Chapter 795: A Surprise, Perhaps?

What was Daniel thinking? What could he possibly be thinking?

Right now, all he felt was how fast the world was changing. The situation before him was dire, and he was a little panicked—but panicking was useless. His master sat calmly across from him, watching. Yet Daniel had no clue what the next step should be. What was supposed to be a simple meeting had suddenly become more complicated than calculus or surface theory…

But after weathering countless storms, Daniel was no stranger to complexity. He had managed to navigate the tangled upper echelons of Aldernan society, adapted to the shadowy, treacherous Sleeper Cult, and after becoming a loyal servant of the Outer Wanderer, he had gained a new, invaluable skill: an uncanny ability to read his master’s intentions.

Gawain, sitting opposite him, gave a slight nod.

Daniel exhaled quietly—he understood now.

“I agree with Archbishop Selina’s view,” the old mage stood up, his voice steady and measured, carrying the weight of careful consideration. “The Outer Wanderer is a viable option.”

Someone couldn’t help but speak up: “We’ve always kept our distance from It, never collaborated before, only had unpleasant encounters. Now, suddenly, we’re supposed to entrust our very survival to such an unfathomable being? This is too strange…”

“The key issue isn’t whether we want to entrust our fate to It,” Daniel said calmly, “but that there is indeed a possibility of reaching consensus with It. Archbishop Selina has already explained the reasons, so I won’t repeat them. I’ll just add two points:

“First, we no longer have the luxury to plan leisurely. Let’s face reality, brothers and sisters: Sandbox One is out of control. The Upper Narrators are gradually entering the real world. Compared to the Outer Wanderer, what’s in Sandbox One is like a blade pressed against everyone’s neck. We have no choice—not that we chose the Outer Wanderer, but that It is probably the only force capable of opposing Sandbox One and potentially aiding us.

“Second, the Outer Wanderer exists on a level beyond humanity and has already begun intervening in ‘divine authority’ through a kind of religious reform. We have reason to believe It is interested in ‘gods.’ In other words, when the Upper Narrators truly enter the real world, It will very likely be drawn to this new god and seek us out. If we wait until It approaches us, trying to ‘propose cooperation’ won’t be so easy.”

As Daniel finished, a low murmur spread through the hall. His two points were highly persuasive and nearly impossible to refute. Gawain nodded with satisfaction—the old mage’s support was perfectly timed, and that second point gave Gawain a solid motive to intervene. Such a capable subordinate was rare at any time.

Gawain was curious, though: how did Daniel know exactly what he wanted him to say? Gawain hadn’t given any indication or discussed the next step beforehand—he had only nodded and let Daniel speak off the cuff…

The discussion in the hall continued for several minutes. Gradually, the archbishops seemed to reach a reluctant consensus.

They didn’t truly endorse this almost fantastical “plan,” but after debate, they found no better option.

At that moment, Pope Megor III, who had been silently observing from above the meeting, finally broke the silence: “Then this plan is settled.”

“How ironic… We have dedicated ourselves to opposing gods, only to now seek help from a god-like ‘entity’… Does all our effort over the years even mean anything?” Archbishop Magnum muttered darkly, his voice low but audible throughout the hall.

“At least we’ve tried another path,” Megor III interrupted calmly. “Next, we must discuss how to establish contact with the Outer Wanderer and accurately convey our intentions. This must be done quickly—our time is running out.”

Gawain sat upright, slipping once again into a trance-like state.

“Such a reckless approach means gaining trust should be our top priority,” Yuri, sitting beside Gawain, stood and said. “It must be wary and resistant toward us. If we make a direct request, It will likely refuse…”

Voices rose around the hall: “We should send someone who knows Cecil well to make contact…”

“I think too much preparation might backfire, making us seem insincere. It’s better to state our intentions directly—that might win Its favor.”

“The Outer Wanderer is clearly watching us. Didn’t It already create an improved ‘communication device’ by analyzing our technology? We could use technology to win Its goodwill…”

The archbishops launched into a lively debate. Gawain sat quietly among them, his thoughts gradually settling.

He scanned the room, a bold idea forming in his mind.

The situation had reached this point: whether the psychic network could survive depended entirely on resolving the Sandbox One crisis. After years of planning, much of the network’s authority was effectively in Daniel’s and his hands. It was time to strengthen the image of the Outer Wanderer’s power and make the Sleepers more “cooperative”…

Gawain nodded inwardly: the time seemed just right.

The archbishops of the High Synod were immersed in discussion, analyzing the Outer Wanderer and speculating about “Gawain Cecil.”

Then Yuri Charwen suddenly noticed someone sitting beside him—he hadn’t realized when the person had arrived.

Brown short hair, a dignified face, a burly frame, radiating an aura of tangible authority.

Gawain lightly tapped the table, smiled, and looked around the room, nodding gently: “I also agree with Selina Gelph’s opinion.”

The entire hall fell utterly silent.

Even the starry cluster floating midair froze, no longer contracting or writhing.

