Papyrus, Read the Blasphemer's Will
Last updated 2026-02-09
Papyrus, Read the Blasphemer's Will is the third part of the Trailblaze Mission chapter Through the Petals in the Land of Repose. It automatically begins after completing Olive, Cast to the Conference Chair.
Steps
- Investigate the remains of the black tide spawned monster
- Continue forward and join up with Hyacine
- Speak with Hyacine
- Head to the Library of Philia
- Search for the materials left by Anaxa
- Search for Anaxa's lab between the cornerstones
- Search for the materials left by Anaxa
- Have an audience with Kephale's divine vessel, and prepare for transmutation
Gameplay Notes
- This mission uses the Fate's Ensemble system, played from the perspective of Dan Heng. The game provides him for use as a Story character.
Dialogue
- Dan Heng: ...
- Hyacine: What are you thinking about?
- Dan Heng: Just amazed at how this towering tree is Cerces's divine body. It's a majestic sight.
- Hyacine: Is that so? You don't look the slightest bit amazed, though. Plus, you seem to be strangely familiar with the city around the Great Tree...?
- Dan Heng: ...Merely something from the past that I won't go in to.
- Hyacine: Events of the past, huh... I was also a child when I looked up at Cerces. Their leaves and branches reflected the sparkling stars, and their trunk was like a pillar that supported the sky and ground.
- Hyacine: I stood at this very spot back then, imagining the day when I could climb to the top of this tree... Because I would be the closest I can be to the sky at that spot.
- Dan Heng: You're a Sky Priest, yet you study at a place that is home to the Reason Titan... That's rather counterintuitive.
- Hyacine: Don't read too much into it. I mean, can mortals even hope to reach Aquila's realm? They're a strict and draconian god, nothing like Cerces. Reason is willing to share what is theirs with others, but Sky... only expects people to revere them.
- Hyacine: You get what I'm saying, right Dannie? After all, the Titan that imprisoned you and (Trailblazer) here in Amphoreus is none other than Aquila themself...
- Dan Heng: Yes, I didn't count on provoking the ire of a local god.
- Hyacine: But there will always be people who dream of soaring toward the sky. The Grove has a wealth of research on Aquila, and that is exactly what we are here for.
- Hyacine: It's just... I never thought Grayie would meet with something like that before we set off... As a physician, I should have been there by (his/
her) side. - Dan Heng: Bad luck tends to come in streaks, so don't beat yourself up over it. Besides, Aglaea needs you here to uncover the truth behind what happened to the Grove. Let's just make the most out of this trip and keep a lookout for any documents related to the Death Titan — they could be useful to (Trailblazer).
- Hyacine: Yeah... There's no rest for the weary, huh.
- Hyacine: In any case, what we're looking for could be anywhere in this enormous Grove. Let's split up to cover more ground. Dannie, with your skills, I'm sure those monsters born of the black tide will pose no threat to you anyway.
- Dan Heng: What about you? Will you be alright on your own?
- Hyacine: Hehe, have you forgotten that you're talking to the chief physician of the Twilight Courtyard? Have more faith in me. I'll be just fine!
- Dan Heng: ...The silence in here is near deafening.
- Dan Heng: With the vast amount of knowledge it holds, this academy is akin to a labyrinth of information... Even the cleverest of scholars would easily lose their way in here. I should gather my thoughts before heading in.
How to leave Amphoreus...
- Dan Heng: (In the myths, Aquila, the Titan who reigns over the domain of the skies, is a colossal bird that overlooks the world beneath them with a hundred eyes. As long as they continue to soar above the clouds, the people of Amphoreus will remain trapped on the ground...)
- Dan Heng: (Hyacine's forebears were priests who worshiped Aquila. Nobody is more familiar with the taboos of the Sky Titan than her. Seeing how Aglaea has sent her here as a guide, it's possible that she plans to have Hyacine take on a trial in the future.)
- Amphoreus' Titan mythology...
- Dan Heng: (In Amphoreus, Titans are a common topic of discussion. People create myths that, in turn, conceive Titans... It's a tricky task to keep an objective view when among the people of Amphoreus.)
- Dan Heng: (Is there a way to step out of the situation and look at it from a different perspective?)
- Titans and Aeons...
- Dan Heng: (Titans and Aeons are two distinct classes of beings. Titans can communicate with us humans, and it is not impossible for us to overpower them. Upon their demise, we can even take over their divinity.)
- Dan Heng: (In this regard, Titans can be said to be a lot more similar to humans than Aeons are...)
- The Chrysos Heirs and demigods...
- Dan Heng: (Chrysos Heirs are humans who possess heroic qualities, with most of them demonstrating extraordinary combat prowess and strength. Upon clearing a Coreflame trial, a Chrysos Heir can even ascend to a demigod and inherit a Titan's divinity...)
