Chapter 193: Lin En, the Master of Destiny - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

From the moment Tia appeared, Lynn, who realized he had been successfully framed, had already predicted the development of the subsequent events. Someone would certainly seize the opportunity to kill him. And it wasn't just a single faction at work. Faced with such a situation, if he were to resist further, it could be dangerous. Judging by the tone of the Prosthetic One before feigning death, it was certain that the demons had deeper schemes in Glossstine, so deep that even he had been outsmarted. However, this did not make Lynn feel angry or defeated. On the contrary. If their actions were driven by some profound motive, and even the serial murders were a facade, then tonight marked a critical turning point. Given that, it might be better to temporarily accept this blame. Additionally. Based on the premise that "someone wants to kill him" and "preventing various forces from taking him to Saint Roland VI," temporarily retreating to observe the changes without becoming the focal point was also a viable option. Moreover, the situation with the Witch was dire, necessitating a rapid increase in the deviation of the plot involving the Silent Saintess. Thus, an idea struck Lynn. Why not return to his old expertise? Feign death. Only by doing so could he satisfy all current needs. This time, however, under the eyes of many, his subtle operations had to be more meticulous. He had to ensure that when the assassination struck, his body sported an injury that, on inspection, would make a doctor exclaim, "A few millimeters off, and you'd be dead." Fortunately, during this period, the Heart of the Burning Dragon had unprecedentedly strengthened his physique. And with the residual effects of the moonlight serum he had consumed just last night in the interrogation room, his body was still under considerable enhancement. Thus, even those injuries, however dreadful they looked, were far from fatal for Lynn and could heal swiftly in no time. So when Kasimo launched an assassination attempt on behalf of the military, Lynn crafted a lie in his mind— "I am already dead." To be safe, he added a contingency. Should Tia touch his body or say "don't die," the lie would be undone. Now, freeing himself from feigned death proved the plan's success. "[S-rank character 'Tia Yukhesti' plot deviation increased to 22.55%.]" As he surveyed the chaotic scene before him, a pleasant electronic chime echoed in Lynn's ears. Calculating carefully, since acquiring an ability on the return train to the imperial capital, the daunting 10,000-point requirement for the next draw had deterred him. Fortunately, he had finally discovered a fast way to gather points. Soon enough, he could acquire a new extraordinary ability. Feeling the slender and soft body in his embrace, Lynn silently mused. Perhaps he was the only man in the world who could hold her this way. He didn’t expect her hips to be so shapely. Yet, Tia seemed unaware of the liberties being taken. Having lost the moonlight staff during the fall, her hands were now empty. When someone is caught mid-fall, they tend to instinctively hold onto the other's neck like a drowning person clutches their savior. And now, she clung to Lynn's neck in such a close and intimate manner, staring at him with faint bewilderment. Truthfully, Tia didn't want to die. Her sacrifice was merely to give an account to Lynn. In her view, he was supposed to be dead, with no chance of resurrection. However, when the black-haired, blue-eyed boy reappeared in such a dramatic manner, Tia's heart skipped a beat. Nothing is more joyous than regaining what was lost. Especially for Tia, this boy made her feel an unprecedented sense of debt. "You're not dead?" At this moment, Tia was covered in both her own and his blood, severely injured, her complexion as pale as her frail voice. Yet her eyes shone brighter than ever as they looked at the boy. For a moment, Lynn was captivated by the deep relief in her eyes, finding her incredibly beautiful. This was no illusion. In terms of character attributes and arcs, Tia seemed to have broken free from her role as the protagonist and the control of world consciousness, briefly achieving "self." It was a form of personality and setting transcendence, reaching the same level as Evester. The cold, doll-like girl of the past was gone, replaced by a warm persona. Perhaps from this moment. The girl named Tia Yukhesti truly came alive, no longer a mere "error" birthed from the goddess's vessel as in the original story. "Sorry for making you worry." After a moment of silence, Lynn, for some reason, avoided her gaze, carrying her towards Louise. After all, he felt undeserving of her gaze. Everything was simply an act, a command from the Witch. It was supposed to be like that. Thus, he had no reason to react beyond this scope. Tia, seeing Lynn's sudden silence, didn’t press further. After all, they've never been in a relationship where they could coexist peacefully. But now, as the situation approached a desperate edge, everything seemed slightly different. Tia remained motionless in Lynn's arms, making no effort to resist or