The so-called arrogance of foresight was, in a sense, a common trait among outsiders who knew the plot. The stronger their ability, the more pronounced it became.
The people of Natlan believed Lynn had already done too much for them. Protecting him was only natural, and even dying for it would be a worthy sacrifice. After all, even without him, they would still be fighting the Abyss—and with fewer resources, the casualty rate would likely be even higher.
But Lynn saw it differently.
In the original timeline where he didn't interfere, they might all live to see victory.
Now that he had come to help, if they ended up dying to protect him, then what was the point of him being here at all?
In the end, unable to argue him down, his friends in Natlan reluctantly respected his decision. Those with skills prepared all kinds of useful tools for him—like the phlogiston bombs he had used earlier, crafted by Xilonen.
Then, they escorted him and Aveline all the way to Natlan's border.
Some had suggested assigning elite guards, reporting to the Great Spirit, and escorting them safely to their destination.
But both Lynn and Aveline refused.
After that, the two of them reached the port, missed the passenger ship… and ended up boarding this smuggling vessel instead.
Back to the present.
This was also why Lynn had no intention of returning to Natlan for now.
There was no point.
Even if everything went perfectly—ignoring all current and potential problems—if Mavuika, as a human rather than a god or dragon, obtained Lynn's half of the Pyro Authority, and then took the other half from the divine throne to fuse them within herself, becoming a "complete god" comparable to a complete dragon…
Even then, the question remained.
Was a complete dragon stronger than a higher-level Archon?
There was no definitive answer—only speculation that they were roughly equal.
Could Mavuika defeat Gosoythoth alone?
Maybe.
But it wouldn't be certain.
And adding the power of death to guarantee victory? That was still just an idealized assumption. Even if Ronova really intervened, or the Six Heroes awakened ahead of time, who would take the captain's role later to bypass the fatal consequence of wielding that power?
The original outcome had at least been a complete, happy ending.
If his involvement led to something worse, then what was the point of his transmigration?
So it was better to play it safe.
Now that his ability was fully activated, he could take time to grow stronger, slowly weaken the Abyss like boiling a frog in warm water, stabilize the situation over the next few years, and then—once he had more trump cards, or when the Traveler arrived—deliver an even more perfect ending.
That was Lynn's plan.
"By the way, Lynn… that 'unlucky constitution' you mentioned earlier… is it real?"
On the other side, Aveline, still in high spirits, recalled what he had said before.
Although he had already explained it, she still didn't quite understand.
Mainly because he had described it as severe—like he would encounter misfortune wherever he went.
But thinking back, during their months in Natlan, nothing unusual had really happened.
Even after leaving, the journey had been smooth.
Except for boarding this ship…
"It's real. It's just that the Masters of the Smoke Veil helped set up a ritual. It was pretty complicated, but effective—it temporarily suppressed most of the bad luck."
Lynn explained.
When he first arrived in Natlan, misfortune still followed him frequently. Though the World Seed allowed him to mitigate it each time, some people still noticed something strange.
By then, he had already begun to stand out and gain attention. So priests from the Masters of the Smoke Veil approached him, offering to help.
At first, it didn't work.
Lynn didn't mind—he appreciated the goodwill and didn't want to refuse it. But they weren't willing to give up.
They started calling in help.
And it escalated.
From human priests to non-human beings—like the elder of the Night-Seer dragons—to experts in various tribes skilled in mystical arts.
Eventually, even Citlali and Mavuika were brought in.
And in the end, they actually succeeded.
According to their explanation, the ritual drew upon a projection of the Night Kingdom, using the Great Spirit as a foundation and the Pyro Archon's power to leverage the strength of the Night.
It placed a kind of shielding on Lynn.
At the time, the effect was clear. The intensity and frequency of his misfortune decreased significantly.
Though it didn't fully free the World Seed, the combined effect allowed Lynn to live a relatively normal life for over half a year.
However…
'Something's off.'
Lynn suddenly noticed a problem.
At first, it hadn't seemed strange.
But he had just witnessed Teyvat's planetary will suppressing the rejection force entirely.
Given its scale and level, even that required a heavy cost—forcing it back into a weakened state.
And that was after his world had already been born, when the rejection force had intensified dramatically.
But back in Natlan, it had been a group of priests plus an Archon, leveraging the power of an entire nation's ley lines—and they had achieved something similar.
Even more curious…
Afterward, although they seemed somewhat exhausted, they only needed rest to recover.
Was that really possible?