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.
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Hastur just listened silently and did not express any opinion.
God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries are indeed hostile to each other. After all, both are beings at the peak of the universe; with instincts of hostility and devouring, it is impossible for Them to choose harmony.
But what the Supernova Dominator does not know is that in the future, God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries will be fellow transmigrators.
For the moment, the human side of Them suppresses the madness and chaos at Their core.
In guarding the Barrier, Their positions are aligned.
The Son of Chaos chuckled:
"The Mother Goddess of Depravity really is pitiful. Earth is the testing ground of God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries, while She can only lurk beyond the starry sky, unable to enter. She even has to watch helplessly as God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries awaken right under Her nose. Tsk, it's remarkable She can keep her composure for so long."
"She is accelerating the erosion," Mother Tree of Desire added.
"Which True God will suffer this time?"
"The Earth Mother Goddess."
"Oh, Her? That makes sense. She also holds the authority of procreation, which originally belongs to the path of the Mother Goddess of Depravity. It's much easier to exert influence."
"The greatest reason the Mother Goddess of Depravity fails is that She delights in erosion and corruption."
The Supernova Dominator also joined the discussion. From His vantage beyond the starry sky, He had personally witnessed the methods of the Mother Goddess of Depravity and knew Her shortcomings.
With Her way of acting, by the time God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries have fully awakened, She might still not have completely eroded that Earth Mother Goddess.
In His view, eroding and corrupting lower-ranked beings is utterly meaningless.
The Son of Chaos agreed: "Defilement and procreation have already become Her instincts. She will not change Her ways, even if time is not on Her side."
"That is why She loses to God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries."
The Mother Tree of Desire's tone was full of disdain and mockery.
Back when the Original Creator first awakened, He drew vast amounts of primal essence from the universe to converge upon this tiny planet.
God Almighty and Lord of Mysteries not only preserved Their essence but also became the rulers of this planet in turn, conducting experiments upon it.
Only the Mother Goddess of Depravity had Her nest damaged, Her dual paths torn apart, and was blocked outside the Barrier.
Looking at Her record of battle, She was only at the same level as the Child of Chaos. Perhaps that is the legacy They share.
After all, both are like the children of the "Original Creator."
Sensing the gaze of the Mother Tree of Desire, the Son of Chaos felt complicated.
Hastur silently munched on melon seeds…
The Son of Chaos thought for a while and then asked: "Can the prophesied doomsday date be changed?"
"Yes."
The Mother Tree of Desire gave a definite answer but turned Her gaze to Hastur.
As the One Who Aligns the Stars, His authority is enough to alter the timing of doomsday, bringing it earlier.
Unfortunately, He is only a witness, impartial and neutral, and will not guide the apocalypse to arrive prematurely.
The eyes of the Son of Chaos and the Supernova Dominator also turned toward Him.
Hastur felt great pressure, thinking he should say something.
With a light laugh, He spoke: "Doomsday? Nothing but a trivial prophecy."
…
After sending away the Mother Tree of Desire, the Supernova Dominator, and the Son of Chaos, Hastur returned to His original appearance, seated at the head with a slightly worried expression.
If the Supernova Dominator had not exaggerated, then the Seven Gods guarding the crack in the Barrier would soon face a trial.
Especially the Eternal Blazing Sun, while He may not fall, He would surely be heavily wounded.
After pondering for a while, Hastur shifted His thoughts to Bernadette.
The matters of the Seven Gods were still far from Him; guiding Bernadette to become the Apostle of the Stars was now urgent.
His gaze pierced the starry sky, landing upon the star where the Son of Chaos resided.
With the bond established last time, it was now much easier for Him to communicate with Bernadette, and also easy to shield against the Son of Chaos sealed within the Magic Wishing Lamp.
Under the crimson moonlight, Bernadette once again examined the Magic Wishing Lamp, confirming nothing was wrong.
She then slid down a pea vine from the clouds to the riverbank, gazing at the night scene reflected in the water.
The Tasok River, the largest river flowing through Backlund, under the crimson glow had changed from daytime surges to a gentle flow.
Perhaps it too was tired, needing rest.
So was she. Her sleep quality had been very poor lately.
Although she no longer needed sleep to adjust her state, being able to drift peacefully into slumber on such a beautiful night could bring true serenity to the soul.
Just as she felt a hint of calm from the flowing river, the crimson moon reflected within it shifted into a new starry sky.
The light of the stars began shimmering in the water, weaving together into a vast and mysterious hall.
The Hall of Stars.
Bernadette's expression grew solemn, and she sighed softly. She knew the Master of the Stars had descended once again.
