After Being Sold Out By The Empire, I Decide To Assist The Demon King

"..."

"..."

"What's wrong? Why aren't you talking?"

Serpent asked the two people sitting at the table. In front of her was a chessboard... black and white pieces mixed together. She picked up a piece and pondered, looking like a sophisticated player.

However, she only knew how to play Gomoku and couldn't even beat Yila.

As for besides Yila who was here...

"We meet again."

The young goddess said, smiling bitterly while she looked at the chessboard in the World Tree before her. She asked curiously, "What game is this? Is it called 'Chess'? It seems fairer than the game you invented, 'Cards.'"

Yes, fair... From an interesting point of view, stakes in chess naturally couldn't compare to the luck factors in cards, but it tested one's thinking and calculation abilities.

Of course, auto chess wasn't counted as 'Chess.'

To the young goddess's words, Serpent nodded in satisfaction and said, "Of course, I'll teach you how to play, and then you'll understand after a few rounds. It's very fun."

"Okay."

"..."

Seeing Serpent and the young goddess exchange and interact freely, Yila finally couldn't help but speak, "So, what's the situation with you two? Three days ago... I just bid farewell to you."

Clearly said, "See you again if we have the chance," but today when Yila came to the World Tree, he met the young goddess again.

"Well, to explain it simply, I went to the Divine Realm first and met Miss Serpent over there."

The young goddess said, listening to Serpent explaining the rules of 'Black first, then white,' while saying, "She infiltrated a part of the World Tree's power over there, so she could manifest from there."

To this, Serpent nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, I studied it carefully and found that my 'Corrupted Land' was treated by you and the elves because it was too ugly, so I changed my power form to an apple tree."

"Apples are sweet and delicious, grow quickly, don't squeeze other creatures' living environments, won't cause land mutation, and look pretty. If I had done this earlier, the elves definitely wouldn't have treated me like an enemy wanting to clear my power."

Serpent said, as if joking, like a plot from a second-rate comedy for redemption, but she was serious... even her words were indeed facts.

If at that time, instead of the bubbling purple-black swamp in the Silver Moon Tree Court and the elders not corrupted, trees bearing apples appeared, then clearly Yila wouldn't have needed to help save them.

Elves: Apples, delicious!

"Ah... sigh..."

Yila originally wanted to say something but ended up sighing. He admitted he didn't understand the other party's thought process and could only say helplessly, "Just because of your 'If I had done this earlier,' so many people died... but you clearly wouldn't care."

Indeed, Serpent wouldn't care.

"Because I'm strong, if you were stronger than me, then you could treat me any way you wanted."

Serpent said, confidently showing the young goddess who understood the rules to begin, proudly saying, "In Gomoku, normally the first move is guaranteed victory, but if the black piece makes a mistake, then the second move is guaranteed victory instead."

"..."

"Interesting, but... just forming three-three, three-four, or four-four works, right?"

Almost instantly calculating the guaranteed-winning variables, the young goddess blinked and placed a piece on the chessboard without hesitation, saying, "The person playing second can only rely on the first player making mistakes... is that why it's called 'Chess'?"

The young goddess seemed to understand something, lightly tapping the chessboard, looking at Serpent with an embarrassed expression, saying, "It's similar to chess cavalry formation; once the formation is straight to the end... the one who secures the position first, without mistakes, will surely win."

You even know straight to the end, but 'Chess' evolved from 'Weiqi.'

"Ahem..."

Serpent coughed twice, realizing the young goddess had calculated the guaranteed-winning moves. She waved and scattered the chess pieces on the board, saying, "I forgot to mention, besides that, there are forbidden moves and switching rules to limit the first player."

The young goddess: "..."

Yila: "..."

If you could counter her, maybe you'd avoid getting hit... even with all the rules added, you're surely no match for her, not the same level of calculation power at all.

"Don't worry, when I leave, you can play chess slowly."

Yila said, looking at the young goddess, asking, "And then? What happened then?"

"..."

"Then, Serpent exchanged an apple for your hard candy with me. The apple was amazing. After I ate it, I directly resolved the Calamity above Heaven, hardly used any strength."

The young goddess said lightly, showing a thoughtful expression, but she omitted the process of being thoroughly crushed by Serpent for some unknown reason.

Although it wasn't shameful, it felt strange coming from her.

"In other words, the Calamity above Heaven has been resolved?"

Yila asked skeptically, bypassing Serpent's nod, only believing after seeing the young goddess's nod... he let out a sigh of relief, or rather—finally letting out a sigh of relief.

"Hah... that's great."

Yila said, feeling a bit unreal, relievedly saying, "Finally... we dug out and burned the corpses, the Resurrection of the Dead Calamity is no longer a threat."

"All calamities... have ended."

Next, time to start farming crazily!

"..."

"The Resurrection of the Dead Calamity indeed isn't much of a threat now, but it has nothing to do with burning the corpses."

Serpent simply said, resting her chin, looking at Yila's questioning face, casually shaking her finger, saying, "The Calamity is Mana. Mana has no brains, so she can be deceived... rest assured, I will arrange it."

You arrange? That makes me more worried.

Seeing Yila's doubtful expression, Serpent hit the table, scolding, "Have I ever let you down, Golden Finger? You really, crossing the river and tearing the bridge! Ungrateful! Forgetting favors for profit! Repaying kindness with revenge!"

Yila: I haven't really taken revenge... not even allowed to doubt?

Seeing Yila silently rolling his eyes, Serpent shifted her tone and said, "You should adjust your mindset, get ready to face the world's destruction... I mentioned it before, didn't I?"

Yes, several times when meeting Serpent, Yila heard her say, seemingly the world was inevitably doomed.

"A clearer explanation would be better. I've indeed prepared for escape... but it's still hard to accept."

To Yila's words, Serpent pointed to the young goddess, saying, "Originally wanted to see if life's trajectory, like a protagonist, with calamity and god's fusion, could challenge the world itself... but it's impossible."

"Moreover, you seem to misunderstand, destined for destruction aren't some 'dimensions' but everything..."

"The difference between 'world' and 'dimensions,' we, the ones who crossed over, should know best."

...

Serpent: "You knew it long ago, didn't you? Meow~"

"..."

"Don't meow at me! I always thought I had a cat! Who knew it was you disguised all along?!"