Foolish Game of the Chapter 409: Fate Is Not Only Fixed — There Is Also Change

'What does He an, "nor would He"? If that's the case, how is Corruption still alive and holding authority?'

Fate wasn't finished. He sighed — a sigh laden with awe for the unknown.

"Not one among us can truly see Corruption for what He is.

This scenario you described — 'a god wanting Corruption to fall' — has already played out in past eras.

Order, the mightiest being in the universe, once sought to personally sanction Corruption and eliminate this most destabilizing force. But even He failed.

The gods know only that Corruption hides within the Sea of Desire. But no one knows where.

He once jested to

that Corruption might not exist at all — that perhaps the Sea of Desire is Corruption itself. I disagreed.

Because signing the Convention requires each signatory to surrender their authority. Corruption's authority was included among them. So He must exist.

I am Void's essence. I can perceive the universe's truth. Yet even I struggle to see through the Sea of Desire to the fate hidden beneath the world's desires. He is suprely skilled at concealnt — mysterious and dangerous.

So rember: have no contact with Him whatsoever. Otherwise, even Void may not be able to fish you out of the Sea of Desire."

"..."

'Hiss—'

Cheng Shi sucked in a sharp breath. Corruption was that terrifying?!

'None of the gods know where He is?'

'Even Order fell to Him!'

'Even Fate — who can see the future — can't see through whatever lies beneath the Sea of Desire?!'

'Oh no — Lord Benefactor, if You'd told

sooner I'd have been running for my life. How could I have gone around causing chaos under Corruption's na during the last trial?!'

'He hasn't got His eye on , has He?'

'Also — the one who told You Corruption might not exist... that was the Fun God, right?'

'Only He would have that kind of imagination.'

'I sure hope the Fun God is right. Because if Corruption really does exist, then maybe I really am screwed — one big joke about to drown in the Sea of Desire!'

At that thought, Cheng Shi nearly cried. Face full of anxiety, he asked again:

"Lord Benefactor, I have a few more questions..."

The pair of eyes truly was patient. They glanced at their follower:

"Speak."

"You just ntioned 'eras.' I heard the sa word from Aph Ros. I'd like to ask — these so-called 'eras,' compared to the epochs players understand..."

Before he could finish, the eyes blinked once and conjured a gust of Void wind that blew Cheng Shi's mouth shut.

"This you need not know."

!!??

Cheng Shi's heart clenched. He instantly realized the concept of "eras" had to be extraordinarily important — possibly more so than even the Convention. The gods never hesitated to speak openly about the Convention in front of him, yet now They'd physically silenced him to stop him from discussing "eras"!

His ntal abacus started clattering.

'Since Fate won't tell , Deceit probably won't either. So the only remaining source for understanding "eras" is...'

'Aph Ros!'

It now appeared that only this "friend" — the one who'd first told him about "eras" — could explain what they actually ant.

But the problem was: his Benefactor had just told him to stay away from Corruption. How could he approach Corruption's Envoy right under Fate's watchful eye?

'Oh right — Aph Ros has another identity!'

'If contacting the Gate of Joyous Lust is forbidden, then reaching out to the Sin Brood Mother should be fine, right?'

Cheng Shi pondered silently, then inspiration struck. He looked up again:

"Lord Benefactor, I received certain Birth-related gifts from a friend. But I'm unfamiliar with these powers. So I'd like to ask...

how might I consult the original owner of these powers to learn how to wield them properly?"

He was playing dumb — pure and simple. He didn't expect to learn anything from this question. He was rely testing his Benefactor's attitude toward him contacting the Sin Brood Mother, Go Lis.

Fate surely knew about it. His destiny couldn't be hidden from the true Fate!

So Cheng Shi's reasoning was: having his Benefactor's support would be ideal. At absolute worst, he simply couldn't provoke his boss's opposition. As long as Fate had no objections to contacting Go Lis, it would prove that approaching Aph Ros wasn't actually dangerous.

And if He did object — well...

He'd ask another Benefactor who didn't.

Sure enough, Fate couldn't be fooled by such transparent rhetoric. He gave a cold snort, and His gaze slowly returned to its frigid state.

"You shouldn't have as many sches as He does. What is fixed should stay fixed."

Cheng Shi gritted his teeth. Heart pounding, he mustered his courage:

"But Your domain isn't only the Fixed, Lord Benefactor — it also includes Change!

Since what's fixed is already set, then why not have a little more change beyond the fixed?

I believe this must be one of the reasons You agreed to Faith Fusion with Void's other true god, Lord Benefactor!"

His words rang out powerfully, but inside he was running on empty.

Put nicely, this was a suggestion. Put bluntly, it was provocation. And provoking a deity was virtually synonymous with blasphemy.

Probably no deity would tolerate a follower overstepping so brazenly — except...

Fate.

Because He truly was tolerant.

To Cheng Shi's utter astonishnt, these words not only failed to anger those eyes — they actually sent Him into contemplation.

This scene felt achingly familiar. It was as if Cheng Dashi, returning from that Existence loophole, had said to Him:

"Since the ending is already determined, why don't we stage one more climax of change within this fixed script, Lord Benefactor!"

It was the mory of that line that made Fate fall silent.

He'd already given the future Cheng Shi one chance. And now...

He decided to give the present Cheng Shi one as well.

Fate favored the Fixed, yet also doted on Change. And as it happened, both wills found their echo in Cheng Shi.

The void blood once more with phantasmal colors. Those eyes — barely containing the warmth at their corners — spoke with cloud-like calm, without joy or sorrow:

"What change do you desire?"

?

Cheng Shi blinked. Then — euphoria.

'I'm in!'

His mind raced. Then, eyes blazing, he looked up:

"I want...

to make Aph Ros — this Corruption Envoy, this prisoner of Ti — work for our Fate...

as an employee!"

Yes. He dropped the act.

'I don't actually want to see so Sin Brood Mother. My real objective is to et the Gate of Joyous Lust, Aph Ros, again!'

...