Chapter 45: Overlord of the Stars? God? The Original Creator?

Chapter 45: Overlord of the Stars? God? The Original Creator?

A black robe outlined the figure of a person, like the deepest, lightless void in the starry sky, with stars twinkling within, woven into a net, as if a piece of the starry sky was integrated into the body.

He had a pair of pupils but no facial features. The pupils were… deep black? Red-gold? Orange-red? Azure blue?

It's hard to describe with such superficial words.

Upon closer inspection, one would realize that these were not just pupils, but stars gathered and piled up, accommodating each other, like a galaxy condensed into the size of a pupil.

His arms were slender, his right palm gently playing with a dark red planet, while his left hand rested naturally on the table, fingers rhythmically tapping.

Merely sitting quietly in the chair, he naturally became the master of this place. The hall was splendid because of his presence, and the stars praised his existence.

The Lamp God gazed for a long time before slowly speaking, "Who are you? The Overlord of the Stars?"

At their level, physical appearance didn't represent anything. To be precise, they never had a fixed form.

The figure before him didn't resemble the Overlord of the Stars he knew, but it didn't exclude the possibility that the Overlord had taken on a new identity to come here.

"What do you think?" Hastur's tone was light, seemingly with a hint of a smile.

"Hah, you are not the Overlord of the Stars."

The Lamp God dismissed the possibility that this being was the Overlord of the Stars.

"Won't you choose a seat?"

Hastur's tone remained light but carried an irresistible authority.

The Lamp God glanced at the five rows of seats on each side, eventually drifting to the last chair on the left, keeping the furthest distance from Hastur.

Full of caution.

The Lamp God looked at the height between the chair and the long table, suddenly grew several times larger, and extended a pair of pale golden arms from the sides of the Wishing Lamp before leisurely taking a seat, arms resting on the table, body slightly reclined, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

After a moment of silence, seeing that the other party had no intention of speaking, the Lamp God took the initiative, "There is a scent of rules and order here, but it's not the main theme. The stars are the eternal theme of this place. I remember that God had the title of 'Lord of the Star Realm,' but you are not Him."

Only now did the Lamp God let down some of his guard.

Here, there was the power of order and rules, but they were all under the stars, meaning the authority wielded by the other party was somewhat related to his own but not the main focus.

Like the Fallen Mother Goddess and the Tree of Desire, they both had the power of reproduction, but one represented all the feminine forces of the universe, and the other the authority of all desires.

Their authorities intersected but were not the same.

"In your understanding, do the stars equate to the star realm?" Hastur's tone was still light, but this time with a touch of disdain.

In fact, he himself didn't understand the relationship between the star realm and the stars. Were the stars within the star realm, or was the star realm just a small part of the starry sky, a small world carved out by supreme power?

There was no way to know, as the original text's explanation and description of the star realm were also vague.

It only mentioned the three-tier structure of mysticism: the real world, the spirit world, and the star realm.

God indeed had the alias 'Lord of the Star Realm,' but along with God as pillars were the Lord of Mystery and the Fallen Mother Goddess.

It was clear that the star realm did not encompass everything; otherwise, the Lord of Mystery and the Fallen Mother Goddess would all be subordinate to God.

This question, he naturally couldn't figure out, so he threw it to the Lamp God to explain, or for him to imagine on his own.

After all, he couldn't lower his own dignity.

"The star realm naturally does not equate to the stars, I am aware of that much."

The Lamp God felt slighted, his tone carrying a bit of anger.

"The star realm is a special world carved out among the stars. Some Outer Gods of old belonged to the star realm, but there are also existences not contained by the star realm."

The Lamp God explained, indicating he was not so ignorant.

"Impossible! You cannot be the master of the stars!" The Lamp God's voice suddenly grew louder.

"The stars encompass everything, all, only the Original Creator can be called their master, and you are definitely not!"

The Lamp God's tone was firm, but Hastur could hear his nervousness and lack of confidence.

It seemed that the Lamp God wasn't as certain of his guess as he claimed!

After all, the Original Creator was always alive, living within everything. The more powerful the being, the more likely the consciousness of the Original Creator within them could awaken.

For example, the Lamp God, to say he was a part of the Original Creator was not wrong, but he had birthed his own consciousness, recognizing himself as a child of chaos, not the Original Creator.

God, the Lord of Mystery, and the Fallen Mother Goddess were the same; they could also be called parts of the Original Creator.

But none of them wanted to become the Original Creator.

"Your foolishness is quite impressive," Hastur commented lightly.

"…"

The Lamp God knew he had been too impulsive and seemed unintelligent.

If the other party was the Original Creator, according to the instinct to assimilate, he would have been devoured long ago and couldn't possibly be sitting here chatting with him.

Because the Original Creator had no human side, only the instincts to assimilate and divide, to gather everything and then split apart, cycling endlessly, living on and on.

The scene quieted down for a while, and the Lamp God, feeling somewhat embarrassed, soon changed the subject.

"Are you an Outer God who has just arrived in this starry sky?"

