"As everyone should know, prophecy cannot peer too far into the future. So the vision I saw is imminent."
The Blind One pressed her lips together and slightly turned her head to "look" in Cheng Shi's direction.
Cheng Shi naturally understood what had prompted the Blind One to prophesy about the world. "An occasional feeling" was rely a pretext. The true catalyst was being shaken by what had happened to this world's An Mingyu.
But the prophecy still made his heart skip.
Thinking about how [Fate] had been spreading faith with escalating frenzy lately — behavior that did indeed resemble a world-line reaching its conclusion — Cheng Shi furrowed his brow and asked:
"What did you see?"
All eyes turned to An Mingyu. The Blind One clenched her fists, face heavy with sorrow:
"I asked Him if this world would collapse.
His answer was... yes. One hundred percent yes!"
Every trace of laughter evaporated. Expressions turned grave all around. Li Wufang and Tao Yi knew nothing of the gods' affairs and couldn't grasp the crushing weight behind the Blind One's prophecy. But Hong Lin had not only lived through the universe's actual collapse — just hours ago she'd witnessed an aborted one. She understood with perfect clarity how terrifying the future the Blind One described truly was.
Worse — the new collapse might be re days away!
If the world were destroyed again, would anyone co to save it?
Hong Lin's gaze first flicked to the little fox — an oddly aningful glance — then locked firmly onto Cheng Shi. She felt certain: if anyone could halt the collapse or rescue this world, that person must be — could only be — Cheng Shi.
And if no single person could save the world, then whatever thod existed would inevitably involve Cheng Shi at its core.
After countless shoulder-to-shoulder shocks shared with this Fate Weaver, he'd already beco the key in Hong Lin's eyes. Even when the road ahead vanished, he could push open a brand-new door from the roadside and forge a new path with his friends.
So if the Prisoner's famous line — "Cheng Shi is this world's answer" — ever reached Hong Lin's ears, she'd agree wholeheartedly.
Cheng Shi had no idea Big Cat placed such enormous hope in him. But at this mont, his mind was running along the sa track: he, too, was rembering the explosion of [Oblivion]'s will that had just occurred.
Eyebrow raised, he asked: "Blind One — when exactly did you make this prophecy?"
An Mingyu paused, then recalled: "Yesterday evening. I was up all night. I wanted to discuss it with Xin Xin first, but Hong Lin's call ca through before that, so I decided to bring it here."
"Yesterday..." Cheng Shi tapped the table, thinking aloud: "So your prophecy was made before the Assembly of Gods Convention?"
"The Assembly of Gods Convention? What's that?" Several faces exchanged blank looks. None had ever heard of it.
Only Big Cat caught his aning. Her face lit up and she slapped the table:
"You an what Ming Yu actually prophesied was [Oblivion]'s—"
She caught herself midway. Even knowing Cheng Shi intended to show his hand to the Destined Ones, she wasn't sure what should or shouldn't be revealed. She shut her mouth.
Cheng Shi waved it off with a carefree smile and nodded:
"So of you may never have heard of the Assembly of Gods Convention. That's natural — it was never ant for mortals. It's where the gods exercise their rights under the Pact to make final rulings on the universe's affairs. Only gods may attend. True gods.
Even the servant god's assembly requires a true god's sponsorship.
And just a short ti ago, one such convention concluded in the void.
[Oblivion]... lost His divine throne and went mad with fury. He tried to drag the universe into annihilation with Him — to obliterate everything. That's the 'world collapse' you prophesied.
But His rampage was neutralized by the other gods. Our own Benefactor, [Fate], was one of those who 'saved' the world.
So you see — the final act hasn't arrived. The Destined Ones are fine.
Hm? Why are you all looking at
like that?
You don't think I attended, do you?
I already told you — even a servant god needs a true god's approval to attend, let alone a re mortal.
But you did guess correctly. Soone among us was at that convention. Just not
— it was..."
