304 Garden Eden (2/2)

Ouroboros got off without an apology and let the teen get back onto his feet.

\”Merlin's not here now. I think we can talk? Gaia told me that there was a keeper for this garden. That's you, right?\”

Ouroboros flicked its tongue. \”That's right. You should also have heard the rumours about me if that was the case. Aren't you afraid?\”

Zero laughed. \”Do you want me to be afraid of you?\”

The snaked smiled. \”Answering a question with a question? Interesting. We can do this. How about a game and then I'll answer your questions if you win.\”

Zero felt his spirit burn at the mention of games. He loved playing games. As a competitive person with Gugu and Jevy's memories, he couldn't afford to lose. Gambling was his Divine Fragment's speciality.

Ouroboros chuckled. This young one might be talented but he sure was naive. If you could fool this teen into agreeing to sell him his soul, it would be so easy to take this boy into the garden and make him the fertiliser for his precious Tree of Knowledge.

\”Let's make things more interesting by making bets. If I win, you will not resist any magic I cast on you. After all, nobody who enters Garden Eden leaves alive or remembers it.\”

Zero agreed in a heartbeat. \”If I win, you will let me into Garden Eden to check out the situation and give me control over the garden to do whatever I want with it, including the Tree of Knowledge.\”

Ouroboros bristled at that and hissed menacingly. Zero still remained calm with a slight smile on his lips. The nerve of that brat to demand such a thing from him... as the arrogant guardian of this garden, Ouroboros decided to raise the stakes. He agreed to it and proposed a simple game that was going to be obviously rigged.

It didn't matter what options Zero chose, he was going to lose and become fertiliser.

\”Let's play a game called two truths and one lie. I will tell you three facts. Of these three facts, you need to choose the one that is a lie and bring up evidence for it. Lucky guesses don't count.\”

Zero sighed. Did the snake really think he was that foolish as to not know what the intention was? Still, the young doctor agreed. He had an ace up his sleeve anyway.

\”Alright. As long as I have the evidence, you will concede defeat, right?\”

Ouroboros grinned. \”Exactly. Shall we begin?\”

Zero was given three facts and raised a brow. Did the snake not even bother to hide his intentions at all? It was too obvious which ones were lies.

1. The Tree of Knowledge is at least as old as Gaia if not more

2. The Tree of Knowledge can bear 118 different fruits

3. The Tree of Knowledge is the only tree in Heaven that doesn't wither without water

\”So all I have to do is identify the lie hidden within these statements?\” Zero asked.

Ouroboros grinned. \”Too difficult?\”

Zero laughed. \”Not at all. However, I think you need to be a little clear on the definition of a lie. If two half-truths make a lie then I guess this is alright. However, if it doesn't then I would like you to make some revisions.\”

The snake didn't move for a long time and stared at Zero with its eyes. Was this brat actually really smart and simply hiding it? How could he tell?

\”Simple,\” Zero answered the guardian's unasked question. \”I have something that you don't. Why don't you use your appraisal on me? After eating so many fruits from the tree of Knowledge, surely you would have attained a certain level of intelligence capable of doing so.\”

Ouroboros did that and nearly fainted. The number of blessings and skills this child had was terrifying to even a deity like him. This brat was as powerful if not more powerful than the wizard he let go earlier. The true monster between those two wasn't the old man but the young teen. How unexpected!

Knowing that he was caught in a trap, the snake tried to flee but Zero was faster. He caught Ouroboros in hand and added sealing spells so that the snake couldn't try anything funny.

\”Let me explain. The second fact is the truth. The Tree of Knowledge must have been able to produce that many fruits over the years. However, the first fact and the third fact are tricky. They aren't necessarily lies but the way you phrased them made their meanings ambiguous. I know for a fact that the third statement isn't true because there can be fake trees that do not need water and wouldn't wither without it. If you require evidence, I could simply create on now to make that statement a lie. As for the first fact, because you are unsure about how the tree came about, you simply used Gaia's unknown age as a comparison and made a gamble that it could be older. However, I know for a fact that this isn't true. The Tree of Knowledge that you are guarding right now has actually died once.\”

Ouroboros' eyes widened at that claim. This was something that not even the Great Gods knew about. Indeed, the Tree of Knowledge had died once when the plane broke apart. If he didn't fuse his spirit with the tree, it would never have lived till now.

Just how did Zero find out?!