Foolish Game of the Gods - Chapter 116

“He’s gone?”

 

The moment Cheng Shi heard those words, his heart sank.

 

In this world, no one disappears without a reason.

 

If Ji Ran could time his disappearance so precisely, it meant he had a way to avoid being tracked by the wind all along!

 

And that also meant he had likely left the inn far earlier!

 

“Not good! Watch out!”

 

Cheng Shi shouted, immediately dropping a surgical scalpel from his sleeve into his hand while casting a healing spell on his three teammates who hadn’t yet entered the chapel.

 

Just as he yelled the warning, a flash of silvery light, reflecting the blood moon’s glow, came screaming down from the chapel’s rooftop, hurtling straight toward Li Bola.

 

The Wind-Tamer Ranger didn’t flinch. In an instant, she transformed into a violent gust of wind, surging upward to meet the incoming silver light.

 

“Whoooo—”

 

“Boom—”

 

The wind howled, the air exploded!

 

The fierce gusts sent Cheng Shi and Qin Chaoge flying, with Cheng Shi tumbling into the nearby bushes. He held his breath, his brow furrowed deep in thought.

 

The predator lurking in the shadows had finally revealed his claws.

 

The clash in the air lasted only a moment before the two figures separated, each landing on opposite sides of the chapel.

 

Ji Ran still looked the same as when they had first met—messy bedhead and loose pajamas—but now, a giant sword rested on his shoulder, and a fiery battle spirit blazed in his eyes. All traces of his former slacker demeanor were gone.

 

As for Li Bola…

 

She was injured.

 

In just one exchange, Today’s Warrior had already demonstrated his raw power.

 

Li Bola clutched her side with a frown, her face serious and tense.

 

“Well played… You’ve been lying in wait, haven’t you? Seems today, you rolled some good numbers on your dice.”

 

“Hah?” Ji Ran scoffed, flicking his messy hair back with disdain. “I don’t need dice for this level of output. But since you mentioned it, I might as well roll.”

 

Saying this, Ji Ran casually tossed his dice of fate right between Li Bola and Cheng Shi, right in front of their eyes.

 

The dice rolled and tumbled for a few moments before coming to a stop.

 

Cheng Shi squinted his eyes to focus on the result:

 

13 points!

 

Damn, this is bad!

 

Without hesitation, he cast another healing spell on Li Bola, but racing alongside his healing light, a faster silver streak was already closing in.

 

The moment Ji Ran had released the dice, he had already been preparing. As soon as the die settled, he lunged forward without a pause.

 

The enormous sword in his hands traced a deadly arc through the air, descending from above with the full weight of twisted fate behind it, aiming to cleave Li Bola’s skull in two.

 

Li Bola didn’t dodge or flinch. Instead, she instantly drew a longbow fashioned from the curved hands of a clock, nocked an arrow made of wind, and aimed…

 

Not at Ji Ran, but at the spot he had previously stood!

 

“Whoosh—”

 

“Thud!”

 

A gust-forged arrow shot forth, just grazing Ji Ran’s cheek as it flew past him, racing toward the space behind him.

 

The moment he saw the arrow released, Ji Ran forcefully stopped his attack, reversing his sword and desperately swinging it backward.

 

And just before the arrow struck its intended target, his blade met the arrow and knocked it away.

 

But in that split second, Li Bola had already transformed into the wind once more, flying up to the rooftop and sending another wind arrow to the spot Ji Ran had just vacated.

 

Ji Ran was momentarily overwhelmed, his offensive faltering.

 

All the while, Cheng Shi kept shifting his position, sneaking healing spells toward the ranger while marveling at her skill.

 

Li Bola’s kiting techniques were flawless, keeping the warrior completely pinned down.

 

But this strategy was only possible thanks to the ranger’s incredible mobility and the unique talent bestowed upon her by [Time].

 

It’s important to remember that wind was never truly [Time]’s domain, but time was.

 

Though Wind-Tamer Rangers could transform into the wind at will, their true mastery lay in their bow and arrows.

 

The Arrow of Time Reversal, a blessing unique to Wind-Tamer Rangers, allowed them to track the shadows left by their opponents in the river of time and pin their foes in the past.

 

In other words, if Ji Ran were hit by one of these arrows, he wouldn’t just suffer the wound in the present—he would be crippled by all the accumulated pain from that moment onward, leaving him wide open.

 

Because the arrow would hit not just the current Ji Ran, but the Ji Ran of a few moments ago!

 

Ji Ran clearly realized that continuing this battle wouldn’t end in his favor. And with the ranger receiving healing support from Cheng Shi, prolonging the fight would only put him at a greater disadvantage.

