Chapter 788: The Mantis Stalks the Cicada — But the Cicada Is the Oriole |
Rewinding slightly — before Zangier had opened his eyes.
When Big Cat plummeted with devastating force and shattered the ground, exposing the Desire Ravine experiment beneath — the corresponding Void above this patch of reality also suffered a collapse.
A pair of eyes, etched with stellar points and spirals, quietly opened amid the destruction. They quickly began observing this stretch of Void, which shimmered with the flowing light of stars.
This was the Void, not the starry sky. There should never be this many brilliant stars here. Yet these stars were shifting positions in perfect order, each movement seemingly revealing some cosmic truth.
The eyes observed for a moment, then let out a cold huff:
"Respect the Convention when it suits you, trample it when it doesn't. Heh — is this the truth you've sought for the universe?"
As the scorn faded, those countless stars trembled and converged, linking together in wondrous patterns. Before long, a book radiating Truth's essence formed before the watching eyes.
The Book of Stars.
He appeared with an easy smile: "I expected the other Void would come. I didn't expect you."
"He wouldn't deign to deal with you. And He would never tell you the answer you want. Your calculations have failed.
But I have a piece of business I'd like to conduct. So call Him out. I know you have a connection."
"There is only me here. On the road to seeking Truth, there has only ever been me. I'm afraid I don't know who you're referring to."
The eyes grew colder still, the tone sharpening into pure derision:
"Do you truly think yourself the omniscient Truth?
Without His consent, your followers could never have been taken from His Collection Hall. At the last Assembly of Gods, you two were probably already scheming this. So — summon Him. I won't say it again."
The words fell. Truth chuckled softly. And Memory... manifested.
Two ancient stars dissolved before the two deities. Those fragile bodies crumbled to dust, carried away by time's current — yet reappeared from nothingness moments later. Only now, their weathering was unworn, their gravity unbound. Instead, they shimmered faintly with cerulean light, as though returned to the instant of their birth.
Memory opened His eyes. Within His pupils was written the entire history of those two star-bodies' interconnected past.
"We meet again, Fate."
Fate cast Memory a cold, sidelong glance — neither joy nor sorrow in His gaze:
"Spare the pleasantries. This time, I came..."
He briefly peered through the infinite Void at His follower — trapped in crisis below — then closed His eyes again and continued:
"...to propose a trade."
Memory said nothing. He seemed to be studying the history of those two ancient stars. After an unknowable stretch, His pupils regained their focus, and He smiled:
"What a coincidence. I was just thinking of making an exchange as well."
Fate seemed to have anticipated this. He nodded:
"Then let us begin. My memory — in exchange for the fate you desire."
Memory smiled. He had no objection to this deal. But before beginning, He respectfully glanced at Truth beside them. After all, this was Truth's domain. Conducting business behind the "host's" back was somewhat... improper.
Yet Truth raised no objection. In fact, after Fate finished speaking, Truth also proposed a deal to Memory:
"History deserves respect, but Existence has upheavals of its own. I respect everything you've curated in the Collection Hall. But not everything in the universe is controllable.
I contaminated your collection. I have no standing to request this deal.
But you should know how critical this deal is to me. It determines how my path of seeking Truth can continue.
So, Memory — name your price."
Memory sank into thought once more. After a while, He gazed at the Book of Truth and smiled:
"Many have contaminated my collection. But you're the first to willingly pay the price.
It's a simple matter, really. You and War share the Civilization path. Borrowing a few trinkets from Him on my behalf shouldn't be too much trouble."
Truth's fluttering pages froze — then He burst into laughter:
"Interesting. So Existence is capitulating to Void?
I watched Time submit to Fate. And now you — are you also preparing to bow to Deceit?"
"Bow? That's a stretch. I simply find that sometimes, His machinations make for rather interesting memories.
At the end of the day, both Fate and I are acting for our followers. Whereas you...
Having abandoned so many followers — are you growing numb?"
"Those who walk a different path from mine can no longer share my heart.
Let us begin the deals, everyone. Any more chatter and the Void presence here will lose His temper."
Both deities looked toward Fate. Those stellar eyes — for once — held no derision. And they remained closed.
"Memory, you're wrong.
Only you are doing this for your follower. I... am doing this for myself.
Begin. This memory is too heavy. It's pressing me off my destined path."
...
Reality. 0221's experiment site.
The fusion between Zangier and 0221 went fast, thanks to thorough preparation. In short order, the eyes — woven from the mother-tree and desire vortex — shrank dramatically and embedded themselves in 0221's half-bloated, half-desiccated body.
The physical merger was complete. All that remained was unification of consciousness.
And then — a sudden reversal. 0221, who had joyfully embraced total fusion with Zangier, abruptly broke his oath. He turned on Zangier — attacking his mentor's consciousness!
Though this battle played out entirely within their intertwined minds — invisible to outsiders — when 0221's body began thrashing wildly, his expression twisting, one hand even drawing a dagger to self-mutilate, everyone knew something had gone terribly wrong.
"HOW DARE YOU!!!"
Zangier was furious. He hadn't been this enraged when his own mother abandoned him, or during the centuries of imprisonment inside the Stars Dagger — because back then, he'd already been secretly siphoning divinity to build his pseudo-god body. He'd known he wouldn't die in that prolonged cage.
But now — deceived by a so-called "player," a mortal he'd dismissed as an insect — how could he not be enraged?!
And the scheme's linchpin was something he'd never imagined: a... Concentric Dagger!
Yes — the very same Concentric Dagger created by Life Extension Department Grand Scholar Selius!
Remember: 0221 possessed a Concentric Dagger. It was the "gift" his personality slice Li Zhi had "given" him — the version that excised the dominant personality.
He'd used that very dagger to kill Li Zhi — the personality slice stronger than himself.
And now he attempted the same method: kill Zangier's personality and seize the pseudo-god's power — along with those painstakingly crafted pseudo-divine eyes!
But how could a mortal outwit a pseudo-god? The Concentric Dagger only eliminated one's own personalities. Zangier and 0221 were clearly two different people. How could a same-personality dagger work?
The answer was actually simple.
The doctor had explained it: 0221 obtained this body through faith-stitching. He'd fused untold numbers of himself — across different faiths — until the Prosperity-Decay coexistence of 0221 was achieved.
0221 had also admitted that the Wang Weijin personality was the sole survivor of the stitching experiment's consciousness war. But...
0221 possessed the Master of Deception card!
Nobody knew how many personalities — how many conscious selves — truly lurked inside that body!
And that was how 0221 had fooled Zangier. He'd offered up his dominant, externally communicating consciousness for seamless fusion. Then, once the merged consciousness inherited his memories and cognition...
Who was to say the current "Zangier" wasn't just another 0221?
And so, in this very moment — the instant Zangier's consciousness became the strongest personality — the other personas hidden within 0221's body erupted. Concentric Dagger in hand, they thrust at the dominant personality.
If this strike landed, it would end the Grand Scholar's life!
And then — this cicada, caught in the mantis's jaws, would tear free and become the oriole — swallowing the mantis whole!
This was 0221's true "path to godhood"!
He had spent six painstaking months scheming toward this moment.
And right now — he was closer to success than ever before.
...
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