Cheng Shi's lip curled as he looked at Big Cat. "...Hong Lin!"
"?????"
Big Cat never in her wildest dreams imagined that Cheng Shi's "showing his hand" would start with flipping her cat card!
While everyone stared at her in shock, before she could offer a single word of explanation, Cheng Shi steamrolled ahead:
"But even that description isn't quite right. Hong Lin didn't attend as a re bystander, and she didn't attend as a 'human.' She was one of the convention's protagonists — and also one of the true gods seated on those sixteen divine thrones!
You heard
correctly.
Hong Lin is no longer human.
She's a god!"
"!!!"
The flustered Big Cat had no ntal bandwidth to analyze whether Cheng Shi had sneaked in so insult. She didn't know whether she should match his theatrics and project divine gravitas, or first clarify that she wasn't actually a true god yet — just a candidate.
While she wavered, An Mingyu couldn't stay seated. She jolted with sudden realization:
"[Prosperity]?"
Big Cat's heart tightened. Knowing there was no escape, she imdiately sat up straight, folded her hands on the table with dead seriousness, and gave An Mingyu a solemn nod:
"Correct. I am the new Proxy of [Prosperity]."
Even Tao Yi was dumbfounded. The Wood Elf blinked in confusion: "But didn't you say you were only the Proxy of [Prosperity]'s eldest daughter, Frazor? How did it beco [Prosperity] Itself, Baldy?"
"Don't call
Baldy here!"
"Then... O True God [Prosperity] on high, would You deign to enlighten Your bewildered follower?"
"..."
Sure enough — letting the little fox near Cheng Shi was a terrible idea. Every word she spoke now ca pre-seasoned with his flavor.
While the besties bickered, the orderly [Order] follower Li Wufang had completely blue-screened.
He'd never imagined a human could shatter the rules and beco a god — not a servant god, but one of the sixteen true gods!
Sure, he knew [Prosperity] had fallen. But why would a human fill that vacancy?
Was this the ga's true nature — for a player to seize a true god's throne?
Or was [Prosperity]'s fall rely a facade, with humans — no, the Destined Ones — having engineered the fall to claim the throne?!
If it was the latter, then the Destined Ones were... truly magnificent!
Praise [Fate]!
After the initial shock, Li Wufang grew ecstatic. He was dying to know every detail of Hong Lin's ascension. But Cheng Shi didn't give him the chance. Seizing the mont while everyone was processing, he turned back to the Blind One:
"So your prophecy wasn't wrong. The world did stand on the brink of collapse — for one brief instant. But Fixed Destiny triumphed over Change. The collapse ended. And your prophecy has been fulfilled."
An Mingyu felt like her mind was in chaos. She was still reeling from the revelation that her friend had already claid a divine throne. And now the Fate Weaver said her prophecy was already fulfilled — did that an the universe was safe, and she could stop worrying?
She raised her head, "looking" at Cheng Shi for confirmation. He smiled and nodded — though inside, he was anything but calm.
The truth was, he wasn't certain the Blind One's prophecy referred to [Oblivion]'s attempt to annihilate the universe. The timing simply happened to align, so he'd used it to reassure her.
This fate-battered prophet had suffered enough on [Fate]'s path. If he let her spiral deeper into worry, there was no telling whether her road would veer off [Fate]'s track entirely.
That was why he'd used [Oblivion]'s fall as comfort first — and would think through whether the prophecy was truly fulfilled later.
After all, [Oblivion] wasn't the only force that could push the universe toward collapse. Setting aside what was close at hand — there was still a Creator sitting in the real universe!
A single casual glance from Him could reduce this entire world to nothing!
What worried Cheng Shi most was whether sothing else might draw the Creator's attention. If the threat truly ca from Him, then given this starry sky's current "capabilities"... could the Fun God and [Ti] hold the line?
Could they reset the world as they'd done last ti, and dodge another catastrophe?
A weight settled in Cheng Shi's chest.
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