If fighting was on the table, words were unnecessary.
The fla of [Void] ignited at the slightest spark — those two were at it again.
Cheng Shi, caught in the shockwaves of two true gods clashing, plumted straight through the Void — but he didn't fall back into reality. Instead, he landed inside a magnificent divine temple.
Seeing Kataro greet him with a polite smile and lead the way, Cheng Shi sighed with emotion:
"Being alive is nice, isn't it, Kataro?"
"!!!"
Kataro was not privy to the world reset. In his mory, he had simply been faithfully guarding the gates for his Benefactor when Lord Cheng Shi arrived for an audience.
But what did Lord Cheng Shi an by that?
'Is he testing ? Has humble Kataro done sothing wrong lately?'
Kataro froze. His smile looked more like crying as he turned to face Cheng Shi, his mind racing until he cautiously ventured: "Pardon , sir? I'm sorry — Kataro was montarily distracted."
Cheng Shi had only been musing aloud, naturally seeing no need to repeat himself. He waved his hand, left Kataro behind, and strode straight into the temple.
Seeing that Lord Cheng Shi had no intention of reprimanding him, Kataro let out a long breath of relief outside the hall.
"Being alive is nice... Kataro, keep it up!"
Cheng Shi had no idea Kataro was giving himself a pep talk back there. All he knew was that the Benefactor had set aside His public persona to summon him yet again — aning there was definitely sothing important to discuss.
So he quickened his pace, entered the temple, looked up at the massive murky-yellow hand hovering above the central hall, and asked:
"I'm here, Benefactor.
Do You have further instructions?"
The colossal hand, ford from swirling yellow fog, fiddled in the endless haze for a mont before gently releasing two objects.
A lush branch — and a squishy, pale-white... brain.
"..."
The branch was easy to identify. He'd seen things like it before. Shocking, sure, but unmistakable — it was [Prosperity]'s Authority.
But the brain...
'Has the Fun God been taken over by Wei Zhi?'
Cheng Shi blinked in utter bewildernt and looked upward, only to hear the great hand chuckle:
"Kitten did well. This is her reward.
[Prosperity]'s 'Abundance' was once given to [Truth], and now it's been reclaid.
I have no use for it. Take it to her.
As for the second piece...
Hmph — consider it a warning for a certain accomplice of [Truth]!"
"..."
'[Truth]'s accomplice?'
'Who?'
'Who was so despicable as to nearly bring the universe to ruin?!'
'Well — definitely not .'
Cheng Shi coughed twice and averted his gaze.
The murky hand snorted in amusent and continued:
"No matter how you deny it, the fact remains that [Truth] collapsed the universe with your help.
It's ti to exercise more caution, Clown.
The world may have been reset and only a few retain their mories, but the gods are not that simple. Amid the traces that couldn't be erased, they will inevitably find evidence pointing to a world reset.
For instance, [mory]'s blank collection — or the completely inexplicable redistribution of Authority under the Convention...
[Ti]'s work was precise enough, and my disguise can fool them for now. But they won't rest easy. So the Clown's situation will only beco more precarious."
By now, Cheng Shi was drenched in cold sweat.
"They can't see through [Void], but they can always see through mortals.
Are you afraid?
Good. Rember that fear. That, too, is 'His' doing.
I say all this not as a warning to anyone in particular, but as the reigning sovereign of [Void] in this era — a god who holds a Divine Throne — I need capable followers who can run errands intelligently.
And you... have attracted far too many gazes. If one day sothing were to happen..."
"Please don't jinx it, Benefactor!" Cheng Shi panicked. "Ptuh ptuh ptuh — lies don't count, the wind blows them away."
"..."
The great hand instantly transford into the starry eyes, gazing down at Cheng Shi with a half-smile, mockingly:
"Aiding the enemy and blaspheming your god — you deserve proper discipline.
So clowns are on the verge of forgetting their place.
Don't think of this as a reward. I rely want to ensure that if my current Clown happens to disappear one day, I'll have a handy replacent ready."
"..."
'Do you actually believe your own words?'
Seeing the Clown's skeptical expression, [Deceit] paid it no mind and carried on:
"[Truth] possessed the power to enlighten wisdom. What lies before you is a Wisdom Crystal.
It can bestow intelligence upon a living thing — and a living thing with intelligence naturally qualifies as 'civilization.'
Take out your Clown Substitute. I know you have it."
Clown Substitute?
Cheng Shi paused, then rummaged through his spatial storage for the clown doll he hadn't used in ages. He examined the hideous-cute puppet, thinking: 'Is the item getting an upgrade?'
'Has the Fun God finally rembered to strengthen His followers?'
Those starry eyes blinked gently and fused the Clown Substitute with the Wisdom Crystal. There were no dazzling lights or earth-shattering effects — the two items simply rged like cream blending into milk, phasing right through each other. Then they bubbled, collapsed, and beca... a black hole?
Cheng Shi was stupefied. He stared at the black sphere, unable to comprehend how this equation worked.
'Clown
Brain = Black Hole?'
'Benefactor, this [Truth] You inherited... isn't it kind of twisted?'
But quickly, Cheng Shi realized the dark mass wasn't actually a black hole — it was a shadow. Because right as he marveled, the shadow rapidly vanished from before his eyes and reappeared inside his...
Shadow!
The black hole had rged with his shadow!
"???"
Before Cheng Shi could process any of this, a far larger shadow swooped down on him from above.
He felt a violent spin, was blasted by a stinging gust of palm wind, and tumbled through the Void. When he woke, he was already back in his rest area.
And lying beside him was a figure identical in build — but whose entire body was as deeply dark as a black hole.
A shadow person.
"?????"
Cheng Shi's pupils shrank. He leapt to his feet and stumbled backward — and the shadow person mirrored him exactly, retreating in the opposite direction. Both "people" simultaneously blurted out: "Holy—"
Cheng Shi blinked in disbelief, finally grasping what the Fun God ant by "enlightening wisdom."
'Wait — You turned my shadow into a person?!'
'Do I even still have a shadow?'
He snapped his head down — the shadow was still there beneath him. But when he looked up again, the shadow person had vanished.
His brow furrowed. With a re thought, the shadow below him stretched out a hand, broke free of its two-dinsional prison, and stood up before him once more, right before his eyes.
"..."
When he locked gazes with those pure black eyes, Cheng Shi felt the utter strangeness of it all.
His shadow was alive — just like the very beginning, when he'd first been granted the talent of [Void].
Back then, the shadow had concealed Cheng Dashi's contingency. But now...
"Who are you?"
Both "Cheng Shis" spoke in unison, then simultaneously nodded.
"You are . You are...
Cheng Shi."
...
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