Chapter 48

“Chapter 48: This is the Grand Finale!”

According to the original text, after the male lead completed the ritual, he received a response from an ancient deity.

Although the deity couldn’t use divine power to forcefully pull him out of his predicament, they left behind secret information that could turn the tide in his favor.

This was the only instance throughout the entire story where a divine being showcased the ability to transcend time.

Unfortunately, it still couldn’t make an effective impact on reality.

This was only barely achieved due to the deity’s immense rank and power.

If it were a weaker deity, they would have been completely powerless.

After all, a regular person praying would only reach out to the deity of the current moment.

Thus, in Lynn’s understanding, those existing from the past or future couldn’t truly interfere with the present.

Otherwise, the whole world would be turned upside down.

But it seemed he had underestimated something.

Inability to interfere with the timeline ≠ inability to individually interfere with a specific individual.

Right now, after experiencing a wondrous journey akin to interstellar travel, Lynn could barely guess what had happened. It wasn’t that someone from the future affected the past, but rather a person from the present had reached the future.

This place likely no longer belonged to Augusta Manor.

In fact, it may not even be at that time point anymore.

His soul and consciousness must have been drawn here by the Sorceress of the End, to another time node.

Maybe it was ten thousand years later? Lynn speculated in his mind.

Only Ivyst, who had become the Sorceress of the End, could create this miracle that no other deity could achieve.

She—no, it—had brought a soul from the past to such a far-flung future! If that was the case, then perhaps his goal had already been half achieved.

Next, he only needed to meet Ivyst, now the Sorceress of the End, and become her follower.

If memory didn’t fail him, during this time node in the original text, the Sorceress of the End was at her peak, launching a prolonged hunt against the main cast.

With the enemy weak and himself strong, it was the perfect opportunity to become a follower.

Gazing at the incredibly unfamiliar sights before him, Lynn felt his heart race a little faster.

At this moment, he seemed to be in a palace.

On either side were thick stone pillars carved with reliefs, and the central path extended into the heart of the palace, its interior shrouded from clear view.

Lynn didn’t hesitate, striding quickly inside.

About five minutes later, new scenes gradually emerged before him.

Considering he was in a palace, the appearance of two rows of heavily armored guards and a high throne shouldn’t have felt out of place at all.

But what he saw was not quite as anticipated.

First, a massive statue caught his eye, its ancient and robust form seemed to reflect an infinite starry sky, a human-like silhouette hidden beneath a wide robe, exuding mystery and depth.

For some reason, Lynn felt as if he stood within a sacred space, with layers of praise and chanting echoing in his ears.

This was the statue of the Lord of a Billion Stars.

As a former follower of the Church of Heavenly Justice, this thought automatically surfaced in Lynn’s mind.

Of course, there were more than just this one statue in the palace.

Lynn looked up.

The already vast palace was divided into several layers.

Each layer housed several similar towering statues, each exhibiting a unique design and charisma.

There were elegantly beautiful women radiating warmth, kindly wise old men in white robes, proud warriors riding war chariots, fearsome demons with jutting tusks, and even ancient dragons and titans with mysterious vertical pupils.

They appeared lifelike, as if they were collectively casting their gaze upon him.

An overwhelming sense of oppression swelled from all directions, compelling one to bow in reverence.

This was a Temple of the Gods!

Lynn’s eyes shimmered with shock.

He silently surveyed the surroundings, only to discover something new.

Standing within the Temple of the Gods were around thirty or forty statues, each extending a crystal-clear and flawless order chain from their palms, gently shimmering like threads cascading down from above.

They extended from all angles only to converge at one spot.

Following the direction of the chains downward, Lynn suddenly froze.

To be honest, in such a Temple of the Gods, he wouldn’t have found anything surprising.

But what he definitely didn’t expect was a woman.

A woman trapped by countless order chains. She wore a shabby black gown, her white hair cascading like a waterfall down her waist, bare, snow-white feet, exuding a cold yet noble aura.

Unfortunately, such a beautiful woman was mostly shackled by the order chains around her joints: neck, wrists, ankles, waist—without freedom, she could only sit on the edge of the central dais, quietly flipping through a book.

At the moment he saw her appearance, Lynn’s breath hitched.

Though she wasn’t clad in extravagantly ornate garments, and her originally dark hair had turned white for some reason, the cursed mark on her face was gone.

But Lynn recognized instantly that the woman before him was none other than Her Highness the Princess—Ivyst Roland Alexini of the Saint Roland Empire.

Once he realized this, deep confusion welled up within him.

What was happening? According to memory, that Sorceress of the End, who should have ruled the world ten thousand years later, why on earth was she trapped here like a prisoner?

Lynn couldn’t fathom it.

Moreover, he couldn’t discern any trace of the princess’s usual demeanor from this undeniably beautiful white-haired woman.

That contemptuous smile, the piercing gaze, the regal and arrogant aura, and her domineering ways—all completely vanished.

What remained was a chilling, dead silence like a millennia-old iceberg.

Lynn instinctively moved toward the direction of the woman.

As his faint footsteps echoed, the captivating woman finally shifted her gaze from the book, raising her head slowly.

Their eyes met in the air.

Lynn wanted to say something, but for some reason, words failed him.

After a moment, the woman spoke first.

“I sensed your calling, so I brought you here.” Ivyst—or rather, the Sorceress of the End—softly articulated, her lips parting gently in a voice as cold as ice.

Gazing at her emotionless face, Lynn mustered a smile: “Honorable Princess, it’s been a while… May I ask, where exactly is this place?”

The Sorceress of the End cast a glance at him, then softly closed the book in her hands.

“As you said in your prayers, this is the end, as well as the conclusion,” she replied in a quiet voice. “However, it’s been a long time since anyone used that title to address me.”

The latter part of her sentence seemed to be a murmured thought unheard by anyone.

Yet at that moment, Lynn couldn’t focus on that detail.

Just hearing the first part left him stunned for a full ten seconds.

This was the end, as well as the conclusion.

Whose end? Whose conclusion? Obviously, it belonged to the woman before him.

Lynn felt a prickling sensation on his scalp.

He feared he had been mistaken from the very beginning, wildly off the mark.

This was neither ten thousand years later nor the pinnacle period of the Sorceress of the End, but rather a future so far ahead it was beyond his imagination.

In that future, Ivyst had approached the end of life.

If that was the case, then the answer was clear.

At this moment, the time node was exactly one hundred thousand years post the conclusion of the royal selection, the grand finale of the original novel!

The cornered Sorceress of the End, Ivyst, awaited her doom in the Temple of the Gods, sealed by the gods, embracing her tragic and pitiful conclusion.

But Lynn’s shock hadn’t ended there.

Seeing him standing in place, the snow-haired sorceress spoke calmly: “What’s your name?”

Lynn instinctively clenched his fists: “I am Lynn… Lynn Bartleon.”

His gaze locked onto her, desperately seeking any sign of wavering.

But that wish ultimately fell flat.

“Never heard of you,” the Sorceress of the End replied nonchalantly.

Lynn’s heart skipped a beat.

He stubbornly opened the system, trying to check her information.

Then, he froze completely.

From the S-rank character level and name, it was clear that the woman before him was indeed the princess he recognized.

Yet, why? Staring at the last column that displayed a number, Lynn felt a touch of absurdity.

[Plot Deviation: 0.00%]

The second main line activated! Also, we’re currently seventh on the new book chart, can you all help push it up a bit more?! Pleeease!