Eastern Pritt Island, Tivian. In broad daylight, the eastern district of Tivian bustled with its usual liveliness and prosperity. Yet, amidst this clamor, one place remained quietly at peace. The Soaring Theater—Tivian’s most renowned theater—was tranquil, its calm attributed to the morning hour. But that didn’t mean the place was empty of activity. “One, two, three, four... two, two, three, four...” Behind the tightly shut doors, on the wide stage encircled by empty seats, a group of young, neatly coiffed girls danced in form-fitting attire. They followed their instructor’s cadence with precision, executing every elegant movement with grace. Lightly leaping across the stage, any moment of disharmony was swiftly called out, corrected, and then the practice resumed. “Not bad at all...” Inside the theater, Dorothy sat in a high private box, watching the hardworking dancers below as she gave her evaluation. “The girls selected this time are quite promising. Looks like... the future of the Desire Path is filled with hope.” “Yes, Your Grace. As long as we no longer need to hide in secret societies, the growth of mystical factions can progress rapidly. After all, being able to publicly recruit from a wider pool means we can choose far more talented candidates.” Sitting beside Dorothy, Adèle, clad in her signature red dress, replied respectfully. Dorothy nodded and continued. “If that’s the case, the revival of the Flower Goddess's legacy might happen even sooner than expected.” “That would be ideal. But… the burden we carry is far more than just the Flower legacy,” Adèle said, her tone growing more serious. “The Afterbirth Cult has been destroyed. Among the mystical inheritances of the Chalice domain, four of them have been completely left vacant. We cannot stand by and do nothing. What needs revival isn’t just Desire—it’s the entire Chalice lineage. “The Lord of Flowers has already begun investigating the remnants of the Afterbirth Cult, gathering all sorts of information and attempting to reconstruct the three branches of Chalice. Once the reconstruction is complete, we’ll also need to select more individuals to pass down the new branches.” Adèle explained with gravity. Hearing her words, Dorothy nodded slightly. “I see... The Chalice system really is the most gutted right now. Rebuilding it will be no easy task. And Astarte hasn’t even fully recovered, yet she’s already shouldering all this... poor thing.” Dorothy sighed. With the Egg of Chaos eradicated, the universe had to begin repairing its divine framework. Some aspects were easier to fix than others. The simpler ones were Shadow and Stone. Both their main gods still existed and were relatively undamaged. They were merely lacking a few subordinate gods. As long as they weren’t corrupted, it wouldn’t take much effort for the main gods to promote suitable candidates. Once subordinate gods filled those roles, it became far easier to rebuild the entire branch from top to bottom. The trickier ones were Lantern and Silence. Not only were many of their subordinate gods gone, but their main gods were also in bad shape. Restoring them would require significant effort, and they had no time to even think about appointing new subordinate gods. The worst off, of course, was Chalice. Not only were all three of its subordinate gods gone, but even its main god was lost. The only one left—Flower Goddess—was incomplete, and the amount of work needed to patch things up was overwhelming. The path to revival was undoubtedly the steepest. “A divine vacancy of this magnitude… even across all the cycles of this universe, such an event is incredibly rare. Thankfully, the six-domain divine system was designed with such precision. Even with such a massive loss of deities, it doesn’t cause catastrophic damage to the universe.” Seated in her box, Dorothy contemplated silently. Divinity formed the foundation of the world, and the reason divine collapse didn’t shatter the universe was due to the existence of the divine thrones. The Divine Throne System was established alongside the Six Divine Domains. The original Three Primordial Gods didn’t even have thrones. In essence, a divine throne was a divine control device—a user interface for manipulating divinity. With it, gods could wield their power more freely. Moreover, divine thrones had a degree of autonomy. When a god perished, the throne could keep their divine power from rampaging and wreaking havoc on the cosmos. Dorothy now had access to a great deal of knowledge from beyond the universe. As far as she knew, in other universes lacking such a system, a god's death could cause catastrophic consequences. If the