Cheng Shi hadn't shouted "[Chaos]" on a whim.
Grand Marshal Hu Wei's second faith was [Chaos]. The Fisherman killed by Hu Xuan had also followed [Chaos]. That alone proved the players around that campfire were all connected to [Chaos] to varying degrees.
And the simplest extension of that hypothesis was:
These [War] and [Chaos] followers were perhaps trying to fuse their faiths — binding [War] and [Chaos] together.
So, as Cheng Shi had previously speculated, could Da Yi's second faith also be [Chaos]?
Even if it wasn't, this [War] assassin was certainly entangled with [Chaos] in ways that couldn't be easily unwound.
Cheng Shi couldn't impersonate anyone from [War] — he had no familiarity with it. But [Chaos]...
He was intimately familiar.
If he could be sure how much Da Yi knew about [Chaos], Cheng Shi would've loved to just slap the man on the shoulder and introduce himself:
"Heard of the Chaos Steps? I danced on them."
Now, seeing Da Yi's violent reaction to that single word, Cheng Shi's heart settled.
He offered no further explanation, nor did he press Da Yi for an imdiate response. Instead, he smiled and produced a key, turning to Da Yi:
"Every door key needs a door to prove itself. An ordinary door won't do. So, warrior of [War] — do you happen to carry any corpses?"
Hearing this oddly sing-song tone, Da Yi's expression grew complicated and strange.
He still couldn't confirm Cheng Shi's true identity. But one thing was certain: this "Cheng Shi" was definitely not a player.
He rembered the scene he'd witnessed in the blizzard. The image of Cheng Shi jamming the key into Gongyang Jiao's eye socket. He guessed Cheng Shi wanted to take him sowhere, but hesitation still lingered.
Da Yi was debating whether to gamble.
Indeed — a gamble.
Facing the unknown, nobody knew where the risk lay. He could choose to trust Cheng Shi and follow him through that terrifying Bone Gate to see what waited on the other side.
He could also refuse, choosing not to believe the man's words.
But the problem was — the man had pinpointed [Chaos]. That alone made Da Yi lose his confidence in reading the situation.
'Could this be that person?'
'If so, what was He doing?'
Da Yi was good at observation and reading situations. He might be volatile, but he handled peer-to-peer relationships well enough. The problem was, when "upward networking" was involved, his brain didn't seem to work as fast.
At this mont, he found himself thinking of a friend.
"Hot damn, if only Lin Renyu were still alive. That guy really knew how to read his superiors."
Da Yi muttered aloud without thinking. Cheng Shi filed the na away but gave no reaction.
A few seconds later, the [War] assassin sohow convinced himself. He finally took a "brave" step forward, pulled a complete corpse from his spatial storage, and set it before Cheng Shi.
"..."
'As expected of [War].' Cheng Shi's eye twitched.
It was plainly a Kingdom of War soldier's corpse, still armored, blood barely congealed. Clearly a trophy from Da Yi's previous trial.
Cheng Shi didn't linger on the body. He simply drove the key into its forehead.
Before long, that bone-patterned door materialized before them both.
Cheng Shi chuckled — "Not the best place to chat" — and stepped through.
Da Yi paused at the threshold. Staring at the Bone Gate oozing [Death]'s aura, he frowned deeply, fished a palm-sized banner flag from storage, quietly planted it in the floor, and followed cautiously.
Since Aph Ros had awakened, this was the first ti Dolgod's Evil Infant Inquisition had welcod a guest other than Cheng Shi.
The grand architecture and eerie aesthetic left the first-ti visitor Da Yi brimming with unease. He studied every detail, brow furrowing ever tighter. He held back for a long ti but finally couldn't resist:
"Hot da— this looks like a [Birth] site?"
Cheng Shi stood beside him, gazing at the door leading to the abyss. He raised an eyebrow.
'Good guess. No prize, though.'
'Startup funds were tight. There simply wasn't a better venue for hosting these Victims. This would have to do for now.'
'Besides, atmosphere was enough. No need to push it to perfection. What sold a con was always the script — never the backdrop.'
Cheng Shi had already written the script. So the mont Da Yi chose to follow him in, the man had tumbled into a web of lies.
"Correct. Your eye is sharp. This is indeed a [Birth] site."
Da Yi didn't dare get too close, yet didn't dare stay too far either. Cheng Shi's suddenly transford bearing and confidence left him restless. He was increasingly sure this was that person — but he couldn't confirm it, and didn't dare ask outright.
He feared that if Cheng Shi really was Him, and he asked — it would make him look stupid and faithless.
But if he didn't ask, none of the techniques Cheng Shi had displayed matched anything he'd seen from that person.
Caught in this agonizing uncertainty about identity, Da Yi's expression darkened further.
This volatile [War] follower now stood before the door — just paces from Cheng Shi — fidgeting like a schoolboy who'd been told to stand in the corner.
Cheng Shi wanted to laugh, but maintained his solemn performance: "They're beginning to awaken."
"Who!?" Da Yi jolted, pupils contracting.
"Who? The Servant Gods who've long been dormant, naturally."
Cheng Shi let out a soft hum of laughter, gesturing at the Inquisition's great door at a asured pace:
"This place was once gazed upon by [Birth]. You've probably gathered just how zealous [Life] can be.
"I've received word that Lu Xia appears ready to return to Her embrace.
"Look — even [Birth], who has always minded Her own business, has begun making moves in this era. We...
"How can we afford to stand still?"
The words sounded mysterious and lofty. But upon close examination, beyond sprinkling in so tidbits about divine beings, there was zero substantive content worth affirming.
But as always — that was how cons worked.
When trying to deceive soone, what you said didn't matter. What mattered was what the other person heard, and what their mind built from it.
After Cheng Shi finished, the other player — Da Yi — ntally concluded that the person before him was, in all probability, that very lord.
The tone was too similar. And the information He spoke of existed on an entirely different plane from what players had access to.
Though he still had doubts about why this lord was impersonating Cheng Shi and about certain aspects of His appearance, Da Yi's posture gradually lowered.
"My lord, then your visit this ti..."
Seeing Da Yi bow slightly, his tone turning reverent, Cheng Shi's smile deepened.
'Oh? So that verbal tic wasn't completely uncontrollable after all?'
'Guess previous- just didn't warrant the restraint.'
But this also confird it for Cheng Shi: Hu Wei's group truly did have a connection to a [Chaos] Envoy.
Previously it had been speculation. The entire con had been advancing on a hypothesis. It was like a clown taking over for an acrobat, leaping onto a steel wire suspended above a bottomless chasm. One misstep and the clown would plumt, shattered to pieces.
But fortunately, this clown nad Cheng had always been lucky.
He'd won the gamble again.
As for whether this Envoy was truly who Cheng Shi suspected...
That would be another gamble entirely.
Cheng Shi watched Da Yi waiting expectantly for a response. Behind his back, his fingers kept spinning a [Fate] die.
'Ultraman, oh Ultraman. Before Da Yi — should I or shouldn't I be [Chaos] Envoy Ultraman?'
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