"My lord, before anything else, I need to confirm sothing with You."
"As You must know, Oblivion has been targeting
relentlessly. Of course, I realize He isn't doing this simply to avenge a mortal who intercepted a few sacrifices."
"I despise Oblivion, yet I know a true god wouldn't be that petty. So today I'd sincerely like to ask: why does He want to obliterate
so badly?"
The massive skull snorted:
"You should... ask... your own... Benefactors."
"Ask Them... why... Oblivion... is so... 'fond'... of you."
Though Death's tone was cold, the sentence carried an unmistakable note of satisfaction.
Cheng Shi had a realization. So Oblivion's hunt for him was definitely a plus in the boss's ledger.
'But what good is asking those two Void ancestors? They're not Oblivion's rivals...'
'Wait!'
Cheng Shi froze. 'Could Oblivion's "excessive attention" actually stem from the Void's gaze?'
'Could it be that the "sacrifice" He's fixated on isn't
per se?'
Alard, Cheng Shi looked up: "It's because of the Void's sacrifice?"
"Sacrifice..."
"An apt... description."
"Not entirely... wrong... nor entirely... right."
"Oblivion... has always... coveted... the Void... yet your... two Benefactors... have never... given Him... the ti of day."
"After years... of this... prejudice... He refuses... to accept... the 'sacrifice'... endorsed by... the Void's... masters."
"It seems... you already... understand... the significance... of the Convention... Not bad... Oblivion's... fixation on you... does partly... stem from this... but more of it... is about... pleasing... Himself."
"What is not... forbidden... is permitted... The Convention... brought about... the Faith Ga... and set its rules... but how... to select... what you call... a 'sacrifice'... that clause... was never... set in stone."
"Therefore... His actions... cannot be... sanctioned by... the Convention... nor can you... receive... the rules'... protection."
"However... if rely... for this... you think... to sche... for His throne..."
The massive skull studied Cheng Shi and shook.
"You're... delusional."
"Not a single... rule... of the Convention... would permit... you to do so... let alone... that you are... rely a mortal... outside the Convention's... protection."
"You have t... Order—Justice... You should know... His fairness... borders on... inflexibility."
Cheng Shi hopped forward, words tumbling out in excitent:
"My lord, it's precisely because His fairness borders on inflexibility that I believe there are loopholes in the rules!"
"I won't mince words with You. Let
ask directly: if I wanted to inherit Oblivion's Divine Throne and authority—what would I need?"
The massive skull spoke gravely:
"When... Prosperity's Mother... fell... I already... told you... When a true god... is trapped... or falls... their Envoy... under the Convention's... witness... may inherit... their throne... and authority."
"Frazor... was a lie... but at least... it was... believable."
"But... Oblivion... is not dead... and due to... His authority... He can never... be trapped."
"Setting aside... His status... He has... but one... subordinate... the Hand of Purifying Weevil... How do you... intend to... replace him... and beco... another... Oblivion... Envoy?"
Cheng Shi shook his head and smiled:
"My lord, You've misunderstood. When did I say I wanted to beco Oblivion's Envoy?"
"I belong to the Void. I am close to You. Even if Oblivion stopped hunting
and offered
the Envoy position as an apology, I still wouldn't—"
"Hsss—"
Cheng Shi clamped his mouth shut. He'd almost said "wouldn't say no."
He cleared his throat hastily and corrected course:
"I absolutely could not accept such a position!"
"But think about it—there's already a ready-made Envoy. Why does it have to be ?"
"From start to finish, what I've been discussing with You is pulling Oblivion off His throne—not putting myself on it!"
"!?"
Green flas erupted in the massive skull's eyes. Spectral fire illuminated every corner of the Fishbone Hall. He spoke with considerable astonishnt:
"You want... to turn... the Hand of Purifying Weevil?"
Cheng Shi nodded vigorously:
"Exactly!"
"My lord, I want to turn Herobos—offering him the condition that he stops hunting , in exchange for a genuine Divine Throne!"
"Absurd! Preposterous! Outrageous!"
"Even... your Benefactor... Deceit Himself... would not dare... promise anyone... a Divine Throne... and you... a re mortal... presu to... discuss... the transfer... of a god's seat!?"
"Did We... hear wrong... or—"
"You heard correctly!"
"My lord, every word I've said is fact."
"Why else would I insist on a personal audience before daring to speak of this?"
"I have a thod—with a very high probability of success—but the prerequisite is Your full support!"
The massive skull grew even more bewildered. No matter how He calculated, He couldn't fathom how a mortal could sche against a god who still possessed freedom.
But He was also growing more intrigued, because He could see that this "employee" was brimming with confidence.
After careful deliberation, He spoke, eyes blazing:
"Very well... We... believe you... this once."
"We can... give you... every support... you desire."
"But... you must... tell Us... have you... contacted... your several... Benefactors... or other... true gods... to jointly... hunt down... Oblivion?"
Cheng Shi paused, then shook his head: "No."
"No!?"
The massive skull released a thunderous hum: "Oblivion... commands... the authority... of obliteration... He can... obliterate... His own form... at any mont... He is... nearly impossible... to kill... even harder... to trap!"
"Without that... how do you... plan to... inherit... His authority... and throne?"
"Why does it have to be that way?"
Cheng Shi smiled. He dropped all pretense and laid it out with absolute certainty:
"My lord, You said it Yourself: when a true god is trapped or falls, their Envoy may—under the Convention's witness—inherit their throne and authority. This is a clause of the Convention, correct?"
"You confirm my understanding is accurate?"
"We... confirm."
"Then here's my question: does the Convention anywhere state that when a true god is not trapped and has not fallen, their Envoy cannot inherit the throne and authority?"
"?????"
'WHAT?!'
The green flas in the massive skull's eyes snuffed out instantly. It was as though He'd just heard the most inconceivable thing in the entire universe. His entire skull went blank.
The sudden silence startled Cheng Shi. He thought he'd misunderstood the "concept" and hurried forward, bouncing a couple of hops, cautiously peering up: "My lord?"
"HA HA HA HA HA—"
The massive skull burst into laughter that shook the universe—and for once, didn't stamr at all.
He surveyed the tiny skull before Him with satisfaction, nodding repeatedly:
"Not bad... The Convention... indeed... never made... such an... explicit... provision."
"If you... raise this... as a motion... and petition... Order—Justice... to invoke... the Pact of Gods... convention... with... Order—Justice's... rigidity... He would... certainly... acknowledge... the motion's... validity."
"Then... a simple... vote... would decide... the fate... of Oblivion's... throne!"
"And at that point... the Void... to protect... Their 'sacrifice'... would naturally... cast their votes."
"We... understand... You have co... for Our... vote."
"Exactly!"
Cheng Shi gazed up at the lord on the Bone Throne, eyes shining with anticipation: "Then... do You agree?"
Green flas flickered in the massive skull's eyes. He weighed and calculated every angle for a long while before finally nodding:
"The opportunity... is rare."
"Were the target... not Oblivion... this would be... impossible."
"With Civilization... in chaos... and a surplus... of votes... to gather... it is... worth... a try!"
Though the Death lord agreed without hesitation, that final remark sent a jolt through Cheng Shi.
Because this lord clearly hadn't lost His mories of the Real Universe—otherwise He'd never have said "with Civilization in chaos."
He truly was a mber of the Fear Faction!
With this realization, Cheng Shi's confidence solidified, though he didn't point it out.
Securing this vote brought him one step closer to pulling Oblivion off His throne.
'Heh. You want to kill ?'
'Then let's see who finishes first—you losing your throne, or
losing my life!'
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