A whirlwind, carrying pale dust and smoke, gradually disappeared from Duncan's sight.

Agatha had left.

"I always feel... she's changed a lot compared to before," Vanna broke the silence only after the last wisp of grey wind vanished into the air. "Especially those words she said at the end; they definitely don't sound like something the 'Gatekeeper' of the past would say."

"Experience changes a person, especially everything she's been through," Duncan said calmly. "And on the other hand, the 'role' she now bears is no longer just 'Gatekeeper,' which dictates that she must change."

Vanna was somewhat curious. "You don't seem worried?"

"Because she hasn't wavered. After a thorough understanding, she will become even more steadfast," Duncan said casually. "She's rational and won't embark on any fanatical or even wrong paths just because of the city-state's survival pressure. Her last few words may not have been so devout, but at least they were very clear-headed."

Vanna didn't respond for a moment. Duncan then turned his head, looking at the young Inquisitor meaningfully. "What you're worried about isn't actually Agatha, is it?"

"My faith doesn't allow me to lie," Vanna finally sighed softly after a brief silence. "Yes, I'm worried about my own state. What I saw in Agatha was myself, with the same wavering faith and rebellious words and deeds."

Duncan didn't speak, simply waiting quietly for her to continue.

"I once thought that as long as we maintained a firm faith and unwavering fighting spirit, we could solve all problems head-on. The gods delineated the 'order' of the world's operation, and we, like gears, could operate safely within the framework. But the truth is... order is as fragile as bubbles in the sea. Simple faith and fighting spirit can't save our city-state. Our long-held understanding of the world is being tested. The 'Sun' is not eternal. The 'Boiling Gold' that supports the development of modern civilization may be a product of the ancient gods. The gods can't always protect the city-state, and beneath the deep sea lies an unknown darkness that no religious scripture has been able to describe or explain. Your appearance has further subverted my understanding of the sub-space over the past two decades."

"I suggest you remain reserved regarding the last point. The other points you mentioned are not bad," Duncan shook his head, speaking unhurriedly. "Humanity's understanding of the world is inherently one-sided. From the very beginning, we shouldn't have believed that there was a simple and eternal 'logic' that could crudely explain everything in the world. Perhaps this simple and eternal truth itself exists, but it's definitely not something humans can understand at this stage. So, on this basis, 'the subversion of worldview' should be an indispensable part of the process of civilization's advancement."

Listening to Duncan's words, Vanna subconsciously fell into thought. Her expression gradually became complicated, and after a moment, she opened her mouth as if talking to herself: "Then where do the gods stand?"

"I cannot know, because I haven't directly dealt with them yet. Perhaps I've seen them from afar, but that's not enough for me to draw conclusions about them," Duncan said frankly. "However, I admit two things. First, the Four Gods do exist in this world, at least as objective individuals. Second... they have, to some extent, protected and guided the civilized world throughout their existence."

The expression on Vanna's face was somewhat astonished for a moment, because in her more than twenty years of life, this was the first time she had heard someone use such a way of "evaluating" the Four Gods—a way that didn't contain any good, evil, or reverence, as if appraising objects. This evaluation method was devoid of awe, bordering on arrogance. However, when an "existence" who had returned from the sub-space said it, Vanna only felt... these words were cold and precise, like some kind of ruler for measuring the world.

Just then, Duncan's voice interrupted Vanna's thoughts. "Vanna, don't overthink things. You still believe in Gomona, don't you?"

"Yes, my faith is unwavering," Vanna said immediately.

"That's right, your faith is unwavering, and Agatha still believes in Bartok—and your respective gods have not abandoned you because of the changes in your thoughts, the blessings remain, which shows that your current thinking has not deviated from them," Duncan said very seriously. "Thinking doesn't necessarily lead to heresy, and neither does questioning. Choosing to still believe after thinking and questioning is what makes a true believer."

"Maintain an appropriate and healthy faith while maintaining an appropriate and healthy skepticism, try to understand this world, accept that it's not the same as what you imagined, accept the narrowness and bias in your cognition, accept your own wavering. To be honest, even Gomona can accept you, so what can't you accept?"

Vanna was startled, then subconsciously raised her head, looking towards the direction of the Upper City, towards the Silent Grand Cathedral at the highest point of Frostwind. Agatha must have returned to that temple through the "Grey Wind" by now—would she return to her "prayer room" and then continue to contemplate the cooperation reached with the "sub-space shadows" before Bartok's statue?

