“It is indeed a kind of closed loop, including my previous experiences.”
Shade nodded, looking toward the silent, black-robed deity across the table.
“Before you formally declare the gamble over, may I ask a few questions?”
He tried his best to keep his tone respectful, but the deity still did not speak. Thus, Shade could only attempt to ask directly
“Regarding the All-Encompassing Impermanence...”
“They come from the beginning, the beginning of the beginning, the origin of all, and they shall lead to the end of all.”
The black-robed deity by the table seemed only capable of saying “yes,” while these words were spoken by the corpses along the wall, varying in their degrees of decay.
“The beginning?”
Shade scanned the corpses on the wall one by one, while Mr. Riddle asked curiously
“What beginning?”
“Can’t you hear it? Oh, well then.”
Since the deity did not wish for Mr. Riddle to hear, Shade did not explain.
“Man of the Future, have you ever wondered?”
A skeletal frame posed the question. Beside it lay a rusted one-handed sword; it was unclear how many ages it had lain there.
“Why are the rules of the [All-Encompassing Impermanence Cards] you encountered based on competing for points?”
This question came from a highly decomposed female corpse. The jewelry on her body had all rotted away, save for a gemstone brooch before her heart, which seemed as if it were merging with her flesh.
“Why?”
“The events of the Sixth Epoch have not yet happened, so I do not know.”
Said a male corpse wearing a yellow soft hat, who looked as if he had only just died.
Shade looked again at its tightly closed eyes. He was certain the deity knew the reason. That [Innocent Creator] had once said He did not know the future, yet in reality, long after He had departed, everything continued to proceed according to His arrangements.
“Could it be that the rules of the All-Encompassing Impermanence Cards are based on points only in the Sixth Epoch? In more ancient times, were the rules on the cards not based on the Rhode rules at all? But rather rules such as [The field becomes night upon entry]?”
He received no answer, but this silence itself was an answer.
“But why? What is the meaning behind the existence of these cards, these games?”
He wondered, yet he still could not obtain an answer.
The twenty minutes were nearing their end. Seeing that the deity was unwilling to speak or provide further hints, Shade could only give up his questioning. The friendliness of the [Innocent Creator] stemmed from Shade’s help and his identity as a “child”; the friendliness of the [Radiant Gate] came from Shade’s connection to the [Father of the Infinite Tree].
Not every deity was eager to provide help—a point Shade had understood long ago. The only pity was that he had actually thought that if there were enough time, he could gamble a game of Rhode cards with a god; that would have been incredibly interesting. But time had run out.
Just as the thought of “gambling Rhode cards with a god” faded, the black robe opposite Mr. Riddle suddenly moved. The hand within the sleeve seemed to flicker, and the only unbroken card on the table, [Man of the Future], flew before the god.
Subsequently, light fragments drifted out from the other sixteen cards, together forming two new cards: one depicting a Witch, and the other a full-length portrait of Mr. Riddle. The three cards were lined up side by side, face down. With a sweep of the black sleeve, the blank card backs transformed into the holy symbol of this God of Gambling.
They swapped positions at a speed indistinguishable to the naked eye, then came to a sudden halt. Now, even Mr. Riddle knew that the deity was asking Shade to guess which card was [Man of the Future].
“Quick, give it a try.”
Knowing he could finally go home, a burden-free Mr. Riddle urged him with anticipation.
“Which one is it?”
Shade asked in his mind.
【I don’t know; that was no ordinary swap. You can rely only on your luck.】
After a moment of hesitation, his gaze lingered over the three cards
“Rightmost.”
He pointed to the right, and almost simultaneously with Mr. Riddle, he leaned forward to look. The first card on the right was flipped over; it was indeed [Man of the Future].
“It seems your luck is truly excellent,” Mr. Riddle praised with a smile.
The two unselected cards turned into light and flew toward Shade. Shade did not block them, allowing them to enter his body through his forehead.
First was the one depicting the “Witch”
【Outlander, you have felt a “Miracle.”】 【You have obtained a Blessing.】 【A Single Stroke of Luck: The next time you engage in an activity related to gambling, you will certainly obtain the highest possible luck.】
The Witches who appeared in the “Game of Life” likely all worshipped this deity; this blessing represented a single act of assistance granted to Shade by the god.
Then came the one depicting “Mr. Riddle”
【Outlander, you have felt a “Miracle.”】 【You have obtained a Blessing.】 【Mortal Luck: From this moment forth, you will exhibit extraordinary luck in any gambling game.】
Mr. Riddle could indeed be called the luckiest mortal Shade knew; such a trait would likely make the luck-deficient Dr. Schneider very envious.
“However, does ‘this moment’ refer to now?”
Shade pointed to himself.
“Or now?”
Shade pointed to the ground.
“This is a reward for your courage.”
