Chapter 1216: Setting Off for the Real Universe! |
Cheng Shi quickly contacted the Jokers and assigned them a new task.
Through That Dream My Nightmare, he notified the Flame of Hope that the plan would begin immediately — Qin Xin needed to get moving.
All of this was done right under Big Cat's nose, yet he didn't share the secrets hidden within That Dream My Nightmare with her.
Big Cat didn't ask. From start to finish, she hadn't made a peep — just stood silently at Cheng Shi's side, waiting.
Before long, Cheng Shi finished making all the arrangements. He exhaled and said:
"Ready, Hong Lin? This trip may not be easy.
You know how dangerous the Real Universe is. We'll do our best. If we can find it, great. If not..."
Hong Lin let out a hearty laugh and clapped Cheng Shi on the shoulder with brimming confidence:
"We come back alive.
Even so, Cheng Shi felt the hand on his shoulder trembling ever so slightly.
To be honest, he was scared too. But some things couldn't be avoided just because you were scared.
When you didn't fight for what needed fighting, you would die when the time came to die.
To make the road ahead easier, he had to wade through the mud now, no matter how deep.
Cheng Shi nodded, gave Hong Lin a look of trust, then licked open the Void once more and plunged toward Mockery and Jeering.
Before jumping in, he paused and silently asked Brother Mouth a question:
"Brother Mouth, why don't any of you speak inside Mockery and Jeering? Has the Fun God restricted your freedom?"
The Fool's Lips didn't respond. Instead, the Eye of Mockery answered with contempt:
"Idiot. You saw it yourself — we merged into the mask. How are we supposed to talk?
Have you ever seen a mask that can open its mouth and speak?"
"..." Cheng Shi's expression darkened. He pressed further: "Since you've merged into the mask, you should be able to sense where the Nose of Verification is, right?"
"Calling you stupid is a compliment. Of course it's on the mask."
"..."
His fists clenched.
Cheng Shi fought back the urge to gouge his eyes out and said in a low, dangerous tone:
"Ever since Eye Bro showed up, Mouth Bro has gotten a lot more... 'refined.'"
But his attempt to recruit Brother Mouth to his side backfired spectacularly. Instead of winning Mouth's support, it pushed Mouth right into the Eye of Mockery's camp.
"Dumbass — do you even hear what you're saying? The phrase 'refined features' literally praises the eyes and brows, not the mouth.
If you can't compliment, just don't. No need to force it. Thanks."
"..."
'Burn it all down. Forget the mask — just destroy the whole thing!'
Cheng Shi's temples throbbed with pain. Without waiting for Big Cat, he jumped straight down. Big Cat flinched, then followed — and the moment she entered, an enormous spider web unfurled before her eyes.
As for herself, she had turned into a kitten. A very, very small kitten — smaller than the mask hanging at the center of the web. If the mask had nostrils, her current size would fit snugly inside one.
Because Big Cat had become such a tiny cat, Cheng Shi couldn't even find Hong Lin at first in the kaleidoscopic river. And when he finally spotted her, he understood at last why this fearsome Druid rarely traveled through Mockery and Jeering.
"...Pfft."
"Cheng Shi, what are you laughing at?" The tiny cat lifted its head and mewled.
"Huh? I'm not laughing. Throat's a bit dry — just coughed a couple times. Let's go, the passage is right there."
"You'd better not be laughing!"
At the mention of the passage, Big Cat's expression turned serious. Crossing the barrier to the world beyond was no laughing matter. No one knew what risks lurked inside the passage, and no one knew how great the danger on the other side might be.
Cheng Shi steadied himself. As the Destined Ones' anchor, he knew his resolve had to be iron at this moment. Any wavering would only heighten Big Cat's anxiety. So he prepared to go first — leading by example.
This wasn't recklessness, and it wasn't about saving face. He simply didn't believe the Fun God would throw the Fear Faction's only subordinate into a deathtrap.
But before he could take a step, the spider web was yanked back by the tiny cat.
"Hong Lin, you—"
"I'll go first!" The tiny cat's gaze was unwavering. She hung a small ball of fur on the spider web and instructed: "A [Prosperity] tool — the Root of Symbiosis. I don't know if it'll still work in the Real Universe. But Cheng Shi — if it withers, it means I've encountered a disaster I can't fight. At that point, you must not follow me in."
