Chapter 577: Revealing Identities, Sacrifice, and Abandonment

Chapter 577: Revealing Identities, Sacrifice, and Abandonment

After comforting Sharon and Audrey, Hastur stayed alone in his room late into the night.

There was no way Sharon would let him stay in her room with Audrey around. As for Audrey, she wouldn't even let him enter her room, let alone share a bed.

Before falling asleep and entering the Hall of Stars, Hastur summoned the severely injured Gregory.

"Chirp."

Gregory entered through the window Hastur had opened, to avoid Sharon and Audrey seeing and worrying.

"How can we speed up your recovery?"

"Chirp chirp."

Despite Gregory's usual chirping, Hastur could easily understand what he wanted to say.

Gregory suggested entering the spirit world to accelerate healing at the ruins of his former divine kingdom. The second method was to go to the war-torn and death-filled Kingdom of Fenepot to absorb the power from the deceased.

Hastur pondered for a moment and found both methods unreliable. The Night Goddess had already destroyed Gregory's divine kingdom in the spirit world when Hastur last rescued him. As for going to the Kingdom of Fenepot, both the Earth Mother and the Night Goddess were watching over it. Gregory's appearance would undoubtedly attract the Night Goddess's descent.

Moreover, Gregory needed to stay in the southern continent to guard against sudden visits from Adam and the True Creator.

"Does the covenant between you and the Original Witch still hold?"

"Chirp chirp."

"She is indeed unreliable; we can't fully trust her."

Hastur searched his mind and found no other hidden allies. Currently, besides the Outer Gods in the starry sky, only Gregory and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were openly on his side. To counter the alliance of Adam, the True Creator, the Night Goddess, and the Earth Mother, they were still lacking.

Adding the Hidden Sage as an enemy, who would surely side with Adam, made the situation even more difficult. If the God of Steam and Machinery and the Original Witch also chose Adam's side, the disparity in combat power would be too great.

After all, the Mother Tree of Desire, the Supernova Dominator, and the Primordial Hunger couldn't be fully trusted, especially after the precedent set by the High-Dimensional Overseer .

Hastur could stay safe in the Hall of Stars, but he couldn't protect everyone, including Sharon, Audrey, Gregory, Bernadette, and the Church of the Yellow King.

Sacrifice and abandonment were inevitable in the future.

After chatting with Gregory for a while and patting his head, Hastur sent him off to keep watch.

"If I could awaken a few more beings like Gregory, perhaps I could gain more support."

"The Judgement Path currently has no Sequence 0. I might try to awaken the former Night Emperor, Trensost."

"If I could free Mr. Door from the Fallen Mother God's corruption, he could ascend to Sequence 0 and become a powerful ally."

Hastur pondered potential allies for a long time before lying down and entering the Hall of Stars.

Ten days had passed since he retaliated against Adam and the True Creator. He couldn't show any signs of fatigue; he needed to appear strong to deter Adam and the True Creator from approaching the southern continent.

Hastur's gaze swept over the dim, unobservable stars of Adam and the True Creator. After a while, he focused on the small points of light near their stars, representing their followers who couldn't block the Hall of Stars' gaze.

"Ouroboros..."

Hastur chose the point of light representing Ouroboros. To quickly enhance his side's combat power, Will was also a good choice. But to make Will a god, Ouroboros had to fall.

Since Adam and the True Creator were hiding, Hastur decided to target Ouroboros first, believing the True Creator wouldn't sit idly by.

"To deal with Ouroboros, I should consult with Will first."

With that thought, Hastur used divine revelation to enter Will's dream world through the thousand-paper crane Will had given him.

In Backlund, Will, already in bed and wrapped in a small blanket, moved his eyelids and entered his dream world.

Staring at the brilliant starry sky above, Will remained silent for a long time, his expression complex.

"This is the first time we've met like this." Hastur's mysterious and ancient illusory figure appeared from the starry sky in the Hall of Stars.

"Indeed." Will smiled wryly. "I always knew your identity wasn't simple. I tried hard to imagine your origins, but learning you are of the stars still surprised me."

"The identity of the stars doesn't affect the friendship between Hastur and Will," Hastur said with a smile. "I'll still give you your favorite ice cream."

"I don't like strawberry flavor anymore. Remember to bring chocolate."

"Didn't you say chocolate was too bitter?"

"Bitterness is a taste one must experience to grow up."

Will showed a mature expression, making Hastur smile. The playful conversation eased the tension between them.

"I plan to help you deal with Ouroboros. What are your thoughts?" Hastur got straight to the point, as his time was limited.

"Once you act, he'll hide in the True Creator's divine kingdom, making it hard to deal with him."

"Challenges give meaning to difficulty. Ascending to Sequence 0 isn't easy."

"Unfortunately, your identity is now exposed. Ouroboros knows about our relationship. Otherwise, I could use that foolish snake's gluttony to lure him to Backlund alone."

Regarding the exposure of identities, Will said seriously, "Just as you revealed the relationship between Adam and the True Creator, Adam has spread your true identity to all hidden beings. Among high-sequence Beyonders, your identity is no longer a secret."

"Recently, wave after wave of Beyonders has come to Backlund. Although you're not in Backlund, your friends are still here. Some crazy Beyonders will take risks."

"Especially the lunatics of the Aurora Order. They devoutly believe in the True Creator. If he gives an oracle, they won't fear death."

Hastur remained silent, knowing that after falling out with Adam and the True Creator, sacrifice and abandonment were inevitable.

People like Greg, Professor Wayne, and Glaint, who had good relations with him, would be targeted by desperate Beyonders. He might protect them for a while but not forever.

Will's words were tactful; the situation in Backlund was likely more dangerous than he described. Even Fors, who rarely went out, immediately took Xio to the Rhosid Archipelago to seek Bernadette's protection.

"Some sacrifices and abandonments are inevitable. My humanity isn't great enough to protect everyone," Hastur said emotionlessly.

Will nodded, not mentioning it again, and discussed possible ways to trap and kill Ouroboros with Hastur.

First, they needed to sever Ouroboros's connection with the True Creator.

Second, they had to deal with Ouroboros quickly.

Third, Will had to remain hidden, or he would attract the True Creator and Adam's pursuit.

Will and Hastur discussed other details, knowing that dealing with an Angel King wasn't easy, especially one like Ouroboros, who mastered fate and could sense his own destiny, making him hard to find or hide from.

"What you can think of, Adam and his allies can too. To deal with them, you need cards they don't know about," Will reminded Hastur solemnly before leaving.

In the Hall of Stars, Hastur pondered Will's words and focused on the stars that hadn't yet lit up. If he could awaken the consciousness of the God Almighty, could he also awaken the sleeping Outer Gods in the starry sky?

Apart from the active Outer Gods like the Fallen Mother God, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Supernova Dominator, there must be other beings in slumber.

Could the King in Yellow be sleeping in the starry sky, waiting for his call?