- Dan Heng: (Wait, something about that feels off. Is this a... selection process of some sort?)
- The Flame-Chase Journey and the prophecy...
- Dan Heng: (Guided by the prophecy, the heroes are on a quest to reclaim Coreflames and usher in the Era Nova. Their efforts have seen gratifying results to date.)
- Dan Heng: (As I expected, the prophecy is the hardest to make any sense of. But with barely any information to go on, no matter how much I ruminate on it, it won't yield any results... I should leave this for another time.)
- Think of something else...
- Dan Heng: (I should probably turn my attention to something else.)
- (Return to the previous options)
- (Trailblazer)'s plight...
- Dan Heng: (Nobody could've ever imagined that (Trailblazer)'s life would be forfeited the moment we landed on Amphoreus...)
- Dan Heng: (I should have done more to keep (him/
her) safe... but it's not too late. We still have a fighting chance — the unique rules that govern life and death on Amphoreus might just work in our favor and save (him/ her).) - Dan Heng: (The Grove is a veritable library of knowledge... Maybe they'll have records on a similar case? Please let there be one...)
- Enough musing for now. It's time to move.
- Dan Heng: The clock is ticking... I should search for clues as I move.
Investigate the remains of the black tide spawned monster
- Mission DescriptionBefore heading to the Library of Philia, look for any documents left behind along the way.
Many documents were scattered when scholars fled from the black tide creatures.
There might be information about Thanatos.
- Dan Heng: The night sky feels unusual... now that I've gotten used to the eternal light of Okhema.
- (Approach the marked location)
- Black monsters are twisted in form, and their life has turned to ash together with their souls. It's impossible to figure out their form when they were still alive.
- Dan Heng: These are... the remains of a black tide monster. It does look different from the Titankin from up close.
- Dan Heng: What's that underneath it...? A scroll?
- (Quick read)
-
- The Scholars' Debates (I)
- *A recorded debate between Venerationist and Nousporist scholars. Most of it is illegible, leaving only fragments of dialogue...*
- Venerationist Scholar:
- ...We all recall that state that dared touch the sky. But what were they really? Just blind masses manipulated by ambitious politicians who dared challenge the Titans' authority.
- Venerationist Scholar:
- A completely meaningless attempt, an absolute mistake.
- Nousporist Scholar:
- Hmph, you Venerationists have bowed to the Titans for so long, you've forgotten a scholar's true purpose?
- Nousporist Scholar:
- "Making a mistake does not mean the act was meaningless."
- Nousporist Scholar:
- Even those students new to the Grove understand this from basic logic lessons.
- Nousporist Scholar:
- An entire city-state reduced to ashes proved the skyships' construction was a mistake. To me, that's precisely the meaning they achieved through sacrifice.
- Venerationist Scholar:
- Am I hearing this right? Such a statement... are you converting to Venerationism?
- Nousporist Scholar:
- No, I'm simply examining the matter from another perspective.
- Venerationist Scholar:
- ...
*...Legible content ends here.*
- Dan Heng: As I expected, the Grove doesn't forbid discussions about the Sky. It's a debate between two scholars about the skyships... Aglaea also made mention of the ships when she interrogated us — a memory I'd rather forget.
- Dan Heng: I'll hold onto this for now. With any luck, this journey won't leave us empty-handed.
Continue forward and join up with Hyacine
- Step DescriptionBefore heading to the Library of Philia, look for any documents left behind along the way.
Let's exchange information with Hyacine.
- Dan Heng: ...Huh?
- (Approach the marked location)
- Dan Heng: That's... Hyacine? Why is she surrounded by so many monsters? ...As much faith as I have in her, it's probably a good idea to help her out there.
- Hyacine: Really now? This is way more trouble than I could've asked for.
- Dan Heng: Need a hand?
- Hyacine: Hm... Or you could sit back and watch?
- Dan Heng: I can't tell if you're serious or not... But being hard to read isn't without its perks, I suppose.
- Hyacine: Hehe, I'm kidding, Dannie! Lend me a hand, pretty please? Alright, now let's get them!
- (Begin battle against Black Tide's Corroded Axe ×2, Tide-Eroded Blade ×2)
- (After the battle)
- Dan Heng: This place is practically in ruins. What happened? There shouldn't be this many monsters here.
- Hyacine: The black tide is remarkably quick to detect the light of Amphoreus, so I... or rather, the blessings of the Sky Priest in me, might have unknowingly called them to me.
- Hyacine: Anyway, never mind that for now. Here, you might want to have a look at this. I found it around here and thought it might be of interest to you.
