Wow, what a chapter. I honestly thought that the Prognosticator's warning wasn't entirely correct, or, even if it was, that Waters would be some kind of semi-tragic figure who was upholding the ideals and principles of nobility and the kingdom, even if it would cost him his life. Now, however, we know that he and his posse are simply the worst (except for Kaymie of course).
A few other things I thought of:
1. We should either destroy or closely examine the flower that Senus gave Lilly. It wouldn't surprise me if it had some kind of scrying enchantment or similar. Even if it doesn't, perhaps we can use our 'wood memory' or [Dream Within the Forest] to pry some secrets or tidbits of knowledge regarding Senus from it.
2.
@Alectai I like your plan quite a lot, but I'd suggest adding something regarding Myah in the Additional Considerations section. If we can save her from her father and/or free her from the malignant influence we sensed, she'd likely become a useful confidante and ally for us.
3. It's concerning that the only way we were able to escape from Waters is by almost wrecking [Cleaver of Fortune] and the Ladder by 'cranking it into maximum overdrive,' if you will. I'm wondering if there was perhaps an alternative method by which we could have known what to say.
@Slyvena Is it possible for us to use {Sample Space} to 'obtain the optimal thought' rather than 'perform the optimal action?' To clarify, while Waters' henchman was carrying us away, could Lilly have invoked {Sample Space} to find the best plan concocted among all possible Lillys who found themselves in that situation? Said in one other way, what if, rather than overclocking the Ladder ourselves, we were able to achieve the same outcome (though perhaps not obtain the knowledge) by having {Sample Space} deliver the plan that the 'parallel universe Lilly' who did overclock the Ladder came up with? Apologies if none of that made sense, hopefully at least part of it did.
4. While this last thing isn't related to the most recent chapter, it's something I've been mulling over for the past couple of days. What if the beginning of the thread title - "It's a Girl's World" - is more literal than we think? We know that the angels/demons/higher entities such as Manoth and old-Evie have some kind of Plan that will eventually allow mortals to grow immensely in power. It wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for them to be running thousands, millions, or perhaps even more 'world-simulations' all at once, where they specifically target one 'chosen' individual from each to begin receiving exponential increases in power, though likely in different progressions. Growth requires adversity, of course, so challenges such as Valerie and the forest's [Rapid Iterator] are introduced, but the 'prime individual' - Lilly, in this case - is meant to overcome them. If they fail and die (or worse), then that particular power progression is flawed and the world is either discarded or seeded with a new 'chosen one.' If they succeed and live a long life, then their power progression is acceptable and can be stored for later implementation. If this was the case, it would mean that, in some sense at least, this literally is Lilly's World, the World where she is the primary subject and center of attention. I'm not sure how the arrival of the Maw has affected things; we know Lilly was born near the end of the Sixth Age, and it's reasonable to assume that the coming of the Maw began the Seventh Age. If so, then Lilly's birth was still part of this hypothetical 'old system' described above.
