"..."

For some reason, I feel like I've heard these words somewhere before...

Listening to the White Snake's earnest reply, "Princess Catherine" furrowed her brows in deep thought for a moment, and then suddenly realized, clapping her palm as she finally recalled where she had heard similar words.

She remembered when the Food God first arrived in the Northern Kingdom, the Snow Wolf had confidently promised her that he could definitely bluff the Food God, and a hundred percent wouldn't let him disrupt things;

But within two hours, the Food God saw through his deception and directly stormed into the subterranean Heat River.

Later, when the Food God discovered the Snow Wolf's handiwork left in Rehe City, the Snow Wolf again assured her, unless he killed all the living people in Rehe City, there was absolutely no stopping him;

However, the Food God directly summoned the Nightmare River, effectively "eliminating" everyone in Rehe City.

Ultimately, the Snow Wolf gritted his teeth and told her, as long as they could destroy the Sea of Pure Stone, releasing the Earth sapwood within, the Food God was absolutely doomed;

The Earth sapwood were crushed miserably, barely managing to save their entire clan by promising to act as dogs for the Clean-up Bureau, as for the Snow Wolf, just as confident as the White Snake…

Let's just say he died in an exceptionally smooth manner, the Food God swallowed him whole with just one bite, not even giving him the chance to leave a dying message.

So... why do I feel like things might end disastrously again this time?

...

The Raven Masked Man, feeling as if the word "death" was written all over his face while reflecting in the hall window, couldn't help but reach up to touch his earring, then tentatively suggested:

'Why don't we hold off on the plan for now?'

'???'

Amid the puzzled silence of the White Snake earring, the Raven Masked Man, his inner alarm bells ringing chaotically, proposed somewhat sheepishly:

'White Snake, if the Food God wasn't involved, I'd be more willing to go through with this, but now... maybe we should try a different approach? I just feel a bit uneasy...'

'...'

What the hell are you talking about! The story is already being told! Given such an open "truth," even the average Pillar God wouldn't dare to come in, could Leon possibly turn the world upside down!

Seeing that even at this point, Raven still wanted to back off, the White Snake earring angrily shook twice strongly, then mocked with a cold, sarcastic tone:

'Raven, are you telling me you're afraid of Leon?'

'A little...'

'...'

No... did you really just admit that? When you returned after being promoted to Pillar God, you said you wanted to challenge him again! This already done deed, and you're trying to take another step back on it?

Having been thrown off by the Raven Masked Man's honesty, the White Snake remained silent for more than half a minute, then reluctantly steadied his agitated emotions and continued to try and dissuade:

'Raven, that great being's ability isn't that easily deployed, like this large-scale Bedtime Story, which will consume several centuries of his accumulation, and afterwards, he still has to fall into slumber with those who listened, until the opponent's soul is completely worn out and obliterated. The upfront and backend cost combined is unbelievably enormous, to take down a few short-lived humans, it would deplete almost a millennium of time from a Pillar God! If you withdraw now, that great being's sacrifice would all be for nothing!'

'This...'

After listening to the White Snake's persuasion, the Raven Masked Man blinked slightly, then sheepishly replied:

'But having been selected by this [Bedtime Story], apart from retaining part of the 'truth' from my Pillar God promotion, I've basically reverted to a normal human, and even drinking cold tea could give me diarrhea, such a fragile body is extremely dangerous, if I really end up dead…'

'You won't be the only one in danger!'

Infuriated by the Raven Masked Man's cowardice, the earring suddenly shook, and the White Snake's angry rebuke boomed from within:

'Do you even know how much risk that great being had to undertake to make this [Bedtime Story] happen? You think he wouldn't die if you would? You…'

At this point, knowing he misspoke, the White Snake paused momentarily, then awkwardly shifted the topic:

"Anyway, if you want to back out, just do it! Though you haven't gained the approval of those great beings yet, you are indeed no longer just an ordinary member, I really don't have the authority to forcibly command you.

But I swear, if you truly choose to withdraw, betraying that great being's sacrifice, I absolutely will... um..."

The harsh words had just been spoken halfway when the White Snake's voice was slightly interrupted, as if the "signal" was poor, causing some static, and shortly after, another magnetic, gender-indistinguishable gentle voice replaced the White Snake in the conversation.

'Raven, I rescued the White Snake from the hands of the Clean-up Bureau, he has always respected me, so his reaction just now was a bit impulsive, you don't need to take his words to heart.'

After mediating with a few words, the new voice, gentle and magnetic, introduced itself:

"I am the narrator of this [Bedtime Story], the Pillar God with the truth of [Narration of Nonexistence], and one of the founders of the Slaughter King Association."

'?!'

Upon hearing the gentle voice, "Princess Catherine" involuntarily shivered slightly, her expression immediately turning solemn.

Before being discovered by the Aquarius Director of this generation in the Clean-up Bureau, the Slaughter King Association's ways were always extremely secretive, wearing masks during gatherings, even among official members, few knew each other's identities.

As for those few Pillar Gods who founded the Slaughter King Association, they were even more secretive... or perhaps not deliberately hiding.

Before humans first descended, before the Great Court Ten Clans split apart, when the present world was even older and more ancient, the names of those ancient Pillar Gods must have once echoed throughout the world.

But as each race was born and then destroyed, as each True God emerged and then vanished, as each Plane shattered and then reformed, the true names and histories of these ancient Pillar Gods have gradually faded into obscurity with the passing time, becoming unknown to most.

Even though she has now become a Pillar God herself, possessing truly eternal life, in front of these ancient Pillar Gods, whose age is unfathomable, she still remains an extraordinarily young child, maintaining respect is the proper etiquette.

'Lord.'

After greeting politely, the Raven Masked Man hesitated briefly before admitting, somewhat shamefully:

'My truth name... is somewhat special, it's specifically related to evading disaster, and just now I vaguely sensed something very dangerous approaching, so...'

'Hmm, I understand.'

Responding gently, [Narration of Nonexistence]'s voice was somewhat ethereal:

'When I had just become a Pillar God, mastering my own truth, I was actually much like you, overly sensitive and obsessed with "truth." When you're not yet accustomed to 'truth,' receiving an omen from your disaster evading truth warning you, it's only natural to instinctively want to back off, it's not cowardice or retreat, but an uncontrollable instinct.'

Standing from Raven's perspective, making a few sentences in his defense, the gender-indistinguishable voice said with great interest:

'Besides, the human who makes you feel scared seems indeed a bit special, there are some... hmm... let me put it this way, if this [Bedtime Story] wasn't being told by me, I might even think he is the protagonist of this story.'