Chapter Eighteen: The Bargain with the Divine

After saying this, the deity residing in Sun Licheng’s mind secretly chuckled to himself: “When you’re outside, I do worry a bit. But as long as you dare to come in, I’ll have this fellow perform a few sets of Tai Chi—I refuse to believe I can’t handle you.”

Though he’d been lurking within Sun Licheng’s consciousness for some time, the deity had managed to glean a fair amount of information about Earth. He’d come to understand, in a rather direct way, the Tai Chi that harnesses the essence of heaven and earth, as well as the broadcast calisthenics that amalgamate the strengths of many schools. Knowing Sun Licheng’s ultimate goal was to return to Earth, the deity’s resolve to use Sun Licheng as his means of resurrection was further strengthened.

This time, when Sun Licheng accidentally stumbled into the forbidden ground where the gods had imprisoned the Flame Being, the deity knew there was no chance for him to reveal himself. If he did, the hostile gods would tear him apart, annihilating him entirely.

Thus, he changed his approach and decided to lure the Flame Being instead.

Gods awaiting resurrection usually enter their chosen vessel, the so-called “God’s Chosen,” and prepare the way for their return. As long as the Flame Being entered Sun Licheng’s body, the deity could harness his power, greatly increasing his chances of revival.

He saw it clearly—the Flame Being, despite its intimidating appearance, was in reality just a fragment of a divine spark. He was confident he could easily trick it. Of course, if the Flame Being performed well, he’d help him resurrect too; on Earth, this was what one called a win-win situation.

Although this vessel was that of a lowly goblin, it had been created by divine power, and that alone would make it hard for the Flame Being to refuse.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will surely carry on your will and never allow your greatness to be tarnished. However, Your Majesty, your divine curse is too conspicuous—it’s bound to attract the attention of those hound-like beings. I suggest you remove it,” the Flame Being said, overjoyed by such a gift and hastening to pay his respects.

“No problem, my inheritor. Follow your own ideas when you communicate with this interesting soul in a moment. Don’t mention my existence; let my honor slumber,” Sun Licheng replied with satisfaction.

The Flame Being bowed deeply, showing his obedience to Sun Licheng’s commands.

The deity within Sun Licheng’s body, seeing his plan unfold smoothly, couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief. “To think, I, the Lord of Stars, have to stoop to deceiving a junior—how shameful.”

In truth, the one residing within Sun Licheng was one of the oldest deities in this world—the Lord of Stars. Over ten thousand years ago, the gods of the celestial realm blamed him for a series of events—including the downfall of the goblin empire and the betrayal of the Earth Mother—thus igniting the first war among the gods. As a result, the mighty Lord of Stars fell.

In this world, the fall of a god does not mean true death. For millennia, the gods never ceased hunting this powerful spirit; countless God’s Chosen were crushed to dust in their search.

Eventually, the Lord of Stars had no choice but to forge a new body with divine power, hoping to avoid utter extinction. Unexpectedly, the vessel he placed his last hope in attracted Sun Licheng. Originally, Sun Licheng would have slowly accumulated strength in this world, and the Lord of Stars would have found a chance to regain control. But by a twist of fate, Sun Licheng stumbled upon the place where another fallen deity was to be resurrected, exposing both of them to their enemies.

At this moment, the Lord of Stars realized that controlling this body was a lost cause. As he’d said, it was the turning of the wheel of fate. Determined to preserve his own existence, the Lord of Stars ultimately decided to return the body to Sun Licheng. He believed that, posing as the God’s Chosen of the Flame Being, the other gods would never suspect his presence. This was, for now, his best option.

Having settled everything, the Lord of Stars awakened Sun Licheng’s soul and retreated into the depths of his mind.

With his departure, the light vanished from Sun Licheng’s eyes, and he collapsed onto the crimson ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

…

Lately, Sun Licheng had been losing consciousness more often, but this time, when he awoke, he found his body entirely restored.

“Was it you who saved me? Didn’t you say that upon meeting you, I’d have to die?” Sun Licheng asked the Flame Being before him, full of uncertainty.

The Flame Being coughed and said, “I changed my mind. It’s been thousands of years, and you’re the first God’s Chosen to enter here, though…” He faltered, searching for words before continuing, “Though your abilities are lacking and your appearance is far from what I’d imagined, the great me has decided to grant you the title of God’s Chosen nonetheless.”

“No need to say it—I know already. With this body, lacking both presence and ability, if it weren’t for me inhabiting it, it wouldn’t even have intelligence. A complete dud. Even I can barely stand it, so it’s a miracle you’re willing to settle for it,” Sun Licheng thought, clearly understanding the subtext. Of course, he wouldn’t dare say this aloud, lest he anger the Flame Being into incinerating him on the spot—then he’d truly have no tears left to cry.

Sun Licheng did his best to appear humble and respectful. “Great…”

“God! Remember, I am the great deity,” the Flame Being hastily interjected, worried Sun Licheng might say something inappropriate.

“Oh, great god, please forgive my rudeness. Might I ask what it means to be God’s Chosen? That way, I can do my utmost to fulfill your commands and not risk making mistakes that would delay your affairs,” Sun Licheng responded smoothly, climbing the ladder as any seasoned flatterer would. Having spent over forty years navigating life, Sun Licheng was no stranger to the art of currying favor. Now, faced with a deity, he instinctively reverted to his old habits of sucking up to superiors.

The Flame Being was quite pleased with Sun Licheng’s attitude and began to explain the origins and purpose of the God’s Chosen.

This world was called the Prime Plane, while the place where the gods resided was the Divine Realm. There also existed Hell and the Abyss.

