Chapter 459: "Escaping With Their Lives" |
Mockery and Jeering!
When Cheng Shi threw open his arms and let himself plummet in, the winds of nothingness swept him high, then hurled him alongside the other players into this river that endlessly burst with kaleidoscopic change.
'Home again!'
Somehow, the instant Cheng Shi transformed into his spider web form, a wave of unprecedented relaxation washed over him.
No matter how good his relationship with Aph Ros was, that had always been borrowed turf. But here, he could finally say he'd arrived on "his own" territory.
The claim was arrogant, but the facts seemed to support it. Under the Fun God's watchful eye, Cheng Shi felt that at least he wouldn't encounter any real danger.
Though embarrassment didn't count.
The moment he dropped in, Cheng Shi "swam" a short distance outward and looked back with keen interest, eager to see what his "teammates" looked like through the Fun God's eyes.
But when he glanced back, he froze for an instant— then returned to normal just as quickly.
Hu Wei followed close behind. His good brother's image remained utterly unchanged— still a flung-out flatbread. Nothing to say.
The interesting part, though, was that this flatbread froze for a moment upon spotting the spider web Cheng Shi had become— and then whipped out the greatsword that looked like a golden apricot tree within Mockery and Jeering!
But Hu Wei apparently thought better of it and sheepishly sheathed the blade.
Cheng Shi watched all this with mixed feelings of amusement and exasperation.
His good brother seemed to have developed a bit of a trauma response to the spider web image. And no wonder— the last time he'd seen this web, Cheng Shi's body had been hosting a certain "Zhen Yi."
Long Jing had the most distinctive image. After falling, the acrobat became three constantly tangling juggling balls, each painted with a different pattern. After observing for a while, Cheng Shi realized the three designs were a war hammer, a flatbread, and a spider web...
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'The acrobat was treating the three of them as props?'
Recalling everything he'd witnessed at the Mediocre Person Society gathering, Cheng Shi guessed this acrobat— like himself— was skilled at impersonating others.
Hu Xuan was the last. When she dropped in, everyone's vision brightened for an instant, because her image in Mockery and Jeering matched her identity perfectly: a miniature, adorable sun.
Except the moment this sun fell in, it seemed drawn by some irresistible force— instinctively, involuntarily drifting toward Cheng Shi. And then... it hung itself directly on the spider web he'd become.
Yes. The sun had been captured. And suspended on the web!
Cheng Shi was dumbstruck. So was Hu Xuan.
This was her first time entering a creation of [Deceit]. Though everything here felt novel and fascinating, she was certain she hadn't actively "swum" toward Cheng Shi. She'd been pulled by a force she couldn't refuse.
Hu Xuan was curious but didn't ask— this clearly wasn't the place to discuss "internal" matters.
Cheng Shi was curious too, but his improvisational skills were far more seasoned than hers. He sensed the anomaly but chose not to stay silent. Instead, he suddenly spoke to Hu Xuan:
"#...#@¥%"
Hu Xuan, realizing the sound was being distorted, caught on immediately and replied: "...%*¥@#"
Then both fell silent simultaneously.
In any other setting, this exchange would have seemed bizarre. But here and now, in the eyes of the other three, it was perfectly normal.
Because Mockery and Jeering was simply that absurd a place.
Moreover, after this little interlude, Mo Li and the others were no longer surprised about the sun hanging on the spider web.
Everyone knew Cheng Shi and Hu Xuan were close, and that Hu Xuan had come specifically to rescue Cheng Shi. So whatever pose these two maintained within this river of change seemed... perfectly understandable?
Mo Li chuckled softly and let it go. From the moment he saw Cheng Shi's spider-web form, the Chief Grand Secretary in every player's eyes had already acknowledged this Fate Weaver's worth.
'Think about it: a Fate Weaver who's been summoned by [Fate], blessed by fortune, and who appears as the "web of destiny" even in [Deceit]'s eyes— how could such a person possibly remain obscure?'
'Blind One, oh Blind One. Your unassailable position as [Fate]'s Chosen One has finally met a formidable challenger.'
'A clash between two [Fate] followers— now that should be spectacular.'
Thinking this, Mo Li smiled knowingly.
But now wasn't the time to relax. The crisis wasn't fully resolved, and they couldn't afford to stop here. Hu Wei peered back toward the Void beyond, and seeing that Go Lis's Grudge hadn't pursued them this far, he called out to the group behind him and took the lead, "swimming" deeper in.
The others exchanged glances and followed. It wasn't until they'd traveled for nearly an hour that the Grand Marshal at the front finally stopped. The flatbread flipped itself around, facing the group.
He produced that apricot tree once more and slammed it against a round mirror beside him.
CRASH—
The mirror surface cracked and shattered. An enormous suction erupted, pulling everyone in.
Cheng Shi watched this familiar scene with mild surprise.
His vision went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a vast, open wilderness.
A cool night breeze swept the solitude of the plains forth to greet them. A single breath was enough to scatter every scrap of tension and suffocation from the escape. Everyone felt their spirits widen and unfurl.
At last, the taut strings in everyone's hearts eased. They could finally say they'd "escaped with their lives." And Cheng Shi knew his script had reached its curtain call.
What came next would be the start of an entirely new story.
Because in the flickering glow of a crackling campfire not far off, a man every bit as imposing as Hu Wei sat staring at the group, his eyes wide as copper bells, utterly astonished:
"Holy— Lao Hu, did you bring a whole posse to jump me?!"
"?"
Hu Wei laughed bitterly. He tossed his greatsword aside, his face etched with exhaustion, and walked to the campfire. He sat cross-legged on the ground, spat, and growled:
"Bad luck. Got played by Zhen Yi again. If I hadn't run into my brother, this time would've been the end."
Then he mustered a weary smile and turned to the group behind him.
"Come sit, everyone. This is where my friend and I have our little get-togethers. There's no danger here. We're safe."
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