Chapter 391: The Three Gods |
Since entering the Holy City, Qi Si had made two deals.
The first deal was with Father Laki. Its purpose: to seize the colossal, fleshy growth that appeared at night—the Fruit of the World, where a new god gestated in slumber.
Father Laki desired a nascent god, while Qi Si coveted the consolidated authority over space and time. Their objectives converged on a single point: allowing the Fruit of the World to devour all the faithful of the Holy City.
Constrained by the rules of the Holy City, neither Qi Si nor Father Laki could directly harm the throngs of innocent believers. But... what if those believers ceased to be innocent?
The less-than-devout faithful, discontent with the clergy’s rule, are stirred by the whispers of an outside heretic. They organize, storm the temple, and desecrate its miracles, only to become sustenance for the new god nesting in its depths—what a perfectly plausible script.
Thus, the priests under Father Laki's command enacted draconian decrees across the districts of the Holy City, while Qi Si manipulated the NPCs under his control to sow fear and resentment.
The second deal was with Fu Jue. By now, the man and the god had reached a preliminary consensus: they would leverage the principle that authority and Identity Cards of the same path attract one another to prevent the Ancestral God from reawakening in the new god's vessel.
Asakura Yuko's existence was now woven into their design. The holder of the Taboo Scholar Identity Card naturally resonated with derivatives of space-time authority. Placed beside the Ancestral God, she was a far more powerful magnet.
And as for what to do after neutralizing the threat of the Ancestral God...
Qi Si propped his chin on his hand, his gaze settling on Father Laki, who stood cloaked in the temple's shadows.
The white-robed man remained silent from start to finish, watching the man and god scheme like an elusive specter. He seemed utterly detached, his eyes betraying no hint of desire for the fulfillment of his wish.
A mere observer? How interesting.
...
Back in the Holy City, Asakura Yuko and Vader had finally managed to break free from the adoring crowds. They now lay sprawled on a rooftop at a street corner, gasping for breath.
Vader complained between ragged breaths, "That Identity Card of yours is insane. Mobilizing so many NPCs... in a huge instance like this, it's a guaranteed win...
"The downside is a little terrifying, though. Those NPCs don't seem to listen to a word you say. They just stare at you like you're a prime cut of meat..."
"That's not my Identity Card's effect," Asakura Yuko stated flatly. "I've already told you, my card's power is to record history. I'm just as baffled as you are about how things turned out this way.
"Furthermore, I've always believed cooperation is built on mutual trust. If you're just looking for a pawn to do your dirty work, I am not your best choice."
Vader froze for a second, then buried his face in his hands with a sigh. "Fine, fine, no need to say it again. I believe you, alright? It was just a figure of speech..."
Asakura Yuko shot him a sidelong glance and fell silent.
She was indeed puzzled, but her confusion wasn't limited to the card's incendiary effect on the believers. It was also about the woman who had appeared in her vision.
She remembered clearly: the god corresponding to the Taboo Scholar Identity Card was 'Li,' the Lord of Space and Time—a male deity with long hair and black robes. The white-robed, white-haired woman she had witnessed could not possibly be the same entity.
Who was that woman? Could she be 'Huo,' the God of Life?
From the historical fragments she had pieced together, the only symbols she associated with 'Huo' were silver eyes, spiders, and frogs. Now, it seemed she could add white robes, white hair, and the World Tree to that list.
Was it because the Final Instance was drawing near that certain ancient beings were beginning to stir? Asakura Yuko speculated calmly, pulling out her History Page to record her thoughts. Yet, the confusion in her mind only deepened.
From what the vision had shown, the history of the Holy City was tied to 'Huo.' The god who had saved the faithful and founded the city was 'Huo.' So, what was the deal with Qi Si, who now occupied the divine throne?
And what about the statues of another god, visible all over the city?
Just how many gods had come to this city? Who was its true master? Which version of its history was real?
"So, Yuko, what's our next move?" Vader asked, his breathing finally even, his voice full of excitement. "If we use those believers to turn this whole city upside down, that should clear the main quest, right?"
"Not so fast," Asakura Yuko said, shaking her head. "We still don't know if there are actual monsters here at night. Inciting the believers to rebel against the clergy without gathering enough information could lead to those legendary monsters overrunning the city and causing a catastrophe."
