"If the Lord of the Stars truly harbored malice against you, He would not have invited you to this assembly."
"Put away your hostility."
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The Mother Tree of Desire's words cut off the Son of Chaos's intent to watch a spectacle, but He still said: "Put down your guard for now, here you're nothing more than an avatar, what is there to be afraid of?"
"I just need an answer."
The Supernova Dominator's dark-red single eye remained fixed on Hastur.
Hastur's expression was calm, his fingers gently tapped the table, his head tilted slightly upward at the most elegant angle, gazing at the starry dome, and he said evenly: "You may also call me The One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment."
This was the information he gained the first time he sat in this chair.
The One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment, that was the true identity of the master of the Hall of Stars.
As for the title of Master of the Stars, it was merely what the Son of Chaos and the Mother Tree of Desire called him; he thought it acceptable, so he didn't refuse.
After all, the master of the Hall of Stars being called the Master of the Stars was also reasonable.
Now that the Supernova Dominator had asked the question, he didn't mind giving Them a little shock.
Even though he himself could not fully understand the meaning of "the stars returning to their positions."
In The Call of Cthulhu, he had once read a line: "When the stars are in alignment, R'lyeh will rise from the sea, and the great Cthulhu will awaken."
And in Lord of the Mysteries, he saw another line: "When the stars are in alignment, chaos will rise from the depths, and the Great Primordial One will awaken."
This was the world of Mysteries, so by reason it should align with the second line.
The One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment, by literal meaning, was the being that guided the stars to their rightful places.
But in the world of Mysteries, beneath the Original Creator were only the Three Pillars, there was no such existence as the One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment.
So he found it difficult to fully grasp the meaning, yet that didn't stop him from affirming that the phrase was extremely imposing.
At the right moment, in the right situation, spoken in an ancient and mysterious tone, it would certainly deliver an immense shock.
Sure enough, the Mother Tree of Desire, the Son of Chaos, and even the highly guarded Supernova Dominator all fell into silence.
They were all pondering what exactly the One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment represented.
Hastur also looked forward to Them helping him broaden his thinking.
Perhaps these ancient existences truly understood what it signified.
Silence blanketed the Hall of Stars.
After a long while, the Son of Chaos was the first to speak, allowing Hastur to withdraw his slightly lifted gaze and look at Him.
"The One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment… does such a being truly exist?"
The Son of Chaos's tone and gaze were complex, there was fear, relief, and some confusion.
Facing this, Hastur naturally saw no need to answer; he maintained his faint smile.
"When I heard this phrase, something stirred within me. That makes me certain the One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment is real, and is standing before us now."
The Mother Tree of Desire followed, Her gaze equally complex, yet with less vigilance than before.
"The stars, and we are each one among them… it is truly hard to believe."
The Supernova Dominator's single eye glowed faintly on Hastur, and he said with a complicated tone: "So not only do you stand above me, you are the one who guides all the stars."
"..."
Hastur maintained his mysterious posture, but inside he couldn't help but complain.
What kind of answer was that?!
Why are all of you acting like riddle-speakers?
What does the One Who Brings the Stars into Alignment actually mean? Can't you just say it clearly in one sentence?
Speaking half, hiding half, dangling others along, that deserves a beating!
Damn it, from now on, every riddle-speaker I meet, I'll smack one!
"To witness the stars coming into alignment is also an interesting thing."
The Supernova Dominator rolled his round body, floated to a seat beside the Mother Tree of Desire, and chose his position.
The Son of Chaos looked across, then at himself. After a moment's silence, he too chose another spot.
He floated to Hastur's right, opposite the Mother Tree of Desire, and sat.
Facing the gazes of Hastur, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Supernova Dominator, He was utterly unfazed.
If He dared change positions, He naturally wasn't afraid of their looks.
He simply couldn't bear sitting in his previous spot, alone, as if standing against the others.
And by the looks of it, the other Outer Gods and Old Days to come would sit before Him.
Clearly He had been the first to arrive in the Hall of Stars, how could He surrender His place to others?
To ease the awkwardness, He looked at the Mother Tree of Desire and said: "Tell that foolish son of yours to pause his work. Bernadette somehow learned of the ambush planned near the Dawn, and is now hiding in Backlund, refusing to come out. You'll need to find a solution."
