Chapter 174: Mother Tree of Desire : The Fallen Mother Goddess Entrusts Me with a Message
In the Hall of Stars, Hastur convened the belated gathering of stars. He realized that holding these meetings every fortnight was too frequent; not enough events occurred between them to provide ample topics for discussion. Whenever there was a lull in conversation, he felt compelled to introduce new topics to keep the meeting going. This was manageable once or twice, but if it happened too often, he feared his knowledge would be insufficient to maintain their interest. Thus, extending the interval between meetings seemed the best solution.
For the outer gods like Mother Tree of Desire , the Overstar Sovereign, and the Lamp Genie, a fortnight was but a fleeting moment. A more suitable schedule would be to meet once a month or every two months.
As the Chain of Order danced, the Lamp Genie, Mother Tree of Desire , and the Overstar Sovereign arrived at the Hall of Stars one after another. The Lamp Genie appeared particularly excited, likely due to the boredom of being confined within the Wishing Lamp without anyone to converse with.
"Isn't the gathering of stars held every fifteen days?" the Lamp Genie asked, voicing his confusion first.
Hastur responded calmly, "Time doesn't hold much significance for us. Fifteen days is too short. From now on, the gathering will be held every two months."
"What? The interval between gatherings is to be extended!"
The Lamp Genie was somewhat dissatisfied. Chatting idly with the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign at the Hall of Stars was one of his few remaining pleasures, and now it was to be halved.
"I have no objections," said one.
"I agree as well," said another.
The Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign expressed their agreement in turn, leaving the Lamp Genie no choice but to reluctantly accept the outcome.
"If any of you encounter a significant event that necessitates a gathering of stars, simply express your desire, and I will make an exception," Hastur added, acknowledging the possibility of special circumstances.
"Can I come to chat with you if there's nothing urgent?" the Lamp Genie asked lightly.
"If I have the time," Hastur replied with a faint smile.
"The esteemed Bernadette has ascended to Sequence 2. It seems your days trapped in the Wishing Lamp are not going well," the Overstar Sovereign remarked, seizing the opportunity to twist the knife.
The Lamp Genie scoffed coldly, "With the sudden changes in the Southern Continent, have you and Mother Tree of Desire 's followers found your next hiding place?"
"Their actions are futile," the Mother Tree of Desire stated indifferently.
"So confident?" the Lamp Genie challenged skeptically, mocking, "Can a single Sequence 1 fool change the course of a war?"
"Death is only the beginning; it has never been the end."
"Are you planning to abandon your followers?"
"Those who exist will continue to do so; those destined to perish will inevitably vanish."
"Pah!" The Lamp Genie expressed disdain for Mother Tree of Desire 's cryptic way of speaking.
"Don't let me find your hiding place. I wouldn't mind lending a hand to Bernadette, who has been longing to seek revenge on your foolish son."
The Mother Tree of Desire ignored the Lamp Genie's provocation, seeing it as a sign of boredom and a desperate search for conflict.
The more attention given, the more emboldened the Lamp Genie became.
"Heh, how dull."
The Lamp Genie, tired of the banter, leaned back in his chair, stretched out his golden legs on the table, and then closed his eyes, pretending to be deep in thought.
Without the Lamp Genie to initiate topics, Hastur sighed inwardly and took it upon himself to start a conversation to avoid an awkward silence.
Hastur glanced around and spoke in a gentle tone, "Many beings have been seeking my followers recently. Have you been involved in this as well?"
The Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign remained silent. Since their first visit to the Hall of Stars, they had been trying to understand this mysterious existence by seeking out the followers of the stars.
The Lamp Genie chuckled, "There are always some with ulterior motives."
Hastur did not follow the Lamp Genie's gloating gaze toward the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign but stared at him for a while.
The Lamp Genie seemed to forget that he was the first outer god to come to the Hall of Stars and the first to guide Bernadette in searching for the followers of the stars, even suggesting that she inform the Seven Gods Church of their whereabouts.
"Should I remind him?" Hastur pondered.
"I'm currently trapped in the Wishing Lamp, unable to intervene in the outside world," the Lamp Genie explained, implying that even if he had sought the followers of the stars before, he was now powerless, and the ones to watch were the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign.
"It's a natural choice to try to understand a mysterious existence that appears out of nowhere; it's an instinct for self-preservation," the Mother Tree of Desire stated, lowering its stance.