escape, her small feet gently swaying with his steps. A novel experience, indeed. She thought she'd never have such an experience with any man. If there was, it would only be with her brother, Sia. But now wasn't the time for such considerations. Laste, having unleashed a full-powered attack with the Dark Moon, was now drenched in blood, his body rapidly healing. Even after his life-draining strike, he failed to threaten him. Since that was the case, there's only one end for those trapped in the grave of the silent ones. "Though I've said it before, I must tell you again," Tia whispered as she clung to Lynn’s neck, "I'm sorry I couldn't take you out alive." By now, they had reached Louise. For this friend who stayed behind and didn't escape the grave of the silent ones in time, Tia also showed a hint of apologetic expression. Perhaps knowing they'd soon face death, she spoke more than usual, unveiling sides of herself she’d never shown. Hearing this, Louise remained silent briefly before softly sighing, "Although I question your choice... what can I say when you're my good friend?" "It's a pity I won't see the church avenge Sister Terina." She gently cradled Tia in her arms, casting a resentful glance at Laste in the distance. Oddly enough. For some reason, the two girls accepted their fate with extraordinary calmness. "Rest assured, none of you will die." The sudden words jolted Tia and Louise back to reality. As they simultaneously turned their gaze to the boy beside them, they found his figure already moving away. Him? It was him! When Lynn appeared before Laste, every cell in his body roared with madness. Not out of hatred or anything else. But with genuine delight. Recalling his crushing defeat in the Soron Mountains and the humiliations from this ant, Laste was constantly tormented by intense emotions. Every moment, he longed to see him again, to make this ant repay the disgrace he had suffered. With his long life, Laste couldn’t remember when he last felt such a profound emotion towards anyone. Yet, he couldn't quite recall when such a thing had last occurred. For all those who had ever incurred such wrath from him had long vanished from the world. This included many divine beings and powerful entities with independent consciousness, known only through ancient, obscure historical texts. But this particular ant was unique. Not only did he, a mere mortal, manage to outsmart him, but he also escaped completely unharmed, fleeing to the imperial capital where the Three Gods resided. He vaguely suspected this kid might have some ancient and formidable backing. Otherwise, why would the aura of the Demon of Creation have vanished completely from him? Moreover, he had expected to wait a long time before he could revel in tormenting and taking revenge on this ant. Unexpectedly, just a few months have passed, and here he was, carelessly revealing himself again. In some sense, it was fate. With that thought, Kursiusstein instantly absorbed all the memories of the Prosthetic One and understood the events that transpired. He laughed maniacally, roaring, "Who would’ve thought, it was you?!" Lynn walked slowly to the king of malice, looking up at him. At this moment, the already terrifyingly grotesque figure of the Prosthetic One had become even larger after absorbing Kursiusstein’s power and will, towering like a small building, covered with all kinds of limbs like a crawling beast. Seeing no response from Lynn, Kursiusstein’s crazed smile grew even larger. "How does it feel to be played like a fool by my subordinate, you who pride yourself on wit and intelligence?" At this moment, he didn’t even think about killing Lynn right away. Just killing him would be too lenient for this brat. Just like the curse he placed on him earlier, he wanted him to experience all the world’s suffering and then be tormented at the deepest pit of the Abyss of No Return for ten thousand years. There was still a long time before the grave of the silent ones would expire. Thus, Kursiusstein wasn’t in a hurry, and in an unprecedented way, extended a cordial attitude towards an ant. The remaining superhumans trembled in the corners, witnessing the one who came back from the dead casually conversing with a horrifically terrifying being. Hearing these words, Lynn, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. He looked up at the gigantic creature clinging to the ceiling, seemingly unperturbed by its presence, and sighed lightly. "Played like a fool?" Lynn seemed to be musing aloud. "In a way, you're right." "Concerning the Prosthetic One incident, it seems I was indeed led by Ber Shuman from start to finish." As his words fell, silence enveloped the area. Kursiusstein widened his scarlet eyes, seemingly surprised he would admit defeat so candidly. Not a hint of breakdown or dejection was seen on his face, as if discussing someone else's matter entirely. This was starkly different from the impression of a proud, arrogant ant he held before. Perhaps he thought he was nearing death and wanted to utter some grand words to win over his favor, hoping for clemency? How utterly foolish! Kursiusstein roared loudly, his countless limbs flailing about. "You—" Just as he was