Vader blinked. "And how is that our problem? We should be able to leave once we get an ending, right? Who cares if the NPCs live or die?"
Asakura Yuko paused, momentarily surprised. She couldn't quite understand why she had suddenly started sounding so compassionate.
But she recovered quickly, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I don't understand how someone so shortsighted has managed to survive this long, let alone become a top-ranked player. The main quest is to achieve *any* ending, yes, but it doesn't specify what those endings contain. What if there's an outcome like, *The monsters descend as the believers overthrow the clergy*?
"I assume you're familiar with *The Wandering Earth*. Besides, with our weapon-type items sealed, I highly doubt you could survive a wave of monsters."
"Yuko, I only questioned you a little. Do you have to be this angry?" Vader said, taken aback. "And why did you only say *I* wouldn't survive? Leaving yourself out of it, are you?"
"I'm not angry. I'm just stating a fact," Asakura Yuko replied. "Players who rely too heavily on combat and brute force are naturally hit harder by the loss of their weapons than others."
"Alright, alright. You've got the special Identity Card, you call the shots," Vader conceded. "So, we lay low for now and make our move tomorrow?"
"No. If I could, I would rather find a quiet corner where we won't be disturbed, gather the 'fire seeds' from other players by trading information, and then clear the instance by unlocking an ending that way." Asakura Yuko turned to face Vader, her dull, fish-like eyes fixing on him with an unnerving lack of warmth. "Have you ever heard of the Pig-Payoff game?
"Imagine a pigpen with one big pig and one small pig. At one end of the pen is a trough, and at the other is a button that dispenses food. Pressing the button releases ten units of food into the trough, but it costs the presser two units of energy. The button and the trough are at opposite ends, so the pig that presses the button incurs the cost and also loses the chance to be the first to eat.
"If the small pig reaches the trough first, it eats at a normal pace without competition, and the final food ratio is 6:4. If they arrive at the same time, the big pig eats faster, and the final ratio is 7:3. If the big pig gets there first, it dominates the trough and eats everything else, making the final ratio 9:1.
"So, assuming both pigs are intelligent, the final outcome is this: the small pig chooses to wait, and the big pig goes to press the button.
"Our duo, compared to the teams of players who entered this instance together, is the weaker party in this model—the 'small pig.' For us, waiting is superior to acting. Therefore, our best option is to stay holed up in the temple, refuse to participate in any clue-gathering, and reduce our risk to zero."
Having finished her analysis, Asakura Yuko fell silent. Vader mulled it over for a long moment before asking, "But what if everyone thinks that way? What if no one is willing to explore? What do we do then?"
Asakura Yuko replied, "Then we all die here. The ones who don't want to die will take the risks for us."
"What if they'd rather die than let us get a free ride? Even if they want to live, what's to stop them from stabbing us in the back right before the finish line?"
"They won't," Asakura Yuko said. "From our previous conversations, it's clear they at least pay lip service to Kyushu's ideals. They won't act like a bunch of PKers. Besides, their group includes plenty of self-styled 'hopes for humanity' who think they can clear the Final Instance. They consider their lives far more precious than ours. They would never be willing to die here just to take low-value targets like us down with them."
Vader, finally grasping her plan, scoffed. "So it's true what they say. No good deed goes unpunished."
Asakura Yuko replied, deadpan, "They ganged up on Fu Jue. That hardly makes them saints. And for someone so concerned with the fate of good people, you certainly didn't hesitate to threaten me into this partnership."
"So, you're saying *you're* the good person here?"
"I believe so."
"You definitely seemed like one at first, but now... never mind. So, does this mean you're giving up on the True End completely? Just sitting in the temple playing a tabletop game sounds lame."
"No. From what I've seen, creative strategies don't often lead to better outcomes. They usually just increase your risk of dying. Though, given your age, I can't expect you to outgrow your adolescent belief in plot armor overnight..."
"Hey, I'm sixteen, you know," Vader retorted. "From the way you're talking, I guess I'm supposed to say something like, 'You're just a boring adult,' right?"
Bantering back and forth, they leaped from the roof and made their way quickly toward the temple.