"The stars are awakening. Everything will begin anew."
That familiar voice of the Star Lord appeared, still so mysterious and ethereal, as if He spoke across endless ages.
"Dwelling in the starry sky, overlooking all beings, Master of the Stars, why do You favor me?"
At last, Bernadette voiced her doubt. After all, her Beyonder path bore no connection to the power of the stars.
Why would the Master of the Stars want to make her His favored one?
Was it simply to restrain the Son of Chaos?
'Because you are the daughter of my fellow transmigrator.'
Hastur shouted this in his heart, but his mouth calmly said: "Because of fate."
"Fate?"
Bernadette frowned slightly, thinking of the Wheel of Fortune card on her body.
It was her father's gift to her for self-defense, and its greatest use was to conceal matters related to fate, preventing others from interfering with hers.
Could it be that touching upon this Master of the Stars was the true meaning behind her father giving her the Wheel of Fortune card?
"Do you want to know the true meaning of these two symbols?"
Borrowing the power of the Hall of Stars, Hastur condensed two words upon the surface of the river: Hometown.
Bernadette studied them for a long time, her mind surging. She didn't know the exact meaning of these two symbols, but she clearly knew her father valued them immensely, often gazing at the starry sky at night.
At that time, the complex emotions in his eyes made her, his daughter, feel heartache even from afar.
She spoke calmly: "What do these two symbols mean?"
"The resting place of the heart and soul."
Bernadette's mind drifted, thoughts unending.
Could these two symbols be referring to the stars?
Was her father's love of stargazing also related to this Master of the Stars?
Many people, including later historians, believed her father possessed knowledge far beyond his era.
That was not something simple common knowledge or Beyonder pathways could create.
Otherwise, even now, there would not have been only Roselle, the one emperor unforgettable to history.
Could it be that her father had once received the blessing of the stars, and that was how he rose so quickly?
Giving her the Wheel of Fortune card was also to pass down that fate to her?
Did he want her to take his place, continuing the pact with the Master of the Stars?
And was that the reason the Master of the Stars sought her out?
In that moment, Bernadette thought of many things. Questions that had long been difficult to explain now seemed to have clear answers.
From what she later learned, her father had not stood out in the beginning, in fact, he was rather ordinary.
Until one day, he suddenly rose rapidly, mastering much incredible knowledge, and ultimately ushered in the Age of Steam.
Was that the beginning of her father's contract with the Master of the Stars?
Later, her father became the revered Emperor Roselle, yet he often gazed blankly at the starry sky, even risking a journey to the stars.
Was it to seek the Master of the Stars? Or to help the Master of the Stars fulfill their pact?
In the end, he must have failed, for not long after, her father fell in the White Maple Palace.
Perhaps foreseeing something, he had deliberately given her the Wheel of Fortune card.
At that time, his eyes were filled with expectation and blessing.
He must have hoped she could also bear his fate, and through the Wheel of Fortune card, once more make contact with the Master of the Stars to fulfill that unfinished pact.
She had never been able to find the location of the final tomb. Now it seemed only the Master of the Stars knew it.
Perhaps, only by fulfilling the pact with the Master of the Stars could her father be revived.
Everything seemed to connect now, and it all made sense.
But it was only her own bold conjecture, for besides those directly involved, no one could know what truly happened in those past years.
Bernadette tried to suppress the storm of emotions in her heart, forcing herself to think more calmly.
Not long ago, the Master of the Stars had contacted the Son of Chaos, but instead of helping Him escape, had even whipped Him many times.
That doubt also seemed to have an answer now.
Maybe the Master of the Stars was never seeking the Son of Chaos, but her.
Through the Son of Chaos and the Magic Wishing Lamp, He ultimately locked onto her.
Could His whipping of the Son of Chaos have been to warn him not to harbor ill thoughts toward her?
Telling her about the Son of Chaos's collusion with the Mother Tree of Desire was also to protect her safety?
All of this was to continue her father's pact with Him?
But could that be possible?
Wasn't that too absurd?
Bernadette's emotions were complex, but she still spoke calmly: "Do you know where my father built the last tomb?"
"I know. Everything is under the gaze of the stars."
Hastur did not understand why Bernadette suddenly brought this up, but he still gave a definite answer.
After all, if he wanted Bernadette to become the Apostle of Stars, he had to offer her some benefit.
Roselle occupied a great place in Bernadette's heart, and that was why he chose to write the words Hometown.
He wanted to use Roselle as the entry point to guide Bernadette into becoming the Apostle of Stars.
Bernadette stood there, falling into complete silence.