Chapter 279: [Prosperity] Past Events and Erpuska

【Prosperity】 Past Events and Erpuska

Cheng Shi looked at the room full of silent slackers and sneered in his heart.

Fine, fine, so that's how you want to play, is it? If you're going to play like this, then I'll have to show you what a real slacker looks like.

He looked around the room once more, and seeing that no one was still speaking, he lay down right where he was and went straight to sleep. Not even a second later, thunderous snoring erupted from the floor.

"Hoo—hoo—hoo—"

This act of feigned sleep was so incredibly fake that everyone in the room was left speechless for a moment.

Hong Lin looked at this ridiculous scene, her expression finally warming up as she shook her head and chuckled.

Clearly, the work pressure was too high, and the tour guide had gone on strike.

However, with the situation having developed to this point, everyone basically understood what needed to be done next.

The goal of this trial was either to protect the Fungus-Foot people foraging outside in the Sighing Forest or to maintain the hope of seeking forgiveness in their hearts. But regardless, there was one point: if they could first take out that Erpuska hunting the Fungus-Foot people outside, the difficulty of the entire trial would be reduced significantly.

Because the disappearance of the threat would mean a great surge in hope.

So, after pondering for a moment, Hong Lin looked up at the historian and asked for advice:

"Brother Shiguan, have you heard of this 【Decay】 monster called Erpuska?"

Finally, the moment for the History School to shine had arrived. Zuo Qiu smiled slightly, puffed out his chest, and said earnestly:

"I happen to know a little.

You might find the name Erpuska unfamiliar, but if I mention another name, you might have heard of it—at least you, Baldy, definitely know it.

That is...

Dizer."

!!!

Hong Lin's pupils constricted, and she exclaimed in disbelief:

"【The Unclouded Crown】, 【Prosperity】 Messenger!?"

【Prosperity】 Messenger?

Hearing this, the hunter and the assassin became interested again. Cheng Shi, who was lying on the ground sleeping, even lowered the volume of his snoring, pricking up his ears to wait for some stories about Them.

Zuo Qiu noticed Cheng Shi's posture and laughed out loud.

"That's right, the former Prosperity Messenger.

As everyone knows, the 【Mother of Prosperity】 has four children..."

"Wait, this is 【Gods】 lore; where does this 'as everyone knows' come from?" Hong Lin suddenly interrupted him with a strange expression, asking suspiciously, "Aren't you a historian who studies underground changes?

How are you so familiar with matters of 【Prosperity】?"

"Uh, there are many peers within the History School who study the history of the 【Gods】. We often have history sharing sessions. Of course, these sessions are not open to the public, only to certain invited special members.

And I, as it happens, have been lucky enough to be invited a few times.

Besides, the history I'm speaking of is related to underground changes. God-Chosen, do you have any other questions?"

Hong Lin's gaze became somewhat strange because of that "God-Chosen." She looked Zuo Qiu up and down for a long time, then nodded.

"My mistake. Continue."

"The 【Mother of Prosperity】 has four children. The two older ones are not well-known, and we haven't collected enough information on them. The latter two have more traces on the Continent of Hope, so they are mentioned more often.

Among them, her third child is named Dizer, the former 【Prosperity】 Messenger, bestowed by Her with the divine name 【The Unclouded Crown】.

This subordinate god of 【Life】 was considered by everyone to be the one most suited to inherit the 【Prosperity】 divine name. But I don't know what kind of change occurred to Him, causing this subordinate god to forsake 【Prosperity】, forsake His own mother, and throw Himself into the embrace of 【Decay】..."

"Ah?"

Cheng Shi was stunned.

No way, Lele'er is also a child of the 【Mother of Prosperity】. He betrayed 【Prosperity】 to embrace 【Filth】, and it turns out He has a brother who directly joined 【Decay】?

Good heavens, is the entire 【Prosperity】 family a bunch of turncoats?

This is big news!

Cheng Shi, now interested, stopped pretending. He sat up abruptly and asked eagerly, "And then? And then?"

