Why Aren't You Using It? (5K)

The stakes are... each other's rules?!

Upon hearing this, Luo Qi's first reaction was, "Are you kidding me?"

I've never heard of Visas rules being used as a wager... unless it's actually chopping off fingers and gouging out eyes in real life.

But then again, he's already been brought to a place like this, and it's even in his Eastern Church, which is arguably one of the closest places to the great Rhine God. Ulu's decision to bring him here certainly doesn't seem like a joke.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Luo Qi said. "You want me to gamble with you without even explaining anything first, or rather, gamble on... the rules?"

Bai Wei sighed softly, "We could have made everything clear by just one bet. There was no need to waste any more words."

Luo Qi sneered.

You have to understand, he's not a fool. This trap looks like a pitfall, and apart from that arrogant one-eyed man, no one would fall into it.

"In that case, let me explain a little, although I don't know much about it myself." Bai Wei crossed his hands, his bright middle finger particularly eye-catching. "You can ask me questions, and I can tell you anything I know... provided it doesn't involve anything in the real world."

Luo Qi asked instinctively, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Although he couldn't see Bai Wei, Luo Qi could still sense that he was smiling. "If I asked you now about your true identity, would you tell me?"

Luo Qi was silent for a moment before replying, "Indeed."

Looks like this guy guessed it too.

Once you know what each other's identities mean in reality.

Take these two as examples: Luo Qi is the Eastern Bishop of the Rhine, while Bai Wei (in his eyes, Ulu) is the greatest traitor in the history of the Rhine who just killed the Western Bishop.

They are natural enemies, the kind who would fight immediately if they met in real life. Even here, they can't have a proper talk.

Fortunately, none of them knew each other's identities... oh no, I should say, only this guy didn't know my identity.

Luo Qi slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

He realized this was his advantage, but he also knew he couldn't reveal it, otherwise Ulu might run away immediately.

"You're right," he added. "We really shouldn't have pried into each other's identities or their real-world situations."

Luo Qi decided to take it slow and not alert the enemy, so he turned the topic back to this illusory space.

"Did you create this place?" Luo Qi asked.

"If I said it was me, would you believe me?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "Do you think I have that ability?"

Really.

Luo Qi also didn't believe that this place was created by Bai Wei, because after entering, he felt a slight tremor in his right thumb, which was obviously connected to this space. Combined with what Bai Wei had said earlier, Luo Qi judged that this place should be the legacy of Visas.

Just like those body parts.

The Divine Kingdom of Visas...?

Luo Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. As the Eastern Bishop, he did indeed have more knowledge than ordinary people and realized that everything here was like the legendary Divine Kingdom.

It seems that Visas back then was indeed a being no less than the Gods... no, wait.

Luo Qi recalled the shocking information the Pope had given them months ago, and was once again filled with horror.

Fortunately, that guy was already dead, and his body had been cut into pieces.

His Divine Kingdom has also fallen into such ruin.

But the question is, how did Ulu get here?

Seemingly sensing Luo Qi's suspicion, Bai Wei slowly said, "As you can see, I was fortunate enough to obtain two pieces of corpse, and then I came here... to be precise, my soul was guided here, just like yours."

Luo Qi did not respond.

He didn't think his way of "falling" could be seen as guidance; it was purely a forced and unnatural act.

So, does that mean he and Bai Wei entered in different ways?

Is it because of the different numbers of body parts? Will I get directions to this place after collecting both body parts?

Why hasn't this happened before... Oh, no one has ever gotten two pieces of body parts at the same time before.

There is none in the records.

But... two pieces of body parts?

Luo Qi glanced casually at Bai Wei's throat.

Since the body is illusory, by putting in more effort, one can directly see the pool behind Bai Wei.

But Luo Qi didn't want to see Bai Wei's body; he wanted to see his tongue.

In this space, only the body parts are real and cannot be hidden; they will shine no matter where they are placed.

In their previous discussion, it is highly likely that Bai Wei (Ulu) has already obtained Visas's tongue, thus possessing Three Corpse Pieces for the first time in history—the last person to possess so many body parts was Visas himself.

If that's the case, then the current Bai Wei (Ulu) can be said to be completely immeasurable.

Fortunately, it seems this guy didn't get the tongue, and the worst is yet to come.

So where did the tongue go?

Luo Qi couldn't help but start thinking about the problem, but he didn't think about it for long before turning his attention back to Bai Wei.

"So you've been here for a long time?" Luo Qi asked.

"To be honest, I just arrived too."

You think I'm stupid?

You've been killing the one-eyed man for months, and you still say you just arrived?

Bai Wei naturally guessed Luo Qi's thoughts and said with a light laugh, "If you're worried that I arrived here a long time ago and am deliberately trying to trick you, then you can rest assured that I did just arrive. Although I collected these two body parts several months ago, I suffered considerable injuries during the process and only just recovered today... I'm referring to injuries at the soul level. You should know this very well, as someone who also possesses body parts. If the soul is too severely damaged, it's impossible to enter this place."

