Zeus's grace is higher than the sky

"I......"

For the first time, her voice had a hint of dryness that was hard to conceal.

"I underestimated you."

She uttered these words with difficulty, her eyes sweeping over Zeus's overly handsome face with complicated expressions.

"Your 'special' isn't chaos... it's..."

She seemed unable to find the right words, and finally squeezed out only one sentence, her face flushed.

"It's not the abyss, it's something much more terrifying."

She didn't wait for any reaction from Zeus, and didn't even dare to look into his eyes.

Like disturbed smoke, the figure instantly became blurry, blending into the surrounding light and shadows several times faster than when it arrived, and disappeared. The posture could almost be described as a hasty escape.

Only on the railing, where the Black Swan had just clenched its fingers, were there a few clearly visible finger marks left by the uncontrolled power of memory.

Chapter 150 Harmonious Music Ceremony

Pinocchio's central square had never been so crowded. A giant holographic image streamed across the sky, casting spots of light on the bustling crowd below.

Celebrities from all over the universe were crowded together, and all kinds of expensive clothes reflected the light.

Laughter, conversation, the clinking of wine glasses, the hum of a landing limousine...Pinoconi's extravagant luxury has reached its peak. This is Pinoconi's prosperity, Pinoconi's chaos.

At the side entrance near the clock tower, there were the Starry Sky Train crew - Xing, March Seven, Dan Heng, Walter Yang, and Ji Zi.

Xing walked in front, his eyes sweeping over the noisy crowd and the gorgeous scenery, his brows slightly furrowed with an instinctive alertness.

March 7th stood on tiptoe and looked around curiously, letting out a small exclamation.

Dan Heng put his hands in his pockets and looked around calmly.

Walter pushed up his glasses, and the dazzling light of Pinocchio reflected on the lenses.

"Wow, so many people..." March Seven whispered, his voice almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.

"Stay alert." Dan Heng's eyes were fixed on a reflective spot on a one-way glass high up in the clock tower.

Jizi took a sip of coffee and cast her eyes on the huge, slowly rotating family emblem at the top of the clock tower, the light was dazzling.

Zeus had given them a heads-up before they came, telling them that this Harmony Ceremony would be very extraordinary and asking them to be prepared for any unexpected events.

The music in the center of the square suddenly became louder, and the grand metal symphony with heavy drum beats drowned out the human voices.

The crowd erupted in loud cheers and applause, many of them looking up at the glowing emblem, their faces flushed with excitement.

Sunday stood in the inconspicuous observation room high in the clock tower. The one-way glass allowed him to clearly see everything below.

A seething crowd, flashing lights, deafening noises. His gaze moved through the crowd, finally landing on a few figures who stood out from the glitz and glamour of their surroundings—the people on the Starry Sky Train.

Just then, a low, rhythmic roar came from within the clock tower, drowning out the music in the square.

The sound came from the depths of the earth, ancient and heavy. The light of the family crest on the top of the tower suddenly shrank and disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, an unprecedented, bell-like roar exploded from the top of the tower!

Boom-!

The sound waves pounded the square like tangible fists. The boiling clamor was instantly cut off. The cheering crowd seemed frozen, their hands covering their ears frozen in time, the flush on their faces quickly fading, leaving only blank astonishment.

Everyone on the Starry Sky Train tensed up almost at the same time. March Seven subconsciously took a small step back. Dan Heng pulled his hand out of his pocket. Walter's eyes behind the lenses instantly became sharp, and Ji Zi put down the teacup.

Boom-!

The second bell followed, heavier and more irresistible. It fell like a cold iron curtain, and the last whispers in the square were completely silenced. Only the monotonous, huge, and absolutely orderly bell sound echoed over the dead city.

Sunday slowly raised his hand and grasped the inconspicuous cane beside him.

He took one last look at the frozen figures in the square below, including the train crew members who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Outside the observation room, the sky over Pinocchio gradually darkened with the sound of the bells.

The sky of Pinocchio darkened, and the city's never-extinguished neon lights, one after another, seemed to be extinguished by invisible hands and fell into dead silence.

A huge bell sound came from the tallest tower in the center of the city, spreading out layer by layer.

This bell is the announcement.

Sunday stood on the observation deck at the top of the tower. Below him was the silhouette of the city, plunged into a vast silence.

The air in the entire Pinocchio seemed to stagnate for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, an imperceptible, low hum rose from the ground and quickly enveloped the entire space.

In the city, on the streets, in the rooms, people standing, walking, sitting... all movements stopped.

They weren't unconscious, just like they were paused. Their eyes were empty, and the last trace of expression on their faces disappeared, leaving only a complete and blank calm.

Invisible energy fluctuations centered on the tower spread out like water waves, gently but irresistibly covering every inch of land and every corner.

Sunday put down his cane. His face was expressionless, and he just stared down through the glass of the observation deck.

Looking at the street that once flowed with a chaotic river of light, it now seemed frozen, solidified in an absolute, stagnant silence.

