Surprise Sunday, Start by Putting Your Hands on Your Hips!

(Surprise Sunday, put your hands on your hips first!)

If I remember correctly, I started writing on Tomato Books two years ago today. Time flies! I have many feelings about this, so I'm adding an extra chapter to commemorate it.

"I'm not Scholar. I have claustrophobia and can't stand small houses, so I'll just talk here."

"..."

Therius's true form was imprisoned by [Order] and could not leave the room at all, so he naturally could not see Cheng Shi, who was frantically touching his nose to the side.

Seeing that this complete stranger was still wary of him, he took the initiative to ease tensions, saying:

"Young man, you should have noticed that I can't leave this workshop. Since I can't leave, how can I help you obtain this once-in-a-century [Sprouted Divinity]?"

"Oh? You want to help me get it?"

"That's right, this is the deal I want to make with you. You just need to drag my slice in, and the moment I kill him, I will become the final vessel for this [Sprouted Divinity].

Then, all you need to do is plunge this Concentric Dagger into my heart, and you can take it out and possess it completely!

This is the first Sprouted Divinity to emerge from human nature in thousands of years!

Don't you want it?

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shi rolled his eyes so disdainfully they nearly lifted the roof off.

Haha, if I hadn't killed you once, I almost would have believed it.

"I'll ask you the same question, Scholar. This is the first Sprouted Divinity to emerge from humanity over thousands of years. Don't you want it?"

"..."

Therius hadn't expected Cheng Shi be so unyielding. After a moment of silence, he said again:

"I am a Scholar, a Scholar from the Tower of Reason. My life has been dedicated to proving my research is correct. I have no pursuit of [the Sprouted Divinity]."

Oh right, I used to be a conman, but I never lied to anyone. In a way, we're quite similar.

"And I have lost faith in this world that is so far removed from the Truth. What they pursue is never the Truth itself, but rather what the Truth can help them achieve."

This impure ideology has poisoned the entire continent. I've had enough of it all and have long sought death.

But Destiny was kind to me; before I died, I actually witnessed the Sprouted Divinity, right on my own slice.

Okay, okay, okay!

I have no regrets. Go ahead, young man. Let me kill the last 'me' before I die in your hands.

You will receive this unique [Sprouted Divinity], while I will embrace [Truth] in Another World, thereby gaining true... freedom!

Heh, indeed. If I kill you and parasitize me, you will take your [Sprouted Divinity] in another land outside Montrani and gain true freedom from the control of the Grand Inquisition.

They're playing the abacus too big a game, even bigger than last time.

If it weren't for that evolutionary Trials, I would have applauded your noble character!

However, Cheng Shi did not refuse.

Because he had no reason to refuse, Therius's backup plan seemed meaningless to him, and he also wanted to know if the passenger who had woken up in the "dream" before would wake up again this time.

So he agreed, and he threw the last slice of Therius into the workshop. Only after Therius had killed him with satisfaction did he slowly stroll over and stand before the Scholar once more.

The Scholar, his eyes bloodshot, smiled with relief and opened his arms to Cheng Shi, his eyes flashing with excitement and suppressed emotion.

"Go ahead and do it; I will keep my promise."

"Um... wait a minute, I remember you have a very useful Tombstone Stone. Since you're going to die anyway, why don't you give it to me?"

"..." Therius's gaze suddenly turned strange. "He told you?"

Who? Your slice?

"Oh right, this is the content of his transaction." Cheng Shi touched his nose.

"Sure, it's in the drawer of the Experiment table. Go get it."

Cheng Shi walked to the table and took out the special stone that had been eroded by the [Decay] Faith for thousands of years from the drawer.

Tsk tsk tsk, lost and found again, this too is Destiny.

He put away the stone and picked up the Concentric Dagger Therius had prepared for him.

"Since you're going to die anyway, isn't this Daggers...?"

"... is yours too."

"Then I can't refuse." Cheng Shi grinned broadly, stroking the blade of the Daggers. "Alright, do you have any last words?"

"Last words? No, and there's no need for any, because I have... no regrets."

I hope you truly have no regrets.

