Chapter 111 Chasing Husband to the Crematorium? - Stop Hypnotizing Me, Villainous Princess!

"What?" Upon hearing the words of the Witch of the End, Lynn stood in stunned silence. The future had changed, so he must return to Evester's side. What kind of logic was this? He was momentarily dumbfounded. At the same time, an uneasy feeling crept into his heart. Although he hadn't chosen the future the Witch Lady arranged for him, according to Lynn's own plan, this incident with the seal's unrest was the perfect opportunity to escape. After this, he could change his name and identity, completely freeing himself from that woman's clutches, and live a life as vast as the sea. After all, Lynn considered that he had fulfilled all duties expected of a subordinate. He truly owed nothing to Evester and simply wanted to return to a carefree life. Perhaps in the future, when he was stronger, he might return to help Evester. But not now. Recalling their last encounter, where Evester left a bite mark on his shoulder, and her sickly yet fervent gaze at that time, Lynn felt a shiver down his spine. Fortunately, the Witch Lady had healed him, otherwise, it would have been another indelible mark. Speaking of which, rounding it up, wasn't this wound caused by the Witch Lady in front of him? Why did she heal it? Lynn felt utterly confused. But imagining that cold Witch Lady gently bending down to leave a shallow bite mark on his shoulder suddenly felt rather suggestive. No, focus. Wasn't the discussion about whether or not to return to Evester's side? Lynn surreptitiously smacked himself. No matter what, if he returned safely to that woman's side now, something he didn't want to face would undoubtedly occur. Noticing Lynn's confusion and hesitation, the Witch Lady's expression remained cool: "You must have felt it, this time I transmitted your soul along with your body to the Pantheon." Lynn nodded. This was precisely the part that puzzled him. According to the original setting, the past and future shouldn't be able to interfere with reality. If it were truly that easy to allow someone to jump timelines, wouldn't that spell big trouble? Even the protagonist in the original couldn't achieve such a feat. "I have two hypotheses regarding this issue," the Witch Lady stated calmly. "First, it might be because you're my follower, having received the blessing of the end." Upon hearing this, Lynn suddenly recalled an ability the Witch Lady had bestowed upon him, named something like the Divine Select of the End. He always thought it was useless, but now it seemed it might be a transmission anchor point. No wonder he could so easily communicate with the Witch Lady, even without setting up a complete prayer ritual, and be brought to the Pantheon by her. "Second, your uniqueness," the Witch Lady continued, "Though I don't know what secret lies within you, to me, you seem like an 'impurity' incompatible with this world." "You have no past or future, merely existing in the present." "For instance, if you're in the Pantheon right now, then in reality, after disappearing from the Solon Mountains, the future would no longer have any trace of 'Lynn Bartleon.'" "This has also led to everything that happened afterward." Upon saying this, the Witch Lady seemed to recall something, frowning slightly. "So, after my 'death,' what exactly happened?" Lynn grew serious. The Witch Lady hesitated before speaking. After a moment of contemplation, she lightly shook her head. "You should see for yourself." With that, she gently raised her hand, transmitting a memory into Lynn's mind. A crumbling empire, countless dead and injured citizens, raging wars, a weeping saintess, and an angry hero. Countless scenes gradually unfolded before Lynn's eyes. Until the final scene. It was a sinister and terrifying underground prison, with a woman in a red dress and white hair locked deep inside. A sharp, sacred, glowing longsword pierced through her chest, pinning her against the wall. Blood flowed incessantly from her chest, yet her expression was one of lifelessness. Was this the Princess Consort?! Instantly, Lynn recognized the true identity of this prisoner. Moreover, he could make a guess about her location. According to the original plot, the third princess Evester was supposed to fall into a deep sleep for well over a year after consuming the Wishful Jar, and then arrive late during the peak of the royal selection plotline. Due to the inability to control the spreading curse within her, coupled with the influence of the Genesis Demon and a core trait, she almost brought irreparable disaster to the capital. In the end, she was stopped by the first princess Xilina and the original protagonist Sia, and incarcerated in the Deadwater Prison. And the scene before him was clearly the eighteenth layer of the Deadwater Prison. According to this memory, after his disappearance from the world, Evester seemed to fall into a state of despair and madness, her hatred towards Saint Roland VI and the country escalating to extreme extents. Ultimately, without the core of a Level 0 seal and the Genesis Demon holding her back, she awakened a formidable power in a short period. Subsequently, she launched a bloody revenge on the empire. She almost succeeded, nearly sacrificing half the nation in a bid to ascend as a deity. However, in the end, she was still fated to be defeated by the hero Sia and pinned with the Holy Sword in the depths of the Deadwater Prison until hundreds of years later when she finally escaped. The ending remained unchanged. Though the process diverged wildly, Evester was ultimately sealed in Deadwater Prison. Moreover, those around her met the same tragic fate. Was this the corrective