- (Quick read)
-
- The Scholars' Debates (II)
- *A debate record between two scholars. Most are illegible, leaving only fragments of dialogue...*
- Euthyphro:
- ...Well then, enlighten me. What exactly do you mean by "examining from another perspective"?
- ???:
- Simple, you see—
- ???:
- When we stand normally, the sky is above. When we stand on our heads, it's below our feet.
- Euthyphro:
- Heh, I don't even want to know what kind of situation inspired you to make such exalted theories.
- Euthyphro:
- By the way, I have a student who loves to write satirical comedies and once wrote about a fool who could not figure out a question no matter what.
- ???:
- As I said, there's no reasoning with you Venerationists.
- ???:
- You're like dromases, huge yet always gazing downward at the earth, while I want to be the wasp that stings the dromas.
- ???:
- What if that state tyrant's defeat simply proved that among all paths to Aquila...
- ???:
- ...the "Skyship" was the wrong one?
- Euthyphro:
- ...
- Euthyphro:
- Anaxagoras, you impious blasphemer, mark my words — you will eventually answer for your sacrilege.
- Euthyphro:
- I doubt your students — or that young teaching assistant girl — have any idea what *secret research* you're truly conducting...
*...Legible content ends here.*
Speak with Hyacine
- Dan Heng: Anaxa... goras. He's the scholar who fused himself with the Coreflame of Reason.
- Hyacine: This is new. I didn't know Professor Anaxa was researching the Sky. He's never mentioned anything about it.
- Dan Heng: Phainon said Anaxa might be opposed to the Flame-Chase Journey.
- Hyacine: "Might" is an understatement. Anaxa has never been one to venerate the gods, nor has he ever found it within himself to put any faith in the prophecy. People have come to think of him as a heretic, even in a place as liberal as the Grove.
- Hyacine: Yet, it is also this very "blasphemer" that Cerces favors. Fate sure works in mysterious ways.
- Dan Heng: I picked up a scroll on my way here, too. It looks like it may be related to the one you're holding.
- Hyacine: Oh? Let me have a look.
- Hyacine combines both records together...
- Hyacine: By the looks of them, these scrolls are records of two conversations that took place in the same setting, one after the other.
- Dan Heng: There's still much I don't know about the Grove. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?
- Hyacine: Sure, go ahead.
- Who are the Venerationists?
- Hyacine: The Grove of Epiphany is home to seven schools of thought. While all seven schools are founded on the ideologies of Thalesus the First Scholar, each is unique in its own way. Among them, the Venerationists revere and worship the Titans the most.
- Hyacine: As the sage of the Venerationists, Euthyphro has always been at loggerheads with Anaxa.
- Hyacine: If we were to place the Seven Sages on the scales of Talanton, Anaxa and Euthyphro would be placed on opposite sides to achieve balance.
- Dan Heng: A very illustrative explanation. Thank you.
- Was it a mistake to build the skyships?
- Hyacine: Nearly everyone in Amphoreus has heard the story of the skyships by now. Aquila's stature is loftier than the heavens, and their divine retribution is merciless.
- Hyacine: That's why it's no use building giant sky-faring ships... Oh, but I do wonder if a supercharged mini Tribbie cannon could slip past their watch?
- Dan Heng: That was a joke... right?
- What is Anaxa's field of study?
- Hyacine: Nousporists primarily study the application of alchemy in soul repair.
- Hyacine: Everyone considers Anaxa a blasphemer, but that has never stopped him from sharing his ideas, no matter how taboo. If you must say that he's hiding something... then it's likely what lies beneath his eye patch.
- I don't have any more questions.
- Hyacine: Anaxa often says that... "Every failure brings us one step closer to the truth."
- Hyacine: Perhaps, to him, the crash of the skyship carries a different interpretation. The firmament is not impenetrable. On the contrary, it was precisely because the skyship represented the first step toward breaking free from the shackles of the earth that it provoked the wrath of the Sky Titan and brought divine punishment upon itself.
- Hyacine: It's a shame that the majority of the Grove's research on Aquila was headed by the Venerationists, with sacrificial rituals making up a predominant part of their findings. Discourse about more esoteric subject matters in relation to Aquila dwindled even further after the skyship incident, so much so that even this scroll is completely new to me.
- Dan Heng: Don't worry about it. We'll just collect everything we can find on the Titans for now.
- Dan Heng: There's something else that's caught my attention, though... This says that Anaxa is conducting secret experiments of some sort?
- Hyacine: That's what I'd like to know. What are these experiments he's involved in? Even I, the assistant lecturer, know next to nothing about them...
Head to the Library of Philia
- Step DescriptionHead to the Library of Philia with Hyacine to collect documents for the data bank and expand our understanding of Amphoreus.
