After a mere few seconds, the Event Branch no longer needed to write; the densely packed characters on the page seemed to come to life, growing rapidly. Countless characters emerged from within, chaotically intertwining at first, but they soon became neatly ordered under the organization of the Heavenly Kingdom.
As the Book of Fate continued to write, the crystallized relics left by all the Princes on the surrounding thrones chimed. They turned into a vague halo of light that converged, falling between her slender, fair fingers.
A storm arrived.
It was a phenomenon formed by the surge of a massive amount of Source Substance. Countless units of Source Substance crazily infused into the light. In the end, the dome overhead opened a gap, from which the distant glow of the Sea of Silver descended.
It was as if something had been awakened—a sonorous whale song could be heard coming from the Endless Sea, the repository of all human wisdom and knowledge.
Soon, the colossal restriction was disturbed. The framework created by dozens of Creators began to operate on its own, scanning for abnormalities and searching for the source of the anomaly.
The rift, however, had already closed before that, leaving no trace.
Only the faint glow in the Raven's hand had already solidified into substance. It formed a crystal contour like that of a Teenage Girl, dazzling as a diamond, reflecting brilliant light.
That was actually a complete Stigma!
Ah, what an unexpected surprise. Those folks from the Golden Dawn actually didn't take this? Ah, that's right. After all, they're just a bunch of hopeless nerds with no romantic soul... This is a huge win!
She raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, and soon, a delighted smile appeared on her face. She casually tossed the Stigma in her hand. The Stigma flew into the air, circling as if sensing something, and began to tremble with excitement.
After a clear chime, it turned into a vague light and shot away, breaking through space.
In the dark, the Raven quietly gazed into the distance, as if foreseeing the unfortunate look on a certain fool's face in the future. Her smile turned into one of schadenfreude.
I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what his expression will be like then?
Humming smugly, the alluring woman turned and disappeared into the darkness.
"What kind of expression is that, young man?"
In the dingy office, Little Cat raised her arms, cheering up a tired Huai Shi. "You've completed the task and are about to win the reward! Come on, get HIGH with me! Get HIGH!"
"Moreover, you're the newly appointed Prince. What will people think of our Paradise if they see you looking so sullen?"
"Does this crappy amusement park even have an image?" Huai Shi sighed and pointed at the Crown of Light on his head. "Also, can you turn this light off? It's hurting my eyes."
"It's manual; you'll have to adjust it yourself." Little Cat handed over a remote control, then poured him a cup of tea with enthusiasm, placing it warmly before him.
Unfortunately, the cup hadn't been washed for who knows how many years. It even contained ash, and the offensive smell completely extinguished any desire to drink.
"You knew all along, didn't you?" Huai Shi asked.
Little Cat smiled. "I guessed some of it, but I believe the difficulty was still within your capabilities, right, Legendary Investigator? Your achievements and abilities are indeed well-deserved."
"Stop with all the fancy talk. I'm still feeling a bit sad right now."
Although he knew full well that the White Horse Prince's life lasted only one night and that he would have vanished at dawn even without Huai Shi's intervention, killing a rival who could have become a friend still weighed heavily on Huai Shi's heart.
"Relax, you also helped him find release. In this Hell, some thrive and relish it. But for others, every extra moment of existence is torment. They, like him, aren't suited for such an environment. Isn't it good to help them retire? He was grateful to you right up to the end."
Huai Shi didn't want to deal with him anymore and just reached out, indicating for him to quickly hand over the reward.
Little Cat shrugged, and two items were placed on the desk.
A Ring and an envelope.
"They're yours now."
Huai Shi was silent for a long time, shaking off the heavy feeling in his heart, and reached out for the Ring first. Sensing his Source Substance, the dull color on the Ring instantly faded, revealing a magnificent, awe-inspiring golden hue.
Once the Ring was placed on a finger of his left hand, it began to rapidly draw upon Huai Shi's Source Substance, like a powerful pump connected to a bottomless pit.
It nearly depleted what could be considered Huai Shi's considerable reserve of Source Substance in an instant.
Following that, the Mountain Ghost Stigma, bridging Soul and flesh, began to rapidly evolve. It formed new structures Huai Shi had never imagined possible, flowing smoothly and naturally into the Ring.
It was as if a computer had been upgraded with new hardware. Before Huai Shi could even react—no driver installation needed—it perfectly integrated.
Wait a minute, is this thing originating from the same source as my own Stigma?
In an instant, the Ring had lost its physical form. It turned into a band of gold-gilded characters, melding onto Huai Shi's index finger and appearing like a tattoo.
Soon after, he could feel that after drawing so much Source Substance, the Ring seemed to have opened a hidden pathway leading to a narrow, dark space.
[Ring of Nibelungen]
A name suddenly sprang into Huai Shi's mind.