Who Said We Lost the Bet?

Hong Lin was starting to feel the strain.

If she were only being corrupted by [Decay], she could have lasted much longer, but from the very beginning, some mechanical simulations that were not Twisted Night Python clearly appeared in the python swarm.

They mingled among the pythons, waiting for their chance to strike, seemingly searching for something around Hong Lin. After circling around several times without finding their target, the "frustrated" mechanical pythons began their probing; they needed to know where the contract was.

Suddenly, a giant python raised its head, hissed, and shot its body straight toward Hong Lin's heart!

At this critical moment, the most "devout" Twisted Night Python in front of Hong Lin suddenly roared and straightened up, using their decaying flesh and blood to build a wall of Decay for this "messenger" who carried the aura of the final tomb!

The mechanical python was incredibly fast. Unable to dodge, it crashed into the wall formed by its own body, stopping abruptly as it fell. It was then quickly coiled and strangled by the surrounding enraged Twisted Night Python, turning into a pile of scrap metal.

Hong Lin watched this scene from behind the wall of flesh and blood, her pupils contracting and her gaze narrowing slightly.

Before today, she could never have imagined that a warrior as powerful as herself, known as "Prosperity," would stand helplessly on "Decay" land like a fragile paper doll that could be blown away by a gust of wind. What's more, what's even more absurd is that the ones who shielded her from these inexplicable attacks were not the Fate Weaver tricked her into going all in, but a group of "Decay" creations who were completely fooled by the stones in her hands!

My God, if Destiny really does have a script, what kind of plot is this?

Did He not realize that the script was upside down when He started writing?

Decay exists within Faith's prosperity; Decay defends prosperity; Decay supports prosperity...

Each of these three sentences, taken individually, could be considered a hellish joke, but today, right before my eyes, the hellish joke has truly become hell.

Hong Lin couldn't tell who was laughing at the moment. She only knew that Cheng Shi. The Fungus-Footed People in the Sighing Forest were indeed not simply exiled by Faith. The shredded parts scattered all over the ground told her that the giant python that tried to attack her was not Twisted Night Python at all, but a mimicry creation from the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Tower of Reason!

The Believer of "Truth" have indeed played a role in this sordid theft of Faith, and may even be the main characters!

But none of that is the most important thing. The most important thing is that after the first attempt to create an opening, the mechanical giant pythons in the swarm pounced on her like madmen.

The putrid flesh and blood will eventually run out. The Twisted Night Python on the outside are unaware of what is happening inside. The night pythons around Hong Lin are still writhing the fragments on the ground. In the chaos, one or two mechanical giant pythons always find an opportunity and rush straight at her.

At this moment, Hong Lin barely had the strength to speak. Her skin was sagging and drooping, her organs were aging and withering, and even her consciousness was being eroded by Decay, making her less steadfast in her belief in prosperity.

The last bit of "prosperity" she had left in her body to slow down "Decay" was finally exhausted in fear and anger.

"Cheng... Shi... This is... the... last... time..."

Seeing the mechanical python with its split jaws finally reveal its incredibly sharp serrations, Hong Lin could no longer remain indifferent. She felt she could no longer wait for her gambling-addicted teammate to turn back.

So, at this truly life-or-death moment, she gritted her teeth, took out a decree radiating the light of [Order] from her personal space, and prepared to use the power of [Order] to end this Trials!

Yes, Hong Lin didn't go all in!

She was indeed betting her life on Cheng Shi, but it was a bet that could be withdrawn. She couldn't really give up her life here, so she still had a trump card up her sleeve, the one she kept hidden the deepest, a trump card that she never used even when she was surrounded by thousands of enemy troops on the battlefield!

[Order]!

She once found a fragment of the "Order" manual, the power of which could directly send her out of the Trials.

But given her current condition, even if she were to be given away, the situation would not be optimistic.

But serious injury was better than death, so she moved.

But in that split second, just as she raised her hand to use the fragment of [Order], a figure appeared.

Cheng Shi!

The Fate Weaver who told Hong Lin he would be back soon finally returned when her life hung by a thread.

As soon as he appeared, he stood in front of Hong Lin, remaining motionless as the charging mechanical python bit and crushed his shoulder.

Hong Lin's eyes narrowed upon seeing this. Before she could even say "be careful," the second giant python swept off Cheng Shi's right leg, grinding his broken bones to dust.

Cheng Shi remained unmoved, only vomiting blood and laughing twice, while still holding out one hand to block Hong Lin.

"You..."

Hong Lin struggled to raise her hand to brace against his back, supporting the swaying man. Before she could speak, she heard Cheng Shi turn around and laugh:

"Hey bald guy, I'm not standing behind you this time."

Still laughing!

What time is it and you're still laughing!

Although Cheng Shi stood in front of her, the anger in Hong Lin's heart, which had been boundless, suddenly vanished.

Her cloudy eyes, corrupted by Decay, gleamed with an unusual light, but that light soon vanished, and her expression suddenly turned dejected. She seemed to want to say something, but her hoarse throat was already unable to utter a word, so she could only shake her head, as if trying to tell Cheng Shi that the gamble was likely to fail.

