Chapter 46: We Are All Civilized People

Hermione deliberately changed the subject, causing a flicker of confusion and regret to pass through Amanesis’s eyes.

After nearly a year of interaction, He was certain that Hermione harbored the most genuine desire, and that desire was directed toward Him personally.

Coincidentally, He felt that this very desire was gradually growing within Himself.

This desire was also a facet of human nature, so He took the initiative to broach the topic, wishing to see whether this longing would affect Him in some way.

Yet, He had not expected Hermione to evade the subject.

He wondered what concerns lay behind her avoidance…

Was she afraid of being rejected by Him?

Such a thought was somewhat laughable; Hermione hardly seemed like someone so sensitive or fragile.

Though inwardly puzzled and regretful, He quickly composed Himself and asked, “Which extraordinary trait do you wish to exchange for?”

Without looking up, diligently preparing a new sacrificial ritual, Hermione replied, “‘The Hanged Man’ Path, Sequence Three, ‘The Triple-Headed Sanctuary.’”

“The Hanged Man Path…” Amanesis moved aside to make room and asked, “You seem to know quite a few sequence names of the paths?”

He smiled with a knowing look. “Those weren’t named by you, were they?”

After redrawing the symbol of “The Hanged Man,” Hermione shrugged. “They’re remnants left by that immense light and shadow… But for now, you could say I named them.”

Amanesis frowned in confusion at the phrase “you could say.”

In response, Hermione explained:

“Paths and sequences objectively exist in this world. It’s just that, until now, no living being has discovered them and given them names. It’s like the periodic table of elements.”

“The periodic table…” Amanesis’s expression shifted as familiar words from another world awakened understanding. This foreign term helped Him truly grasp the concept of paths and sequences, stirring a trace of nostalgia for that other realm.

He remembered the loneliness that first welled up in that alien world, the chaotic, brutal, and frenzied life in the Wolf Kingdom, and how the influence of extraordinary traits within His body made Him instinctively discard His humanity, becoming cold and indifferent.

To Him, this strange world was like an ocean filled with malice.

Until, guided by intuition, He found Hermione—the human.

The dwelling they shared was like a solitary island, a refuge where He could breathe, gradually reclaiming the humanity that was His true self.

This was true in the Wolf Kingdom, and even more so after arriving at the Elusha tribe, which is why He was so determined to build a house for just the two of them within the tribe.

He sought to use Hermione’s influence to regain His humanity, to resist the madness born of divinity, and to combat the effects of the “Source Fortress.”

What deviated from His expectation, however, was that in the process of reclaiming humanity, His emotions grew richer…

At this moment, Hermione continued explaining:

“In fact, I now have the ability to display the names of all twenty-two sequences of the paths on the ‘Slab.’”

After forming the dreamspace and deepening her connection with the Desecrated Slab, Hermione confirmed she possessed this ability.

“But it’s just an empty shell. The potion formulas and ascension rituals corresponding to each sequence remain unknown to me. For example, the ascension ritual of the ‘Knight of Calamity’ only fully manifests after pulling you into the space, when the ‘Slab’ fully materializes.”

The contents of the Desecrated Slab embody the “omniscient and omnipotent” authority of God and represent the only true path to godhood in this mysterious world.

While its essence remains unchanged, the names of sequences and materials inscribed on the slab shift over time, influenced by the will of high-ranking beings who hold authority at the pinnacle of certain paths.

Hermione hesitated briefly before adding:

“Nowadays, the ‘Kings’ at the top of the paths actually possess the power to name the sequences. However, they have yet to recognize the concept of paths and sequences, so naturally, they don’t exercise this authority.”

Upon hearing this, Amanesis pondered for a moment and asked, “Does changing the sequence names have any effect?”

Hermione paused her task, carefully choosing her words before answering:

“Changing the names doesn’t alter the inherent power of the sequences, but it does cause significant shifts in the collective ideology of the extraordinary beings within that path.”

Recalling a certain midnight poet’s outlandish claims from the original story, she smiled and said, “For example, if I were Sequence Zero of the Darkness Path, I could rename the ‘Midnight Poet’ sequence to ‘Midnight Screamer.’”

At this, Hermione cast a provocatively triumphant glance at Amanesis and proudly added, “Of course, now that I hold the Slab, I can make such changes myself.”

Amanesis was not offended; he returned the smile. “Is that so? I’d be curious to see who would become the Midnight Screamer…”

Sensing the lethal risk involved in testing such a change and knowing she still needed to grow stronger, Hermione cleared her throat and continued, “Just kidding. Screamers aren’t nearly as refined as poets—we’re both from the civilized era after all.”

To this, Amanesis chuckled softly before turning serious and asking, “If you and the Sequence Zero of that path both change the sequence name simultaneously, what happens?”

Having finished arranging the ritual, Hermione stood upright and without hesitation replied, “Of course, the will of the Sequence Zero of that path takes precedence.”

The Desecrated Slab is essentially a projection of “God’s” reasoning, not a fixed decree. Holding the Slab herself, she could never override the naming rights of those Sequence Zero beings.

Even the true God, the “Primordial Creator,” can only influence the paths corresponding to the source matter He contains; He cannot cover all twenty-two paths on Earth. At least the paths of the Mysterious Lord and Outer Gods remain unaffected.

Seeing Hermione begin preparations for the blessing ritual, Amanesis ceased his questioning. He withdrew quietly from the study, enveloping the place in a veil of secret power.

Focused, Hermione once again chanted the sacred name, watching as a mound of spiritual materials flowed through the illusory “Kingdom Gate,” filling the dreamspace continuously.

The towering statue within the dreamspace brimmed with spiritual energy.

Moments later, an extraordinary trait called “The Triple-Headed Sanctuary” separated from the statue’s body, causing its once abundant spiritual energy to dwindle.

This “Triple-Headed Sanctuary” trait exuded a strong sense of temptation for Hermione.

“Automatically detaching… I thought I’d have to pry it out myself,” she muttered, restraining the allure. Hastily, she guided the trait, responding to her prayer, sending “The Triple-Headed Sanctuary” into the illusory passage.

In the blink of an eye, the extraordinary trait landed upon the sacrificial altar placed in the study.