"Perhaps your followers are also searching for information about us. In this regard, you have the advantage," the Overstar Sovereign said, meeting Hastur's gaze.
"The stars overlook everything; you are all under their watch," Hastur said calmly, using the opportunity to subtly warn the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign to behave.
After a moment of silent contemplation, the Mother Tree of Desire spoke, "The Fallen Mother Goddess contacted me recently. She wishes to attend the gathering of stars."
"When did the Fallen Mother Goddess make a new move? I didn't notice at all. Truly worthy of being one of the three pillars, she has ways to evade the watch of the stars," Hastur thought to himself, maintaining a composed exterior while rapidly considering his options.
Seizing the chance, the Lamp Genie mocked, "I knew you wouldn't be so honest. You've been secretly dealing with the Fallen Mother Goddess. Tsk, too bad you still can't escape the watch of the stars."
"My honesty is to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. Moreover, the Fallen Mother Goddess contacted me only after the last gathering, entrusting me with a message," the Mother Tree of Desire replied, unfazed by the Lamp Genie's mockery.
"The Fallen Mother Goddess, huh," Hastur mused, then summoned the image of the star belonging to the Fallen Mother Goddess.
Beyond the starry sky, where the stars twinkled, the region of the Fallen Mother Goddess was engulfed in darkness, her presence devouring even the light of the stars.
Her figure was shrouded in utter darkness, impenetrable even to Mother Tree of Desire , the Overstar Sovereign, and the Lamp Genie.
"Just with this attitude, she cannot be allowed to attend the gathering of stars!" the Lamp Genie firmly opposed the request.
"The Fallen Mother Goddess remains as cautious as ever," the Overstar Sovereign commented gravely.
And powerful.
He had also attempted to shield himself from the gaze of the stars but never succeeded.
To avoid the stars' scrutiny, the last time he attacked the Eternal Sun, he deliberately did not imbue the light egg he sent with his will, completely severing it from the new life being nurtured within.
Whether he could evade the stars' gaze was uncertain.
At present, the Fallen Mother Goddess's method of concealing herself from the stars' scrutiny was evidently more sophisticated than his and Mother Tree of Desire 's.
This was a testament to the Fallen Mother Goddess's strength and status.
"I also do not approve of the Fallen Mother Goddess attending the gathering of stars," the Overstar Sovereign stated after some thought.
As for Mother Tree of Desire , it goes without saying that if the Fallen Mother Goddess had not approached it, it would not have mentioned the stars to her.
This time, it was merely passing on a message and did not endorse her attendance at the gathering.
"It might be better to invite the High-Dimensional Observer instead," the Lamp Genie mentioned casually.
"You seem to be looking forward to the arrival of the High-Dimensional Observer?" the Overstar Sovereign observed.
"Why not? It doesn't require your approval!" the Lamp Genie retorted defiantly.
"Hmph, even if the High-Dimensional Observer comes to the gathering of stars, it's not certain that they would take your side."
"Do you need to worry about my affairs?" the Lamp Genie scoffed, dismissing the Overstar Sovereign with a glance.
The Overstar Sovereign did not waste further words with the Lamp Genie, recognizing that today's Lamp Genie was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
Hastur, quietly observing, actually appreciated the Lamp Genie's demeanor today and was relieved to have him there.
If the outer gods he had initially invited to the meeting were the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign, the entire conference's direction would likely have been dominated by the two of them.
Hastur dispelled the image of the star where the Fallen Mother Goddess resided, speaking with a hint of amusement, "Is the Fallen Mother Goddess getting anxious?"
"The moon is also one of the stars, isn't it?" the Lamp Genie replied naturally, hitting on the Fallen Mother Goddess's concerns.
The moon sequence was one of the two extraordinary paths torn to Earth by the Fallen Mother Goddess.
If the stars awaken, the extraordinary path of the moon sequence could come under the control of the stars.
This would make it even more difficult for the Fallen Mother Goddess to regain her wholeness.
For the Fallen Mother Goddess, the existence of the stars seemed to naturally stand in opposition to her.
This was also the thought of the Mother Tree of Desire and the Overstar Sovereign. They believed that the Star Ascendant would not want to involve the Fallen Mother Goddess in the gathering of stars for this very reason.
(End of Chapter)