The voice came from across the table. Shade looked up in disbelief. This time, He was speaking, and He used the Common Tongue of Delarion from the Sixth Epoch.
To be honest, Shade had suspected that the one playing the [Game of Life] with them was actually just a robe, but these words undoubtedly proved that “He” had truly been there all along. The power accompanying the voice made space and time seem to condense in this instant.
It had been a god across the table all along; He had truly participated in this gamble.
“If you were of the same era as I, I would be very willing to let you become my God-favored.”
He spoke softly, as if stating a simple fact. Mr. Riddle still could not hear these words, and thus found it very strange that Shade’s expression changed several times within half a minute.
“Then the All-Encompassing Impermanence...”
“This is the deepest secret of the Ancient Gods, more important even than the world itself; it concerns everything. Go and collect them, Unexpected Person. When you obtain all thirteen All-Encompassing Impermanence cards, even when the final end comes and you face the most terrible conclusion, they will at least provide you with a final solace.”
“But—”
“The Game of Life is over!”
The corpses by the wall announced in unison, their tone like the finale of an opera
“Slych Riddle is the victor!”
The sixteen broken cards on the gambling table turned into speckles of light and permeated into Mr. Riddle’s body. He seemed unable to see this light, but Shade could feel that this was the purest form of Spirit.
If it were a Witch or a Ring-Wielder, they could use this power to increase their capacity for Spirit and Elements without having obtained Spirit Runes. Even an ordinary person could rely on this purest power to purify their body, extend their lifespan, expel curses, and clear their soul the moment the Spirit entered.
This was the reward for defeating a god in a gamble; any influence this place had on Mr. Riddle would surely fade away because of it.
As for the only unbroken card, [Man of the Future], which represented the meeting of Shade and Mr. Riddle, it flew from before the deity toward Shade.
Shade reached out and pinched it, discovering that although the card was the same size as a Rhode card, it was made of a strange, very light metallic material. Feeling it carefully, he found the metal card possessed no supernatural power; though exquisite, it was merely an ordinary object.
“A souvenir. You both played quite well,” the deity beneath the black robe said.
Shade smiled and tucked the metal card into his pocket. Although this souvenir was not as useful as Miss Felianna’s notes, it was, regardless, a gift bestowed by a god.
At the same time, an unknown light replaced the oil lamps and candlesticks on the table, fully illuminating the room. The oppressive atmosphere vanished, signaling the complete end of the gamble.
In the corner behind the deity, which had previously been dark and opposite the door Shade had entered through, another door appeared. This door was likely the passage for Mr. Riddle to leave Terror Castle.
The formal end of the gamble also meant that Shade was about to bid a permanent farewell to this era. He felt a tugging behind him; white mist was permeating from his back.
“Mr. Riddle, may [Mr. Ring] and the [Father of the Infinite Tree] protect us both.”
Shade once again grasped the ancient prognosticator’s hand and shook it gently. The latter asked in surprise
“What are you doing?”
He saw that Shade seemed to be saying goodbye
“Are you leaving as well?”
“I must go face my fears.”
Shade looked toward the door he had come through, a smile appearing on his face
“I still have one matter to resolve. Mr. Riddle, please leave this place. I am not sure if the thing behind the door will affect you once I open it.”
Although the [Dark Box] was not in his hand, Shade still wanted to try and face that ultimate terror; perhaps it would be useful.
“Very well. I am truly glad to have met you, sir. I wish you all the best in your era. May the gods protect us.”
He gave Shade a hug, and the two finally nodded to each other. Mr. Riddle hurriedly bypassed the stone table and reached the other side of the room.
Shade also turned and ran toward the door, as the tugging sensation of the white mist behind him grew stronger.
The light in the room gradually dimmed, centering around the primitive stone table with its twenty grooves. The candles and oil lamps extinguished simultaneously, and the deity vanished silently into the darkness. As the darkness spread from the center of the room outward, the areas by the walls remained the brightest.
Shade and Mr. Riddle each approached the doors on opposite sides of the room and looked back one last time at the friend they had spent an hour with
“Farewell, Mr. Riddle.”
“I wish you a lifetime of luck.”
Before the darkness eroded the edges of the room, they shared their final farewell, and then respectively burst through the doors before them. Behind Mr. Riddle’s door was a expanse of white light; he rushed in without hesitation. Shade faintly heard the sound of wind brushing through treetops, water striking rocks, and the soft chirping of birds.
This gentleman had finally concluded another important adventure in his life; in the next twenty-odd years, he would experience many more stories.
And for Shade, who rushed out of the other door, there was the old, dim corridor with its flickering candlelight. In the final moment before the white mist behind him swallowed him whole, he finally saw what it was that patrolled the corridor, guarding Terror Castle.
(End of Chapter)