Chapter 345: Can an Offering Made for the Purpose of Blasphemy Still Be Called an Offering? |
Scavenger—the warrior class of [Oblivion].
A profession whose destructive and annihilative urges ranked second only to the [Oblivion] singer class, Destruction Declaration, within the [Oblivion] faith's hierarchy.
Destruction Declarations were the mindless-rampage type. They chanted psalms of destruction and carried out [Oblivion]'s will with the philosophy that if it could be destroyed, it must be, and if it could be trampled, no mercy would be shown—an endless, devout offering to their Benefactor.
But they were singers, after all. Their methods of annihilation typically involved inciting others' destructive urges, then celebrating the obliteration in wild song.
Scavengers were different. They had the strength to destroy everything themselves—and delighted in creating destruction.
True to the profession's name, they walked the path of [Oblivion], casually dragging everything in sight into the abyss of annihilation. Their every move was like cleansing the world of impurities—hence the name Scavenger.
But Cheng Shi clearly did a double-take upon hearing the man's profession. He noticed that this teammate called Mo Shu seemed to have had no particular urge to destroy the surrounding tables and chairs since their arrival. Not only that—he was actually creating things?
'He said what—pastries?'
'He made pastries?'
As he took them out and arranged them on the table, he introduced them with a smile:
"Here we go. Today's menu is Shernira Sheep Fat Cake. The filling is over-extracted Shernira Sheep Blood Wine. I used a little trick to annihilate the alcohol, keeping only the wine's flavor without the buzz—won't affect the trial. Come on, everyone, give it a try."
He opened one box and lifted out a cream-colored cake.
Looking at all this, Cheng Shi felt his worldview still had some expanding to do.
It was rare to find someone who'd stayed true to their original passion and applied their faith's power to their craft. The last time he'd heard of anything like this was in the books Xie Yang had brought back.
Kanrival, that magical place, had a bunch of ordinary people who applied [Life] to everyday production. And now he'd encountered a pastry chef who followed [Oblivion].
'This is way too entertaining. He says he annihilated the alcohol in the wine. That sounds like an offering to his Benefactor. But then he "created" a new cake. So does that... count as blasphemy?'
'Can an offering made for the purpose of blasphemy still be called an offering?'
But setting faith aside, this pastry chef's pastry really did look tempting. Looked delicious just at a glance.
Normally, Cheng Shi would never touch anything of unknown origin before confirming its safety. But today was different—protected by Endless Life, he was fearless.
Poison couldn't one-shot you.
Curses couldn't one-shot you.
And cake definitely couldn't choke you to death.
So Cheng Shi was tempted. After all, the Shernira Sheep Fat Cake looked rather appealing—and no matter how bad it tasted, it couldn't possibly be worse than Finger Bread and snot-water.
But aside from him, everyone else was clearly suspicious. Their gazes swept from the cake to Mo Shu's face, seemingly calculating what this pastry chef was really after.
And that was when the long-silent [Folly] follower spoke up again.
The instant he opened his mouth, the room dripped with sarcasm.
"Hmph. Pathetic pandering."
"Who eats unidentified food from a stranger in an unfamiliar environment? When warmth can't be classified, it's often laced with ulterior malice. Your method of attracting attention is too—"
The [Folly] follower had finally found a new opportunity to look down on someone. But before he could finish, Cheng Shi—standing right next to him—stepped forward as if he were in his own kitchen, shamelessly snatched the opened cake, and wolfed it down in two or three bites.
"Munch munch—your sheep fat cake barely has any gamey taste. You sure this isn't fake sheep fat?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone was dumbfounded. Even Mo Shu froze for a moment before nodding with a glimmer of surprise:
"I annihilated the gamey smell. Was worried some people wouldn't like it."
Cheng Shi smacked his lips with lingering satisfaction and a touch of regret:
"That was a bit counterproductive—killed all the flavor. But since it's free, I'll give it a good review."
Everyone's expression shifted when they looked at Cheng Shi.
The little assassin swallowed hard and subtly backed away a step. The [Folly] follower's eyes narrowed, his thoughts unreadable. Chieftain Gou Feng scratched his head, thinking this mage was even more reckless than him. And they all shared the same thought:
'So Necromancers really aren't afraid of death, huh?'
Even the perpetually composed squinty-eyed man widened his eyes slightly at this scene.
He carefully examined Cheng Shi's physical state, then also picked up a piece of cake. A delicate little spoon materialized from thin air, and he scooped a small piece into his mouth.
"Not rank. Not greasy. Slightly sweet. Rich wine flavor, but truly no alcohol—no buzz. The sweetness comes from aftertaste flower pollen. The cake itself is sugar-free, but the fat content is high—not suitable for those with elevated blood lipids."