The Mother Tree of Desire tossed the problem back at the Son of Chaos. In this matter, He already carried suspicion of colluding with Bernadette.
"Fine, I will focus all efforts on breaking the seal of the Magic Wishing Lamp. With Bernadette's power, she cannot absolutely suppress it, and will surely leave Backlund for help. When she attempts to strengthen the seal, have your foolish son rush over quickly. I believe Bernadette can then be kept."
The Son of Chaos gave his suggestion again, and the Mother Tree of Desire did not object.
The Supernova Dominator listened quietly, not fully grasping it.
But hearing their scheming, He understood this concerned matters inside the Barrier.
That stirred His interest in what lay within.
He looked at the Mother Tree of Desire: "Through your connection with your believers, send my power into the Barrier."
"Agreed." The Mother Tree of Desire did not refuse, nor did She demand anything.
The Son of Chaos chuckled: "What, you finally couldn't resist meddling as well?"
"I merely wish to admire with my own eyes your incomplete form."
The Supernova Dominator's flat tone struck precisely at the Son of Chaos's sore spot.
"Don't let me encounter your believers, if I do, I'll crush them one by one!"
"Talk again when you can leave the Magic Wishing Lamp."
With that, the Supernova Dominator ignored Him, leaving the Son of Chaos sulking alone.
The Mother Tree of Desire was pleased at the Supernova Dominator's presence, at last, She didn't need to deal with the dull-witted Son of Chaos alone.
Better to let the Supernova Dominator handle Him; after all, They had crossed paths more than once and knew each other's temperaments well.
Then the Supernova Dominator and the Mother Tree of Desire began discussing arrangements for descending into the Barrier.
According to His plan, He only needed the Mother Tree of Desire to establish a link, and He could deliver part of His power to Earth.
"I recall that among the Seven Gods guarding the crack of the Barrier, there is the Eternal Blazing Sun. I shall borrow His Beyonder path to exert influence upon the world within."
In just a few words, the Supernova Dominator had already set his sights on the Eternal Blazing Sun.
When unmoved, He did nothing, but once moved, He would shake the cosmos!
Such was His style.
Hastur's heart grew heavy. From the confidence He displayed, it seemed His strength was intact, not diminished.
This was truly a mighty existence standing atop the Great Old Ones.
Though His path differed from Eternal Blazing Sun's, Their authorities must overlap.
If He truly acted, Eternal Blazing Sun would face grave peril.
Perhaps in the future, the shining sun above would no longer be Eternal Blazing Sun, but the Supernova Dominator!
The Son of Chaos also fell silent, the Supernova Dominator's decisiveness left Him in a passive position.
If He didn't return to the cosmos soon, He could hardly contend with Him.
He desperately needed a true ally.
Yet the bond between the Mother Tree of Desire and the Supernova Dominator was clearly closer than with Him. Though He and the Mother Tree of Desire had an earlier pact, nothing guaranteed She wouldn't place Her hopes entirely on the Supernova Dominator.
The Mother Tree of Desire was no longer a suitable ally.
His gaze swept over Hastur, and He sighed inwardly.
Given the neutrality of this Master of Star, it was hard to secure His cooperation.
Now He even regretted mocking the High-Dimensional Overlooker earlier.
If tonight it had been the Overlooker attending the Hall of Stars, He would have held the advantage over the Mother Tree of Desire.
For compared to Her, the Overlooker's ties to Him were somewhat closer.
He needed to fight back, he couldn't bear the Supernova Dominator's smugness.
"Heh, don't say I didn't warn you, the Lord of Mysteries has begun to awaken. Beware, lest your schemes come to nothing."
At this, the Supernova Dominator wasn't bothered, instead musing: "God Almighty, the Lord of the Astral Realm, should awaken even earlier than the Lord of Mysteries."
"You can sense God Almighty?" The Son of Chaos himself was startled.
"A vague sensing. He should have awakened long ago, yet for some reason fell into slumber again. But His state is better than Lord of Mysteries's."
For these ancient beings, it was no secret that God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries were at odds.
If Lord of Mysteries was about to awaken, how could God Almighty remain asleep? When chaos and madness reached their peak, They would begin a new round of contention once again.