Chapter 54: We and the Sea (I)

The air permeating the room was sliced open by Lilith’s voice.

She seemed to recall something.

“Beelzebub,” she began, a rare glint of light shimmering in those crimson eyes that usually reflected the joys and sorrows of all living things yet remained empty, “let’s make another bet.”

Beelzebub was currently buried in the sofa, her fingertips idly toying with a piece of popcorn. Hearing this, her movements paused. Then, as if she had discovered some rare curiosity, she slowly sat up straight from the soft cushions.

“Oh?” she drawled. “How rare. Our Lilith, seeker of the Eternal Play, is actually taking the initiative to invite me to a bet? The last time you were this interested, I’m afraid it was… heh.”

“Lately, while observing a human theater troupe, I came across a little game they play,” Lilith said, ignoring Beelzebub’s words. “A sort of… role-playing game. A few participants select identities, construct a story, and then — “

She paused slightly. Her pale, slender fingertips made an elegant gesture in the air, mimicking the grip and release of rolling dice.

“And then, they entrust the direction of fate to the random numbers determined by the fall of the dice. On a preset map, they walk toward unknown crossroads. It’s quite interesting, isn’t it? Binding one’s own will to randomness, performing joys and sorrows on a canvas of rules. The members of my troupe are quite fascinated by it.”

The moment her voice fell, a box manifested on the coffee table in front of her.

“What is this?” Beelzebub asked.

“The vessel for the game.” Lilith’s fingers brushed lightly over the lid.

“So?” Beelzebub arched an eyebrow. “You plan to let those little kids play this Lilith-exclusive version of house? And then bet on whether they can clear the stage you designed?” She curled her lip. “That’s so dull. The ending is either breakdown or survival; it lacks surprise.”

“No.” Lilith slowly shook her head. For the first time, her gaze fell upon Beelzebub with palpable intensity. In the depths of those red pupils, a light like cracking ice flickered slightly. “The content of the bet isn’t whether they can clear the game.”

“What I want to bet with you is this: At the end of this journey woven by dice and role-playing, will the gaze of the King you have your eye on choose to look at you, or at me?”

Beelzebub froze for a moment. Then, as if she had heard the most absurd joke in the world, she began to laugh softly. “Interesting, truly interesting. Lilith, where do you get this… confidence?” Her smile took on an unabashedly mocking tone. “Not long ago, the play you painstakingly arranged almost wiped out the existence of the person he treasures most. What makes you think that after experiencing all that, he would choose you?”

Facing this sharp interrogation, Lilith’s expression remained untroubled.

“Every single thing has a price, Beelzebub. This is a cornerstone that both you and I know — one we even depend on for our existence.” Her voice was soft, like a sigh, yet it carried an unquestionable weight. “Anger, hatred, fear… these intense emotions, just like love, attachment, and promises, can all be measured and placed on one side of a scale.”

“As long as,” she paused,

“The price placed on the other side is heavy enough, and… impossible to refuse.”

The room fell into a brief silence. Only that eerie box seemed to silently emit a whisper that enticed one to fall.

The mockery on Beelzebub’s face slowly faded. She stared at Lilith, as if seeing a certain part of her peer clearly for the first time.

After a long while, she licked the corner of her mouth, revealing a smile more excited and wilder than at any moment before.

“Fine,” she replied crisply, her eyes burning with an intense red light.

“The bet is on.”

***

‘Where… is this?’

Jiang Ming opened his eyes, adjusting to the unfamiliar light. He found himself in a small, tidy room. The four walls were paneled in light teak-colored wood.

Outside the single circular window, a boundless, deep blue sea stretched out. The sky hung low, almost merging with the waves.

He was on a ship. In the silence, he could hear the low, rhythmic hum of the engine and the long, soft sound of the hull slicing through the waves.

‘Strange…’ He propped himself up, his thoughts quickly backtracking. The last moment of his memory was clearly fixed: he had opened the door leading to Elvira’s Dream. Yet, in the next instant, he had been thrown into this entirely unfamiliar reality.

‘I should go out and take a look first.’

He pushed open the door.

Outside was the wide, open deck. The sea breeze, carrying a salty tang, immediately hit his face. Directly in his line of sight, a uniquely styled dark wooden square table was placed quietly in the center of the forward deck, facing the vast horizon where the sea met the sky. A masked person stood in the center of the square table.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of three doors opening — clear yet slightly hurried — came from behind him.

Jiang Ming turned his head abruptly.

It was Lillian. Behind her stood Elvira and Elvia, their expressions carrying a shock they hadn’t yet managed to hide.

The gazes of the four people met silently in the damp air. Suspicion, confusion, and wariness — various emotions swapped rapidly in the silence like undercurrents.

Jiang Ming inconspicuously clenched his fist, sensing the flow of power within his body. An invisible sense of suppression vaguely existed, but it wasn’t strong. He quickly reined in his intent to test it. With Lillian here, he absolutely could not reveal any clues in front of her.

His gaze fell back onto the table.

Four high-backed chairs were arranged neatly around the square table.

The sea breeze swept across the deck, fluttering their clothes. In the distance, a long whistle from a foghorn pierced through the mist, slowly drifting away.

“Let’s go see.”

Jiang Ming looked at the square table that had appeared out of thin air, his voice calm. It sat there, completely out of place with the surrounding chaos, yet carrying a certain inevitable invitation. The way out of a place like this was often hidden within these kinds of abrupt creations.

Angels might not understand the human heart, but they had their own logic for doing things. Since the props had been presented, the path forward had been pointed out.

The group said nothing as they took their seats at the table one by one.

The masked figure stood silently at the head of the table. Seeing them, the figure’s chin lifted slightly.

“Welcome, everyone,” his voice filtered through the mask, “to the Isle of the End.”

In front of him, a map constructed of the sea and various archipelagos was spread out quietly. The small islands on it were exquisite and tiny. In certain areas, Jiang Ming could see several sharks pacing there, seemingly waiting for something.

At the bottom-left corner of the map, a small boat rested there.

Jiang Ming felt that this was no longer just a map, but a real world manifested in the name of a map.

Having finished speaking, the figure slowly pulled an object out from the pocket of his black robe.

A Twelve-sided Die lay quietly in his pale palm.

Jiang Ming’s lip twitched.

‘Is this damned Angel actually planning to play a TRPG Session with us?’

But remembering that they were Angels, all of this seemed quite logical.

Though he didn’t know what kind of trick Lilith was trying to play, it seemed he had no choice but to play this round.