Anaxagoras, who survived the tragedy in the Grove, remains a mystery.
- Hyacine: I have a bad feeling about this. Could there be more to what happened at the Grove?
- (Approach the marked location)
- Hyacine: This is the Library of Philia, a place where the Grove stores its collection of tomes.
- Hyacine: Other than books written by the seven schools, you can also find philosophical texts, ballads, and religious writings from the outlands here. Cities that desired to learn from the Grove were apparently expected to contribute knowledge of equal value to what they sought.
- Hyacine: We've had more than our fair share of hilarious episodes over the years. For instance, it's said that the Erythrokeramists once borrowed a manuscript from a certain author but ended up returning a copy instead of the original! What's more, the original manuscript was supposedly then hidden here.
- Dan Heng: That... doesn't seem like a nice thing to do.
- Hyacine: Nice? No need to hold yourself back, Dannie. You can just tell it like it is: Their behavior was no different from bandits!
- Dan Heng: Well, if you don't mind: Did the Grove ever rob Castrum Kremnos?
- Hyacine: You've got me there. Some said you couldn't even find a dictionary in Castrum Kremnos, so I guess they were spared.
- Hyacine: There are too many books in the Library of Philia. Flipping through them all will take too long. Why don't we use the biblioslate to search for the texts we need? We can bring them back to Okhema for reading after that.
- Dan Heng: Agreed, this place isn't safe. We should leave as soon as we're done.
- Dan Heng: There are still several more scrolls strewn all over the place. I'll gather them while you pull up those texts, this way, nothing will be overlooked.
Search for the materials left by Anaxa
- Step DescriptionHead to the Library of Philia with Hyacine to collect materials for the data bank and expand our understanding of Amphoreus.
Look for documents related to Anaxagoras.
- (Investigate the scroll to the left of the stone statue, optional)
- Investigate
- A book covered in annotations from many scholars. Its title is The Art of Sophistry: 40 Ways to Improve Your Debating Skills.
- You skim through it, and the highlighted methods include virtual causation, false premises, contradiction conversion, conflating prevarication and reality, misinterpreted punctuation, misattribution, and generalizing specificity, among others.
- Amidst it are scholars' exclamations: "A true eye-opener, the art of language knows no bounds," "If I can't master sophistry, I can at least learn to defend myself against them as an honest man," and so on.
- Dan Heng: The last resort is... "When all else fails, employ brute force."
- Dan Heng: ...This isn't going to be of any help, that's for sure.
- (Investigate the scroll to the right of the stone statue, optional)
- Investigate
- A record of the many research topics a Caprist scholar had applied for, and the replies from their school's Sage about these topics...
- Topic 1: A discovery that many mythical beasts renowned for their longevity actually reside in areas with poorly managed birth and death records for such creatures. Permission to research. Reply: Lacks research significance, not approved.
- Topic 2: An observation of real plants within the Grove imitating the growth patterns of nearby White Dryads. Permission to research. Reply: Falls under the domain of the Lotophagist school, not approved.
- Topic 3: Investigating the feasibility of placing flying birds into rocket tubes to guide the direction of the rocket's flight. Permission to research. Reply: Too fanciful, not approved.
- ...The subsequent topics grew increasingly eclectic, yet the outcome of the replies remained unchanged.
- Dan Heng: Impressive tenacity... Hopefully it helped him survive the black tide.
- (Investigate the scroll in front of the stone statue)
- Investigate
- These are complaint letters from the scholars about Anaxagoras "The Blasphemer." There's a thick stack of letters.
- Based on the dust accumulated and the perfectly intact seals, the complainee did not even bother opening them and just chucked them aside into a corner.
- Dan Heng: This is... about Anaxa? I should read this. Hyacine, you should come have a look, too.
- Hyacine: Ack, it's so dusty in here... Whoa, are these all complaints about him?
- Hyacine: I can already see what they must have written: "Anaxa has no respect for the gods! His very existence undermines order in our society!" ...They're probably all things like that.
- Dan Heng: Does Anaxa hold that much influence?
- Hyacine: Why else would they call him "the Great Performer"? When Anaxa established his school of thought, the first thing he apparently did was read his own work to everyone.
- Hyacine: "Are the Titans truly an accurate reflection of what humans think gods should be? Worlds created by gods are indubitably perfect, but what of Amphoreus? Only foolishness and insensitivity everywhere you turn!"
- Dan Heng: ...An uncanny impersonation. What happened after?
- Hyacine: They marched him straight to the seat of judgment before he could finish.
- Hyacine: Though what he took on in the end was more a debate than an actual trial. He had to address every one of the scholars' allegations, or face expulsion from the Grove.
