"So, what is your conclusion...?"

A partially bandaged face peered through a rift above the Divine Tree, its eyes observing the world beyond.

But Argos was a polite being. At the very least, he knew better than to interrupt Ethan and the white cat in his arms during their tender moments. He waited until the cat returned to Ethan's shoulder before inquiring.

"Have I been tricked by her again?"

This was Argos's most pressing concern. As one of the Old Gods, being completely deceived by a human was truly embarrassing.

"She didn't deceive you. Your deduction is correct, but there was a minor issue with the direction—it's true, she and Charlotte are two sides of the same coin, and she indeed attempted to trick fate in this manner."

As he replied, Ethan also felt himself gradually returning to "reality." According to the theory proposed by Merlin, this world was originally Lindong's subconscious realm, and judging by the rules of the plane, she was in a joyful mental state when this plane was created. Therefore, you would hardly encounter danger here.

"Direction?"

Argos fell into deep thought, "Where exactly did it go wrong?"

Ethan reminded him, "At the end of her life, she conveyed the image on the Divine Tree to everyone."

From the fragmented memories in his adventure log, Ethan understood the reason behind the Crimson's actions.

The fallen Crimson Queen, the resurrected Old Gods, and the infected, incubating Divine Tree—nothing was more despairing for the inhabitants of this world, and he had personally brought this despair into this world.

At least, on the surface.

A realization emerged in everyone's minds—Ethan had murdered the Crimson Queen.

Ethan did not believe that Crimson would willingly burn out her life just to frame him. She must have known this wouldn't have any actual impact on him.

Noticing Argos's confusion, Ethan said, "Haven't you realized? The prophecy of fate has already been fulfilled."

This was predestined death, and when the adventure book and the guild's records showed information of the Crimson's death, it meant Charlotte had broken free from the shackles of fate.

"You're referring to that human girl?"

Argos's confusion deepened, "Are you saying that the Crimson used her own death to free her from the bonds of fate?"

He could hardly believe his ears because, in his view, Charlotte to the Crimson was nothing more than a puppet created for amusement with a small fraction of her energy. Their relationship was not much closer than the two hatchling dragons she fed.

The Crimson was the kind who, for her own morbid delight, would drive the hatchling dragons she raised out of the tree house, and when reunified years later, her words were full of mockery.

Yet now, Ethan was telling him that the Crimson would sacrifice her life to save an unrelated girl.

This was a massive shock to his worldview.

"Because this time, she intends to honor your agreement, and after all this is over, you will regain your freedom."

Ethan paused for a moment before continuing, "Of course, she can't just open the mirror and release you directly... She made numerous modifications to this world, and all these changes are based on your energy. Just imagine, what would happen if you, as the energy source, suddenly left here?"

Argos fell silent, for he didn't know the answer to this question.

He had no idea where the Crimson had found spells capable of imprisoning or even redirecting their energies. This was clearly not knowledge humans could possess, so he could only attribute it to the "dark magic" of ancient people.

"Though the plane won't be destroyed overnight, the regression of the rules is bound to trigger drastic changes, and this civilization will inevitably decline in a slow manner."

In the Crimson's adventure book, she had conducted countless divinations regarding the future of this plane. The diviner was her companion in the guild and a fellow member of the pioneer team, perhaps the most outstanding Great Mage in the world. Yet every time, the results were... less than satisfactory.

"So she needs to prepare for your departure, someone to take your place."

"That human girl?"

Argos blurted out, trying not to seem overly offensive, but the truth was that not even the Crimson herself could compare to him, let alone Charlotte, who might only possess a tiny fraction of the power, a "puppet" Ethan mentioned. Argos hadn't even considered Charlotte a real human.

After all, a human girl who was sacrificed from the moment she was born couldn't possess any free will.

"She doesn't need to become as powerful as you, nor can she ever be, but that doesn't prevent her from being revered as a deity by others. In years to come, when the experiences of this age are bygone, legends will spread throughout the Kingdom... Cynthia, do you remember this name?"

"Cynthia..."

Argos seemed pensive. After a moment, he awakened some dormant memories, "I remember now, a wild child in the eyes of the villagers, always sneaking out of the village and into the forests to seek adventure."

Their meeting was a coincidence.

His interests differed from those of his kind; he preferred dealing with magical creatures over humans. By slightly altering a detail on them, he could create entirely different beings.