Within the Grey Tower, and also beyond it.
The rainbow light cast from the crystal walls outside was neither strong nor dazzling.
It fell into the open doors of the Grey Tower, streaking in diagonally and covering the upper half of Tricino’s face.
Looking up from Annan’s position, one could just make out Tricino’s smiling lips.
A silence persisted for a mont, then Professor Grey slightly lowered his head to look at Annan: "What’s the matter, Your Sky Carriage Majesty?"
He revealed a gentle smile: "What are you hesitating about?"
"...No."
Annan first reflexively denied.
Then he stopped mid-sentence and squinted at Tricino: "Nothing.
"It’s just... should I address you as Professor Grey, or as the Bone Healer?"
Upon hearing Annan’s words.
Tricino looked at Annan with so surprise.
After a pause, he smiled.
Tricino praised: "A fine retort, Your Majesty.
"If possible, please do call the Bone Healer."
After speaking, Tricino stepped aside from the door and bowed slightly to signal: "Please co in, everyone."
Annan took a step forward and walked into the Grey Tower. Sensing the heightened tension in the atmosphere, the players silently retreated behind Annan and promptly went live with great vigor.
"What does that an?"
Naifertali clearly did not quite understand what was going on.
She asked softly: "The na Professor Grey... what about it?"
Annan simply said in a low voice: "You know as well. For an Idol Wizard, his na is power in itself."
She nodded thoughtfully, seeming to understand a bit more.
Naifertali’s question did not stem from a lack of knowledge.
But rather from a lack of crucial information... She clearly did not know that "Professor Wolf" was indeed Professor Grey.
However, Annan’s words prompted a realization.
She’d previously learned from Annan that the "Professor Grey" Tricino Seti’s true identity was in fact the Tragedian’s forr Pope "Dream Eater"... when combined with the information on Professor Wolf, she imdiately guessed everything.
Counting "Professor Wolf," Tricino Seti has a total of four nas.
In the order they were obtained, they are:
Dream Eater. Professor Grey. Professor Wolf. Bone Healer.
The reason why Professor Grey killed his student "Frederick lvin" back then was to steal the latter’s "na" using Idol Spells to create the substitute identity "Professor Wolf."
For an Idol Wizard of Professor Grey’s caliber, as long as he obtained soone’s na, he could replace that person’s life.
Even those closest to that person would only recognize Professor Grey as the individual himself... because what was changed was not just the mories in people’s brains, but the past and the future as well.
—The visage of those whose nas were stolen by Tricino would even vanish or change in their forr portraits and photographs. There was therefore no need to alter his appearance to step into another person’s life with ease.
The reason Tricino split off a "second self" from his own being, going to the extent of tolerating the existence of another in the world who "understands him completely," was to forcibly create the identity of "Professor Wolf" in order to remove the old identities of "Dream Eater" and "Professor Grey" from himself.
After all, the god he worshipped—the Tragedian—was also a student of "Professor Bai" Chiron. The Tragedian’s non-intervention in Professor Grey’s ritual theft of Professor Bai’s powers back then does not an he would never care.
This was the secret that Chiron later told Annan.
Tricino’s act of creating the na "Professor Wolf" and renaming himself "Bone Healer" severed him directly from Professor Grey. The newly born "Bone Healer" is clean—he never used the "Dream-Eating Ritual," never worshipped nor believed in the Tragedian, and never stole powers from Professor Bai.
All these sins, these consequences, along with the identity of the new Pope, have all fallen upon Professor Wolf.
And he himself not only no longer needs to endure danger, but his power will also significantly increase.
The idol Wizard who believes in deities, his Transcendent power will decline by at least half — since Tricino has completely abandoned the playwright’s faith and turned to believe in himself, he will naturally beco stronger.
It’s like a warrior shedding his burdens.
The reason why Annan’s words could form a beautiful counterattack,
Is because Annan truly had seen "Professor Grey" in his nightmare years ago.
That is to say, Annan himself is the link between "Professor Grey" and the "Bone Healer".
If Tricino admits in front of Annan that he is "Professor Grey"... Then he will re-establish the connection with the dead identity of "Professor Grey," allowing the sins on Professor Wolf to flow back to him.
This principle can be understood as...
Tricino now is like soone who secretly underwent plastic surgery in an underground black workshop.
Then, unless special investigation is conducted, the actual situation is "the forr person has mysteriously disappeared," "a face that has never been seen before has appeared."
But, if his child from before the surgery sees him and suddenly exclaims "Daddy", and he subconsciously responds "Yes?". This definitely cannot be taken as "irrefutable proof," because without verification it’s impossible to directly confirm this is the sa person... But just this exchange of dialogue would cause people to hold suspicions about him.
And what Tricino is deceiving, is the entire world.
Even if no one hears it... But as long as Annan says it, and he responds, then Tricino’s ritual will have a flaw.
"Moreover..."
Annan spoke halfway, then suddenly stopped.
With this sentence, he also probed for new information:
That is, Tricino indeed possesses mories from the nightmare—
Or rather, at the very least, Tricino is aware that he had, as "Professor Grey," t Annan in a nightmare!
"I understand now."
Annan, following behind Tricino, holding the "Siren of the Third" and bowing his head while his lips slightly curled up: "I finally understand... I know now why you have been avoiding all this ti."
Previously, Tricino built special anti-light installations in the Sporogenesis Mill, not to repel Annan but to use the ssage that leaked from Naifertali to make Annan suspicious and prevent him from imdiately reaching the Underground City, affecting his upcoming sacred bone transplant surgery.
And this is a re empty-city strategy!
"—You’re just afraid one word from would completely expose your dual identities."
Annan responded.
If he regains the identity of "Professor Grey"... Although he would not assu the identity of "the Pope of Tragedy Playwrights", he would no longer possess the pure understanding of sacred bones as the Bone Healer.
In that case, it ans his surgery might fail.
So why has that aningless "anti-light device" been removed now?
"Do you think it’s okay to see now? Then, why now? The biggest difference between now and before is that the Bone of Fearlessness has changed hands, and its new owner can survive without using your concocted mixture."
Annan said softly: "You said ’as much as possible.’ That ans, you are not so afraid of your old identity being linked. Why is that?
"—The answer is simple."
The corners of Annan’s mouth lifted slightly: "You are about to abandon the na ’Bone Healer’... Right?"
Upon hearing Annan’s words, Tricino suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He fell silent for a while.
Then he turned around, facing Annan with an emotionless smile.
"You are quite sothing, Your Majesty. Your intuition is indeed sharp... but it’s a bit annoying."
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