Would she continue to contemplate the "future" of the city-state and draw the conclusion that "anything that hinders survival is heresy, and everything else is allowed"?

After a long time, she withdrew her gaze from the distance, muttering to herself, "The Lord doesn't care?"

"I don't know, but if it were me, I wouldn't care," Duncan shrugged. "However, from the existing signs, the God of Death and the Goddess of Storms also don't seem to care... What they care about may be something else."

Vanna fell into thought. Maurice, who had remained silent on the side, couldn't help but sigh softly, "I didn't expect you to have such profound thoughts in the realm of faith... I thought you weren't interested in these things."

"How could that be? As long as it's a theory that attempts to explain this world, I'm always very interested," Duncan's expression was very serious. "For example, now I'm going to learn about another belief that attempts to explain this world."

Seeing the bewildered expressions on Vanna and Maurice's faces (except for Alice, who never understood anything), Duncan smiled. "You don't have to worry about the affairs of the city-state for the time being. Next, it's almost time to take a look at that blasphemous book."

Sherry fell asleep while writing on the fourth mental arithmetic card.

The sound of the chain lightly shaking echoed in the cabin. Ah-Dog carefully used a paw to support the black chain beside him, while standing up on his hind legs and using his mouth to pick up a blanket and drape it over Sherry. He then casually pawed at the mental arithmetic cards on the table with his other paw to prevent them from getting wet from Sherry's drool.

While tidying up, Ah-Dog's gaze swept over the cards filled with simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and his movements paused slightly. "She actually got most of them right?"

He muttered in surprise, subconsciously turning his head, only to see Sherry adjusting her prone posture again in her "sleep," mumbling some incoherent dream talk, with a glistening string of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"I guess she did it seriously."

Ah-Dog shook his head and laid back down. Then, he composed himself, as if hesitating and weighing things over, before reaching out a paw and pulling a book from the pile of books that belonged to him on the floor.

The book cover was unremarkable, just a paperback textbook that could be bought in any city-state, with the words "Algebraic Calculation" printed on it.

Ah-Dog lowered his head, the dim light in his blood-red eye sockets flickering. He quietly stared at the book in front of his paws. After a long time, he slowly opened its cover.

But then, he suddenly raised his head and quickly scanned the room.

Everything was normal on the bookshelf where the books were stacked. The corners of the dark room were calm, and the sunlight was pouring into the room through the window. The sound of the waves outside the window was gentle and soothing.

"Good environment, safe, eliminating interference factors, the book type is still mathematics... try again... third test."

Ah-Dog grumbled, finally lowered his head, and began to read the contents of the book with full attention.

Understanding those formulas, memorizing those symbols, deducing those numbers, trying to understand the operation of the world from the knowledge and wisdom of the predecessors.

It was difficult at first, because some distractions and concerns about the surrounding environment would interfere with the thinking process, but soon, Ah-Dog's thoughts calmed down—as usual, mathematics always helped him concentrate and immerse himself in thought.

Symbols and numbers combined in his mind, and the understanding of the world gradually filled his brain. Ah-Dog studied with full attention, and gradually, he felt as if a study partner appeared in his mind.

Someone was reading with him;

Someone was thinking with him; some existence was curiously observing here, a gaze devoid of good and evil.

Ah-Dog tilted his head.

In the "city of knowledge" outlined by symbols and lines in the gaps between the words on the white book paper, a red light source was surrounded by countless flickering light spots like a matrix, watching him like an eye.

Ah-Dog was stunned.

He also stared at the red light.

He involuntarily stared at the red light.

He even felt that he was moving forward, actively approaching the flickering matrix of light spots.

However, this feeling only appeared for a moment.

The next second, a force suddenly transmitted from the symbiotic chain abruptly pulled him back, allowing him to break free from the illusion of being attracted.

"Holy crap..."

Ah-Dog suddenly exclaimed in a low voice, waking up with a start from the brief "illusion." The next second, he instinctively looked at the black chain around his neck.

At the last moment, it was this chain that transmitted the force and pulled him back. Obviously, Sherry had given him a hand.

However, the chain was still loosely lying on the ground, not taut at all.

At the other end of the chain, Sherry was still lying on the table, fast asleep.

Sherry hadn't woken up at all.

Some people are dead, but not completely dead...