The Shocking, Irrefusable Prosperity of the Universe

"What did you say?"

Hong Lin seemed to have recovered somewhat. With only one [Death] by her side, she finally transformed back into the outspoken Druid once again.

She turned back to Cheng Shi in disbelief and asked him again to confirm:

"You're saying that prosperity killed itself?"

No matter how absurd, bizarre, or unbelievable this scene was, Cheng Shi had no choice but to nod, because [Prosperity] had indeed fallen.

"Why?

Surely they weren't unwilling to be trapped and chose to die to prove their resolve?

"Impossible! [They]... they are omnipotent! What are they after?"

What's the point?

Cheng Shi couldn't understand it either, but then he thought of a possibility, and exclaimed with admiration:

"It's probably about proving one's innocence by dying."

As soon as he finished speaking, the enormous skull on the Bone Throne slowly turned to look at Cheng Shi. The green flame of pity in its eyes slowly died down, and then it spoke with even greater emotion than Cheng Shi:

"No wonder, He invited you, a human, to coexist with Him."

You truly fit His Will.

His Final Decree is to divide all Divine Authority equally among the gods.

The Covenant has already Proxy, this edict states.

As it spoke, the skull gently opened its mouth, and from its empty oral cavity emerged a flawless, tender new sprout.

Feeling the divine power surging from the new shoots, Cheng Shi was deeply moved.

"This is..."

"[Prosperous], 'Immaculate', Divine Authority."

He always spreads this power throughout the land under the shadow of God, and thus His people are free from disease.

But...

I wield the Divine Name of death, yet I need no such Divine Authority.

Cheng Shi suddenly realized what was happening. He blinked quickly and then burst into laughter.

"My lord, forgive my presumption, but I think even if you don't need it, you wouldn't... turn back the Divine Authority that's been offered to you, would you?"

The enormous skull was not angered by Cheng Shi's disrespect; it simply nodded quietly.

"Indeed, this is the Mother of Prosperity, the final act of self-will."

He gives Birth with 'Growth'; He gives me 'Immaculate'; He gives Filth and Decay with 'assimilation'; He gives Truth with 'Abundance'...

In conclusion, all the gods received the gift of Divine Authority because of His fall.

But..."

"But it's completely useless!" Cheng Shi laughed maniacally, his chin banging against the White Bone Staircase repeatedly.

He felt that this grand spectacle of the gods was simply too wonderful, so wonderful that it made people unconsciously marvel and exclaim in wonder!

[Death] He gave a soft hum and fell silent, but Hong Lin, standing to the side, looked at Cheng Shi with confusion in her eyes and asked, puzzled:

"Why would He do this? Did He sacrifice Himself merely to disgust the gods?"

"Disgusting? No, no, no!" Cheng Shi laughed, and he laughed even louder. "I think that perhaps He never cared about the thoughts of the gods; He only ever cared about Himself."

Especially His will for the Cosmic Prosperity!

Behold, when all the gods have received His gifts, when each of them has absorbed the Divine Authority of prosperity, when all the supreme beings throughout the Cosmos possess prosperity, the magnificent spectacle of Cosmic Prosperity will unfold...

Is it far away?

"..."

The gods' understanding of Divine Authority was clearly beyond Hong Lin's comprehension. This was not her fault, after all, she was just a human and knew too little about them.

However, Cheng Shi's understanding of the Divine Authority of the gods clearly exceeded Hong Lin's comprehension. Her mind was somewhat confused because she sensed a vague, underlying meaning in Cheng Shi's words, which was:

He is dead, but it seems he is not.

Completely perplexed, Hong Lin frowned and asked another question:

"Then... why don't they refuse?"

But as soon as the question was raised, she fell silent.

Reject?

Who would refuse?

The current situation of the gods is that they are seizing each other's Divine Authority by exploiting the loopholes in the Covenant. When unclaimed Divine Authority is offered to them, they will take a bite out of it, and who would refuse?

This is prosperity! This is prosperity that proclaims "coexist with me" everywhere!

He was even willing to die to fulfill his will.

That's terrifying, that's horrifying.

Is it merely one's own Faith and will that could make someone as high and mighty as "He" give up everything to pursue?

What exactly are they, or the Covenant made by these gods, pursuing?

Cheng Shi dared not ask this question. He knew he was too insignificant. When he had no power to protect himself, it was best not to know some things. After all, divine favor was not always present, and the more he knew, the faster he might die.

