Chapter 543: There Is No Kindness Without Reason in This World |
After confirming there was no saving himself, Cheng Shi's emotions actually calmed. He let himself fall through the endless phantom Sea of Memory, his mind flashing through a cascade of thoughts.
This wasn't a life flashing before his eyes — it was his final struggle.
He didn't want to die. So he was thinking about how to earn Memory's forgiveness.
Yes — forgiveness.
Since external forces were temporarily unreachable, his only option was to beg for mercy from the god before him. Lowering his stance to survive wasn't shameful — the problem was finding an opening. A trigger that might make Memory pause.
That trigger couldn't be just sophistry — it needed real substance. Something that could make Him interested.
But he was a Void follower. What could he possibly possess that would interest Existence...?
Wait!
He actually did have something!
!!!
So that was it!
Realization struck like lightning. None of this had been punishment. Sinking into the Sea of Memory wasn't a sentencing. Memory seemingly had never intended to imprison him at all — otherwise, with a true god's power, why would He waste so much time letting Cheng Shi drift along the path to a "prison cell?"
He needed only a single thought to bury him at the bottom of the Sea of Memory forever.
So He'd wanted Cheng Shi to notice this ring?
But this was his ring — a ring from Time. Memory was Memory. What good was showing him a Time ring?
To see through to Existence's essence?
Who could see through to Existence's essence?
If he could see through that, why would he still be a player?
If he truly could, he'd round up all sixteen of Them and make Them the players!
Cheng Shi was completely stumped. But he had confirmed one thing: after all this time spent thinking, he still hadn't lost consciousness. That meant the other party definitely wasn't being lethal.
But this ring... what was its purpose?
Cheng Shi began to recall. Whether it was an illusion or not, he kept feeling that his memories had become exceptionally vivid since sinking into the Sea of Memory. He carefully reviewed every past encounter related to Memory, savoring each sentence He'd spoken during their audiences — hoping to discover what Memory wanted to express or what He wanted Cheng Shi to know.
But he found nothing.
Until much, much later, after replaying the scene of his first summons by Memory for what must have been the hundredth time, a sudden flash of inspiration connected one of His phrases to the present moment.
He remembered Memory saying to him: "Time will bring you the answer."
Initially, Cheng Shi had assumed the "time" in that sentence was just ordinary time. But now — could it actually mean Time?!
So what did that imply?
Time had given an answer? What answer? What was the answer?
If Memory's meaning was that Time had already provided the answer, the only answer Cheng Shi could think of was the ring on his finger — the Time of Eternal Imprisonment, the item specifically designed to counter Time's followers!
What kind of answer was that?
Kill all Time followers? Or was it pointing toward Aph Ros?
Cheng Shi was bewildered. He'd never hated riddlers as much as he did right now. Speaking in riddles was fine, but did it have to be while he was dying?!
But desperate times called for desperate measures. Even without understanding what Time's "answer" was, he had to test whether this ring was what Memory was looking for.
So he touched the ring of Time and shouted with everything he had: "I found it! The answer! I found the answer!"
His body had long since gone still, producing not a single sound. But his consciousness's scream carried outward, and someone heard his call.
In the very next second, Cheng Shi was yanked from the surface like a fish on a hook — "whoosh" — and pulled back into reality.
He snapped his eyes open and gasped for air, only to find he hadn't moved at all. He was still standing in the same spot on the rooftop. And before him stood a familiar, expressionless figure studying him — the... boss.
'Damn.'
Cheng Shi wanted to curse. But he held it in, suppressed the terror in his heart, raised his hand, and spoke through gritted teeth:
"The answer. I found the answer."
Memory glanced at the ring in his hand. He nodded, then shook His head.
"You're clever.
But that isn't the answer.
You're quite active — just like your Benefactor. I don't know what deal He struck with Time, nor can I fathom what He's planning. But I can tell you this: Time's answer may not suit you.
I know you learned certain things from the Gate of Joyous Lust. Indeed, the Convention is related to Him. But He is not a terrible monster — He's not worth Their vigilance.
Of course, your Benefactor may not be guarding against Him. If I were to say... He is trying to please Him — well, that possibility isn't out of the question either.
As for the method of pleasing Him — hmm, most curious.
Existence has never seen through Him. No one ever has.
Including me. Including you."
"!!??"
Cheng Shi's mind went blank for a moment. He wasn't sure what Memory was trying to accomplish by saying all this, but the mere fact that a true god was openly mentioning Him sent shockwaves through Cheng Shi.
"There is no kindness without reason in this world, nor malice without cause.
Perhaps from your perspective, as the opposing force of your faith, Existence is the 'enemy.' But some things cannot be judged by surface appearances alone.
Deceit is also a surface appearance.
Think about your other Benefactor. I think Fate isn't bad — at least better than Deceit.
I've said all I'll say. Three times is the limit.
I hope the next time we meet, you won't again be an instigator who dirties my Collection Hall."
With that, this god of Memory — who'd appeared to punish Cheng Shi — actually prepared to leave.
He was dropping a pile of incomprehensible words and walking away.
But at that moment, Cheng Shi gritted his teeth and called out to Memory!
"Why me?"
Yes — he was bold enough to stop a departing enemy god, then ask, with a deeply complex expression, the question he'd always wanted to know but could never figure out:
"Why me?"
Without specific context, this question was impossible to answer — no one could know the questioner's intent. But Memory seemed to see right through Cheng Shi's heart. He chuckled softly and replied:
"Good question.
As I said before, no one can see through Deceit. Likewise, no one can see through Fate.
As for Void — I don't know why They chose you.
But for everyone else...
Cheng Shi, this is Void's era. As rulers of this age, whatever They value, everyone else finds interesting too.
For instance — me. For instance — Time. For instance — Death. For instance... Them."
With that, the boss vanished — disappeared into thin air before Cheng Shi's eyes.
The moment Memory was gone, Cheng Shi's strength drained out of him completely. He collapsed sideways onto the rooftop.
His heart pounded violently. Cold sweat streamed down his body. Waves of lingering terror crashed against his consciousness, and an inexplicable fear surged through him — as though an invisible claw were gently squeezing his heart.
He seemed to have thought of something terrifying, but instantly forced himself to shake his head and fling those absurd thoughts away.
Cheng Shi suddenly suspected he'd grasped Memory's meaning.
He was sowing discord!
"There is no kindness without reason in this world!"
What a devastating sentence — one that chilled to the bone.
But the question remained...
Why were They so permissive with him?
Why was he the darling of Void?
Was it just because of sophistry? Because his silver tongue aligned with Void's will?
No...
Even Cheng Shi himself didn't believe that.
There had to be a reason. But this reason... Cheng Shi had never sought it.
Not because he didn't want to, but because he didn't dare.
Before he'd "earned a seat at the table," he had no right to know the answer. So — was this what Time's answer was referring to?
The Time of Eternal Imprisonment. Was he a prisoner?
Whose prisoner?
Deceit's prisoner? Fate's prisoner? Or... Void's prisoner?
'So exhausting.'
An overwhelming wave of fatigue suddenly enveloped Cheng Shi. The tremendous mental exertion of recalling and thinking had seemingly drained his spirit entirely.
He stared blankly at the sky, watching countless stars hang from the firmament, slowly turning. His eyes drifted shut, and he fell asleep.
...
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