It wasn't there - the sun burning brightly in the void was just another shadow.

After the initial surprise, Duncan soon realized that he did not sense any tangible aura from the "Creeping Sun Disc" in front of him, nor did he feel its scorching heat. He only felt that the fireball was empty and distant. This feeling... was very similar to when he first glimpsed the other party through the "Golden Mask".

This "real sun god" must have "found" Alice's mansion in some way and sent his projection here... What exactly attracted this ancient god? Was it some kind of change caused by his entry here? Or was it the movement when Alice analyzed the "route"?

Duncan quickly calmed down and asked with a hint of curiosity: "How did you find this place?"

There was caution in his tone but no hostility - even though he had dealt with many crazy believers, descendants and remnants of the Black Sun, and each time they got along with them was not very pleasant (although in the end they succeeded in getting along with them every time), he had no opinion about the "creeping sun wheel" himself. After learning that this ancient god was also helpless and had no intention of harming the world from beginning to end, he even felt more sympathy for him.

After all… although there are a lot of ancient gods in this world, there is only one who is being slowly roasted by his followers and descendants. If his body had a stronger ability to move, this "real sun god" would probably carve the word "miserable" on each of his tentacles…

"I 'heard' the voice coming from the warp, Pilot Three... This entity that had been silent for many years suddenly became active, and I knew that the day was near." The deformed sun trembled and said weakly and gently, "Fire Usurper, we meet again."

"The day is approaching... You knew I would be here?" Duncan frowned immediately, noticing the details in the other party's words, "You also know about the Navigator No. 3?"

"...I am also one of 'them'," Creeping Sun Wheel said slowly, "Before Pilot One decided to raise a new sun, I was also a participant in the construction of this shelter."

Duncan didn't say anything, but there was a sudden change in his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke in a deep voice: "Why did you come to me? Still hoping that I can help extinguish you? If so, I'm afraid I'm too busy - your 'descendants' and 'believers' always reignite you, and I don't have time to deal with them now..."

Before he finished speaking, he heard the tremor coming from the deformed sun: "You no longer have to worry about my offspring... and those mortals who follow the 'Sun God'."

Duncan's expression froze: "What does this mean?"

"At this moment, there is no longer any belief in worshipping the real sun god in this world, and soon, no one will remember what the black sun is... The memories and records related to it will gradually become vague and distorted 'impressions' and be replaced by specious traces... Fire Usurper, if you have any doubts, you can always go to the mortal world to confirm everything. I know you can do it."

Duncan's expression quickly became serious. He did not rashly question the other party, but broke the silence after a moment of silence: "...What happened? Why is this happening?"

His first reaction was that the "real Sun God" finally couldn't stand the torture of slow roasting and used some method to eliminate all the descendants of the Sun, the residues of the Sun and the Black Sun worshippers. But then he realized that the situation didn't seem to be that simple - the other party also mentioned that the memories and records related to the Black Sun were gradually disappearing from the world and would be "replaced by specious traces." This statement... made him think of historical pollution!

He stared at the tentacles and flesh wrapped in the corona. He saw those chilling limbs slowly wriggling, and the voice coming from the flesh seemed to be filled with sorrow.

"Because I am rotting, and after so long, it is finally reaching its end."

"Rotten?" Duncan's heart suddenly moved when he heard this familiar word!

He had heard this word several times, first from the four popes, then from Gemona, and now from this "real sun god"...

And through these contacts, he gradually understood the concept of "corruption" of the gods.

"I am forgetting everything about 'me', and the world is also forgetting me," the deformed sun spoke up, as if sensing Duncan's thoughts, "I... can no longer clearly remember the appearance of my hometown, nor the appearance and names of those individuals who created me, 'formed' me, and became what I am today with me... They are all evidence of the existence of the 'old world', and are also the 'essence' of my current appearance.

"Fire Usurper, I don't know if you can understand - my 'essence' is falling apart, it is disappearing bit by bit, and this is the result of 'decay'."

