Forget ever having seen it; she'd never even heard of such a thing, alright? Even now, 'seeing it with her own eyes' and 'hearing it with her own ears,' her worldview was still immensely shaken.

At this moment, this insignificant and ordinary High Elf felt somewhat relieved that she wasn't even a Sanctuary Master. Otherwise, if she were one of those 'geniuses' with extraordinary, once-in-a-millennium talent, who after immense effort and hundreds or even thousands of years, had painstakingly reached the Gate of Ascension to Godhood... only to then witness such an outrageous existence... An existence that seemed to grind all her past suffering and every ounce of her effort into dust. She feared she would genuinely begin to doubt if all her struggles had even been worthwhile.

"What?! David, he's... he's ascended to godhood?! How is that possible?" A confused Attilicia was also stunned.

For a moment, his expression shifted from shock, disbelief, and hesitation to the look of someone who'd hit the jackpot—as if a random ancient relic he'd picked up had suddenly revealed the divinity of an ancient dawn god. It was quite a spectacular display.

After all, he knew his own young Dragon possessed divinity. At the same time, his son also had some incredibly strange abilities that Attilicia still couldn't comprehend. Suddenly hearing that his own son had ascended to godhood... Whether anyone else believed it, he, as the father, certainly did. In that instant, Attilicia, whose shoulders had been bowed for years under the weight of Pafila and that enormous debt, couldn't help but involuntarily straighten his spine. His son has ascended to godhood! Wonderful! It was such a refreshing feeling! He, Attilicia, had endured for so many years and finally... finally, he'd made it. His son was already reckless enough; now that he was a god, wouldn't he, as his father, be able to swagger about unchallenged in the material world?

Thinking of this, Attilicia carelessly tossed aside the alchemical scalpel he'd forgotten he was holding.

That brat David has become a god! Why should I still bother with alchemy? To hell with these shady deals! He was ready to revive his childhood dream: to become a Bard, carrying poetry and seeking distant horizons as he roamed the world. He figured that by just embellishing his son's deeds a little, he'd have enough material to boast his way to the Legendary rank. Once he achieved his Legendary Destiny, he'd find a way into the Astral Plane and embark on a journey across the myriad planes. As for repaying the debt? Pay back what debt! That debt was forcibly imposed on him by Pafila! It was extortion! An act against justice! If Pafila dared to threaten him to repay it, he wouldn't hesitate to declare his faith in his son, David Uthos. Go ahead, strike me down if you dare! I'll just go on living the good life in my son's Divine Realm.

But before Attilicia could finish this series of daydreams about 'my son has become a god,' Yevgeny, upon hearing him, was also taken aback.

How could our old Dragon Lord suddenly become so... delusional? Young Dragon Lord David Uthos is indeed quite formidable, but based on his current progress, he's still a long way from reaching the Sanctuary Master rank, isn't he...? But seeing Attilicia's triumphant demeanor, she hesitated, unsure how to break the news and clear up the misunderstanding—or even if she should.

Gradually, sensing the awkward atmosphere, Attilicia asked with some confusion, "What's wrong? Did David Uthos say... Ahem, did He have any divine oracle for you to relay to me?"

Yevgeny opened her mouth, hesitated for a long moment, but finally decided to tell the old Dragon Lord the truth. "Um... the one who ascended... it wasn't the young Dragon Lord."

"Ah? Oh... Ha..." Attilicia's expression shifted once more. It went from his initial, overweening arrogance to a forced composure as he accepted reality, and finally, to an awkward embarrassment tinged with an inexplicable sense of loss.

Yevgeny, wanting to spare the old Dragon Lord's pride and feelings, quickly offered some consolation, "But it is... an old acquaintance of yours. You should be happy about this."

"...Who?" Attilicia racked his brains but couldn't think of any old acquaintance of his who possessed the qualifications or aptitude for godhood.

Wait, an old acquaintance... connected to David... and Hiatt knew about it first... Considering the timeline... Tyr above, it couldn't be...

"The... esteemed Crimson Calamity, Your Highness," Yevgeny said with heartfelt admiration. By now, she no longer dared to utter the deity's name directly.

"Er..." Attilicia took a deep breath, then seemed to turn to stone midway through inhaling, as if he couldn't quite catch that breath. His previously straight spine then visibly slumped.

It was her? How could it be?! How was this even possible?! She'd only just reached the Legendary rank shortly before she went into hibernation! Attilicia felt as if he'd heard the coldest, most unfunny joke imaginable. "Pafila? *Her*?" Attilicia simply couldn't accept it! If even Pafila had become a god, wouldn't that mean he'd never be able to escape her clutches for the rest of his life?!

"Hmm? What is it? Miss me?"

That nightmarish voice echoed directly in Attilicia's mind. He gasped, suddenly remembering he had just uttered her name.

Speaking a god's name directly?

Attilicia's throat felt dry. He then asked an idiotic question, "You... you... you... you really became a god?"

Pafila found his reaction rather dull, yet strangely amusing. Since she was in a good mood, she said directly, "Yes, I borrowed a bit of divinity from my son. I was just telling him to remind you not to forget about repaying your debt. Since you delivered yourself to my doorstep, you can be my second follower."