Character side story: [Destiny] · A matter of Predestination (II)

Predestination is not Predestination; Predestination is Predestination.

[Destiny] also learned this complex truth after Cheng Shi experienced that [Time] Trials.

Perhaps to be more specific, it was at the moment when [Deception] plundered His Divine Authority and thereby agreed Cheng Shi the fusion of [Destiny] and [Time] Faith Fusion in Cheng Shi that He suddenly realized He was not the true [Destiny].

There are many clues, but three are the most crucial:

Firstly, His Believer, the Prophet ranked first on the Ladder of Audience, was replaced by a "stranger" He had never seen before after undergoing a Trials of [Time].

[Destiny] certainly knew that the Mortals before it was An Mingyu, but the other party did not come from other worlds deduced by [Time], because it could see the Destiny of those other worlds' An Mingyu.

The one who has just emerged from the [Time] Trials is like a wisp of Destiny that suddenly cut in line; He cannot see the other's future or past at all.

This is undoubtedly incomprehensible to someone who has a profound understanding of the true Destiny of Cosmos.

How can the background of a Mortals conceal the Divine Authority of the gods?

But the truth is that He truly cannot see through it. [Destiny] can only be certain that this Destiny, full of "Change" brought by An Mingyu, will never come close to the established Predestination that He advocates. Therefore, He descends before the Believer and coldly denies everything about An Mingyu.

Secondly, [Deception] stole the Divine Authority of [Destiny] during that chaotic [Nothingness] civil war.

To call it "theft" is actually "plunder."

Undeniably, [Deception]'s betrayal did inflict immense damage on [Destiny], but the shattering of form is different from the collapse of Divinity. To outsiders, that heavy blow may have damaged [Destiny]'s Divinity, but only the god involved knows that [Deception]'s attack, though seemingly fierce, was actually...

It was also intense.

However, the ferocity seen by the gods is entirely different from the ferocity seen by [Destiny].

The gods witnessed it all and believed that [Deception] had severely wounded [Destiny] with a long-hidden means that was not recorded in the [Covenant], and had taken the opportunity to steal [Destiny's ] Divine Authority.

But the truth is that the attack was merely a flashy display and didn't actually cause much damage to [Destiny]!

But this is also what puzzles [Destiny] the most. [Deception]'s sneak attack only has its form; if that's the case, how did the other party bypass its "consent" and exchange Divine Authority with it?

That's right, exchange!

And it's an irresistible, predatory exchange!

In that instant, [Deception] forcibly substituted part of its Divine Authority for [Destiny]'s Divine Authority, and seized [Destiny]'s Divine Authority of Change, briefly usurping its divine status. This was almost equivalent to forcing [Destiny] to agree to those three Faith Fusion that [Destiny] had never paid attention to.

The whole process happened in an instant. Once the Faith Fusion was settled, [Deception] simply avoided the battle and left, leaving the gods present unable to detect any problem.

Outsiders couldn't understand its meaning, but the deity involved was caught in a state of bewilderment and shock.

[Destiny] could never understand why [Deception] possessed power far exceeding its own, even surpassing the strength of the gods. Otherwise, as Dominion of the same [Nothingness] era, [Deception] could not possibly defeat itself, which was able to pierce through appearances.

Thirdly, after all the events described above, [Destiny] recalled the Cheng Shi from the "Deduction World" whom He had met before.

The reason [Destiny] believes that Cheng Shi Cheng Shi from a parallel future is because it saw the "trajectory of Destiny" in Cheng Shi. The other's existence was indeed close to the Predestination of this world, and even had a contributing effect on the Predestination future of this world. It was for this reason that it was willing to give that Cheng Shi a chance to show the so-called "Change".

But ever since An Mingyu was "rescued" by Cheng Shi, and the trajectory of Destiny has been reconnected to its Predestination, [Destiny] has realized that it may have made a mistake.

If An Mingyu, whose origins are "mysterious," can be accepted by the world's Destiny, then what about Cheng Shi from the future...? From which future does he come?

Beyond this world, are there truly other worlds beyond the reach of Destiny?

If, as [Destiny] believes, there are worlds beyond our own that it cannot see, do these worlds also possess "Destiny" and "Predestination"?

There must be one, otherwise the Prophet cast into this world wouldn't be able to recognize himself.

So... Destiny and Predestination are not the only things?

The moment I understood everything, my Destiny collapsed.

Oh.

Does Destiny truly reside in our control? And whose Destiny is it Predestination...?

Wasn't that slick Believer chosen by himself at the Path of Fate's Beginning? Why is he the same person in the Another World?

Or are there many such worlds, and each world is him?

[Destiny] dared not think any further; He began to doubt the meaning of His own existence.

In addition, He is also examining [Nothingness], and He feels that someone seems to be bypassing Him to connect the relationships in this world and write its ending!

And who is this person...?

Perhaps only that other [Nothingness] Twin Gods, [Deception]!

[Deception] has wielded power far surpassing that of the gods and is single-handedly changing the future of the world. Ironically, [Nothingness], who sees through the true nature of the Cosmos Destiny, cannot see that future at this moment.

Not only can they not see the future, they can't even see themselves clearly.

If Deception can bypass oneself to manipulate the Divine Authority Destiny and even rewrite the future of the world, then what exactly Destiny?

It should be noted that another [Time] capable of "manipulating the future" is approaching [Deception]. These two deities have come together to shield themselves from the [Time] Trials... This is enough to prove that the Trials concerning "Time" contains secrets far beyond their imagination.

What could this secret be?

[Destiny] is struggling for the first time with questions about the essence of things.

He felt entitled to know everything, yet feared knowing everything; in that moment, He finally experienced the "fear" that [Deception] had mentioned.

The essence is never obscured by appearances. In fact, if you think about it from the perspective of [Deception], the answer becomes easy to find. Everything the other party does seems to be a "protection" of [Destiny].

[Nothingness] is unique. Even though [Nothingness] is often at war with its own people, [Destiny] knows that no matter how different its will is from that of [Deception], and no matter how different their attitudes toward [Origin] are, it will not and does not want [Deception] to be harmed.

Temper tantrums and fighting are merely bargaining Chip in negotiations; once the negotiations touch upon fundamental issues, the only answer is...

To yield.

He will compromise on [Deception], He always will, because tolerance has always been His nature, and because [Deception] is His only Twin Gods.

And He was certain that [Deception] would be the same, otherwise the previous sneak attack wouldn't have only been in name...

So He found the [Memory] and made that deal.

He erased his doubts and returned to the purity of [Destiny].

Regardless of who you are, if [Deception] wants to be [Destiny], then you should be [Destiny].