Roel, theres another reason I brought you here other than to celebrate your birthday.

Hm? What is it?

You should have noticed that something is missing from your body.

My Origin Attribute? Roel asked.

The Mother Goddess nodded.

Roel had to fuse his soul with the Crown Origin Attribute in order to reach the same level of existence as the Savior, but he had to pay a hefty price for that, most notably the loss of his Origin Attribute.

Fusing two souls was easy, but separating them afterward was nigh impossible, almost like trying to separate two fluids of similar properties that had been mixed together. The loss of his Origin Attribute would greatly reduce Roels fighting prowess.

Fortunately, it was not impossible to solve this problem when he had the Mother Goddess on his side.

I separated your Crown Origin Attribute out while I was treating you. I should return it to you now that your soul has mostly stabilized, but there is one thing I need to say in advance.

Hm?

Roel looked at the Mother Goddess, whose face had suddenly turned severe, and a pair of hands suddenly pulled his cheeks.

M-Mother?

Dont you ever do that again. If I hadnt been by your side, you would have already

!

Hearing the agitation in Her hoarse voice, Roel froze up before earnestly apologizing for it.

Im sorry. I have worried you.

Theres no need for you to apologize. You only did that in order to save Me Forget it; lets not talk about that anymore. Give Me your hand.

With a helpless shake of Her head, the Mother Goddess concluded the topic. She placed Her hand on Her chest while Roel obediently stretched out both his hands and waited.

I was only able to separate the Crown Origin Attribute from your soul because it used to be part of My soul. It was also for this reason I spent the past half a month sleeping beside you.

I see. Roel nodded in realization.

A hazy speck of light began separating from the Mother Goddess body, glowing ever so faintly under the night sky. It was a mysterious creation that was reminiscent of a translucent crystal, emanating an ethereal glow.

From the moment it appeared, Roels bloodline and soul began to stir in resonation.

Under the moonlight, the Mother Goddess bestowed the Crown representing utmost power and authority on its owner, as She had done countless years back. The floating speck of light drifted down onto Roels hand before disappearing into his body.

The return of the Crown Origin Attribute filled Roel with a strong gush of relief. His bloodline had finally found its crux, and his soul was whole once more.

It was then that a familiar sound echoed.

Ding! Restoration of Origin Attribute completed. Initiating return.

!

Under the moonlight, Roel was dumbfounded by the notification. He anxiously looked through the System, and there, he found that the information, Countdown to the end of the Witness State, had, unbeknownst to him, appeared on the interface at some point in time.

With the return of his Origin Attribute, the timer started readjusting.

30, 29, 28......

30 seconds? You must be kidding me! This is too short! I havent even gotten to

The abrupt countdown threw Roel for a loop. He anxiously turned to the Mother Goddess to say his last words, only to see the latter clutching Her forehead with a look of distress.

Mother?

Im fine. I just feel a little dizzy. Itll soon

The Mother Goddess words trailed off as a frown slowly formed on Her face. She stared intently at Roel before saying three words he would have never expected to hear from Her.

Who are you?

What?

Roel stiffened up in shock. He immediately understood what had happened.

The effects of the substitution are weakening!

That put him at a loss.

Without the effects of the substitution at play, the fact that he wasnt the original Kingmaker would be quickly exposed. There was nothing else he could do. The Mother Goddess had already figured out the truth.

I wont even be able to say my final farewell?

This thought filled Roel with inexplicable grief. He clenched his fists in indignation as bitterness flooded his heart. Yet, the Mother Goddess following words further shook his psyche.

You are the descendant of that traitor! What did you do to Me?!

Ah?!

Roel raised his head and stared at the Mother Goddess in disbelief. Before he could say a word, a tremendous pressure suddenly crushed down on him.

This was the second time that he was faced with the Mother Goddess pressure, but unlike their first encounter on the battlefield, She was not holding anything back this time around. This gave Roel a clear glimpse into just how powerful the Mother Goddess was.

Under the Mother Goddess pressure, the world he perceived around him immediately changed. The sun, the moon, and the stars stopped glowing, and the flow of air came to a standstill. As if his body had been filled with lead, he found himself incapable of moving in the least.

The pressure was already impossible to deal with, but this was not all.

A reflexive attack ensued, as the Mother Goddess brought Her left hand, which glowed with the brilliance of the moon, down onto him. Her intent to kill was chilling like a winter wind.

15, 14, 13

Roel had no choice but to raise his hands and push his Crown Origin Attribute to its very limit. Frost aura flooded out from his hands, forming a shield of ice.

Mother He cried almost soundlessly with a heart filled with despair.

!

To his utmost shock, the Mother Goddess suddenly halted Her attack upon his murmur. Emotions rippled in Her crimson eyes.

What am I doing

Ah?

The Mother Goddess muttered with a quivering voice as She stared at Roel with dazed eyes.

No, thats not right. You are My child. My most beloved child

Unable to process the wreck that was going on in Her mind, the Mother Goddess staggered backward with a pained look on Her face. Her emotions were starting to go haywire. Tears flowed from Her eyes, as She stared intently at Roel as if She was looking for something.

Seeing Her in utter disarray, Roel couldnt hold back his emotions anymore.

Its me, Mother! I didnt betray You. I didnt betray You to the very end! So So

With words that sounded like a desperate, hoarse scream, Roel put down all of his defenses and extended his hand toward the Mother Goddess. Miraculously, the Mother Goddess also started to slowly calm down.

You are Roel

After a moment of silence, the Mother Goddess murmured in realization as if She had snapped out of a dream. She carefully took a step forward and reached out toward his hand.

The distance between them gradually shortened until they were just inches away from each other. It was then that an ice-cold System notification echoed.

2, 1, 0. Countdown ended Initiating return