Truman's gaze fell upon the handsome man before him. For a brief moment, he was even stunned—though he had to admit, the man was just a tiny bit more attractive than himself!
What would happen if someone like him drank a witch's potion? Truman mused. Too bad I won't get to see it.
In his mind, the Sage's Robe had already parsed some information, and Truman quickly recognized the angel before him.
[Angel of Fate: Ulorious]
That was the only piece of information revealed—one that Truman already knew.
Through the vision granted by his Dream Book, Truman saw the Angel of Fate shrouded in a dense shadow. Beyond that shadow lay an ocean of indescribable color.
He was being watched over by an entity of an exceedingly high rank.
"Danger!"
For the first time, Truman sensed an overwhelming threat. Whatever lurked behind that shadow had an unimaginably terrifying influence on his very existence.
"Its threat level is nearly on par with Eternal Slumber!"
"The Sea of Chaos… Source Essence must not be touched!" Truman came to a realization.
Sensing his intent, the Dream Book flipped open on its own. Dreamlike phosphorescence spilled forth, on the verge of colliding with that thick shadow.
"Stop!"
In that instant, Truman nearly glimpsed the figure hidden behind the shadow.
Under his will, the phosphorescence transformed into iridescent butterflies, dazzling as if a dream had merged with reality.
Luckily, the other party also restrained their own restless power, preventing the ocean—seemingly containing all secrets—from flooding forth.
Though their powers had not truly clashed at the level of Source Essence, the ripple of that moment had already spread.
"This is bad!" Truman hadn't expected such a situation and could already feel a gaze locking onto him.
That gaze carried both ferocity and madness—after all, giants were never known for their kindness. Causing trouble here would have predictable consequences.
"It must be the Goddess of Harvest, Omibella."
This was her domain. The release of Source Essence's aura had naturally alerted her. She was now gazing upon them, responding to the prayers of her followers. In fact, she wasn't far from here at all!
Before Truman could react, he felt hostility emanating from every blade of grass around him. The very land turned against him, rejecting and seeking to bury him like a grave.
Even his own body began to change—his hair started to wither, on the verge of wilting like a plant.
With a flicker, Truman's form blurred and dissolved into streams of knowledge, transforming into a flood of information.
"Hey! What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
Glancing at Ulorious—who had yet to recover from the shock of the Chaos Sea's power—Truman grabbed the stunned Hermes and transitioned to Ulorious' side. The three of them moved through space, aiming to leap into the Spirit Realm.
But before they could cross over, a frenzy of wildly growing plants blocked their path.
"Mystery manifests once more—The Emperor's New Clothes!"
In a flash, the corners of Truman's robe lifted, and an invisible long robe—woven purely from knowledge—draped over the three of them.
To the outside world, they seemed to vanish, yet they were still there, drifting lightly past the entangling plants.
The three resumed their transition into the Spirit Realm.
The two pathways contained within the Ancient One's Gauntlet granted them privileges within the Spirit Realm, making them unafraid of Omibella. However, this entire battle had been an accident, completely unplanned. Truman decided to withdraw immediately.
Without hesitation, he was about to escape the battlefield entirely—only to be stopped by a decaying dusk.
Great. Now the Giant King has noticed the Source Essence's aura too.
To understand the power gap between a True God and a Sequence 2 being, one could reference how, in later ages, the Death Archon was nearly "killed" with a single glance from the Blood Emperor.
"Go on, I dare you to look at me!"
Truman had a rough estimate of his Dream Book's rank. Without hesitation, he lifted it up, hoping the Giant King would take a good look at it—ideally allowing its phosphorescent light to fall upon him!
The Chaos Sea can contaminate the Dragon of Fantasy—there's no reason my Dream Book can't do the same!
"Let there be light!"
A clear and magnetic voice echoed in Truman's ears, making him lower the Dream Book.
A god had intervened.
High above in the Astral World, the sun ignited, its blazing light tearing through the decaying dusk.
"ROAR!"
A terrifying roar shook the entire Spirit Realm.
Yet beneath the scorching sunlight, the frenzied dusk seemed utterly chaotic and disordered, unable to break through the radiant barrier.
"Time to go!"
Truman turned back and saw a colossal shadow—a terrifying giant wielding a massive sword, clad in tattered armor. His true face was obscured, but the twilight behind him was unmistakable.
This was Giant King Olmir!
So this was an Ancient God… Truman had never expected to witness such a being firsthand. It had all stemmed from the unanticipated clash between the Chaos Sea and the Dream Book.
"Could the Dream Book truly be a Source Essence? But I've never heard of such a thing before!"
Lost in thought, Truman completed the transition.
Guided by an external force and Ulorious' now-awakened interference of fate, they arrived in an unfamiliar land—an unfamiliar church.
Before them stood a man as radiant as the sun, dressed in a white clerical robe, a silver cross hanging from his chest.
Truman's first glimpse was of the man's eyes—pure gold, like miniature suns.
Naturally, this was the current Sun God—one who would later be known as the "Ancient" Sun God.
Of course, by now, he might have already begun calling himself the Creator.
"Who are you?"
Truman and the Ancient Sun God spoke at the same time, their gazes locking onto each other.
But in the next moment, both instinctively closed their eyes and turned their heads away.
In that fleeting instant, Truman had seen a murky ocean—one seemingly filled with all the secrets of the world.
Meanwhile, the Ancient Sun God had glimpsed a dazzling phosphorescent glow, embodying all beautiful wishes.
Both were mysteries worth exploring, but they also both sensed danger. They averted their gazes, cutting off the enigmatic connection before another Source Essence-level conflict could occur.
"You may call me the Sun God."
The Ancient Sun God looked at Truman again, but his eyes no longer carried the same probing curiosity—just a casual indifference.
"I'm Truman."
The flickering glow in Truman's eyes dimmed slightly.
"Truman?"
The Ancient Sun God paused for a moment, then pronounced the name in an accent not belonging to this era—
"True men?"
"Let there be light?"
Truman repeated the Sun God's earlier words.
As expected, the Ancient Sun God's expression shifted—ever so slightly.
An unspoken change settled between them.
…Perhaps, a good one.