What does two thousand years mean?
Converted into days, it would be seven hundred and thirty thousand days. Converted into hours, it would be eight million seven hundred and sixty thousand hours. Converted into seconds, it would be five hundred and twenty-five million six hundred thousand seconds.
It might sound insignificant, but if you truly experienced it yourself, you would realize just how unbearably long a process it was.
A pair of thin little hands grabbed a handful of white sand from the ground and lifted it above an old wooden bucket. The fingers opened, allowing the fine white sand to fall into the bucket.
For nearly two thousand years, those gray-blue pupils had almost never fluctuated. Her body mechanically repeated the act of piling sand over and over again.
Suddenly, Founder Ymir stopped moving.
Ripples finally appeared in those eyes that had once resembled stagnant water.
She blankly stared at the back of her thin hand. At some unknown moment, two savage crimson streaks had seeped beneath her skin, and that unfamiliar scarlet color caused Founder Ymir to stop what she was doing for one of the rare times in her endless existence.
Then, she slowly raised her head.
At some point, she had already moved from the sand dune to the front of the pillar of light that pierced through heaven and earth. Sure enough, Founder Ymir instantly noticed the trace of crimson mixed within the dazzling pillar of light.
However, the fluctuation in her eyes soon calmed again. The crimson marks on the back of her hand also disappeared without a trace.
As if sensing something, Founder Ymir turned her head toward a certain direction.
Very quickly, two blurry figures appeared in the distance.
Yago and Eren desperately ran toward the pillar of light.
Inside the Paths, they could not sense the flow of time, so they had no idea how long they had been running.
Yago silently called out to the Founder in his heart, and it was as if Founder Ymir had heard his voice.
The scenery before their eyes blurred for a moment, and when they regained their senses, the towering pillar of light was already right in front of them.
"F-Founder?"
After seeing the thin figure before the pillar of light, Eren swallowed nervously.
Although he and Zeke had accidentally discovered a method to temporarily touch the Founder's power, that did not mean he could command the Founder.
Last time, Founder Ymir had not even listened to royal-blooded Zeke's orders, so why would she obey an ordinary person like him?
Seeing Founder Ymir again, a strange feeling suddenly arose within Yago.
Looking at Great Ancestor's frail body, Yago strangely felt a sense of greed.
Don't misunderstand—it was not that kind of greed.
Rather, it was like a starving wolf staring at delicious lamb meat.
Some vague force seemed to be quietly tempting him.
Devour Founder Ymir!
Slap!
Yago fiercely slapped himself across the face, forcing his mind to clear up.
Then he respectfully bowed to Founder Ymir.
"Founder, I'm sorry to disturb you again so abruptly, but the Eldians are currently facing a crisis of life and death. We have no choice but to ask for your help."
Ask for help?
Great Ancestor's eyes remained calm, but her head tilted slightly.
Then, under Yago and Eren's gazes, Great Ancestor slowly flipped the wooden bucket upside down, treating it like a stool before sitting on it, as though she were ready to listen attentively.
Yago took a deep breath, then gestured for Eren to sit down as well.
Last time, Great Ancestor had created two chairs for him, but this time, even she herself was sitting on a wooden bucket. Naturally, there was no chance for him and Eren to have chairs.
The two simply sat directly on the sand.
"Founder, I remember you once said that you saw something different from a descendant in the future. I want to ask... was that descendant Eren?" Yago stared at Great Ancestor and asked.
Beside him, Eren froze for a moment before pointing at himself.
"Huh? Me??"
His face was filled with confusion.
What does this have to do with me?
Facing Yago's question, Great Ancestor gently nodded.
But soon after, she shook her head again.
What did that mean?
Yago felt somewhat puzzled.
However, since Great Ancestor had nodded, it proved that his previous speculation was correct.
Founder Ymir had definitely learned of that future—the future where he did not exist—from older Eren!
As for why Great Ancestor shook her head afterward, Yago could not figure it out and could not be bothered to think about it either.
The reason Yago had come searching for Great Ancestor so urgently this time was precisely because of his own speculation.
Now that Great Ancestor had admitted she had seen the future through older Eren, then Yago's confidence was already halfway there.
Because Yago guessed that he himself was the turning point that changed Great Ancestor.
In that world where he did not exist and artificial Titans did not exist either, Great Ancestor had somehow been moved by older Eren and helped him initiate the Rumbling.
But the current Eren definitely could not do that.
Because the current Eren had family members who loved him, comrades who would fight alongside him through life and death, and juniors who trusted him.
Simply put, the current Paradis Island was worth protecting with everything Eren had.
Since Eren could not do it, then Yago would do it himself!
Great Ancestor would not help him without reason.
Last time, he had personally witnessed Great Ancestor helping him obtain the Beast Titan's power from Zeke.
What did that prove?
It meant that all the Titan powers Yago had previously obtained were likely fused together with Great Ancestor's help!
"Founder, my request is this—please grant the power of the Rumbling to me!
"But unlike Eren, I do not seek this power for selfish reasons. I seek it for the future of the Eldian people.
"Please believe me!"
Yago spoke with unprecedented seriousness.
The power of the Rumbling had to be controlled!
Originally, Yago had placed his hopes for the Rumbling on Historia.
Because now, Eren no longer possessed the determination or reason to initiate the Rumbling.
That meant the only person capable of making the Founder unleash the Rumbling was Historia, with the royal blood flowing through her veins.
However, Eren unexpectedly using the Founder's power this time, along with Great Ancestor's previous assistance to him, had changed Yago's thoughts.
If possible, it would be best for the Rumbling's power to remain in his own hands.
That way, he could plan the future more effectively!
However, facing Yago's request, Great Ancestor gently shook her head.
An ethereal voice suddenly echoed beside Yago and Eren's ears.
"That's not possible, descendant~"
Yago's heart sank slightly.
But he was not discouraged.
Naturally, being able to control the Rumbling would be ideal, but even if he could not, it did not matter.
It would simply mean troubling Historia instead.
"I'm sorry, Founder. I was too impulsive. Please forgive me.
"However, I still have another request.
"I hope you can tell me—what exactly is the power of artificial Titans? What relationship do they have with the intelligent Titans?
"And I also received information from the Middle Easterners that humans from other races were transformed into Titans.
"I want to know...
"What exactly is going on?"
Hearing Yago's words, Eren was completely dumbfounded.
Artificial Titans?
Although he had previously heard from Zeke that the Titan powers possessed by Yago, Airi, and the others were not among the Nine Titans but were entirely new Titans, Eren did not understand how these Titans had been created.
And what Yago said about other races turning into Titans—
What did that mean?
Weren't only Eldians capable of becoming Titans?
"Descendant~ do you truly wish to know?" the ethereal voice echoed beside their ears once more.