Chapter 308: [The Fated One]

【The Fated One】

(6000 words today, no chapter split...)

Looking at the stunned Xiang Honglin, Cheng Shi smiled and took out his dice.

He flicked this pale Die of Fate between his fingertips and said mysteriously:

"When I am in the play, I can escape danger even if the world turns upside down;

When I am not in the play, walking on thin ice does not guarantee survival!

We walk on the path of 【Fate】, both gamblers blessed by 【Good Luck】 and madmen favored by 【Pre-determination】.

We may not be able to decide fate, but we can utilize fate to the greatest extent!"

Yes, utilize fate!

After experiencing that trial of 【Fate】, Cheng Shi discovered that this thing called "pre-determination" was too profound.

So profound that it could make a person feel despair and suffocation at the immutability of fate.

Although his perception of fate was not that desperate, it did not mean he wouldn't feel powerless; facing an ending where nothing could be changed, he would also feel a deep sense of frustration.

But Cheng Shi was never a person who suffered from internal friction; he knew well that everything has two sides. Therefore, when a thing can make you feel powerless, it can equally make others feel powerless.

And this powerlessness of others is very likely to be one's own weapon!

So Cheng Shi did not immerse himself in the inability to struggle against the script of fate; he thought for a long time and came up with a small trick to utilize and offer up fate!

And this small trick can be summarized in two sentences, the first being:

"Do you believe in fate?"

No matter when, no matter where, no matter to whom, he could throw out this question, and then just add "This, is fate!" at the end of the story. There is a high probability of tricking someone who doesn't believe in fate into believing it, or at least tricking them from disbelief into half-belief or suspicion.

And today, above the void of this Sighing Forest, it was his first time turning his derived theory into practice, and the object of this practice was Xiang Honglin, who already believed in fate.

"So, things have reached this point. As long as you believe in fate, why not try gambling with me?

Baldy, you are the only one who knows my true identity. Now, I formally invite you to join us!

Let us write the most brilliant and craziest climax for His script together!"

Xiang Honglin was shocked to the point of scalp-numbness by this fate theory that reversed cause and effect. She became uncharacteristically serious and asked Cheng Shi solemnly, word by word:

"Who... are you?"

Cheng Shi smiled mysteriously, stopped spinning the dice, and turned the '1' on the dice toward her.

"【The Fated One】!

We are all Fated Ones."

As he spoke, he threw the dice into the void and laughed fanatically at the slowly rolling dice:

"When 【Fate】 writes our names in the final chapter, when the script has laid enough foreshadowing for our entrance!

We cannot let Him down, and even less can we let down the expectations of the audience.

We must use the craziest shouts to perform an unparalleled climax for the current play!

A climax that makes 【Time】 pause and 【Memory】 remember forever!"

And when that Die of Fate wobbled and stopped on the 1, the fanaticism on Cheng Shi's face reached its peak. He closed his eyes, both crazed and pious, raised his hands high, and prayed loudly:

"The path taken and the path ahead, all are fated!"

Just this one sound struck into Xiang Honglin's sea of consciousness like a great bell, making all her consciousness boil!

She looked at this scene before her, her heart and soul shaken, standing frozen on the spot, with only four words in her mind:

The Fated One!

But in an instant, these four words turned into "bewitching people's hearts," but the next second they turned back into "The Fated One"...

She felt that the Cheng Shi in front of her no longer seemed like that cunning Fate Weaver, but more like a fanatical madman who would stop at nothing!

But without a doubt, this fresh theory about 【Fate】 was truly too fresh and too attractive.

Recalling all her past experiences, this fresh blade almost stabbed into Xiang Honglin's heart!

And it hit the bullseye!

She was moved.

Cheng Shi was still maintaining his pose to keep up the mystery, but his eyes slightly opened a slit to peek at Xiang Honglin in front of him.

Seeing the other party's incredibly shocked appearance, he knew this matter was almost done. But just as he was preparing to start the wrap-up, a sudden change occurred!

No one expected that after Cheng Shi finished reciting this prayer he had fabricated, the entire void would suddenly boil!

!!!

Xiang Honglin's gaze tightened, and she looked around in shock, only to see countless shimmering black mists rising everywhere, slowly gathering and flowing to Cheng Shi's front, turning into a brand new 【Die of Fate】 on his Die of Fate!

When she saw this die, Xiang Honglin's pupils shrank, and her scalp went numb!

This feeling was not like those dice in the hands of players, but more like a token bestowed by Them at the beginning of the path!

So, why would Cheng Shi have one... no, it should be said, why would this so-called 【Fated One】 organization possess a die from the beginning of the path!?

Did they even pray for a token that could convert faith just to recruit new partners!?

But she had never heard of such a thing, nor did she know that the token of the path's beginning could actually be a prop.

Then what exactly is it used for?

Xiang Honglin widened her eyes in disbelief and suddenly looked up at Cheng Shi.

And Cheng Shi...

He was already stunned.

On the surface, he was desperately maintaining his mysterious smiling posture, but in his heart, he had almost greeted his Patron from top to bottom.

Patron, what do you mean?

I'm here scamming people and you're actually cooperating with me?

Fine, even if you want to help 【Fraud】 regain its smile, you don't have to step in personally, right?

You conjured a die, how am I supposed to continue the conversation?

My draft that I spent 100,000 words revising has gone to waste again!

Can you consider my feelings next time you pull such flashy moves!?

Even a heads-up beforehand would have been fine!

A clown can't adapt to everything on the fly!

Numb, completely numb.