Then, the scene fell silent once again.

Cheng Shi silently pondered whether all of this was driven by Cheng Dashi, or was it the script of "Destiny," or perhaps it was all an accident from beginning to end.

He had only thrown a pebble into the calm lake after Cheng Dashi reminded him, but he never expected it to become the last straw that broke the camel's back, piercing through the fragile lakebed.

Hong Lin, on the other hand, was more conflicted. Although she did not admire [Prosperity], after learning of the fall of her only Lord of Grace, she kept thinking about what would become of the players of [Prosperity].

[Death] noticed her surprise and doubt, and silently said:

"Divine Authority is merely transferred, not disappeared."

You will be no different from usual, except that you will no longer be summoned by Him.

The Trials and blessings will be Proxy by the [Covenant], but...

He rewards Believer with power during Trials, but does not know to whom He bestows this power.

As soon as the giant skull finished speaking, a pair of eyes painted with spirals and stars opened high in the sky Fishbone Hall.

Those icy eyes swept over everything in the hall, then pushed a contract radiating the light of [Order] in front of Hong Lin.

Upon seeing that it was his Lord of Grace, Cheng Shi immediately jumped forward two steps and loudly praised him:

"Praise be to the greatest Destiny in the Cosmos!"

Those cold eyes did not respond; He merely blinked indifferently before tossing the Fawning Believer into another Void.

After Cheng Shi disappeared, He looked at the shocked Hong Lin and spoke Indifference.

"I sensed your devotion to Destiny, and I also saw your confusion about the road ahead, so I came here to guide you."

Hong Lin, would you be willing to step into the [Nothingness] and walk the path of [Destiny], becoming my companion?

Hong Lin hesitated for only a second before nodding firmly and saying:

"I am willing, but... please forgive my bluntness, I have some questions."

His icy eyes swirled inward as he looked at the player who was about to become his chosen one, his tone still cold.

"Explain."

"Now that my grace... now that [Prosperity] has fallen, will I transform from a Druid into the Today's Warrior?"

"Although Prosperity has fallen, the path of Prosperity still exists. It's just that there is no longer a 'He' on the Divine Throne at the end. You can still continue to walk on His path to explore the end of Faith."

I will bestow upon you the Dice of Destiny. When you pick them up, you will walk both on the path of prosperity and within the Predestination course of Destiny.

[Justice (Order)] has acknowledged your identity. As the eldest daughter of [Mother of Prosperity], Flazhol, you also possess the right to inherit [Prosperity].

But Prosperity has lost its Divine Authority, so you cannot ascend to its Divine Throne.

However, for the sake of Justice (Order) has reserved for His descendants the necessary rights recognized by the Covenant.

This power will be split in two. [Truth] has taken away the right to vote in the [The Gods' Covenant Assembly], leaving you with only...

The power to reward Believer of [Prosperity] during Trials.

By signing this contract, the rights of the [Prosperity] offspring will be recognized by the [Covenant], and you will truly become [Life] from Subgod, His Emissary, His eldest daughter, Flazhol.

A successor to prosperity who has no Divine Authority and no voting rights in the [Covenant].

"..." Hong Lin's mind went blank again. She tried to gesture anxiously, but found that she had no hands or feet. She looked pleadingly at the giant skull beside her, hoping that this great man could explain as before, but the giant skull did not utter a word.

Left with no other choice, she looked up into those eyes and asked dryly, "Then am I still me?"

"Once you sign the contract, you don't know what the future holds."

Oh, I see, I had no choice.

So Hong Lin gritted her teeth and hopped over to the contract. She was about to ask how a skull without hands or feet could sign a contract with a god when she discovered that her will appeared on the contract in a completely incomprehensible script.

As the contract was signed, the light of [Order] gradually faded, and the contract transformed into countless starlight points, scattering throughout the Cosmos.

At the same time, a 24-sided Dice of Destiny quietly appeared beside her.

"The contract is made, your identity is set, leave now."

After saying that, he blinked and sent Hong Lin out of the Void.

The enormous skull looked up into those cold eyes and said in a complex tone:

"Destiny, indeed, is always Change."

After saying this, the entire Fishbone Hall vanished with a roar, leaving only those bewildered eyes staring at the devastation in the Void, their gaze growing ever more profound. Perhaps no one will ever know what they were thinking.