288 The Future He Chooses (2)

“History with such a huge disparity will be erased and become nothing more than a hollow fantasy. But don’t forget, the Lady of Starvation holds sway over another timeline, one that’s only 5% different from the one we’re living in now. So She could easily replace our history without causing too many paradoxes. At most, She’ll leave behind a few conflicting records.”

William shook his head in disbelief as he listened to the explanation.

William couldn’t wrap his head around this. People in this world were not mere NPCs with set behaviors. They each had their own will, and that will was a mystery comparable to creation itself. Even the Void Sovereigns couldn’t control the lives of hundreds of millions of mortals for 5,000 years like puppets.

The mere wish of a mortal to venture out into the world could change the trajectory of history.

William voiced his doubts, and Floral suddenly let go of her staff and stood still.

She lifted her black veil, revealing a face too pale for a Forest Elf. The aura of death surrounded her as the enchanted accessory was no longer concealing her.

The moment she lifted her veil, all eyes in the room were fixed on her in disbelief, except for William and Ebony.

The dark aura that surrounded her was palpable, and it was unmistakableshe was a Lich, one of the most powerful undead creatures in the realm.

Lich The Holy Tree Duke of Emerald Province is a Lich? What kind of joke is this?

William was not surprised, for he had already uncovered her identity. But he was intrigued by her motives.

Ebony, on the other hand, was completely unaware of the commotion until he noticed the hushed silence and shocked expressions of those around him.

“What’s wrong with all of you?”

Floral turned her attention to William and explained, “In the world controlled by the Lady of Starvation, the once thriving Ravenwood had been consumed by the corruption of the Moon Realm. The land was left barren and desolate, a place where death and decay were the only constants.”

With that said, she looked at Ebony and continued, “Therefore, She controlled countless undead and imitated the historical process of our timeline up until now.”

Ebony’s expression darkened as he spat out, “Stop this nonsense! What other lies are you coming up with to hide your crimes? Are you trying to say I’m one of the undead?”

Ebony’s body was shaking, not out of fear or nervousness, but purely out of his efforts to repress his rage.

The faint outline of a Beast Spirit phantom was forming around him, a clear indication that if he weren’t aware of the strength difference between him and the Holy Tree Matriarch’s Listener, he would have exploded and attacked the other person.

“The Blood Moon Game is the only way to determine the heir to the Father of the Wilderness. The Ebony tribe has a rich history, tracing back to the Golden Age. And if the Matriarch’s will had truly died, how did the Forest Elves fend off the Riel Empire’s conquest?”

“Don’t try to use such lame lies to cloud Lord William’s judgment!”

Ebony looked desperately at William, hoping for his support.

In response, William said to Ebony, “In my era, the Forest Elf ancestors wielded the powers of the Matriarch and the Father of the Wilderness to defeat the Lady of Starvation’s attempt at descent. After the victory, the two gods declared they would slumber until the Forest Elves called upon them once more.”

After all, an important theme of the game was the end of the Age of Gods marking a new dawn for the Age of Mortals. At the time, the ancient gods’ faith had faded, the Moon Realm Void Sovereigns were quarantined, and the Holy Spirits had returned to a rational belief system. Modern magic was on the brink of being standardized and widely accepted.

The Matriarch left the Forest Elves with a poignant message through the Listener before departing: “The age that belongs to you (mortals) has finally arrived.”

A thousand years have passed and the Riel Empire has turned the tides of history. William wasn’t shocked to see Ravenwood in such a state of disrepairit was more of a competition for last place with the Riel Empire.

This is why William believed that Floral, who was closely aligned with the empire, could be a more dependable ally. The empire’s secular structure was at least a step up from the Forest Elves’ faith-based system, which stifled any chance for progress and growth.