All the lights were out, except for a few cold white lights inside the observation deck at the top of the tower, illuminating him and the glowing halo above his head.

The bell continued to ring, one after another, as regular as a heartbeat, or like the gears of some huge machine turning in perfect harmony.

In the monotonous repetitive sound of the bell, Pinocchio sank into the eternal, painless dream called "correctness" promised by its master.

The dream began and the city became completely quiet.

The lingering sound of the bells still vibrated in the cold air. The square was dead silent and the crowd stood still.

Under the clock tower, the ground in the center of the scarlet carpet slid open silently, and a huge metal platform rose up amidst a low mechanical hum.

On the platform, countless metal puppets covered in matte silver-grey shells stood in a neat forest. Their joints revealed precise gears and wiring, and their heads were smooth hemispheres embedded with constantly glowing white lenses.

Their movements are perfectly synchronized: lifting their feet, landing them, turning their expressionless "faces."

The humming stopped. The platform came to a standstill.

Hundreds of sound grids opened simultaneously. A single, cold, flat voice, amplified countless times, resounded, piercing everyone's consciousness:

"Wish-will-return-to-order-"

"May the pain and suffering end in sleep."

The words were as clear as the meshing of gears, carrying absolute authority. This wasn't a song, but a cold, decreed command. Hundreds of pairs of glowing "eyes" indifferently scanned the terrified creatures below.

On the train side, Ji Zi's hand holding the coffee cup paused for a moment, barely perceptible.

Xing's brows were locked.

Dan Heng stared at the frighteningly neat metal array.

Before the ceremony began, Zeus specifically gave them information about harmony and order.

"Whether Harmony came first and then devoured Order, or whether Harmony was born from the decline of Order, is now impossible to determine. When the Star Gods surrounded and suppressed the previous Breeding Star God Insect Emperor Taiziyolos, Order had already become part of Harmony. However, Order did not completely disappear; it still lingered within Harmony, incarnating as the All-Wish..."

——Is this the "Wish of All"? The cold embodiment of order?

Chapter 151 Dreaming

A cold proclamation echoed through the square: "Order... cannot be shaken. Chaos... must be erased."

The "Dominicus of All Wishes" array began its precise "performance".

Some of the metal puppets raised their arms, their fingertips vibrating at high frequencies. The air then emitted a sharp, dense treble whistle. Countless violin bows rubbed against their strings at breakneck speed, the piercing sound waves slicing through the air, tingling the scalp and tingling the nerves.

San Yue Qi covered her ears and screamed, and the ice shield was splashed with ice crystals due to the vibration of the sound waves.

The other puppet's chest resonance chamber opened, emitting a heavy, rich, and gut-shaking bass rumble. The sound carried a compelling mental pressure, directly attacking the sense of balance and will.

Walter's lenses were instantly covered with spider web patterns. His body shook, and the force field he barely maintained shattered like glass hit by a sledgehammer.

Xing and Danheng, braving the piercing high notes and bone-shaking low notes, attempted to continue their advance towards Dominicus of Many Wishes. A "rhythm group" immediately emerged from the formation: several massive puppets marching with heavy, perfectly synchronized steps. Each step landed with a dull, drum-like "beat," accompanied by a piercing "bass drum" of waving arms. Each interception was precisely caught between the two men's movements, shaking their blood, disrupting their steps, and forcibly interrupting their offensive.

Jizi stood tall within the chaotic "wall of sound," her red hair dancing wildly amidst the invisible waves. She lifted her hands, and a powerful force of exploration resonated throughout her body, forming a resilient, invisible mental barrier, like a reef against a storm, stubbornly resisting the onslaught of mental sound waves. She stared intently at the core puppet, searching for even the slightest flaw in its "command."

The "core" raised its hand, and the faint halo above its head suddenly brightened, like a strong note from a baton.

The entire array's "performance" instantly changes pitch!

All the puppets paused for a moment, like a pause between movements. Then, they simultaneously raised their sleek metal heads, hundreds of glowing lens "eyes" focused on Jizi. They simultaneously opened their sound grilles.

A grand, solemn, and utterly icy "mechanical hymn" roared forth! This sound, perfectly simulated by countless precision units, boasted flawless harmony and a rhythm as precise as the gears of a clock. It was no longer an offensive noise, but an ultimate, soothing call that reached deep into the soul:

"Sleep—"

"Return to Order"

This cold hymn carried an overwhelming force of will. Ji Zi's body trembled violently! Her concentrated mental barrier twisted and rippled violently, emitting a humming sound on the verge of collapse. She clenched her teeth, veins bulging on her forehead, sweat soaking her temples, as if she was trying to stabilize her consciousness in a small boat amidst the surging waves of sound.

"Ji Zi!" Xing shouted and tried to rush over, but was knocked away by a synchronized "Heavy Beat" giant arm and fell to the ground. All he could hear was the cold and grand hymn.

Dan Heng was cut back by the dense "high-pitched whistling" and fell to one knee with his spear hitting the ground. His consciousness quickly blurred in the hymn.

