Dark clouds churned overhead, and waves rose upon the sea. The sea breeze that had once blown gently had now become restless and oppressive.
Mr. A stood at the bow of the ship. The sea wind whipped his clothes into disarray, and even his handsome, refined features looked somewhat messy under its force.
As he watched that figure draw closer and closer, his mouth turned dry, his body trembled slightly, and the courage he had forced himself to muster gradually scattered with the wind.
Originally, he had wanted to show off a little before Lord Ouroboros, to boast about how favored he currently was by the Lord.
But when the words reached his lips, they shamefully turned into: "Greetings, Lord Ouroboros."
As he spoke, his straight back bent uncontrollably. Before a King of angel like Lord Ouroboros, courage and boldness were simply too insignificant.
The sea wind howled as it swept past the ship. That tall, thin figure standing in midair, though His features were gentle and His eyes showed no hatred,
Mr. A suddenly felt a chill run down the back of his neck, as if his head would be severed in the very next second.
He did not dare raise his head to observe Lord Ouroboros's expression. He could only bow respectfully in silence.
After two or three seconds of silence, the wings behind Ouroboros lightly flapped, stirring winds of hurricane force around them.
The waves began surging, the ship started rocking violently, and the black clouds gathering overhead unleashed torrential rain. Mr. A was blown back two or three steps before he barely managed to steady himself.
Lord Ouroboros had come today carrying anger. Had He also come to kill him, this misunderstood traitor of the Aurora Order?
A coldness spread through Mr. A's entire body. Even his soul felt nearly frozen stiff.
Before Lord Ouroboros, he had absolutely no chance of escape.
Fortunately, the death he anticipated did not descend.
Because the Lord he worshipped had arrived!
At that moment, the raging wind and storm ceased. The sea returned to calmness, and the black clouds overhead were torn open, revealing the orange-red glow of the setting sun.
Looking at the equally handsome figure standing behind Mr. A, Ouroboros slowly uttered a single word: "Blasphemer."
The voice exploded in Mr. A's mind like thunder.
Blasphemer? Who was the blasphemer Lord Ouroboros spoke of?
Was it him?
No. A fragile creature like himself could never attract enough interest for Lord Ouroboros to spare even an extra glance.
Then the one being referred to by the word "blasphemer" was the Lord he had always devoutly worshipped?
Wasn't Lord Ouroboros an angel who served beside the Lord? Could He not recognize this as the Lord's incarnation?
If Lord Ouroboros had not spoken incorrectly, then who exactly was the Lord he had faithfully worshipped all this time?
Though stormy waves surged through his mind, Mr. A still did not dare lift his head. Instead, he prostrated himself on the ground, his face filled with confusion and helplessness.
After a while, as though grasping at a lifeline, he shut his eyes and repeatedly chanted the Lord's honorific name.
"I am God. How can there be blasphemy?" Hastur calmly met the gaze of Ouroboros, whose white radiant wings were spread behind Him.
Ever since seeing Ouroboros leave the side of the True Creator, Hastur had known that sooner or later, Ouroboros would find this place.
Mr. A was a believer of the True Creator. Locking onto his location was not difficult.
So Hastur had already conducted several simulations within the Hall of Stars regarding how to face Ouroboros. Today's meeting had come a little sooner than expected, but it was not surprising.
"Destruction is the Lord's greatest mercy toward you," said Ouroboros, dressed in a simple linen robe. He chose to descend onto the bow of the ship, standing not far from Mr. A, rather than confronting Hastur from above.
Even as the Angel of Fate seated beneath the Lord, He could not look down upon a deity.
"I will follow this sea route directly to the divine kingdom. Will you travel with me?" Hastur showed no concern toward Ouroboros's threatening words.
"Travel together?" Ouroboros glanced at Mr. A, who remained prostrated on the deck, able only to chant the Lord's name in confusion.
"He is a qualified believer." Hearing this praise, the utterly despairing and confused Mr. A suddenly felt immense joy and warmth flood his heart.
He inexplicably wanted to cry.
"Ignorant. Foolish." Ouroboros withdrew His gaze from Mr. A and gave His evaluation.
Hastur chuckled softly. "Faith resides in the heart. Sincerity matters far more than anything else."
The Lord truly understands me!
Mr. A's body trembled slightly. He desperately wanted to crawl to the Lord's feet and use tears to express his current emotions.
Ouroboros said nothing more, nor did He choose to attack. He merely continued staring at Hastur, seemingly trying to see clearly what sort of soul was hidden within that vessel.