death god died, death would cease to exist—leaving the world plagued by undying corpses. If the sun god died, the world would plunge into eternal darkness, never seeing light again... Thanks to the divine throne system, even with many deities having fallen, the universe’s basic operation remained stable. Still, too many unfilled seats would eventually cause problems, so the top priority now for the gods was to rebuild the divine systems and restore the framework to wholeness. “Hmm... Astarte really doesn’t have it easy. Looks like I’ll need to help her recover and assist her in succeeding in the role of the Lord of Chalice. That’ll make things much smoother.” Dorothy murmured as she rubbed her chin in thought. While the divine throne could eventually reconstruct a new god by collecting scattered divinity, the process was far too long. Given the current situation, it was best to let anyone suitable take the throne immediately. Currently, in the Chalice system, only Astarte remained. So unless something changed, she would inevitably become the next Lord of Chalice. “Well… to be honest, Your Grace, the mistress once confided in me—she has no desire to inherit the mantle of the Goddess of Abundance.” Adèle spoke after a brief pause. Her words surprised Dorothy slightly. “What? Astarte doesn’t want to be the Lord of Chalice? Why?” Dorothy turned her gaze curiously, and Adèle answered immediately. “It’s not just the Goddess of Abundance. The mistress even wishes to abandon her own Flower Dance divine throne... “You probably already know, she harbors an obsessive love for the great Emperor of Light. That Lord seems intent on leaving our universe—perhaps to travel to others—and the mistress has resolved to follow him. When that time comes, she intends to leave everything behind.” Adèle’s explanation left Dorothy slightly stunned, and then she remarked. “So… she’s giving up a divine throne just to chase someone? If she leaves, the entire Chalice system will really be left with no one.” “That’s not entirely true… According to the mistress, even if she leaves, she’ll do her best to raise me to divinity—or at least close to it. She hopes that I will inherit her duties afterward.” Adèle continued softly. Hearing this, Dorothy simply chuckled and shook her head. “That Astarte… she really is something else. Giving up godhood for love, leaving all her responsibilities to a junior... “How utterly willful.” That was Dorothy’s verdict. But beside her, Adèle paused slightly. She glanced toward the girl beside her with a subtle gleam in her eyes, as if she had something to say—but ultimately kept it to herself. After a brief silence, Adèle murmured in melancholy. “A Master of Desire... cannot truly restrain their own yearning and affection. Perhaps… that is the sorrow of a Flower Dancer.” … Tivian, North District – Daytime. In Tivian’s northern district, within the cathedral quarter, the grand and imposing Hymn Cathedral of Radiance still stood as magnificently as ever. The deep chimes from its bell tower rang out on schedule, echoing through every alleyway in time with the rhythm of the sun overhead. The busy traffic square in front of the cathedral remained as bustling as always. Citizens from all over the city flocked through the open thoroughfares toward the majestic cathedral, offering up their prayers just as they had for countless days before. Beneath the shade of a tree near the edge of the cathedral plaza, Dorothy strolled slowly. By her side walked a white-robed nun who had long accompanied her. “It’s still as lively here as ever…” Dorothy murmured as she walked, her gaze sweeping over the throngs of devoted worshippers. “Even if the Three Saints were false, the millennium of accumulated faith is still very real…” “In my view, the Three Saints might not be false at all… Your Grace,” Vania replied calmly, walking alongside her. Her response immediately piqued Dorothy’s interest. “Oh? Not false? Do explain.” “In my eyes… although the Holy Mother, the Holy Father, and the Holy Son existed in name only, their names alone have inspired the worship of billions across generations. That faith gathered has helped suppress the corruption of annihilation, bringing immense blessings to the world… “Though they were but names, those names still protected this world for a thousand years. They fulfilled the responsibilities expected of true gods. They may have had no substance, but I still choose to revere them as gods… They once guarded this world. That is something we should not forget.” With a gentle smile, Vania quietly shared her beliefs. Dorothy, intrigued, followed up. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂 “So in your view, what matters most in divinity is belief and responsibility—not the being itself? That even a hollow shell, so long as it fulfills its duty, deserves to be called a god?” “Exactly. This is the very truth… that you once taught me when we were still in Igwynt. That a god comes from one’s heart and actions—not from idols and dogma alone… It was this truth that led me to avoid the path Unina once took… the sorrowful road of seeking only substance while forsaking the spirit. “You must have foreseen what would come and taught me that lesson back then…” “Cough, cough…” Vania looked slightly upward as she sighed, and hearing her reflection, Dorothy couldn’t help but cough twice. The truth was, when Dorothy first got to know Vania, she had fabricated a whole series of lofty-sounding arguments to manipulate her into violating church doctrine and doing favors. The core of it was convincing Vania that whatever Dorothy asked of her was surely what the Holy Mother would’ve wanted, and if it violated church law, then the law was what was wrong. Once Vania adopted that logic, she eventually developed it further—if her actions clashed with the Holy Mother, then clearly the Holy Mother was in the wrong. At the time, Dorothy hadn’t even known the truth about the Holy Mother. She just wanted a loyal helper. But now? It was a little too late to explain all that. “Let’s not get into that now,” Dorothy quickly deflected. “So, you just got back from Holy Mount, right? How are things over there?” “Yes,” Vania replied. “Due to a series of reforms, both the Holy Seat and the cardinals are incredibly busy. I originally planned to stay and help, but the Holy Seat wouldn’t allow it. He asked me to continue traveling the world in the name of the Holy Mother’s incarnation, spreading her gospel.” “I see… That’s Phaethon preparing you to formally ascend to the Redemption Divine Throne. Just follow his instructions and keep traveling for now. If you run into trouble during ascension, I’ll step in and lend a hand. “The Radiance system really does need a proper subordinate god right now. And in this world, there’s no one better suited for the Redemption Divine Throne than you… So do your best.” “Understood… I shall follow your will.” Vania bowed respectfully to Dorothy, then suddenly seemed to recall something. “Oh, right—some time ago, the Flower Mistress reached out to me. She asked if I’d be willing to serve under the Chalice system. She said with the current vacancies, they’re in urgent need of suitable candidates like me. If I were willing, she’d do her best to help me switch paths.” “…Ha?” Dorothy raised an eyebrow at that, then muttered with visible annoyance. “That Astarte… Just so she can dump her responsibilities and elope with her lover faster, she’s even poaching from others now. “Truly… incurable love-struck fool…” … Northern Outskirts of Tivian – Royal Crown University. Summer sunlight bathed the university campus in golden warmth, with a soft breeze rustling through the trees. Beneath the radiant sky, the academy was steeped in joyful celebration. Today was Royal Crown’s annual graduation day. Seniors from all over Pritt—students who were either brilliant and hardworking or born into noble privilege—had finally reached the temporary end of their academic journey after years of study and rigorous exams. Though the ceremony had concluded, the campus remained bustling. Graduates in colorful gowns gathered for photos, reminisced, confessed to lovers, and discussed their futures. By the garden path, a cheerful Nephthys, also in a cap and gown, strolled with a spring in her step. “La la la~ Graduation day at last~ I made it~” Humming a little tune, she marched along happily, while her roommate Emma—also in graduation robes—commented with curiosity. “I still can’t believe it. After you took all that leave in your last year, you still graduated on time? Tsk, tsk... The whole class thought you were definitely going to flunk.” “Flunk? As if! Come on, think about who your roommate is—Miss Genius Boyle herself~ Even if I skipped half the classes, I’d still pass~” Nephthys declared proudly, puffing out her chest. Emma shot back plainly, “Don’t brag so hard. You got lucky—maybe tone it down before the gods get mad.” Emma knew Nephthys didn’t come from a powerful aristocratic background, so there was no way professors bent the rules for her. She chalked up Nephthys’ success to pure luck, but that only made Nephthys grin more smugly. “Mad? What god dares be mad at me? Come say it to my face~” she declared cheekily. Emma panicked and lightly slapped Nephthys’ mouth. “Hey! Are you nuts? You