The Divine Realm was far from peaceful—the gods often waged war over the most trivial matters. During these wars, gods frequently fell. Combined with their battles against the demons and devils of Hell and the Abyss, it became clear that even immortals could not truly live forever. To protect themselves and pass on their legacies, the Divine Realm established a rule of resurrection. If a god fell, he could use his divinity to summon a being as his God’s Chosen. The Chosen would receive the god’s blessing and extraordinary abilities. According to the Law of the Wheel of Order, he would help his god resurrect; this included finding the god’s body, gathering shattered soul fragments, building temples and churches, and recruiting followers. The God’s Chosen would also serve as the church’s archbishop, akin to a pope, accumulating the power of faith for his deity. Once the god was resurrected, the God’s Chosen would enter the god’s divine kingdom and gain eternal life.

After detailing the rewards, the Flame Being clearly expected Sun Licheng to express his gratitude. Instead—

“Just burn me alive. I quit!” Sun Licheng’s immediate reply nearly made the Flame Being fall flat on his face.

“Why refuse? You realize if you don’t comply, I’ll burn you to death and wait for the next candidate,” the Flame Being said, the threat in his tone unmistakable.

“I don’t care about immortality. I just want to go home to see my wife and children. If you burn me, maybe I’ll finally get to go back. Honestly, I’ve been trying to die ever since I got here, but I just can’t manage it. If you’re capable, kill me quickly and spare me the trouble,” Sun Licheng replied, shaking his head. With nothing left to lose, his flattery vanished, and once again he became a true man.

The Flame Being was taken aback. Now he understood why that other presence had said this soul was so interesting.

“How about this—complete the tasks of a God’s Chosen, and I’ll help you return home,” the Flame Being offered, switching to persuasion when intimidation failed, his voice now almost conciliatory.

That promise struck Sun Licheng right at his sore spot. He leapt up, nodding vigorously, and shouted, “I accept! I accept! As long as you can help me go home. But are you really capable of that?” He still harbored doubts.

“This world is not like the one you came from. Its rules are much stronger. Oaths are the most sacred element of the Wheel of Order. As a god, any promise I make is bound by the entire world. Since you came here from your world, I can send you back. Of course, not in my current state—you must complete my tasks and help me resurrect,” the Flame Being said, unfazed, with a laugh.

Hearing the certainty in his words, Sun Licheng lowered his head. Unsure of the highest etiquette in this world, and unwilling to kneel on both knees, he performed a formal European-style genuflection and solemnly pledged to the Flame Being, “I, Sun Licheng, am willing to serve you as my master in this world, spreading your glory far and wide. My lord, may I ask how I should address you?”

The Flame Being replied with pride, “My name cannot be revealed to you yet. Only when you have completed your mission and I am ready to return will you know it. For now, you may call me…”

“The God of Magma, Bradric.”

Here, the Flame Being paused before continuing.

“Boss, can’t you come up with something more normal? ‘God of Magma’ sounds like someone in modern society named ‘John Doe’—as anonymous as calling myself ‘Mr. Nobody,’” Sun Licheng muttered inwardly, rolling his eyes.

The Flame Being sensed Sun Licheng’s irreverence and found him even more intriguing. In all his long existence, every creature of the Prime Plane had shown him only awe—never had anyone treated a god with such nonchalance.

“Magma is indeed part of my divine domain, but due to certain reasons, I cannot reveal all my information to you yet. Only after you complete some of the tasks will I be able to tell you more. This is part of the rules,” the Flame Being patiently explained.

Sun Licheng finally understood. Since they were speaking of tasks, he asked his own question, “Great God of Magma, what must I do?”

“When I fell, my divinity was shattered into seven fragments, scattered throughout this world. Your mission is to gather all seven fragments and conduct the resurrection ritual to bring me back. Here is the first fragment—it will grant you great power,” the God of Magma said. With a gesture, a beam of light shot into Sun Licheng’s forehead, leaving a mark in the shape of a flame.

Immediately, Sun Licheng felt a flood of information pour into his mind. Before he could examine it, the God of Magma spoke again, “Because you already possess immortality, I bestow upon you the power of flame. The knowledge of how to train and use this power is already in your mind. The power of flame is incompatible with the curse still on your body, so I’ve removed all the poison from you.”

Sun Licheng quickly scanned the information on the power of flame in his mind, noticing it was all presented as images and that there were very few spells.

“My lord, why are there so few flame spells?” he asked, puzzled.

“Flame is my essence. My divinity is incomplete, so naturally magic is limited. Gather more fragments and you’ll have access to more magic,” the God of Magma answered with a smile.

“I knew it—no rabbit, no eagle. These benefits are pretty thin,” Sun Licheng thought to himself.

“Great master, with my frail body, I’m really lacking in material resources. Do you have anything else that might help me complete my mission more quickly?” Sun Licheng asked, looking up.

“What do you want?” the God of Magma inquired.

“Is there magic to create food out of thin air? The kind where you can conjure up whatever you crave?” Sun Licheng replied, practically drooling at the thought.

“Do you eat fire? Do you eat rocks? That’s all I have,” the God of Magma said with a deadpan expression.

Sun Licheng shook his head vigorously—of course, he wasn’t about to feast on flames or stones.

“Can I control rocks? Or metal?” Sun Licheng asked, inspired by the mention of rocks, dreaming of becoming like Magneto.

The God of Magma’s patience was wearing thin. “You can’t control rocks, but you can sense the material information in the earth. Now, I grant you the ability to guide elements. As for earth magic, those are in the other fragments,” he said, sending another beam of golden light into Sun Licheng’s forehead.