 

He quickly changed tactics. After deflecting another wind arrow, Ji Ran swung his giant sword like a hammer throw, hurling it toward Li Bola. At the same time, he pivoted and charged…

 

Straight at Cheng Shi.

 

“?”

 

Seeing Ji Ran hurtling toward him, Cheng Shi couldn’t help but chuckle.

 

He had been wondering how to prove his value in this fight, and now this [Fate]-blessed warrior had delivered himself on a silver platter.

 

Perhaps Ji Ran’s combat experience and instincts told him that priests were usually the weakest link, easy to handle.

 

But he had forgotten one thing—sometimes, priests can be tough!

 

And Cheng Shi?

 

He was rock solid.

 

A Decay Priest didn’t just bring healing—they could also bring rot and ruin.

 

Cheng Shi’s smile grew wide. As soon as Ji Ran made his move, Cheng Shi rushed forward just like a charging warrior.

 

With his surgical scalpel dancing in his hand like a butterfly, he quickly slashed open countless wounds on his own body. Blood poured out as he ran, the power of [Decay] seeping from his gashes like a cocoon, encasing him as he charged at Ji Ran.

 

His intent was clear: injury for injury!

 

Truth be told, Cheng Shi rarely used such aggressive tactics, especially when he had reliable teammates handling the heavy-hitting. He would much rather remain in the back, playing the role of a pure healer.

 

But today was different. The complex situation demanded that he assert himself, to increase his importance within their trio. Only then would he have a stronger voice and greater influence in the decisions to come.

 

And this reckless display of courage? It was the best way to do that.

 

A priest who didn’t abandon teammates and was willing to trade blows was someone most people would trust.

 

At the very least, he had already earned the ranger’s trust.

 

Li Bola didn’t let Cheng Shi’s bold advance go to waste.

 

She swirled into the wind, easily dodging the thrown sword and speeding between the two combatants. The whirling air currents she created sucked all the oxygen from the space between them, pressuring both fighters to speed up and collide.

 

But just as the power of [Decay] was about to crash into Ji Ran…

 

He vanished.

 

Instead of slamming into Ji Ran, the force of the decaying wind crashed into a bard who had been preparing to sing!

 

Qin Chaoge had barely begun to gather her voice, and the song stuck in her throat, mixed with blood, as she was sent flying like a ragdoll.

 

Ji Ran now stood in the spot where Qin Chaoge had been, just a step away from the void gate.

 

The follower of [Fate] had switched his fate with Qin Chaoge’s.

 

“Tsk, tsk, you guys sure like hurting your own people. Farewell, friends! Wait for me to open the door of fate for you.”

 

With a sneer, Ji Ran dove headfirst into the void.

 

The three of them tumbled to the ground in a heap.

 

Li Bola quickly reverted from wind to her human form, sparing only a glance at the two teammates beneath her before bolting forward with her bow.

 

Words weren’t necessary at this point. If Ji Ran opened the fate node while they were still outside, there was a real risk that fate could take a dangerous turn, leaving them blind to the right choices.

 

Hu Xuan, who had entered first, certainly wouldn’t block Ji Ran. After all, the only thing she likely cared about was the [Eternal Sun].

 

Someone had to follow him in, and right now, the best candidate was the ranger.

 

Qin Chaoge had taken the full brunt of the attack. Her skin was torn from the fierce wind, her body was decayed and withered, and her blood had turned black. She was barely hanging on to life.

 

Yet despite her condition, the [War] follower gritted her teeth and refused to cough up the blood in her throat—like swallowing it would be less humiliating than spitting it out.

 

Cheng Shi, seeing her stubbornness, cursed her with a laugh.

 

“You’re just a paper tiger, huh? You had no problem beating me up, but now you’re useless against someone else?”

 

Qin Chaoge shot him a furious glare, but the moment she opened her mouth to scream, she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She vomited the blood all over Cheng Shi’s head.

 

“……”

 

Damn. What rotten luck.

 

Cheng Shi stood up, wiping the black blood off and extending a hand to help Qin Chaoge up. But she shook her head, her eyes fixed on the void gate behind the chapel.

 

“Go… follow her. Don’t worry about me.”

 

Cheng Shi blinked in surprise. “You sure?”

 

“Of course… I won’t die. Save your energy for the ranger. I’ll… be right behind you.”

 

Tsk, just don’t collapse before you get here.

 

Players at this level usually had a clear understanding of their limits. Since Qin Chaoge said she’d be fine, she likely had a way to get back on her feet.

 

Perhaps being tricked by Ji Ran had lit a fire in her, and she didn’t want Cheng Shi wasting his energy on her.

 

Cheng Shi stared at her for a moment before nodding firmly.

 

“Alright.”

 

With that, he limped toward the void and followed the others inside.