"I don't have elevated blood lipids, so I can enjoy it."
And with that, he began eating the cake in small, methodical bites.
Seeing two people accept his pastries, Mo Shu quietly exhaled and his tense expression eased somewhat.
Anyone with eyes could see that this 2,100-point Scavenger had been worried about the attitude of two 2,400-level players whose faiths directly opposed his. Especially after Cheng Shi had bluffed out Scorpio's faith, Mo Shu had grown even more uneasy.
But thankfully, the opposing-faith conflict didn't erupt at the start, and these two [Death] followers didn't seem so cold and heartless after all.
Mo Shu quickly opened the remaining boxes and set them before the others.
He seemed to be using this somewhat stiff sincerity to declare his peaceful intentions. But at this tier, the number of people who'd actually trust him was probably vanishingly small.
Everyone's expressions varied, but nobody reached for the cakes.
Only Cheng Shi—after polishing off his piece—looked curiously at the now-relaxed Scavenger and suddenly asked:
"So this is your understanding of [Oblivion]? Having things you created with your own hands annihilated in your teammates' mouths?" Cheng Shi wiped the last trace of cream from his lips and grinned. "You're less like a Scavenger and more like a Destruction Declaration."
Mo Shu had never expected his little scheme to be seen through at a glance. He blinked in bewilderment, then felt a chill of lingering fear.
Fortunately, this 2,400-level teammate didn't seem like a scathing adversary. Otherwise, things would've been really uncomfortable.
He nodded somewhat sheepishly:
"Impressive, big shot—you even caught that."
"Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Though it's just my humble opinion."
"I've always felt that getting others to also practice [Oblivion]'s will might draw His gaze better than practicing it alone."
'Tsk—logic isn't bad, though that mindset is a little too [Prosperity].'
Cheng Shi let out a soft laugh without replying. Instead, he turned to the [Folly] follower and teased:
"Hey, Mr. Hot Take—care to share your sharp commentary?"
The [Folly] follower shot Cheng Shi a sideways glance, snorted coldly, and walked away without another word.
"Pointless exchange. Waste of time."
He left—departed the room that resembled a church lounge all by himself.
Seeing him go, Cheng Shi grinned with irrepressible delight and turned to Mo Shu:
"Since he's not eating, mind if I have his?"
Mo Shu had never met a teammate this relaxed. He nodded instinctively, then watched this "Necromancer" demolish another cake in a single bite.
He knew his decision to share food right off the bat would make teammates wary. But he hadn't tampered with the pastries, so scrutiny and skepticism didn't faze him. What he truly hadn't expected was someone trusting him this readily—and even getting hooked.
The little assassin watched, speechless, his mouth twitching.
"Big bro, if you're really that hungry, take mine too."
Gou Feng scratched his head and bellowed a laugh: "He can have mine too."
Hearing the others, squinty-eyed Zhang Jizu paused mid-bite. He suddenly held out his half-eaten cake:
"The silver spoon is self-sanitizing. This half hasn't been touched. If you'd like—"
Before he could finish, both half-cakes were whisked away by Cheng Shi and tossed into spatial storage.
"Not hungry right now, but I'll take them to go. Many thanks for everyone's generous contributions!"
He even threw in a mock bow for good measure.
"But I'm curious—pastry chef, what did you pray for? Surely you didn't enter a dungeon just to feed people cake?"
Mo Shu smiled awkwardly, his bashful expression completely at odds with his getup.
"I prayed for my Benefactor's gaze. But somehow I got matched into a [Birth] trial."
'Prayed for [Oblivion]'s gaze?'
Cheng Shi frowned. That prayer was anything but ordinary—it seemed a bit too "big." Conceptually big.
'What would have to happen in this trial to draw His gaze?'
'How much would need to be offered to Him? Annihilate all of Dolgod?'
It looked like there might be a major variable in this trial. But since they'd just begun, Cheng Shi wasn't about to start making grim predictions. He shrugged with a casual smile:
"Spoken like His truly devout follower."
"And what about this [Life] big brother—what did you pray for?"
Zhang Jizu turned his narrowed eyes on Cheng Shi and countered: "How about you? Not going to tell us yours first?"
"Me? I prayed to make friends during the trial. And from what I can see, everyone here is friend material—oh, except for Nostrils over there."
"Friends?" Zhang Jizu murmured the word a few times, then said with a squinty smile: "What a coincidence—my prayer was also because of a friend. Someone I've yet to meet, most likely."
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, his expression turning peculiar.
Because his Master of Deception told him this squinty-eyed man didn't seem to be lying.
'Now that's interesting.' The vague, noncommittal answer clearly signaled that Zhang Jizu didn't intend to share his secrets. Since that was the case, Cheng Shi didn't press. He gave the man one thoughtful glance, then addressed the group:
"Right then—let's hope we all find what we're looking for."