- Hyacine: The first allegation was... ahem. "Do you agree that since the Titans created the heavens and earth, so the mountains, rivers, and seas must likewise be their creations?"
- Dan Heng: ...Am I supposed to put myself in Anaxa's shoes and answer that?
- Yes.
- Dan Heng: As told in the myths, the seas, the skies, and the earth are all, beyond the shadow of a doubt, creations of the Titans.
- Hyacine: Anaxa would've probably been spared a lot of trouble if he had answered this way... Instead, he quoted past instances of the Flame-Chase Journey and posited that humans have the potential to take over the divinity of Titans.
- No.
- Dan Heng: Based on the history of the Flame-Chase Journey, humans have the potential to take over the divinity of Titans.
- Hyacine: Anaxa said the same thing then.
- Hyacine: Needless to say, his critics didn't take kindly to his answer, so they followed up with a second allegation.
- Hyacine: "You claim to be studying souls, yet you are, in fact, defiling them and committing acts condemned by the gods. Do you admit it?"
- Dan Heng: That's a serious allegation. Did he really do that?
- Hyacine: Anaxa always wears an eye patch, never removing it, even when alone. Some say he used one of his eyes as an alchemical ingredient.
- Hyacine: Every being in the world owes their safekeeping to Kephale, and this is even more so for the Chrysos Heirs who have divine blood coursing through them. If he has really done something of that nature, then it'd indeed be sacrilegious.
- Hyacine: Thankfully, they had no way to prove it, so it amounted to nothing more than an allegation in the end.
- Hyacine: One by one, Anaxa engaged in wars of words against those who would challenge him. Toward the end, a scholar asked him, "Anaxagoras, have you any respect for the gods?"
- Hyacine: It was only after a brief silence that he answered, "I have never denied that Titans are meant to be noble constructs."
- Dan Heng: What he didn't say — that the Titans are not noble — rings louder in this case.
- Hyacine: Yes... I'm not sure how that controversy was eventually resolved, but what's for certain at least is that Anaxa was allowed to stay in the Grove where he continued his research, despite being regarded as a heretic.
- Hyacine: By the way, this stack of complaint letters has reminded me of a place in the Grove... We may find clues there that aren't on the teleslate.
- Hyacine: I'm talking about Anaxa's alchemy lab, hidden between the cornerstones.
- Dan Heng: Given the Grove's meticulous approach to archiving, could there really be such an oversight right under their noses?
- Hyacine: It's a well-kept secret. Among the Seven Sages, excluding the nominal Chief Sage — each has a private sanctuary where they can conduct research undisturbed in their free time.
- Hyacine: Even the administrators of the Library of Philia are restricted from accessing those places and documenting the sages' research. But...
- Hyacine: With the Grove in this state, I'm sure Anaxa won't be mad even if we sneak into the lab for a short while... Right?
Search for Anaxa's lab between the cornerstones
- Dan Heng: These trees... They're like a maze.
- (Approach the marked location)
- Hyacine: This is the place, but... where is everything?
- Hyacine: Materials for alchemical experiments, matrix diagrams, and even the seal to the lab... They're all gone. Did the black tide destroy it all?
- Dan Heng: No wonder we didn't see any defense mechanisms along the way.
- Dan Heng: Have you ever been here before?
- Hyacine: No, not even close. Not only are alchemy experiments high-risk activities, but Professor Anaxa also has a penchant for using bizarre materials. Students often saw him walk in looking right as rain but come out covered in soot with his hair singed. Naturally, no one dared to come near this place.
- Hyacine: Huh? That bookshelf over there seems to be the only thing still intact.
Search for the materials left by Anaxa
- (Investigate the scroll on top of the broken shelf)
- Investigate
- These are the materials requested by Anaxagoras. Documents from various fields have been compiled in one place, including "Titan Creations," "The Universality of the Soul," "Alchemy Doctrine," and so on.
- Most of the materials look to be within the research domain of the Nousporist school of thought. However, a document titled A Study on the Chrysos Heirs' Background is mixed within.
- (Quick read)
-
- A Hastily Written Journal (I)
- *These appear to be quick notes, examining the background of Chrysos Heirs...*
The Holy Maiden of Janusopolis — Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon, descendants of the Holy Maiden from the Temple of the Three Fates...
Goldweaver Aglaea of Okhema... from the Mnestia priestly family...
The Prince of Castrum Kremnos... Hyacine of the Twilight Courtyard... All of their ancestry have varying degrees of connection to the divine Titans or their divine authorities.
...
Does the golden blood... come from the heritage of priest families... or royal bloodlines...?
...
Anaxagoras — I myself show no such connection.
Kephale the Creator... what criteria did they use to create the golden blood... to shape the Chrysos Heirs?
...
