'No, you don't!'
Cheng Shi's brain went numb. He'd just stolen Hu Wei's house, and now the man wanted to co steal his!
'Being brothers just ans taking turns raiding each other's hos, is that it?!'
'You're a proper, upstanding Grand Marshal — why on earth would you want to fuse with Deceit?'
'Did you catch the Fun God's disease too?'
Cheng Shi grumbled internally, but on the surface he put on an expression of serene foresight and shook his head with a chuckle:
"Though we approach the Void under our Benefactor's mandate, there is no need for you to seek a Deceit fusion simply because of that. Faith fusion should be a path you forge for yourself — your own heartfelt interpretation of the Faith Ga.
Piety tainted with ulterior motives is no piety at all. Though I must say, your impulse does carry a certain flavor of Deceit."
Cheng Shi's words were genuinely sincere. Whether Hu Wei fused with Deceit or not had nothing to do with him — he couldn't influence it anyway. That depended not only on Chaos (which was currently masquerading as Order) but also on the Fun God.
What he was really trying to tell his "big bro" was: there was no need to show such devotion for the sake of so faction. His piety could be invested sowhere far more important — like figuring out how to walk the path of Chaos and, under Chaos's protection, survive until the end.
If Chaos was still Chaos, that is...
Qin Xin, like his Benefactor, had always been patient. So the Torchbearer's leader would likely refrain from exposing Hu Wei's identity until the very last mont. Wearing the Grand Marshal's mask, Hu Wei could accomplish a great deal — after all, however impulsive War might be, the reputation of His followers was worlds better than Chaos's.
Out of appreciation for a "big bro" who still thought of him, Cheng Shi offered this gentle nudge, hoping to steer the admittedly "honorable" Grand Marshal away from a wrong turn taken just to please higher-ups.
But that was as far as he would go. Everyone made their own choices. The thought was what counted — enough to honor this brotherhood built on mutual scheming.
Hu Wei heard the counsel beneath Lord Ultraman's words. For an instant he was genuinely moved. But he didn't back down — he still chose Deceit.
"Oh? Interesting. Tell
— what's your take on the Void?" Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, smiling.
"My lord, you and our Benefactor see things from heights we can only dream of. You said to approach the Void, and we naturally obey.
But, if I may be frank, I personally hold no particular views on the Void. On the contrary, I believe everything in this world Exists, and that its existence must have aning.
Just as our Benefactor and the other gods descended and brought us a ga — perhaps I cannot yet comprehend its purpose, but I don't see it as a catastrophe in the slightest. Forgive my blunt wording — you know many people think otherwise.
aning is already there. Not having found it doesn't an it doesn't exist. The sa goes for living, and for fusion. My desire to fuse with Deceit serves a dual purpose: on one hand, to fulfill the divine oracle by drawing closer to the Void; on the other, to borrow the Void's power to continue my disguise and sustain this chaos that the world knows nothing of.
Compared to that mysterious 'unknown,' I prefer my current identity — the one people call Grand Marshal.
Of course, all these identities are but fireflies beneath the moon, sand beside a mountain, in your presence."
"..."
Cheng Shi was baffled. 'If you're this fond of Existence, why not fuse with Existence?'
'And what does the Grand Marshal identity even give you?'
'Besides a "modest reputation" and "flexible camaraderie," not much else, is there?'
'So what exactly is Hu Wei living for?'
'Searching for aning, pursuing gain, and enjoying himself along the way?'
'That sounds... incredibly normal.'
'Bro, you're the Chaos Chosen. In a world where every single Chosen One is abnormal, you're sohow the most normal?'
'What?'
'Are you kidding ?'
'How are you supposed to walk the path of Chaos like this? This isn't piety — this is daily blasphemy!'
'Wait — actually, if you think about it, a Chaos follower not being chaotic... is itself pretty chaotic.'
'Living in the mont, seeking aning, working hard, being generous, having decent social skills, enjoying attention...'
'What kind of ultimate extrovert is this?!'
Montarily lost for words, Cheng Shi couldn't make any promises. He simply nodded to indicate he understood, and offered an "appreciative" look.
"Very well. I will convey your devotion to our Benefactor. As for Da Yi's situation...
This is a thorny matter. It involves the machinations among the gods — especially Truth."
"Truth?!" Hu Wei's eyes went wide as he listened intently.
"Indeed. In His obsession with chasing the unknown, He lost control of certain test subjects, allowing His followers to create a pseudo-god. Now that pseudo-god has broken free from the shackles of history and descended into reality, causing no small number of ripples.
Of course, we have no love for Civilization, and this chaos is precisely what our Lord wishes to see. But what calculations Truth has in letting all of this unfold unchecked — that, no one knows.
