Cheng Shi's laughter instantly froze. He finally understood the true reason behind everything he had encountered during the Trial.
So, when [memory] sent Su Yida back, it was just to vent its anger over the loss of its Authority!
"Damn, so that's what happened!"
But I clearly had no power to resist, so why didn't them just act directly?
Oh, right, there's the Lord.
Thinking of this, Cheng Shi quickly bowed sincerely toward [Deception].
"Thank you for your protection. You truly care for your devout Believer like a mother."
"Knowing that those words of yours are a lie, I am both gratified and regretful."
"..."
The emotions of you Gods are quite complicated, huh.
Cheng Shi smiled broadly, not daring to reply.
"Speaking of which, I didn't stop Their actions; it was the [covenant] that restrained them.
Hmm... this is something you probably shouldn't know. Never mind, just pretend you didn't hear that.
When [memory] was wandering through [Existence], They found an opportunity to bypass the [covenant] and make you disappear. Therefore, They lent a bit of power to Their Believer."
As expected, in that future scheme, there was a Believer of [memory]!
You dog, don't let me find out who you are!
I'm going to write this down in my little notebook. Vengeance will be served; you'll pay for this sooner or later!
"Thank you again for the Lord's protection!"
Flattery never fails. Regardless of who stopped [memory] from acting directly, thanking the Boss is always the right move.
"I told you, I didn't stop them."
"Then the Lord must have had Their own considerations. As your Believer, under your guidance, I have safely passed through this calamity!"
"...You seem to have become much more glib."
Uh... is that so? I guess I was infected.
"However, you are right. If They can make a move, naturally, I will too.
In return, that [memory] God Chosen who entered my Trial is also having a hard Time."
!!!
Just that one sentence made Cheng Shi feel that the grievance he suffered today was worth it.
Damn, that's satisfying!
I, ranked in the sixties, was messed with by you; your faction's number one was hammered by my Boss.
Let's see who loses in the end!
Cheng Shi felt incredibly satisfied inside, but he also had many doubts he wanted to ask. Seeing that the atmosphere of the audience was good and the Lord was in a pleasant mood, he quickly seized the chance to ask:
"Lord, I have a small question."
"Hmm~"
Hearing the rising tone, Cheng Shi knew he had a chance today.
He quickly said:
"If [memory] has already lent some power to Their Believer in the future, does that mean the Players' future is already fixed and exists?"
Cheng Shi had long been confused about this question. He couldn't understand: since memory can be altered and the future can be traced back, what kind of Existence are the Players who walk in between?
The Eye clearly hadn't expected Cheng Shi to ask this, and They burst into laughter:
"What humans call the past, present, and future are, in Their eyes, merely scattered states of [Existence].
[Time] enjoys deduction. They mark footnotes for states that are too similar, and thus you conceive of the concept of Time.
[memory] loves collecting. They select the [Existence] They favor and redraw them in the Sea of Memory, and thus you remember the past.
Although They cannot infinitely evolve [Existence] like [Time], They can steal the Authority of [Time], hitch a ride on 'evolution,' and change your so-called future into memory.
For you, thinking about these things is meaningless.
You are a favored one of The Void; there is no need to contemplate [Existence]."
Scattered states of [Existence]?
Cheng Shi didn't fully understand, but he suddenly felt enlightened.
What he realized was something else:
So, communication between the Gods is just constant stealing. Regardless of whether They share the same Fate, perhaps stealing whenever possible is the true essence of the Divine.
"Then, in The Eyes of our Void, what do the past and the future represent?"
"Oh? An interesting question.
In My view, the past is the future, and the future is the past.
In Their view, perhaps the past never had a future, and when Destiny writes its period, the future has already become the past."
"..."
I can't comprehend it, I can't comprehend it!
Forget it, abandon these Void-related questions, and ask something practical.
Cheng Shi pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked again:
"Um, I have another question. I wonder how Su Yida... is doing now?"
The Eye paused for a moment, then blinked and counter-asked:
"Who is that?"