Yet Castorice, the Servant of Death from Aidonia... her lineage is neither Titan priest nor demigod... but she has walked the earth for at least a millennium with the power to grant "Death" to humans... Where did this power come from?
...
Another text speaks of the dragon legends of Styxia... The alchemical extraction of "soul" ripped from dragon corpses is intriguing...
Dragons appear to be the Titans' creations...
Perhaps there's a way to reverse the process — using alchemy to re-fuse human "souls" with Titan creations, increasing the purity and divinity of golden blood toward the absolute?
...
This theory must be tested. Experiments to be arranged.
- Hyacine: What's going on...? Anaxa is conducting research on our friends in Okhema and... me?
- Dan Heng: This journal contains several intriguing points...
- Creations of Titans...
- Dan Heng: From the Abyss of Fate to Castrum Kremnos, I've seen many a Titan creation during my time in Amphoreus. Lifeforms created by Cerces can also be found in the Grove.
- Dan Heng: But fusing them with human souls through alchemical means? I can't even begin to imagine...
- The Chrysos Heirs...
- Dan Heng: Anaxa seems to hold special interest in the divinity coursing through the Chrysos Heirs' veins, and has even conducted a thorough investigation into the heroes' backgrounds.
- Hyacine: It wouldn't have been so strange if he had focused only on Cassie, given her own curiosity about her origins. Plus, considering that the Nousporists have crafted omnipotent medicines capable of curing diseases, it also makes sense that he would conduct research on immortal Chrysos Heirs.
- Hyacine: But now, it seems Anaxa's objective was never to create medicine but to identify the origin of the golden blood and figure out its inner workings.
- Anaxa's research...
- Dan Heng: Through alchemy, Anaxa aims to refine the golden blood in the Chrysos Heirs to a degree of purity equal to "divinity."
- Dan Heng: This must be what he means by "close to true purity." But... treating both Titan creations and the human body as materials to be used in alchemy experiments? That's rather extreme.
- Hyacine: ...
- Hyacine: Dannie, look at this. I have a bad feeling about this...
- (Quick read)
-
- A Hastily Written Journal (II)
- *These documents appear incomplete. Judging from what's left behind, the important alchemical formulae have been taken away — only the author's reasoning remains...*
The previous approach... has flaws.
Fusing human "souls" with Titan creations does not purify golden blood.
Even pure Titan creations are contaminants to the Chrysos Heirs' golden blood.
Soul fusion between humans and creations merely repairs impurities of the soul or maintains a connection to dying souls.
...
While creation myths tell us that Chrysos Heirs and other creations were all made by Titans, their nature differs fundamentally.
The Titans' creations are no intermediate products of an alchemical process, and the Chrysos Heirs are closer to the Titans than the creations.
In other words, I should not have considered Titan creations equal to Chrysos Heirs.
The hypothesis I should focus on is one pointed towards the Titans themselves.
...
Such rare chances to study Titans demand a meticulous selection of research subjects.
Living Titans prove impossible to restrain.
And dead Titans offer no insights worth pursuing.
But dying Titans — they are the perfect research subjects.
...
Only by understanding the fundamentals of creation can we ensure perfection at the moment of everything's birth.
Through my own hands, I will melt a Titan and reach the true essence of the soul...
- Hyacine: My biggest fear... It's come true... After going through his notes, I think I can piece it all together now:
- Hyacine: Anaxa was carrying out experiments on soul transmutation.
- Dan Heng: Do you mean he's trying to reconstruct human souls alchemically?
- Hyacine: Yes, this is what he was secretly conducting research on — something he had to keep hidden from others. Compared to his public speeches, this is the real "blasphemy"...
- Hyacine: Ah! I just thought of something...
- Dan Heng: What's wrong?
- Hyacine: Do you remember? When the black tide was approaching, the Grove had planned to send Cerces' Coreflame to a safe place, but an accident happened along the way, and Anaxa lost his life in the process...
- Dan Heng: But Cerces took over his body and "resurrected" him, which led to the situation we're in now.
- Hyacine: That's right... but what if Professor Anaxa's fusion with the Coreflame of Reason wasn't an accident?
- Dan Heng: What do you mean?
- Hyacine: Put yourself in his shoes. Knowing that the black tide was closing in and your time was running out, what would you have done?
- Dan Heng: ...
- Dan Heng: ...I'd put my theories to the test, no matter the cost.
- Hyacine: Exactly. When the black tide came, the true reason Anaxa headed to the Luminary Throne was... to transmute and fuse himself with the Titan's Coreflame.
- Dan Heng: Did he succeed?
- Hyacine: No. Judging from how he reacted after the event, the results came as a surprise. Maybe he failed to consider the possibility that Cerces would make a similar decision.