can’t say things like that! If anyone from the Church hears you, your future’s toast!” “Relax, it’s just a joke! What are they gonna do, smite me for a few words? Oh—” In the middle of their squabble, Nephthys suddenly froze. Her eyes had spotted a familiar figure nearby. “You go on ahead, Emma—I’ve got something to do.” “Eh...?” Before Emma could say more, Nephthys jogged off toward the garden pavilion. There, seated calmly on a bench, was a familiar silver-haired figure admiring the scenery. “Miss Dorothy! I didn’t expect to see you here!” Nephthys beamed as she approached, and Dorothy responded with a soft smile. “In a way, I’m a student of this university too. It’s only natural to come see the graduation ceremony of my juniors…” As she said this, Dorothy glanced at Nephthys with a gentle expression. “In any case, congratulations on graduating, Senior Nephthys.” “Hehe… I couldn’t have done it without your help, Miss Dorothy. But now that you’re a main god, maybe drop the ‘senior’ title—it feels weird…” Nephthys scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, but Dorothy continued. “So? How was the thesis in the end?” “Hmm… it was easy to write, but also a nightmare,” Nephthys said, folding her arms in thought. “You know I’m in the archaeology department, right? So of course my thesis had to be historical. And after following you around all these years, I know a ton of secret truths about the world. “But none of that can go into the paper! I had to pretend like I didn’t know anything and write from a normal historical perspective. It was so frustrating—writing all these half-truths while suppressing what I actually knew. In the end, I barely managed to squeeze something out. “If you ask me… writing this thesis was way harder than fighting divine wars alongside you. At least in divine wars, I just had to follow your commands. Writing a thesis? That was all me.” Dorothy laughed. “I see… So, what are your plans now? Looking for a job?” “Eh… I haven’t really thought about it. With my major, options are kinda limited. Museum work, archaeological digs… maybe teaching. My dad wants me to take the civil service exam—he says he can pull some strings.” As Nephthys spoke, Dorothy pulled out an envelope and handed it to her. “Well, I happen to have a job offer here. Want to take a look?” “A job offer?” Nephthys took the envelope, opened it, and read the letter inside. Then, she softly murmured the words. “Busalet… First Dynasty Reconstruction Committee… inviting me to serve as... ‘The Heaven Anointed Sage’?” … South of the Conquest Sea, Ufiga Continent. At dawn, in the heart of the Ufiga Continent, deep within the rolling hot sands of a vast lawless zone, a magnificent city of ancient grandeur once again reappeared atop Busalet. The morning sunlight bathed the colossal structures in golden light, casting immense shadows across the dunes. After a lapse of seven thousand years, the city that once vanished beyond the other shore of time now emerged on this side of eternity. At the summit of the great sacrificial altar atop the central pyramid of Heopolis, Dorothy stood, overlooking the majestic city before her. Within the holy city, phantasmal figures moved ceaselessly, transporting all manner of supplies from outside the city and distributing them throughout its districts—turning empty buildings into lively abodes. At the city’s edge, under the influence of a strange power, clear spring water bubbled once more from the ground, moistening the parched earth. Verdant oases began to flourish again, spreading outward. “Not bad…” Watching the gradually revitalizing city, Dorothy nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned toward a richly dressed, veiled woman standing respectfully by her side. “When do you plan to move people in?” “In response to the Divine Mentor, I’ve already finished reviewing the list for the first wave of citizens. As soon as Setut completes the preliminary unification of Busalet, we’ll begin resettlement. It won’t take long. After a millennium of chaos, the people of this land will finally see the return of their own dynasty, ushering in order and prosperity.” Shepsuna replied reverently to Dorothy, who nodded slightly and continued. “And what about the surrounding nations?” “Our plan is: once we announce our existence to the secular world, we’ll invite those nations to form a state alliance under my leadership. Due to Setut’s influence, Addus has already confirmed its intent to join. Other countries will waver, even refuse—but eventually, they will all agree.” Shepsuna answered confidently. Dorothy nodded again and said: “Alright. As for how you want to handle