"..."
Cheng Shi was stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly wanted to laugh.
Su Yida had meticulously planned his scheme, deceiving Players on both the past and future timelines, just to offer them a grand performance of Deception and beg for Their attention.
Yet They didn't even know who Su Yida was.
No, perhaps They knew he was Their Believer, but They had never paid attention to him as an individual.
Looking at it this way, he was indeed the favored one.
Even so, Cheng Shi's smile carried a hint of indescribable sadness.
He felt he had grasped another essence of them:
What humans perceive as pious devotion might mean nothing in The Eyes of the Gods.
Because They simply don't care.
However, that dog Su Yida truly managed to deceive him.
He clearly wasn't watched, yet he used a 'False Win' to save his own life.
Damn it, I should have just killed him directly.
Sensing the mix of anger and fellow-feeling emanating from Cheng Shi, the spiral in The Eye began to spin.
In an instant, the entire Void emitted an illusion of inversion. A short while later, They seemed to know everything.
Cheng Shi felt the change in The Void and chuckled:
"He can be considered to have received your attention, right?
Lord, did Su Yida... succeed?"
"Which 'he' are you asking about?"
Cheng Shi paused: "Both of them."
"Dead."
"!"
Cheng Shi widened his eyes and asked in shock:
"Which 'he' are you referring to?"
The Eye showed neither joy nor sorrow, like the eternal, unchanging Universe.
"Both of them."
"!!!"
Dead? Both Su Yidas are dead?
The future Su Yida dying at the hands of future Players was expected, but how did the Su Yida who returned to the present die?
Who killed him?
The Eye's gaze seemed to pierce through space and Time, looking at a certain scene. They commented with interest on everything that had happened before:
"His performance was barely passable as magnificent, but un-rehearsed shows always have redundant elements.
He should not have coveted the Bestowal of [Death], even though he realized this later and made amends by returning Their Bestowal to you.
But... They are very petty.
Thus, my poor Believer received punishment.
You borrowed Their Faith, but you still owed them a sacrifice.
Now, someone has paid it off for you."
"..."
Cheng Shi opened his mouth in disbelief, his mind frantically flashing back to the scenes of the Trial, yet he couldn't find where [Death] had existed.
Apart from himself, there shouldn't have been any other Player with the Faith of [Death] throughout the entire Trial.
Could it be that someone else lied?
Or did someone use Their item?
Just as Cheng Shi was brainstorming, the spiral in The Eye spun faster and faster, until finally, the entire Eye squinted.
"Interesting, how very interesting!
I should have looked at you earlier. I didn't expect that besides [Death], Their shadow was also involved in this matter."
"Ah?" Cheng Shi was startled again.
Huh, are we playing Mahjong?
How did another Deity get involved?
"May I know which one... it is?"
The Eye rotated a few Times, saying meaningfully:
"You are overstepping. I do not have such a fragile child as you.
However, I'm in a good mood today, so I decide to forgive you.
They are not an [Existence], but a Void originating from the same source as Me.
Which is the one you call... the 'Bitch'."
The word "Bitch" was so playful that the trembling Void that followed gave the illusion that "someone was laughing heartily in the background."
"Heh~
Alright, the rest is not for you to know. I must hurry to mock them.
This audience felt quite good. You may withdraw."
As soon as the words fell, Cheng Shi was slapped out of The Void, spinning head over heels until he returned to his own rooftop.
Looking at the dazzling sun on the horizon, the Lord's words still echoed in his mind:
"The one you call the 'Bitch'..."
This was the second Time he had heard a God use that word.
Cheng Shi scratched his head, feeling helpless and panicked.
I didn't accidentally corrupt the moral atmosphere of the Gods, did I?
Never mind. Instead of worrying about that, he should think about more important matters.
Lord, your poor Believer still has a debuff hanging over him: "Only 4 days of Dog Life remaining." Did you not see it, or do you not want to deal with it?
Didn't you say there would be no punishment!?
"..."
...