Duncan looked solemn. He thought quickly, trying to follow the other party's abstract and difficult description. He gradually understood and hesitantly broke the silence: "... In other words, your self-cognition and memory are dissipating uncontrollably, causing the things based on your self-cognition and memory to gradually disappear from this world... Is this the essence of 'rot'?"

"As you said - and this is a gradual process," the Deformed Sun said softly. It seemed to be weaker than before, perhaps it was an illusion. "Since we came to this 'world', our decay has already begun. This 'decay' has accompanied the entire history of this shelter...

"And the sad thing is that our 'rational' part has actually been awake throughout the whole process - I know clearly what I am 'forgetting'. Even after those things disappear from my essence, I also know clearly what they are that have disappeared. But this kind of 'memory' is meaningless. Those 'ingredients' we brought from the old world will continue to peel off over time until they become indistinguishable debris...

"I am like this, and so are those so-called Four Gods...

"Fire Usurper, over the long time, I have experienced more than one stage of 'decay' and deterioration. The disappearance of the traces of the 'Black Sun' from this world may be its last and most serious 'deterioration' - I don't have much time left."

The Deformed Sun fell silent, as if after saying so much, it was too weak to continue speaking.

Duncan gradually frowned. He understood the "corruption" of the "Gods" and vaguely associated it with many things, but before that, he was more curious about the purpose of this "black sun".

"You came to me for more than just telling me this - what do you want me to do?"

The black sun was silent for a long time before a voice reached Duncan and Alice's ears: "I still beg you to extinguish me... But when that day comes, I also hope you can do one more thing - light my wreckage, use your flames, burn it all, and then remember it."

Burn the wreckage? Remember the wreckage?

Duncan frowned slightly, and after a brief moment of confusion he suddenly understood something.

"...You seem to have some understanding of my 'power'." He said in a deep voice.

"I have been keeping an eye on this shelter. Although the continued decay and isolation have prevented me from moving, I know a lot about what is happening in this world—including yours," Black Sun said slowly, "I hope... to get a position."

"A position in a 'new world'." Duncan's brows were still furrowed. He did not immediately agree or refuse. "... You make me a little confused. How do you know that you can definitely get a 'position in a new world' in this way? Or in other words... How do you know that there will definitely be a 'new world'?"

He paused, his expression became solemn, and he said in an extremely serious tone: "You know, although I already have a 'plan' to rebuild everything after the end of the shelter, even I am not sure whether this plan is feasible - I haven't even thought about how to implement it... and you just come to my door like this, and want to reserve a seat?"

"This is exactly the 'exchange' I offer." The pale flesh suddenly expanded and squirmed slowly, with tiny tentacles extending outward from the corona at the edge of it, as if to announce something. "If you agree to my request, I am willing to show you... evidence of future existence, and this evidence will be very helpful to you."

Duncan's eyes suddenly fixed.

"You have a piece of 'evidence'?!" He stared at the flesh-and-blood sun. "You mean, a piece of 'evidence' that can prove that the 'new world' can indeed be successfully born?"

Black Sun was silent for a few seconds, and gave a strange answer: "Now, it doesn't exist."

Duncan felt choked and even suspected for a moment that this terrifying ancient god was deliberately teasing him, but then he reacted - after dealing with many strange and bizarre things and witnessing many incredible phenomena on this "border", he seemed to understand what the other party meant.

"How can we make this 'evidence' exist?"

"When you promise me." Black Sun said slowly.

Duncan did not respond, but just thought in silence.

"I still have some time, and I can patiently wait for your reply." The voice of the Black Sun reached his ears, and the tentacles spreading from the corona were gradually withdrawing into the sea of ​​fire. "I understand your concerns and hesitations. The 'Black Sun' has brought many threats to this world, and I... may not be your enemy, but I am not trustworthy yet."

"I want to ask you a question," Duncan suddenly raised his head and changed the topic. "Do you want to get a position for yourself? Or for those 'descendants' you have forgotten? Or for..."

"It's for our civilization," Black Sun said softly, "It once existed."