Foolish Game of the Chapter 542: It's Over — It's Memory!

'What do I do?'

'Say hello?'

'But how do I even open? Maybe sothing like: "Oh my, you're here! Look — I've gone and sared another huge chunk of the history in your Collection. So how are you planning to reward

this ti?"'

Honestly, for a split second, Cheng Shi really did consider saying that, because he had to admit — the Floating Dream of the mory Sea that mory had bestowed was rather useful.

But he didn't dare. He was afraid of being beaten to death.

So he just stood there, not making a sound, laughing awkwardly.

The boss turned those eyes — far more ancient and profound than any mortal boss's — and examined Cheng Shi from top to bottom for a long while. Then He spoke:

"I had assud that under my... hint, He would restrain Himself sowhat. But looking at things now, He did restrain Himself. It's your other Benefactor who... has started again.

And you — you're rather brave as well."

"..."

At those words, Cheng Shi began shaking his head frantically — like a rattle drum.

'No, bro — I'm not brave at all. If I were even the slightest bit brave, I would've asked you for a reward right then...'

'Look at . See how well-behaved I'm being!'

"Interesting.

Are you denying your own courage, or denying your own actions?

Void always enjoys making trouble for people. Those two Benefactors of yours... Hmm, I said Fate has already been predetermined, and now you've experienced that firsthand.

Those two Benefactors of yours are truly exhausting.

Deceit loves to toy with history — always tearing off pages and folding them into shapes He fancies. Fate...

is no better. Since He commands predetermination, He uses the sa excuse to mark up Existence at will, slapping misattributed labels onto countless items in my Collection.

As for you, Cheng Shi — very good. You're a cunning sycophant who knows exactly how to please your two Benefactors.

But have you considered — while you're soiling my Collection Hall and making your two Benefactors howl with glee — that I, the master of said Collection Hall, might get... angry?"

With that, the boss's eyes rolled upward until only the whites showed.

At the sight, Cheng Shi's cold sweat refreshed entirely. He waved his hands and shook his head, denying everything with absolute conviction:

"A misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!

Soone else is responsible for dirtying your Collection Hall — it's definitely not !"

The boss's eyes rolled back down. The surging, boiling power of mory around them froze in place. He looked at Cheng Shi and chuckled.

"Oh? I know you're the king of specious argunts. But I'll give you one chance.

Tell

— who contaminated my Collection Hall?"

"It was You—"

Cheng Shi swallowed nervously, his body taut with tension. He looked every inch a man terrified to death. And yet, despite that, he gritted his teeth and argued his case:

"—r follower!

If You observed the last trial, You should know that I didn't do anything to affect history in that trial!

Everything I did was in the present and only concerned the present.

It was Your follower — that unnad historian — who used Your power to write it all into history.

It's like

saying 'robbing a bank makes you rich,' and then he actually goes and robs one. How is that my fault? The law wouldn't convict !

I'm innocent!

The one who contaminated Your Collection Hall was that singer! I can't even be called an instigator, because he'd already begun rewriting history the mont he arrived — I hadn't even spoken a single word to him!

It was his own desire that led him to profane You. But since You granted them the ability to rewrite history, that ans it wasn't profanation at all — it was an offering.

So the fact is: I did nothing wrong. Your follower made an offering to You. You..."

Cheng Shi desperately wanted to say "You've co to the wrong place," but seeing that increasingly amused expression, he swallowed the words and pivoted.

"...perhaps want to review the details one more ti?"

mory laughed. A hearty, booming laugh.

"So you're saying my Collection Hall got dirty, yet no one is at fault?"

Cheng Shi laughed dryly and averted his gaze, not daring to et His eyes.

"If soone absolutely must take the bla...

Then it can only be that singer follower of Yours. His personal desire influenced his use of the power You bestowed. This wasn't a sincere offering — while offering to You, he was simultaneously offering to Corruption!

I suspect he harbors divided loyalties. I recomnd a thorough investigation!"

After speaking, Cheng Shi guiltily lowered his head. But hearing these words, mory laughed again.

"Very good. You suit Deceit so well — I imagine Fate must have quite a headache.

Instigator?

What a fine charge. You are indeed an instigator."

"???"

'What do you an I am one? Didn't I just say I wasn't?!'

Cheng Shi was dumbfounded. He looked up to argue further, but mory spoke first:

"You seem to have forgotten sothing. Your so-called 'laws' have beco a thing of the past. Whether you're an instigator isn't defined by the past — it's defined by the present."

Cheng Shi refused to accept this. He pressed on stubbornly: "But You are mory — and mory IS the past!"

mory raised an eyebrow — a rare display — and His smile softened slightly.

"And that is precisely why I am rely the surface of Existence, while Ti is Existence's essence.

Existence isn't only the past — it also includes the present. Your so-called 'past' cannot hold standing within Existence."

Cheng Shi panicked.

'So what, you're determined to sentence

today?!'

'Fine, fine, fine — Aph Ros offended Ti and got sentenced to Eternal Imprisonnt. I offended mory...'

'Wait — I offended mory. So on what basis are you using Ti's "law" to judge ?!'

Cheng Shi jerked his head up and argued through sheer sophistry:

"Even if I did blasphe You, what I blasphed was the surface of Existence. On what grounds would You use Existence's essence to asure my guilt?

I disturbed 'the past,' so 'the past's' laws should be the ones to sanction ! But 'the past' tells

I'm innocent. Therefore!

I did nothing wrong!"

The words rang with conviction. But mory didn't listen. He rely sighed, muttered "stubborn fool," and with a wave of His hand, cast Cheng Shi into a labyrinth of lost history.

Cheng Shi watched his vision begin to warp, his consciousness sinking into the Sea of mory. The rooftop scenery slowly shattered into an ethereal blue void. He panicked. In his heart, he began frantically chanting prayers to both Benefactors, hoping Void might once again corrode Existence and rush to his rescue.

But Void gave no response.

Cheng Shi's heart dropped. He couldn't believe the joke he'd made to Aph Ros's face had actually co true.

'Bro — when I said we were both victims, I didn't an this kind of victim! How did I actually end up as a "prison buddy?!"'

'Help!'

'Sobody co save !'

The Sea of mory's oppression grew stronger and stronger. Cheng Shi felt himself slowly peeling away from reality, his entire body growing numb and sluggish. But at least... he could still think.

'I can't let this continue. If this goes on, I'm done for!'

He thrashed wildly, silently screaming every divine na he knew. His hands weren't idle either — cycling through every ring he owned, each one essentially a distress call. But even after exhausting every thod he could think of, the outside world remained silent.

"..."

'It's over. I've really gone too far this ti.'

...