Even if he guessed everything correctly—that Eupusca wouldn't attack him, who was also "Decay," that this was Experiment of the Tower of Reason, and that the Twisted Night Python would follow the aura of the final tomb—it was all useless.

This deception, disguised as a messenger of Decay, has attracted enough followers of Decay, but her Lord of Grace has yet to cast a glance.

Clearly, what prosperity needs is not revenge.

Perhaps those dying embers were those pitiful Fungus-Footed People, but with the rewriting of the contract and the arrival of night, they may already be...

Wait a minute!

Although her sluggishness was slowing down Hong Lin's thinking, something still occurred to her. Looking at Cheng Shi's smiling face, she suddenly realized that his recent disappearance might have been...

She jerked her heavy eyelids open, looking at Cheng Shi with the last glimmer of hope in her eyes, seeking an answer.

Cheng Shi's breath weakened under the attack of the mechanical python. He seemed to understand the question in Hong Lin's eyes, but he still shook his head and said:

"They have already Decay."

Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment flashed in Hong Lin's eyes, but it quickly turned into a sense of relief.

Thankfully, Cheng Shi was indeed a friend worth making. Like me, he was at least not a bad person, and he still cared about those innocent Fungus-Footed People.

Disappointingly, the bet was still lost, even with so many Chip invested.

But it's alright, as long as the green hills remain, there's always hope. She reached out and pulled the equally seriously injured Cheng Shi to her side, then prepared to activate this fragment of the [Order] page.

But at that moment, Cheng Shi smiled again.

He smiled knowingly.

"Bald guy, you don't think we've already lost, do you?"

Hong Lin paused, stunned, and looked up in surprise. In that one glance, she saw a madman, blood gushing from his mouth, push her aside, stagger to his feet on one leg, and laugh maniacally:

"The Chip have only just been placed on the table, who said we lost the bet?"

Your Lord of Grace may hate betrayal, but I dare not risk His favor with a revenge plot!

Therefore, the raging fire was not a revenge against Decay, but a tribute to prosperity!

"But at this moment, our offering hasn't even begun, how can we admit defeat!"

Just as Cheng Shi shouted, more and more mechanical pythons broke through the blockade and rushed over, but he was not afraid at all. He tapped his hand, which was glowing with green light at the tip, twice in front of himself and Hong Lin, and said with a ferocious expression:

"I've said it before, today, my mouth is the Book of Life and Death of the King of Hell. As the Gravekeeper of [Death], if I disagree, no one will become Sacrifice before me!"

Hong Lin was stunned for a moment, and then finally realized: it turned out that this Fate Weaver was actually connected to the Destiny of the Gravekeeper.

Or did he personally send off another Gravekeeper?

This is too strange. Why would Gravekeeper be unable to even protect himself, but instead be dealt with by a Fate Weaver?

They can't possibly end up like me, being... fooled and... tricked into being killed, right?

But in any case, looking at the green light of death swirling around her, Hong Lin finally understood where Cheng Shi's confidence came from.

No wonder he dared to boast that he could protect himself; it turns out he had a trump card: death.

Yes, this is indeed a trump card that could be fatal, but the question is, does Cheng Shi have it?

He didn't!

He doesn't!

He had already revealed his trump card, "death," to that group of pitiful Fungus-Footed People!

When he switched to the [Destiny] Faith and used the "Never-Lost Gambling Tools" to travel to the Fungus-Footed People's tribe, he still had one more chance to use "Lies Like Yesterday" because he had not Edict of Passage the [Deception] Faith.

So, while deceiving the Fungus-Footed People into embracing Decay, he switched back to Deception and revealed his trump card: death!

But when he switched back to [Destiny] and used the Dice to return to Hong Lin's side, the effect of "Lies Like Yesterday" had already ended.

"The Void's Reflection" cannot preserve the effect of Faith, so Cheng Shi is not a Gravekeeper at all now. After switching back to [Deception], he becomes a complete Clown!

The green glow at his fingertips wasn't the color of "death" at all; it was actually green fluorescent pigment that he had carefully prepared beforehand!

Such a crude trick would never have fooled Hong Lin under any circumstances, but precisely at this moment, Hong Lin's consciousness was somewhat blurred due to the corruption of [Decay], so she did not realize that the Gravekeeper in front of her was not Gravekeeper at all, nor even a Fate Weaver, but a Clown who had deceived her from beginning to end!

He even lied to her about his trump card to save her life!

I'm sorry... I'm a liar, all I can give you are lies.

But I happen to be a Clown; I can heal others with lies.

Therefore, when you believe that I am using death to keep our lives hanging, then our lives are truly being held by death!

Honest Clown, Cheng Shi Clown!

Cheng Shi is indeed a Clown, but he is an honest Clown.

I said I could protect you, so you definitely won't die in front of me.

Even if it's all a scam, a complete scam from beginning to end!

But the minimum commitment is not.