Since he could only stay for twenty minutes this time, Xia De had no choice but to avoid topics that would drive Mr. Riddle mad and patiently inquire about the situation here.
When Xia De expressed his desire to know about this room, the scruffy-bearded man lowered his voice, his bloodshot, swollen eyes fixed on Xia De with a miserable smile:
"Terror Castle has no exit; you can only enter, not leave. But a few existences can help us escape in other ways. Sir, look at this!"
He pointed to the square table in the center of the room, the oil lamp only illuminating half of it:
"This looks like a table."
"What is it actually?"
"It's actually a table too! But don't be disappointed; this table is what those Witches call a relic! This table can summon a god! I've thoroughly researched it; by using this table, which is sealed here, to win against a god in a gamble, you can make a wish to him, and then we can get out!"
"A relic that summons a god? Win against a god in a gamble?"
Although he trusted the judgment made by the woman's voice in his ear, Xia De instinctively took a step back, moving away from Mr. Riddle:
"Speaking of which, how do you eat here?"
He asked subtly:
"I'm a little hungry. Do you have any food suitable for human consumption?"
"That's simple. In a previous adventure, I obtained a relic that can transform any ordinary item into food."
Without any guard, Mr. Riddle took out a palm-sized, flat hexagonal bronze metal box from under his robe and handed it to Xia De.
Xia De hesitated for a moment before taking it and confirming that it was indeed a relic. The lid could be opened, and inside were some small biscuits.
"This can transform any ordinary item into food, but the taste isn't good, and it makes people crave the original item. I usually use the stones and dust here, but I've tried, and even feces can be transformed."
Mr. Riddle introduced, and Xia De, thinking he had heard about this from Priest Augustus, lost all interest in the small biscuits.
He was very interested in how this "Prophet" acquired this relic. Considering that the other party was just an ordinary person, Mr. Riddle was definitely the most admirable ordinary person he had ever met. But that memory was also blurred; Mr. Riddle could only say it was an adventure from a long time ago but couldn't remember the specific details.
Returning the relic to Mr. Riddle, the scruffy-faced middle-aged man smiled happily:
"Getting drinking water is a bit more troublesome. Fortunately, it's very humid here, and with simple methods, you can collect some dew when the temperature changes significantly each day. Are you thirsty? I still have some left."
"No, no, I still have some water on me. I actually am..."
He wanted to fabricate his identity, but Mr. Riddle shook his head:
"You don't have to tell me. As long as you're human and want to get out, that's enough."
"Yes, I also want to get out."
Xia De said, taking out a wooden tube filled with water from his pocket and handing it to the other party:
"Do you need water? I have a lot."
Taking the container Xia De offered, he hesitated for a moment, licked his chapped lips, then pulled out the stopper and gulped down all the water, head tilted back. Xia De shook his head with emotion:
"This gamble, I'm afraid you'll have to play it. I can only help you from the side."
Although he was very interested in this so-called "gamble with a god," the Father of Infinite Trees required him to help Mr. Riddle, not for Xia De to personally participate in the gamble.
"Of course. I found this room, and I won't put my hope of escape into someone else's hands."
Mr. Riddle, having finished the water, said, thanking Xia De somewhat wearily:
"I'm not even sure if you're an illusion I'm having on the verge of collapse."
"Just think of me as someone sent by a god to help you."
Xia De said casually:
"By the way, Mr. Riddle, which god do you believe in? I didn't hear clearly when you were praying just now."
"Mr. Huan."
The middle-aged man said very seriously, drawing a roughly circular holy emblem on his chest. Xia De thought for a moment but seemed to have never heard of this god:
"Excuse me, this is..."
"No need to apologize. This is an ancient god who presides over Destiny and Reincarnation. Many believe he has departed, but I and my companions once glimpsed the deeds of this great one in ancient texts. Mr. Huan is a true creator god, an ancient god greater than all known gods."
From his description, this Mr. Huan was very likely an ancient god corresponding to all things are impermanent Destiny.
Thinking this way, in the fifth epoch, when the ancient gods had already departed, the ancient god of Time sent Xia De from the sixth epoch to save a loyal believer of the ancient god of Destiny. Xia De truly seemed to be someone sent by a god to help this gentleman.
"I've lived in Terror Castle for a long time, but I still couldn't uncover any of its secrets. One day, not long ago, I finally accepted my death fate, and when I calmed down to offer my last prayer to my Lord, it was as if Destiny led me to this room, and I understood how to use this relic."
"How did you understand?"
Xia De asked curiously, then suddenly widened his eyes. He suddenly thought of a possibility:
"You didn't hear a voice in your heart, your own voice, did you?"
He suspected he had encountered the first Ring術士 in history, but the voice in his ear just now clearly said that the other party was just an ordinary person. Moreover, Ring術士 in the fifth epoch should all be women.
"No, no, although my mind is on the verge of collapse, it hasn't reached that point yet."
Mr. Riddle shook his head:
"When I entered, the corpses by the wall all chanted together. You can't imagine how terrifying that scene was. They told me about this place, and how to use this inconceivable-grade relic, the 'Gambling God's Table,' as they called it. I also learned that all the languages here could be understood because I understood their different languages. I was so scared then that I lay on the floor unconscious for I don't know how long before I woke up. Sorry, my pocket watch broke a long time ago."
Even if it hadn't broken, the pocket watch might not have been useful. This place, like Hope Town and Thousand Tree Forest, was a place without a clear sense of time. Even Xia De's Time Perception could only tell him that it was winter of the fifth epoch, 1784.
But when Xia De elevated his Time Perception to the point where he could discern the true time of the sixth epoch, he would also be able to know more specific times in such strange places.
"Sir, I was still hesitating whether I should sit at the gambling table, and then you appeared. I think now is the time; it's time to begin. Even if I have to gamble with a god, I must face it."
Mr. Riddle nodded seriously at Xia De, and Xia De also nodded:
"Then let's begin, Mr. Riddle. I will help you until the gamble ends."
"That would be great. Having someone to talk to by my side is much better than being alone, no matter what you are."
He probably still suspected that Xia De was just an illusion he was having on the verge of mental breakdown.
