Chapter 986

Fire of Hope?

But sarcasm aside, I won't take the blame for this.

"Master, I never wanted to collect anything. If I did, it was only that mask suspected to belong to Kraun.

As for these containers..."

Cheng Shi said, unashamedly displaying all the containers in his possession.

"... they were all sent by you.

【Deception】, 【Chaos】, 【Time】, 【Prosperity】, 【Filth】, 【Decay】..."

Cheng Shi didn't know if the three newest containers had anything to do with the God of Fun, but throwing the blame first was never wrong.

"I have always been pious to 【Nothingness】 and have never had the thought of wanting to get close to other gods."

Those eyes blinked and blinked:

"Oh, I see. Very good, I will convey your disdain to the Old Bones. Poor old god, no one likes him in his later years."

"???"

No, is that what I meant?

Cheng Shi was truly anxious now.

Master, can you stop making trouble? If it weren't for that Lord pulling me back from the Sea of Desire, how could you still be here teasing the clown?

It's one thing for the company boss not to contribute, but you can't ruin my side job too, right?

But then again, can you see containers in a side job?

What would that Lord's container be?

Two small skulls biting each other?

Seeing his thoughts drifting further and further away, Cheng Shi pulled his focus back, decisively skipped the topic, and asked in a more direct way:

"Master, it's useless. Your repeated teasing of the clown is nothing more than not wanting to explain why you pushed the containers toward the clown, but I still want to know.

Why?"

Those eyes blinked rapidly, the starlight in them flickering, the spiral reversing. He paused for a long time before laughing playfully:

"Are you afraid?"

"No."

"Stop acting. Didn't you take out the 【Filth】 container just to absorb your own fear so you could ask me this question?"

As He spoke, 【Deception】 blinked gently again, cutting off the container's influence on Cheng Shi, letting the slight fear in the clown's heart return, and then continued:

"What, do you think I want to destroy the world, to destroy everything 【Origin】 created?"

"!!!"

The cold sweat on Cheng Shi's forehead and back suddenly refreshed.

Although this was terrifying, it was indeed what Cheng Shi had been worried about but dared not voice.

From his perspective, the gods of each sliced universe were merely insignificant experimental subjects in 【Origin】's vast laboratory. It is not easy for a mayfly to shake a tree, so Cheng Shi had always guessed that 【Deception】's scheme might not be to "topple" 【Origin】 and win the world, but to lead 【Origin】's experiment into a "wrong path."

This fits His personality. Perhaps only in this way could 【Deception】 live up to His own "rebellion" and the 【Nothingness】 He shoulders.

You must know, even if the God of Fun fears 【Origin】, He is always "pious" to 【Nothingness】. His starting point for admonishing Cheng Shi is always 【Nothingness】, and He even maintained 【Nothingness】's reputation after parting ways with 【Fate】.

He cares very much about 【Nothingness】, but He does not care about this world, or even those countless universes.

And this is why Cheng Shi never dared to speak directly about this in front of 【Deception】, because a failed experiment could very well mean the destruction of the universe.

This might not be the kind of nothingness 【Fate】 expects, but it is still a form of nothingness.

"So this is the predetermined path, Master?

The world will eventually return to 'Nothingness,' whether it is 【Deception】's path or 【Fate】's path, they lead to the same destination..."

A trace of imperceptible strangeness flashed in those eyes, and then He sneered:

"Pfft—

Do you think you see through 【Fate】's predetermined path?"

"... I don't think so."

"It's good that you don't. Even I dare not say what is predetermined, so stop guessing.

The predetermined path is far from as simple as you think.

Also, put your heart back in your stomach. I am not destroying the world, but... saving it."

The God of Fun wants to save the world?

Ah, yes, yes, yes, just see if I believe it.

Cheng Shi became increasingly anxious. 【Deception】 looked at His believer and chuckled again:

"If your anxiety comes from these containers, why not send them out? This world needs some fresh blood. If it's always supported by those old antiques, it would be too boring."

Send them out?

To whom?

I always feel there is more to the God of Fun's words.