"Time waits for no one. We really should get to work. No matter how long the trial is, our first step should be gathering intelligence, agreed?"
Gou Feng laughed heartily at the sight, his appreciation for this easygoing teammate growing by the second. He scratched his head:
"I really like you."
"What's the plan? You seem to know this place well, Mage. Why don't you give us some pointers?"
Cheng Shi went rigid for an instant, then quickly replaced it with a smile. Like a genuinely erudite mage, he explained the situation to the group:
"I wouldn't say I know it well—just a passing familiarity."
"This is Dolgod, a small southern city of the Dol Empire during the Life Era. Historically insignificant on a global scale, but quite famous within the Dol Empire."
"Because this is a city that worships [Birth] in its entirety. Every doctrine and law here serves procreation."
"We're in the parishioners' lounge of the Dolgod Theocracy of Growth. The Theocracy is the governing church here, which holds that all acts of procreation are the highest worship of Him, and that every person has the equal right to procreate."
"This isn't a patriarchal society, nor a matrilineal community. Every person here is raised under the Church's care, then becomes a devout [Birth] follower, joining the great enterprise of worshipping Him through procreation."
"?" The little assassin frowned. "What do you mean 'the right to procreate'? Isn't that just... having babies? Without the Church, people here can't have kids?"
Gou Feng scratched his head and grinned:
"Don't forget—this is my Lord's trial. The 'procreation' you're talking about probably isn't as simple as ordinary childbirth."
"I'm guessing everyone here can have children regardless of gender?"
"That should be the right the Church guarantees."
To be fair, men giving birth would be mind-blowing anywhere else. But in a place under His gaze, it was probably the most mundane thing imaginable.
But Gou Feng had only gotten it half right.
Cheng Shi shook his head and pointed toward the door with a smile:
"You're half correct."
"Out the door, turn left for 100 meters, then turn right, and walk straight to the end. There you'll find a Prayer Room."
"When you enter with the desire to bring new life into the world, the Prayer Masters of the Theocracy of Growth will listen to your prayer and then grant you the corresponding power."
"The power to give birth—or to help others give birth."
He put it delicately, but some people caught on.
Squinty-eyed Zhang Jizu looked at the still-smiling Cheng Shi and raised an eyebrow: "If I understand correctly, you're saying the Prayer Masters here can change a follower's sex?"
"Bingo! Correct!" Cheng Shi snapped his fingers cheerfully. "Men here really can't give birth—but they can become women first, and then give birth."
"So any brothers interested in transitioning, better seize the opportunity. Great chances don't come around twice. Just one prayer and you can go from 'he' to 'she.'"
"Most importantly, this is a civic right upheld by the Theocracy of Growth—so it's free, and requires no sacrifice."
"Of course, the disappearing body parts don't count as a sacrifice."
"..."
This time, even Chieftain Gou Feng, a [Birth] follower, wore a strange expression.
"Brother... how do you know this place so well? You weren't... a woman before, were you?"
"..." Cheng Shi's face went dark. He couldn't laugh anymore.
'Dude, if you really can't speak properly, you can just not speak. I'd appreciate it.'
As for why he knew this place so well...
It was quite the coincidence. The solo food-gathering dungeons he'd prayed for kept sending him to bizarre locations—and Dolgod happened to be one of them.
In this city where gender could be swapped at will, Cheng Shi had lost count of how many confused citizens he'd helped deliver their babies. Practically every underground clinic in town bore traces of Cheng Shi's work.
Of course, those traces had long since been annihilated in the void of history. But that didn't stop him from feeling a strange attachment to Dolgod.
'I'm probably a... spiritual citizen of this place?'
'What even is this.'
Cheng Shi shook his head, flinging the stray thoughts from his mind, and continued:
"Any more questions? Let's talk while walking—time waits for no one."
He took the lead, striding out of the lounge toward the church's exit.
Gou Feng and the little assassin blanked, then hurried after him. Mo Shu hesitated a beat, annihilated his pastry box, and hustled after the group.
Zhang Jizu, seeing everyone else leave, furrowed his brow. He quietly regurgitated the cake he'd swallowed, tossed it aside, wiped his hands, and followed at an unhurried pace.
Watching Cheng Shi take the lead in this "walking tour," pointing here and there with intimate familiarity, Zhang Jizu trailed at the back with an amused shake of his head.
"No matter how you look at it, this seems like his home turf. The danger He mentioned—could it be the danger he poses to everyone else?"
"So am I supposed to be his bodyguard, or his teammates' bodyguard?"
"Cheng Shi..."
"Truly interesting."
...
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