Klyde's gaze fell on the veiled goddess.
"Haha, am I wrong?"
The goddess was silent, however, she was disturbed. She realised that she had been played. This boy in front of her had been acting ignorant to probe her.
Klyde continued, "Among all the celestial beings I know, the one most notable for stealing others' fate and erasing them out of existence is the Goddess of Stars, Arnagentes. I wonder, did you perhaps have an unlucky encounter with her?"
The veiled goddess trembled at Klyde's words. "You... who are you? Are you not someone from beyond the barrier? How could you know the true name of that person?"
Klyde wore a contemplative look. He then spoke with a faint smile, "There's a lot I know. In fact, I also know that before Arnagentes had become the righteous goddess of today, she had massacred countless in her youth due to the true nature of her constellation. I even know a few of her weaknesses if you're interested."
The goddess frowned. Even an idiot could tell that he was trying to draw her in with his words.
However, his words held some truth.
That goddess, Arnagentes, was her mortal enemy who had stolen her fate in that war countless years ago.
During that battle, if she had been a fraction too careless, she would have lost her life completely, however, she had managed to escape with a wisp of her soul.
But as a consequence, she had her fate stolen, essentially becoming powerless and without any means to grow stronger, and unable to interact with the physical or spiritual world.
She was trapped, without a body, lurking in this dark space for thousands of years.
Waiting and waiting.
Then, to her fortune, came an anomaly from outside the barrier.
A boy whose soul was untouched by the fate of this world.
A being she could interact with.
With the minuscule divinity she had left, she had immediately concealed his presence. Then, once the time was right, she had summoned his soul into this space.
At first, she had wanted to trick him into becoming subservient, or at least make a deal where she would conceal his presence in exchange for granting her freedom.
However, now she was hesitant.
She didn't have a read on Klyde anymore.
He was simply too unfathomable.
No, he had the demeanour of a celestial being!
At this thought, she became more certain.
This was a god from outside the barrier!
"Well, perhaps I've said too much," Klyde added casually. "After all, it's not like I'm trying to make myself an enemy out of you."
The goddess narrowed her eyes behind the veil. Her voice was low, asking once more, "Who are you really? No, what are you after?"
Klyde's expression shifted slightly
"Do you believe in fate?"
His sudden words caught her off-guard.
"What?"
Klyde met her gaze calmly. "Fate... do you believe that it binds all things, even celestial beings, including those who control it?"
She was silent, watching him carefully.
"Well," Klyde continued, "I do."
He rested his elbows on the table. "You see, I reincarnated myself. I used a technique from an ancient wall of text. It was a language long forgotten by gods and mortals alike containing mysterious powers. It allowed me to bypass the barrier and cast away the chains of my original world."
Klyde was lying as naturally as he breathed. But his delivery was flawless.
Though, that ancient wall of text did technically exist — being the app on his phone which displayed the novel...
However, it achieved the desired result he wanted as the goddess stilled at his words.
A heavy silence settled.
Then Klyde spoke again, "What I said about fate was how it brought me here. Our circumstances are similar. One had lost his divinity after reincarnating, and the other is a hollow husk of her former self."
Klyde paused, before continuing, "It would be quite easy for someone to kill me, however, out of all the celestial beings that could have detected me, it was a goddess who had her fate stolen and without any means to harm me. It's quite the coincidence, is it not?"
Klyde smirked inwardly, thanking himself for his initial act of calmness a moment ago. It allowed him to transition into someone who seemed unfathomable much easier.
'You must think I'm not as simple as you initially thought. And after revealing my knowledge of a true name, of your mortal enemy no less, despite my origins being from outside the barrier... it was only natural that you'll question my identity,' Klyde mused, reading her thought process.
Klyde was after something. He was trying to make them seem like they were equals.
While he could quickly end their interaction here as both of them are wary of each other, he also considered the next god who will notice his transmigration due to his "otherworldly scent" from his soul.
Would he survive another meeting with a god?
He wouldn't bet on it.
This goddess was the only and best option he had on surviving as she was weak and desperate.
Klyde continued, "Thus, I have a proposal. An exchange that'll benefit us both. As long as you conceal my presence from the eyes of those celestial beings, I'll help you reclaim your stolen fate."
The goddess didn't reply immediately. She seemed to waver, her fingers tapping against the table.
After a long pause, she finally said, "It's a tempting offer, however, I do not trust you."
She didn't care if accepting the offer made her a traitor. What unsettled her was the god before her, a being from beyond the barrier, unreadable and incomprehensible
Klyde wasn't surprised at her response. Instead, he thought of something to convince her.
However, before he could reply, she continued, mumbling, "Still… an existence from outside the barrier..."
She contemplated deeply. It would likely be her only chance at escaping this predicament of being fateless and without identity.
She couldn't even remember her name after having her fate stolen, her existence being completely erased. Apart from Arnagentes, there was likely not a single soul that remembered her.
