However, seeing their expressions as if facing a formidable enemy, Fredri just chuckled, then waved her hand dismissively and said:

"Don't be afraid. Everything I just said is the truth. When I first came out of Leon's dream, I pretty much guessed this situation, knowing that you definitely wouldn't be able to help this time.

Most of the battle between him and Number 7 takes place in the dream realm, and even I can barely protect myself when I enter. If you went in, you'd probably be swallowed up in an instant. I certainly didn't plan to let you die in vain."

Phew...

Seeing that Fredri didn't seem to be joking and really didn't intend to blame them for fleeing, the Green and Red Kings and the Jaybird let out a sigh of relief, but...

"However, although it's understandable, you still violated my orders, so there will be a penalty."

Looking at the three whose expressions had tightened again, Fredri smiled and said:

"Don't worry, it's not a severe punishment. I just want you to do one more thing for me... You three will track the Food God for me~"

"?!!!"

Us? Track the Food God?!!!

Looking at Fredri, smiling in front of them, and recalling Leon who was eating leisurely before, the whole body of Omnia Cicada became tense, and it couldn't help but whisper a plea:

"Father... It's not that we don't want to work for you, but if the Food God discovers us three..."

"As long as he doesn't find you, it's fine, right?"

Pointing a finger at Omnia Cicada's palm, Fredri smiled and said:

"When I returned to Old Soil with Leon, although it was just a powerless avatar, it wasn't useless. While he was dreaming, I left the corresponding secret mark on him.

As long as Leon comes within a certain distance, or starts directing his will towards you, the secret mark in your hand will react immediately. When that happens, have Jaybird take you and flee. Given his current level of mastery over the roots, he shouldn't be able to detect your presence at all."

So that's how it is...

After listening to Fredri's arrangement, the tense expressions of the Three Pillar Gods relaxed. Although tracking the Food God was a dangerous task, with the double safeguard of the secret mark's warning and Disaster Avoidance, their lives shouldn't end in the belly of the Food God.

"What about you?"

Upon successfully overcoming this crisis, the Crimson King secretly let out a sigh of relief and quickly inquired with a concerned expression:

"What are your plans next..."

"Next, I'm going to have a good rest, of course."

Raising her arm to stretch, Fredri couldn't help but complain:

"When I smashed through the Shepherd's Plain, I was already exhausted. You guys really didn't have it together; I had to make the trip to the current world alone. Later, in order to avoid being discovered by Leon and Number 7, I held out in the dream realm for two and a half months before coming out. How could I not rest well?"

"We... we're ashamed..."

"Alright, no need to feel ashamed, just keep an eye on things for me."

Turning to walk towards the Boundless Star Realm, Fredri gave a somewhat languid instruction:

"Although I didn't get the main spoils, I did collect some of Number 7's roots over these two months. Next, there are roots from four material planes to deal with, and I'm afraid I can't attend to Leon for a while. You must keep a close watch on him for me.

Moreover, I suspect he won't return to the real world immediately but will linger in Old Soil for a while. Be alert in the upcoming days, and no matter which material plane he goes to, it's best to pay a visit in advance."

"By visit, you mean..."

"To tarnish his reputation."

Fredri's figure disappeared into the star realm, while the lighthouse mark in Omnia Cicada's hand opened its eyes at the right time, speaking leisurely:

"Your task is to remind my fellow beings about what happens when they 'team up' with the Food God. Don't let them truly band together against me... Oh, right!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Fredri instructed through the mark:

"If conditions permit, it would be best to extract the memory of the two and a half months when Number 7 was eaten and project it in a loop on the sky of those material planes, making Number 7's wailing sound more mournful, so that everyone shudders at the sight of Leon's face.

I remember that among my fellow beings, some do care about the opinions of their kin. At that time, find an opportunity to widely publicize the brutality and ferocity of the Food God among them. That way, even if they ultimately choose to cooperate, there will be lingering mistrust due to their kin's attitudes.

Hmm... In short, find ways to trip him up and try to sabotage his potential collaborations with other material planes. Got it?"

Wow...

Didn't expect the task from [Father] was actually to act as a troll in a public opinion war. Though the Three Pillar Gods found it challenging, they still nodded one after another and replied:

"Got it..."

"We understand."

"Now that you understand, go ahead and do it."

The secret mark in Omnia Cicada's palm instructed:

"Take it seriously. Although this task seems playful, if done well, it should be quite effective... Oh, and after you guys finish the tasks I assigned, you'll have to make another trip to the real world.

After discovering that Leon wasn't Number 3, I specially left a few secret marks in the real world, to slowly screen for the real Number 3. Once the secret marks I left find the real Number 3, you guys will infiltrate the real world for me and find a way to bring the real Number 3 back... Jaybird."

Raising his eyes to look at the suddenly trembling Jaybird, the lighthouse mark inquired with appreciation:

"At that time, this task will be handed to you! How about it? Confident you can do it?"

...

As expected, Fredri's identity is problematic.

While Jaybird was entrusted with the honorable yet challenging task, Leon, amidst countless shattered dreams left by the Dream Resting Master, successfully found the one that carried his own aura.

Mountains, ponds, grasslands, a small village... and the old ox, wrecking his room, finally found tobacco under the drawer, and was learning to roll cigarettes with its hooves.

Everything was just as normal, almost unchanged from when he left, but one person's presence was missing... Fredri, the Old Soil's saint of the remnants, whose soul was full of hope.

And aside from that, the roots that should have been absorbed from the Dream Rest's Gorge weren't all absorbed when the Dream Resting Master was defeated; about twenty-five percent of them were sneakily consumed by this dream.

And yet, in this exceptionally stable dream realm, there was no residual root presence; all roots converging towards this dream disappeared with Fredri, without leaving a single trace, like water passing through a sieve.

Fredri...

Staring at the dream still functioning normally in his hand, even though Fredri as the 'dream master' was nowhere to be found, and even more realistic than past, Leon couldn't help but close his eyes and sigh helplessly.

Looks like supporting Director Amendo and relocating Old Soil's remnants to the real world to avoid disaster, none of it was true; from the start, this Old Soil trip had been a sham.

Fredri's true goal was likely to lure him to the territory of the Dream Resting Master, to attract the will of the Dream Rest Master, and then seize the opportunity to infiltrate the source of all dreams, stealing the roots of the entire dream realm.

If he hadn't unlocked "One Thousand and One Nights," allowing him to freely enter and exit dreams, he would undoubtedly have been locked in constant struggle and root depletion tug-of-war among the 840,000 dreams against the Dream Resting Master's will.

At that point, forget two and a half months, two and a half years might still not suffice to escape.

And although the Dream Resting Master is an immensely vast being, nearly impossible to destroy by normal means, this comes at the price of severely lacking control, as no matter how powerful its will, it couldn't saturate every part of 840,000 dreams; concealed methods would go unnoticed.

Once he began to engage in struggle and enter the stage of mutual root depletion, the Dream Resting Master, unable to multitask, would immediately have most of its will entangled and be unable to notice anything wrong in even one of its 840,000 parts. After all, who could spot the change in color of a single hair?

As for Fredri's true identity... being able to dodge detection by both him and the Dream Resting Master, and to whisk away two and a half root fragments right under their noses, who else could it be but Number 1?