Walter and March 7 had already lost consciousness in the previous "movement".

Jizi's resistance reached its limit. The icy hymn, like billions of invisible chains of sonic energy, entangled and tugged at her consciousness. Everything within her sight—the clock tower, the formation, her companions—began to distort and melt like waterlogged sheet music. She felt her very being completely submerged and assimilated by this vast, icy chorus of order.

The "core" seemed to drop its "baton" once again, and the hymn's intensity suddenly rose, entering its fortissimo! The sound waves were like a literal tsunami.

"Ugh--!" Ji Zi let out a suppressed groan and her body shook violently.

The "mental barrier" that she had been struggling to maintain dissipated silently like a broken string.

The cold hymn instantly filled her entire senses; it was solemn, grand, and unquestionable.

The sharp light in Jizi's eyes completely extinguished, and her body slumped forward. In the final moment before her consciousness sank into darkness, all she could see was the pioneer's outstretched hand and those terrified eyes drowned in the hymn...

As Ji Zi fell, the grand and cold mechanical hymn seemed to have gained its final resonance, and the sound waves were like an invisible tide, instantly engulfing the entire area.

The pioneer's outstretched hand fell down weakly, and his consciousness was like a silent note.

Dan Heng's head dropped heavily, and the Cloud-Striking Spear slipped out of his hand, fell to the ground, and was then swallowed up by the hymn.

On the cold square, the members of the Starry Sky Train crew fell to the ground like scattered musicians at the end of a piece of music, and lost all their voices.

Only the "Dominicus of the Many Wishes" array, composed of hundreds of metal puppets, stood coldly like a frozen final "chord." Their glowing "eyes" stared indifferently at the creatures below who had fallen into absolute "silence."

In the center of the array, the halo outline above the head of the special metal puppet was steadily lit, like an eternal pause.

Above the square, the false starlight of Pinocchio seemed to solidify and dim in the sound of absolute order.

Everything was completely silent, save for the faint, cold, rhythmic creak of gears turning within the array, like a precision clockwork. This was the final echo of this forced requiem. The final chapter of the Harmony Ceremony concluded with "chaos" being completely hypnotized by the hymn of order. The curtain of the dream slowly descended.

......

"Isn't it my turn yet, Master?"

Jibril, who was watching the Harmony Ceremony with Zeus from another tall building, was already eager to try.

"Wait a minute."

Zeus is waiting, waiting for the people on the Star Train to wake up, and for Huang Quan, the messenger of [Nothingness] who should not exist but miraculously appeared in this world.

The Unison Choir·Dominicus of All Wills is one of the many incarnations of [Harmony] Hippe, but under the dominance of Sunday, it is disturbed by [Order] and presents a completely different form. In this form, the Unison Choir·Dominicus of All Wills is more like the Messenger of [Order] than the Messenger of [Harmony]. It is the dissonance hidden in the harmonious movement.

As the incarnation of Hippie, the Order of Harmony is undoubtedly special compared to other Orders, and Dominic of All Wills is even more special. As an Order of Harmony, it has received the remaining power of Order and the offerings of all members of the Oak Family. Its strength is far beyond the norm, catching up with the Infinite Lord, who is the incarnation of Hippie's [Wrath].

Jibril's strength was not enough in front of him. Zeus needed to wait for the woman who could make the final decision. If he took action now, everything would be ruined. After all, even if he almost turned to [Order], Dominicus of the Choir of All Wills was still the Messenger of Harmony. Launching an attack at this time was tantamount to declaring war directly.

Zeus had to wait until he completely became the messenger of "Order" and then destroy him to avoid an overly intense direct conflict with his fellow harmonic Hippea.

Chapter 152 Let’s end this beautiful but illusory dream

The cold sense of order weighed like a heavy lead weight on the consciousness of every member of the Starry Sky Train. Center stage at the Pinocchio Theater, the false glow of victory lingered—Sunday's figure seemed defeated, even the phantom of General Jing Yuan vanished like smoke. But Xing stood still, feeling no joy, only a sticky, lingering sense of falsehood.

"Something's wrong..." Xing whispered, her voice sounding unusually out of place in the empty or deliberately "perfect" dream theater.

Fragments of the battle flashed through his mind: Jingyuan's appearance was so coincidental, it seemed scripted; the sense of relief after defeating Sunday was as hollow as a blown-up balloon, ready to burst at the slightest poke. This "victory" tasted of nothing but plastic and dust.

......

"Great Lord Zeus, won't you go and help?"

After the Black Swan's "second move" and Zeus's deliberate indulgence of the beauty, the Black Swan already knew the noble identity of Zeus in front of him.

Zeus was leaning on a low-key and luxurious chair when the black swan suddenly appeared behind him. Its slender arms stretched out from behind Zeus and wrapped around his neck. The soft fabric rubbed against Zeus' skin. The black swan leaned down, its cheek close to Zeus' earlobe, its lips almost touching his earlobe. While speaking, its breath blew into Zeus' ear canal, making Zeus feel itchy not only in his ears but also in his heart.