Foolish Game of the Chapter 980: [War] May Never Cease

"Do You... know what my Benefactor — the Fun... I an, do You know what my Benefactor is planning?"

Cheng Shi was a smart man. After several rounds of conversation, he could tell [War] wasn't hostile. Whether He was an ally required a few more exchanges. So after a mont's hesitation, he mustered his courage and asked.

The eyes of blood and fire looked ferocious, yet their mood remained steadfastly stable.

"Nobody knows what [Deceit] is doing... including [Fate].

I only know... the word 'rebellious' doesn't describe even a hundredth of it... His target was never the likes of us... His plans are impossible to fathom...

But without question... you are a critical piece of His plan... On that alone, I should erase you!"

"!!!"

Cheng Shi jolted with primal terror, instinctively trying to step back. Only now did he realize that at so point, he'd been completely immobilized, stripped of all room to maneuver.

Even though mortals had no power to resist before gods, the sudden "imprisonnt" made his heart sink in naless dread.

He felt that if things continued this way, [War]'s scrutiny would expose him completely. After rapidly assessing the situation, he gritted his teeth and secretly drew the [Corruption] container, hiding it in his sleeve.

Instantly, fear receded like the tide and his mind sharpened.

[War] noticed Cheng Shi's little trick but didn't call it out. Instead, He continued:

"But you are fortunate... because you are equally a piece of [Fate]'s plan...

[Fate] is even more inscrutable than His rebellious sibling god... I cannot guess whether all of this is [Deceit]'s ploy or [Fate]'s deliberate arrangent...

I only know... for [Fate] to win, you are indispensable..."

Hearing this, Cheng Shi's eyes snapped wide. "So You are on [Fate]'s side!" he blurted.

"On [Fate]'s side?

No, you're wrong... I'm on no one's side."

"?"

Cheng Shi blanked for a mont. But the next instant, a surge of terror that broke through the [Corruption] container's dampening exploded in his mind, compelling him to press:

"Not even on [Origin]'s side?"

At this question, the eyes of blood and fire fell suddenly silent. He gave no response.

But sotis, no response is the greatest response of all!

[War] wasn't on [Origin]'s side. He wasn't in the Approach Faction!

But He wasn't in the Fear Faction either. Because the Fear Faction would never speak in [Fate]'s favor. So what was His stance?

Considering His extre patience, connecting it to His desire for [Fate]'s plan to succeed, an unthinkable idea suddenly blood in Cheng Shi's mind.

Without question, the details of [Fate]'s plan might be known to no one, but the Benefactor's fundantal intent was absolutely to approach [Origin] — or even summon [Origin].

If [War] tacitly approved [Fate]'s script yet wasn't in the Approach Faction — then what was He going to see [Origin] for?

Cheng Shi racked his brains and arrived at only one answer:

War.

This god who normally appeared docile and law-abiding was perhaps waiting for an opportunity. Waiting for [Origin] to descend or awaken, then launching a war against the undisputed supre ruler of the universe!!!

Ha.

Cheng Shi laughed aloud.

He raised his hand, pointing at those eyes, about to say "You're insane"... but reason stopped the gesture, reducing his face — which shouldn't have shown anything beyond shock — to a twitching ss.

'He must be insane!'

'How could such a brute exist?'

'You want to charge at [Origin]!?'

'Is that why You silently destroyed [Order]!?'

'That [Order] by the Sea of Desire — was it You who shattered Him? Just because He once represented the universe's strongest, so You beat Him to pieces!?'

Cheng Shi's mind boiled. With fear siphoned away, he carefully catalogued every anomaly about [War], then leveled a single gaze at those eyes — a challenge from his very soul:

'Lord [War], the fear You fished from the Sea of Desire — could it be the fear that one day, there will be no more wars to fight!?'

'And that's why You've set Your sights on the one who gave You Your divine seat and authority — [Origin] Himself!!?'

[War] read Cheng Shi's eyes but still offered no response.

The silence continued.

But in Cheng Shi's heart, the answer was already certain.

'What a Fear Faction indeed!'

'I never would have imagined that this tiny Fear Faction could have internal disagreents.'

'We fear [Origin]'s arrival bringing endless void. You fear [Origin] NOT arriving, leaving You with no one left to fight!'

'Is this right?'

'Is this reasonable?'

'Have You done the math?'

'Setting aside whether [Corruption] influenced You — even if You beat [Order] at that ti — what made You think You could beat [Origin]?'

'While fishing for fear in the Sea of Desire, You fished out self-delusion too?'

'Do You even know what [Origin] represents?'

'Do You know that this starry sky You inhabit is just one of countless experintal vessels?'

'If You don't, You can't even be sure You'd beat another version of Yourself, let alone wage war against [Origin] — the being who controls the entire universe from on high!'

'So that's it. All His patience was about conserving strength. All His law-abiding was about waiting for Origin's arrival!'

'No wonder Qin Xin endured so much yet still beca the War Chosen. This is truly the episode where the Chosen One most resembles his Benefactor!!'

For a mont, even Cheng Shi was stunned. Then a thought struck: perhaps he could negotiate a deal with [War]. Before, he would never have dared speak to a god this way. But now...

His predicant, his intelligence, and the absence of fear made him feel he might have earned a seat at the table.

So he furrowed his brow, straightened up, and got straight to the point:

"Great God of [War], I wish to propose a trade."

"?"

In all the countless eons since the universe's creation, through however many era-changes, never had a mortal dared to talk business in front of [War]. If business were so easy, what would war be for?

He was the very embodint of plunder and seizure. Why would trade interest Him?

But Cheng Shi knew that his "fortunate" self was a critical key to fulfilling [War]'s long-cherished wish. Even if the negotiation failed, [War] couldn't easily harm him. So he smiled and continued:

"I can't guess what You intend. But I could hear it — You're trying to protect . Even though the threat this ti also cos from You, I'm still imnsely grateful.

So in exchange for more protection, and to ensure the plan You champion continues, I'd like to trade a piece of information for Your 'eternal protection.'

What say You?"

"You... a mortal... presu to bring

news that a god does not possess?"

"Yes." Cheng Shi smiled and nodded, neither humble nor arrogant.

[War] fell silent again. He studied Cheng Shi for a long ti, then suddenly broke into hearty laughter: "Comndable courage. Speak."

"Then You've agreed to provide eternal protection?"

"Hmph... not all plans proceed as expected... Tily replacents can still see a plan through...

This world never lacks for clowns."

"..."

'Great. I overstepped and the backfire is imdiate.'

Cheng Shi frowned, paused to think, then — as a show of sincerity — revealed his information first.

"Have You... ever considered fighting Yourself?"

"?" The eyes snorted. "Parallel tilines are nothing but [Ti]'s tricks... If that's what you an... perhaps [Void]'s plan really does need a replacent..."

"No, no, no. I'm not talking about parallel tilines. I'm talking about a sliced universe.

Does the True God know that beyond this starry sky lie countless universes identical to ours?

And that ans... there are countless versions of [War] just like You..."

The eyes sharpened instantly, pulling Cheng Shi directly before them. Feeling the searing heat of fla and the crimson aura of bloodlust at point-blank range, Cheng Shi's smile froze on his face.

"Is this... the reason for His fear?"

"I don't know. But I believe this could be the cure for Your fear. Because war... may never cease..."

...