The Inquisition's fire hadn't fully died. But the weakening flas and scattered embers could no longer stop a Chosen One.
As crowds of frightened citizens gathered outside the Inquisition, Zhang Jizu decided he couldn't wait. He had to enter the ruins and find Gou Feng's remains before professional church staff arrived.
But just then—from the direction of the church—ca one ear-splitting explosion after another!
Purple lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the entirety of Dolgod.
Tonight was destined to be eventful. Zhang Jizu halted and looked toward the lightning, wondering if sothing had happened to Cheng Shi.
He badly wanted to go back—but couldn't abandon his "mission." So he could only quicken his pace, hoping to finish early and return before Cheng Shi ran into trouble.
But right then—just as he was about to step into the Inquisition's ruins—a charred, blood-soaked figure dropped from the sky directly in front of him.
Zhang Jizu's eyes sharpened. He instinctively slashed upward with his scalpel—but as his narrowed eyes swept across the unrecognizable face, he realized the blackened features looked sowhat...
Familiar.
'Cheng Shi?!'
The "Wood Elf" that [Deceit] had personally designated for protection had appeared before him like this!
He deduced the thod: Cheng Shi had used Never Lost Gambling Gear. For safety's sake, Zhang Jizu had hung the die Cheng Shi gave him on the only tree he hadn't chopped down—and Cheng Shi's descent point was exactly at that tree's crown.
'Interesting. Like Zhen Xin, he can borrow his alternate personality's power?'
'No—this isn't the ti. What happened to him? Why is he charred like this?'
A thousand thoughts flashed through Zhang Jizu's mind, but none slowed his reflexes.
He yanked back his scalpel, slid his other hand under Cheng Shi's back, and fired off a thick healing spell.
Holy light erupted, enveloping Cheng Shi's entire body in soothing warmth.
But it was pointless.
Cheng Shi only looked terrible. Endless Life had already locked his vitality ceiling. Aside from so numbness where the lightning had fried his skin and nerves, he was perfectly fine.
Not just fine—his spirits were exceptionally high. He'd even waved hello to squinty-eyes while falling.
"Yo, squi—... Old Zhang. We et again."
Hearing that robust, fully-powered voice, Zhang Jizu's eye twitched. He withdrew his hand and let Cheng Shi slam into the ground.
THUD—
"F—..."
'That bastard is definitely taking revenge!'
Cheng Shi hit the ground hard. Charred scabs cracked and flaked off across his body.
Zhang Jizu studied him with a slight frown, then glanced toward the distant lightning and asked:
"That commotion—your doing?"
Cheng Shi didn't answer. He just clutched whatever was in his arms and laughed. Maniacally.
Zhang Jizu's suspicion deepened. He studied the contents of Cheng Shi's embrace, trying to determine what treasure this unreliable Wood Elf had stolen. But after careful examination, his expression suddenly darkened, his gaze turning deep and foreboding.
"You used the Substitute Death Doll?"
"Who killed you—Mo Shu?"
His voice was heavy with gravity. His hands moved swiftly, producing a match and a can of gasoline—his steady expression clearly indicating he intended to burn this liability in Cheng Shi's arms.
But just as he bent to extract the thing, Cheng Shi's smile froze. He scrambled backward, shaking his head frantically while half-laughing, half-crying:
"Wait—let's talk! The doll didn't die for ! Don't burn it!"
"Not for you?" Zhang Jizu blanked. Then, as if sothing clicked, his perpetually narrowed eyes snapped wide open, filled with shock:
"You an it was—..."
Cheng Shi's retreat halted. He threw his head back and laughed—brilliant and unhinged.
"HAHA! That's right! It's Mo Shu's!"
It's Mo Shu's!!!
Those four words detonated like thunder beside Zhang Jizu's ears. This habitually steady [Death] Chosen One stared blankly for three full seconds before processing what Cheng Shi ant!
"You killed him, then used the Substitute Death Doll to revive him?"
He was utterly stupefied. Disbelief saturated his voice. He wanted to ask why—but the very next second, understanding flashed through his eyes. Without hesitation, he cast [Death]'s resurrection spell on the doll remnants in Cheng Shi's arms—nothing but shredded skin and rotting flesh.
He was going to resurrect this Substitute Death Doll!
This ti, Cheng Shi didn't dodge. He didn't just not dodge—he cooperated seamlessly by placing the doll's remains on the ground, then cautiously retreated two steps with a fresh scalpel gripped in hand.
The silvery blade reflected pure moonlight, forming a stark contrast against his body's charred, blood-caked black—like the colors of life and death. But who could have guessed that beneath the char lay new life forged in thunder, while the snow-white blade brought only death.
Cheng Shi focused intently, watching the resurrected Substitute Death Doll without blinking.
The instant the sickly-green resurrection spell struck the charred remains, the shattered figurine twitched its limbs and slowly ca alive. As flesh churned and reford, its ugly face gradually transford into... Mo Shu's likeness!
A miniature, palm-sized version of the Scavenger materialized between them.
!!!
Zhang Jizu's pupils contracted violently. 'It really is him!'
Indeed—Cheng Shi had used the Substitute Death Doll, but not to save himself. He'd had it take the lethal strike for Mo Shu—absorbing the rampant thunder under Fate Has Divergence!
And why? Because Zhang Jizu had told him: when the Substitute Death Doll is resurrected, it steals its replacent target's identity.
'If I've already been killed once, how do I guarantee I'm safe after resurrection?'
Cheng Shi knew he wasn't Zhang Jizu. He wasn't the [Death] Chosen One who literally couldn't die. He couldn't guarantee that after resurrection he'd be in any position to calmly destroy the doll that had died in his place. Even less could he accept this eerie puppet accidentally reviving and stealing his identity.
'Since nothing can be guaranteed, why use it to save my own life?'
'Better yet—why not throw all that "unguaranteed" risk onto the enemy? Why not convert this death-proxy puppet into a weapon that steals the enemy's identity?'
'Can I? Of course I can!'
So from the mont Cheng Shi had received the Substitute Death Doll, he'd never seen this [Folly] creation as a lifesaving device. Instead, on a wild impulse, he'd studied how to weaponize this dirty trick—and hidden it away!
And Mo Shu was the dirty trick's first victim!
...
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