about to speak, Lynn interrupted, continuing from where he left off. "But Kursiusstein, sometimes you must distinguish between host and guest." Before him stood a high-dimensional demon equal in rank to a deity. Even if it wasn't his true form, descending with a fifth-tier legendary host still posed an overwhelming danger, able to kill him countless times. Yet Lynn’s tone was as if he were chatting with an old friend. This instantly fueled Kursiusstein's violent temper. "What did you say?!" A cacophony of scratching sounds echoed from every direction, like a demonic noise, causing everyone present to clutch their ears in agony. "Objectively speaking, Ber Shuman did indeed manipulate me—this is true." Lynn slowly reached into his pocket. "But only because I discarded the thought of using intelligence and strategy against him." "In other words, I never intended to engage him in shrewd maneuvers from the start, so naturally, I couldn’t be bothered with ‘whether there was deceit involved’." "So, dear Kursiusstein, next, please use your little mind and think carefully." "Under what circumstances would someone skilled in strategy forsake their best skill?" "I remember, there’s an old saying that describes such situations." Following the boy’s calm voice, silence and stillness blanketed the field. Kursiusstein's scarlet pupils were filled with intense malice and brutality, yet even so, the onlookers discerned a hint of absurdity. "In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are futile." He bared a maw full of sharp teeth, "Are you implying that you’ve reached such heights now?" The king of malice held back laughter in his throat, seemingly amused by what this ant claimed. "Exactly, but there’s no reward for guessing right." Lynn, too, smiled as he looked at him. Simultaneously, he took out the Pieneus card from his pocket. This was a high-level sealed artifact rewarded by Evester back at the border. According to Ms. Milani, the deck comprised 54 cards, and once fully collected, one could learn the secrets of deityhood. Beyond that, its effects were extremely powerful. Each card was equivalent to a formidable sealed artifact, with abilities and effects varying by suit and number. The larger the rank, the stronger the effect. The card in Lynn's hand was exceptional. To him, it seemed like the largest joker in the deck. But to others, it appeared as nothing more than the smallest deuce of spades. Regardless of who’s correct, considering the voice he heard upon first picking up the card, the answer was clear. By rights, this should be the most potent card in the entire deck. But Lynn had only ever activated the Endless Thread mode. Though highly versatile, it didn't display the so-called heaven-defying effect, merely qualifying as an impressive sealed artifact. Thus, on the return train, Lynn attempted to delve into the card's deeper form and found some success. But just as he was about to pursue further investigation, the Desire Mark imposed by Evester suddenly triggered, leading to an intense encounter with the Princess in the compartment. Fortunately, upon returning to the capital, Lynn managed to study it a bit in his leisure, gradually uncovering the true method for the card. Just as he had speculated on the train. By channeling a small amount of superpowers into the card, it activated the first mode, the Endless Thread. But to reveal its true form required flooding it with all his superpowers, unlocking the second mode. Lynn named it... the Harbinger mode. “Buzz!” In an instant, the card transformed into a blinding white light, unleashing countless threads that cocooned his body. Those threads, seeming sentient, wove, coiled, and swirled around him. The next second, a pitch-black formal suit adorned his figure. Moreover, complementary shoes, a cane, white gloves, and an elegant top hat accompanied them. At this moment, the boy appeared like a magician dressed for the grandest occasion, shimmering with fantastical brilliance. Under Kursiusstein's watchful gaze, he gently removed the hat from his head, holding it to his chest, and bowed to all present. His time was irretrievably frozen in that quaint town known as Deep Blue Harbor. No matter what Laste did, come twilight, the resurrected ancient god would obliterate the entire city along with any trace he left behind, resetting time to begin anew. He had experienced joy, using endless time to woo one woman after another, delved into the most obscure books in the library, and honed countless skills to perfection... He had also faced despair, attempting to halt the descent of the evil god, only to succumb to despair amid endless failures... Until one day, after countless defeats, as Laste dragged his mortal frame to stand again before the resurrected ancient god, he witnessed a figure that should never have appeared. "Huh, by history, Deep Blue Harbor should have been wiped out in the divine retribution waves." The poster girl of the game's cover, the future Silver Sword Saint, looked at him with full confusion. "And who is this strange historical replica projection? Why is there no record of him in the annals?" Laste: ? I'm about to speedrun, and you're telling me it's a plot kill?