The Fool of the Gods

Countless pairs of metal eyeballs emitting blue dim light suddenly rose from the rotten leaves in various parts of the Sighing Forest. They pierced the soil and stretched out of the rotten leaves, mechanically rotated a few times, and then looked at the place where the contract reappeared.

Yes, these mechanical eyeballs did not care about the whereabouts of the twisted python. They just sensed the lost and reappeared contract, and then shone dim light to point out the direction for the "companions" who were looking for the contract in the forest.

After sensing the gathering place of countless dim lights, more than a hundred mechanical giant pythons like twisted giant pythons slowly crawled out from their sleeping place underground, screaming and twisting, blending into the rushing python group without any disobedience, and rolling towards the place where the contract was.

At the same time, on the other side.

Cheng Shi disappeared, but he did not return to the void, but used the dice he had hidden in the mushroom-foot tribe earlier to return to the tribe that was looking forward to the return of the messenger of God.

When he and Honglin finalized all the details of the plan in the void, the poor mushroom-foot tribe abandoned in the Sighing Forest was never mentioned again.

Both of them skipped them tacitly, because they all knew that the lives of NPCs did not count in the face of trials.

Sacrifice is sacrifice, and the death of thousands of people did not cause a single splash in the past history.

But Cheng Shi knew that Honglin was not a cold-blooded player. She thought of them, but she chose to remain silent because she had no time to take care of them due to her own plan.

In fact, Cheng Shi himself also thought of them. These were a group of innocent lives and should not become victims of experiments or gambling.

When weighing the two evils, Cheng Shi had no choice but to choose the lesser of the two evils, but if he could get a handful of this "asset" that might become an extra chip on the table, he would also be willing to get it.

So after finding the opportunity, he rushed back to take a look.

Cheng Shi was not sure whether the mushroom-footed people had been exposed to the Sighing Forest the moment the contract was torn; nor was he sure whether Epska had already killed all the mushroom-footed people in anger when they ascended to the void and then went to guard the place where they disappeared; he was even more uncertain whether the mushroom-footed people had been eaten up by countless [Decay] creatures when night fell just now...

But what if?

With this fluke, Cheng Shi appeared in the main house of the mushroom-footed people, and then he saw countless trembling and frightened mushroom-footed people circling around the main house and praying in a low voice for the name of [prosperity]. The old patriarch just carried a blazing white lamp and stood in the middle of the house, constantly comforting these tribesmen who were gradually "withering" due to [Decay].

He said: "The messenger of God will not give up on us. Amir's disappearance does not mean that He has withdrawn His forgiveness. This may be the fourth test, and the content of the test is our courage.

We must be full of energy, inspire the power of [prosperity], and use our flesh and blood to prove to the benefactor that we, the mushroom-footed people, are His most devout followers!

Even at the last moment, we will not turn into [decay], and we will still be the people of [prosperity]!

My compatriots, don't give up, the messenger of God is on his way back!"

But this sentence has been said so many times since the beginning of night, and almost no tribesmen believe in the words of the old patriarch anymore.

They think that it was Amir's behavior that angered the benefactor, causing Him to withdraw his blessing, and the mushroom-footed people who lost the blessing of [prosperity] were like rabbits thrown into the mouth of wild beasts, and they no longer had a chance to survive.

The spread of [decay] is not terrible, but the despair is raging in people's hearts.

And just at this moment, Cheng Shi appeared!

He listened to the trembling and hoarse voice of the old chief, and as soon as he landed, he shouted loudly to the crowd of mushroom-footed people in front of him:

"Praise [Prosperity]!"

All the mushroom-footed people were stunned, and then looked up at the returning god's messenger, the bald man in disbelief!

He appeared again!

He appeared again when the tribe needed him most!

Cheng Shi's appearance instantly ignited the piety of the mushroom-footed people. They were excited and at a loss, and their tears flowed wildly. Countless people covered their mouths and noses and sobbed and crawled on the ground, shouting the name of "Bald Man" and the name of [Prosperity], hysterically venting their fear and gratitude in their hearts.

