The first to fall into a sluggish state were the Trick Sorcerer and Tang.
The theater core, at the cost of sacrificing some marionettes, intended to forcibly control them and turn them into marionettes.
"Extraordinary characteristics aggregation, this thing will target the Extraordinary of the Seer pathway first."
The Trick Sorcerer was still struggling, his struggle much more intense than Tang's. The twisting and spreading spirit threads were mostly directed at him.
The remaining targets were a Sequence Five Master of Marionettes and a Sequence Five Traveler.
One was an Extraordinary of the same pathway, and the other was an Extraordinary of an adjacent pathway.
Owen, on the other hand, a Sequence Six of the Death pathway, also carrying a demigod-level Extraordinary item, was ranked last by the theater core.
But this didn't mean that the pressure they were under was any less than that of the Trick Sorcerer.
Still, it had come to this.
"Sequence Two, Miracle Invoker," Tang thought, "worthy of being a Sealed Artifact at the Angel level that destroys cities at the drop of a hat."
It seemed they had all fallen.
Even the Trick Sorcerer who had almost succeeded.
He had obviously known about the 'Never-Ending Theater' beforehand, and might even have come specifically for it, but he still fell into this pit and couldn't climb out.
The Trick Sorcerer had no chance of winning against the Miracle Invoker, even if the latter was a 'living' Sealed Artifact operating according to some kind of rule.
Thoughts had already become sluggish. Although the death decree was still ongoing, the Golden Hammer's demigod-level enhancement had disappeared. Only the mid-sequence strength death decree could no longer sway the theater core's manipulation of the spirit threads.
"No, it shouldn't be like this, no..."
The Trick Sorcerer was struggling desperately. Tang could see the spirit worms on his body constantly trying to destroy the countless threads pulling at his spirit body. In his frantic struggle, the Trick Sorcerer revealed his mythical creature form: transparent worms with three-dimensional mysterious symbols shining on their bodies. The worms twisted madly, but they couldn't shake the source at all.
But this violent struggle caused the theater core to target him even more intensely.
Tang looked at Olson and Owen.
Owen's condition was slightly better. The demigod-level Extraordinary item on his body had enhanced the strength of his spirit body; otherwise, Owen, who was only Sequence Six, might have been the first among them to become a marionette.
Olson had obviously been initially controlled. The struggling look on his face was gradually disappearing, beginning to transform into a puppet constantly chanting 'miracle' and 'creation.'
They were frozen in mid-air. After becoming marionettes, they would probably have to stay under this dome for a while, or rather, be hung up to dry like cured meat for a while.
"System."
'Host, I'm here.'
Although Tang's thoughts were stiff, the feeling of stiffness instantly disappeared after he called out to the System.
The Miracle Invoker's manipulation of spirit threads was far more powerful than the Trick Sorcerer's. Tang didn't dare to underestimate it, using the System's high sequence to influence the spirit threads' manipulation of him.
This made Tang feel much better.
"Let's begin, just like we planned when we came in."
'Okay, Host.'
After the System said this, its voice seemed to become very distant, as if it were making some kind of preparation.
"Tang."
Owen's voice made Tang turn his head with some difficulty.
He saw that Olson, who had begun to babble about 'miracle' and 'creation' and the like, was still holding up that phantom book, making it open to one of its pages.
The paper page shimmering with light spots looked somewhat dim. Olson was probably about to lose control of his will.
"You... first... get rid of... complete... requirement... should also... be able to... leave."
Owen's voice was intermittent, "Take... the thing... away..."
He was referring to the armor on his body.
In this situation, they could only save whoever they could.
Tang was silent.
"So, what did you guys come in here for..."
'Host.'
Tang sighed silently, then reached out his hand.
'Initialization complete.'
'5000 knowledge fragments consumed. Your memories will be fully unsealed for the next thirty seconds!'
'At the same time, you will gain a peculiar Extraordinary ability!'
'The System is setting it for you. You have gained—'
Tang's hand touched Owen's armor, touched Olson's phantom book.
"Ascension!"
At this moment, it felt as if some kind of shackle in his mind was being released.
Sealed memories and his own special nature were awakening. His sequence began to rise rapidly, surpassing the sequence brought by the Master of Marionettes potion.
'Knowledge, follows the person.'
The System's voice gradually faded away.
In an instant, Tang felt himself being dragged by something.
He closed his eyes.
It was his own memory.
The memory of him reading a book in his room.
Desk lamp, mobile phone, air conditioner, snacks—it was a memory from a long time ago.
Countless images flashed frantically before his eyes, combining with the text on the mobile phone.
He saw—
Saw the spirit world with only countless symbolic signs, saw the seven rays of light held high above.
Saw the hazy gray-white mist above the seven rays of light, vaguely saw countless cocoons, saw a door of light.
He saw—
Saw the darkness that light could not illuminate, saw the hidden fear in the deepest depths of the earth.
He saw—
Saw the gray-white illusory tide, saw the straight, wide, illusory, colorless dim river, the figures wandering on both sides of the river, saw the huge figure in the river water.
He saw—
Saw the starry sky, saw countless stars, saw the moon, the flawless white moon.
He saw the great existence entrenched among countless stars, saw the holy land like a divine kingdom.
Saw the raging wind blowing between the stars, saw the waves, saw the pure white sun, saw countless images.
The images constantly zoomed in and out, sometimes rising and sometimes falling, saw a corner of this planet, saw the Hornacis Mountains, saw countless marionettes.
Saw a figure in simple white robes, saw an existence wearing a monocle.
Saw the evil spirits of the underground, saw the cultists, they seemed to be trying to summon something, praying to something.
Like an observer, like a reader watching a televised work.
Finally, the picture fell into darkness.
Tang saw the last scene.
Saw an unknown place, a place full of impurity and filth, something cast a scrutinizing gaze.
Countless mystical symbolic signs were dazzling, abruptly pulling him away from here, before that gaze could see him, before that gaze could lock onto him, taking him away from here.
In the next moment, Tang opened his eyes.
"Do not listen, do not think, do not look." In this state, his voice twisted into an indescribable murmur.
Mad knowledge adhered to the surface of Tang's clothes in an incomprehensible way, weaving him a loose, pure white coat.
"Next, it's time to let this thing learn a harsh lesson."
"A brain that can't learn knowledge is better off blown up."
(End of this chapter)