Cheng Shi frowned slightly, savoring the Master's words repeatedly but failing to grasp the point. However, he did find other issues worth noting, so he looked at those eyes with a puzzled face and suddenly asked:

"Master, 【Fate】 repeatedly warned me not to get close to 【Filth】, but this trial... no, even this container!" Cheng Shi pointed to the 【Filth】 container in front of him. "Even when I am using this container, you have never admonished me. So, have you already found the answer you wanted in this probing?

【Filth】 is not as terrifying as people imagine?"

"Words of ignorance." Those eyes narrowed slightly. "He is far more terrifying than the gods imagine, but you don't need to know about this.

Speaking of 【Filth】, there is an interesting story. You have probably already seen him in the trial, my other believer."

Another believer, who?

Cheng Shi froze, suddenly realizing that the believer the God of Fun was talking about seemed to be... Xiao Qi?

Something is wrong!

This is too outrageous.

A player who can be mentioned by a god must not be simple, but how could it be Xiao Qi? What happened to him?

Don't tell me he didn't die!?

Just as Cheng Shi was letting his imagination run wild, 【Deception】 chuckled:

"I conducted a very interesting experiment on this little believer. He originally didn't belong to 【Nothingness】, but to 【Sinking】. He is a believer of 【Filth】."

"!!!"

【Filth】!?

When he heard the God of Fun personally confirm that Xiao Qi was once a believer of 【Filth】, the doubts in Cheng Shi's mind were instantly resolved.

So the price Xiao Qi paid was not caused by his talent, but by an oath-breaking curse?

This makes much more sense. After all, 【Filth】 pulls at people's desires and emotions; it's not strange to have such a curse... Wait!!

This is even more wrong!

【Filth】 never refuses; how could He bestow a curse on His believer?

Cheng Shi was stunned. He realized the problem and looked up at his Master. The God of Fun laughed heartily:

"This is the most interesting part of this matter.

I smeared the description of a certain talent I bestowed upon this little believer, disguising it as His oath-breaking curse. Who knew that the curse effect would actually appear on this interesting mortal..."

Before He could finish, Cheng Shi was dumbfounded.

What!?

Smearing the talent description...

So there was actually a second victim in this game?

In a sense, Xiao Qi can indeed be considered a lucky one.

But why would this happen?

Cheng Shi frowned and pondered: "Do you mean 【Filth】 never refuses, so He didn't refuse even the talent you rewrote?"

"Heh, that is the fact. But strangely, I have never had any exchange of authority with 【Filth】. How did He convert my 【Deception】 power into 【Filth】 power?

That is why I said, 【Filth】 is far more terrifying than you imagine.

Stop provoking Him, or if you lose your life, I won't care.

Alright, mortals should worry less about the affairs of gods. Go do what you need to do."

"..."

You were the one who brought it up; I didn't even ask.

But after hearing this, Cheng Shi still raised an eyebrow, keenly grasping the key point in these words, and tentatively asked: "Do you mean that after becoming a god, one can manage it?"

"Pfft—

'I don't want to become a god,' someone seems to have forgotten what they said."

I didn't forget!

Cheng Shi straightened his back and thought righteously: Even if I don't become a god, isn't it the same if my friend becomes a god?

The identity of a god is nothing more than a ticket to enter the game for me. Since my friend can take me in, why should I bother becoming a god?

I have never forgotten my identity; I am just an ordinary son of an ordinary father. Whether I am a god or not has nothing to do with me.

I just want to live, and it would be even better if I could earn a top scholar title along the way.

"Heh, the meaningless emotions of mortals. Get out, take these eyesores and get out quickly."

As He spoke, a gust of wind from the Void blew, rolling Cheng Shi and the many containers back to reality.

Returning to the rooftop, Cheng Shi stared at the newly acquired 【War】 container in his hand, feeling his blood stirred by it, restless and unbearable, always wanting to find someone to have a fight with on the spot.

Saving the world...

Will the God of Fun really save the world?

Could it be that the Fire-Bearer is not a mortal's delusion, but His expectation?

Otherwise, why would His means of protecting the Fire-Bearer be called the Fire of Hope?

Who gave the hope, and where is the fire?