He Raised His Middle Finger to Fate

The moment the Maid of Misfortune spoke, Cyric felt his mind descend into total chaos. Was there some unknown relationship between these two deities? Cyric felt like an utter fool. It turned out these two had allied long in advance—no wonder Anbaixiu claimed he could resolve this without saying a single word. The two of them had been in league all along. Cyric was truly, utterly defeated. Any hope of turning the tables, any contest of eloquence—it was all an illusion. Who knew how many years ago the Archduke Deceiver had anticipated this day, laying out his schemes in advance, all to seize total victory in a single stroke today. He had lost. Thoroughly and completely. Cyric could not help saying to Anbaixiu, "Brilliant. Whether as a mortal or as a deity, I am far inferior to you. But tell me, when I first entered Hell, what spell did you cast? Or was that entirely a feint, a cheap trick to deceive me?" Anbaixiu looked down at Cyric and replied, "It wasn't a spell. It was Destiny Weaving, a legendary boon I comprehended back when I was still a mortal." Cyric froze for a moment, then pressed, "Destiny Weaving? You can manipulate the destiny of gods themselves? So no matter what you did, they would retreat—even if you did nothing at all, destiny had already been sealed? Such power cannot possibly exist in this world—you're not Ao!" The fate foreseen by a divination wizard was indeed immutable, but such an ability could never work on deities! All divinations directed at deities failed, and the same held true for Destiny Weaving. Forcing the casting would only result in spell failure and severe magical backlash. To arrange even the destiny of gods, only Ao possessed such power. Yet Anbaixiu shook his head. "You are right. Only Ao can manipulate the fate of all deities. I cannot do it, nor could the former Goddess of Fate; to do so is blasphemy against Ao. All I wove was my own destiny—and because of the Lady of Pain's curse from back then, I could only weave a painful future. "The moment I saw you, I had a premonition that today would mark the end of a story. And so, I wove a painful future for myself: to confront my greatest fear." At this point, Anbaixiu lifted his head to look at the Maid of Misfortune, muttering, "My greatest fear—destiny itself." Cyric desperately wanted to shout, *You spoke! You lost!* Yet when Cyric turned his gaze toward the Maid of Misfortune, he realized that, at some point, the goddess's appearance had transformed. Her black hair had turned platinum, and her pallid skin was now soft and flushed with life. Her attire changed with her form: the Maid of Misfortune had originally worn withered, branch-like antlers and a gown of black gauze steeped in vile curses and covered in countless weeping human faces. Now, she was clad in a magnificent gown radiant as a rainbow, and the barbed whip in her hand had become a scepter carved of crystal. Cyric had never seen such a goddess before, yet the moment his eyes fell upon her, he knew who she was—Tyche, the legendary Goddess of Fate said to have been slain by a rose. Legends told that Tyche was fickle and unpredictable. She loved pranks and novelty, scattering fortune and misfortune across the world entirely on a whim, granting blessings and curses as her mood dictated. Following her untimely demise, Tyche had split into the Goddess of Luck and the Maid of Misfortune, becoming twin deities of Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil. Yet lore contained scant details about Tyche; she had disappeared long before Cyric ever ascended to godhood. How could a dead deity reappear? If this was Tyche, then where were Tymora and Beshaba? The Goddess of Fate gave Anbaixiu a brilliant smile, as if he were the only being in her sight. Tyche said with profound gratitude, "Thank you. It was you who helped me fulfill this wager and claimed the ultimate victory for me." "A wager?" Cyric felt all the more bewildered and could not help asking, "What wager? Were you two betting on me?" Though he had lost everything down to the bone, Cyric felt he at least deserved an explanation before he died. The Goddess of Fate was in high spirits and explained to Cyric, "No, this was a wager between Ao and myself. The portfolio of Destiny is far too grand; to the Overgod, it is a blasphemy. You know as well as I that when his wrath falls, all gods perish. From the moment I assumed the divine portfolio of Destiny, I knew my death was certain. "I even foresaw how I would die. Just like a mortal, I once trembled with dread and anxiety over the impending end. But in the end, I came to terms with it, and so I