The power of the Sephirot flowed out, coalescing into a faintly glowing presence. Within this light, the radiance of Jupiter shimmered, and the forces of the four elements surged, with wind and earth being the strongest.
Voices emanated from the light, reaching Morpheus's ears.
"Thou art Osiris, dismembered in the beauty of Tiphareth, now to be reunited, crossing the abyss!"
Accompanying these words echoing in his mind, Morpheus lay flat before the altar. A black cloth appeared, guided by the light to drape over his body.
More words issued from the light, resounding through the temple.
"My soul traverses Duat, meeting Osiris anew on the shores of the underworld river. May thy flail shatter fear, and thy crook gather my spiritual fragments!"
These words, drawn from the Book of the Dead, guided the power of death, symbolizing Osiris's sacrifice.
Likewise, the force of death began to permeate Morpheus's body, threatening to dismember him and drag him into the underworld!
But Osiris had not only experienced death but also resurrection!
As time slowly passed... about twenty minutes, neither long nor short... the light manipulated the black cloth on Morpheus, lifting it away.
Morpheus rose, holding the Djed pillar, and proclaimed loudly, "I am resurrected as Osiris, attaining eternal order in Chesed!"
But this was only the beginning, not the end. With Osiris's resurrection ritual complete, the blue candle ignited spontaneously, and the seal of Jupiter floated up, landing on Morpheus's forehead. The light continued chanting its incantation.
"Tzadkiel, guardian angel of the Sephirah of Mercy, Father of Compassion, Wings of Justice! By the gate of Daleth, corresponding to Chesed, guide this soul to the holy seat of Mercy!"
As the incantation continued, Morpheus raised the Holy Grail and drank all the red liquid within. Though it was only red wine, in this moment, it represented the blood of Osiris.
The light, acting as a mentor, produced a dagger and sliced through the air. At that moment, the air was rent, and Morpheus felt the old restrictions within him finally break.
It was as if shackles had been unlocked, and his entire spiritual essence began to ascend.
"The light of Jupiter, boundless in abundance; the oath of Tzadkiel, absolving thy sins. Henceforth, thou art a vessel of mercy, walking the path of divine forgiveness!"
The mentor continued chanting. Morpheus listened carefully, holding the Eye of Osiris in his left hand and pressing the seal of Jupiter with his right. He opened his mouth and declared, "By the eternity of Osiris, I uphold the mercy of Tzadkiel. Severity and compassion, both are my path!"
Blue ink floated up, merging with magical energy and the power of the Sephirot, flowing into Morpheus's palm and beginning to inscribe special runes... the Hebrew letter Daleth and the Egyptian Ankh symbol.
The former represented mercy and the Sephirot; the latter symbolized life and eternity. In fact, before crossing into the Toaruverse, Morpheus had encountered this symbol, as a Yu-Gi-Oh! player familiar with the card Monster Reborn.
At this moment, the mentor's voice sounded one final time before slowly fading away.
"Now thou art 7=4, servant of Chesed, witnessed by the lords of Jupiter and the underworld!"
Morpheus did not leave immediately. He first respectfully offered incense... frankincense and myrrh... to Tzadkiel and Osiris, then began to disperse the elemental forces here.
At last, Morpheus let out a sigh of relief, sensing the power within him and giving a faint smile.
In this moment, he had truly stepped into the 7=4 realm, reaching the highest level attainable by a human before crossing into the divine.
Looking at the temple he had set up, with only planetary-level defenses, Morpheus smiled and snapped his fingers. The entire structure of the temple began to disintegrate!
The disintegrated materials then gathered, reformed, and restructured into a new framework.
It didn't take long. In just a moment, the temple had completely transformed. Morpheus whistled and walked out of the room.
Now, the temple's defensive strength had truly reached world-class level!
That meant the boundless world of the cosmos!
...
"You succeeded," Medea said, looking at Morpheus as he emerged, her tone light and her smile warm.
Morpheus nodded gently. "Yes, I succeeded. Now I can truly wield infinite power, though my own capacity can't yet reach that level."
As he spoke, he looked at his hands. Though they appeared no different, if one observed his astral body, it was entirely transformed, brimming with mysterious power.
"In some ways, I'm practically immortal now..." Morpheus muttered.
Medea showed a hint of surprise, then realization dawned. "Osiris's death and rebirth allow your life to cycle endlessly, granting a form of immortality?"
"Exactly. Death and rebirth under eternal order. Conceptually, as long as I'm not truly killed, I'll persist, endlessly repeating my own death and rebirth until I cross the abyss and truly erase the concept of death."
Morpheus's eyes glimmered faintly as he spoke, gazing at Medea and her physical form. For the first time, he noticed a faint crimson glow enveloping her.
The glow was constantly converging, as if separating and coalescing into five distinct elements.
Earth, wind, water, fire, and ether.
The Scarlet Woman represented 8=3, yet also the 1=10 world, the material realm.
"When are you summoning Artemis?" Medea asked, but Morpheus didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward and gently embraced her.
Feeling the warmth of his embrace, Medea froze for a moment before smiling and hugging him back, letting their bodies press closer together.
"What's this about?" she asked softly.
"Nothing, just felt like hugging you," Morpheus said with a low chuckle, leaning down to kiss her forehead. The battle-hardened witch blushed like a young girl.
