Accompanied by the sound of electricity and a burnt smell, Dorothy's cybernetic eyes finally overloaded and exploded, causing the Loli Pope to lose her vision completely, plunging her into darkness.
At the same time, a sharp pain surged through her, making her cry out in agony.
The unexpected incident finally allowed her rationality to regain control. She forced herself to shut that "Eye of the Heart," making the myriad of hallucinations disperse from her consciousness.
Having narrowly escaped disaster, Dorothy fell to the ground, panting heavily to relieve the extreme fear that had reached its peak inside her.
Just a little more, really just a little more, and her sanity would have dropped to the critical point, plunging her into eternal madness.
Her scream also alarmed others in the Papal Palace. Other nuns dared not move, but Eve, being the Pope's confidant, swiftly entered. Miss Nun was equally shocked upon seeing the pitiful state of the Loli Pope.
"Dorothy, are you alright? What happened?"
"It's nothing. Is it Teacher Eve? I have spare electronic eyes in the cabinet beside my bed. Could you get it for me?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't have time to explain and quickly said so.
Eve asked no more. This Goddess of the Moon quickly retrieved the spare electronic eyes and handed them to the weakened disciple.
Dorothy skillfully extended her fingers, gouged out her ruined electronic eyes, discarded them, and then inserted the new ones.
"I don't know if the interface got fried."
After installing the eyes, she still worried, but fortunately, everything went smoothly. After a period of system loading, a bright light appeared before Dorothy, and her vision was restored.
However, she dared not look toward the sea direction anymore; she didn't even dare to look at the rain outside the window. She also paid no heed to Eve, who was looking at her anxiously. Instead, she took out a finely bound Holy Scripture from the room, opened it, and began to silently chant.
This was a gift from Teacher Dorothy not long ago, personally transcribed by the teacher from the Holy Hammer—Genesis's copy.
"I said: Man can triumph over nature. There never has been a savior, nor can we rely on deities and emperors... The happiness of humanity must be created by ourselves... Overthrow all demons and monsters... Prosperity, democracy, harmony..."
She recited these familiar words over and over, gradually finding peace within herself.
Finally, in that residual darkness and fear, a firm light of faith arose, piercing through the darkness and dispelling the unknown terror lingering in her heart.
It was only then that Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief, confirming she was finally safe.
"Haha, who would have thought cyberization could have such benefits? If I weren't a modified human already, I'd be finished this time."
She reflected with lingering fear.
"You child, you dare to look at anything. It's really lucky you didn't go mad directly."
Eve, watching the disciple finally recover, sighed with relief but couldn't help but scold.
Their recent revelation left the teacher and pupil awkward. Although they still acted as usual on the surface, both knew they couldn't go back to the past.
But now she couldn't hold back anymore; this disciple, who was like an adopted daughter, was truly courting death.
"Teacher, it was entirely accidental. I didn't do it on purpose. But isn't Leviathan excessively terrifying? It's not at all on the same level as ordinary Calamity Beasts. I can't even look at it directly. It's too scary, more frightening than Sophia teachers like Bisophelia."
Dorothy scratched her head and acted coquettishly toward this teacher, akin to her adoptive mother.
She had forgiven Teacher Eve shortly after their revelation. She wanted to restore their relationship but didn't know how to break the ice, finding it awkward. Yet, after passing through the brink of life and death, she saw things more clearly. Face was far less important than family.
"Indeed. That creature in the sea can't really be considered a Calamity Beast. It's the world itself, the embodiment of the world's resentment."
Eve keenly sensed the disciple's change in attitude. Her body trembled with mixed feelings upon being forgiven by this child. Tentatively, she spoke about this.
As the last remaining Nature Deity in this world, Eve could see things more clearly. For instance, others saw only Leviathan's fury, but she sensed a familiar aura from this terrible beast.
It was the aura of the mother.
Leviathan, the ultimate Calamity Beast, is the world consciousness itself—its dying resentment and madness incarnate.
Hearing this, Dorothy was stunned. She looked down at the copy of Genesis in her hand.
"Teacher, do you think Teacher Dorothy can really win?"
The Loli Pope asked worriedly.
This complicated Eve's emotions further, feeling the generational lines blur, but she didn't dwell on it; it wasn't the point.
"Alas, if possible, I'd wish that child were an ordinary person."