Chapter 885: The Dyed Container |
The Fun God had seized Chaos's authority and was impersonating Chaos — just as Chaos had been impersonating Order!
That explained why Kataro in the Chaos Temple had been so hesitant when speaking to him.
Anyone with a Benefactor like the Fun God would have trouble gauging where exactly they stood.
But had Kataro been saved by Chaos, or by the Fun God?
There was a crucial difference between "captured prisoner" and "embedded spy" — and it determined how Cheng Shi should view this delicate relationship. Still, the matter wasn't urgent. He'd know the answer when they next met.
And Cheng Shi had a feeling that "next time" wasn't far off.
What deserved far more attention than Kataro's identity was the Fun God's purpose. Upon learning that Chaos was Deceit, Cheng Shi suddenly recalled his earlier theory about the Fun God helping Chaos. Looking at it now, he realized he'd probably gotten the whole thing wrong.
The Fun God wasn't that generous. If He had already successfully usurped everything belonging to Chaos, then at the time, He couldn't possibly have been merely a cooperator trailing behind Chaos collecting scraps of authority. He was very likely the instigator who had goaded Chaos into impersonating Order in the first place!
It was He who had set Chaos on this path of no return!
With this realization, Cheng Shi looked up, eyes blazing, at his Benefactor and asked without the slightest reservation:
"Benefactor, why did Chaos agree to Your instiga— 'suggestion'?"
Those eyes blinked twice and chuckled. "Your Benefactor is Chaos, so who is this other Benefactor you keep referring to?"
"..." 'Fine, playing that game, are we?' Cheng Shi rolled his eyes and immediately rephrased. "Then allow me to ask, Benefactor — why did You agree to Deceit's instigation and attempt to steal the divine throne of Order? That's Your opposing faith — a will directly contrary to Chaos."
The moment the words fell, the void erupted. Yellow mist churned, and all traces of Chaos receded completely. Those turbid eyes of chaos transformed back into brilliant eyes of stardust, studying Cheng Shi with a half-smile.
"What a fine 'instigation.' The Clown's audacity just keeps growing. Attacking Oblivion was one thing, but now you dare blaspheme me to my face.
Do you plead guilty?"
"I—"
Cheng Shi felt numb. The confident bluster he'd had a second ago drained away in an instant. His entire posture crumpled. He rubbed his nose red and shook his head with a bitter smile. "Guilty as charged. Terrified as charged."
Seeing His follower surrender immediately, those eyes sighed with boredom.
"Boring.
Chaos back then was just as boring as you. I foresaw that such disorderly tedium would amount to nothing if allowed to develop further, so I offered slight... guidance for His future path.
And look — He found His way.
When the followers of Order across the universe discover that the Benefactor they worship and revere is in essence Chaos — wouldn't that be the greatest Chaos in all the world?"
Before the Fun God could even finish, Cheng Shi's spirits soared. He raised his head and picked up where the god left off:
"...And wouldn't that also be the greatest Order in all the world?
What an unthinkable win-win!
No one in this universe but You, Benefactor, could contribute so much to the harmonious coexistence of those two.
The curtain falls on the conflict between Civilization and Chaos — all thanks to You."
Cheng Shi was stunned by the Fun God's methods, and seamlessly slipped in a bit of flattery. Unfortunately, that flattery missed its mark.
Because the Fun God had done none of this for the sake of harmony between Order and Chaos — He'd done it for Himself. But He naturally wouldn't tell Cheng Shi any of that, merely regarding the Clown with a half-smile.
"Don't think a little flattery will get me to pardon your blasphemy. I'm not your other Benefactor — I have no idea what 'tolerance' means."
"..."
'Way to bring up the one sore subject.'
Cheng Shi gave an awkward laugh and quickly looked away.
His mind was brimming with questions, but he'd never known how to bring up Fate's transformation in front of Deceit. Now that his Benefactor had inadvertently provided a segue, Cheng Shi deliberately sidestepped the blasphemy topic and asked cautiously:
"Benefactor... speaking of the other Benefactor—" Seeing the void suddenly whip up a gale, Cheng Shi shuddered and immediately corrected himself. "Speaking of Fate... I've noticed He's changed."
"Tch—
How novel. Change has always been Fate's authority. Shifting back and forth is His very nature. If He didn't change, that would be the real problem."
"But He has become more resolute, Benefactor.
I don't know how You used His hand to push the fusion of Fate and Time, but under Your intervention — no, Your mediation of faiths — He used to warn me not to stray onto the wrong path. But just now...
He's now certain that even the changes You've engineered are themselves Fixed Destiny.
And He asked me to choose one of two within Void. The implication being..."
At this point, Cheng Shi recalled Fate's attitude from moments ago. Unease crept back into his heart, and a thin layer of cold sweat seeped across his back. But he couldn't continue.
Because he'd just witnessed the container being dyed.
He was wondering — was it only because the container belonged to Deceit that it could be re-colored with His authority? Or could any god who obtained this essentially faithless container dye it?
If it was the latter, then Fate's threatening ultimatum had been nothing more than intimidation — exploiting his ignorance about the container.
The container was mutable. There was no life-or-death dilemma forcing him to pick one over the other.
So — could the container be dyed other "colors" too?
Cheng Shi snapped his head up toward the Fun God, and the moment he saw a hint of amusement in those eyes, he knew he'd guessed right!
This wasn't a fixed container. This was a container the Fun God had seized from Truth — one that could be dyed with any faith's colors!
So from the very start, the Fun God had been explaining Fate's behavior to him!
Every move He made carried deeper meaning!
Seeing that Cheng Shi had figured it out, those eyes smiled with unmistakable significance. He gazed toward the depths of the void, His tone laced with amusement.
"Figured it out?
Relax — He won't do anything to you.
Compared to the fear in your heart, it may be He who is truly afraid right now.
He doesn't know what He's forgotten. Naturally, He must ensure that the Fixed Destiny He champions walks its predetermined path."
'Wait!'
'Who's afraid?!'
'Fate is afraid?!'
Cheng Shi's eyes went wide, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. "Benefactor, what exactly happened? Does Fate know about Your discovery?"
Those eyes flickered twice and began playing dumb.
"What could I possibly discover? Even Truth hasn't spoken of any discovery. What would a Void deity discover?
Don't get so jumpy, seeing ghosts everywhere.
Nothing has happened. Nothing has changed. Everything is normal. Everything is the same. Dead and lifeless...
That is this era. And every era."
...
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