Cheng Shi chuckled lightly, and just like in his fantasy, he shattered Therius's heart with a heavy blow.

Just as Therius's eyes lost their light, that familiar soul power surged along the tip of the blade once more.

Cheng Shi did not refuse at all, letting it enter her body.

Then...

The mouth started moving on its own for the second time, crackling and popping...

"It's sour and doesn't taste good."

Ha, hahaha, hahahahaha!

Cheng Shi burst into laughter again, laughing so hard that tears were about to fall from his eyes.

This time it should be for real, right?

"Mouth Brother, you finally spoke! I thought you'd run off with Shadow too."

Cheng Shi smiled and repeated their previous conversation. He was testing whether the Lips of Foolish Play was acting with him and also wanted to confirm whether it had already woken up once.

But the Lips of Foolish Play remained silent. "..."

Cheng Shi's eyes darted around before he continued, "Why have you been so An Jing lately? Have you switched to [Silence]?"

This time, however, he did not wait for the Lips of Foolish Play to speak, but instead replied to himself directly.

"Don't talk nonsense, I just woke up."

"·..."

Then he touched his own nose and remarked in Yin-Yang tone:

"Destiny cannot be defied."

"·..."

This smooth, quick combo left Lips of Foolish Play speechless.

Cheng Shi felt as if his mouth opened twice, but he closed it again without making a sound.

"Mouth Brother, why are you silent again? Have you run out of things to say?"

"Mouth Brother, do you think what I said is right?"

"Mouth Brother, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"Hello?"

Cheng Shi confirmed that Mouth Brother had indeed converted to Christianity [Silence].

LOL, I finally beat it this time.

Today's script is called "Let's Do It Again, I'll Leave Mouth Brother Speechless." After the Trials, I must write it down in a notebook so I can take it out for psychological comfort next time I get tricked.

After learning that Mouth Brother was still alive, Cheng Shi felt inexplicably at ease. He looked at Therius at his feet and slowly took the red and black [Sprouted Divinity] from his corpse into his hand.

But just as he was worrying about how to preserve this Divinity, the Lips of Foolish Play finally broke their vow from [Silence] and returned.

"·Wrong."

"?"

Cheng Shi was completely bewildered by these inexplicable words.

"What went wrong? Where did it go wrong? Who was wrong?"

"·They're all wrong."

"Oh, I see. Mouth Brother, you didn't convert to [Silence], you converted to [Destiny]. So you also..."

Cheng Shi habitually touched his nose, indicating that Mouth Brother had also become a Clown, but unexpectedly, at this moment, the Lips of Foolish Play seized the opportunity to say something again.

"If I were you, I would throw it away."

"..."

I'm numb.

Throw it away?

I've been killing people for ages and this is all I got? And you want me to throw it away?

Got it. Touching the nose means lying, so you have to listen to the opposite of what a liar says. You can't lose this knowledge!

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow and quickly searched his personal space for Vessel that could hold this wisp of [Sprouted Divinity], but he couldn't find one after searching for a long time until he caught sight of the ring on his hand.

The Ring of Bone Servant Lele'er.

[Filth and Decay], fear, Divinity... He has it all.

So why can't Lele'er preserve this wisp of [Sprouted Divinity] for me?

After all, oxen and horses are meant to carry heavy loads for people.

That makes perfect sense, absolutely perfect.

So Cheng Shi stroked his ring and slowly approached the wisp of [Sprouted Divinity], and then with a "whoosh," the [Sprouted Divinity] vanished.

"..."

Cheng Shi blinked in bewilderment, realizing that he could no longer sense the existence of the [Sprouted Divinity].

Ah, this...

I hope I didn't lose it...?

"Mouth Brother? What's going on?"

"·6!"

The sudden "praise" from the Lips of Foolish Play startled Cheng Shi. He held his breath and focused on sensing the Change around him. Only when he found nothing unusual did he swallow hard and ask nervously:

"Mouth Brother, did I mess up?"

Mouth Brother, say Mouth Brother, you're making me really nervous.

"Hey? Are you still there, Mouth Brother?"