The power of the Star God that descended with Lan's lowered gaze enveloped Jiang Lianqiu.
A single glance cast down by the Star God instantly wrapped Jiang Lianqiu's consciousness in near-boundless divinity.
He knew very clearly that he was currently under the influence of the Hunt Star God. His memories, emotions, and everything else remained unchanged, but his perspective on all things in the world had unconsciously begun to resemble that of a Star God.
(A Star God's power is strong enough to pierce through the barriers of the universe?)
(No. This connection was possible not because of The Hunt, but because of... me.)
Even Jiang Lianqiu, who was currently "forced into absolute rationality," could not help feeling a trace of surprise.
That absolute rationality also made Jiang Lianqiu's thoughts sharper than ever. At last, he caught hold of a detail that time had gradually caused him to overlook.
Omega-12 hertz, a Natural Authorizer, his Soul Pop.
The true reason the Rogue Mech Servants had failed to authenticate him as a Living Display, ultimately becoming Controlled Mecha Servants instead!
(Forget it. First, deal with the matter at hand.)
Suppressing that faint surprise, Jiang Lianqiu slowly descended to the ground. He raised his right hand and pressed his index fingertips against Manuscript Volume Two.
To track prey, one first had to know the prey.
Jiang Lianqiu needed to expose the contaminated information hidden within Manuscript Volume Two.
Belfast had originally devised three plans with the aid of the Central Starport's AI, but clearly, none of them were needed now.
When he looked at the manuscript, it also meant that a Star God from another universe was looking here as well.
If it were the true master behind that contaminated information, that would be another matter. But a mere trace left behind on Earth by its source could not withstand the gaze of a Star God.
Even if that Star God's gaze had been weakened to a certain extent by the barrier between universes.
In an instant, tar-like black viscous matter began seeping from the edges of the thick stack of manuscripts.
The words printed by the printer's ink upon the white pages twisted and wriggled, forming all manner of meaningless runes.
At the same time, alarms sounded through the laboratory once more.
Warning, third-class information contamination detected! Warning--
"Shut up!" Belfast snapped, and the broadcast that had been issuing warnings immediately fell silent.
Shortly afterward, Jiang Lianqiu—and everyone else in the laboratory—heard whispers that seemed to come from the depths of the starry sky.
"...Carcosa...Hastur...Yhtill..."
"I?!I?!TextusExOblivione!"
"I?!I?!TextusExOblivione!"
Jiang Lianqiu: "--!!!!!"
Even now, a look of shock finally appeared on his face.
Amid those strange, twisted syllables that the human mind could not comprehend, Jiang Lianqiu precisely caught a noun when a Star God looked upon that contaminated thing alongside him.
In an instant, Manuscript Volume Two turned to ash, and Jiang Lianqiu closed his eyes, murmuring a name that only he could hear.
(Hastur...)
The King in Yellow, the Feaster from Afar, the Emerald Lama.
The Unnamable, the Lord of the Deep Space Stars.
Cthulhu's cousin and mortal enemy.
The Great Old One symbolizing "wind."
Jiang Lianqiu nearly had the urge to immediately issue an order, mobilize every military force currently at his disposal, and wipe out the Pleiades Star Cluster in one wave.
Because according to legend, Hastur's true body had been imprisoned by the Elder Gods on a planet orbiting Alcyone, the star within the Pleiades Star Cluster.
(Impossible. Leaving aside the Mech Servants at their peak, the current Starport absolutely cannot confront the true body of a Great Old One head-on.)
(No... If those things truly existed in this universe, why hadn't they been drawn out when the Mech Servants and the Eradication Protocol fought so fiercely back then? Why were there no related records at all?)
(There must still be some crucial missing clue here, preventing me from connecting everything currently known.)
(The most urgent task is still to thoroughly clean up these things on Earth.)
With a thought, the power of The Hunt's Path silently pierced through the Silver Crown Tower Building along the final wisp of contaminated information that was about to completely dissipate.
Invisible light scattered across the horizon, rushing toward every corner of the world.
Having done all that, Jiang Lianqiu voluntarily stopped drawing upon the power within him that had been confirmed to belong to The Hunt's Path.
In an instant, Lan's gaze was forcibly severed.
The next second, Jiang Lianqiu fell into a soft, fragrant embrace. Belfast pressed the back of his head down in front of all the Mech Servants and buried his face in her chest.
Jiang Lianqiu: (▽｀)~~
"Master! You're finally back!"
Belfast's voice brimmed with the joy of regaining what she had lost, and tears glimmered in her rose-purple eyes.
"What just happened? I felt like Master just now... seemed to suddenly become so far away from us..."
"Mm...!"
"Master?"
"Belfast, you're suffocating me..."
Pressing both hands against Belfast's slender, fragrant shoulders, Jiang Lianqiu pushed and "pulled" his head free.
"So, Master, what exactly happened?"
Belfast took a step back, completely lacking her usual elegance.
Jiang Lianqiu thought for a moment, then explained with a smile, "Simply put, I invited a 'god' from another world to take a look with me at the manuscript that had already turned to ash. The power that descended upon me along with that god's gaze caused me to temporarily enter a mode of thought similar to theirs."
Belfast: "...?"
"So that god merely took one more look at the manuscript we obtained, and the manuscript exploded?"
"You're a little blackie too?" Jiang Lianqiu blurted out, immediately flashing chicken feet.
Belfast: "???"
How was she a little blackie?! Every hair on her body had been the same color for all these years, okay!
Master had clearly said before that he liked white hair best! (Aggrieved.)
Before you continue