GREED: ALL FOR WHAT?

The guest replied, "Yes, I am here to gloat."

The host grumbled. "Just make it quick. You have no sense of humor."

The guest didn't say anything. He just stared at the host and watched as he worked. The host continued their work even though it felt uncomfortable being stared at like that. But it won't surrender or the guest will win.

Rings of energy in different states circle the host in different layers. The tough stringy energy from the dark side of the universe is pulled into the bubble by the powerful mind of the host and drawn into the outermost ring. Then the heavy dark energy is drawn into the inner rings where it undergoes a series of changes due to the Order that is imposed on it by the Will of the world god. 

The heavy energy changes and is eventually transformed into its malleable form where it is mixed with Origin essence and chaos sparks. Then it is further transformed into matter within the innermost ring according to a certain blueprint. The entire process of dark energy transformation into matter creates the cubes that are flying about and then arranged by the dazzlingly fast thousands of hands to form a special pillar. 

The process is hard enough already without the guest tampering with the transformation process. They made a bet that whoever finishes first gets to trouble the other. So now the guest is tampering with the order in the rings by using its eyes to unravel it. It is making it extra difficult for the serpentine world god to do what he is doing. At this rate, he will have to spend the bulk of his efforts on maintaining the rings rather finish the forging.

The host finally caved in. "Ok, I have had enough. You win. Happy now?"

The guest nodded. "Very."

"You're a weirdo do you know that? Which world god enjoys a staring contest? That's just childish."

The guest retorted, "That's because you don't see what I see."

The eyes of the guest flashed mysteriously as it said that.

The host rolled his eyes. "Don't start with me on that you are blind shit."

"Fortunately for you, that is not part of the reason why I am here."

The serpentine world is genuinely relieved. He sighed and said, "Yes, fortunately for me."

So the guest promised with a smirk, "Maybe another time then.

The host groaned at that. Apparently, it isn't safe yet from the lecture about the personal theory that what you see is not all that is there to see. That the reality that we experience is subject to cognition and perception. That only a perfect eye and mind can see the universe for what it truly is. That lecture is boring and tedious. It is a boon that the guest is not here for the lecture.

"I am primarily here to inform you that everything is ready on my side. I wanted to check on you, gloat, and also collect my debt. So pay up."

The host groaned again. The staring contest is just a silly game. The major consequence of losing the bet is much more serious. The host's serpentine eyes shifted about as he schemed. His eyes fell on the pillars and he got an idea.

He coughed and started speaking. "How about we make another deal?"

The emotionless face of the guest didn't change. It asked in the same dull tone. "What do you suggest?"

"How about we bet on the winners of this little event? I'll give you triple your money if your side wins. Of course, you will lose all of your money if my side wins."

The guest appeared to think about it for a while before he replied. "I want 10-fold if my side wins."

The host yelled, "You thief. 4-fold increase."

"9 fold."

"5 fold increase. Final offer."

"8 fold."

The hoist said with an aggrieved shout, "6 fold. Final offer, you thief."

But the guest wasn't moved. "7 fold."

"6 fold."

The guest remained stubborn. "I want 7 fold."

"I'm only giving you 6." The serpentine world god said with visible physical and emotional pain that it can feel down in its world and world heart. Its poor world heart can't take more than 6 folds increase. It is already bleeding at the prospect of losing.

The guest considered it again. "Fine. 6 folds. Make the oath."

"I swear upon my world heart that I will give you 6 folds of the things that I owe you if your side wins the event of project displacement." The host swore, then he asked, "Happy?"

"Not yet. You know what I want."

"What? You don't trust me?" The host asked in that same aggrieved tone.

The guest replied emotionlessly, "No, I don't trust you."

The boat snorted before swearing again. "I swear that I will give you 6 folds of what I owe you anytime you ask for it as long as your side wins the competition."

"I'll leave now."

The guest having been satisfied turned to leave.

The host called after him with a laugh, "You just made a mistake. You should have collected your things just now. You will lose this bet."

The guest didn't turn back. It replied calmly, "You said the same thing last time."

The guest phased through the barrier of the bubble and returned to the dark side of the universe. He then chuckled and thought to himself. "And you wonder why I stare. It is to predict you. Now it seems you're going to make the same mistakes that your brethren made."

The battle sage monkey took some time to think about its numerous plans and schemes. This particular event is just a clog within the humongous machinations that it has set up. The serpentine humanoid didn't want to pay his debt and chose to risk an increase for its total removal. Its first mistake is starting a gamble with someone with his eyes, the eyes of the sage. But then again, can it be called a mistake if it is inevitable?