Foolish Game of the Gods - Chapter 103

There wasn’t really any need to go all the way to the Traveler’s Office. After walking just half a street, the ever-enthusiastic Qin Chaoge had already gathered most of the information they needed.

However, what they learned was quite the shock to their minds.

Far Dusk Town wasn’t a picturesque town with stunning natural scenery. The many travelers who came here weren’t interested in sightseeing—they came for leisure.

Leisure to relax both body and soul.

In this town of tens of thousands of residents, you could be treated like royalty, enjoying all kinds of services.

As long as you followed the town’s laws and didn’t harm its residents, anything you wanted to do could become a reality here.

And at a very low cost.

Of course, the hefty sum they had paid to the shady tour guide didn’t count.

Far Dusk Town wholeheartedly welcomed every traveler and had built all sorts of entertainment facilities to cater to them. They even assigned each traveler a beautiful tour assistant to help them better enjoy their visit.

But these pleasures came with a price.

Behind all this beauty and joy, the price you had to pay was:

On the day you left Far Dusk Town, you had to leave behind a child for the town that had brought you happiness.

Yes, they wanted a child.

And the mother of the child would be none other than the tour assistant assigned to you.

There was no need to worry about raising the child or carrying them for nine months; they didn’t need you to do that.

All it took was a simple ritual, and your tour assistant—whether male or female—would become pregnant with your child.

Yes… regardless of gender.

And no, by “regardless of gender,” we’re not talking about the baby’s. It means that whether your tour assistant is male or female, they’ll be capable of carrying the child.

Hmm… no further comment, I’ll let you ponder that for a moment.

Once the child is conceived, it has nothing more to do with you. The child will be born in Far Dusk Town, become a resident, and grow up to one day serve as a tour assistant for future travelers.

After hearing about this “tourism program,” Cheng Shi was utterly dumbfounded.

Qin Chaoge, on the other hand, was livid, especially after thinking about the “child” she’d supposedly already conceived. Her face was dark enough to drip ink.

“How… how could this be?”

Why?

Because every world of light casts shadows, and Far Dusk Town was no exception.

[Eternal Sun] had blessed the town’s residents with strong bodies, beautiful appearances, and the ability to reproduce regardless of gender.

But [Bloody Moon] had cursed them, stripping them of the ability to reproduce with each other.

The blood-red moon that hung in the night sky like a source of plague radiated its terrifying corruption, forever seeking the total extinction of [Eternal Sun]’s followers.

These townspeople, burdened with both blessings and curses, had devised this method to keep their community alive—relying on the arrival of new travelers to continually expand their population.

And so, the arrival of travelers was crucial for them because it meant more population, more faith to sustain them!

“No wonder someone like Hu Xuan got matched here!”

The more Qin Chaoge thought about it, the more her teeth clenched in rage. Cheng Shi didn’t quite know how to comfort her, so he could only offer:

“Look at it this way—it’s not all bad. Consider it a practice run. Eventually, you’ll have to leave a child here anyway.”

“Why don’t you try practicing then?”

“I would… but no one’s interested in me.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Hu Xuan appeared at the far end of the street.

“……”

Qin Chaoge’s mood lightened instantly. Grabbing Cheng Shi by his collar, she stormed toward Hu Xuan.

Cheng Shi struggled in vain, his face darkening as he mentally prepared excuses to refuse whatever insanity was coming his way.

But Hu Xuan was walking with her head down, mumbling to herself, seemingly oblivious to their presence.

As the two passed her by, neither dared to greet her, and instead, they overheard the Nature Cultist muttering to herself:

“He stole [Birth]’s authority…

How could He steal [Birth]’s authority…

Can I steal [……]’s…”

Qin Chaoge spat in disgust and cursed under her breath, “Crazy woman.”

Cheng Shi frowned but didn’t say anything.

That woman wasn’t crazy at all. She was almost on the verge of realizing the same truth about the gods that Cheng Shi had recently come to understand:

The nature of gods is to steal authority.

Once Hu Xuan had walked far enough away, Cheng Shi finally struggled free from Qin Chaoge’s grip, his face grim.

“Qin Chaoge, I’m warning you, don’t think just because you’ve got bigger fists you can manhandle me. If there’s a next time…”

Before he could finish, Qin Chaoge’s entire demeanor suddenly shifted.

Gone was the brash, muscular warrior. In her place was a soft, gentle woman with a delicate touch. She moved closer to Cheng Shi, gracefully smoothing the wrinkles on his clothes.

