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*****
"I apologize for the previous trial."
The Evernight Goddess heard the underlying meaning in George's words, yet she made no attempt to hide her actions or offer excuses.
Her purpose in having the Church provide George with clues regarding the High-Sequence formulas and materials for the Fool pathway was precisely to lure him here to the Hornacis Mountain range. She wanted George and Antigonus to meet face-to-face.
She had done this because she had long suspected George might be the revived Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth.
Her reasoning was fourfold:
First, George was not a soul released from Sefirah Castle, yet he possessed knowledge of the modern era and understood it intimately. If George were the Celestial Worthy, this would naturally be explained.
Second, George possessed a physical body more powerful than that of a Mythical Creature, yet his essence remained fundamentally human. This was illogical. If he were the Celestial Worthy—a born Great Old One—his immense physical strength would make sense.
Third, George wielded unique magic that did not belong to the standard Sequences, and its power was staggering. Aside from entities on the level of the Celestial Worthy or God Almighty, who else could manifest powers outside the established pathways? Even she, at her current level, could not achieve this.
Finally, and most importantly, George had chosen the Fool pathway—one of the three foundational pathways belonging to the Celestial Worthy.
Based on her observations, everything pointed toward George being the revived Celestial Worthy, perhaps appearing in this form due to some unforeseen accident. To verify this, she had drawn him to Hornacis, to this place shrouded by her power of Concealment where Antigonus was sealed.
If George truly were the Celestial Worthy, he would inevitably resonate with the consciousness of the Worthy within Antigonus's body. Should that have happened, she would have struck with everything she had to erase him.
However, the facts had proven that George was clearly not the Celestial Worthy. Moreover, his strength had far exceeded her expectations. By forcefully suppressing the Celestial Worthy's consciousness, George had displayed power that was already on par with a true God.
The crucial detail was that he was currently only a Sequence 5 Marionettist. If he were to actually become the Fool, his power would likely rival a True Deity holding dual Sequences.
Thus, she took the initiative to apologize, seeking to ease the tension and see if he could be drawn into her camp.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not a petty person, and I've gained quite a lot from this trip anyway."
George waved his hand dismissively. He truly didn't care; he understood why the Goddess had tested him. More importantly, he also wanted to cooperate with her. Since both parties shared the same intent, the conversation became pleasant. Within a few exchanges, both sides had a clear understanding of the other's stance.
"Why did you agree to allow the Royal Family to produce a new Black Emperor?"
Once he was certain of the Goddess's goodwill, George's eyes shifted as he began his own probe. Although he had his theories, he wanted confirmation from the Goddess herself. If there was no specific reason, he could enlist her help to resurrect Roselle.
The Evernight Goddess held authority over "Concealment." With her assistance, they could maximize their chances of avoiding the gaze of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery.
"Because my current situation is unique; it is inconvenient for me to intervene directly."
The Goddess did not elaborate, but she made it clear she was not particularly keen on the Royal Family gaining a Black Emperor.
George understood immediately. "Inconvenient to act... are you currently absorbing the Beyonder characteristics and Uniqueness of the Death pathway?"
"I have nearly finished the absorption, though I cannot show it yet."
The Goddess smiled faintly. "I need the other gods to believe I am still digesting them—that I am in a state where I cannot interfere."
She was already a True Deity of two pathways. Had she not been, she wouldn't have dared to lure George here to test if he was the Celestial Worthy.
"This is a clear setup to ambush someone," George thought, his eyes narrowing as a guess formed. "Are you planning to deal with the God of Combat?"
The Darkness, Death, and Twilight Giant pathways are neighbor sequences. they can be swapped or unified. This meant that the Sequence 0 True Deities of these three pathways were destined to be enemies. Only by consuming the other two could one ascend to become a Great Old One of the three pathways.
The Evernight Goddess represented Darkness. Death represented the "Eternal Sleeper," a god who had fallen during the Fourth Epoch after being defeated by the Seven Gods. It seemed the Goddess had secured those characteristics. Finally, the Twilight Giant represented the God of Combat, Badheil—one of the seven orthodox gods.
The Evernight Goddess and the God of Combat had always been at odds, both seeking to devour the other's Uniqueness. Therefore, any scheme she hatched would likely target Badheil, the son of the ancient Giant King.
"Correct. I need Badheil to believe my status is unstable. Only then will he have the courage to take the initiative and start a Divine War."
The Goddess made no attempt to hide her goal.
George raised an eyebrow. "As far as I know, the God of Combat is close with the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery. He is also the son of the Earth Mother. Even if you hold dual pathways, winning a Divine War under those circumstances seems difficult."
Even if the Lord of Storms assisted her, it would still be two against four. The odds were not high.
"As long as the God of Combat is the one to initiate the war, I am confident."
The Goddess's expression was calm, as if the victory were already secured.
George nodded. As the first modern soul to emerge from Sefirah Castle, the Goddess had climbed to her current position step by step; she was certainly no fool. If she was calculating this, she must have made foolproof preparations.
"You're telling me all this... aren't you afraid I'll leak it later?"
"Even if you told Badheil, he wouldn't believe it. He is currently half-skeptical of my condition. If you tell him I'm plotting against him, he will only assume you are one of my people trying to buy me more time to digest the Uniqueness."
The Goddess shook her head. "Besides, I don't think you would do that, would you?"
"Of course. Everyone knows I have the best relationship with the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
George laughed. "I won't beat around the bush then. Let's cooperate. I'll help you take down the God of Combat, and you help me resurrect Roselle. That way, you'll have another ally."
"Roselle?"
A look of confusion appeared on the Goddess's face. She hadn't realized there was still a chance for Roselle to return.
George held nothing back, explaining Roselle's current state and his plan to use the Royal Family's Black Emperor ritual to bring him back.
After listening, the Goddess nodded without hesitation. "Fine. No problem."
To her, Roselle was a soul from the same modern era; he would be an easy ally to maintain. Furthermore, sabotaging the birth of a Royal Black Emperor would prevent the monarchy from escaping her control. Having a friendly Black Emperor would also provide more strength to face the coming Apocalypse.
"My plan is as follows..."
Seeing George's sincerity, the Evernight Goddess began to lay out her own arrangements.
(End of Chapter)