Chapter 591 - 544: "Did I come at a bad time?

A prompt from the Eye of Destiny appeared before Shi Ming. After he had killed Candela, the dancing characters seemed much more cheerful—

[You’ve come at just the right time?]

[Wrong!]

[You’ve actually come at the wrong time! (Smug face)]

[You have arrived at the Divine Satellite in the body of the Time Giant, only to walk into a long-planned backstabbing. Just as he once betrayed a god, Bertutan has now laid a trap for his former ally, Amonev. His goal is to force her to hand over the Divine Remains, the "Heart of Chaos," which she has sealed away in the Sea of Fallen Stars within her Divine Country.]

[His scheme was supposed to be foolproof, but you have now introduced an unexpected variable.]

[Your current identity is Candela.]

[Amonev is already at the end of her rope. In order to survive the 1-v-2 assault, she has exhausted a great deal of her power and trump cards. Worse, she is afflicted by the mini version of ’Zero’s’ skill, ’Primordial Cone.’ It will be nearly impossible for her to fight alongside you; the most she can do is try not to hold you back.]

[So, you truly have arrived at the worst possible moment. As Candela, you must make a choice within three seconds:]

[Choice A:]

[Help Bertutan deal with Amonev.]

[This choice is the most consistent with your persona.]

[The already precarious scales of battle will tip decisively, and Amonev’s defeat will become a certainty. However, your help is more of a bonus than a necessity. Bertutan and Herakrode have already formed a solid alliance, so your assistance is largely meaningless to them—in fact, it’s just an unexpected complication. When the dust settles, there’s a chance you’ll become their ally, but there’s also a chance you’ll become their next target.]

[This is very consistent with their personas.]

[Choice B:]

[Help Amonev deal with Bertutan and Herakrode.]

[This would be out of character for Candela, the Time Giant.]

[Bertutan and Herakrode are no fools. They will quickly realize the real Time Giant has died at your hands. Out of caution, they will do everything in their power to attack and annihilate you. You will become their top priority, and all aggro will shift from Amonev to you. Meanwhile, Amonev is in no state to help you much. In all likelihood, you will have to face the full might of two pseudo-gods alone, which will be no easy task.]

[Whatever you decide, do it quickly. The instant you step out of the Teleportation Vortex, the three pseudo-gods will have already noticed you...]

...

...

...

’What a mess!’

’I’m only one stop away from the Primordial Star, and all roads lead to Rome, yet I just had to run into them here of all places. And the timing is so damn awkward! It’s as awkward as stopping by a neighbor’s house only to find Old King flirting with the hostess.’

’I can’t advance, and I can’t retreat.’

’And Amonev, aren’t you supposed to be the Friend of the Secret? Possessor of the strongest defense and the lowest aggro?’

’How did you get so weak?’

’I even had your girl warn you, but I guess you never found an opportunity to take them out. Instead, you became their prey. No wonder the Heart of Chaos has never acknowledged you, even after all this time!’

"Are you all reminiscing about the old days, fighting shoulder to shoulder?"

"Mind if I stretch my legs a bit, too?"

The Time Giant’s body swelled, growing to five, then ten, then thirty meters in height. Gold and silver mystic runes shimmered across his form. He had rapidly assessed the situation and made his choice—

Not A,

and not B!

Another god had joined the fray. Though his tone was lighthearted, Shi Ming aimed directly for Amonev. His surging divine might shook the battlefield, and the situation took another drastic turn. This plunged Amonev deeper into despair. Even in a 1-v-1, her skills had been countered by the Time Giant. Now, in a 1-v-3, the outcome of the battle would soon be beyond doubt!

But she also knew there was no love lost between Candela and Bertutan, which presented an opportunity she could exploit—

"Candela! You command destiny itself! Can you not see the situation for what it is?"

"Do you know why Bertutan is attacking me!?"

"He wants to collect as many forms of divine authority as he can to become a true god!"

"He has coveted your Sand of Destiny for a long time; he’s just pointing the butcher’s knife at me first. Once I fall, you will be their next target!"

Amonev tried to turn Candela to her side, all while fending off the attacks of the other two.

’At the very least, I can’t let him truly form a united front with them!’

Bertutan, however, just scoffed.

"Heh. A pointless argument. Candela, Amonev betrayed us, and she betrayed you. On the surface, she was exploring the First Civilization Cosmic Country with us, but in secret, she was colluding with that Shi Ming. They’ve been in league for some time. If that weren’t so, why would Uncle Tian be standing with me now? I don’t intend to actually kill her. Just help me capture this traitor, and the truth will soon be revealed."

Bertutan had casually fabricated a baseless accusation. He never expected that he had accidentally spoken the truth.

For him, it was merely the most logical pretext for his attack.

’He couldn’t let his prize slip away. The arrow was already nocked; he had to let it fly. Stopping was not an option. This was the perfect opportunity. If he missed it and allowed the Friend of the Secret to catch her breath, she would use [Conceal] to escape into the Sea of Fallen Stars. He would never get another chance. And with her departure, the Heart of Chaos would become an unattainable fantasy.’

’After going through so much trouble to find the whereabouts of a piece of Divine Remains, how could he possibly let it go?’

The Time Giant seemed to have been persuaded. He nodded.

"Just as I thought."

"If that Shi Ming didn’t have an inside contact, how could he have evaded our senses in the Tomb Star Realm? How could he have moved about like a fish in water and seized control of the nascent Cosmic Country’s core so quickly? It seems it was truly you, Amonev, who used [Conceal] to help him."

"Bertutan,"

"I will help you!"

The thirty-meter giant let out a furious roar as the mystic runes covering his body flared to their absolute limit, even beginning to burn. This was the Time Giant’s trump card: his innate skill, [Gold and Silver Era], which he rarely ever revealed.

’This simple-minded brute!’

Bertutan cursed inwardly. ’If he actually kills her, my whole plan will be ruined!’

But he couldn’t stop him now. All he could do was hold back, retracting his own killing blow to prevent the already-weakened Amonev from truly perishing under the combined assault.

ROAR—

The giant’s body, composed of silhouettes from different timelines, experienced a massive boost to all its physical attributes. It borrowed the threefold power of the past, present, and future, layering them into a single, overwhelming force! And just as this terrifying and unstoppable blow was about to strike Amonev, Shi Ming’s true objective was finally revealed!