"Why so suddenly... we're in the hallway!" Medea whispered.
Morpheus let out a soft laugh. "Everyone knows about us. Besides, since when did you get so shy?"
"Get lost!" Medea loosened her grip and playfully punched his chest, but he held her even tighter, leaving her no chance to escape.
Morpheus spoke slowly, "Give it a couple of days. The Scarlet Woman's power in you still needs some adjustment. You haven't completed your advancement yet. Over the next few days, I'll guide you as a mentor to complete the basic advancements."
Medea froze, looking up at Morpheus. "Several advancements?!"
She thought she misheard... not one advancement, but several?!
"Your skill and knowledge are sufficient, but you haven't performed the rituals. So, we'll spread it out over a few days, advancing through different tiers on different days. You may not reach the highest levels, but getting to 4=7 should be no problem.
"Then, with further study, you can break through to 5=6. At that point, with your level..." Morpheus paused, nodding slightly, "there should be few in this world who can match you."
Listening to Morpheus's plan, Medea gently stood on her toes and kissed his cheek, whispering, "Alright, I'll follow your lead."
...
Crack!
A sharp sound caught Roman's attention. He looked toward the source... Olga Marie. The pencil in her hand had snapped, broken by a single grip.
Roman picked up his own pencil, holding it with both hands and twisting it experimentally, his expression puzzled.
This pencil was sturdy; it shouldn't break so easily...
What was up with Marie?
He cautiously glanced at Olga Marie's screen, only to see Morpheus and Medea embracing and kissing.
At the sight, Roman nearly burst out laughing but immediately felt Olga Marie's murderous glare.
He quickly turned away, shouting, "Da Vinci! I was just saying..."
No one answered... Da Vinci wasn't even there, making the air even more silent and Roman increasingly awkward.
After a moment of silence, he turned to Olga Marie with a smile. "Director, I have some urgent matters to handle, so I won't disturb you!"
With that, he walked toward the door as naturally as possible, then bolted the moment he stepped out, sprinting toward his usual workspace.
"What's going on?" Mash, nearby, asked in confusion upon witnessing the scene.
Ritsuka, sipping her drink, heard Mash and sighed, patting her shoulder meaningfully. "Let me teach you a lesson, Mash."
Mash looked at Ritsuka excitedly, all ears. "Please tell me, Senpai!"
"There's a saying, very wise: 'Unrequited love is a battlefield of one.' " Fujimaru gestured toward Olga Marie's seat. "Got it? That's her battlefield."
Though Mash had little exposure to the outside world, she had occasional internet access. Despite limited opportunities, she was sharp. Hearing Fujimaru's words, she nodded immediately. "I understand! The Director has a crush on Morpheus-senpai but doesn't know what to do, so she's furiously jealous!"
"Exactly, Mash!" Fujimaru patted her shoulder, her expression pained. "But you could be a bit quieter!"
At that moment, Olga Marie's gaze turned toward Mash and Fujimaru, as if ready to silence them permanently.
...
The Lion King walked through a world both unfamiliar and familiar.
This world was different from the one in her memories, yet it held many similarities.
This was her world, her phase.
She could feel the immense power contained within this world, flowing and changing with her thoughts.
She raised her hand, and a sword appeared in it... a radiant, treasured sword. It was the Sword of Promised Victory, once gifted by the Lady of the Lake in the distant past, meant to have been returned to that world. Yet here, she wielded it again.
Moreover, this weapon contained a power she did not understand.
Yes, a power unknown to her... at least, to the her of the past.
This power perfectly protected the human part of her consciousness. Under this protection, she could feel her human aspect naturally and normally merging with her divine aspect.
The Holy Lance Rhongomyniad also appeared in her hand. At this moment, it was no longer merely a tool to anchor the surface or enforce laws. Within it lay a faint power of creation, propelling the continued development of this world.
"They aren't the originals anymore. Rather, they're like new weapons born from myth..." the Lion King murmured to herself, divine energy swirling around her and climbing rapidly. She could feel the swift rise of this divinity.
She was not a chief god, merely a human deified by the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, without any formal recognition. But in this moment, within this phase, she held supreme authority.
She was the god-king of this world!
...
"The Lion King's chronicle?" Olga Marie looked at the file Morpheus sent her... less a file, more a novel. She eyed him skeptically. "You turned the Lion King's story into a novel and plan to publish it?!"
"Yeah, any problem?" Morpheus nodded. "It's just a secondary creation of the Arthurian legend. It's folklore... no copyright protection."
With that, he slapped the table and stood, leaning over Olga Marie.
"Your family can be the publisher. That way, you benefit too. So, are you in or not?!"
"You're so sure it'll sell big?" Olga Marie looked at Morpheus curiously, unsure why he'd write such a thing.
"Slip in some occult knowledge, and people will buy it," Morpheus said with a grin. "By the way, want to sell some knowledge-spreading books together? Like handwritten copies of grimoires?"
Olga Marie froze, then shouted, "Are you insane?! Not afraid of getting targeted?!"
Morpheus spread his hands, speaking righteously, "I'm doing it for the world's progress! Only by spreading knowledge can the system grow. As the heir of the Golden Dawn, I won't be one to hoard secrets!"
***
If you enjoyed this story, don't forget to drop 5 stars and your power stone. And if you want to read more than 70 chapters in advance, feel free to visit: pat reon . com / KangTL