Chapter 14: Our Portkey Spell Is the Same

“Returning to Earth…”

Hermione still remembered Urolius mentioning that he saw discord and pain within Lady Misfortune.

After some thought, Hermione decided to withhold the truth about Earth for now. She scratched her head and sighed, “If there’s a chance to go back, of course we have to seize it.”

The truth about Earth would have to wait until Lady Misfortune’s condition improved…

“Lady Misfortune, you seem to be troubled by something. I saw an endless gray mist in your dreams,” Hermione pondered, then added, “And I also saw worms.”

Their similar fates and shared origins stirred a sense of kinship in Lady Misfortune, who had been hiding and struggling alone among the Direwolf Tribe. She did not conceal anything: “I carried a cellphone when I crossed over, but it mysteriously disappeared later. That was when the gray mist started to trouble me.”

But Hermione, knowing more of the background, suspected Lady Misfortune had not told everything—which was understandable. If it were her, she wouldn’t reveal everything either.

For instance, her true identity before she arrived, and that strange video story full of eerie hints and future threads… all kept locked in her heart.

Sharing some secrets can deepen bonds, but keeping some is self-protection.

After a moment’s thought, Hermione began to discuss the specifics of the crossing with Lady Misfortune. “Lady Misfortune, did you cross over using that cellphone?”

Lady Misfortune nodded. “I answered a mysterious call…”

Yet she did not disclose the content of that call, only staring intently at Hermione. “If we share the same origin, I suspect you heard the same or similar things.”

Upon hearing this, Hermione recalled the incantations she used in her own crossing ritual:

“Omniscient and Omnipotent Creator;”

“Omniscient and Omnipotent Maker;”

“Omniscient and Omnipotent Lord of the Astral Realm.”

Knowing the story well, Hermione understood these three phrases referred to one of the two great pillars on Earth in the mysterious world—the God.

Considering that the spoiler video ended with these three incantations, Hermione couldn’t help but suspect that her crossing, her current knowledge, and her foresight were all orchestrated by this omniscient, omnipotent God.

To place an ancient remnant who understands the future’s trajectory into the mysterious world… Hermione found it difficult to guess this God’s specific purpose.

But there were only two plausible fundamental motives for this God—

One was to awaken the God itself more swiftly and effectively.

The other was to suppress the awakening of its mortal enemy—the Celestial Sovereign!

As for whether this God’s omniscient omnipotence truly allowed for complete prophecy of the future, Hermione found it hard to verify. Yet she never hesitated to consider the most dangerous possibilities regarding the power of this ancient pillar.

Hermione kept these thoughts carefully guarded and turned to discuss another crossing ritual with Lady Misfortune—the one involving her brother, Zhou Mingrui.

“Fusheng Xuánhuáng…”

Hermione cautiously spoke only the first four syllables, leaving the incantation incomplete.

Yet even these four syllables made Lady Misfortune’s expression grow grave.

Because of this, Lady Misfortune showed Hermione more recognition and trust than before. In a low voice, she said, “Yes, but do you know whom these incantations invoke…? They call upon a terrifying being that stands above the gods!”

Hermione guessed the revered name Lady Misfortune dared not utter—

The Master of the Mysterious!

As a deity herself, Lady Misfortune seemed to have discovered some information related to the Master of the Mysterious in this world and believed that newly crossed-over Hermione knew nothing of it.

In truth, Hermione knew far more—the Master of the Mysterious was the God’s archrival, the Celestial Sovereign.

Both God and Celestial Sovereign were personalities split from the Original Creator. During the First Epoch, driven by a consuming urge to devour each other, they erupted into conflict and fell together.

Before their downfall, they set numerous contingencies for resurrection, always ready to return. Were it not for the myriad measures they placed to suppress each other’s revival, they would have already come back.

From the story in the video, Hermione saw many events of mutual suppression between them.

Among these, one of the Celestial Sovereign’s resurrection contingencies was none other than Lady Misfortune herself, who now stood before her.

The future Goddess of Night, one of the greatest allies she hoped to gain—Amaneesis!

Previously, due to insufficient information and mistaken assumptions, Hermione had misunderstood Lady Misfortune’s identity.

Now, with the added clues of the crossing incantations, ancient remnants, the worm, and so forth, it would be foolish not to recognize Lady Misfortune’s future identity.

Amaneesis was one of the Celestial Sovereign’s chosen resurrection vessels.

Before her fall, the Celestial Sovereign used crossing rituals to gather ancient Earthlings, including Zhou Mingrui, sealing them within the Source Fortress under its control.

In the story, Zhou Mingrui was the third ancient remnant sent to the mysterious world by the Source Fortress.

The two before him were—

The first sent was Amaneesis, who would become the Goddess of Night, Sequence 0 in the Dark Path.

The second was Huang Tao, who became the Black Emperor, Sequence 0 in the Lawyer Path.

For some unknown reason, neither of them followed the path the Celestial Sovereign intended, causing all the Sovereign’s plans for them to fail.

Only after Zhou Mingrui was sent and through many factions’ scheming did he ultimately become the Master of the Mysterious, giving the Celestial Sovereign hope to awaken within him…

Hermione did not know exactly how Amaneesis and Huang Tao’s plans had failed in the story, but as things stood, Amaneesis still suffered from the Source Fortress’s harassment and torment.

She showed no sign of the Celestial Sovereign’s methods having fully failed.

At least, not entirely.

Reflecting on all this, Hermione carefully organized her words and slowly said, “Lady Misfortune, I once heard ancient human legends about this deity. The tales say this great being will awaken and return within a chosen vessel.”

Her words revealed a flicker of astonishment in Lady Misfortune’s eyes.

She had never imagined that legends about a being beyond the gods still circulated among humans.

But Hermione’s mention of the legend caused her to mutter softly,

“Delusions of resurrecting from within me…”