Because it was not yet time for Holy Communion, the Harvest Church had no believers inside. Only Father Utravsky, who looked half-giant, was sitting at the front, praying devoutly.
Because of the Tarot Club this afternoon, Emlyn should be at his own home, so he is not here. And Haylor is most likely busy preparing for the banquet invitation tonight, so she has not come to the church either…
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Ebner slowly walked up to the half-giant bishop and raised his head.
Bishop Utravsky put down his hands, opened his eyes, and said kindly, "Go down by yourself. The Earth Mother already knows of your arrival."
Ebner had originally wanted to exchange a few words with the bishop, but hearing this, he could only nod and reply, "Alright."
After all, he could not let a deity wait idly in the basement… even if that deity had a somewhat complicated relationship with him.
Passing through the stone door engraved with the "Holy Emblem of Life" and numerous mysterious symbols forming a complete seal, Ebner once again saw the beautiful figure with silver hair.
However, this time, knowing that the "shell" of the Goddess of Beauty before him was actually the product of his own "remains" ascending, Ebner's gaze toward her was inevitably a little strange… though it did not stop him from admiring her beauty.
"It seems you have already explored that place." Lilith, who had once more descended into the body of the Goddess of Beauty, was the first to speak with a smile.
Ebner carefully studied his body, now completely transformed into female form, and noticed that she was still wearing the same red shirt he had once worn as a Vampire Duke. Although it was actually quite a fine mystical item, he still found it a little "shabby."
Next time I come, I need to prepare a few good-looking outfits for myself… no, for Lilith. In my memory, Lamia actually loved wearing pretty clothes, and even changed into quite a few "anime" styles just to please me.
After muttering inwardly, Ebner nodded slightly on the surface and said, "Yes… I recalled what happened when I was Felipe."
Felipe was the alias Ebner had given himself when he was Giuseppe Castiya.
At this point, he could not help but ask, "Do you know how Lamia is now?"
"Lamia may have been my avatar, but at the time, she—or rather I—did not know my true nature… Later, while searching for you, she encountered danger and perished," Lilith replied casually.
"How did she die?" Ebner frowned and asked.
"I ran into Sia… You know, Lamia's strength was only at the level of an Ancient Alchemist. She could not possibly have been the opponent of a Spawn of God." Lilith smiled as she responded, as though speaking of someone other than herself.
Sia? Why would It attack Lamia? Wait… I remember Lilith once said that the 'material' used for Lamia's avatar was the same as Miss Plant, taken from some 'unknown' plant. That plant was attractive to the Mother Tree of Desire? But if she used that material to create an avatar, Lilith could not have been unaware of this…
"So, Lamia being killed by Sia was also part of your plan?" Ebner thought this and asked aloud.
Lilith only curved her lips into a smile and remained silent.
Ebner immediately realized that there were things Lilith could not say, otherwise the Mother Tree of Desire would inevitably sense them. After pondering for a while, he tentatively asked, "Does it have something to do with the event where the Mother Tree of Desire tried to infect the Tenebrous World through the sea monster's mind?"
After ascending to demigod and deepening his connection with the All-Knowing Eye and the Pure White Angel in the Land of Evernight, Ebner had discovered that the memory seal was lifted. He could now freely think about matters related to the Old Ones without being polluted.
Lilith raised a finger to his lips and said meaningfully, "Some things you should understand in your heart, but don't always say them out loud… Otherwise, even you cannot fully block that one's perception."
As she spoke, she suddenly stepped forward, leaned to Ebner's ear, her gaze half-hidden, lips almost touching as she whispered, "I can only tell you this—the imprint of the Tenebrous World, after being stripped away by the God of Fortune, once entered that 'unknown' space."
Feeling her breath at his ear and catching her fragrance at his nose, Ebner cursed inwardly. The goddess before him was truly adept at using her body and words to create an ambiguous atmosphere…
And she's using my own body, too… Ebner felt an uncomfortable reaction in a sensitive place and had to divert his attention, thinking instead about the meaning behind Lilith's words.
Since the pollution in the Land of Evernight most likely comes from the concept of "Liu Bo"… That means the imprint of the Tenebrous World had already taken the form of Liu Bo? Then my earlier guess was broadly correct—indeed, the Tenebrous World was a trap prepared for the Mother Tree of Desire… But Lamia… her essence was a special plant… Could it be that she was a suitable vessel of spirit and power for the Mother Tree? Wait… that 'Proof of Lost Mind' necklace… could it have once been Lamia? If that is true, then the Mother Tree of Desire was probably ensnared from the very beginning. Hah, 'Unknown' plants… always unknown! If my speculation is correct, then the reason Lamia was arranged to stay by my side for those years might also have been to continue nurturing her essence in the Land of Evernight…
Although Ebner was very certain that the feelings he had shared with Lamia were genuine—after all, Lilith herself admitted that much of her current humanity stemmed from that period—he still held a degree of wariness toward deities. He could not fully believe her motives were so simple… even if she behaved as though she were his wife, his lover.
But I can't just ask her directly why she treats me with such indulgence… the consequences would be unpredictable… and I don't have the strength to survive a bad end right now!
Taking a deep breath, Ebner shifted the topic and asked something else: "Do you know about the ritual Roselle designed, the one held eleven years ago? That was likely the plan of the Fallen Mother Goddess."
Seeing that Ebner remained unmoved by her teasing, Lilith deliberately stepped back a few paces and shook her head with a smile. "I am not all-knowing and almighty… If I had known in advance, that experiment would never have been carried out. Hmm, this should have been planned by the you of the Calamity Seal together with 'Knowledge' or Adam. I do not know the details… That version of you was rather special. Neither I nor the Evernight Goddess had much interaction with you, only watching from afar."
You and the Evernight Goddess… Could it be that the Goddess really is…? Remembering how terrifying she was in the original story, the pressure in Ebner's heart surged, though outwardly he pressed, "What was special about the Calamity Seal?"
"That is something you must uncover yourself. I cannot tell you directly. But, I can give you a hint… Why do you think that whether it was the God of Fortune, or Rhein, or Vicente… in so many of your lives, you always stopped at Sequence 2?"