Chapter 296: The God of Three Phases

Is he truly a deity?

Looking at the pattern on the Hero Soul Card, Li En pondered.

No, is he truly alive?

It was a starry sky, and within it, a presence that could not be ignored.

He—or rather, it—might also be She, a dual-faced, three-armed entity, utterly incomprehensible.

His pale yellow flesh resembled carved wood or a Buddha statue, with flowing feathered robes around him.

The surrounding radiance dimmed; his aura seemed sacred, yet also profane.

The left face wore the grin of a clown; the right face bore a look of compassionate sorrow.

Three pairs of puppet-like arms, each holding strange instruments.

One pair held a purple-red wooden lute, directed toward the smiling head.

One hand held a quill, as if writing in the void.

One hand held a rattle; the compassionate face turned slightly, as if listening.

The final pair of arms remained empty, offering even more room for imagination.

After all, one hand pointed to heaven, the other touched a flower and pointed to earth; between them, it seemed he cradled the entire universe.

This, if seen in a temple of Buddha statues from his past life, would have seemed slightly strange but entirely fitting—but appearing in "reality," it evoked an inexplicable sense of threat.

"Seems I drew a terrifying entity."

【The Crimson Poet of Tragedy and Comedy, Fisterion & Lord of Joy and Drama (Deity) & $%*%】

Three names appeared on this Hero Soul Card.

Li En understood the first two—the first was likely the deity's name when still mortal.

The Lord of Joy and Drama sounded like a bard-type deity, surely not a demon god.

"The final name cannot be parsed by the bestiary," Li En shook his head—this was his understanding before encountering the Snake; now it seemed the bestiary wasn't weak, but he was.

"No, it should be that the information couldn't be recorded—or rather, it was recorded, but harmful data was masked to protect me."

The only other being like this Li En had ever encountered was the Snake.

Honestly, "Lord of Joy and Drama" alone sounded like a merely artistic, ordinary deity—hardly matching the image in the bestiary.

"Forget it, doesn't matter—he's dead. Probably dead."

Recalling the Snake's situation, Li En felt less certain.

"No rush—let's first look into this Drama God. And Fisterion—I hope he's not too distant. Sounds like an elf's name."

Thanks to Lex's gift, this time it didn't activate directly; Li En must confirm this isn't a demon god before summoning.

Even with some unobservable factors, since he became a deity, his doctrine and stance should be fixed—surely he wouldn't waver.

Li En vaguely felt something was off, but it seemed the bow was already drawn, with no turning back.

Since he's also one of Li Ensu's members, a reincarnated soul drawn from the Hero Soul Bestiary, he shouldn't harm "me," right?

The strange faces should be manifestations of his "Drama Divine Office"—after all, drama contains both joy and sorrow.

"No rush—take it one step at a time."

Li En steadied his emotions, preparing to first assess the situation, then investigate this deity.

After all, handing over his "body" without preparation carried too great a risk—if he slipped up, this entire Hero Soul affair might leave him with no footing at all.

Li En guessed such distinct features shouldn't be hard to find.

Since faith-based deities typically expand their territory and doctrine, such beings are often well-documented.

Even if he perished, unless he was a demon god or taboo entity, the kingdom would still maintain some records—for the sake of "proper conduct."

As for his final title, since it didn't leap out like the Snake's, it should be safe enough.

When dawn comes, I'll head to the Mage Street in Huicheng and search for relevant materials.

"Clang!"

At that moment, the sound of clashing blades outside the window drew his attention.