The smoke gradually dissipated and the scene fell silent. No one answered Cheng Shi.
But Cheng Shi wasn't surprised. He simply retreated several cautious steps, then fixed his gaze on Nangong's form as it beca clearer through the thinning fog, his brow deeply furrowed.
He wasn't actually certain there was another presence here, but he suspected there was. Based on the reflexes Nangong had displayed monts ago, she couldn't possibly have heard his careful approach through a blizzard.
So soone — or sothing — must have warned her.
The strangest part was: if this thing could alert her, why hadn't it warned her again when he approached a second ti and tossed the smoke-rigged cola?
After thinking it through, Cheng Shi could only co up with one explanation — this unknown entity's thod of communication wasn't so silent telepathy like his exchanges with Brother Mouth, but rather audible "speech" that couldn't be concealed. Only that would explain why it had stopped warning her after he got close. It wasn't that it didn't want to — it didn't dare. It was afraid of exposing itself!
Based on this reasoning, Cheng Shi had made his earlier probe. But that test sank without a ripple.
Still, he wasn't in a hurry. His gaze roved over Nangong's body, and before long he noticed the hand twisted and pinned beneath her. Unless he was mistaken, that hand was gripping a dagger. As for whether it was the dagger he was thinking of...
Cheng Shi decided to escalate. Ti for another test.
He didn't dare approach Nangong in case sothing unexpected happened, but not approaching didn't an he couldn't move her body. So Cheng Shi extended his hand again and gripped the ring on his finger.
Yes — he was preparing to send Nangong a Lightning Punishnt.
Of course, as a friend, he'd find an opportunity to revive her afterward. It was just that right now he had no way to move her, so she'd have to suffer a bit of inconvenience first.
But the very instant he extended his hand, this "inhumane" probe finally drew a response!
"...It's Le Le'er's aura. So she really has encountered problems too...
You, boy — why do you carry His aura?"
"!!!"
Cheng Shi was stunned. Even though he'd already ntally prepared himself, telling himself this unknown entity was likely the soul of Dizel crystallized into the Gift of Sores — when that voice actually rose from beneath Nangong, he was still shocked for an instant!
There really was soone!
And what had it said? "Le Le'er." Those three syllables alone were practically enough to confirm this was Dizel!
This legendary Gift of Sores was in the hands of a healer player with barely over a thousand points!
How had she obtained it?
Where had she gotten it?
If she'd found it on the way here, Bianse Long and Qu Yan would surely have noticed. But if she'd found it here in the First Prince's quarters... that contradicted the facts from before the ti reset.
Cheng Shi couldn't figure it out, but he didn't dwell on it. The party in question — no, the soul in question — was right in front of him. Overthinking was pointless when he could simply ask. So he suppressed his shock and delight, and let out a light laugh as though none of this surprised him in the least:
"Dizel. You've finally decided to show yourself."
"The na of Dizel perished long ago. Let it rest. Boy, you have yet to answer my question."
"Why should I answer your question?"
"?" Dizel was taken aback for a mont, then broke into hearty laughter. "You've got nerve, boy. Worthy of one fated to find . I know why you seek
— to obtain the thod of ascension to godhood.
Indeed! I do possess such a thod. But without my aid, it can never co to fruition.
Boy, if you wish to break free of the gods' shackles and beco an existence on Their level, you need only sign this contract with . Once I've had my revenge, you shall...
Ascend to the Divine Throne!
Well? Do you have the courage to challenge Them?"
"?"
Now it was Cheng Shi's turn to be dumbfounded. Master of Deception admittedly didn't work on Them, but the thing was — he didn't even need Master of Deception for this. Anyone who'd ever been conned could hear how absurd this pitch was.
'Sign a contract and ascend to the Divine Throne'... Buddy, do you think I'm Qu Yan?
'Your scamming technique is a bit outdated, isn't it?'
'What era is this, still playing the grandpa-inside-the-dagger routine?'
And besides — your mother Prosperity died before all the other gods, your Benefactor Decay rejected your devotion, and you've even had your last remaining shell toyed to ruin by Truth. You're a lone, orphaned soul — what exactly are you bragging about?
If you had a thod to ascend to godhood, wouldn't you have long since crushed Decay, slain your mother Prosperity in revenge, and annihilated Truth?
Why would you have fallen to such a state?
Cheng Shi wanted to laugh. This Dizel had clearly been isolated from the world for far too long. Its words were riddled with holes, and even its opening line had leaked a wealth of information.
What did "Le Le'er has 'also' encountered problems" an? Who else could this child of Prosperity, who'd been turned into the Mother Tree of Fear, be compared to with the word "also" — if not the fellow child of Prosperity, Dizel itself!
So it wasn't hard to deduce: because of Prosperity's fall, the children of Prosperity were likely undergoing a massive change — a negative one at that — and Dizel's lant probably stemd from exactly that.
Having worked all this out, Cheng Shi smiled. Truly smiled.
He looked toward the space beneath Nangong and let out a cold chuckle:
"Then let
ask you this — the path to godhood in your hands wouldn't happen to lead
to the Divine Throne your mother left vacant when she fell, would it?"
"!!!!!"
Dizel recoiled in soul-shaking terror!
It had never imagined a player could know about Prosperity's fall. Yes, it had indeed experienced so unfortunate changes due to Prosperity's demise, but in the eyes of mortals, it should still be one of those untouchably lofty existences.
So when it realized Nangong had encountered a clever person, it had imdiately set its designs on this clever person as well.
It had spent a long ti with Nangong. Though she wasn't exactly ambitious, for Dizel, slowly cultivating a thoroughly understood host wasn't a bad arrangent — at least within the tiscale comprehensible to humans, it was in no rush.
But it had never anticipated Prosperity's fall. This sudden upheaval had thrown every one of its plans into disarray, creating an urgent need for a new host with drive and executive ability to help carry out certain sches.
It had its eye on Cheng Shi. Little did it know that Cheng Shi had his eye on it too. Only this "mutual attraction" felt rather lopsided — one side was like a butcher searching for the right knife, while the other was like a custor picking through cuts of at.
Cheng Shi didn't care whether the at was fresh or not. What mattered was that it could be placed on his chopping block without fighting back!
So he dropped a bombshell of information and scared Dizel witless!
"You... what are you?"
Cheng Shi smiled and struck while the iron was hot:
"What am I?
A Prosperity hunter!
I don't know if you've heard of , but it doesn't matter. At least now you know.
I witnessed Prosperity's fall with my own eyes, watching as the gods devoured His authority.
I pulled Le Le'er's roots out with my own hands and forged His divinity into a ring...
And now I've found the soul of Prosperity's last remaining scion. Tsk, tsk, tsk — tell , what should I make out of you, Di-zel?"
The mont those words fell, Cheng Shi felt the final bar of his ring fill completely.
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow.
'Heh. It believed .'
...
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