the revival and its specifics, that’s your call—you don’t need to consult me about every detail.” “Understood, Teacher. We’ll handle routine matters ourselves. However, when it comes to selecting a new Sage King, we’ll likely still need your decision.” “I know… I’ll gradually find the right person for it. I’ll leave the rest to you.” Dorothy spoke as she stepped forward—and in the next moment, under Shepsuna’s respectful gaze, her figure vanished on the spot. When she reappeared, Dorothy was back in a place all too familiar to her: House No. 17, Green Shade Town. She gazed out the window at the tranquil morning. The light of dawn streamed in from the east, parting the mist of early day. Dewdrops glittered on the grass in the morning sun, and the entire street radiated peaceful vitality. It wasn’t the first time Dorothy had seen such a scene—nor would it be the last. She sat down at her desk. As the household device automatically brewed a cup of sweetened coffee for her, she let her thoughts drift. “All the divine systems are now rebuilding their frameworks. The automaton woman and Mom’s side only lack a few positions… whoever among their Gold-rank agents or apostles performs best will fill those seats. The Golden Triad of the White Craftsmen’s Guild… Isabelle, Artcheli—those two are solid candidates. But Manitou and my uncle’s side… they’re in rougher shape. Neither of them is in good condition. It’ll take a while before they can promote new subordinate gods.” “At least Manitou still has the Eagle to help out. Once Inut is subdued, Inut can become a powerful ally. Things will get much easier after that. As for the Silence domain—if its gods begin founding churches, someone like Kapak has great potential. Becoming a god might be difficult, but reaching Crimson or Gold rank is definitely within reach.” “As for my uncle… once he regains his divine power, picking subordinate gods from among the cardinal saints is a solid path. Their quality is even better than many apostles. Phaethon in particular is the top candidate. Sooner or later, we’ll find the right people.” “The key… is Vania. She’s such a perfect candidate that even Astarte from the Chalice domain is trying to snatch her away. Ultimately, it’ll depend on which side she chooses. Even with Vania, Chalice still has a huge number of vacancies—and with Astarte planning to leave, the road to rebuilding will be steep.” As Dorothy pondered, the automated coffee arrived at her desk. “And then… there’s myself. Now that the Egg of Chaos is gone, I no longer need to hoard divine power like Osiris did, refusing to promote subordinate gods. Maybe I should consider appointing four of them to help manage affairs and lighten my own burden.” “So, this time, it’s not just about picking a new Sage King. It’s also about selecting four future subordinate gods… Fortunately, I already have candidates in mind.” Nephthys, Shepsuna, Setut, Anna—these four had already taken root in Dorothy’s mind as the new Sage Kings… and in the distant future, the subordinate gods of the Revelation domain. In Busalet, the Revelation Dynasty had begun its revival. And so too had Dorothy’s Era of Revelation truly begun. Unlike all previous cycles, this would be the first time a Revelation system with subordinate gods would appear in the universe. Now freed from the schemes of the Egg of Chaos and the Lord of Knowledge, this universe had finally welcomed its own destiny—a fate that would be written jointly by both gods and mortals. “This cycle… will be better than all before it. And what’s more—it’ll only get better from here on out.” Dorothy could see it now: a future where some eras were guided by gods, and others shaped by mortals. Regardless of the era, she would always establish a designated endpoint—an End of Days. Even without chaos, there would still be a conclusion. When stagnation or decline set in, Dorothy would once again judge the era and initiate a new cycle of rebirth—just like Osiris once did—to give the universe a fresh start. She had not abandoned reincarnation, because to fully restore the universe to its prime, the parts excluded in the scroll world must be reclaimed piece by piece. And just as their exclusion required a cycle of destruction, their return too must begin at the end of a cycle. In the past, Osiris’s reincarnations had gradually weakened the universe. But from now on, Dorothy’s reincarnations would only make it stronger—until the universe at last regained its full glory. Unlike Osiris, Dorothy’s strength wasn’t solely inherited from the title of Heaven’s Arbiter, but also came from a power beyond the universe—one that belonged to her alone. Thus, even