah Castle. Don't keep them waiting too long."
In the face of the Original Creator's awakening, not even a Sequence 0 could do much. Even ancient beings of the Great Old One level could barely intervene.
Not to mention, other than Lynn, the time-traveling travelers could change nothing.
"Even you can't change it?" Adam, usually as quiet as air, finally spoke.
Lynn looked at him and openly replied, "If I became Him, I could change things. But the moment I become Him, this fragile world will face a fate worse than the Original's awakening."
If it were possible, Lynn would, of course, want to prevent the awakening. Unfortunately, he simply couldn't.
Adam didn't seem surprised by the answer.
Lynn, unconcerned with Adam's reaction, looked at the others and said, "Let's go. The journey is over."
...
Unlike the excitement and anticipation at the start of their journey, the mood on the return trip was somber.
After all, in a way, they had once again witnessed the destruction of their home, powerless to stop it. The only comfort was knowing that their family and friends were safely asleep in cocoons at Sefirah Castle.
Upon returning to the Fifth Epoch, the first thing everyone wanted was for Klein to ascend to the gray fog and confirm whether the plan had worked, whether their family and friends had successfully arrived to this era.
"I've confirmed it. They've indeed arrived. However, with my current control over Sefirah Castle, I'm not yet able to release them." Klein opened his eyes after a brief journey to the gray fog and wasted no time in explaining, lifting the previously heavy mood.
Even though they already knew the outcome, hearing that their loved ones had made it safely to this era finally brought a true sense of relief.
"Then you need to ascend to the Lord of Mysteries soon," Roselle smiled and couldn't help but urge, "Haven't you already digested the Bizarro Sorcerer potion? Why not just advance to Scholar of Yore now? If you're missing something, just let us know. With so many of us—either King of Angels or Sequence 0—it'll be easy to gather the materials for a Sequence 3 potion."
If Roselle had originally viewed Klein's ascension as an investment in potential, now he was eager for Klein to become the Lord of Mysteries as soon as possible, so he could reunite with his loved ones.
"I have all the materials for the Scholar of Yore potion," the Evernight Goddess spoke up. As the best cat caretaker in the original story, she had long prepared all the materials for the Seer pathway up to the angel level.
Even for Sequence 2 and Sequence 1, with Antigonus under her watch, she could likely obtain what was needed.
"If there's trouble during the promotion, I can help stabilize the situation," Adam said gently.
As the strongest Spectator, Adam had the ability to stabilize Klein's mental state during the ritual, greatly reducing the risk of losing control during the potion consumption.
(End of Chapter)