Trials over, Big Cat's gift
The Trials was about to end. In the moment before it ended, Cheng Shi looked at everything before him and suddenly understood the meaning of the Trials's questions.
No trial needed!
What a convenient way to say "no trial needed"!
Indeed, in this absurd chapter of history, no one committed any crime, so there was no need for trial.
The Grand Justicar correctly questioned his own Faith, the Grand Investigator "confessed" and uncovered the truth, Chenosli did not desecrate the true "Order," and even Morkius did not betray his senior as recorded in history.
No one is guilty, yet everyone is burdened with guilt.
It's truly absurd that such a chaotic and distorted thing could happen in Kato Court, the brightest place under the illumination of "Order"!
Yet all of this is so reasonable, because "Order" is never "Order," but rather the shameful "chaos," and what shines upon Kato Court is never the radiance of "Order," but the murky light of "chaos."
But... is there anything wrong with "chaos"?
No, not at all!
He pleased himself with the most extreme chaos, and even did his best to preserve the kingdom of "Order". Although everyone in power knew this, how could ordinary people bathed in the glory of "Order" know so much filth and corruption?
As long as the law remains and Justice endures, how can unseen filth be considered filth?
Look, in this city where the song of "Order" is sung, Order is Xin Xin!
The Big Cat and the Dragon King had obviously thought of this as well, and their thoughts were in turmoil, their expressions different.
Cheng Shi suddenly laughed. He looked up at the horizon and watched the rising sun break through the fog, gradually rising above the horizon and illuminating the three-part prologue sacred mountain behind him. A cold smile appeared on his lips.
Today will be another day of Order.
What else can be said but praise [Order]?
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Chenosli again, but this Cheng Shi had no intention of giving him any guidance, because he guessed that no matter what he did, [Destiny] would lead this first-level Adjudicator toward [Chaos].
Interestingly, it is Deception that is drawn to chaos.
[Nothingness]... How absurd!
He shook his head and chuckled, then quietly bumped into the shadow beneath him with his back to the two of them. Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and the rosy glow bathed the entire sacred mountain of the prologue.
The Trials finally came to an end, and all the players' vision slowly went black.
[Prayer Trial (No Judgment Required [Prosperity]) Challenge Successfully Completed]
[Rating in progress and calculating rewards...]
[Player: Cheng Shi, Performance Rating: S]
[Item Obtained: Nature's Homecoming Contract (A) x1]
[Item Obtained: Tree Spirit Ritual Contract (A) x1]
[Item obtained: Grand Inquisition Mini Hammer Toy (C) x1]
[Item Obtained: Thorn Weeping Ceremony (SS) x1]
[Path to Godhood +20]
[Ladder of Audience +3]
[Current Path to Godhood Score: 2224, Global Ranking: ]
[Current Ladder of Audience Score: 178, Path of Fate Rank: 33]
[Trials completed, exiting soon]
When all three players disappeared from Chenosli's sight, he stared blankly in the direction they had vanished, at the Prologue Holy Mountain bathed in the morning light, his mind in utter turmoil, not knowing what he was thinking.
Just then, the Grand Investigator, who had remained unconscious, finally awoke after breaking free from the shackles of [Order]. As soon as she opened her eyes, she cried out in anguish, "Laquis, no!"
Chenosli was startled. He turned around abruptly and saw that his teacher, who had been lying motionless in his arms, had somehow picked up a sharp stone and was holding it straight at his neck.
His expression was so resolute, yet the light in his eyes was so dim and Despair.
Chenosli was stunned. Perhaps the confusion in his mind had not yet subsided, or perhaps everything before him was like a dream. Instead of rushing to save his teacher who was right next to him, he frowned, as if pondering what he had just witnessed.
And in that brief moment of distraction, a surge of passion splattered onto his face with a "whoosh."
The bright red blood dripped down, matching his already bloodshot eyes. Under the still orange-red light of dawn, it made this Son of Order look like a demon from hell.
He awoke with a start, grabbed his teacher's hand, and tried to say something but could only tremble and sob without making a sound. Chenosli was trembling all over, fear sweeping over his soul like a tsunami. In his eyes, the one who died in his arms was not an old man, but Justice the entire Grand Inquisition would never have again.
Laquis died just like that, without even wanting to leave a single word.
Lidyaala was also shocked by Laquis's decisiveness, but as the Grand Investigator, she was much calmer Chenosli. She opened her mouth as if to comfort him, but then thought better of it.
She looked towards the Kato Court, which stretched between the three mountains like Balance Beam, and sighed:
"Chenosli, leave, leave this place. You no longer belong here, and this place... no longer belongs to you."
Chenosli collapsed onto his teacher's body, weeping silently. At that moment, the bewildering fear deepened as Lidyaala spoke those words.
"Mourning and grief can trap a person, as can Faith and piety. Since there are besieged cities everywhere, and traps all over the world, then... cast them aside."
Cast aside sorrow and abandon piety, and become a new version of yourself.
Chenosli, your teachers will be proud of your new student.
Chenosli sat up, choking back tears. His eyes were vacant as he looked at the former Grand Investigator, one of the Six Supreme Leaders, and stammered, "And... what about you... Lady Lidyaala... you..."
"Me?" She shook her head and smiled bitterly, then her expression changed from gloomy to resolute. She looked in the direction of Kato Court, at the rooftops and city walls illuminated by the "[Order]", and said in a deep voice, "I am not like your teacher. I am more stubborn than him, so before I die, I must see the [Order] I want with my own eyes!"
"[Order]... but He is no longer here..."
"It's alright, I need to let Him live in some people's hearts..."
The Void, above the boundless, pitch-black Grand Inquisition.
This is another renowned prison in the Grand Inquisition besides the Wailing Iron Prison, though its fame is unknown to Mortals, it is very familiar to them.
The person imprisoned here is not an ordinary blasphemer, but someone who has been testing the limits of Civilization and swimming naked in the depths of Chaos... Him.
[Wrath of Abomination]!
This Emissary chaos, imprisoned here by [Order] and forced to obey the orders of the Elemental Judge of the Grand Inquisition, has long since spent countless years in a state of confusion.
Today will be the most confused day of His journey.
Because a pair of cold eyes had silently opened before Him, gazing at Him with an utterly Indifference look, and uttering a question He couldn't understand at all:
"[Blazing Sun], why did you incite my Believer to impersonate you? Do you perhaps intend to use this method to confuse outsiders and escape the shackles of [Order]?"
"?"
[Wrath of Abomination] was bewildered, but with the blessing of [Chaos], His confusion still manifested as anger, so He burst into flames in the cage, expressing His doubts.
But the next second, when He saw who was in front of Him, under the gaze of this Dominion of the era, He chose to extinguish the flames.
"Say."
"Roar (at me)..."
"In utter chaos, with virtually no Order, you have shown wrath and disrespect before the True God. On behalf of Order, I once again condemn you for blasphemy!"
"???"
"Boom--"
An interrogation broke out in the Void... well, it wasn't exactly a battle, Void like an interrogation.
On that day, Meteor Fire Rain rained down in all the Trials, and the players in the Trials were terrified as if it were the Apocalypse. But later they found that the rain of fire seemed to be just an illusion, with no temperature and no harm.
That didn't resemble the legendary Wrath of Abomination at all; it was more like His...
Uh, here's an inopportune question: Does God cry?