Just then, a sonorous bell tolled. The sound, a deep *Dong*, seemed to plummet from the heavens, striking the earth with a cold impact that sent ripples through the air.
Night fell the instant the bell rang, each subsequent toll devouring the light, inch by inch.
Asakura Yuko and Vader reached the square before the temple just in time. They hurried up the steps, crossing the threshold of the grand entrance just as the last of the light was swallowed by the night.
Their heavy black robes were gone, replaced by white bodysuits. The pristine fabric was spattered with blood, a testament to their recent encounter in the North District
This time, only four people sat at the long table in the center of the temple hall. With more than half of the thirteen chairs vacant, the space felt vast and desolate.
Asakura Yuko did a quick tally. Including herself and Vader, along with Thompson, Fujiwara Shinno, Sigmund, and Fran Parker, who were already present, only half of the original players remained.
The sky outside was now completely black. Giles Hunt and Julie Margaret had yet to return, which likely meant they had met a grim fate. The only question was whether they had fallen victim to the instance's dangers or to other players...
The master's seat was empty; Qi Si had left the hall. Yet Asakura Yuko could still feel an intense, almost tangible pressure, as if the eyes of a divine being were watching her across the vastness of space and time.
Of the four who had arrived before them, all but Sigmund had faces frozen in a dead, stagnant stillness. Though they were looking in different directions, she felt as if all three were staring right at her.
"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Asakura Yuko asked, maintaining her composure as she took her seat. "We ran into some trouble in the North District. I was wondering if you triggered some kind of special event as well."
Thompson turned to face her, a silver-gray light flickering deep in his eyes. "Giles Hunt and Julie Margaret were attacked," he said. "They disappeared in the North District..."
...
The bell tower beside the temple stabbed into the heavens, its menacing spire like a monster's fang silhouetted against the orange sky.
Clinging to a web-choked ladder, Qi Si ascended to the top of the tower, stopping in a small, dust-choked chamber.
In the center of the room, a display stand held a yellowed parchment scroll. Its edges were riddled with wormholes, and it was tattered and decaying in several places.
He snapped his fingers. The dust motes dancing in the air vanished. The parchment scroll slowly unfurled, revealing three lines—the exalted names of gods:
The God of Life, Incarnation of the World Tree's Origin
The Master of Death, Wielder of Creation and Annihilation
The Holy Being, Nurturer of Sea, Land, Sky, Wind, and Rain
Information flooded his mind the instant he looked. A primal fear from the dawn of creation, a terror etched into his very blood and bone, shuddered in the depths of his soul.
A colossal woman walked the earth. Silk spun from her fingertips wove a web that blanketed the world. Birds, fish, and frogs swirled around her naked form, a writhing garment of living creatures.
The nascent gods were as small as ants, bound by her silk and set in their proper places, taught their designated roles. Thus, order was brought to all things, and the World Tree pulsed with vigorous life.
Until one day, when her colossal body fell with a thunderous crash. The shadow that had loomed over them vanished in an instant, leaving behind billowing clouds of dust and an echo that refused to fade.
Her head became the mountains, her white hair the snow upon their peaks. Her blood became the rivers, her flesh the fertile soil.
The gods reveled in their hard-won freedom, feasting upon the remains that held her authority. They lost their only mother, but grew from frail fledglings into formidable beings. Yet for years to come, they would live steeped in the fear that her shadow might one day return...
"So it was true," Qi Si murmured, gazing at the parchment. Then, he suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach as he burst into laughter. "So this was the contingency you left behind?"
"A fascinating gambit," he mused. "Let that fool Li believe he had successfully altered history, all while using his authority and his statues to conceal the lingering presence of the Ancestral God.
"Deliberately leaving a flaw to lure me to the Holy City, striking a deal to use my hand to accelerate the Ancestral God's revival... A clever move. To think Its followers have also learned the art of deception."
His laughter trailed off. He turned his head to Father Laki, who stood silently behind him, and raised a single finger to his lips. "But it doesn't matter. I will continue to help you gather that Fruit of the World.
"After all," he added, "I'm quite curious to see for myself the exact process of a god being reborn in a new vessel."
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