Chapter 1401: The Real Universe, Once More |
Time slipped by in silence.
Fate never acted like Fate — but Deceit was always Deceit.
From the very moment this world's Deceit laid eyes on Shadow Cheng Shi, everything about him had been seen through.
After all, He was the true Fate.
Cheng Shi had never been certain exactly when the Fear Faction learned the truth of the Universe. Perhaps it was the reckless intrusion of those figures inside the spacetime storm at the dawn of the Faith Game that first aroused Their suspicion.
Then again, perhaps it was now — or at some other point during the Faith Game — when an outsider like himself, uninvited, smuggled their way into this world and gave Them the clues They needed.
Whatever the case, he could be certain of one thing: from this moment onward, at the very least, Deceit and Time knew that beyond their Universe lay another Universe.
In the world below, Prosperity was about to fall. Shadow Cheng Shi found himself in the Void, witnessing that confrontation between Existence and Void.
When he used his own Fate to "complete" the Void beneath this starry sky, no one could fathom the complexity of what churned inside him as he shouted "Void is the only truth!"
So Cheng Shi could only force a smile and stand alongside his Benefactor to parry Existence.
Those who don't know need no deception. Those who already know need it even less.
Whether Time's Deduction contained errors, Time Himself knew best. So the instant He saw Shadow Cheng Shi, He already understood what had happened.
But He didn't expose it. Before departing, He simply ferried His follower safely out of this starry sky — and along with him, a Master of Trickery who had been stranded in the Void for quite some time.
In truth, Time had never so much as glanced at Su Yida. It was Shadow Cheng Shi's parting epithet — that one word, "bitch" — that drew Time's attention to the Fate-linked Master of Trickery lurking in the Void. And so He bestowed this "farewell gift" upon the Clown.
Both were hurled from the world simultaneously. Before Su Yida could even react, Cheng Shi transformed into the Hero of Today and knocked the "naive" Master of Trickery unconscious, then hauled him deeper into the Real Universe.
The Fire Passing Plan was complete — but the search for Deceit had only just begun.
Before leaving, Deceit had specifically instructed Cheng Shi not to leave the world and venture into the Real Universe.
Would the Clown listen?
Of course not!
Deceit's defiance ran in the same vein as Fate's recklessness — cut from the very same cloth.
Besides, from Cheng Shi's perspective, compared to a slice universe without Deceit, the Real Universe where Deceit was present should be considerably safer, shouldn't it?
Even if the Real Universe was boundlessly vast and he might never encounter his Benefactor, what about the off chance?
When it came to Fate... who could say for certain?
Indeed, no one could — because he hadn't even traveled far before he spotted, directly ahead, those star-like eyes devoid of joy or sorrow!
He had appeared right in front of the Clown, just like that!
That aura of coldness tinged with a trace of despair was so familiar, Cheng Shi felt an instant sense of belonging.
Shadow Cheng Shi smiled. He knew this had to be Deceit, because the cruel truth had revealed that in this Experiment, no Fate had ever walked out of a slice universe alive!
Moreover, only the Deceit who had laid bare the truth to the Clown would come to resemble Fate so perfectly. The smoothed corners of those eyes weren't an imitation of Fate — they were His innate coldness.
He didn't enjoy smiling.
Most critically, these star-like eyes lacked the brilliant gleaming points of light. The dim star-trails within seemed to narrate countless sorrowful histories, and the lonely spiral at their center was the ultimate proof of Deceit's identity!
Was it Him?
It had to be Him!
Cheng Shi gazed into those eyes, a radiant smile across his face.
'What are the odds? One second I'm wondering where He is, and the next He appears right here.'
'Is this really Fate?'
'I think not.'
Shadow Cheng Shi drifted before his Benefactor, showing not the slightest remorse for his transgression, and instead heaved a deep sigh of relief.
'As long as it's not a scam, everything is fine.'
"My Benefactor — don't tell me You spotted me the instant I left the world?
The answer You've been searching for... any leads?"
The Clown looked up at his Benefactor, his heart stirring with excitement.
Deceit was cold. The gaze He directed at Cheng Shi was anything but friendly.
Cheng Shi blinked. He quickly ran through a mental checklist and found that, apart from his current faith being Fate, there wasn't really anything he'd done wrong.
'Is following my Benefactor's footsteps a crime?'
'I was worried about You!'
But as Deceit's silence dragged on, Cheng Shi's grin slowly faded. His eyelid twitched, and he swiftly changed tack:
"I didn't disobey Your will on purpose. I just wanted to help You however I could.
The Real Universe is vast. You're out here all alone — how could You hope to find the answer quickly?
You said it Yourself — we're racing against Origin. None of us have much time left. Only by improving efficiency do we have a better chance, don't we?
How about... You share the clues with me, and I'll help You search?"
Deceit still said nothing. Cheng Shi was truly at his wit's end. He even recycled arguments others had once used on him:
"The weight of the world shouldn't rest on Your shoulders alone. I'm the Fixed Destiny — the axis upon which the Universe turns. Fighting for the world is fighting for myself. You know how strong my will to survive is, so You should believe how powerful my motivation can be.
I really can help You, my Benefactor. I—"
"Go back!"
Deceit finally spoke — and the first words out of His mouth were two icy syllables.
"Huh?"
Cheng Shi's mind went blank. So everything he'd just said was for nothing.
He tried to argue further, but Deceit's expression didn't waver. He repeated: "Go back!"
"But I'm already here—"
"No buts!"
Perhaps it was the Clown's unsanctioned decision that had truly angered Deceit. His tone carried unmistakable gravity.
"This is not a joke!
Gods explore the path ahead at the cost of their lives, with annihilation a constant threat. Every sacrifice they make is for the sake of a future — and the Clown holds the key to the world's future. Coming here recklessly, shouldering such risk, is beyond foolish!
You should not be here, regardless of your reason.
The script has already been written for you. You... do not disappoint the Screenwriter."
With that, Deceit seized Shadow Cheng Shi without another word — exactly the way Cheng Shi had grabbed Su Yida — and flung both of these audacious, clueless mortals into the nearest spacetime storm.
Watching the dark pinpoints of light slowly coalesce and then erupt before Him, a flicker of inexplicable sorrow crossed Deceit's eyes:
"Another world has failed..."
Cheng Shi knew that a spacetime storm meant a world's destruction. Watching it unfold, he felt no better.
He couldn't help but wonder: 'What kind of experiment is Origin — this terrifying Creator — conducting, that it requires the obliteration of world after world?'
'Do the myriad living beings carry no weight or value in His eyes?'
'A god this cold-blooded — what could He possibly be racing against time for...?'
It had started as idle musing, but the moment the thought crystallized, Cheng Shi's entire body went rigid. A flash of insight blazed through his mind. His eyes flew wide, pupils contracting sharply, and he froze where he stood.
His abnormal reaction drew Deceit's gaze. Deceit seemed to sense something. He shot Cheng Shi a complicated glance but said nothing, then cast both of them into the spacetime storm.
As Cheng Shi's stunned figure vanished, Deceit returned to His icy composure.
He cast a distant look toward where the Corpse Field of Gods lay, His expression shifting several times, then departed in silence.
An unknowable stretch of time later, before the spacetime barrier on the far side, He paused briefly. The dim star-points in His eyes blazed back to brilliance, and the spiral resumed its ever-mesmerizing rotation.
He seemed to have made some kind of decision. His gaze hardened with resolve, and He returned to the world.
...