The Goddess of Fate had a gloomy look in her eyes. Her golden veil fluttered slightly in the Void, and on the hazy face beneath the veil, her two slender eyebrows were tightly furrowed together.
He was very uneasy.
This unease didn't stem from fear, but from a deeper sense of frustration—the path she herself controlled granted the Goddess of Fate a perception of the River of Space-Time second only to the Lord of Time Mother of the Stars in this Astral Realm. The threads of Fate themselves are branches extending from the River of Space-Time, each thread connecting a causal link to the past, present, or future. Theoretically, as long as fragments of Space-Time exist, the Goddess of Fate should be able to perceive their existence.
But Gustavo lurked right under our noses at the source of the River of Space-Time.
In that River of Space-Time that He believed He had mastered most of, among those Space-Time fragments entangled with His Fate, the demonic spider silently built its nest, wove its web, and stole countless Space-Time fragments, all without the Goddess of Fate's knowledge.
That's impossible.
Unless Gustavo possesses a means to completely shield his perception of Space-Time —a means so advanced that it could even deceive the authority of the Goddess of Fate.
"How did this demonic spider manage to do that?"
The Goddess of Fate murmured softly, her gaze fixed on Gustavo's massive, silver-black body. The spider's countless compound eyes simultaneously shimmered with a silver-gray light, each reflecting a different timeline, each flowing at a different speed.
No abnormalities were found.
There were no perceptible fluctuations in Space-Time.
The timelines in those compound eyes appear chaotic, but in reality, they are well-organized—each one complete, stable, and self-contained. It's like a script meticulously crafted by an being well-versed in the Law of Time, with every detail perfectly placed and without any flaws.
"So perfect... it doesn't seem real."
The Goddess of Fate shifted her gaze from Gustavo to the Lord of Time beside her.
The Lord of Time was also looking at Gustavo with a solemn expression. In his eyes, which reflected countless timelines, a look that the Goddess of Fate had never seen before appeared—it was not wariness, nor fear, but a kind of... subtle regret.
The Goddess of Fate's pupils contracted slightly.
His mind became incredibly sharp at that moment, with countless thoughts simultaneously arising, intertwining, and colliding in his mind:
The Lord of Time is the most proficient in the Law of Time among the Eternal. His control over the River of Space-Time is stronger than that of the Goddess of Fate, and he can even trace it back to River of Space-Time source. Theoretically, Gustavo's act of building a network in the River of Space-Time could not have escaped the Lord of Time's perception.
But the Lord of Time never mentioned this.
Not even once.
In previous conversations, strategic planning, and communication with the Mother of the Stars, the Lord of Time never mentioned any anomalies in the River of Space-Time.
Did He really not notice?
Or did He discover it but deliberately conceal it?
The veil of the Goddess of Fate trembled slightly, and the expression on her face behind it became uncertain. She recalled many details she had overlooked in the past: the Lord of Time's hesitation in certain crucial decisions, his ambiguity in certain tactical choices, and his "coincidental" slowness at certain moments when proactive action was needed.
Individually, each detail may seem insignificant, but when strung together, they paint a picture that sends chills down the spine of the Goddess of Fate.
'He is waiting for a change.'
He hopes for a change that can disrupt the status quo.
'He doesn't want the Mother of the Stars to completely control the Astral Realm.'
'His so-called submission... was merely a helpless choice forced by circumstances.'
The Goddess of Fate pursed her lips into a thin line.
He did not say it.
Because He knew that even if He guessed correctly, He couldn't expose Him now. The Lord of Time was a powerful being at the Second-Step Eternity, and the strongest force in the Mother of the Stars' camp besides Himself. If the Lord of Time was forced to turn against Herself now, the Mother of the Stars would lose an important ally, and Lancelot's chances of winning would greatly increase.
The Goddess of Fate could only bury this doubt in her heart, while maintaining a calm expression on the surface.
On the other side of the Void, the Lord of Time was not at peace either.
'pity...'
His gaze swept over Gustavo, over Lancelot, over the Eternal who were poised to unleash their power, and finally settled on the silhouette of the Mother of the Stars.
'After the Mother of the Stars gained control of the Astral Realm Will, her perception of the River of Space-Time was no less than mine. In some aspects, she was even more perceptive... She actually discovered Gustavo's existence.'
A deep sense of regret welled up in the heart of the Lord of Time.
If Gustavo had not been discovered, and if His Space-Time network had continued to spread until it covered the entire River of Space-Time —then, at the crucial moment when the Mother of the Stars was about to complete her Inner Universe, Gustavo detonated the Space-Time network, disrupting the structure of the entire River of Space-Time. At that time, the Mother of the Stars ' Inner Universe would have an irreparable flaw, and all its advantages would have vanished.