Bai Wei's explanation made Luo Qi understand somewhat.

After all, as the owner of the body parts, he couldn't possibly be unaware of their negative effects; with the constitution of an ordinary person, they wouldn't be able to use the rules more than a few times before they would die.

Only with the backing of the Gods, as he does now, can the negative effects be minimized.

So they had been wondering how Ke Li had been killed by Ulu.

Let's not even discuss whether the rules for the eyes or the middle finger are stronger.

The negative effects alone should have been something that the young Father's Ulu had no way of resolving.

One could be killed by just two taps on the fingers, while the other could be stared at without restraint. In the end, it was the latter who died.

So Luo Qi kept calling Ke Li, that one-eyed guy, a piece of trash.

Now it seems that Ulu does indeed possess a method to restore a damaged soul, and should not die from snapping his fingers twice like an ordinary person.

But this method was clearly not as efficient as theirs, which was backed by Rhine.

Otherwise, Ulu wouldn't have needed such a long recovery period... Wait, what happened to Lyra?

In their view, Ulu must have done something to Lyra.

Hmm... there are still too many questions, and I can't answer them all for now.

However, since Bai Wei had only been here a short time, Luo Qi had gone from completely disbelieving him at the beginning to being somewhat skeptical now.

"Besides, you're worried I'll set a trap for you, but there's no need for that." Bai Wei slowly spread his hands. "Right now, I only have two pieces of corpse. Do you think I can control the former Divine Kingdom of Visas with just these two pieces of corpse? You're overestimating me."

"Then what do you mean by that bet you mentioned?" Luo Qi said coldly. "Did you figure it out on your own?"

"It's very simple." Bai Wei smiled and reached out to grab one of the dice cups. "Hold this, and you'll understand."

Luo Qi lowered his head with suspicion, looking at the suspicious-looking dice cup.

But since we're already here, wouldn't it be a waste of time to come all this way if we just wander around and still can't figure anything out?

So even though he was very wary, Luo Qi still reached out and grasped the dice cup.

Then, he saw lines of small characters slowly appear on the stone table, explaining the rules of the game.

"This is..."

"The power left behind by Visas," Bai Wei said with a smile. "That legendary figure seemed to enjoy gambling, so he created many props like these, and he played the role of the dealer."

"But He is already dead."

"Yeah, so it's more like the last bit of fun left behind, like the rules sealed inside a body part." Bai Wei shrugged and said, "So don't worry, in this place, the rules and order of Visas still prevail, and I can't change or interfere with them... after all, I'm not Visas."

Although he didn't show it, Bai Wei's words did dispel a lot of Luo Qi's doubts.

Of course, it wasn't just because of Bai Wei's explanation.

Rather, Luo Qi himself sensed that only Visas's power was effective in this space.

As for his magic and divine arts, they were all sealed and could not be used at all.

If he can't do it, then Bai Wei is even less likely to succeed.

Therefore, both he and Bai Wei are outsiders here, and are seen as "gamblers" by Visas.

But one thing made Luo Qi uneasy: the rules were being used as the stakes.

When Visas created the Divine Kingdom, it must have been during his lifetime. Did he foresee that he would die one day and be divided into pieces?

And then someone will use the rules from His dismembered body as chips to play dice?

This scene is pretty bizarre no matter how you look at it.

"How about a game?" Bai Wei asked casually, pulling Luo Qi out of his thoughts.

He lowered his head again, looking at the dice cup he was gripping tightly, and then asked in a low voice, "Does losing mean losing the rules forever?"

If that were the case, Luo Qi would never have gotten involved.

"Oh, we won't go that far," Bai Wei said. "It'll just be once."

"Once?"

"Yes." Bai Wei nodded. "For example, if I beat you, then the rules you possess can be used by me once in reality."

Is it just once?

Luo Qi breathed a sigh of relief.

If that's the case, it's not unacceptable...

"However, the loser cannot use the rule until the winner does, and the loser is not allowed to enter this space during this period," Bai Wei said casually. "Also, the loser will have to pay the price for using the rule."

Bai Wei's words caused Luo Qi to pause for a moment, then he almost slammed his fist on the table and jumped up. "Damn it, we have to pay the price for losing by following the rules?!"

"Yes," Bai Wei said with a smile, "Otherwise, how could he be the loser? But don't worry, this has a time limit. If the winner does not use this rule within one to two months, it will automatically expire."

This calmed Luo Qi down.

Rest assured?

How could I possibly feel at ease?

Although the rules won't be permanently lost, if the other party doesn't use them, it's equivalent to not being able to use the rules for two months and not being able to enter this place.

