The Son of Chaos's words opened up a new line of thought for Hastur.
He had never associated things in that direction before, nor had he ever considered occupying the Moon pathway that originally belonged to the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
But after hearing the Son of Chaos say this, and combining it with the Mother Goddess of Depravity's behaviour, it seemed he did indeed possess the ability to seize the Moon pathway.
Were They all thinking the same thing:That the Sovereign of the Stars must have designs on the Moon pathway belonging to the Mother Goddess of Depravity, and that is why They are unwilling to bring her to the Hall of Stars for the meeting?
Currently, the one holding the Moon pathway is Lilith, the Mother Goddess.
She is no match for the Mother Goddess of Depravity, and the authority and pathway she controls are being gradually taken back by the outer deity.
Once the apocalypse descends, she is almost certain to fall at the Mother Goddess of Depravity's hands.
Rather than letting the Mother Goddess of Depravity reclaim it, it would be better if he occupied it instead.
If the Moon belongs to the Stars… then what about the Eternal Blazing Sun?
Shouldn't He also be part of the Stars?
Hastur thought for a moment, then felt he was being too ambitious. After all, he was still only Sequence 7.
There is still an extremely long path to walk before reaching the level where he can think about contending for a pathway.
"If the Stars intend to compete with the Mother Goddess of Depravity for the Moon, I don't mind lending a hand."
The Mother Tree of Desire spoke first. She was quite happy to see the Mother Goddess of Depravity suffer a setback.
Moreover, doing so would weaken the Mother Goddess of Depravity and divide her attention; for her, this was the best possible choice.
"The Mother Goddess of Depravity has always thought herself above the other Old Ones. I also don't mind making her take a hidden loss."
The Supernova Dominator was clearly at odds with the Mother Goddess of Depravity as well.
"..." The Son of Chaos opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly realized that in his current state, he had no way to contribute.
This was the Mother Goddess of Depravity they were talking about, one of the Three Pillars occupying the outer void beyond the stars.
Even at his peak, he wouldn't dare act too boldly in her presence, let alone now.
But in matters of dignity, he couldn't afford not to speak, so he followed along: "Letting the Mother Goddess of Depravity suffer is indeed quite amusing."
Hearing the Mother Tree of Desire, the Supernova Dominator, and the Son of Chaos express their stances one after another…
Hastur suddenly realized that such an immense power had already gathered around him.
Even if They were not aligned with him in heart, They could collaborate on certain matters, becoming a force strong enough to shake even the Mother Goddess of Depravity!
The Hall of Stars, the Gathering of the Stars, the Sovereign of the Stars…
In that moment, Hastur's understanding of "Sovereign of the Stars" deepened further.
Gathering the power of all the stars, perhaps that was the true purpose of the Hall of Stars' existence.
"No need to rush. Let her and the Mother Goddess of Earth finish their battle first." Hastur calmly shifted the topic.
The Mother Tree of Desire reminded,
"That Mother Goddess of Earth is no match for the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Her outcome has already been decided."
"The authority of the Moon is no longer in her hands."
"Evernight…" The Mother Tree of Desire whispered, then added with appreciation, "Her ambition seems quite large."
Hastur spoke with the calmness of someone who could see the future:
"A new Old One will be born within the Barrier."
A new Old One?
Was he referring to the Evernight Goddess?
Or would some other deity merge with a Sefirot ahead of time and become a new Old One?
And whose Sefirot would be seized first?
The Mother Tree of Desire, the Supernova Dominator, and the Son of Chaos pondered the question simultaneously.
If a new Old One was born within the Barrier before it shattered, it could potentially rewrite the fate of the coming apocalypse.
"Damn that Mystery!" The Son of Chaos finally couldn't hold back a curse.
Back then, the Lord of Mysteries had sealed him inside the Magic Wishing Lamp and had also sealed away his sefirot - Nation of Disorder in the West Continent, cutting him off from any connection to it.
"The Mystery's behavior is indeed more vile than God Almighty's ever was."
The Mother Tree of Desire also showed her dissatisfaction. Her own Sefirot - Tenebrous World, had likewise been sealed in the West Continent.
Several major Sefirot's belonging to other Old Ones were sealed as well; only God Almighty's Chaos Sea and the Sefirah Castle belonging to the Lord of Mysteries were not sealed in the West Continent.
Although God Mighty had also researched methods of advancing further, even He hadn't sealed everyone's Sefirots all at once.
Compared side by side, the Lord of Mysteries' actions were indeed extremely vicious.
The Supernova Dominator smiled faintly: "Mystery has always been more troublesome and harder to fathom than God Almighty or the Mother Goddess of Depravity."
If God Almighty's nature was upright and straightforward, and the Mother Goddess of Depravity was dark and unpredictable, then the Lord of Mysteries darted between the two, ungraspable and inscrutable.
"That is the brilliance of the Lord of Mysteries."
