When the plot-skips players into the game world

Upon hearing that Aiwass intended to seek out Hecate, Hebashia volunteered to accompany him.

"Do you know Hecate?"

On the way, listening to Hebashia recount the past, Aiwass couldn't help but be a little surprised: "But..."

...but Aiwass still remembered the appearance of Cardinal Hekate.

She wore a laurel crown on her head, with beautiful chestnut-brown wavy long hair. From a human perspective, she appeared at most to be around thirty years old. Moreover, her strength was not particularly strong, she was even considered among the weaker of the cardinals.

While Hebashia had existed for at least two thousand years. She ascended to the rank of Angel Envoy no later than five hundred years ago... meaning she could have known acquaintances for a minimum of about fifteen hundred years ago. Such a span of time was already long enough for an elf.

Or did Hecate obtain the Immortality Technique?

...like the Son of the Moon, obtaining agelessness from the Eternal Self?

"Not just me... both Hermes and Heracles know her too."

Hebashia glanced nostalgically at the great sword floating behind Aiwass: "Although... you might have forgotten by now."

Neither Hebashia nor Aiwass concealed Don Quixote's true identity. Accepting this identity should be his own decision, not hidden "for his own good."

To Don Quixote, Hebashia spoke softly: "One of Heracles' twelve labors was to go to the Underworld and bring Cerberus back to the Material Realm. Just like... you bringing Krokos back."

"...Entering the Dream Realm in the flesh?" Aiwass exclaimed.

"That's right. But he didn't know the route, since the Dream Realm has no map. So he asked Hecate to open the gateway to the Shadow Nation for him... after all, Hecate was also familiar with Scáthach. She was already a Half-step Apostle back then and didn't rise to the Dream Realm only because she wanted to become a Celestial Marshal."

Scáthach—Aiwass recalled that was the true name of the Shadowy Celestial Marshal.

"So Cardinal Hekate... has lived for at least two thousand years?"

Isabel murmured to herself: "Is she that incredible..."

"Maybe even more."

Hebashia chuckled and revealed a big secret: "She is very powerful. When the Eternal Self became the Moon Witch, she once received the witchcraft knowledge taught by Hecate. In a sense, Hecate can even be considered a half-teacher to the Eternal Self.

"She wasn't a priest back then, but a shaman on the Beast's Path. Her walking on the Path of Devotion should have been much later... surely after the establishment of the Helasal Empire.

"I haven't seen her in a long time. But what you described is undoubtedly the Hecate I knew. As for how she's lived so long... I don't know either. But I guess it's some sort of ability to rejuvenate or trade power for longevity. After all, she was quite strong back then... but from what you said, it seems she's no longer able to reach the Sixth Power Level."

As they spoke, they entered the Seventeenth Ring via the lift.

The Seventeenth Ring—this was the level of witchcraft, overseen by Cardinal Hekate.

"Seventeen" is the ultimate of curses. Whether it's seventeen people, seventeen days, seventeen years, or seventeen generations... the power of the curse is like a tide, reaching its peak when it hits the holy number seventeen, and then begins to wane.

All the knowledge about witchcraft, curses, spells, and herbs in the Holy Nation is preserved on this level. Most of the elf witches in the Holy Nation also live here, and some elf mages are fond of the atmosphere here, so they choose to reside here.

From the outside, it appears as a dark, lightless dense forest. Walking along the path, one can smell the rich scent of the forest.

The inhabitants here are extraordinarily sparse. Indeed, Aiwass and his companions didn't see a single living soul along their journey.

They followed the cobblestone road laid in the forest.

Upon reaching a crossroads, they saw Hecate, the Cardinal, standing in the middle of the road.

At that moment, Aiwass stopped walking.

Although his memory was not excellent, he still remembered the scene when cardinals became carriers of the Pillar God.

Cardinal Hekate, before being possessed by the Eternal Self, had eyes as beautiful as gemstones, as deep as the night sky. It was only after being possessed by the Eternal Self that the sapphires in her eyes turned into blood-red rubies.

But the current Cardinal Hekate...

Could be seen at a glance—her eyes were red.

Bright as blood, blazing as fire.

That was not Cardinal Hekate.

——But the Eternal Self.

And the others... even Hebashia didn't realize this.

"Lady Hecate..."

Hebashia looked Hecate up and down, her eyes showing surprise: "You actually... look younger than before?"

In her impression, Hecate should have been a woman in her forties.

"Hecate" only smiled faintly, not responding.

Sherlock's brows furrowed slightly, as if guessing something from the reaction. Isabel also suddenly looked skeptically at Hecate, then at the silent Aiwass, and obediently swallowed the greeting that almost slipped out.

"Hecate" slightly opened her hands towards Aiwass, making a gesture like a hug, and beckoned him forward.

Aiwass hesitantly took two steps forward, glancing back at Isabel, then continued to move forward slowly.

At this moment, all the Transcendents on the Path of Wisdom realized something—Aiwass couldn't possibly be this polite and respectful to a cardinal archbishop.

Hebashia was the first to react, bowing respectfully to the Eternal Self: "Greetings, Eternal Self."

"...In my presence, no need for formality. Tia, we're friends."

This was the first time the Eternal Self spoke, her voice clear and slow, awkward but gentle. It felt like a gentle teacher who had just learned a foreign language, speaking to foreign children in an unstandardized, clear yet slow manner.

"Tia" was a nickname for Hebashia, enough to prove their former close relationship.

But Aiwass also clearly realized... the Eternal Self felt off at this moment.

——Despite the reunion of old friends, he felt no emotional fluctuation from the Eternal Self. Neither joy nor indifference.

This feeling... made Aiwass think of his school reunions years after graduation. Where everyone maintained false smiles, creating an effortful facade of cheerfulness.

But in reality, the Eternal Self completely forgot the old "classmate" Hebashia's story. Perhaps even having forgotten her name. Yet, out of courtesy, she needed to maintain a friendly smile... Her smile was so gentle yet so false.

Is this the erosion of the Void?

...No, this must just be a side effect of having undergone self-separation, thought Aiwass.

After all, a Pillar God is a being of pure holiness, and any life born in the Material Realm could never be so pure. Becoming a Pillar God means losing one's "humanity."

Even a Pillar God on the Path of Love is no exception.

——Even a Pillar God on the Path of Love may not retain their heart to "love."