Character side story: Wei Mu · The plainest truth
The simplest Trials truly lives up to the word "simple".
This Trials began in a small town called Secco. Although it belonged to the Grand Inquisition, it was located in a remote area, far from the political center. The people here were essentially converted Believer the Wild God. Although a court had been established in the town, most residents still Faith the "Beauty God" who had long been swept away by the [Order].
They believe that everything has its own beauty, and every life possesses a beauty that it cannot discover on its own.
Their totem is a mirror; a huge, polished stone mirror stands in the town's central square, reflecting the unknown beauty in the eyes of the townspeople.
This should have been discarded by the old Faith, but considering the local customs and traditions, the court decided to preserve it and gradually educate people.
At that time, the [Order] had not yet collapsed. Like the rising sun, the Believer the [Order] still firmly believed that the will of the [Order] would eventually unify the entire Isle of Hope, or at least the Surface.
In this small town, six people began their so-called "[Folly]" Foolish Deed.
This Trials has no hints or answers; the six people simply need to spend 12 hours doing their best to pass.
Everyone else planned to stay at the inn in the Land of Descent until the Trials ended, except for Wei Mu. He declined the invitations from the veterans of the 11 Trials and left the "safest" place to go to the town center to see the stone mirror that once represented the Beauty God.
To be honest, Wei Mu was somewhat disappointed when he saw the huge stone mirror, because it could hardly be called a mirror.
The material of this stone dictates that it cannot be polished into a perfect mirror. The so-called mirror is nothing more than a blurry reflection of a person's image on a smooth stone slab.
Wei Mu saw his reflection, but it was just a reflection; he couldn't see his face clearly, let alone any details of his body.
Even so, people still flocked here to pray and offer their blessings. One townsman, recognizing Wei Mu as an outsider, explained to him, "The blurriness simply means that a person's true beauty cannot be materialized. Everyone is beautiful, and the gaze of the Beauty God is the best proof. Although the Beauty God has fallen into the hands of [Order], her His Will remains here."
Wei Mu couldn't understand their Faith and worship of a blurry stone mirror, or this seemingly self-deceptive fanaticism. He was simply interested in the Beauty God of Beauty God that had once existed, so he asked the townsman everything about her.
When he heard that the Beauty God had descended upon this stone mirror, Wei Mu suddenly An Jing for a moment.
"You mean, the gods have descended upon the places where Believer worship day and night?"
"Of course, this is a place where Faith gathers, and His gaze will surely reach here first. Otherwise, would the gods be expected to look upon those who do not Faith Him?"
"That makes a lot of sense."
Wei Mu seemed to have thought of something, but because he didn't know much about the gods in this [Faith Game], he couldn't grasp that fleeting inspiration.
However, he also realized one thing: Faith is exceptionally important in the [Faith Game].
This is not a simple literal interpretation, but the only conclusion drawn from observation.
Don't forget, this is the "simplest" Trials. If the gods' definition of "simple" is correct, then in terms of "subtraction," this Trials has been stripped of all its branches, leaving only the trunk.
Therefore, what players are presented with is not just ordinary small-town life; it is very likely the essence of the game.
Wei Mu accurately perceived this point, but due to his "novice" status, he couldn't immediately figure out how to utilize this essence or how to use this Faith.
But that's alright, the [Faith Game] has only just begun, there's still plenty of time.
Time is limited.
During the False Curtain Call, when Sun Miao came to Wei Mu's door and told him everything that Long Jing had conveyed, the Puppet's expression became somewhat surprised.
Is [Deception] Outer God?
Gods from beyond this world?
Is it possible?
It's not that it doesn't exist; after all, He is [Deception], which inherently represents all possibilities.
But the question is, if [Deception] is Outer God, where has this world's own [Deception] gone?
Sometimes, too much information can be a distraction. For Wei Mu, who was unaware of the situation, reality had already automatically reduced the amount of information for him.
Based on his understanding of [Deception]—no, no one can understand [Deception], or rather, based on his understanding of [Folly] —if [Folly] had not previously despised [Deception] for this reason, then whether [Deception]'s identity as Outer God is truly genuine remains to be seen.
Wei Mu pondered for a moment, then looked at Sun Miao in front of him and asked:
"You mean... it was a Trials of [Deception]?"
Sun Miao, being among the most closely following the "[Folly]" Believer of Wei Mu, understood things quickly. His eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed:
"You mean, the so-called definition of Outer God is still under Trials?"
Wei Mu nodded, then shook his head:
"It's not impossible, but considering that He is [Deception], no one can say for sure whether He is telling a story under the guise of [Deception], or whether He is using the attribute of [Deception] to mislead the world and deceive the Cosmos..."
"No matter, I have a plan to verify this."
"Are you willing to make a move?"
"Isn't this exactly why you came here?"
"I thought that when facing a deity, you would at least leave yourself a way out, and we would be extremely grateful for any guidance you could offer."
Wei Mu stared at Sun Miao for a moment, then laughed.
"I remember you always said you were acting, so are you still acting now?"
Sun Miao moved her lips for a long time, but couldn't open her mouth.
He recalled the words he had said to Qin Xin when he first joined the Fire Keeper:
"I was indeed faking it, but what if I kept faking it all the way through?"
Now, when asked to say those words again, he felt somewhat resistant.
Was all of this just an act?
But when I got close to the firelight, I clearly felt warmth, and I wanted to share that warmth with everyone...
Sun Miao remained silent, but Wei Mu understood.
He didn't waste any time, but left directly, blocking Qin Xin, who was about to seek an audience with [Order], in the Void above.
He told Qin Xin that he had a way to make the ending of Nothingness unfold immediately, and that it might not even be an ending of Nothingness, but a false ending. However, whether it was Nothingness or falsehood, the way to verify it would require paying a huge price.
In response, Qin Xin smiled and said frankly:
"If there is still hope in my world, if my friends are safe, I can accept any price."
Wei Mu, we're all smart people, so let's not waste time. If the price is my death, you should understand me, or at least understand the "us" behind Sun Miao. For us, this isn't a price to pay.
Wei Mu nodded and laid out his plan in detail.
Final Decree.
The Covenant is Final Decree, and its Final Decree is inviolable.
Whether [Deception] is Outer God or not, all He desires is the Fate Weaver.
This game is selecting a 'lucky one,' and according to the 'rules,' it seems that the Top Rank the Path to Godhood should be me, but now [Nothingness] has bypassed the Path to Godhood and chosen him.
Therefore, no matter what, [Deception] will not cause any accidents to the Fate Weaver, and our way to break the deadlock is to cause an 'accident' to the Fate Weaver.
The Final Decree was the biggest surprise I could have imagined.
If the so-called Outer God could break free from the constraints of the [Covenant], then He wouldn't need to tell this story. His superfluous actions only demonstrate that His actions are also confined within the rules. Therefore, the [Covenant]'s constraints on Him will be our greatest opportunity.
Qin Xin's eyes narrowed, and she made a mental note of it.