Hastur offered a simple evaluation. He did not tell the Mother Tree of Desire or the Son of Chaos that if They wished to reclaim Their own Sefirots, They would inevitably have to face the obstacle that was the Lord of Mysteries.
If the Lord of Mysteries did not awaken, the seal of the West Continent could not be broken.
But once the Lord of Mysteries awakened, reclaiming Their Sefirots would become even harder.
A dead loop.
Most likely, only when the Barrier shattered and the apocalypse descended would They have any chance to bypass the Lord of Mysteries and retrieve Their Sefirots.
Thus, no matter how the Mother Tree of Desire and the Son of Chaos schemed now, as long as the apocalypse did not arrive, Their efforts were in vain.
Hastur was kind-hearted and couldn't bring himself to tell Them this despair-inducing truth.
Better to let Them continue forward with hope.
The Son of Chaos thought for a moment, then said seriously:
"I really want to know whether the still-unreturned Lord of Mysteries is also under the gaze of the Stars?"
Hastur only smiled without speaking. In this silent manner, he told the Son of Chaos, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Supernova Dominator:
The Lord of Mysteries was indeed watched by the Stars.
The Mother Tree of Desire asked solemnly:
"What conditions are needed to exchange information on the current Lord of Mysteries?"
"I am only a witness." Hastur refused.
What a joke, if he provided Klein's whereabouts, the Mother Tree of Desire would definitely risk even the fall of her divine son Suah to capture Klein and search for a way to seize the Sefirah Castle.
With that path cut off, even the Son of Chaos felt regret. He, too, wanted to know where the Lord of Mysteries was and how he would return.
He really wanted to beat Mystery up for his centuries of imprisonment!
"Let us end today's gathering here." Seeing that the conversation had run its course, Hastur prepared to conclude the Gathering of the Stars.
Compared to before, the Mother Tree of Desire, the Supernova Dominator, and the Son of Chaos now regarded him with more wariness and awe.
Clearly, the fact that he knew the most recent news about the Lord of Mysteries made Them realize the terrifying extent of his authority.
Under the gaze of the Stars, no matter what kind of Old One or Outer God, All were under the gaze of the Stars.
The Mother Goddess of Depravity who still existed, and the Lord of Mysteries who had not yet returned, both were the same.
Everything was under the gaze of the Stars.
....
South Continent.
Deep within a untouched forest, Bernadette used pea vines and nearby trees to weave a massive palace of living plants.
At this moment, she sat atop the palace, gazing at the golden Magic Wishing Lamp inside, pondering the Gathering of the Stars.
She couldn't quite understand why the Sovereign of the Stars had invited the Son of Chaos to the gathering in the sky.
The Son of Chaos was now sealed within the Magic Wishing Lamp; aside from granting wishes, he could no longer affect reality.
When she was still low sequence, he already couldn't leave the lamp. Now that she was Sequence 2, it was even more impossible for him to leave.
With the Son of Chaos in such a state, what use could he possibly have?
Not long after, familiar starlight appeared. Bernadette's eyes narrowed slightly, this was the realm where the Stars resided.
She wondered whether she might someday visit that mysterious domain herself.
Once the starlight faded, Bernadette prepared to put the Magic Wishing Lamp away and attend to her work.
"Bernadette, I can help you find the hiding place of the Mother Tree of Desire's believers. You only need to grant me a tiny bit of freedom." The Son of Chaos suddenly spoke.
"A tiny bit of freedom?"
Bernadette laughed softly, with a hint of mockery. "I don't need your help. You can stay inside the Magic Wishing Lamp."
"Bernadette-" Before the Son of Chaos could continue, she fully sealed him inside, even stripping away his ability to speak.
Inside the Magic Wishing Lamp, the Son of Chaos did not look angry, only confused about how Bernadette had so suddenly advanced to Sequence 2.
Without guidance, she should not have been able to perceive the existence of the high-dimensional Overseer, nor complete the requirement for Sequence 2.
To perceive such a thing, only one being was capable.
The Sovereign of the Stars.
This gathering had shown him just how terrifying the Sovereign of the Stars's authority truly was.
Beneath the Stars, nothing could be hidden.
The high-dimensional Overseer must have been exposed for this very reason.
Guiding Bernadette and helping her ascend to Sequence 2, was it all to control him?
Was Bernadette a believer of the Stars?
The Son of Chaos's heart jolted. He felt he had grasped the key point.
But a new problem arose:
If he wanted to tell the Mother Tree of Desire and the Supernova Dominator of this, he would have to say it openly in front of the Sovereign of the Stars.
"Heh, I'm not that foolish."
The Son of Chaos sneered. He would never risk offending the Sovereign of the Stars just to help the Mother Tree of Desire or the Supernova Dominator.
"Looks like I'll have to treat Bernadette a bit better from now on." The Son of Chaos murmured, falling into deep thought.