"Master, that paranoid one seems to have left. I can no longer sense His gaze filled with desire."
"It's this box. As long as I stay near this golden box, it automatically shields me from His prying sight!"
"This really is a wonderful item. I'd very much like to make this golden box my new resting place, but every time that thought arises, I feel a lingering fear afterward."
"My heavens, what exactly is contained within it? I don't dare to probe. My strong survival instinct tells me that if I try to take the risk, I might die, and die horribly."
"I'm not as timid as Ince Zangwill; it's just that I still need to stay by your side, Master. I can't treat my own safety lightly. This is the self-awareness a qualified servant should have."
When Hastur opened the pen case, 008 impatiently wrote several paragraphs on the blank paper.
After reading it from beginning to end, Hastur said calmly, "Then from now on, you can stay by this golden box."
"Merciful Master, placing an ice cream beside the sun, although the sun harbors no malice, the ice cream still cannot withstand its radiance. Over time, it will naturally melt away."
Hastur glanced at the Book of Prophecy beside him. "I can place it together with you as well."
"…That is truly a great temptation, but dear Master, please allow me to refuse. Even the most perfect love cannot shake your position in my heart. I only wish to stay quietly by your side now."
Hastur raised an eyebrow slightly and ignored 008, who had completely put itself in its place. He placed it back into the pen case, then took away the golden box.
For this item, Hastur didn't want to stay too close to it for now. It was better to keep it at a distance.
Night.
Sharron, having received Hastur's message, returned to the ancient castle. She knew that he must have encountered an unimaginable enemy today, but she did not ask. Because she couldn't help anyway.
She simply said calmly, "Around early March, the ship carrying the mummy will arrive at Puning Port."
…
At sea, aboard the Dawn.
Bernadette finally met the legendary figure who had recently been dominating the seas.
He appeared suddenly on the deck of the Dawn, soundless and traceless, like a ghost that had effortlessly pierced through the ship's outer defenses.
The first to notice Him was a crew member taking a walk on deck.
At first, the sailor only found the man unfamiliar, then called over the third mate.
The third mate had seen His portrait before and was so frightened he nearly lost his footing, before sending someone to inform Bernadette.
At the same time, inside the captain's cabin, the Magic Wishing Lamp began to glow, the Son of Chaos seemed to have sensed something.
Bernadette frowned tightly. She first reinforced the seal on the Magic Wishing Lamp, preventing the Son of Chaos from making any disturbances, then prayed to the stars to report the situation. Only after that did she put away the lamp and come to the deck.
"Follower of the stars, no need to be so tense. I'm here to deliver something on behalf of someone. Their actions are too slow, I just happened to pass by, so I did a good deed."
The High-Dimensional Overseer spoke leisurely, yet His gaze seemed to pierce through everything.
Although the Magic Wishing Lamp had been put away by Bernadette, it still could not escape His scrutiny.
Seeing the Son of Chaos tightly sealed within the lamp, He showed a rare trace of pity, perhaps lasting no more than a second.
Bernadette waved her hand, dismissing the surrounding crew. Taking a deep breath, she asked with a grave expression, "Deliver what?"
"A small card."
In the previously empty palm of the High-Dimensional Overseer, a Blasphemy Card floated.
The side depicting Roselle as a Witch faced Bernadette.
"…" Bernadette fell silent after just one glance. Only one thought remained in her mind: indeed, every Witch's appearance was beyond reproach.
Even if this one had once been a man.
What made it hardest for her to accept was that Roselle's Witch form bore some resemblance to herself.
Suppressing her complicated emotions, she said, "This is not something I deserve."
"This is a reward from the stars to Their devout follower." The Witch card floated before Bernadette as the High-Dimensional Overseer smiled. "But you don't seem all that devout."
"The stars don't mind." Bernadette reached out and took the card, gently brushing her fingers over Roselle's Witch image.
The High-Dimensional Overseer did not continue the topic. Instead, He extended His right hand into the empty void before Him. When He withdrew it, the Magic Wishing Lamp was already in His grasp.