This look of someone eager for gossip was exactly the same as when everyone wanted to hear his gossip at the start of the trial.

"How could mortals know the complex relationships between the 【Gods】? No one knows exactly what happened in between. In short, 【Decay】 accepted Dizer and made Him a Messenger of 【Decay】.

However, not long after, He died—died at the hands of 【Decay】.

This 【God】 who personally accepted Dizer personally put Him to death. Dizer's divinity was split in two; His body became the 【Desolation Walker】 Erpuska wandering in the Sighing Forest, and His soul was sealed inside a dagger.

This dagger is called 【Gift of Scars】 and is currently still lost outside. It is a semi-artifact that all 【Decay】 assassins, and even all assassins, dream of.

So, everyone should know by now: before this Erpuska was separated from His soul and flesh, He was also a dependent of 【Prosperity】, and even a son of the 【Mother of Prosperity】.

So I am wondering, could that dying spark... possibly be Him?

If it is that, then our goal changes from protecting the Mushroom-Footed People to kill Oupusika, to helping Oupusika... kill the Mushroom-Footed People.

You must know, that 'Never-Extinguishing Wild Lamp' in the hands of the Fungus-Foot people is a treasure bestowed by 【Prosperity】. Everyone might as well think one layer deeper: even if it were to punish the Fungus-Foot people, why would She go so far as to exile them to the territory of 【Decay】?

Also, why would She borrow the power of 【Decay】 to protect the sinners She once exiled?

Is there some unspeakable filth hidden in the middle? Is it possible that 【Prosperity】 is using Her people to feed Her son, thereby awakening Erpuska's vanished soul?

That's why that lamp attracts Him to hunt these Fungus-Foot people, isn't it?

Of course, this is my personal 'conspiracy theory,' not disrespect toward 【Prosperity】. God-Chosen, please don't hit me; my physique can't withstand a punch from you."

"..."

Once this deduction came out, everyone in the room fell silent.

Hong Lin frowned, not knowing what she was thinking, but unexpectedly, she did not offer any defense or rebuttal for her benefactor.

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, feeling that Zuo Qiu's words were not without reason.

To light a prairie fire—who knows if the meaning of this "prairie fire" is quality or quantity?

Making an oath-breaking Messenger return to 【Prosperity】 is also a prairie fire!

"Since you knew long ago that Erpuska is Dizer's soulless shell, why didn't you stop me?

Even if you had just given me a look, I might not have been in such a rush to impersonate this damn 【Prosperity】 Messenger."

Zuo Qiu laughed out loud, gave Cheng Shi a thumbs up, and said, "Because I wasn't sure either. The goal of this trial is too vague, and I dared not gamble, nor would I gamble. That's why I didn't stop you.

Because I felt that what you did was right. Even for the sake of insurance, we cannot focus on only one side, and having absolute say in the Fungus-Foot tribe has a hundred benefits and no harm for our situation.

Oh, wait, no, there is harm too.

But if God-Chosen can swallow this grievance, then there is indeed no harm."

Hong Lin snorted coldly, "Your tongue is sharp. I hope you can keep it in check."

"..." Just like that, the previously impassioned Zuo Qiu suddenly shrank back.

"So, our current top priority is to find that Erpuska and see what its situation is, right?"

The cold-faced hunter rarely expressed his own thoughts. Everyone looked at each other and saw the agreement in each other's eyes.

Thus, the plan was finally settled: they would find out the status of Erpuska first thing tomorrow.

As for why tomorrow, because...

Night had fallen.

When the Dark Moon rose, all the 【Decay】 monsters in the Sighing Forest came to life, turning this quiet forest into a paradise for 【Decay】.

The Sighing Mourning Tide surged in layers, surrounding the entire tribe airtight. And in that thick, impenetrable fog, long, thick, rotting giant pythons slithered past, with hisses and screams rising one after another.

The night of 【Decay】 had begun. ===== CHAPTER 280 =====