49 - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

### Chapter 49: The Theory of Ripples in the Lake and Destiny Lynn's mind blanked for a moment. He stared in disbelief at the number on the system panel. Resolving the incident involving the Creation School had only happened yesterday, and the memories were still vivid. He distinctly remembered altering the fate of over three hundred people who were destined to die, significantly changing the trajectory of Yvette's future. Even setting that aside, the moment they first met, when he removed her mask, stood out in his memory. Otherwise, where did the Truth Devourer come from? Had he not gained system points from Yvette, he would never have obtained this divine skill, nor survived the hypnosis experiment! Causality dictates that every effect has a cause. Thus, Lynn was certain that the number shouldn't be zero. Yet the stark reality in front of him plunged him into unprecedented silence. After a moment, a thought seemed to occur to Lynn. A parallel world? No, impossible. In an instant, Lynn dismissed the idea from his mind. Not only did he scoff at the theory, but this was also a world within a novel. From start to finish, the original story had only one plot line, everything was already predetermined in writing. Moreover, Lynn couldn’t recall any mention of such a setting in the novel. To him, it was more like the Timeline Axis theory. The story commenced with the protagonist’s entrance, progressing towards a predetermined end without deviation, until the conclusion. So why talk about infinite possibilities? In Lynn's view, parallel worlds were fundamentally flawed. For instance, in some novels he read in his past life, the protagonist travels to another timeline, saving a heroine from a tragic fate, leading to a blissful ending. This might sound like a happy resolution. But considering infinite timelines, there are countless versions where the heroine still suffers tragically. The so-called redemption merely solves the immediate timeline’s issue, fostering a sense of complacent satisfaction. Therefore, Lynn didn’t believe in parallel worlds. But if not, how could this phenomenon be explained? Could it be destiny, treating effects as causes? For example, if a person's future was destined to die impoverished, even if they unexpectedly gained wealth, they would somehow squander it instead of achieving renewed prosperity. Yvette was like that impoverished person, while he himself was the unexpected wealth. Although he once appeared, he ultimately couldn't resist the world will’s correction of the plot. But this explanation fell short. If that were the case, the impoverished individual should at least remember having possessed wealth. Not like how she just displayed, completely unaware. Feeling the gaze of the Witch of the End, Lynn paused in silence. Eventually, he spoke again, “Your Highness, do you remember Morris, Afia, and Madame Milani?” His gaze remained on her face. This time, things seemed different. Upon hearing the names, unlike her earlier expressionless demeanor, the Witch of the End’s expression faltered momentarily before reverting to icy coldness. Lynn clearly saw a flicker of recollection in her face. However, it wasn’t a pleasant memory. “Judging by the time, it should be soon,” she said softly after a moment. “What do you mean?” Lynn asked. “These people should still be alive in the era you belong to,” the Witch of the End said calmly, “but they’ll soon die.” Hearing this, Lynn took a deep breath. He certainly didn’t doubt the truth of the Witch of the End's words. In the original work, the depiction of the villainous princess wasn't extensive, and even fewer details were provided about her subordinates. Lynn didn’t recall their stories being mentioned in the book. There was only one possibility. They had died before the plot even began. Or maybe they never existed, and were merely created because, after his transmigration, the world’s will supplemented the narrative logic for the unmentioned parts of the original story. For Lynn at the moment, however, these details weren't the focus. He noted this information internally and redirected his attention to the previous dilemma. Regarding the Witch of the End, she forgot who Lynn was, yet remembered her former subordinates. So, what distinguished him from Afia and the others? A realization dawned on Lynn. Perhaps, because he wasn't originally part of this world. To the indigenous inhabitants, he was akin to a foreign element incompatible with any storyline. An anomaly... a contaminant. With this thought, Lynn suddenly addressed the Witch of the End: “Your Highness, I have one more question.” “In your long life, have you ever heard the name ‘Lynn Bartleon’ anywhere else?” “No,” the Witch of the End replied disinterestedly. Lynn exhaled in relief, “That’s good.” “What do you mean?” she asked, casting an eye over him. “It means... to you, the era I am in is history,” Lynn said, his gaze unwavering, “but only I am aware that if I truly existed in the past, it's impossible for me to remain unknown.” “The name Lynn Bartleon is destined to echo through the world.” The previous theory about the impoverished person was dismissible now. Perhaps everything in this world was fated. But for Lynn, it was not so. Given the term “plot deviation,” and combined with memories of his death in his past life, it’s likely he was placed in this world to alter the novel’s storyline. There is no parallel world nor an extra timeline here. There is only one axis of time. The Princess Yvette and the Witch of the End before him were always the same person. However, one was in the past, and the other in the future. Of course, that might not be the best way to describe it. Lynn then thought of another vivid example. He now felt like standing beside a lake, while the Witch of the End was on the distant shore, both unable to directly affect each other. Only by throwing a stone into the lake, causing ripples and waves, could he truly influence the opposite shore. The action of throwing the stone reflects changing the plot in reality. The lake between Lynn and the Witch of the End symbolized the corrective force of the world's will, and the ten thousand years separating them. Although he had stirred some ripples of destiny, they would be gradually smoothed by the lake's resistance, unable to reach the opposite side. Thus, she remembers nothing about Lynn, and the plot deviation resets to zero. Because for everyone in this world, Lynn does not exist in the past nor the future, he only exists in the present. Yet this doesn’t mean his previous efforts were in vain. After all, he merely tossed a small stone into the lake. But, what if one day he lifted an entire mountain? As long as the ripples evolve into waves, they will eventually cross ten thousand years of time and reach the other shore.