After several seconds of indescribable stillness, the hall suddenly shook violently. The minds of many high-level, peak, even legendary figures trembled simultaneously, causing the entire temple to quake. Terrifying cracks spread from the hall to the outer walls. Amid strange howls and roars, some of the twenty-two archbishops before Gawain suddenly stood up, others gripped the table wide-eyed, some gasped—and then one by one, their figures vanished in the turbulent light and shadow. They had gone offline.

“Psychic storm!!”

A thunderous voice rang out. Magnum instinctively raised his hands to cast his strongest, most practiced spell—but the moment he did, his expression turned grim. Holding that expression, he severed his connection to the meeting.

As Magnum disappeared, the psychic storm swept through the hall, engulfing the ornate golden round table and every chair. It crashed down on the remaining archbishops who hadn’t yet gone offline, nearly kicking them all out of the network.

After the chaos, the golden council chamber was left in ruins. The psychic storm’s aftershocks swirled above, the intricately carved pillars were scarred, the floor shattered, the dome cracked, and the magnificent round table lost all its RGB lighting…

Only four remained in the hall besides Gawain: Pope Megor III, still floating midair and frozen stiff; Selina Gelph, expressionless and seated nearby; and Yuri Charwen, sitting to Gawain’s left, pale and battered, looking unwell.

As for Daniel… To avoid suspicion and maintain concealment, the old mage had instantly performed his best act, feigning terror and disconnecting from the network like the others.

Thanks to his high-level permissions and strong mental resistance, Gawain had withstood the psychic storm’s assault. Though internally stunned, his expression remained calm and dignified. After straightening his clothes, he looked at Selina: “Why didn’t you leave?”

Selina met his gaze deeply. “…I can only exist within the network. Leaving here would be meaningless.”

Gawain nodded, then looked up at Megor III floating above: “And you? Why didn’t you leave?”

The starry cluster finally resumed its pulsating writhes, and the voice of the Sleeper Pope came: “…I am curious about you.”

Finally, Gawain turned to the pale, battered Yuri and asked with concern, “Are you alright?”

“…I’m fine.”

“Why did you stay as well?”

Yuri’s face stiffened, his tone strange, as if reluctant to speak but forced to: “…I have a relatively high resistance to Magnum’s psychic storm.”

It sounded like he wasn’t happy about his ability to withstand Magnum’s attack.

But Gawain was pleased—he hadn’t been this cheeky in a long time.

And after being cheeky, he still maintained his persona without cracking, leaving an impression of inscrutable depth.

That helped keep his mindset steady.

He sat upright, as if he were the true master of this place, quietly shaping the image of the “Outer Wanderer” he was meant to embody. He scanned the hall once more, then smiled and spoke:

“This is a fascinating place. From a purely technical standpoint, you’re quite impressive.

“What’s the next item on the agenda? Shall we continue?

“Do we need to wait for the others to return?”

Selina stared at Gawain’s composed figure for a long moment before sighing and meeting his eyes: “You do indeed look very much like Gawain Cecil.”

“In a sense, I am Gawain Cecil,” he nodded casually. “If you get the chance, you should talk with Beltira about this.”

He met Selina’s gaze calmly, his eyes serene.

He knew this “Lightbearer Saint” was connected to the mysterious voyage Gawain Cecil undertook seven hundred years ago. She might have known from the start that some foreign presence had taken over Gawain Cecil’s body (though the term “Outer Wanderer” hadn’t yet been coined). She might know many details even Gawain himself didn’t. But those questions could wait. There would be time to understand them later.

“Beltira…” Selina frowned slightly, repeating the name softly. “She seems to have survived in some form…”

“Yes. It’s no secret. She’s now a citizen of the Cecil Empire,” Gawain confirmed.

After another pause, Selina raised the lantern in her hand. An invisible force rippled through the ruined hall, and the damage caused by the psychic storm was swiftly repaired. The pillars, dome, floor, and round table all restored in the blink of an eye.

Watching this, Gawain couldn’t help but say with a wry smile, “Actually, I just wanted to give you all a little surprise.”

“A surprise, indeed—but not a pleasant one,” came Megor III’s voice, sounding suddenly much older. “We always thought we had kept a safe distance from you, at least within this network. But…”

“To be honest, your security measures have caused me a bit of trouble—especially after you rebuilt the network’s mental firewall and started using all those new security technologies. It’s definitely become a lot more complicated,” Gawain said casually, calmly helping Daniel patch up his vest again. “But luckily, I know a thing or two about tech, and your mental firewall… wasn’t all that hard for me to break through.”

Meigel III was silent for a few seconds, then asked cautiously, “When exactly did you… enter here?”

Gawain thought for a moment, then deliberately gave a vague answer: “Sometimes, I move around with you.”

Silence. An even more awkward silence.

As the tension grew thicker, Meigel III finally spoke up.

“Gather the others back. Let’s continue… the meeting.

“Tell Magnum to calm down before he comes in.”

(End of chapter)