Seeing Xiang Honglin's gaze becoming increasingly sharp, Cheng Shi sighed helplessly in his heart and immediately said:

"Look, this is the choice of 【Fate】. You are indeed... um, a child favored by 【Fate】!"

Cheng Shi really couldn't find any words. He originally wanted to brush it off to trick Xiang Honglin, but he never expected that a casual "child favored by fate" would actually convince her.

I saw this warlike 【Prosperity】 God's Chosen's expression change again and again, and finally, she actually muttered to herself:

"So, am I really a child favored by 【Fate】?"

?

Big sister, are you not starting to act against me in return?

How come you're getting into character?

Before Cheng Shi could figure out the situation, Xiang Honglin looked up again and asked:

"Do you mean, let me renounce my oath to 【Fate】?

Is this the future you found for me?"

Big sister, don't cause trouble, I don't want 【Prosperity】 to come and mess with me after the trial ends!

Cheng Shi hurriedly shook his head. He first picked up the die, glanced at its function, then his mouth twitched, and he smiled: "Not renouncing, but... fusion!"

"Fusion!?" Xiang Honglin's pupils shrank, and she frowned, "Second faith? You want me to choose 【Fate】 as my second faith?

Or does joining the Fated Ones mean I can only choose 【Fate】 as my second faith!?"

"..."

Big sister, you have too many questions. I'm just a little trash, I can't answer any of them.

Cheng Shi was about to cry. This was not part of his planned script, but now that things had reached this point, he had to temporarily change his plan and improvise a new play according to the current accident.

As for why 【Fate】 suddenly reacted, he didn't know, but he only knew that this carefully prepared scam seemed to have become simpler.

Because probably no one would be willing to use such a prop that can change faith to scam someone.

Yes, this is indeed a prop that can change faith. When a non-【Fate】 believer picks it up, 【Fate】 becomes their second faith.

This is indeed a gift from 【Fate】. As for why He bestowed such a thing here, no one knows.

Cheng Shi's original plan was centered around 【Fate】. The reason he wanted to pull Xiang Honglin into the game was that he felt the mushroom-foot tribe in this Sighing Forest was very likely an experiment from the hands of scholars at the Tower of Rationality!

Otherwise, he couldn't imagine why a mushroom-foot patriarch would know about this faith-grafting contract. This contract almost involves the fundamentals of the 【Gods】. If there wasn't a "Him" witnessing and protecting it, if there wasn't the Learned Chair Association operating and facilitating it, just relying on an Oupusika who had lost its soul and a group of mushroom-foots living in constant fear, they probably wouldn't have been able to sign this contract stealing 【Prosperity】 faith.

So Cheng Shi felt that this game involved at least three "Hims": 【Prosperity】, 【Decay】, and... 【Truth】!

He thought for a long time and finally came up with a method that had a high probability of making 【Prosperity】 cast His gaze directly, but this method would definitely destroy this experiment!

Cheng Shi was worried that when this experiment was destroyed like Zain-Gier's Star Dagger, 【Truth】 would shamelessly step in personally to deal with him, so he prepared to pull his Patron 【Fate】 to the front to block it.

He knew 【Fate】 looked down on 【Truth】.

Because in the previous 【Chaos】 trial, He had him connect with a believer suspected to be 【Dementia】, Galiusha, and Galiusha was precisely the mastermind behind the destruction of the Tower of Rationality. So Cheng Shi felt that if he could please 【Fate】, perhaps when 【Truth】 stepped in, Patron could block this opponent of 【Dementia】 for the sake of His own "plan."

So!

The so-called 【Fated One】 just now was not only to trick Xiang Honglin but also to please 【Fate】!

Cheng Shi's goals were two from start to finish: one was Xiang Honglin, and the other was 【Fate】.

But who would have thought that this wild talk about "predestination" would not only bluff Honglin, but also directly trick 【Fate】 into appearing!

He even bestowed a die for opening a second faith...

No, if one could have a second faith just by taking a die, why did he have to participate in the trial, swallow the bitter fruit, and endure the oppression back then?

How come these prerequisite steps were skipped for Honglin?

Or perhaps He had long been eyeing the chosen of 【Prosperity】, and he just happened to push things to this point.

Thinking of this, Cheng Shi looked at the deep-in-thought Honglin and spoke again:

"You should know that everyone who has received the news is silently searching for a second faith; they are pushing this matter forward."

Honglin nodded muffledly: "I know."

"Oh, so that means other 【Thems】 have already summoned you?"

"Yes!"

As expected!

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself, could it be 【War】?

"Did you accept?"

"No."

Cheng Shi understood; Honglin hadn't found the second faith she wanted to embrace. That made sense—she didn't even believe in 【Prosperity】, so how could she talk about a second one?

Perhaps this was also what she was struggling with?

While others were running around for a second faith, this druid who had never lost seemed to be losing in this race.

Honglin was silent for a long while before speaking again:

"I know they are pushing for the fusion of faiths, but I have never found another faith suitable for myself.

【Life】 is bland and uninteresting, 【Depravity】 is self-indulgent and passive.

【Civilization】 is filthy and sordid, 【Chaos】 is all a laughingstock.

In my view, only 【Existence】 and 【Nothingness】 are somewhat suitable, but I have no specific goal, nor have I happened upon the right opportunity, so I am indeed struggling in my heart.

However, seeing this die now, I am a bit interested in you fated ones.

Tell me, Cheng Shi, let me first hear just how big this gamble of yours, which bets against the heavens, really is!"