Chapter 1211: An Unfamiliar Invitation

Foolish Game of the Gods

The Blind One had just said "[Order] has a problem" — and then [Order] really did have a problem. It was hard not to suspect that the omnipresent [Fate] was meddling behind the scenes again.

The prophets in this game were simply too powerful. Cheng Shi grew even more anxious about the Blind One's prophecy of the world's collapse.

With [Pride (Order)] fallen, he and Li Wufang had no reason to remain in the temple. After bidding farewell to the two, Cheng Shi returned to the Rest Area. Without pausing for a breath, he pulled out That Dream My Nightmare, crossed through the Memory Dump, and arrived before the Flame of Hope.

Today the Fire Passing Hall was unusually lively. Even from behind the door, Cheng Shi could hear the cheering inside.

Just as he was debating whether to crack the door open and peek at what was happening, the Candle Man suddenly appeared above his head, hanging upside down. Following his line of sight toward the door, it said:

"The 'God Creation Plan' you designed for them has finally made progress. They've found two carriers capable of enduring the pain of [Decay]'s Container corruption.

Coincidentally, both Torchbearers are newcomers — one old, one young.

The old one doesn't surprise me. After all, [Decay] inherently represents decline. The older one is, the better they can spark [Decay]'s power.

Unfortunately, he also carries the curse of an Oathbreaker. Though he can endure the Container's suffering, his body may not hold out long enough for the God Creation Plan to succeed.

As for the young one — now that's interesting. She isn't even a follower of [Decay]. She's actually an Oathbreaker who abandoned [Decay]. And yet she can endure the endless suffering [Decay] brings. In fact, she looks as though she's long since grown accustomed to it.

Another soul beaten down by fate. Before a rough stone becomes a blade, [Fate] has already tempered it a thousand times over."

Cheng Shi frowned as he listened. He had a nagging feeling that he might know both of the people the Flame of Hope was describing.

'Could it really be them?'

'If so, then [Fate] has indeed come full circle around me once more.'

But that was the Torchbearers' plan, not his concern. He didn't care about the details. He was here solely to finalize the plan to persuade Qin Xin to venture into the Real Universe.

He first expressed his concern, asking whether the Torchbearers would be left without a leader if Qin Xin had an accident and perished in the Real Universe.

Hearing the question, the Candle Man's expression grew solemn.

"We never deny that the first spark to light the torch is critically important. But you must understand — a single spark alone cannot guarantee the fire keeps spreading.

As they put it: a spark may die, but the passed flame never goes out. The fire passing is the will of many, not the will of Qin Xin alone.

He did found the Torchbearers. But to carry them to greatness... that person may not necessarily be him.

I'm not dismissing Qin Xin's contributions. I'm simply viewing things from [Fate]'s perspective of change, knowing that every stage of an era's evolution holds its own brilliance.

Besides, in my eyes, your existence is the Torchbearers' true hope.

Yu Xi — Qin Xin may sacrifice himself for the cause of fire passing, but don't let his sacrifice become meaningless."

"..."

Cheng Shi didn't like heavy topics, and he liked it even less when others heaped burdens on his shoulders.

He gave the Flame of Hope a strange look:

"I was just expressing a little concern. You don't need to emotionally manipulate me with Qin Xin's life and death.

For all we know, during this mission, after he claims [War]'s Authority, he might get the chance to seize Its Divine Throne directly. That would make the Torchbearers' God Creation Plan an instant success.

Then Qin Xin would be the new hope you're looking for. And I'll just be trying to scrape by and survive the Fun God's schemes until this era ends."

Something in Cheng Shi's words struck the Candle Man. Its flames suddenly flared in a brief eruption, and then It looked at Cheng Shi with mild surprise, speaking as if deep in thought:

"You will. Best if you write the era's closing line yourself. That would mean the Torchbearers' will endured through the era and reached the finish line."

"...I'm not a Torchbearer."

"Fire passing isn't about title. It's about whether you carry a flame in your heart.

I know you do. I don't know who lit the fire inside you, but I'm certain you are already walking the path of fire passing."

"..."

Cheng Shi's emotions were complicated. He didn't want to continue this conversation, so after confirming the action plan with the Flame of Hope, he bid a hasty farewell. The agreement was simple: the moment he found a way to reach the Real Universe, the Authority-salvaging expedition would commence immediately.

Now, the only thing standing between him and [War]'s Authority was a path to the Real Universe.

Cheng Shi figured that finding this path would inevitably fall on his other Benefactor, [Time]. The problem was, the Hour Hand identity might fool the Jokers, but he could hardly fool himself.

As the first Hour Hand personally crafted by [Time], the false Lord Hour Hand held no [Time] Authority whatsoever — and therefore had no means of breaking through the barriers of spacetime.

The Time Deduction technique could indeed take him to the Crevice of [Existence], but it couldn't carry anyone else along. That was awkward.

After much deliberation, Cheng Shi decided to shamefully go and beg [Time] once more. Even if [Time] had no time to respond, he at least needed his Benefactor to know he was planning a trip. That way, if [Time] ever got the chance to pitch in, perhaps out of appreciation for such devotion, It would lend a hand... right?

He sat atop the Rest Area's roof and began praying to [Time]. But instead of receiving a response from his Benefactor, he received a paper airplane.

Cheng Shi frowned slightly and let the paper airplane land on the ground at a distance. He was in no rush to pick it up; instead, he mentally ran through every friend who could have used this method to contact him.

Those he regularly corresponded with mostly used Big Cat's phone. Rarely would anyone resort to something this traditional.

The most likely candidate was undoubtedly Long Jing. After all, Cheng Shi himself had used this exact method to contact him — and at the time, he'd done it under the guise of the Dragon King. As an acrobat who aspired to reach the pinnacle of deception, Long Jing would likely want to "return the favor." That tracked with what Cheng Shi knew of the man.

Even more coincidentally, after the Joker gathering, the task assigned to Long Jing was to seek an audience with the Hour Hand and use that to find a path to the Real Universe.

'Could this acrobat have actually found the way?'

'Wait — no, he hasn't come to see me, has he?'

'He couldn't have bypassed the Hour Hand and gone straight to [Time]?'

'[Time] doesn't have time for me, but It summoned an acrobat?!'

Cheng Shi's expression darkened. Brimming with questions, he stood, picked up the paper airplane, and — fully expecting Long Jing to try to dupe him somehow — unfolded it.

"!!!"

It was a completely unfamiliar invitation.

And the sender — honestly, even if Cheng Shi had racked his brain for three days and three nights, he never would have guessed.

On the letter was a meeting location and method, with a single baffling line at the very end:

"What is [Oblivion]?"

...