That was the moment the Lord of Time had been waiting for.
He did not wish to be forever subservient to the Mother of the Stars. As the Lord of Time, as the Eternal controls the Law of Time, He had become accustomed to the position of "looking down upon all beings" for countless eons. To bow down to another being, even if that being was the Mother of the Stars, was a disgrace that He could not accept from the depths of His heart.
As for those previous promises of submission—just listen to them; only a fool would believe them.
The covenant between Eternal may be an inviolable iron law for ordinary gods, but for beings of the Lord of Time's level, it is merely a rope with limited binding force. What truly prevents the Lord of Time from crossing the line is the terrifying power of the Mother of the Stars. As long as the Mother of the Stars remains at the peak of the Second-Step Eternity, and still the strongest being in the Astral Realm who controls all authority over the Material Dimension, the Lord of Time will not dare to act rashly.
He is waiting.
Waiting for a change, waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a chance to break free from constraints.
Was Gustavo that the turning point?
That's not the case yet.
A barely perceptible shadow flickered in the depths of the Lord of Time's eyes, but on the surface, he maintained his solemn and vigilant expression.
The Eternal present were all preoccupied with their own thoughts, calculations, and schemes. A subtle atmosphere permeated the Void —the embers of shattered trust, a breeding ground for suspicion, and a silent battlefield where betrayal and loyalty intertwined.
Even the Mother of the Stars was astonished.
His surprise was subtle and faint, imperceptible to ordinary people, but for someone of Lancelot's caliber, it was enough to detect that fleeting emotional fluctuation.
Gustavo's appearance was indeed unexpected by the Mother of the Stars —not because She hadn't discovered any clues, but because Gustavo's infiltration had been far too long. It was a root planted at the very beginning of the Astral Realm's birth, a scheme spanning countless years, a shocking conspiracy capable of rewriting the entire Astral Realm Space-Time order.
If the Mother of the Stars hadn't gained a new level of awareness of the Astral Realm after taking control of half of the Weave, she might have been fooled by Gustavo until the very end.
'That's quite a plan, isn't it? Trying to overturn my current advantage by starting from the very beginning of the River of Space-Time?'
The Mother of the Stars ' gaze darted back and forth between Lancelot and Gustavo before finally speaking. Her voice remained calm, but now carried an undeniable air of scrutiny:
"Too bad you're too naive."
"However, what I'm curious about is—what exactly is the relationship between the two of you?"
The Mother of the Stars ' gaze fell upon Lancelot.
"Lancelot, you're actually willing to give up the opportunity of the Spirit Ruins to Gustavo? If you had enjoyed that opportunity yourself, with your potential, you might have truly been able to reach the Second-Step Eternity."
"You... you won't regret it?"
The moment those words were spoken, all the ancient beings watching from the Void turned their gazes toward Lancelot, awaiting his reply.
What is Spirit Ruins?
To be described as a great opportunity by the Mother of the Stars must be something extraordinary.
Was this opportunity a gift from the Mother of the Stars to the Lord of Endless?
Then why would the Lord of Endless betray the Mother of the Stars?
Is this really the so-called creed of the guardians?
No way?!
What era are we living in? What level of understanding are we at? This kind of insistence is laughable, especially considering that this Lord of Endless has a history of not being a great Saint of the Astral Realm.
Among the Eternal, there is only Eternity struggle, not Eternity sharing. Because every Eternal understands that power is finite; for every bit you gain, someone else loses. Would you simply hand over the opportunity to advance to the Second-Step Eternity?
This is not magnanimity.
That's foolish.
But Lancelot showed no regret on his face.
"You don't need to trouble yourself with that."
When questioned by the Mother of the Stars, Lancelot simply shook his head slightly, his chaotic, swirling eyes showing no fluctuation or hesitation.
"We have nothing to say right now."
"Now that you've discovered the scheme--"
"Then let's fight and see who emerges victorious!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Lancelot's hand, which had not been holding a sword, clenched into a fist.
That fist had no light, no laws, no superfluous embellishments—only a pure, condensed "power" tempered by the Chaos Sea to its ultimate form.
That power was as heavy as the multiverse, as ancient as the beginning of chaos, overwhelming and unstoppable.
Invisible shockwaves rippled across the fist, each wave tearing a fine crack in the Void. These cracks were not spatial fissures, but rather damage to the laws of nature caused by the aftershocks of "force"—a terrifying impact that even the laws themselves could not withstand.