Chapter 521: Blessings and Souvenirs

"It can indeed be considered a kind of closed loop, including those experiences of mine before..."

Xia De nodded and looked at the silent black-robed god across the table:

"Before you announce that the gamble is officially over, may I ask some questions?"

He tried his best to make his attitude respectful, but the god still did not speak, so Xia De could only try to ask directly:

"About the Deck of Many Things..."

"They come from the beginning, that beginning of the beginning, the origin of everything, and will also head toward the end of everything."

The black-robed god beside the table seemed to only be able to say "Yes," and this passage was spoken by the corpses of varying degrees of decay by the wall.

"Beginning?"

Xia De examined the corpses on the wall one by one, while Mr. Riddle asked curiously:

"What beginning?"

"Can't you hear it? Oh, well then."

Since the god didn't want Mr. Riddle to hear, he didn't explain.

"Person of the future, have you ever thought about it?"

The skull skeleton asked. Beside him was a rusted one-handed sword; no one knew how many years it had been lying there.

"Why is the rule of the 【Deck of Many Things】 you saw a rule of comparing points?"

This was the highly decomposed female corpse asking. The jewelry on her body had already rotted, only the gemstone brooch in front of her heart seemed to be about to merge with her flesh and blood.

"Why?"

"Things of the Sixth Era haven't happened yet, so I don't know."

The male corpse wearing a yellow soft hat, which seemed to have just died, said.

Xia De looked at its tightly closed eyes again. He was certain that the god must know the reason. That 【Innocent Creator】 had also once said that He didn't know about future events, but in reality, until long after He left, everything was still proceeding according to His arrangements.

"Could it be that... the rule of the Deck of Many Things being a comparison of points is only like that in the Sixth Era? In more ancient times, the rules on the Deck of Many Things were not at all the rules of the card game? But rules such as 【The field becomes night upon entry】?"

He didn't get an answer, but this silence itself was a kind of attitude.

"But why is this? What is the meaning of the existence of these cards, these games?"

He asked in confusion but still couldn't get an answer.

The twenty minutes were coming to an end. Seeing that the god was unwilling to speak to give more hints, Xia De could only give up asking. The friendliness of the 【Innocent Creator】 came from Xia De's help and the identity of a "child," and the friendliness of the 【Radiant Door】 came from Xia De's connection with the 【Father of the Infinite Tree】.

Not every god would be happy to provide help; Xia De had understood this long ago. The only pity was that he had actually thought that if time were sufficient, he could gamble a card game with a god, which would definitely be very interesting, but there was not enough time.

Just as the thought of "gambling a card game with a god" fell, the black robe opposite Mr. Riddle suddenly moved. The hand in the sleeve seemed to shake slightly, and the only unbroken card on the table, 【Person of the Future】, flew in front of the god.

Subsequently, some light dust floated out from the other sixteen cards, jointly forming two new cards. One card face was a witch, and one card face was a full-body portrait of Mr. Riddle. The three cards were arranged side by side, backs facing upward. The black-robed sleeve swept across, and the blank card backs turned into the holy emblem of this gambling god.

They changed positions rapidly at a speed that the naked eye could not distinguish, and then stopped abruptly. Now, even Mr. Riddle knew that the god was letting Xia De guess which card was the 【Person of the Future】 card.

"Try it quickly."

Because he knew he could go home, Mr. Riddle, who had no burden, urged expectantly.

"Which one is it?"

Xia De asked in his heart.

【I don't know, that's not a normal position swap. All you can rely on is your luck.】

Hesitating for a moment, his eyes lingered on the three cards:

"The one on the far right."

He pointed to the right side, and then he and Mr. Riddle made the movement of leaning over to look almost at the same time. The first card on the right was flipped open; it was indeed the 【Person of the Future】 card.

"It seems your luck is really good."

Mr. Riddle said with a smile, praising him.

The two cards that were not chosen turned into light and flew toward Xia De. Xia De did not block them, letting them enter his body from his forehead.

First was the one with "Witch" on the card face:

【Outsider, you have felt a "miracle."】

【You have received a blessing.】

【One instance of luck: next time you engage in activities related to gambling, you will definitely obtain the highest luck.】

The witches who appeared in the "Life Gamble" should all believe in this god. This blessing represented a help given to Xia De by the god.

Then it was the one with "Mr. Riddle" on the card face:

【Outsider, you have felt a "miracle."】

【You have received a blessing.】

【Mortal luck: from this moment on, in any gambling game, you will be able to show extraordinary luck.】

Mr. Riddle could indeed be said to be the luckiest mortal Xia De knew. This trait would probably make Doctor Shi Nai De, who was very short on luck, very envious.

"However, does 'this moment' refer to now?"

Xia De pointed to himself.

"Or now?"

Xia De pointed to the ground again.

