Ethan wasn't unsettled by the vast difference in treatment. Wasn't this exactly what he had been striving for by becoming stronger? Being treated like a pushover everywhere he went wasn't enjoyable—he wasn't a masochist.

Still, he couldn't understand why Madeleine wanted his help.

"Why not handle it yourself? Against an ordinary person like that, you could probably kill him with just a thought, right?"

Madeleine wasn't surprised by his question.

"Newly born worlds are extremely fragile. If I were to act directly, I might accidentally destroy the entire world. I've spent so much time and energy on it, I don't want all that effort wasted because of one insignificant bug."

Ethan nodded. That was a fair explanation.

"What about those specially trained Reincarnators of yours? They should be ideal for this kind of task, right?"

A rare look of awkwardness appeared on Madeleine's face. Since their meeting, she had always maintained an elegant, noble demeanor, so this slight awkwardness was already the most "out of character" reaction she had shown.

"Most of them are occupied, and their circumstances are quite special. They're not suitable for entering such a world."

Madeleine explained that worlds still in the process of "creation" were extremely sensitive to outside forces. Every Reincarnator under her command carried traces of her divine power, which could easily cause an unnatural disturbance within the new world.

This kind of interference was a form of pollution, and a polluted world couldn't serve as a viable sample for replication.

"So, you want me to go deal with that intruder for you?"

"Yes."

Ethan still found it strange, because several things didn't quite add up. And when something didn't make sense, it made him suspect that Madeleine might have hidden motives.

"Wouldn't I also cause pollution to that world?"

"Of course you would."

"Then why send me?" Ethan spread his hands. Since the result would be the same, wouldn't it be better for her to send someone she trusted completely?

Madeleine sat gracefully, her hands resting on her knees, her back straight. Tilting her head slightly, she looked down thoughtfully.

"Do you know why, even though I already have many capable Sub-Gods, I continue to train new ones? And even cultivate Reincarnators who are completely different from ordinary ones?"

Before Ethan could respond, Madeleine continued.

"Besides assigning them special tasks, the main reason is that once someone's strength reaches a certain level, they are no longer as obedient as before."

Ethan immediately understood. It seemed that Madeleine's powerful Sub-Gods weren't easy to order around. They'd become picky about their missions. Meanwhile, the weaker ones were more obedient but lacked the strength to handle the problem.

"Furthermore, for a world still in its early stage, even I, as the creator, don't have full control over it."

In other words, if she sent her powerful Sub-Gods, they might end up dominating the world and becoming its rulers?

Ethan didn't speak, but his gaze conveyed the question, and Madeleine nodded, confirming his assumption.

"Why go through all that trouble? Can't you just decide whether your Sub-Gods live or die?"

"Some are due to sentiment. We got along quite well back then, and I don't want things to end that way. As for others, although they are my Sub-Gods, our relationship is more like a contractual partnership. The terms were written by me personally, and I prefer not to break my own rules."

"That doesn't seem to answer my question..." What Ethan cared about was whether Madeleine, as a Supreme Main God, lacked coercive means.

"I do have them," Madeleine replied calmly. "I just prefer not to use them."

"So you'd rather come to me for help?"

"What does it matter? As a young deity yourself, you need to travel around and learn the laws of different worlds. With a nascent world right in front of you, shouldn't you be delighted?"

Madeleine had expected Ethan to readily accept, but to her surprise, he was far more cautious than she had anticipated.

"I am interested, but I want to make sure there's nothing strange about it."

Madeleine nodded, not at all offended by his straightforwardness.

"Caution is a good thing. I've seen countless young Main Gods fall into trouble before they've even matured, many of whom never reached the final step and eventually became vassals of others."

She took another sip of tea.

"Caution and prudence will take you further. Perhaps you'll soon grow into an excellent Main God."

After finishing her tea, Madeleine looked directly at him.

"I'm happy to lend you a bit of help during this stage. In the future, when you become a true Main God, you can repay me."

"So this is an investment?"

Ethan glanced at himself. Was his potential really that extraordinary in a Main God's eyes? Worth investing in ahead of time?

"You could say that. After all, your aptitude... is something I've never seen before."

Madeleine glanced at Ethan's left hand again.

"So, will you accept this commission?"

Ethan noticed her gaze. He lifted his left hand and placed it on the table. "I think we should be clear about one thing. What you're interested in isn't just my future, is it?"

Madeleine didn't deny it. In fact, she answered him directly.

"The reason I'm seeking your help is because your power is unique. It might help restore my world to its original state. That way, once the intruder is removed, I won't have to expend too much power reorganizing it. A few simple adjustments will be enough."

"Is that so?"

Madeleine continued sipping her tea.

"That's exactly it."

Ethan still felt slightly suspicious, but since she had answered every question openly and politely, pressing further would only seem like provocation rather than caution.

Although he wasn't afraid of conflict, he didn't want to offend a Main God without reason. Besides, exploring a nascent world didn't sound too bad.

He had come out this time to pass the time anyway. If he could learn something new in the process, all the better.

"I'll take the job. I'd like to know what kind of world you need me to enter."

Madeleine smiled. It was her most radiant smile yet, though even then it remained perfectly elegant—Ethan couldn't even see her teeth.

"It's quite an interesting world, and if you're going, you'll need to take on a very special identity."

"Ah?"

Madeleine briefly explained the world's background. After hearing just a few sentences, Ethan immediately recognized it.

"I know this world."

"Even better."

Madeleine nodded approvingly.

"Shall I send you now?"

"So soon?"

"After that intruder appeared, I compressed the time flow of that world as much as possible. But that doesn't mean its time has stopped."

Madeleine rubbed her temples, looking slightly troubled.

"As time passes, the interference grows worse, the pollution deepens, and the world becomes less useful to me."

"Then let's go."

Everything that needed to be said had already been said, and Ethan saw no reason to linger.

Besides, despite Madeleine's noble, elegant, and intelligent appearance, as well as her seemingly kind and affectionate attitude, there was something hidden beneath the surface that made him uneasy.

So even though he agreed to help, he stayed alert. When Madeleine initiated the teleportation, he quietly wrapped himself in spatial energy, just in case she tried something unexpected.

As the teleportation activated, the scenery around him shifted rapidly. It felt as if he was leaving one space and entering a void containing countless worlds.

In this void, there was nothing—no matter, no energy, pure emptiness. Yet within that emptiness, Ethan could see an infinite number of "worlds." They weren't separate entities, but rather like a massive sphere with countless smaller orbs attached to its surface. After watching for a while, Ethan realized that the central sphere was the so-called "source world," while the attached orbs were the replicated worlds used for missions in the Main God Space.

Looking around, he saw countless worlds being born and destroyed. But after observing for some time, he realized these scenes weren't truly "real." The endless worlds, source worlds, and replica worlds were all conceptual. What he was "seeing" so clearly was actually a gift Madeleine had granted him in advance—a sort of perception reward.

"Was I really overthinking it?"

While perceiving the birth and destruction of the replica worlds and sensing the rules within them, he finally saw his destination.

It was a solitary world, a single sphere without any replicas attached. It floated quietly in the void, still incomplete.

As Ethan focused on it, a voice suddenly echoed in the depths of his mind.

"I shall declare here. Your body shall serve under me..."

(To be continued.)

◇◇◇

◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.

◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)