"!!??"
Aph Ros didn't know about the Convention?
Cheng Shi was dumbstruck. But in a flash, he realized: the Convention's signing had also occurred during the Void era!
So prior to that — after all those eras and epochs — the gods had never thought to establish a Convention protecting divine authority?
Weren't They afraid of losing Their authority?
Or had the gods simply never considered this possibility before Void descended?
No — at the very least, Truth and Folly were smart enough. They could surely have anticipated what Void anticipated.
But from Cheng Shi's understanding, the Convention wasn't designed as a downward defense — it was an upward one. In other words, before the Void era, didn't They fear *Him?
'What?'
'So it was Void that brought the fear?'
'Could the Fun God have been the one who shattered the gods' unspoken silence and single-handedly pushed the Convention into existence?'
'That's absurd.'
'Can a Convention truly be a contract led by a liar?'
'It can. It absolutely can — as long as the Fun God packaged the contract well enough, He could definitely sell it!'
'And the gods currently despising the Fun God? Could that be precisely because He screwed Them over with the Convention?'
Cheng Shi's brain was smoking from the strain. He'd thought of a chaotic ss of things, and his emotions beca impossibly complex.
'Great — I haven't even figured things out on my own end, and now I'm dealing with a Herald who's never heard of the Convention.'
'Feels like I ca here today to patch holes. My mouth's going dry from all the lying.'
'How am I supposed to explain this?'
Cheng Shi frowned slightly, his mind racing. In the blink of an eye, he'd composed a script.
"The Convention concerns the gods. I can't say too much. I can only tell you that its purpose is to protect all divine authority from being lost."
He finished with a aningful smile.
Aph Ros was exceedingly sharp. The mont He heard this, He imdiately grasped the crucial implication. His expression shifted violently — pupils contracting, entire body tensing.
He could never have imagined the gods had beco wary of Him. In His view, They should all want to approach Him.
Aph Ros drew a sharp breath. Staring at Cheng Shi in disbelief, He asked gravely:
"Birth and Decay... are they also under the Convention's protection?"
Cheng Shi didn't hide it. He nodded.
He rembered Aph Ros once saying that Birth's will was similar to Decay's. At the ti, he hadn't understood. Now it was clear: Birth was also among the "Approach Faction." What Aph Ros had ant by "similar will" was probably the will to draw closer to *Him!
So the entire Life path was indeed, just as the Fun God said, deeply reverent toward the Origin. But then — why did the lord on the Bone Throne stay so close to the Fun God?
No — the real question was: why did the Fun God keep gravitating toward that lord?
Was He trying to recruit Death into the "Fear Faction"?
Not impossible.
At this thought, Cheng Shi furrowed his brow again.
Interestingly, as the conversation deepened, all three people at the table furrowed their brows simultaneously.
Cheng Shi was mulling things over. Aph Ros was clearly recalibrating His worldview. And Hong Lin... was growing impatient. She felt the conversation was dragging on too long.
She could see Cheng Shi was laying emotional groundwork to manipulate the other party. But this style didn't suit her temperant. Even when it ca to manipulation, she preferred getting straight to the point — just like when she'd outright declared herself as the new Prosperity.
So she studied the two for a mont, cleared her throat, interrupted their ruminations, and spoke with a snicker:
"Can't say this, can't ask that. I didn't co here to play riddles. This is too much wasted ti, 'friends.'
Let's speed things up. Exchange what can be exchanged."
Both Cheng Shi and Aph Ros were montarily taken aback by Hong Lin's bluntness. Seeing this thoroughly impatient Frazor accelerate the pace, Aph Ros laughed heartily:
"I can feel desire flowing, Lady Frazor. A pleasant exchange should be exactly like this.
Since my brother has already answered one of my questions, tell
— what do you want to know?"
"Anything goes?" Hong Lin raised an eyebrow.
"Anything."
"Tell
about Yu Go. In my limited mories, his shadow appears briefly. But... Prosperity's assimilation made
forget much.
Now that I've reclaid my rightful place, I naturally intend to properly cleanse these filthy faiths while He's still weak."
"?"
That statent lit up question marks above both people present.
Cheng Shi was curious about who this Yu Go was that prompted Hong Lin to raise such a question in this setting. Aph Ros was more interested in... what she ant by "while He's still weak."
'Who's weak?'
'Decay?'
'Prosperity just fell. As its opposing faith, shouldn't Decay be reaping the harvest right now? Why would He be weak?'
'But if "He" referred to a different god... that was even more impossible. Yu Go was Decay's Herald — a servant god of Descent — with no connection to any other god.'
