Chapter 195: This Round, I Win

“How is this possible?”

A trace of astonishment instantly flashed through Chaos’s eyes.

Ever since abandoning his mortal body, igniting divine fire, and ascending to the divine throne—

Throughout the endlessly long years that had become dull enough to bore even a god—

He had witnessed far too many geniuses later praised as legends by future generations.

Those individuals had stood head and shoulders above their peers, and some among them even possessed intellect capable of overturning kingdoms.

Yet across all the countless games in the past, never once had anyone managed to pull out a second blade aimed at a god within this absolutely unfair game!

At this very moment, even when he looked directly at Lance, he still could not sense any aura of a Second Source Essence from him.

And yet—

Reality was laid bare before his eyes.

The card genuinely existed right there in front of him.

The moment this card appeared—

The countless stars within the vast starry sky seemed to stop shimmering for an instant, while even the rolling golden wheat waves froze because of the god’s brief distraction.

The card Lance pushed forward was abruptly divided into upper and lower halves by its composition.

The upper half depicted a rain-soaked graveyard beneath endless drizzle, with faint starlight scattered upon the gravestones.

Meanwhile, the lower half portrayed a traveler carrying a tattered pack. The figure stood upside down within the image, gazing firmly toward the distant horizon.

This card possessed only one overbearing name:

【Outsider · Transgressor】

【Effect: After playing this card, the fundamental victory conditions of this round’s point battle are completely reversed (the lower point value wins; thus, 1 becomes the highest card while 10 becomes the lowest card).】

【Warning: If this card is played yet the user still loses the round, the user will immediately be judged as having lost the entirety of the “Best-of-Three” game (regardless of prior victories or defeats).】

This was a hidden card that truly represented burning one’s boats.

Lance did not observe Chaos’s expression at all. Instead, he decisively reached out and flipped over the 【5】 card he had placed face-down on the table.

“God Chaos.”

Lance’s voice sounded especially clear within the silent Astral Realm.

“You personally answered just now that the point value of the hidden card on your table was not between 1 and 5.”

He looked directly at the child god, his tone brimming with confidence.

“In other words, the point value of the card currently in your hand is at minimum 6 points.”

“And now that this 【Transgressor】 card has completely reversed the rules, making the lower point value the winner—”

“This round belongs to me.”

The childlike god quietly sat atop the tree stump.

His head was slightly lowered, several strands of golden bangs falling forward and perfectly covering his eyes, making it impossible to discern his true emotions.

Was he angry?

The reason Lance chose to completely win this game was because the System Panel had already informed him beforehand that this Sub-instance was absolutely safe.

And as a player, there was no reason to abandon a readily obtainable chance to clear a dungeon.

Could there still be some unforeseen variable?

Just as Lance prepared himself for the worst, believing this god would become furious from being successfully outwitted by a mortal and prepare to deliver divine punishment—

“Haha... hahahahaha!”

A crisp burst of laughter suddenly rang out from Chaos’s mouth.

The laughter grew louder and louder, filled with wild abandon and indulgence, even carrying an undisguised excitement.

As that laughter echoed forth, the previously frozen Astral Realm seemed to regain vitality, while the golden wheat waves once again rolled joyfully.

Interesting. This was simply too interesting!

Chaos raised his head.

Not only did he display not even the slightest anger at losing the game, but instead stared fixedly at Lance with the blazing gaze of a child discovering a fascinating new toy.

“Lance Lott, do you know?”

Chaos spoke with a smile.

“Throughout the immensely long history of this world, only one special kind of existence has ever been capable of simultaneously possessing two completely different Source Essences!”

The moment he heard this sentence, Lance’s heart violently skipped a beat.

All this time, he had believed that Twin Source Essences were not especially rare among Professionals.

After all, back then he had merely activated a Breathing Technique Specialty and very naturally obtained the entirely new Source Essence known as Red Dragon.

But judging from the meaning behind this child god’s words—

This seemed to be an extraordinarily, extraordinarily rare phenomenon.

If that was the case, then why had the Red Dragon Source Essence come so easily...?

Could it be...

A sudden speculation surfaced within Lance’s mind.

He simultaneously possessed two red talents.

Could it be that the Red Dragon Source Essence had directly occupied the empty Source Essence slot left behind after the original Lance’s death?

If that were truly the case—

Then it would mean the appearance of Twin Source Essences was caused by the irreplicable uniqueness of his soul transmigration.

Not because Source Essences themselves were easy to obtain in this world!

While Lance’s thoughts spiraled wildly—

Chaos raised a fair and tender finger and continued speaking.

“The first Source Essence of such an existence represents the complete sum of everything they experienced while struggling through the Material Realm as mortals.”

“And that second Source Essence...”

The smile on Chaos’s face became somewhat unrestrained.

“Represents the very moment they successfully broke free from the swamp of worldly existence, completely pushed open the gates of truth to the Astral Realm, and completed the sublimation of divinity.”

Holy shit!

Lance couldn’t help cursing inwardly.

Chaos had already made things crystal clear.

In this world, something as absurd and unreasonable as Twin Source Essences was a privilege possessed only by true gods who had ignited divine fire.

Lance knew perfectly well what his own background really was.

He absolutely was not some hidden reincarnation of a god.

Right now, he was genuinely afraid this utterly unpredictable god might misunderstand something and stir up some bizarre trouble for him.

“I know that if you were merely an ordinary mortal from the Material Realm, it would be absolutely impossible for Twin Source Essences to appear. Isn’t that right, Lance Lott?”

Chaos narrowed his eyes, seeming to see through Lance’s worries.

“But this itself is an extremely interesting matter, isn’t it?”

“You don’t need to be nervous. Even so, these things hold no meaning for gods. At most, the greatest significance is simply that this world has one more of our kind, isn’t that so?”

Chaos gave Lance no opportunity whatsoever to explain himself.

Without hesitation, he directly reached out and flipped over the hidden card beneath his hand.

It was an 【8】.

Under the forcibly reversed point rules of 【Transgressor】, Lance’s 【5】 defeated Chaos’s 【8】 without the slightest suspense.

Chaos rose to his feet atop the tree stump.

That seemingly fragile child’s body now released divine might so immense that the entire Astral Realm trembled faintly.

“Lance Lott.”

The god no longer concealed anything, directly calling the challenger by his true name.

“Congratulations. As the first Transgressor in history to defeat me head-on in a game of rules through a mortal body—”

“I shall formally proclaim your victory throughout the entire Astral Realm in the name of Chaos, God of Rebellion.”

“This game belongs to you.”

……

Radiant Capital Elcadia.

At the center of this city, known as the beacon of human civilization, stood a gigantic white chalkstone tower piercing directly into the heavens.

Countless enormous rune rings emitting faint azure glows floated around the tower.

That colossal structure known as the Starscroll Rings slowly revolved through the air, endlessly supplying the entire massive city with an immense quantity of magical power day and night.