Taking action was not His purpose this time.
The divine revelation from the Lord had not instructed Him to attack either. It had merely told Him to determine which mysterious existence had obtained this vessel.
Seeing that Ouroboros had no intention of acting, Hastur could not be bothered to continue this staring contest. He would leave the aftermath to Mr. A.
He returned to the cabin, lay back inside the coffin, and his consciousness returned to the Hall of Stars.
After pondering briefly, his gaze turned toward the star where the True Creator resided.
The True Creator within still did not reveal Himself, and the divine mountain floating above the black ocean remained as steady as ever.
When Hastur no longer deliberately concealed his aura, behind the curtain of shadows, those eyes containing the fallen nature of all living beings finally appeared.
"Stars." A pair of eyes issued a heavy yet majestic voice.
"Ancient Sun God." Hastur mercilessly exposed the True Creator's hidden identity.
After a long silence, the True Creator slowly spoke again.
"Can the Stars truly observe everything?" Hastur chuckled softly and did not directly answer the question. Instead, he extended an invitation.
"Interested in attending a Stars gathering?" He had never invited the True Creator or Adam into the Hall of Stars for a meeting. On one hand, it was out of caution. On the other hand, it was because he had been making a choice.
Should he choose Adam, or the True Creator?
Although he had no intention of involving himself in the struggle between divinity and humanity between the True Creator and Adam, as events progressed, his connection with the True Creator had unknowingly grown closer, while his relationship with Adam had become somewhat hostile.
Now, it was time to make a choice.
"I do not wish to involve myself in too many matters." The True Creator politely declined Hastur's invitation.
"My invitation will always remain open."
Hastur withdrew his gaze and returned to the Hall of Stars. Silent starlight spread across the cosmos, severing all possible connections that might follow.
"Stars…" Those eyes also retreated behind the curtain of shadows once more, and everything returned to its previous calm.
…
The ship continued sailing forward beneath the glow of the setting sun, cutting through the sparkling sea.
On the deck, Mr. A stood trembling nervously to one side, as if walking on thin ice.
Even though he knew that he and Lord Ouroboros were equal in their faith toward the Lord, his body still weakly softened. He wanted to stay far away from Lord Ouroboros, yet he was afraid of angering Him.
Several times, when his gaze accidentally met Lord Ouroboros's eyes, Mr. A felt that the other party wanted to crush him to death.
Lord Ouroboros definitely harbored killing intent toward him. There was no mistake about that.
Could it be because he had stolen the Lord's favor from Him?
The thought flashed through Mr. A's mind for only an instant. He did not dare dwell deeply on the matter in front of Ouroboros.
What he did not notice was that when this thought crossed his mind, the coldness in Ouroboros's gaze deepened slightly.
"Lord Ouroboros, would you like to rest inside the cabin?" Having gradually adapted to the strange atmosphere, Mr. A finally gathered the courage to speak to Ouroboros.
Ouroboros merely glanced at him indifferently before continuing to sit at the bow, silently facing the direction of the setting sun.
"…"
After remaining silent for a while, Mr. A spoke again in a low voice: "Lord Ouroboros, I'll stay at the stern. If you require anything, you may call for me at any time."
Ouroboros still gave no response. Mr. A secretly breathed a sigh of relief and carefully lightened his footsteps, trying not to make a single sound as he retreated toward the stern.
Although he had lost the best spot for viewing the scenery, being farther from Lord Ouroboros finally made him feel alive again, able to breathe freely.
Sitting at the stern and watching the ripples trailing behind the ship, Mr. A recalled everything that had just happened and truly felt as though it had all been a dream.
Even now, he still did not understand why Lord Ouroboros had descended, nor why He had chosen to remain aboard the ship.
Lord Ouroboros had clearly uttered the word "blasphemer," yet He had not chosen to act.
Could the word "blasphemer" really have referred to himself? Did it mean that someone like him was unworthy of remaining by the Lord's side in service?
That he himself was the true one guilty of blasphemy? Mr. A's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
No wonder Lord Ouroboros had constantly shown undisguised intent to kill him!
It was the Lord's protection and favoritism that had preserved his life from Lord Ouroboros's hands.
Mr. A's eyes reddened uncontrollably. Thankfully, the Lord had never abandoned him.
Being able to become the Lord's believer was absolutely the greatest fortune of his life!
After calming down from his excitement, Mr. A's thoughts gradually became lively again, and he could not help muttering inwardly:
"So what if it's Lord Ouroboros? I'm still the believer most favored by the Lord!"