At 7:50 PM Backlund time, Altair used the excuse of needing rest to enter the room originally prepared for Vivian alone. He used Meditation to quickly fall into a deep sleep.
Not long after he lay down on the bed, his eyelashes trembled. Drowsiness surged like a tide, leaving him without even the strength to blink. Altair's physical instincts directly caused him to fall asleep.
Strangely, after falling asleep, his consciousness remained clear. However, as if pulled by some unknown force, he began to constantly fall, drifting toward an unknown place.
Is this the method the 'Twilight Hermit Order' uses to pull people into meetings? It's similar to the 'Tarot Club'—both pull out a person's consciousness and then gather for a meeting.
But where exactly was he going? A dream world created by a Spectator, or Adam's 'Divine Kingdom'?
Just as the thought arose, the sensation of falling suddenly vanished. He found himself standing in the midst of a boundless gray haze. The ground beneath his feet was a semi-transparent gelatinous substance that rippled when stepped on, reflecting countless fragments: someone running on a street, someone crying, someone laughing... Looking at these fragments, Altair's consciousness instinctively began to merge into them, becoming trapped in the images and unable to extricate himself. At some point, a cold sensation spread from his head throughout his body, gradually clearing his mind.
Once he was fully awake, he found that he had broken free from the images and arrived inside a magnificent, colossal cathedral.
Looking at the cathedral before him, built from'special' materials, Altair did not feel it was eerie; instead, it was filled with a sense of holiness.
Every pitch-black pillar, every arch, and every section of the dome was embedded with the white bones of different races. These bones were packed together densely and in extreme chaos.
On the walls, windows, and doors, there were transparent, distorted faces; it seemed as if countless souls were sealed within.
Those white bones and sealed souls seemed to be telling some sacred story, giving off a sense of solemnity and gravity.
The most eye-catching feature was a hundred-meter-high cross surrounded in the center of the cathedral.
In front of the cross were rows of high-backed chairs. Each chair held a figure—men and women, old and young. Their only commonality was a special temperament. This temperament made Altair feel as if he were facing Uncle-Grandfather Leif and the others directly.
But regarding their appearances, Altair was surprised to find that no matter how hard he tried to remember their faces, he would forget them the moment his gaze shifted away.
It seems that no matter the organization, no one is stupid enough to go online with their real names. Er... except for the Three Idiots of the Celestial Bodies.
Beneath the tall cross, Adam, dressed simply and always wearing a smile, sat quietly at the head of a long table. Like an outsider, he quietly observed everyone.
Perhaps He felt Altair's gaze, or perhaps He sensed someone talking behind His back. Adam stepped out of His observation as a Spectator and turned His eyes toward him.
This action directly frightened Altair, making his heart leap. He thought, 'Unlucky again, He found me out.'
Adam's voice was the same as usual, both peaceful and quiet. In Altair's ear—or more accurately, in his mind—He said, "Come and sit here."
As soon as Adam finished speaking, a brand-new empty seat appeared out of thin air to His left, not far away. This caused many people in that row to move over one position.
Adam's movement also successfully drew everyone's gaze, allowing a 'nobody' like Altair to enjoy the collective attention of the crowd.
At this moment, most people's eyes were on Altair—mostly sizing him up with curiosity, inquiry, and scrutiny. This put immense pressure on him, but there was no turning back now. He could only endure their gazes, cross most of the cathedral, and sit in the vacated seat.
After taking his seat, Altair glanced at the people near him. Perhaps because the seats were near the front, the people around him were at least middle-aged, with many elderly people.
It turned out that the person who had been sitting in this'seat' did not hold a grudge against Altair because of Adam's action. When he looked at the person who had been forced to move, the latter also looked over, smiled and nodded to acknowledge him, and then resumed chatting with others.
What drew Altair's attention the most was an old man on his right, wearing a gray-white robe. He looked ordinary, with hair that was entirely white but still thick. He gave Altair a feeling of great affinity—just like Adam!
While he was sizing up the old man, the old man was also sizing up Altair.
Realizing this, Altair showed an apologetic expression. The old man smiled and said to Altair, "There is nothing to apologize for. After all, everyone has curiosity."
"Actually, I am also quite curious. What is your specialty that allows you to sit here immediately upon joining? People who joined a while before you are still sitting at the end of this row."
Altair looked to his left in surprise, wanting to see the person at the end. However, due to the seating and the people blocking his view, Altair couldn't see very far. He could only see the next six members and could not see any further.
Helpless, Altair asked the old man to his left, "Have you been recruiting new members in recent years?"
The old man chuckled and said, "It is indeed as you say, but the minimum requirement is sequence six, or having the strength of sequence six."
"In all these years, the only person'stronger' than you who joined at an even lower Sequence was that one person from over a hundred years ago."
The old man seemed to recall some pleasant memory and sighed, "When he first came in, his seat was also next to mine, but not where you are—it was on my right. I quite liked that little fellow; he was very energetic."
Lower... that would be sequence 9. At that time, only Roselle would have received such treatment. A member of the Twilight Hermit Order calling Roselle a 'little fellow' and appearing to have a good relationship... an old man... Adding these key factors together, it could only be the Hermes mentioned in his diary.
As Altair's thoughts settled and he finished his deduction, the old man beside him asked at the appropriate time:
"You not only know of my existence but are also very clear about the relationship between the two of us. Are you his successor, or did you obtain his legacy?"
Altair asked back in confusion, "Why don't you think I am his descendant?"
Hearing this question, the old man laughed heartily. "I have reasons for not thinking you are his descendant. His eldest daughter left early due to a disagreement in ideals. His eldest son died soon after of illness due to the fear and anxiety following Roselle's assassination. As for his second son, a poor soul, he can only exist like a tool now."
"So, can you satisfy my curiosity now? Which one are you?"
Altair said helplessly, "I am neither. I just know that he once had contact with you. It was all a guess."