made a wager with Ao. I would die in a ludicrous manner, exactly as fate foretold, but I would inevitably be resurrected. And when that happened, I could become the true Goddess of Fate. "Though I did not yet know who you were back then, you did not let me down, my most devoted follower." Seeing the smug satisfaction on the Goddess of Fate's face, Anbaixiu muttered angrily, "Bullshit destiny." The Goddess of Fate took no offense; instead, she covered her mouth and giggled like a little girl who had pulled off a successful prank. "You claim you're unwilling, yet in the end, you still chose to save me." Seeing the change in Anbaixiu's expression, however, the Goddess of Fate immediately reined in her smile and addressed him with utmost solemnity: "Willing or not, you ultimately deduced the truth and chose to help me fulfill this wager. Thank you. My gratitude is entirely sincere." The reason the Goddess of Fate could be revived was that Anbaixiu had used the resurrection scroll gifted to him by the Lord of the Dawn. A resurrection scroll personally authorized by Ao, devoid of any restrictions. So long as a name was written upon it—even if not a true name—any living being could be resurrected according to the user's will, deities included. Anbaixiu had once daydreamed about reviving the First Goddess of Magic directly; that would have secured him the ultimate, unshakeable backing. Yet even he had never imagined this resurrection scroll would ultimately be spent on the Goddess of Fate. Now, faced with her thanks, Anbaixiu merely remarked coldly, "If destiny is predetermined, then even if it weren't me, someone else would have saved you." "But not so soon. Who knows how much longer I would have had to wait before returning to this world." The Goddess of Fate did not dispute Anbaixiu's words. Destiny could not be altered; all that was fated would inevitably come to pass. The moment she fell, her eventual resurrection was already sealed. Even against Ao, she knew she would win this wager. Such was the confidence of the Goddess of Fate. "However, while I knew I would be revived, I could never foresee the specific details. I am certain you are my most devout follower, yet I know nothing about you. Would you indulge my curiosity, then?" The Goddess of Fate looked at Anbaixiu with eager anticipation, like a young girl asking for a treat. Cyric was just as curious. Even now, he could not fathom what had transpired. Anbaixiu had needed to do nothing at all to win everything. Yet not only had he expended the most precious resurrection scroll imaginable, he showed not a shred of reverence for the Goddess of Fate. Why squander such a treasure to revive her? A resurrection scroll bestowed by Ao—what an invaluable relic! Even if Cyric were slapped to death right now, that scroll could have restored him to life and returned his divine portfolio. Well, whether he would immediately lose his portfolio again after resurrection would depend on him. In any case, Ao was that omnipotent. With a single thought, the Overgod could cast all deities down into the mortal realm, forcing them into a battle royale. If Ao wished to slaughter gods, deities like the Lord of Knowledge or the Goddess of Magic would all perish without even the ability to resist. Yet the Goddess of Fate had wagered against Ao—and won. Cyric looked back and forth between the Goddess of Fate and Anbaixiu, feeling that both of these deities were utterly insane—crazier than he had been when brainwashed by *The Cyrinishad*. What was the purpose behind this madness? Looking at the goddess who appeared like a young maiden before him, Anbaixiu felt a surge of emotion. All these years, where had all of fate's sweeping kicks and uppercuts come from? Today, perhaps, he would finally have his answer. "You ask why I resurrected you. Why not answer a question of mine first? Everything I've endured over the years—did you arrange it all? Did destiny truly decree that I must suffer through all of it?" The Goddess of Fate shook her head. "Not at all. You might not believe me, but I have never scripted the destiny of any mortal or deity. The moment I became the Goddess of Fate, I knew I was doomed to die for blaspheming Ao. And I understood then that it was not I who commanded destiny, but the existence of destiny that gave birth to me. "Can you understand what I mean?" Anbaixiu fell silent for a long time before finally speaking: "As expected, just as I guessed. A mad friend of mine once asked me why, even after ascending to godhood and gaining immunity to the heat of magma, her instinct upon seeing molten rock was still to assume it could be used for suicide. "At