The old chief did not dare to believe that what he said was true. At this moment, seeing that the god's messenger really returned, he fell down with a "bang", crying more sadly and louder than all the tribesmen.

"Mr. Bald, you are finally back. He has not given up on us. I am telling the truth. He has not given up on us!"

Has not given up? Well, maybe.

Cheng Shi sighed in his heart and helped the old patriarch up from the ground.

The old patriarch quickly leaned close to Cheng Shi's face and whispered:"Mr. Baldhead, is this really a test from Him?"

Cheng Shi smiled and nodded, but what he said next stunned the old patriarch and even wiped out the thunderous cheers of the mushroom-footed tribe, leaving all the mushroom-footed people who were shouting praises speechless.

He cleared his throat and shouted mysteriously and sacredly:

"The next test for you is the fourth test, the courage to obey orders!

In the next period of time, all his people...

Give up resistance, embrace [Decay], become a part of this Sighing Forest, and prove your determination and courage to return with absolute obedience and piety!"

"Ah!??"

"What!?"

"Lord Bald, is the oracle...wrong?"

"How could this be...how could this be..."

The old patriarch was also dumbfounded. His brain was buzzing and he had completely lost the ability to think. After being shocked for a long time, he grabbed Cheng Shi's hand and said in disbelief:

"Lord Bald, we are the people of [Prosperity]. If we are exposed to [Decay] without resistance, we will not become the creation of [Decay]. We will only be eroded by [Decay] and die directly. In this woodland...

Has He... given up on us after all?"

Cheng Shi looked at the performance of the crowd and sneered:

"Do you know why your tribe was exiled here?

It is because you did not follow the military order and escaped without authorization during the conquest of [Decay], so our great benefactor exiled you forever to this battlefield of conquest, to atone for your sins in this enemy's Sighing Forest.

But He is merciful and still gave you a shelter. At the moment when the test is about to end, you can no longer get His shelter. You need to prove your courage in this Sighing Forest, and the way to prove it is to believe in the forgiveness of the benefactor and believe that [prosperity] will eventually come.

The moment you embrace [Decay], He will protect you and let you never die in the erosion of this [Decay].

Believe it or not, the choice is in your hands. "

After speaking, Cheng Shi took a few steps back with a cold face and retreated to a corner.

Countless mushroom-footed people looked at the serious-looking messenger of God, feeling uneasy and panicked.

The old patriarch's face changed again and again. After glancing at Cheng Shi again and again, he finally made up his mind to accept the test.

"My tribe! We are the most devout believers of [Prosperity]. We must have faith that He has never abandoned us!

And the arrival of the bald man is the best proof of this forgiveness!

Since the topic of the test has been announced, then...

Everyone, give up resistance and embrace [Decay]!"

As soon as the voice fell, the old patriarch cut off his extremely weak "Prosperity" power and let the [Decay] breath enter his body.

Seeing the patriarch like this, the mushroom-footed people outside the house wailed in fear and also gave up resistance, allowing their bodies to decay and grow old.

And at this moment, seeing that almost all the mushroom-footed people began to struggle on the edge of death, Cheng Shi, who was standing aside with a cold face, finally smiled.

A playful smile.

Oh, your high and mighty benefactor, I am afraid he cannot save you...

But it doesn't matter, there is still God's messenger.

No matter what kind of God's messenger I am, I can save you at least, so I am a good God's messenger.

Thinking of this, he secretly picked up the dice of fate behind his back, his lips moved slightly, and he whispered:

"Lies like yesterday, sneer today.

Yesterday I deceived the believers of [Death], so today...

I am a believer of [Death]."

As soon as the voice fell, a faint green gradually ignited Cheng Shi's eyes. He looked at the crowd crawling in front of him, chuckled and whispered:

"Today my mouth is the book of life and death in the hands of the King of Hell. Anyone who obeys me will not die.

I guard the door of [Death] for that adult and select sacrifices, and none of you will be sacrifices to Him today.

I'm sorry for deceiving you. What makes you immortal is never [prosperity], but... the great [Death]!

Praise that adult, we...

See you later."

As he said, Cheng Shi threw down a dice, snapped his fingers, and disappeared again.

...