"I am Lynn as you know, but not entirely. I am the sum of everything, the culmination of all Lynn's."
To be honest, this moment is probably the closest Lynn has ever been to revealing his secret, but as a professional actor, Lynn remains very calm and doesn't regret his earlier actions at all.
On one hand, Lynn is confident in himself and believes he can deceive Klein—after all, even if we don't mention Lynn's acting skills, people tend to have wishful thinking and prefer to believe what they want to believe. So, Lynn knows that even if Klein vaguely senses something is wrong, he most likely won't think too deeply about it.
After all, if the truth were exposed, the ones who would die socially wouldn't just be Lynn but also the Fool who has been fooled all this time!
On the other hand, compared to being "hunted" by the future Lord of Mysteries, Lynn cares more about Bethel's safety.
Of course, all of the above are considerations from various perspectives. In reality, under the influence of his true form, with his assimilation value soaring, Lynn doesn't have many emotional fluctuations now.
He still complains in his mind, still makes various expressions, but that's only because he feels he should do so, not because he actually experiences those emotions.
Lynn adapts to this well, as if he was always meant to be this way, like a mirror finally wiped clean of its dust...
But how can emotions be dust?
Lynn thinks this, feeling that he might need some stimulation to lower his assimilation value.
Maybe he should meet that annoying guy after descending from Sefirah Castle?
Lynn suddenly thinks this is a brilliant idea. If he were in a normal state, he might be a bit more cautious, but now he feels this idea is fantastic.
Hearing Lynn's words, Klein purses his lips, clearly contemplating something. After a few seconds, he says, "Have you merged into one?"
"It's just a temporary fusion, a bit of a contingency plan I left behind. To be honest, I didn't expect to use it under these circumstances..." Lynn sighs as he says this and glances at Bethel, "Fortunately, everything ended safely."
"You..." Klein seems to hesitate but still says, "To be honest, your state after merging is not what I imagined... not at all."
Klein is clearly hinting that Lynn now doesn't seem at all like the state he would expect from a fusion dominated by a husky companion but is instead more akin to the Angel of Secrets.
No, it shouldn't even be called the Angel of Secrets...
"Don't worry about it; it's just a little accident," Lynn says, quite calmly. Smiling, he adds, "I'm not normal right now. To put it in terms you can understand, my divine nature has completely overshadowed my humanity. The fusion in a normal state wouldn't be like this."
'Not normal...' Klein immediately recalls the dangerous feeling he sensed just now, as well as Mr. Door's obvious abnormality earlier, and understands something.
Lynn, too, has been affected by the Great Consciousness that Mr. Door mentioned, perhaps even more severely than Mr. Door himself. However, Lynn likely has some special qualities that, even though he is more seriously affected, still allow him to barely maintain his sense of self.
Realizing this, Klein can't help but frown. He looks at Lynn and, after hesitating for a few seconds, asks, "How long will you stay like this? Will there be any aftereffects?"
"The fusion is only temporary, lasting a few minutes at most. As for aftereffects..." Lynn smiles at this, "Don't worry, I'll just move closer to Him. I'm already used to it."
Klein's frown deepens.
"More importantly..." Lynn suddenly remembers something, looking at Klein with a smile as he asks, "I'm curious about one thing. If I were to remain in this state, would you think I'm no longer me? Would you deny that I'm the Lynn you know?"
Although Lynn says he's curious, his expression doesn't match. His gaze becomes increasingly indifferent.
Klein looks at Lynn after hearing this. Naturally, he can sense the non-human aura that Lynn exudes from head to toe at this moment. It's a feeling different from even a husky companion, or even the Angel of Secrets. Even though Lynn is still smiling, with various expressions on his face, all Klein can feel is indifference.
It's an indifference that seems to disregard everything in this world. As for the few expressions Lynn shows, they feel like a facade meant to make him appear more human.
But it shouldn't be like this. Whether it's Lynn or the angel, they are not inherently indifferent beings. Not to mention the husky companion, even the Angel of Secrets, who embodies divine nature, is never indifferent.
So Klein takes a slight breath, looks at Lynn, and says, "I'll help you find a psychiatrist... you should go back to your previous self. You won't like how you are now."
"What if the psychiatrist doesn't work?" Lynn continues smiling as he asks.
"Then we'll find another way. There will always be a way." Klein says this seriously, and then suddenly adds, "As for your question..."
"Lynn, you're my friend, always." Klein looks directly into Lynn's indifferent eyes and says earnestly, "I admit there are some differences between Lynn and the Angel of Secrets in my eyes, but they are both my friends. Because I know that no matter which you it is, no matter how much you hide from me, you've never harbored any ill intentions towards me and have always treated me as a friend."
"So I also consider you a friend, and I won't deny this friendship just because you've changed."
If he were in a normal state, Lynn would probably be thinking about whether Klein has already noticed the truth and is avoiding it here, but Lynn is not in a normal state, so he can't be bothered to think about it.
Lynn just smiles and says, almost sighing, "That's why I like mortals so much!"
'Only mortals have such passionate and sincere emotions, which can move even someone like me... Ah, what was it again?'
Lynn suddenly shivers, and his assimilation value drops sharply. He then shoves the remaining part into his divine form.
'Oh my, I almost remembered something I shouldn't have. Fortunately, I had set up some safeguards... Wait, weren't the safeguards also something I shouldn't remember?'
'What a bummer!' Lynn complains in his heart, then unceremoniously slumps into the nearest chair, resting his head on the table. Then, as if he suddenly remembers something, he says, "By the way, this seems to be the Hanged Man's chair... I hope he doesn't mind."
"I don't think he will," Klein says while observing Lynn's condition closely. After a few seconds, he breathes a sigh of relief but can't help nudging Lynn and asking, "Are you okay?"
Lynn's state just now really scared him.
(End of Chapter)
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