Her half-lidded eyes gazed up at him as she whispered sweetly:

“Does this suit you better?”

Cheng Shi’s mouth twitched in frustration, unable to find any words to respond.

Damn it, are they all insane?

“Can’t you just act normal for once?”

“You said I’m sick, didn’t you?”

“……”

Cursing his bad luck, Cheng Shi turned to leave. Qin Chaoge rolled her eyes and quickly followed, tugging at the hem of his shirt as she scurried along behind him.

The Traveler’s Office wasn’t far. After walking down a long street and climbing a slight hill, they arrived.

On the way, they passed countless handsome men and beautiful women. Even the older locals carried a certain graceful charm, easy on the eyes.

But Cheng Shi couldn’t take the time to appreciate the sights. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off about this town, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he and Qin Chaoge entered the Traveler’s Office.

The office was massive, filled with travelers passing through like a busy tourist attraction, rather than an administrative building.

As Cheng Shi dragged Qin Chaoge inside, they encountered none other than Shaman, who was coming out of the office with tear-streaked cheeks.

It seemed she had finished handling something and was about to leave.

Qin Chaoge, ever the troublemaker, couldn’t resist. She livened up immediately, grabbing Shaman’s hand and pulling her back.

Shaman looked up in surprise and, upon seeing Cheng Shi standing nearby, her tear-streaked face quickly welled up with fresh tears.

“Tsk tsk, how pitiful. Come here, don’t worry, big sis will take care of you.”

Qin Chaoge pulled Shaman into a big bear hug, her hands roaming over the poor girl’s back.

Cheng Shi knew exactly what Qin Chaoge was up to.

Rather than being assigned a new assistant, it was better to stick with one they already knew. Besides, this little assistant was so… docile, easy to manipulate.

But Cheng Shi didn’t share her sentiments. His instincts told him something about Shaman was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he didn’t want any further involvement with her.

He turned to walk inside the office.

But suddenly, Shaman broke free from Qin Chaoge’s embrace and quickly stepped in front of Cheng Shi, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes.

Her gaze was filled with sorrow and… submission.

Clearly, she didn’t want Cheng Shi to request a new assistant.

She was willing to do anything to stop him.

Though Cheng Shi had no idea why she had taken such a liking to him, the fact remained—she seemed quite taken with this “witty and charming surface-world gentleman.”

And as for Cheng Shi…

He rolled his eyes and coldly bypassed her, heading straight into the main hall.

Shaman’s face turned ghostly pale once again. She let out a heart-wrenching sob, hugging her arms as she ran away. Even Qin Chaoge was a little dismayed by the sight.

“Hey, she’s a real beauty. You really don’t want her?” Qin Chaoge teased as she caught up to Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shi rolled his eyes and ignored her but, after a moment, leaned in slightly and asked quietly:

“Did you notice anything unusual?”

Qin Chaoge’s playful demeanor faded, her expression turning serious as she replied in a hushed tone:

“She’s strong. There aren’t many women who can break free from my grip.”

“[Eternal Sun]’s blessing?”

“Maybe. It was too brief to be sure.”

“?”

Seeing the baffled look on Cheng Shi’s face, Qin Chaoge burst into laughter and reached out to pat his face.

“What, did you think I just randomly grab at people because I have some kind of hyperactivity disorder?

It’s a talent—‘Portrait in the Song.’”

Suddenly, it all clicked for Cheng Shi.

Whoever said [War] followers were brainless? They’ve got brains full of schemes!

No wonder Qin Chaoge always threw a punch at everyone.

That talent allowed her to read all kinds of bodily rhythms—heartbeats, blood flow, breathing patterns—and create a portrait of the target.

The more data she gathered, the more accurate the portrait became.

This accuracy wasn’t just about recording details but also expanding and filling in gaps. With enough information, she could even guess someone’s personality or predict their decisions and actions.

“Portrait in the Song” was an incredibly useful S-rank talent, particularly for identifying other players’ faiths, and it was one Cheng Shi had always coveted.

Unfortunately, it was a bard’s exclusive talent.

So, this whole time, she’s probably been sizing me up too.

Cheng Shi’s gaze locked onto Qin Chaoge’s eyes as he asked directly:

“What’s my portrait like?”

“Why would I need a portrait of you? Can’t I just look at you directly?” she scoffed, turning and walking into the main hall.

Cheng Shi stood there for a moment, watching her back, and then broke into a laugh.

For once, she wasn’t lying.

This teammate was starting to grow on him.

Maybe she’d make a decent partner after all.