Chapter 2928: Lullaby

A heavenly voice that lingered for three days—he couldn't understand a single word.

The chorus of Annalises went on for quite a while, but Fu Qian remained extremely patient, listening to the very end without wasting a single note.

His usual habit of never boasting about his artistic sense proved wise in this moment.

In all fairness, it sounded beautiful. Calling it a melody that struck directly at the soul wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Even someone as powerful as the Mechanical King of the Abandoned Prison felt wrapped in gentle comfort at that moment.

But it stopped there. Every syllable brimmed with gentleness and holiness, yet they failed to form any words his brain could process. They were so excessively layered and ethereal that even the syllables themselves were difficult to identify.

The only thing Fu Qian could confirm was that it repeated the segment he had heard earlier. It truly was a complete song.

'For thousands of years, have the Annalises just been crawling toward the sea while endlessly repeating this song?'

Imagining the scene, Fu Qian marveled to himself.

He could only say that this Progenitor of the Blood Clan and her First Apostle truly shared a sense of black humor.

One was stuck in a loop singing, while the other was stuck in a loop doing stand-up comedy...

The two who ultimately failed to cross paths had locked their wills into similar absurd moments—yet even now, they still couldn't meet. Fu Qian had casually put on Annalise's Lies, but the two-headed blood demon that should have appeared in sync was still nowhere to be seen.

...

'This Bottom Layer of the Dream really is extraordinary.'

He had only been testing the waters since it cost him nothing, so Fu Qian didn't feel much disappointment at the result.

From the moment he entered this place through the Starry Sky Rose, all the way to arriving at the Full Moon Garden to catch up with the Old Doctor, he had actually been wearing the Glove the entire time.

Yet that special First Apostle Herbert remained entirely out of sight.

He could only deduce that while the Bottom Layer of the Dream might seem peaceful, it possessed its own transcendent standard—it wasn't a place just anyone could enter.

Of course, he couldn't rule out another possibility: just like Serana, the moment Herbert arrived here, he automatically entered a state where he could not be observed.

And since he hadn't knelt in the Full Moon Garden, the Old Doctor hadn't noticed him either.

Regardless, his idea of trying to get the two sides to meet to see if it sparked anything seemed unworkable.

That wasn't even the only bad news. The effect of "Night Demon" showed no signs of working.

Even after staying here for so long, Fu Qian was absolutely certain that ownership of the Bottom Layer of the Dream hadn't shifted toward him in the slightest. He could only admit it lived up to being an ability squeezed out of the First Apostle—the moment it encountered the Progenitor of the Blood Clan, it completely wilted.

In short, his two promising investigative tools had both bitten the dust.

Even the universal tool known as "time" wasn't on his side. The Red Moon was quite literally in imminent danger—but that was fine.

Having just put the Glove back on, Fu Qian noted that he still had similar tools at his disposal.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a Gold-Embroidered Ribbon and tied it around his head, covering his eyes.

...

Eldest Son's Vision.

'If I can't see anything, I just won't look. I don't need eyes to listen to a song anyway.'

This item, with its extraordinary origin and mysterious effects, had proven time and time again that the more abstract the situation, the more valuable it was to wear.

Giving up his vision, giving up his brain, discarding error-riddled human language and thought, and truly "feeling it with the heart."

Did that even somewhat align with those incomprehensible lyrics?

All in all, Fu Qian thought it was worth a try. The only thing to watch out for was that the lullaby might become even more intoxicating under these circumstances. He had to be careful not to fall asleep for real—he was actually starting to feel a bit drowsy.

As this final coherent thought flashed through his mind, Fu Qian once again entered that world where the corneas were peeled back and all language felt pale and powerless.

...

'Good. I only listened to it twice.'

Taking off the Ribbon was always an agonizing process.

Fortunately, while savoring that pain, Fu Qian immediately confirmed a piece of good news.

The method of confirmation was simple. He had already recorded exactly how long one song lasted.

By comparing it against the modified Ring on his hand with a timekeeping function—the "Mechanical Tyrant's Fist"—a quick calculation was all it took.

The other comforting fact was that he truly hadn't fallen asleep during the duration of those two songs.

Because of this, certain voices that transcended language—voices that had stirred echoes on a soul level—were slowly "corrupting" into comprehensible information as the Ribbon was removed—

[Don't be afraid, my child.]

[The gods fear the Divine Child because they are not true children.]

[Now, I will redefine Offspring and become the Progenitor.]

[Red eyes, blood eyes, all are my children.]

[No matter where you are, no matter where you come from, transcend the Order of Blood.]

[Listen to my voice, share in my grace, and embrace the blood stars.]

[The transcendent is no longer confined by faith, and the Long Night will eventually pass.]

[The Progenitor is with you. Remember her name: Annalise.]

[Remember her name: Tilanqi.]

[Noble Daughter of the Mother of Gospel.]

...

No wonder they said listening to music could cultivate one's character.

The Nightmare Borderland was very quiet, and the corruption in Fu Qian's mind was becoming clearer.

Certain inconceivable expressions were gradually replaced by error-riddled human language.

But even so, the information contained within still heavily shocked his sanity.

First of all, it really was quite like a lullaby. Setting aside the scene before him, rocking a baby carriage while singing this felt perfectly reasonable.

He had even been wearing the "Eldest Son's" Vision when he heard it all.

All in all, this fourth plan appeared to be a massive success.

Rigorous design and thorough preparation had paid off in this moment.

And upon carefully analyzing its contents, one of the most striking parts was undoubtedly: "Now, I will redefine Offspring."

Beyond being incredibly domineering, a line like that made it impossible not to recall a major subject he had always pondered: the genetic inheritance of transcendent powers.

Why was it that within the same family, a father without any talent could give birth to transcendent Offspring?

Where did the transcendent power in the younger generation come from? How could it skip generations?

Even the outstanding Dean Cas of the Apocalypse Branch had stated long ago that transcendent inheritance most likely occurred in a conceptual manner, rather than being confined to simple DNA.

Now it seemed this judgment was faintly supported by evidence. Was the instigator right here? Before the Long Night, had the Progenitor of the Blood Clan, Annalise, used her supreme power to directly alter the definition of Offspring?