power of the world's will? Lynn suddenly felt a bit frightened. Even though he pushed Evester's plot deviation to over ten percent, within just a few years, everything had reverted to the original predetermined path. He finally somewhat understood why, after this incident, the plot deviation percentage for the Witch of the End only increased by 1%. One hundred thousand years. In the scale of a hundred thousand years, everything he did was truly insignificant. Perhaps, the plot deviation needed to be increased for not only Evester herself but numerous other existences as well. After all, she couldn't possibly be the only S-level plot character in this world. Noticing Lynn's somber expression, the Witch Lady remained quiet for a moment before speaking, "Do not lose heart." "Everything you've done is not in vain; at the very least, you've saved her from the past." She originally meant to say "me." But for some reason, she inexplicably changed her words at the last moment, even she didn't know why. Lynn took a deep breath, "So, to prevent your past self from repeating the future's mistakes, I must return to your side?" His only choice to avert the future destruction of the empire was to return to the world's intended path and prevent Evester's mental collapse. Seriously, how did he not realize he possessed some kind of inhibitor function? A feeling of frustration swelled in his heart. Not that he truly despised that woman, Evester. If he truly hated her, he wouldn't have risked his life, enduring so much just to feign bravado and return. On the contrary, Lynn thought he possibly had a positive impression of her. At least that night, witnessing Evester's silent tears touched a part of his heart. It was as if he didn't want to see her in pain again. Though such feelings were faint. However, that crazy woman's pathological possessiveness was too overbearing, making it unbearable for him. After all, Lynn considered himself traditional, having a more masculine dominance, and preferred playing the knight's role rather than being treated as a mount. Sensing his inner conflict, a peculiar emotion surfaced in the Witch Lady's heart. She pondered for a moment, then softly said, "I know what you're thinking, but this time, the situation might be a bit different." Lynn looked up, surprised. "When you leave, I will make some adjustments on you." The Witch Lady smoothed her skirt. Lynn was curious, "What kind of adjustments?" "I will temporarily seal a part of your emotions and memories," the Witch Lady gazed at him. "Of course, just a small part." "Regarding your intimate memories and feelings about her." "You will only remember yourself as a subordinate recently recruited by her, without noticing any disconnection." This revelation stunned Lynn. "So, I'll perceive your past self as a stranger?" He asked cautiously. "Exactly." Such a significant piece of news, yet from the Witch Lady's mouth, it sounded somewhat understated. Lynn took a deep breath, "Respectable Witch Lady, this joke isn't very funny." "You should know, given her past personality, if I actually go through with this, there's a high likelihood I'd end up with broken limbs locked in a basement." Hearing this, the Witch Lady's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. "She is she, and I am me." The Witch Lady suddenly turned away, facing away from Lynn. "I believe it's best to keep this distinct, considering the ten thousand years between us. Don't you think?" "You're right," Lynn said, sweating profusely as he sensed the atmosphere turning chilly. Wow. This was the first time he had encountered someone capable of splitting themselves, truly remarkable from the Witch Lady. Thinking it over, it did make some sense. Evester was twenty-three years old this year, while the Witch of the End was a full hundred thousand years older than her. Twenty-three years were a mere blink of an eye in her immensely long lifespan. And a span filled with countless painful memories. However, he had never noticed her harboring such ideas before; her sudden mention today left him puzzled. Yet, the more pressing matter at hand was the situation with Evester. After a moment of silence, the Witch Lady spoke softly, "No need to worry, once those memories are sealed, she won't commit those cruel acts towards you." "The reason... I do not wish to say, but you can trust me." I get it. A classic case of the lover's pursuit ending in a tragic twist. Lynn sweated profusely. Though thinking it through, the term "lover" seemed a bit off, considering he doubted Evester's capacity to fall so easily for him. It was likely due to her unhealthy possessiveness. But wouldn't this potentially backfire? A wave of doubt engulfed Lynn's heart. An awkward silence filled the air. It wasn't just him, even the Witch Lady felt a bit perplexed at the moment. Why am I so insistent on making him view me as two separate entities? Moreover, why did I suggest sealing his memories? Even she couldn't fathom her own reasoning. Yet, when the thought of "Third Princess Evester" crossed her mind, a strange emotion inexplicably flickered within her. The sensation left her somewhat irritable. However, it would be much later before the Witch Lady realized this emotion was, in fact, "jealousy." "Additionally, I have another matter that requires your attention; consider it a part of your ascension trial." After a long silence, she was the first to break the quiet. Lynn instinctively raised his head. After all, this was the first time the Witch Lady had actively initiated an arrangement for his trial. What could it be? Staring into her blood-red, beautiful eyes, Lynn couldn't help but feel an ominous premonition creeping into his heart.