Foolish Game of the Gods - Chapter 187

The trial was nearing its end.

Cheng Shi had enjoyed a pleasant and carefree two days in Gasmira.

He’d earned a decent amount of money by treating people’s ailments and then reinvested that money back into Gasmira’s commercial sector.

In those two days, the hotels, restaurants, and casinos in the eastern commercial district had all come to know of a certain “generous” doctor who had arrived in the city.

He spent lavishly, and even just having a brief conversation with him could result in receiving a “valuable” gift.

As a result, Cheng Shi became the target of many “gold diggers” in the area.

And he loved the attention.

This was the life—not just life, but the life of a hustler!

Even if his generosity wasn’t entirely aimless, everything he did over the past two days deserved the title of “hustling.”

If every trial could be as relaxing as these two days, he’d probably be eager for the [Faith Game] to start sooner.

Before the old man passed away, he’d want to share in the joy of being wealthy with him.

As the trial neared its end, Cheng Shi donated the last of his “inheritance” to an orphanage in the eastern district.

The director of the orphanage and the children were deeply grateful and, in return, gifted him a drawing made by all the children as a memento.

Cheng Shi accepted it with a smile, and as the children gasped in wonder, his form slowly began to fade from their view.

But the trial… wasn’t over yet!

Based on the rules of other trials, the trial should have ended the moment the countdown hit zero.

But [Order] was different. Though His trials were “simple,” every trial concluded with an “Orderly Judgment.”

In this judgment, the judge wasn’t [Order] Himself but rather the collective will of all the “Order” in the trial.

Following order wasn’t just a hollow phrase—those who broke the rules would face punishment!

Cheng Shi’s vision shifted, and he found himself in [Order]’s trial courtroom.

He was sitting in the defendant’s seat, looking up at the towering, yet empty, judge’s chair ahead of him, smiling as calmly as ever.

If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.

I didn’t break any laws—what should I be worried about?

Shortly after, a voice as loud as a bell echoed from the judge’s seat, shaking the room:

“[Order] above, the judgment begins!

Do you admit to desecrating [Order] more than once during this trial?”

“?”

Cheng Shi blinked, his brows furrowing.

Something felt off about this opening statement.

Usually, if you hadn’t violated any rules, [Order]’s judgment would immediately declare your innocence, and the trial would end.

But this time…

I didn’t break any rules either!

Still, procedures were procedures. Even if things felt strange, you had to respond when called upon. And if the judge deemed you guilty, the punishment wouldn’t just be a loss of points—it would also affect your “health bar.”

No one wanted to be punished for something they didn’t do, especially when they were innocent.

So Cheng Shi protested.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm…

“I deny it.”

“The defendant denies the charge. The trial continues.

Do you admit to illegally tearing open the void in a restricted city zone, causing destruction to a large amount of public property?”

Cheng Shi innocently blinked his eyes:

“I deny it. It was my teammate, Hu Wei, who tore open the void, and my teammate, Bai Fei, who destroyed the public property. I was forced into it—I have witnesses.”

“The denial is acknowledged. Please present your witnesses.”

“My teammates—Li Ziran, Zhang Ruyu, Yan… they all saw it happen. They can testify.”

“Denial accepted. The trial continues.

Do you admit to opening the deep void without permission from [Him] and desecrating His creation?”

“?”

Cheng Shi was stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief as he questioned:

“Excuse me, Your Honor, are you saying that the void is now under [Order]’s jurisdiction?”

“……”

The courtroom fell silent. After a long pause, the judge’s chair made a barely perceptible shift.

“The denial is valid. The trial continues.

Do you admit to planting a trap in an important asset storage facility without the permission of the research institution, leading to significant private property damage and the irreversible destruction of numerous academic achievements?”

“I deny it. May I ask, Your Honor, at the moment the trial ended, had the research institution in question suffered any losses?”

“……”

Oddly enough, even though the judge’s chair was suspended in mid-air, Cheng Shi could swear he heard the sound of a chair leg scraping against the floor.

“Denial accepted. The trial continues.”

The authoritative and grand voice in the courtroom seemed to grow even more somber.

“Do you admit to illegally murdering someone in the city without permission from the local authorities?”

“!!??”

What in the world!?

The person I killed was Yan Chun, not a citizen of Gasmira. Since when was killing a player considered illegal?

Are you telling me the rules of the [Faith Game] are less significant than Gasmira’s laws!?

How ridiculous!

At that moment, Cheng Shi understood.

This wasn’t a fair trial!

The invisible judge in that towering chair wasn’t administering justice—they were nitpicking!

[Order] must have been angered by the players’ “rule-bending” gameplay. He was now eager to punish those who treated His order lightly and desecrated His laws!

How ironic.

[Order] was breaking His own order.

And yet, as ironic as that was, it was also correct. Because [Order] was everything that defined order, and He alone had the authority to interpret it!

Faced with the growing realization that he was trapped in a dangerous situation, Cheng Shi merely furrowed his brow but didn’t panic.

He had anticipated some complications during the judgment. Though this was more absurd than expected, he had prepared emergency plans.

He straightened his posture and responded forcefully:

“I deny it!

Because I’m a benevolent person—I never kill!

And I have witnesses… and evidence.”

“Your defense is allowed. Please present your evidence.”

“The owner of the Night Thorn Hotel in the East District of Gasmira, Babos; the owner of the Morning Dew Terrace Restaurant, Hill; and in the East District…”

Cheng Shi continued to list nearly a hundred names, even reciting the names of every child in the orphanage.

Finally, he presented the painting made by all the children in the orphanage.

“Your Honor, all of the above can testify that I am a good person. And not just any good person—a generous good person.”

Everyone knew, no matter how strict [Order] was, He still had a soft spot for good people.

And Cheng Shi? Well, he was the best kind of good person.

Good people shouldn’t be falsely accused, just as bad people must face punishment.

So Cheng Shi smiled brightly, looking as if he were already victorious.

But to his surprise, the judge’s chair remained silent for a long while before the deep voice finally returned.

“The evidence provided by the defendant is irrelevant to the accusation of murder. The defense is invalid, and the charges…”