Al was restless.
He didn't know what the Hunters had discovered about the Dragon Relic.
But he understood what this meant for Sapo.
"Father, isn't this cause for celebration?"
Dertulian looked at Al with surprise, not understanding why Al wore such a grave expression.
In his eyes, this should have been a joyous discovery.
If the Dragon Relic could rejuvenate people, even grant them Eternal Life, it would be a rare blessing for their king and the entire Kingdom.
It was known that the Sapo King had led them from the Ape-man Era, being the greatest Hunter in the Kingdom, admired by countless people, and his following was no less significant than that of his brother, Prophet Al.
Everyone knew that the Sapo King and Prophet Al symbolized the entire Logos civilization.
Thus, Dertulian could not understand why his father looked so grave.
Al stopped walking, turned to face Dertulian, took a deep breath, and then said,
"I know, I know you have always admired your uncle Sapo, but Dertulian, my child, I must tell you… where in this world is there something that never perishes?"
Al paused, then continued,
"I know, you're all greenhorns, still unaware of what it means to have awe for the world. You think my old world is closed off and obsolete, and you believe I fear new things challenging an old man's world…
But I must tell you, some things just are the way they are, no matter what efforts you make, they never change.
It's like you can call red 'green,' you can confuse others, even reverse the black and white, but… the red remains red, the unchanging principle is there.
I have a bad feeling about this, I'm afraid… afraid that one careless moment could drag the entire Kingdom into the Abyss."
Dertulian listened to his father's admonition, dumbfounded, his mind struggling to comprehend, yet not knowing how to refute his father.
Yarlessto remained silent throughout.
Al certainly could tell who had taken his words to heart and who had not.
However, the Prophet no longer had the strength to lecture the children.
He walked into the Pattern Garden, gazed around at the golden wheat, then sighed deeply, finally looking up at the shimmering brilliance atop the high mountain.
"Yarlessto."
Al didn't turn back but simply said:
"Let us go up the mountain, walk to the summit together."
.........
Yarlessto and Al arrived at the base of the high mountain.
Ever since the altar for the worship of God had been built midway up the mountain, the Logos people began regularly making pilgrimages there, naturally forming a broad mountain path tread by many.
The father and son ascended this path, and with the Logos people's superior physical fitness, they reached the altar at mid-mountain in less than half a day.
The altar was now in sight, guarded year-round by Logos people, with hundreds of offerings placed before it, all voluntarily sacrificed by the Logos people and, as per Al's instructions, exclusively consisting of fruits, vegetables, or fine handicrafts, with no animal sacrifices.
Yarlessto looked ahead and suddenly saw the throne made for the Sapo King.
It was not just a throne, but also the special spot reserved for the Sapo King's offerings, where only his offerings had the privilege to be closest to the altar.
To Yarlessto's surprise, the throne of Sapo King was empty, devoid of the expected offerings.
Al also noticed this scene.
He remained silent.
The father and son did not linger long at the altar on the mountainside; Al hoped to reach the summit soon to seek counsel from the divine.
Yarlessto looked up at the long mountain path ahead, a feeling of unease and helplessness spreading within him as he followed in his father's footsteps imprinted in the snow, advancing step by step.
"Father,"
Yarlessto asked confirmatively:
"Do you truly want me to ascend with you to the summit?"
Al slowly turned around, his aged yet spirited eyes fixing on Yarlessto.
He neither confirmed nor denied.
"You are my eldest son."
The words resonated, and Yarlessto felt a "hum" inside—a rush of recognition and emotion suddenly settling in his heart.
The cold wind blew down from the high mountains as Yarlessto feigned calm and said,
"Ah, let it be so then."
After speaking, Yarlessto raised his head, feeling a divine sense of mission surge into his chest.
Al and Yarlessto slowly climbed the mountain path; after some time, following the path they had taken before, they arrived below the summit, but this time, Al did not ask Yarlessto to wait in place.
Father and son supported each other as they climbed the cliff, reaching the top of the mountain.
Yarlessto carefully raised his head, his gaze slowly falling forward.
A sudden branch was planted on the summit, and before that branch stood a radiant figure.
Yarlessto had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet God—stormy winds, lightning, thunderbolts, signs incomprehensible to mortals…
Yet now, seeing the deity spoken of by many for the first time, Yarlessto inevitably felt astounded.
Before him was none of the fabled visions from heaven, nor a fleeting flash of miraculous light, nor overwhelming power that forced one to prostrate; there were no earth-shattering, sky-splitting events.
God simply stood there.
Everything was so serene.
Yarlessto stared blankly at the radiant figure, a strange feeling arose in this young man from Logos: without any visions or miracles to prove the figure before him was God, yet… the very first time he looked, he naturally affirmed, He is God.
It was as if…
He was His own proof.
"Al, that's Yarlessto, right?"
Prophet Al nodded slightly, whispering softly,
"Lord, indeed, he is my son just as I am your child."
God heard this response and smiled, understanding the implication in Al's words, then shifted His gaze onto Yarlessto.
Just as Al was His chosen, so was Yarlessto chosen by this Father.
Facing God, Yarlessto opened his mouth to say something but momentarily did not know what to say.
Finally, he could only murmur,
"Lord."
God had recently returned from the Ancient Chaos, and at this moment, He observed Al and Yarlessto.
Al and Yarlessto bowed their heads slightly, simultaneously feeling that just one glance was enough for God to know what was in their hearts.
"Al, do you wish to ask Me something?"
God began speaking.
In His presence, Al did not hide anything and earnestly nodded.
"Lord, I pray that you can give us a definite answer. If not… then please guide our direction."
After speaking, Al felt a wave of shame—he had been God's chosen for so many years yet still had gained nothing.
God smiled at him.
The father and son felt somewhat uneasy, unsure if God would provide them guidance.
Because… God could grant, and God could also withhold.
He could, if He wished, let the people of Logos wander for thousands of years in confusion.
Chen Yi turned away, looking towards the horizon, His gaze settling on the edge of the world.
Al and Yarlessto did not know what He was looking at or pondering.
After a long while, they heard God say,
"If you seek the answers, there is a challenging journey ahead of you."
At that moment, Al and Yarlessto looked up to see God slowly turn around.
"Lord, where must we go?"
Both father and son asked in unison,
"Lord... what are your plans for us? What do you want us to understand?"
God pointed towards the edge of the world,
"There, some stories are destined to have witnesses."