[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-foolish-game-of-the-gods":3,"chapter-foolish-game-of-the-gods-foolish-game-of-the-gods-chapter-283":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Foolish Game of the Gods",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},579554,829,"Chapter 283: The Unshadowed Flower Crown? No — The Wind Chimes of Decay","foolish-game-of-the-gods-chapter-283",283,"\u003Cp>The battle was fierce. The shockwaves from the two colossal beings crashing together whipped up storm after storm, accelerating the mist's spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the wave of the Sighing Sorrow Tide rolled through, both figures gradually became visible. What the players saw was a massive, lumbering bear with devastating power locked in a furious exchange with an agile but offensively limited treant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes. Bear versus tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eposka's appearance was deeply disturbing. He stood as tall as Hong Lin's bear form, yet lacked the beast's mass. He looked more like a colossal, withered old man — thousands of wrinkles covering every surface, festering skin stuck directly to exposed joints. His entire frame was hunched, and on his back he bore a massive cluster of dead, blooming tree branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On closer inspection, the dead branches were actually a giant crown of a tree. But the canopy was so thoroughly desiccated that not a single leaf remained. Instead, it was strung with corpse after rotting corpse of Mushroom-Footed People!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bodies swayed with Eposka's every movement, like strings of ghastly, macabre [Decay] wind chimes — haunting and horrifying in equal measure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the 'Unshadowed Flower Crown'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. He once sheltered the entire rainforest with His lush canopy. They say the crown on His back was even larger than the World Tree of Gasmira — yet despite spanning the heavens, it blocked no sunlight. Every tribe under His protection basked in warmth and grew unafraid of storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now... the crown has long withered away...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the reason the two titans remained deadlocked was that Eposka could take a beating even better than the bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Hong Lin grabbed Him bodily, slammed Him into the ground, and followed up with a barrage of heavy punches and shearing claws, He rose like a specter — instantly back on his feet for the next round, without a single wound on his body!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply didn't take damage. Ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His agile frame combined with this seemingly invulnerable constitution couldn't give him the upper hand, but it couldn't be defeated quickly either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the exchange, Cheng Shi saw it clearly: this was a stalemate. Neither could touch the other. They could fight until nightfall without a result.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recovery that couldn't be outdamaged versus a body that couldn't be harmed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Cheng Shi frowned and called out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't just stand there — help!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone had been itching to move already. The moment Cheng Shi gave the \"order,\" all of them sprang into action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold-faced hunter said nothing, leaping high to land on a treetop. He drew an ornate longbow and loosed a rapid volley at Eposka, every arrow striking the dead branches on its back — clearly probing the Desolate Walker for weaknesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Puppet Master had vanished at some point. When her puppet reappeared, it was behind Eposka. The mature puppet stood at its feet — tiny as an infant before an elephant — yet her fingers seemed to trail countless threads through the air. Before long, Eposka's movements grew noticeably sluggish. Hong Lin closed in and ground Him into the earth with a savage flurry of blows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi wasn't idle either. He was supervising the singer's performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about Zuo Qiu nagged at him. The historian kept gravitating toward him — subtly, almost unconsciously. The feeling was hard to pin down, because as a hot topic of gossip Cheng Shi naturally attracted attention. That alone wasn't enough to divine Zuo Qiu's motives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly, the historian knew an enormous amount and seemed willing to share — so why had he slipped in a lie about history? And conveniently, it was a lie Cheng Shi happened to know was false!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Cheng Shi started questioning Zuo Qiu's identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Could this be another trickster disguised as something else?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd mocked Hong Lin for seeing snakes in every shadow, but after last trial's chaos, he himself now saw con artists everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could confirm that Zuo Qiu couldn't actually perform singer techniques, that might expose the disguise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately — Zuo Qiu could sing. Not only that, he was genuinely good at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice wasn't pleasant, but it was effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The [Memory] follower's history book contained records of many legendary battles. When he channeled his singer's gift to perform those blood-pumping sagas, everyone present felt their pulse quicken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Cheng Shi — who never charged the front — found himself itching to rush in and pummel Eposka with his bare fists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's really a singer?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he truly was a singer, then his history book was probably genuine too. Cheng Shi squinted suspiciously at Zuo Qiu, but the historian ignored the look, solemnly channeling buff after buff onto the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Could this official historian really be after nothing but unofficial gossip?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seen enough? We're in the lead and uninjured, sure, but as a priest — shouldn't you be restoring our spent spirit energy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Shi was lost for words. 'I haven't even figured out YOUR identity, and you're already probing mine?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Fine. You want to play that game?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snorted, then lazily flicked a hand toward Hong Lin and called out with great theatrical gravity: \"Spirit Spell!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\" Zuo Qiu's jaw dropped. \"That's it? What about the rest of us?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch — you support types haven't even broken a sweat. You want spirit restoration too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My spirit power doesn't come cheap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good steel goes on the blade's han... blade's edge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Cheng Shi's unabashed laziness, Zuo Qiu's face went completely black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Fine — even if that lightless spirit spell you flicked out was real, why aim it at the [Prosperity] follower of all people?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Their spirit power was an ocean. Did yours even make a drop of difference?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'And the recipient was the [Prosperity] CHOSEN ONE. Your sad little pellet would probably evaporate from sheer inferiority before it even reached her!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meeting Poop Scooper's skeptical glare, Cheng Shi pointed at the rampaging Hong Lin and clicked his tongue:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well? Did it work or not?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zuo Qiu's eye twitched. He turned his back without another word, focusing exclusively on team buffs and refusing to engage with this utterly hopeless freeloader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cheng Shi — watching Zuo Qiu's back — quietly drew a scalpel and began waving it suggestively behind him. He only stopped his probing gesture when Zuo Qiu's spine visibly tensed, stiffening line by rigid line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That confirmed it: Zuo Qiu definitely had a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The historian's surface reaction to Cheng Shi's behavior appeared perfectly normal. But that very normalcy was the biggest abnormality!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Cheng Shi's own behavior was objectively problematic. When faced with a teammate freeloading this shamelessly, any normal person — no matter how patient — would show some irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zuo Qiu's tolerance was too high. Unreasonably high — as if he'd already accepted that \"this is just how Cheng Shi is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that was interesting. It meant the historian had known about him for some time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when? Last night? At the trial's start? No, no — too brief to develop an understanding of a stranger. It had to be from before the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This man probably knew who I am long before we met!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Every reaction he's had to my \"identity\" has been an act!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Interesting. Who exactly is this historian — or rather... whose friend is he?'\u003C\u002Fp>",1227,"2026-05-30T16:17:59.408Z","2026-06-01T04:31:40.442Z",1,"novelbin.me","f3a9754c4b10e4f79970c549ffac08f4762c4d8d46b5f7f5894c2c43b688131e","foolish-game-of-the-gods-chapter-284","foolish-game-of-the-gods-chapter-282",1463,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffoolish-game-of-the-gods-cover.jpg"]