The existence of Medici had already demonstrated that Lynn's actions in the past could directly affect the states of beings in the Fifth Epoch without causing a butterfly effect.
Lynn had only experimented with bestowing Beyonder Characteristics, but he hadn't clarified another matter: what would happen if he took away someone's Characteristic in the past? How would it reflect on that person's future self?
'Will it be like with Medici, where the person is directly affected and lacks the corresponding Characteristic? Or will it be like the mysterious history, where the person isn't affected at all? Or maybe some other scenario...' Lynn pondered, his thoughts drifting to Artisan and the Hidden Sage, making him increasingly curious.
'For instance, Artisan is already a deity in the Fifth Epoch. If I take away his Characteristic in the Fourth Epoch, will he regress to the King of Angels in the Fifth Epoch?'
'The Hidden Sage, being a unique entity... If he loses his uniqueness, will he simply disappear? Or, having collected Characteristics of the Knowledge Emperor over the years, might he regress to being a mere angel?'
Lynn was deeply curious about these possibilities.
However, he still had use for Artisan and was waiting for the right time, so he had no plans to reclaim Artisan's Sequence 1 Characteristic for now. But with the Hidden Sage, he had no such reservations. After all, the Hidden Sage wasn't a good person, and Lynn felt no moral dilemma in tricking him.
"It seems you've already made up your mind." The Ancient Sun God, unaware of Lynn's thoughts, noticed his interest in the Hermit's uniqueness.
"Yes, I have some ideas. I hope to successfully obtain the Hermit's uniqueness this time," Lynn said with a smile.
The Ancient Sun God chuckled lightly at Lynn's words and proceeded with the rest of the meeting, shifting the focus from the Giant Kingdom to the arrangements for the upcoming wartime period. The divine kingdom had no immediate plans to openly engage in warfare with the supernatural races, as humanity was still too weak and vulnerable to the slightest misstep.
The Ancient Sun God's strategy involved mainly defending their territory and taking advantage of the wartime period to rescue and recruit, sow discord among those outside the gods, and generally adopt a conservative approach.
"Though we focus on defense for now, you must be prepared for the possibility of war at any time. War is no longer distant from us," the Ancient Sun God said, his expression serious. "Even I cannot guarantee that the flames of war won't reach the divine kingdom someday. The brutal and insane ancient gods might not ignore our existence forever. Perhaps tomorrow, the Beyonder races will declare war on us. War is cruel, and everyone here, including myself, might die on the battlefield..."
"Lord..." Hearing the Ancient Sun God mention the possibility of his own death, many present showed varying expressions. Leodoro, who was usually outspoken, couldn't help but say, "There's no need to speak so pessimistically. We all believe that you will surely reclaim your former authority and lead us to restore humanity's glory..."
"I also believe the Lord will triumph over all mad gods," Aucuses agreed, his expression equally serious.
Others also voiced their agreement. Even Medici, usually known for his cynical remarks, refrained from making any snide comments.
After listening to everyone, the Ancient Sun God smiled and said, "I'm glad you all believe in me, and I hope everything turns out as we wish. But we must prepare for all eventualities. Whatever happens, we must be ready..."
The Ancient Sun God then outlined the plans for how the divine kingdom should respond if war broke out, and what to do in case of unexpected events. He spoke both generally and specifically, detailing various contingency plans, including the possibility of his own demise.
While the Ancient Sun God hoped to liberate humanity from the Beyonder races, he also understood the importance of being prepared for anything. He knew that the current state of humanity could not withstand even a minor setback.
The Ancient Sun God had no intention of revealing these concerns to the ordinary citizens or common Beyonders, as they needed to see him as an invincible leader who would never fall. However, the people in this room were different.
Whether it was Leodoro and his companions, the recent additions like Lynn and Medici, or Sasrir, they were the ones closest to him, the true high-ranking members of the divine kingdom. For them, the Ancient Sun God didn't need to maintain an image of invincibility, as that would only lead to misjudgments.
Instead, the Ancient Sun God wanted them to clearly understand the true state of the divine kingdom. Only then would they act with caution and be prepared to take up the mantle of protecting humanity if he were to fall.
After the Ancient Sun God finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy. Even Medici, who usually carried an air of arrogance, furrowed his brow and fell into contemplation.
Lynn, on the other hand, couldn't help but look at the Ancient Sun God a few more times. Before today, he had thought of the Ancient Sun God more as a heroic figure, a human hero with a fondness for beauty. Lynn had assumed the Ancient Sun God was similar to Roselle, not in character, but in their blind confidence as transmigrators, believing they could accomplish anything.
In truth, it wasn't exactly blind confidence; both the Ancient Sun God and Roselle had achieved incredible feats far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Most of the things they wanted to do, they had accomplished.
However, today Lynn realized that perhaps the Ancient Sun God wasn't as confident as he seemed. He was fully aware of how difficult it was to save humanity in this era, and he knew that he might fall along the way, yet he still pressed forward without hesitation.
'So, why are all my friends these bright and righteous types, making me, a chaotic neutral person, feel compelled to lean towards Chaotic Lawful...' Lynn muttered internally. He then raised his hand and said, "Although, I have a suggestion for those contingency plans you mentioned."
"Go ahead," the Ancient Sun God said warmly, looking at Lynn.
"You forgot to include my combat capability..." Lynn smiled brightly. "While not lasting, I can at least suppress an ancient god, though I can't guarantee a kill!"
(End of Chapter)
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