The sudden change caused Bernadette's expression to shift. Her entire body tensed.
She hadn't noticed His movement at all!
She had clearly placed the Magic Wishing Lamp inside a small space created within a triangular spatiotemporal structure and had even applied multiple seals.
Yet none of those measures had any effect, not even a warning.
"Don't be nervous. I just want to have a chat with Him."
The High-Dimensional Overseer signaled for Bernadette to calm down. The Magic Wishing Lamp shone brightly as the Son of Chaos finally manifested His figure on its surface.
"Hahaha…" Seeing the lamp in the Overseer's hand, the Son of Chaos immediately burst into joyful laughter.
The Overseer also smiled, while Bernadette remained wary and concerned.
"I knew that with your ability, you could surely take the Magic Wishing Lamp from Bernadette!"
The Son of Chaos's voice was loud, and even His manifested form seemed more imposing than usual.
The Overseer's smile deepened, but He said nothing.
"Bernadette, I gave you many chances before, but you were always unwilling to send me back to the starry sky." The Son of Chaos looked down at her, His majestic voice resounding again. "For the sake of you being a follower of the stars, I won't pursue our past disputes this time. You should be grateful for my magnanimity."
Bernadette remained silent, her gaze fixed on the High-Dimensional Overseer. He was the most terrifying presence tonight.
"Let's go. We return to the starry sky!"
The Son of Chaos looked up. The sparse starlight seemed incomparably brilliant in His eyes.
He had lost track of how many years He had been trapped within the Magic Wishing Lamp. Now, the day of His return had finally come.
His desire for completeness burned fiercely, He could no longer wait even a moment!
Once He regained His full form, let's see if the Mother Tree of Desire and the Supernova Dominator would still dare to mock Him together.
"You seem to have misunderstood something."
The Overseer's casual voice sounded, filling the Son of Chaos with a sense of foreboding. Lowering His head, He asked in a daze, "Didn't you come tonight to fulfill our agreement?"
"There is such an agreement, but it seems you've forgotten, there's a prerequisite." Though His words were cold, the Overseer still wore a bright smile.
The Son of Chaos froze for a long time before asking in disbelief, "Then why did you come tonight?"
"Naturally to visit a good friend while passing by. It's been a while, I was worried about how He's been doing."
"…"
"Now that I've seen, He's still full of spirit. Mm, I should be leaving."
Under the Son of Chaos's despairing gaze, the High-Dimensional Overseer returned the Magic Wishing Lamp to Bernadette.
After taking two steps, He chuckled lightly and added, "The starry sky on the stars' side is very beautiful."
With that, He opened a doorway and vanished.
"…" The Son of Chaos stared blankly in the direction He had left, saying nothing.
When Bernadette looked over, He immediately dispersed His imposing projection and hid inside the Magic Wishing Lamp.
For once, Bernadette did not mock the Son of Chaos. Although it was a good opportunity, silence spoke louder than words.
After a long while, she put away both the Witch card and the lamp, and sincerely sighed from the bottom of her heart: "Son of Chaos, you really aren't liked at all."
…
"Hahaha…"
After hearing Bernadette recount the night's events, Hastur first expressionlessly retrieved the Witch card from her through a sacrificial ritual, then dismissed her. Only then did he finally burst into laughter.
The High-Dimensional Overseer really knew how to have fun, He even joked like this with the Son of Chaos. Hastur truly wanted to know how large the shadow in the Son of Chaos's heart was right now.
It was probably completely filled, right?
No… there was probably still a small corner left, just enough for the Son of Chaos to hide in and cry.
"A fallen Son of Chaos, everyone wants to step on Him. It just goes to show, one should treat others kindly in daily life. A style like the Son of Chaos's, making enemies everywhere, is a textbook example of what not to do."
Hastur sighed with emotion.
After mocking the Son of Chaos, Hastur turned his attention to the Witch card before him.
Roselle's Witch form, he had been looking forward to it for a long time.