Ethan understood Baris's thoughts and the complex emotions that came with them.

Fear, joy, and fanatic worship.

"Holy City Second District, Pioneer Technology, 173rd floor, send the girl who came in ahead of me over there."

Ethan spoke in a commanding tone.

A voice in the darkness immediately responded, "Regrettably, the humans there are fully prepared for your arrival. I cannot perform such a precise teleportation, but at least I can ensure she has an appropriate landing spot."

Baris-Florensa, snapping out of his pride, nervously clutched the woman and bowed respectfully before Ethan the moment she climbed out of the painting frame.

In reality, he couldn't clearly hear Ethan's communication with the darkness itself, nor could he clearly see Ethan's essence.

Regardless, this Teleportation Master is an excellent specimen and might be the longest surviving survivor in this darkness.

Of course, this has nothing to do with his title, identity, or abilities but rather because he is interesting enough.

The longing for his deceased fiancée, a decade-long obsession with achieving an almost impossible goal, that burning passion...

Sweet like a ripe strawberry.

However, the most interesting part was when Baris gave everything and truly reached the "afterlife" he longed for. When he desperately broke into this false estate, eager to meet his newfound master, all that awaited him was a talking oil painting.

Baris couldn't even confirm if the painting contained the soul of his beloved or if this was all a ruse from the beginning coming from the other node.

It was a moment of falling from Heaven to Hell, delicious like a strawberry sundae.

...

Ethan didn't know why he had such thoughts, but he understood the meaning behind the dark whispers.

"May this pathetic soul bring you some pleasure."

That was the literal meaning; the sweet taste of the strawberry sundae still lingered on Ethan's taste buds, and the woman born from the oil painting was the "meal" he paid for Baris, the KFC attendant.

Upon entering his home, the loyal old butler had already prepared a dessert for him.

But on another note, the contents recorded in the book "Baris-Florensa" made Ethan feel a hint of guilt.

"This is strange."

The whispers in the darkness keenly sensed Ethan's thoughts, "Is this pathetic soul causing you distress? I will ensure they receive their due—"

"Let them go; do not disturb them any further."

Ethan quickly said. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Upon hearing this, the tightly embraced couple sighed with relief, murmuring, "Thank you, thank you for your mercy."

For a moment, he grasped the intention behind the whispers.

Had he been a second later, this poor Teleportation Master and his fiancée's souls would have been crushed.

Yet, Ethan did not blame the exceedingly cruel old butler, as he had no intention of toying with Baris, though the latter's centuries-long existence in this world helped Ethan grasp the current reality.

This world is not unchanging.

During Baris-Florensa's centuries-long stay, there have been many "intruders." Most appeared as fleeting illusions, seemingly unaware they briefly entered this unknown world, while another group of "intruders" seemed to possess more advanced technology.

Drones, aircraft, or even a complete starship.

However, their fate was the same.

Like fireworks shattering in the sky, screams and despair transformed into scattered sparks across the world, yet they were devoured before touching the ground.

Baris once tried searching for the wreckage of those unfortunate victims but found nothing.

Hard bread, at most with a pinch of salt.

It could not compare to the mature fruit cultivated over centuries.

When reading these memories, strange metaphors resurfaced in Ethan's mind. Those fleeting moments of despair exist only because this world occasionally wants to chew on something.

"As you wish."

The presence in the darkness seemed to closely observe Ethan from an unseen place, "But I must point out that you have changed significantly."

"No one remains unchanged."

Ethan exited the studio, casually shutting the door behind him, choosing not to disturb the two panicked souls anymore. He continued down the stairs, drawing closer to the source of the whispers.

As long as he remained here, nothing could escape his sight.

"I guess you have something to say to me too."

He gazed at the nearby pillar, and the shadow hidden behind it responded to his call, revealing a form.

Ethan sighed; here, even asking questions was unnecessary.

"You also have a story about the 'Omega Blocker'... Old Sen."

..................

Meanwhile, in the First District, Holy City Council.

The city hadn't felt this tense in a long time. Over the past 24 hours, the technology department had made breakthrough progress. The data transmitted back to the Holy City by the experimental module known as the "God of Truth" finally bore fruit, thanks to the relentless efforts of countless researchers who worked day and night. They found a way to integrate those complex data streams together.