Since you're concerned about Da Yi, go and investigate. Follow this thread and find out what Truth's followers are really up to."
"Yes — Hu Wei receives the oracle." Hu Wei clasped his fists, then frowned. "My lord, might you offer a clearer direction? With only myself remaining, the investigation may prove... difficult."
"One must work thodically, but not be too attached to thod. You are our Lord's follower — in the midst of chaos, you should form your own conclusions.
Zangier.
That is all I can give you. Any more would defeat the purpose of tempering.
Now then, I have other matters to attend to. You may withdraw."
'Tempering!'
The word struck Hu Wei like lightning. He withdrew, blazing with renewed determination.
Cheng Shi watched the retreating outline of the big round face, sighing deeply.
'One more hole in the identity web patched up. At this rate, news of Fate fusing with Deceit will spread among the peak players before long.'
'Just as well. Carrying four faiths simultaneously, exposing two is already the limit. A man should stay steady.'
His thoughts drifted. Even if Hu Wei used the clues he'd given to discover why Da Yi vanished, once Da Yi was rescued, Chaos's workforce would still number only two. How could he fill those "useful underling" slots back up, the way they'd been before?
Cheng Shi had no authority to decide that himself. So he looked to the one who might — and called up toward the temple at the far end of the Chaos Steps.
"Kataro, are you there?"
His voice echoed through the churning yellow mist, but no one in the temple answered.
'Nobody?'
Cheng Shi frowned slightly, then tried again with different bait:
"If you don't co out, I'll just have to take my little question over to the Grand Tribunal and ask my beloved Benefactor personally."
The mont those words landed, the surrounding chaos-mist erupted. Countless tendrils of fog wove together and materialized Kataro's figure right beside him.
Cheng Shi eyed the one who'd been playing his role with a half-smile, making the puppet visibly uneasy.
"My lord, why do you look at
that way?"
"Why didn't you answer ?"
"He... told
not to."
"Then why are you answering now?"
"I believe that when our Benefactor is absent, I should obey you."
"!!!"
'Not bad, kid — progressive thinking.' But what truly caught Cheng Shi's interest wasn't the flattery; it was that phrase — "He is absent."
Cheng Shi already knew Chaos wasn't here. What he wanted to know was whether He would ever co back.
And in His absence, who actually had the final say in this temple?
'It can't really be... hmm?'
Kataro read the confusion on Cheng Shi's face. After a conflicted mont, he decided to defy his Benefactor's instructions and share the tiniest sliver of information.
He was intelligent. As Lord Ultraman gradually reclaid everything that was His, Kataro recognized he was becoming expendable in this temple. He still served as a ssenger, sure — but what about the future?
He didn't dare think about it. Didn't want to.
Once a mortal tasted divine authority and power, who'd willingly return to being a fistful of dust in the annals of history?
Kataro certainly didn't. But he wouldn't complain, either — after all, his Benefactor had saved his life.
He was grateful, deeply so. He wanted nothing more than to serve at the god's side for eternity, proving his devotion.
So he desperately needed to extend his "divine servant's lifespan," and the ans to do that clearly lay with the favored Lord Ultraman standing before him.
Steeling his resolve, Kataro bowed his head, leaned close, and whispered:
"My lord — you may not have the final say... but then again, you might."
"?"
'What kind of nonsense is that?'
Cheng Shi frowned hard, his sharp eyes boring into Kataro. He sensed hidden aning, but before he could press further, the chaos-mist beyond the platform surged violently inward, swallowed him whole, and spat him out into the Void.
The instant Cheng Shi vanished, Kataro's entire body seized. Drenched in cold sweat, he dropped to his knees.
He knew — the true Benefactor had returned.
"Think you're clever, do you?" Those star-filled eyes, not even bothering to disguise themselves, gazed down at Kataro with a half-amused smirk.
"I... am guilty." Kataro was terrified beyond asure, prostrate on the ground, trembling.
"Heh—"
Those eyes glanced at him casually, then shifted to the direction Cheng Shi had disappeared. After a mont's thought, the god showed no anger at all. Instead, He blinked and simply left, leaving behind a single trailing sentence:
"It really is ti to find a couple of helpers for that big round face. Let the Clown arrange it.
As for you... make ands through rit."
Seeing that his Benefactor hadn't punished him, Kataro collapsed onto the ground in a heap. He swallowed hard, wiped the cold sweat from his face, and exhaled with the sheer relief of a disaster survived:
"All praise to the Benefactor. All praise to Lord Ultraman.
Your humble Kataro... bet correctly."
...
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