Chapter 628: The Reason the Blind One Lost Her Sight!! Lunatic +1

Foolish Game of the Gods

'Lao Deng?'

Cheng Shi recognized the handle. Another enigmatic player—but beyond the name, he knew nothing.

How had Lao Deng learned his identity? How had he discovered his connection to the Torchbearers?

And how had the Torchbearers recovered their memories from that trial? Had Memory's divine intervention failed?

'Did Memory skip the interrogation and backstab me through this kind of petty scheme instead?'

'But even so—which of the three Torchbearers I saved would have told the Blind One everything?'

'Fang Shiqing? Bai Ling? Cui Qiushi?'

'No—none of them. They'd never expose their benefactor. Especially not as City Defenders sworn to protect what was precious to them!'

'The moment their memories returned, they should have understood I didn't want publicity...'

'The Torchbearers were under the Fun God's protection—invisible to the other gods. If Memory didn't know about them, there'd be no reason to unravel a trial that looked perfectly normal.'

'So what happened in between that I don't know about?'

Cheng Shi's brow knotted tight. But despite his swirling doubts, he wasn't completely led by the Blind One's words. He recognized her phrasing was deliberately crafted—yes, very "skillfully" crafted.

Even if the Torchbearers knew everything, even if they felt indebted enough to protect him, the desire to repay a favor alone would never justify hunting down a Chosen.

If Lao Deng had discovered Cheng Shi's link to the Torchbearers, then he'd also discovered the organization itself. And as Fate's counterpart, how this Time follower would view an organization trying to resist the gods was anyone's guess.

So rather than saying the Torchbearers acted to protect Cheng Shi, it was more accurate to say they were protecting the entire organization.

With that settled, Cheng Shi stopped pressing. He scanned their surroundings, confirmed no teammates were nearby, and quietly changed direction—heading back the way they'd come.

The Blind One read his intent. Without a word, she followed. Before long, the two found themselves in the town's darkest alley.

Sensing the dim, deserted surroundings, An Mingyu shook her head with a smile: "You certainly know how to pick a spot."

'Of course—I noticed this empty corner on my first pass. A mature con artist must always have eyes that spot darkness wherever he goes!'

Cheng Shi smiled and gestured "after you" to the Blind One.

"Begin your performance, Chosen An. Once I know what I should know, you'll naturally learn what you want to learn."

An Mingyu's smile froze for a beat.

'Why does what you need to know get the word "should," while what I need to know becomes "want"?'

'So me sharing intel with you is an obligation, but you sharing with me is a discretionary right?'

Her eye twitched, but she didn't argue. She felt she owed him this explanation—and these revelations were key to bringing this Fate Weaver into the Torchbearers.

Indeed, An Mingyu wanted to recruit Cheng Shi. Through various channels, she'd already formed a clear picture of who he was. But without seeing him firsthand, her admiration remained guarded.

When every one of her tests failed, she became even more convinced that someone this cautious deserved an invitation. After all, he'd been connected to the Torchbearers all along—yet had never breathed a single word about the organization!

'So he's worth trusting!'

Qin Xin had once said something true: as a Fire Seeker, she wasn't the perfect embodiment of the Torchbearer ideal—but her recruitment efficiency was exceptional. She excelled at integrating useful forces, amplifying advantages just as her support role demanded.

After thorough deliberation, she concluded Cheng Shi was a perfect fit for the Torchbearers—or more precisely, a perfect match for her personal vision of torch-bearing.

If Qin Xin carried the grand passion of nations and worlds, then Big Cat held the quiet love of friends and well-being. An Mingyu fell between the two. She lacked Qin Xin's sweeping ambition, yet her heart wasn't confined to a handful of personal bonds. She yearned for beauty—hoping that those who warmed others could themselves be warmed, that those who showed the world beauty could possess it in return.

But... only to that extent. As for the world's dregs—the parasites and garbage of society—she wanted nothing to do with them. In her view, those people deserved to rot in the old world's hypocrisy and filth.

So at her core, she was a City Builder.

Building a beautiful new world for beautiful people.

The cloth-covered eyes of the Blind One drifted toward Cheng Shi. Behind the sealed lids, something bright seemed to glow.

"Where do you want to start? The Mediocre Person Society gathering?"

"No. I need to confirm something first. You said you saw Fate, but Fate never summoned you. So...

When did you see it? And how?"

This question burned with genuine curiosity. He needed to read Fate's current attitude from her answer. Not crucial for his piety, perhaps—but critical for his "power level."

The difference between one sponsor and two sponsors was something he could plainly tell.

The Blind One pondered briefly. A look of reminiscence crossed her face. She held nothing back:

"I suspect... I was the first player to ever see it."

"?" Cheng Shi blinked. Suspicion crept into his gaze.

"You don't believe me?

Fortunately, I have evidence.

Let me think...

On the very afternoon the Faith Game descended—at the Path Starting Point bestowed by the gods—I picked up a Fate die and became a Prophet.

And at that exact moment, I made the game's very first prophecy."

Here, Cheng Shi's expression shifted. His pupils constricted violently—he'd guessed what came next, and it was almost too incredible to believe.

"You've guessed it. That's right—I prophesied Fate itself.

The very instant I became its follower, I prophesied my own Benefactor. The content of the prophecy was: what does a deity actually look like?

I cast the Fate die onto the ground. It rolled slowly and came to rest at my feet, showing...

A 1.

That was my first-ever die roll. And my first-ever natural 1.

The moment the die stopped, my consciousness was ripped away—into the Void. I didn't see where it was. I saw only endless emptiness and eternal darkness. But I knew—it had to be hiding beneath the Void.

I was quickly expelled from the Void, returning to the Path Starting Point. But from that moment on... I was blind.

And this black cloth over my eyes is the evidence of everything I've just described."

"!!??"

'Lunatic!'

For some reason, that was the very first word that thundered through Cheng Shi's shell-shocked brain.

'Birds of a feather, indeed. Anyone who could befriend Zhen Xin was either a lunatic or a lunatic.'