"This is a reward for your courage."

The voice came from across the table. Xia De looked up in disbelief. This time it was He speaking, and He used the Delarion Common Language of the Sixth Era.

To be honest, Xia De had doubted that the one playing the 【Life Game】 with the two of them was actually just a robe, but this sentence undoubtedly showed that "He" had really been there all along. The power when the voice appeared made space and time seem to condense at this moment.

The one across the table had always been a god; He had really participated in this gamble.

"If you were in the same era as Me, I would be very willing to let you become My divine follower."

He said softly, as if stating a fact. Mr. Riddle still couldn't hear this passage, so he was very strange that Xia De's face changed several times in just half a minute.

"Then the Deck of Many Things..."

"This is the deepest secret of the ancient gods, even more important than the world itself. It relates to everything of everything. Go collect them, Person of the Unexpected. When you have all thirteen Deck of Many Things cards, even when you face the most terrifying ending at the very end of the end, it can at least give you final solace."

"But..."

"Life Game over!"

The corpses by the wall announced loudly in a tone like the end of an opera:

"Shi Laiqi Riddle wins!"

The 16 shattered cards on the gambling table turned into starlight and permeated into Mr. Riddle's body. He seemed unable to see this light, but Xia De could feel that this was the purest Spirit.

If it were a witch or a Ringed Shushi, they could use this power to increase their upper limit of Spirit and elements without obtaining Spirit Runes. And ordinary people could also rely on this purest power to purify their bodies, extend their lifespan, expel curses, and clear their souls in the moment the Spirit entered their bodies.

This was the reward for winning against a god in a gamble. The influence of everything here on Mr. Riddle would surely fade away because of this.

As for the only unbroken card, the 【Person of the Future】 representing Xia De's encounter with Mr. Riddle, it flew from in front of the god toward Xia De.

Xia De reached out and pinched it, finding that although this card was the same size as a card game card, it was made of a very light, strange metal material. Feeling it carefully, the metal card did not possess any supernatural power. Although exquisite, it was just an ordinary item.

"A souvenir, you two played quite well."

The god under the black robe said. Xia De smiled and stuffed the metal card into his pocket. Although this souvenir was not as useful as Miss Feilian's notes, it was, after all, a gift bestowed by a god.

At the same time, light of unknown origin replaced the oil lamps and candlesticks on the table, completely illuminating the room. The oppressive atmosphere disappeared, representing the complete end of the gamble.

In the corner behind the god that had always been dark, opposite the door Xia De entered through, another door appeared. This door should be the passage for Mr. Riddle to leave the Fear Fortress.

And the official end of the gamble meant that Xia De was about to bid farewell to this era forever. He felt the pulling force behind him; white fog was seeping out from behind him.

"Mr. Riddle, may 【Mr. Ring】 and the 【Father of the Infinite Tree】 bless you and me."

Xia De grasped the ancient prophet's hand again and shook it gently. The latter asked in surprise:

"What are you going to do?"

He saw that Xia De seemed to be saying goodbye:

"Are you leaving too?"

"I am going to face fear."

Xia De looked at the door he came from, a smile appearing on his face:

"I still have one thing that needs to be solved, Mr. Riddle. Please leave here. I am not sure if the things behind the door will affect you after I open it."

Although the 【Dark Box】 was not in his hand, Xia De still wanted to try to face that ultimate fear; maybe it would be useful.

"Alright, I am truly glad to have met you, sir. I wish you all the best in your era, may God bless us."

He hugged Xia De, and the two nodded to each other one last time. Mr. Riddle hurriedly bypassed the stone table and came to the other side of the room.

Xia De also turned around and ran toward the door, because the pulling sensation of the white fog behind him was getting stronger and stronger.

The light in the room gradually weakened, centered on the ancient stone table with twenty slots. The candles and oil lamps extinguished at the same time, and the god disappeared silently into the darkness. As the darkness spread from the center of the room to the surroundings, the position by the wall was the brightest.

Xia De and Mr. Riddle approached the doors on both sides of the room respectively, and at the last moment, they turned back to look at the friend they had spent an hour with:

"Farewell, Mr. Riddle."

"I wish you a lifetime of luck."

Before the darkness eroded the edge of the room, they said their final goodbyes, and then respectively slammed open the doors in front of them. Behind Mr. Riddle's door was a piece of white light. He rushed in without hesitation. Xia De vaguely heard the sound of wind brushing through treetops, flowing water hitting rocks, and birds chirping softly.

This gentleman had finally finished another important adventure in his life. In the next twenty-plus years, he would experience more stories.

And in front of Xia De, who rushed out of the other door, was the old, candle-lit corridor. At the very last moment before the white fog behind him swallowed him, he finally saw what was patrolling the corridor, guarding the Fear Fortress. ===== CHAPTER 522 =====