Cheng Shi's expression hardened: "No—"
"Swear it. If it withers, you will never step through."
"..."
Cheng Shi fell silent. After a moment, he produced a die — though in the spider web, it appeared as a cocoon wrapped in silk.
Seeing this, Hong Lin also pulled out... a tiny fur ball.
Their eyes met, and with utmost reverence, they spoke in unison:
"The road we've come and the road we'll go — all is destined."
With that, the little cat let out a booming laugh: "Don't worry. I'm tough to kill. By the time you see me on the other side, I might have already found the Authority."
Cheng Shi looked into the little cat's eyes and couldn't help but smile: "Then I'll pop a bottle of champagne and toast your success."
"Deal! Here I go!"
Before the words had fully left her mouth, the tiny cat dove headfirst into the broken Peeping Mirror's [Time] storm and vanished.
Cheng Shi's heart clenched. For the first time, he felt this level of nervousness. His gaze darted rapidly between the storm's eye and the fur ball on the web. After several seconds with no change, he finally exhaled. He cast one look toward the depths of Mockery and Jeering, then summoned his courage and leaped into the [Time] storm vortex.
The instant he left Mockery and Jeering, somewhere else deep in its reaches, an identical Peeping Mirror shattered before a suit of heavy armor.
The heavy armor felt the pull of the [Time] storm before it and spoke with immense gravity:
"So this is the road to that world.
I wonder what the Flame of Hope traded with [Deceit] in exchange for this opportunity."
The heavy armor was Qin Xin. At this moment, he recalled the scene when the Flame of Hope had given him instructions in the Fire Passing Hall.
It had said:
"[Void] once had a fight within itself, and [Deceit] took the opportunity to steal some of [Fate]'s Change Authority.
Through the resonance of that Change Authority, I sensed a new change in [Deceit].
I know you lack a decisive finishing move, which is why the God Creation Plan exists. And this new change may lead you to a new path to godhood.
[War] has fallen — fallen outside the world. I know you've heard rumors about other worlds. [Deceit] kept this secret locked tight — even the other gods don't know. I glimpsed fragments of truth through the Change Authority and suspect [War]'s Authority may have been hidden outside the world by [Deceit].
It is a place brimming with risk and opportunity. Of course, the risk outweighs the opportunity ten-thousandfold. Normally, I would never let the Torchbearers learn of that starry sky. But this truly is a rare chance.
If you really do find [War]'s Authority, given your qualifications, becoming the new [War] may not be impossible.
But you also know — becoming a god is no simple matter. How to locate Its Authority is a challenge in itself.
First, whoever goes must be able to resonate with [War]'s power. And second..."
"I'll go." Qin Xin was no fool. He understood the Flame of Hope's implication — this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Torchbearers, but the risk was enormous.
Yet the path of fire passing had always been treacherous. As its leader, if he could blaze a new trail and lead everyone onto smoother ground, he would do so without hesitation.
So he accepted the Flame of Hope's proposal and came here.
Now, seeing Mockery and Jeering cooperating with the Flame of Hope's plan, he understood this was no mere case of the Flame of Hope peeping into [Deceit]'s secrets. Some kind of agreement had been struck between Them.
That was why he mused: for the sake of the Torchbearers, the Flame of Hope had probably sacrificed something mortals could never comprehend.
The heavy armor drew a deep breath. Its entire form radiated unyielding resolve and, without a moment's hesitation, leaped in. Then Mockery and Jeering returned to stillness.
Two shattered Peeping Mirrors reassembled, racing toward each other before merging within the shifting tides of [Existence] into a pair of mirthful, star-studded eyes.
They looked toward the direction leading away from this world. Between those brows, a dazzling smile bloomed.
"Hee~
Good luck to you all."
...
On the other side.
In the unknown wilderness of the cosmos, two wandering figures slowly came to a halt. They both looked in the same direction. One of them clicked his tongue:
"There are always fools brazen enough to leave their cozy little homes at the doorstep of the apocalypse, hoping to find weapons out here to fight it off. Tell me — is that kind of behavior overconfidence, or just pure stupidity?"
"Cut the chatter. Start working. Let's hope this time is a success."
The other's tone was distinctly colder. He gazed toward the source of the disturbance and murmured: "Let's also show them that this world isn't home to just good people."
"Heh — which world are you talking about?"
"Every single one."
...
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