while splitting part of herself to form subordinate gods, she could still carry out reincarnation uninterrupted. Only once the universe returned to full strength… would Dorothy’s mission truly be complete. But that—was something that lay countless cycles, countless years, into the future. “Hmm~ Aaahhh~~~” Stretching out in her chair with a deep yawn, Dorothy smacked her lips, then began to daydream once more about the distant future—her future. “When that time comes… I’ll just copy what Hyperion did—hand off my divine throne to someone else and vanish quietly. What do those infinite universes beyond this one look like, I wonder? I’m really looking forward to it… After all, I suppose I count as a... transmigrator, don’t I?” With that soft whisper, Dorothy picked up the hot cup of coffee on her desk and took a sip. ~ Final Afterword ～ Well, as you’ve all seen, this book has at last come to its conclusion. I want to sincerely thank everyone for your ongoing support, as well as the Ciweimao platform and the editors who helped along the way. A deep bow~ From early 2021 to its conclusion here in 2024, this story has taken over three years to complete. Altogether, it's amounted to more than 4.3 million words, which is… a lot, at least for me. Honestly, I never expected to write this much. When I first started, I had planned for the story to be around 2.5 million words. But I hadn’t anticipated how many plot threads I’d laid out and how many pits I’d dug early on. There was simply no way to wrap it up within the original plan. So I just kept writing until… well, here we are. Many readers likely noticed that the pacing in the latter half was quite different—it clearly sped up. That’s because I realized that if I kept writing the way I had been, the story might have ballooned to over 6 million words and still not ended. With all the foreshadowing, the expanding scope, the worldbuilding I needed to patch in, and the ever-complicating story structure, I found myself needing to juggle more and more elements. Story beats and plot devices that I could use started to run dry, and I had to spend more time brainstorming new ones. Trying to maintain the story’s coherence under those circumstances made the writing process drastically harder. Because of that difficulty spike, I needed much more time to think through each chapter. I went from planning for half an hour per chapter to spending several hours on just the plot and structure before I could write. The update rhythm changed too—I shifted toward fewer updates with longer chapters, but even then, the total output dropped. It was precisely because the writing got so difficult that I made the decision to accelerate the ending. If that change affected your reading experience, I sincerely apologize. All of these problems, I’d say, stem from my struggle to manage the overall pacing of a long-form narrative. I’m not what you’d call a “master author” by any means, and I’m still not great at maintaining rhythm across such a large volume of writing. There’s still a lot for me to learn. Maybe in the future, I’ll try to “water down” the narrative a bit—add more casual slice-of-life moments to buy myself time to plan the main story arcs. Slowing the pacing a little might make things easier. As a writer, I know I still have much to improve. Still, despite the flaws, this book represents a milestone for me. Whether it's the length, plot complexity, worldbuilding density, or overall structure, it surpasses anything I’ve ever written before. It’s also been my most successful work to date. Even though it’s far from perfect, being able to create something like this and land it relatively smoothly in the end is something I’m genuinely proud of. So with that, “Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire” is now complete. Dorothy’s story has, for the most part, reached its conclusion. Thank you all for bearing witness to this journey, for accompanying Dorothy all the way here. Without your support, I never could’ve made it this far. After a few months, or maybe up to half a year, of rest and preparation, I plan to begin my next book. As for what genre it’ll be… I haven’t decided yet. It might be medieval Western fantasy, modern Western fantasy, ancient Chinese xianxia-style fantasy… Or maybe even a cultivation novel. Nothing’s ruled out just yet. As for extras/side stories for this book… there’ll probably be a few. If I do write them, I might return to Ciweimao tradition and write some crossover-style fanfics—Dorothy traveling into other worlds and such. It’s been a long time since I’ve written fanfiction, after all~ And with that, until we met again.