the time, I had a flash of intuition, as if grasping a vital key, but I couldn't piece it together. Only today do I understand what I was thinking then. "I was thinking of the birth of concepts. She was born mortal, and in her memories, magma was something that killed. You were born from destiny, so just like every divination wizard, you knew destiny was inviolable. "That is your nature, and it is the fate shared by all divination wizards. Just as the Lord of the Dawn cannot act against his own portfolio, neither can you. From the moment the concept of destiny was born, you too were nothing more than destiny's slave. "So no one ever arranged my life. "The world was simply as it was, and I merely happened to encounter it." Anbaixiu's voice was tranquil, showing none of the agitation one would expect from receiving the answer to a lifelong quest. A deity might fake a calm exterior, but this was Avernus—this was Anbaixiu's divine realm. A god's emotions were reflected directly across the world. If there were even a shred of turmoil in Anbaixiu's heart, storms would surge across this layer of Hell. Surprised, the Goddess of Fate could not help asking, "It seems this was not the answer you sought." "No, I was plagued by this question for hundreds of years," Anbaixiu answered plainly. "I have wept bitter tears over it and wailed in despair. Every divination wizard turns against destiny in the end, striving to break free from its web to claim true freedom, only to die horribly beneath destiny's retribution. "Yet the moment I chose to resurrect you, I realized something. The moment I chose to rebel, I had already attained the freedom I sought. Just as choosing to revive you was an act of my own free will." The Goddess of Fate looked at Anbaixiu with astonishment, clearly taken aback by his words. The man before her was seemingly far more than a follower of destiny; from Anbaixiu, she heard insights she herself had never grasped. She blinked, her eyes alight with anticipation. "Why do you say that?" Anbaixiu glanced at her, explaining as though instructing a pupil: "My beloved Rose was a victim of the Ryan Empire's twisted system, but she was not the only one. She chose to rebel, while others chose compliance. Countless lovers across the world are torn apart by distance, yet my friend Gareth chose to sever his own soul just to remain with his beloved. Innumerable mortals lose both parents, yet only Aige chose to ascend to godhood to bring her father back. "And Harvey, my most accomplished student. While all other divination wizards rebelled against destiny, Harvey chose, as he always had, to accept every arrangement destiny handed him." Anbaixiu smiled and extended his right hand, shooting out a ray of light that refracted into rainbow hues midair. "Destiny is this beam of light. Even if we spend our entire lives unable to evade it or alter its path, when that light falls upon us, our free will decides what light we reflect back. Whether to despair, to sink into ruin, to rise in rebellion, or to accept our lot... it all stems from our own choice. "We cannot control destiny, but we have always had control over our own minds. "Destiny is merely an inevitable natural disaster, just as mortals are doomed to die from the very moment they are born. The set future cannot be changed, but how one spends this life to greet that certain death is each person's freedom. "And so, I am no longer obsessed with whether destiny can be changed. O Goddess, I am no longer your follower." Anbaixiu's words brought a sorrowful look to the Goddess of Fate's face. She could tell he meant every word. He had just pulled her back to life from the river of time, only to turn around and declare he no longer believed in destiny. Divination wizards truly were always like this—fickle scoundrels who seduced only to abandon. The Goddess of Fate sighed and asked one final question: "Yet you still haven't answered my question. Since you've seen through all of this, why resurrect me? I am clearly no longer important to you, so why did your free will choose to bring me back?" Anbaixiu broke into a radiant smile and told the Goddess of Fate, "You ask why I resurrected you? The answer is very simple: because there's something I've wanted to do for a very long time." Anbaixiu walked up to the Goddess of Fate and slowly raised his right hand. He raised his middle finger to destiny. At that instant, countless bolts of thunder sparked and died across Hell, and torrential rain poured down as if to drown all of Avernus. Yet soon, the dark clouds parted completely, and across the dusky sky arched a rainbow spanning the entirety of Hell.