- Hyacine: The manuscripts detailing all the alchemical formulae have been taken away. His research... is still ongoing.
- Dan Heng: Could he have taken them for other purposes?
- Hyacine: Like what? There's only one Titan left in the world now—
- Hyacine: ...
- Hyacine: No... no way...
- Dan Heng: "To conceive an entity of perfection, one must first understand the principles of creation"... If Anaxa is in Okhema now, then that means...
- (Screen fades to black)
- Hyacine & Dan Heng: ...He's after Kephale!
Have an audience with Kephale's divine vessel, and prepare for transmutation
- Step DescriptionYou had a feeling that getting close to Kephale would reveal unexpected truths. Indeed, as one of the living dead, you can perceive "precious memories" that others cannot.
Now, prepare for transmutation.
- Anaxa: Sir, this sky above us... It's not real, is it?
- Empedocles: Of course not. This is just an image from a projection device used for educational purposes. A simple trick.
- Empedocles: The day-night cycle has been lost to this world. So that students like you may still learn about the night sky, astronomers have harnessed the Titans' miraculous power to manipulate the light, projecting the "nights of the past" here for you.
- Empedocles: Much like how the sky above the holy city is also illuminated by Kephale's Dawn Device.
- Anaxa: So, the skies of Okhema are fake, too.
- Empedocles: You mustn't conclude that, Anaxa. You should know that only a child would expose a trick and be proud of it.
- Empedocles: Often, people know more than they let on. They simply choose to feign ignorance because they have no other choice.
- Anaxa: Then they're just deluding themselves. People believe in Kephale's tale of genesis, accepting wholesale whatever the priests preach, but we're different. We've already walked out of the fire-lit cave of ignorance.
- Anaxa: We have already realized that we live in a world where Titans make the rules. Even when we look at the sky, we're only seeing what they allow us to see. Rather than gazing at this mockery of a night sky fabricated by them for the rest of my life, why shouldn't I be the one to take control of the projection device instead?
- Empedocles: So much time has passed since you sowed the seeds of doubt in my heart, child. Many a night, I find myself penning down all my theories and wild ideas, only to burn them to ashes when I open my eyes in the day.
- Anaxa: Why? Because we'll face death by burning if word gets out?
- Empedocles: As a sage of the Venerationists, my soul has already become inextricably linked to the Great Tree. Every word I say and every move I make is certain to influence every leaf, every branch... even the Tree itself.
- Empedocles: But above all else, my days are numbered. Instinctively, I have my doubts about the golden blood and the human soul, yet I have no means of verifying them. The golden blood in my veins is woefully thin, and I am loath to waste what little time I have left obsessing over a hypothesis that cannot even be proven in the first place.
- Anaxa: But I can, sir! I can do it for us! The time is right. Give me all that I need, and I shall accomplish this grand feat on your behalf.
- Empedocles: ...
- Empedocles: You're right. I shall do just that. In the next meeting of the sages, I will spare no efforts fighting for the rights you deserve.
- Empedocles: Go. Establish your own school of thought...
- (Screen fades to black)
- Empedocles: Find out what we are... become the one who conquers the ultimate truths of the world.
- (Screen changes to Worldbearing Altar: Audience Hall)
- Cerces: Child of humanity...
- Cerces: You didn't go to such lengths for an audience with Kephale just to ask him a few questions, did you?
- Anaxa: Hmph. So you figured it out.
- Anaxa: If I were as foolish as a dromas, perhaps I'd throw myself down and prostrate before their greatness, begging for the gods' prophetic wisdom. Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm no dromas. Alas, I am a human, standing tall on two feet, possessing both intellect and pride.
- Cerces: Heh... Before such power, does it make any difference whether you're a human or a dromas?
- Anaxa: I'm sure you're familiar with the story of the Styxians. When the raging waves threatened to swallow them, they didn't just give up and become sitting ducks. No, they constructed a dam that kept the roaring tide at bay, chaining down the mad Phagousa.
- Anaxa: They call me a blasphemer, Cerces, but that doesn't mean I deny the existence of gods. It's just...
- Anaxa: ...As I see it, Titans are simply a force that mankind has yet to find a way to tame.
- Cerces: Oh? If power that rivals the Titans' is what you crave, why not conform to the prophecy and brave the trial?
- Anaxa: Hah, why stop at harnessing the power of the Titans when I can do so much more?
- Anaxa: The source of life is what I wish to grasp... To understand what makes up the soul, and to learn what we really are.
- Anaxa: Thanks to you, I've had the chance to personally verify — in more ways than one — that the soul indeed ceases to exist in "Death." But where there is death, there is life, and where there is an end, there must also be a beginning.
- Anaxa: How, then, is a soul born? That was the only unknown variable left in my calculations.