However, making a deal with someone like Klyde was simply too risky...
After a moment of silence, she said, "Perhaps… instead of an exchange…"
She raised her hand and swept it through the void.
Starlight shimmered, forming glowing golden glyphs in the shape of a contract.
"Let's make a contract of binding."
Klyde's expression barely changed, but inwardly, he frowned.
A contract of binding...
He'd read about such things in the novel. Neither party could harm the other out of malice. Moreover, if one died, so did the other.
It was meant for desperate people seeking allies.
However, it could also be broken if both parties decided to break it.
Klyde stared at the glyphs.
He pondered deeply. He was acting like a god, but he knew full well that he was only a mortal.
If any true gods noticed him, he had no way to hide.
This was the only option that gave him even a sliver of hope of surviving once he exited this dark space.
"Very well," he finally said, a tinge of reluctance in his voice. "A contract of binding."
The goddess didn't hesitate. Her fingers danced through the air, drawing a sigil of starlight bound by dark threads of divine essence.
The glowing symbols solidified in front of him.
"I offer concealment against celestial beings," she spoke softly.
Klyde stared at the contract for a moment, then said, "I offer help to retrieve your fate."
Because he was beyond the barrier, he could interact with something the goddess created.
As his hand touched the glowing glyphs, a cold heat passed through his fingers.
And then, in the depths of both their souls, the contract was seared and binded to them.
It was done.
Inwardly, Klyde sighed in relief.
He managed to get what he was after.
With this, he could avoid the gazes of those gods without fear. However, as a consequence, he was now entwined with this goddess.
While she was in a weakened state, he still knew better than to underestimate her. Someone capable of rising to become a celestial being was not someone to be trifled with.
If not for her current circumstances, let alone tricking her, he would've likely been played like a fiddle — his thoughts and emotions read, and manipulated without even realizing it...
As for the deal to retrieve her fate, Klyde already felt a headache.
'How troublesome.' Klyde sighed inwardly. He didn't think his transmigration would get any more complicated, but it seems fate had different plans.
Klyde would essentially be helping her challenge a true god, one that was unfathomable and extremely dangerous, even with knowledge of her weaknesses.
And whether he could even grow strong enough to pose a slight threat...
'This is going to take a while...'
Klyde tapped his index finger on the table.
He shifted his gaze to the goddess.
"It looks like we'll be partners for some time," Klyde spoke, his tone measured.
The goddess snorted, seeing through Klyde.
"Enough with the pleasantries, we're simply using each other for our own separate goals."
Her initial demeanour as an amiable goddess had completely shattered.
"Tell me what you want."
Klyde smiled at her perceptiveness.
'I really got lucky. If it weren't for her circumstances, she definitely would have seen through my bluff.'
Deciding not to beat around the bush, he said, "I wonder if you have the star sequences of the Jester or the Scholar?"
The goddess was silent for a moment, before saying, "I've never heard of the former, however, as for the latter, I have the star sequences for Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 4. But if you want them, you must complete a request of mine."
Klyde nodded in agreement.
"Tell me the request first."
She answered, "Get me a physical body."
Klyde held up his chin and briefly pondered, 'As she doesn't have a fate, she's trying to use me to find a body so she can anchor herself into the physical world. However, since we're both binded by the contract, there shouldn't be any problems with this. Moreover, getting that constellation would benefit me extremely...'
If he made this deal, it would also save one of his cards. He had wanted to trade information about the weaknesses of gods, something quite priceless, for the star sequences he had asked for.
However, with her request, he could save this information for later when he truly needed it.
She continued, "The body must also have some talent and should be alive. If you accept, I'll tell you the ritual to help me possess the body."
Klyde nodded.
"Sure," he said after considering everything, before jokingly adding, "I'm guessing the gender doesn't matter as well?"
Klyde felt his body become slightly cold.
The goddess was likely staring icily at him behind her veil.
"Preferably a woman."
Klyde smiled, indifferent to the icy atmosphere.
"Very well, I accept your offer."
The goddess nodded.
"How would you like the information?"
Not worried about her tricking him anymore, Klyde replied, "Send it through our consciousness."
"Very well."
With those words, a faint glow soon shimmered between them as the goddess sent the information.
It was quick and painless.
Within seconds, the star sequences of the Scholar and its subsequent constellations settled into his memory.
After the exchange, the goddess then began explaining the ritual to Klyde.
Once she was finished, with nothing more to say to each other, the dark world began to unravel.
The darkness receded like a tide, and in the next moment—
Klyde blinked.
He was back and standing in the middle of his room as if nothing had ever happened.
He clenched his fist slightly, before loosening them.
'I made it out... with my life intact.'
Klyde let out a breath of cold air, still feeling the tension from moments ago.
He had bluffed and played with his life...
However, as a result, he had sorted out a lingering worry plaguing his mind by turning a calamity into a blessing!