"Lady Frazor, I'm curious — the 'He' you're referring to wouldn't happen to be... Decay, would it?"
Hong Lin cast a casual sidelong glance at Aph Ros: "Does that count as the second question?"
'Pfft—'
Cheng Shi nearly burst out laughing. 'Big Cat got sharper!'
No — Big Cat had always been sharp. Especially in face-to-face dealings.
It was just that other people's sharpness ca from endless ntal calculations, while hers ca from confidence. The confidence of her fists.
Aph Ros was also taken aback. He studied Hong Lin with interest, seeming to get a read on this new Prosperity's temperant. Honestly, compared to Cheng Shi's mysteriousness, He found this Frazor's directness far more appealing.
So He laughed heartily, spun back into male form, and bowed with utmost seriousness:
"Of course it counts. But before you answer that question, allow
to help restore so of your mories regarding this Last King of Decay Vultures.
Yu Go was the emperor of a human empire. His past was far from glorious.
When the tide of Decay swept across the land, his ancestors led a host of believers to establish a dynasty devoted to Decay worship. But Decay was rciless in those days. So when Oblivion arrived during that era, he betrayed his Benefactor and chose survival."
"?"
'Isn't this story a little too familiar?'
Cheng Shi blinked, looking at Aph Ros in surprise: "I once asked you about Decay and ntioned encountering a kingdom like this. Don't tell
the king from that empire I encountered was Yu Go?"
Aph Ros smiled:
"Honestly, during the Descent era, countless Decay-worshipping empires had similar problems. So hearing you encountered one wasn't surprising — there were far too many.
As for whether Yu Go is actually the king you t...
Hmm, let
think. I recall his ancestors nad their empire... Rosna?
My brother — judging by your expression, it seems you really did run into him?
What — you didn't et Him?"
'et Him my ass — he ran faster than a rabbit! By the ti I opened my eyes, he'd taken the entire court with him!'
'And soone like this can beco a Herald?'
"..."
But in fairness, if Rosna's emperor truly was a Decay Herald, then the Herald density in that last trial was absurdly high. Three Heralds in a single trial?
No — counting himself, that was four!
Hong Lin clearly hadn't expected the trial Cheng Shi described to have taken place in Yu Go's empire. She recalled his account, harbored so doubt about whether Yu Go's behavior matched Herald caliber, but didn't speak up. She simply raised an eyebrow and waited for what ca next.
"The Descent era ended, and He received no notice. The Civilization era began — history rely repeated itself. The Chaos era descended, and He still found no rcy...
Until the Existence era arrived. He finally earned Decay's favor.
Yes — He and I both took that fateful step during the Existence era.
By then, Decay had gradually grown more rciful. So in that era's Descent epoch, the Decay kingdom at last experienced its golden age. Under a true god's blessing, Yu Go finally found the courage to stand against the followers of Oblivion.
But the tide of eras cannot be resisted. Despite their desperate resistance, His kingdom was ultimately annihilated by Oblivion's faithful.
Yet Decay pitied his devotion — fighting to the last man, refusing to retreat. So He bestowed His rcy.
An emperor whose body had been gnawed by countless decay vultures before death was elevated to beco His Herald. And He granted him the divine na: Last King of Decay Vultures.
Thus, the last surviving Decay follower on the Land of Hope — as his faith stood on the verge of extinction — embraced divine greatness and beca a servant god of Descent.
Distinguished Lady Frazor, are you satisfied with these recovered mories?
Truthfully, these are things anyone could tell you. You simply happened to ask
first in your search for answers. By that asure, I'm the one who got the bargain."
Hearing this, Cheng Shi chuckled to himself.
'People who think they've co out ahead don't always have. But those who stay quiet? They definitely scored big.'
Who was really profiting remained to be seen. But Hong Lin clearly had plans regarding this Yu Go. She furrowed her brow and asked: "Where is He now?"
"If that's your second question, I'd suggest picking a different one. I'm rely a prisoner. I have a rough grasp of the past, but I know nothing of the present.
Since we've completed one round of exchange, may I continue with my earlier question?"
Aph Ros still wanted to know what had happened to Decay.
Hong Lin chuckled softly, glancing sidelong at Cheng Shi. Seeing that he didn't interject, she curved her lips and answered playfully:
"Naturally. In truth, nothing catastrophic happened to Him. He rely replicated what old Prosperity once did."
"?" Aph Ros's brow furrowed. "What do you an?"
"He self-destructed. Not His life — but His... faith."
...
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