Moreover, the risk is even greater if one has to bear the cost oneself.

After all, paying the price is like being stabbed in the back, and handing over the rules to others is like handing over a knife to an invisible person, with no idea when the other party will stab you in the back.

Even if the knife doesn't kill someone, it's still absolutely unacceptable.

Therefore, we cannot take risks, absolutely not.

I absolutely must not end up like that idiot one-eyed man...

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention," Bai Wei suddenly said, "In the gambling here, there's only one option: bet everything."

Luo Qi looked up at Bai Wei: "What do you mean?"

"Literally, you have to bet as many chips as you have," Bai Wei said with a smile. "For example, I have two rules: eyes and fingers. If I bet with you, I have to bet on both rules, while you... only need to bet on one. Well, these rules are written in front of you."

Luo Qi glanced down again.

After a brief silence, Luo Qi flipped the dice cup over and placed it on the dice, then pushed it forward.

"Come on," he said.

Bai Wei laughed as he covered the dice cup, "Now that's more interesting."

And so, the crisp sound of dice rolling echoed beneath the decaying giant tree.

During this time, Luo Qi kept looking at Bai Wei, and Bai Wei was also looking at him.

With a "ding".

The two stopped moving at the same time.

Luo Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

I haven't been this nervous in ages, damn it.

But in a 50/50 bet like rolling dice, the potential gain is much greater than the potential loss, so there's no reason not to take the gamble, right?

Moreover, as the Eastern Bishop, it doesn't matter if there's no [disturbance] in the short term, since no one can threaten him because of it.

Ulu really craves the [Gaze] and [Terminate] abilities.

You see, although he always thought the one-eyed man was a brainless idiot, he still agreed with the one-eyed man's ideas.

Once you've possessed Visas' Corpse Pieces, you'll never be able to resist such power again.

There will always be more.

More.

If they refuse this time, they don't know if they'll have another chance, since Rhine has already sent people to find Ulu.

If nothing unexpected happens, this guy won't live much longer.

But then Luo Qi would never again experience what it felt like to be "stared at" and "stopped".

So...

Luo Qi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the desire in his heart, and then said in a deep voice, "Open it."

Just as he was about to pick it up, Bai Wei suddenly raised his hand. "Wait."

"What?" Luo Qi immediately became alert.

"I just suddenly thought of something," Bai Wei said slowly, "We still don't know how to address each other."

"Didn't you say not to pry into reality?"

"Why use real-life names?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "Any name will do, so that when we play together again, at least we'll know what the other person is called."

I know your name.

Luo Qi thought to himself.

He actually wanted to start the ritual right now, but that would make him seem too impatient, so he asked in a deliberately deep voice, "So what do you want to call it?"

"Since we came in as body parts, let's call each other by body parts," Bai Wei said. "I'll call you [Thumb], and you call me... [Hand Eye], how about that?"

"Whatever." Luo Qi waved his hand impatiently; all he wanted to do now was open the pot.

"Very good, Thumb Brother." Bai Wei lifted the lid of the cup with satisfaction. "I accept your [Disturbance]."

Luo Qi paused, noticing the two fours and one five on the dice under Bai Wei's cup.

He subconsciously lifted his lid and found that it contained one, two, and three.

It's smooth, but also very small.

We actually... lost.

Luo Qi felt frustrated at first, but soon realized something was wrong.

"Wait! I haven't even opened the pot yet, how do you know my points?!" Luo Qi suddenly raised his head and looked at Bai Wei.

Then he noticed that Bai Wei was also looking at him.

The left eye, as bright as a star, was turning slightly.

He instantly understood everything and roared angrily, "You cheated!"

"How can using the power of Visas in the Divine Kingdom of Visas be considered cheating?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "You can use it too."

"You didn't fucking say that either!"

"Oh... right." Bai Wei looked like he suddenly realized something, then said with a "sorry," "I'll tell you next time."

"You fucking..."

Luo Qi was ready to fight Bai Wei to the death, but at that moment, the ancient tree beside him began to sway slowly, and the branches on its trunk made a crisp sound.

Then, Luo Qi saw his bright right thumb turn into specks of light like dandelion seeds, detach from his body, and float toward Bai Wei's right thumb.

At the same time, he felt that the world was becoming increasingly unreal.

He then realized that because the rule of the thumb was leaving him, he was about to be expelled from this space.

"You, you..." He pointed at Bai Wei intently, trying to say something, but he couldn't utter a word.

He could only watch helplessly as Bai Wei gave him a thumbs-up with his finger.

"I accept your [disturbance]," Bai Wei said with a smile. "Remember to use the rules next time."

The moment the words fell, Luo Qi's illusory body completely vanished, leaving only wisps of black smoke.

Bai Wei's right thumb had already been fully formed.

[Disturbance] is now in hand.