The Void — an unknown space.
This was perhaps a situation Galusha had never anticipated.
She was aware of Drifters' existence, and had observed the Departnt of Consciousness Faith's research on them from the shadows. But the information had always been too scarce. The scholars' speculative conclusions couldn't serve as definitive characterizations of Drifters — so even "knowing" amounted to little more than awareness that such beings existed. As for the specifics of what Drifters actually were, she remained clueless.
After her brief encounter with Mr. Prisoner in the previous trial, Galusha had assud Drifters were simply agents who operated closer to the divine will — proxy agents of a sort.
But she never expected that "closer" would an this close!
She was having an audience with a god!
Awkwardly, the first deity she found herself facing was not her own Benefactor, but the very god she had devoted her life to destroying...
[Truth]!
This had to be [Truth]. The radiance of knowledge emanating from that star-illustrated to, the rhythmic pulse of natural law that surged with every turned page — all of it confird beyond doubt that the Starlight Canon before her was the very [Truth] she had spent her whole existence yearning to destroy!
How absurd. She had rely borrowed a follower's identity, and now she'd been dragged into the Void for judgnt?
For a mont, Galusha didn't know what to do.
To say she wasn't afraid would be a lie. No matter how defiant she was, she was still mortal. She could look down on the Tower of Logic, on the Erudition Presidium, on the Grand Scholars — but could she really look down on a god?
No matter how mad she was, it was impossible to maintain her arrogance before a deity.
But Galusha was still Galusha. Unlike ordinary mortals, even while facing an enemy god head-on, fear did not consu her entirely!
She bowed her head and bent her body, yes — but that was simply a mortal's instinctive reflex upon first seeing a god. In secret, her eyes never behaved. They road, studying the Starlight Canon before her.
The word "submit" simply didn't exist in Galusha's bones. Even if she compromised temporarily, even if she bent her back — the spine of defiance within her stayed straight as ever.
She even felt that having erged from history's river by so stroke of fortune, seeing a real god even once before dying was already worth it. As for whether she lived or died — ha, she was nothing but a slice from an experint. Every second she'd lived up to now was pure profit.
If she could spit one last word of contempt at the [Truth] she'd despised all her life before dying, then her brief existence would beco dazzlingly, brilliantly aningful.
She'd even begun composing the perfect contemptuous remark — because she was certain that as the god most skilled at seeking truth and observation, [Truth] would never mistake her identity.
He surely already knew that beneath this skin, the one squatting in His follower's body wasn't His real believer!
Sure enough, the Void didn't stay silent for long. The Starlight Canon called out her na.
"Galusha."
Galusha's whole body trembled. Her scornful words were already on the tip of her tongue — but in the next instant, every sound died in her throat. No matter how she scread, she couldn't produce a single syllable.
anwhile, the book opposite her flipped its pages faster and faster, its tone turning playful:
"Tch—
I've t plenty of clowns. You're the most presumptuous of the lot.
What — did you think performing a mi would amuse ?
Compared to a certain comical follower of another god, your entertainnt skills are far inferior."
"!!!"
Galusha's face changed dramatically, her pupils shrinking. She stared at the Starlight Canon in utter disbelief, pointing a trembling finger:
"You... you're not [Truth]?!"
Her voice had returned — but it was now drenched in shock and fear.
"Oh? And why can't I be [Truth]?
Unless... you've seen another [Truth]?"
"..."
That one sentence shut Galusha down completely. Then she broke into a delighted grin — because the mont she realized this entity was not [Truth] but was impersonating Him, she understood that this deity could never be her enemy. In fact, there was a strong chance He was an ally!
Ally was perhaps too bold a word. More accurately — a god who could shelter her on the path to destroying [Truth], helping her walk farther than she ever could alone!
Why else would He assu [Truth]'s identity to summon her?
So at last, genuine respect rose to her face. She bowed again:
"Of course not. In my eyes, You are the true [Truth]."
She'd expected such a tactful response to win His approval. Instead, she stood bent over for an eternity before receiving a single reply:
"Hmm?
You clearly know I'm not [Truth], yet you insist on labeling
as such — is that because you wish to dispose of ?
Bold. Plenty of people want to kill gods, but you're the most brazen about it."
"???"
That leap of logic left Galusha's head spinning.
'Wait...'
'Who was the one who claid to be [Truth] in the first place?'
'How does every pot end up on my head?'
'I thought I'd found a protector, but instead I got a troublemaker.'
'Is this god even serious?'
Wait!
Not serious?
Sothing clicked. Galusha's pupils contracted once more. The words burst from her mouth: "You're that—"
"Shh!
Speak not in vain."
The Starlight Canon's pages flipped even faster — flickering like strobing stars.
Galusha felt a sudden surge of excitent. She was now certain this "Truth" was the deity who had interfered with and sabotaged countless [Truth] experints.
But why had He summoned her — to use her as a weapon against [Truth]?
As if reading her mind, the Starlight Canon suddenly chuckled. Its tone was dripping with derision:
"Don't think too highly of yourself.
I simply needed a backup variable, and you happened to fit the bill. So I fished you out.
When you think about it, you rely jumped from one experint into a bigger one.
Nothing to be excited about."
Galusha's expression darkened.
She hated being called a variable — because variables were too closely associated with [Truth].
But she hated [Truth] more. So as long as this deity stood opposed to [Truth], she could swallow the disgust and play along.
After a mont's thought, she looked up and asked: "So long as it doesn't interfere with eradicating [Truth], I'm willing to cooperate with Your arrangents.
What would You have
do?"
"[Truth] doesn't need you to eradicate Him.
I told you — I am [Truth]. The [Truth] you want to eradicate...
Never mind. You shouldn't know about that.
I have no assignnts for you. Just stay alive. That's enough."
"..." Galusha's heart tightened. "Stay alive... until when?"
"Self-aware — good.
That's not for
to decide. Probably... until the ti cos when he needs you."
He?
Galusha's gaze sharpened.
Who was "he"?
...
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