- Cerces: And by the sound of it, you have already formed a conjecture.
- Anaxa: No, I have already drawn a conclusion. In my journey unto death just now, I finally saw the answer with my own eyes.
- ???: Professor Anaxa...
- Castorice: I'm here. (Trailblazer)'s life hangs by a thread, I must ask you to refrain from taking any unnecessary steps.
- Anaxa: Of course, I'll bring this to a conclusive end and give you the answer you so desire.
- Anaxa: However, in accordance with the principle of "equivalent exchange," I must also demand from you what I need.
- Castorice: ...
- Castorice: ...As you wish.
- Anaxa: Don't you care to know what the price might be?
- Castorice: It's a matter of uncovering the truth about the Death Titan — and (Trailblazer)'s survival...
- Castorice: This may be the only time I can ever save someone's life. There is no need for me to think twice.
- Anaxa: I see. In that case... let the show begin.
- Cerces: Indulge me: Am I correct to say that you intend to prove Thanatos' whereabouts and prove the nature of our existence now?
- Anaxa: Before I begin, I must confess I had been stuck in a cognitive trap all this time.
- Anaxa: As unrelated as these two propositions may seem at first glance, they are, in fact, logical equivalents. They are merely two different ways of telling us about what the soul is at its core.
- Anaxa: The reason I say this is as I've mentioned earlier: The answer was hidden in my journey unto death.
- Castorice: Anaxa... you were in the nether realm?
- Anaxa: Yes — I am but a living dead man now — but that's not important. What truly matters is — I overheard a conversation between heroes.
- Anaxa: That's not all... Remember how I said you were a part of that conversation too, Cerces?
- Cerces: And I've told you that I have no recollection of such an event. That was likely just an illusion conjured up by the mind of a dying man.
- Anaxa: Of course you wouldn't remember.
- Anaxa: Because that wasn't you. That was Calypso, one of the Seven Sages of the Grove.
- Castorice: ...Calypso?
- Cerces: That's the name I made up on a whim when speaking to this girl. How do you know of it?
- Cerces: And surely you jest. Don't you think I, of all people, would know if that were the name of one of the Seven Sages under the shade of my tree? Don't you claim to know the Grove's past like the back of your hand?
- Anaxa: It seems you've lost even the memories seared into your soul.
- Anaxa: Use your head, Cerces. Since all of this took place in the realm of the dead, it stands to reason their likenesses are of souls from the past.
- Anaxa: The living cannot step foot into that world, so who could they be? Think about Calypso. Why does she share your likeness, yet you have no idea who she is?
- Anaxa: The answer is evident, is it not?
- Anaxa: Those fallen heroes are the mortal incarnations of the Titans before their ascensions to godhood. The gods aren't master creators born out of thin air, and they are no different from humans — because they all evolved from one.
- Cerces: Hmm...
- Anaxa: Does this answer disappoint you?
- Cerces: Yes, because you've answered nothing. If I truly was once human as you claim, then where do the children of humanity come from?
- Castorice: Even on the off chance that you speak the truth, this brings us no closer to grasping Thanatos' whereabouts. How are we to find them?
- Anaxa: Heh, I knew you would say that.
- Anaxa: But it matters not. I know what I'm doing. Actually, why don't we have this supreme being standing before us tell us everything?
- Cerces: You can revive a Titan?
- Anaxa: Humans cannot return from the dead. Neither can gods.
- Anaxa: But all we need to do is look at this from a different perspective, and the problem will resolve itself. The solution is simple: Just like what you did to me...
- Anaxa: If I'm reborn as Kephale, I can rebuild the world and all within it as they once did. Simple, is it not?
Other Languages
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Papyrus, Read the Blasphemer's Will |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 莎草啊，抽绎渎神者所想 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 莎草啊，抽繹瀆神者所想 |
| Japanese | パピルスよ、冒涜者の思考を語れ |
| Korean | 파피루스여, 신을 모독하는 자의 생각을 말하라 |
| Spanish | Papiro, expón los pensamientos del blasfemo |
| French | Ô papyrus, dévoile les pensées impies |
| Russian | О папирус, прочитай мысли богохульника |
| Thai | ปาปิรุสเอ๋ย จงแถลงสิ่งที่ผู้ดูหมิ่นเทพคิด |
| Vietnamese | Giấy Cói, Hãy Bày Ra Những Điều Suy Tưởng Của Kẻ Báng Bổ Thần Linh |
| German | O Papyrus, deute die Gedanken des Frevlers |
| Indonesian | Papirus, Ungkaplah Pikiran sang Penista |
| Portuguese | Papiro, Leia a Vontade do Blasfemo |
Change History
Released in Version 3.2