The Lamp God had a new guess. He recognized most of the Outer Gods lurking outside the barrier.

But he had no recollection of this hall imbued with the power of the stars.

Therefore, the identity of the other party must be a new Outer God who came to this place from the far edges of the universe after he was sealed by the Lord of Mystery.

The status of this hall was definitely not low, and although he didn't want to admit it, he probably couldn't compare to the other party in terms of status.

"The prophecies of the apocalypse here are quite interesting."

Hastur didn't directly answer the Lamp God's question. He didn't know the origin of the Hall of Stars, and even if he did, he wouldn't tell the Lamp God.

So instead of following the Lamp God's lead, it was better to take the initiative, which also made him seem more mysterious.

"Indeed, interesting, and it's approaching," the Lamp God didn't continue the previous topic.

"The apocalypse is coming, and the incomplete you will have an interesting end, which is also worth looking forward to."

"…"

The Lamp God didn't know what to say for a moment.

He was so eager to return to the starry sky before the apocalypse to avoid the worst-case scenario.

When the barrier breaks and the apocalypse descends, if he still can't break free from the seal, then the oncoming Outer Gods and Old Ones will definitely have beings who will swallow him up.

Even if he and the other party are on different paths.

Because those hungry predators outside have been waiting for a long time and certainly wouldn't mind having a dessert to whet their appetite first.

As for the chaos and madness after devouring? Even without devouring, how much sanity could they possibly retain? Assimilation is instinct, but not every being can resist this instinct.

"I know you have the power to help me break free from the seal, just say it, what kind of deal do you want to make with me?"

The Lamp God stopped being coy and laid his cards on the table for negotiation.

No, I don't have the power to help you break free from the seal.

Hastur murmured to himself. He knew very little about the Hall of Stars, and being only a Sequence 8, even with the help of the Hall of Stars, he couldn't help the Lamp God break the seal set by the Lord of Mystery with the Wishing Lamp.

Even if he had the power, he wouldn't help the Lamp God break the seal early. It was better to wait honestly for the moment of the apocalypse.

"Do you still have any abilities worth leveraging now?" His tone was light, with a hint of scorn.

The Lamp God snorted coldly, "If you didn't value my abilities, why bother expending so much effort to bring me into this hall?"

Expending so much effort?

Was he referring to the matter of whipping him every night?

From the Lamp God's perspective, such a guess was quite reasonable.

Why did he whip the Lamp God every night? Hastur couldn't remember what he was thinking when he first started whipping the Lamp God.

Simple probing? No, there must have been a prankster's mentality.

Like a commoner who got a whip that could enter the king's dreams every night to whip the king, the temptation was definitely irresistible.

Even while whipping, one might shout, "So you're the king? So majestic usually, but now aren't you pinned to the ground by me, being whipped fiercely?"

Challenging authority? Insolence? Or should it be said to gain a certain pleasure? Whipping, pleasure…

Hastur quickly stopped that thought, but he didn't answer the Lamp God

Hastur hastily suppressed the thought but did not answer the lamp god's question. Instead, he quietly waited for the lamp god to fill in the blanks himself.

"Heh, although I'm down on my luck and sealed, it doesn't mean you're my only hope. I won't just settle for any offer; there has to be a limit."

"That makes sense. Then, continue waiting."

"…"

The lamp god was taken aback for a moment. His words were meant as a reminder not to propose an excessive deal, but unexpectedly, the other party chose not to negotiate at all! Heh, is this a tug-of-war with me?

Do you want to wait for me to ask you for a trade, so you can take the lead?

The lamp godspeculated in his heart but found it odd. Beings like them are usually straightforward, rarely so cunning.

This reminded him of the Lord of Mysteries.

Full of tricks, taking advantage of his simplicity!

A series of deceits had tricked him into the Wishing Lamp, sealing him until now.

With this thought, the lamp god immediately became alert, careful not to jump out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's mouth.

"I only accept fair trades!" The lamp god's tone was harsh and resolute.

"I'm not in a hurry," Hastur replied indifferently.

"Heh, who knows."

The lamp god snorted lightly, thinking to himself, "If you're not in a hurry, why have you been pestering me so frequently over the past month?"

Seeing that this trade was hopeless, the lamp god had no desire to speak further. He felt he needed to maintain his dignity, not to appear too eager, or he would surely be manipulated by the other party.

Of course, he could moderately demonstrate his value to elicit better trade terms from the other party.

The lamp god didn't want to speak, and Hastur was even less likely to lower his dignity by speaking first. So, they both held their ground.

The scene fell silent for a moment. Hastur glanced at the lamp god and said indifferently, "The meeting is adjourned."

"…"

The lamp god was stunned, all his posturing only to be met with such a phrase?

"The next gathering, in fifteen days."

Hastur finished speaking and, without waiting for the lamp god's reaction, a chain of order behind him burst into stardust, drawing a piece of the starry sky, and sending this part of the lamp god's avatar back into the Wishing Lamp.

(End of the chapter)