Chapter 37: The Meaning of the [Faith Game]?
If any Descentist had been present, they might have grabbed pen and paper to engrave this monumental scene for posterity.
Because this was a moment worthy of historical remembrance. Humanity, as "playthings" under [The Gods], had, for the first time, been granted the opportunity to pose questions to a [God].
In previous special audiences, [God] had never done anything but proclaim His decrees.
Followers, apart from bowing their heads to receive a few vague words of praise, would not make a single sound the entire time.
But today was clearly different.
Both parties in the conversation were obviously engaged, and both were chatterboxes.
After mentally organizing his thoughts, Cheng Shi carefully measured his words and asked his first question with great solemnity.
"Why did [The Gods] descend?
Or rather, what is the meaning of the [Faith Game]?"
[Deceit] didn't seem surprised by this question at all. He said slowly:
"To become gods."
!!??
To become gods?
Who wanted to become gods?
The Gods?
The players?
Given that it was [Deceit] providing this answer, it seemed to point to The Gods!?
Weren't They already gods?
Of course, this could also be a lie. And it very much resembled one.
Which would mean the next answer was most likely the truth.
That was, if [Deceit] chose not to exercise His authority.
"Hehe, My turn.
Do you want to become a god?"
Waves crashed inside Cheng Shi's mind, yet he maintained a perfectly blank expression as he said:
"No."
The eyes in the starfield spun twice, noncommittal.
"Second question. In this [Faith Game], can humans, or rather players, become gods?"
[Deceit]'s response still carried no emotional fluctuation.
But this time, He answered quickly.
"Yes.
Hehe, My turn again.
Why don't you want to become a god?"
Thunder exploded in Cheng Shi's brain as he carefully savored that single word: "Yes."
Yes?
Players could also become gods?
This was even more lie-like than the previous statement.
But the problem was, if [Deceit] hadn't lied about the game rules, then at least one of these two mind-bending answers was true!
Gods were not gods!
Or, humans could become gods!
Whichever one was true, the answer was staggering enough.
It nearly cost Cheng Shi his ability to manage his facial expression.
He took a long while to recover before answering His question with a thoroughly honest-looking face.
"Because it's meaningless."
[Deceit] paused for a beat, then erupted into earth-shaking laughter.
"You didn't lie. You are indeed a child of [Nihility].
But come to think of it, if I didn't know you, going purely by the questions you asked, I'd think you'd secretly joined that organization behind My back."
Which organization?
The Firelight Bearers!?
"Lurch!"
Cheng Shi's heart sank. Though he'd long known that He was aware of the Firelight Bearers, having a [God] bring up an "anti-god" organization to his face still made him deeply uneasy.
Truth be told, Cheng Shi was not a good person.
He possessed every common human flaw:
A bit selfish, a bit cold, a bit cowardly about death. He harbored vague hopes but didn't overly pursue a beautiful tomorrow. His attitude toward the present was very much "live one day at a time."
But none of this prevented him from understanding and appreciating people who "held fast to their dreams and brought light to others."
And the Firelight Bearers were precisely such people.
"I might not join them, but I would never despise them either. If there came a moment when I could lend a helping hand, I wouldn't turn a blind eye or stand idly by."
And now, it seemed, that moment had arrived.
After several rounds of internal struggle, Cheng Shi still asked a question on behalf of these "poor souls bearing the weight of humanity's future."
"In [The Gods]' eyes, are they a joke?"
He phrased it tactfully. Of course, "tactfully" described the question of "whether [The Gods] were aware of their existence."
For the Firelight Bearers, the emotional damage of that sentence might be devastating.
However, [Deceit]'s answer was unexpected.
"You care about them?
Interesting.
But you can rest easy. [The Gods] are not aware of their existence.
Of course, except for Me."
"!!!"
Towering waves surged through Cheng Shi's mind. He blurted out:
"Why?"
"Why? Now that would be a new secret."
Cheng Shi immediately hung his head in deep thought, trying to figure out how to extract more from Him. After mulling it over, he said:
"[The Gods] don't know about them. It seems gods aren't omnipotent either."
[Deceit] chuckled lightly, not the least bit angered by his irreverence.
"No entity is omnipotent, and no void is omnipotent either.
The Gods exist in existence, void in void. Not being omnipotent is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
A flash of sharp light suddenly crossed Cheng Shi's eyes. He looked up, fixed his gaze on [Deceit], and said word by word:
"So, [The Gods] sent down the [Faith Game] in order to become omnipotent gods! Right?"
[Deceit]'s eyes showed not the slightest fluctuation, forever wearing that amused curve. The laugh-lines at the corners of His eyes were as unchanging as folded spacetime.
His tone, as always, dripped with deceitfulness.
"Guess."
"No need to guess. You didn't lie at all."
"Oh?" The eyes looked at Cheng Shi with curiosity and considerable interest. "How do you know I didn't lie?"
Cheng Shi pointed at his own heart and said:
"S-Rank talent Master of Deception. This is the ability You bestowed upon me. It can see through all lies."
[Deceit] seemed genuinely astounded by Cheng Shi's optimism. Once again unable to contain Himself, He laughed with irrepressible delight:
"You use the power I bestowed upon you to listen to the heart of a [God]. Do you think that would work?"
Cheng Shi said with "absolute confidence":
"Since gods aren't omnipotent, naturally They too can be deceived, and Their thoughts can be seen through. So I, who bear divine favor, why couldn't I succeed?"
The eyes blinked and blinked, seemingly understanding what Cheng Shi was getting at.
"Ah, so that's what you're after.
What a slippery one.
I can indeed bestow upon you a power capable of deceiving Them.
But the question is: you who don't want to become a god, why would you need a power that only a [God] could possess?"
Cheng Shi was honest to a fault: "I just don't want to become a god. It's not that I don't want to deceive one."
"?"
"Hahahaha, I see. I like you more and more."
The manic mirth in those eyes gradually receded as the entire form slowly dissolved into the void.
"Today's meeting was delightful. Go now. When you become My [Chosen], I will bestow this power upon you."
That was it?
Cheng Shi suddenly panicked: "What about [Fate]? If He comes again…"
"Endure it, until you can deceive Him."
"…"
Endure my ass!
Cheng Shi was about to let loose a torrent of abuse when his vision suddenly warped.
By the time consciousness returned to his body, he was already standing on the rooftop of his rest area.
The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was the sun hanging high in the sky.
The first words he heard were:
"Hey, bro, um… do you still have any of that Prosperity of Yore… I want to trade two more bottles for Lu Lu."
Cheng Shi's face instantly went fully black-lined.
Damn it. The bitch is everywhere.
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