Lost Contact
Like a mayfly, I have nothing to rely on.
This is the feeling Cheng Shi experiences when he is Cheng Shi in the True Universe.
He thought he had seen the True Universe from below the earth, and that what he saw was the truth. But he never imagined that only by delving into it could he realize the vastness of the True Universe.
This Starry Sky is completely different from the Void. The Void is also empty and vast, but after all, darkness is the camouflage of the Void. In the endless darkness, a person's vision does not extend to the infinite distance; they can only focus on the space in front of them.
But the True Universe is not dark; the lonely distant stars illuminate the entire Starry Sky, making one feel that the field of vision is infinitely extending.
The brilliant stars hang high in the sky, like guiding signs, but if you try to follow their light, you'll find that no matter how hard you try, they remain so far away.
At this moment, the phrase "life is as numerous as the stars, beyond our reach" is fully embodied.
Feeling an unprecedented loneliness, Cheng Shi felt no emotion, only solemnity.
The Big Cat is gone.
Sure enough, the unexpected happened the moment he stepped out of the world.
What's even more disconcerting is that it's difficult to find a frame of reference to position yourself in this Starry Sky, because the distance a person moves is almost negligible compared to the distance those distant stars are from here. No matter which direction Cheng Shi chooses or how far he goes, the position of those bright stars in his field of vision never changes.
It's as stable as a 360° texture.
Left with no other choice, Cheng Shi could only take out the Thorn Weeping Ceremony and use his Divine Power as a standard to measure distance.
The talent is still usable, which means Cheng Shi can use Dice to return to the "starting point". In this way, as long as he controls the time and stops at the limit of the Dice exchange distance, he can explore the surrounding area as much as possible.
He knew that restricting himself in this way would definitely not lead to Divine Authority, but finding Big Cat or Qin Xin first before finding Divine Authority was the safest course of action.
However, this search took many days.
Good news: Cheng Shi is no longer bound by the [Faith Game] in the True Universe, and even when the Cheng Shi comes, he will no longer undergo a Special Trial.
Bad news: the person still hasn't been found. Cheng Shi is going crazy.
That eternal solitude was no joke. Coupled with the unease brought by the uncertainty of the True Universe, the oppression brought by the Creator's high position, and the silence brought by the silence of Eye Brother Mouth Brother, Cheng Shi had already prepared for the worst in his heart.
The only reason he didn't give up was his firm belief that the God of Merriment would never allow him and Big Cat to come to their deaths in the True Universe. As for whether this was a lie, or a means for Him to disrupt the "Predestination order"...
Cheng Shi dared not think about it, nor could he.
Once a new fear is born, endless suspicion can become the final straw that breaks the camel's back.
So he put aside all distractions and focused intently on the search.
A few more days passed, and after Cheng Shi confirmed that all areas within the radius of the "maximum exchange time" had been searched, he finally decided to try another method:
Make some loud noise so the Big Cat knows you're here.
He knew that the Big Cat must also be looking for him, and given her fear of the True Universe, she would never venture in rashly. Therefore, it was highly likely that she was also confined to one place, cautiously exploring her surroundings.
If they are too far apart, two people going around in circles are destined never to meet. There is even a more absurd possibility that the areas they explore actually overlap, but the two people explore the overlapping areas at different times, which would mean that the two people will never meet.
So Cheng Shi decided to make a fuss and break the deadlock.
However, this matter is risky. The reason we didn't do it a few days ago was because we were afraid that the commotion would attract something other than Hong Lin from the True Universe.
No one knew what was hidden inside. Even though, based on the exploration over the past few days, he was the only living being in the True Universe, Cheng Shi still dared not take the risk until he had exhausted all his safest options and had no other choice.
Cheng Shi took out a small magic bomb, detonated it immediately, and instantly switched back to the positions he had been in a few minutes earlier.
In this way, he could both observe the explosion point and leave enough buffer distance when danger approached. His steadiness was put to the extreme at this moment, but even this extreme still did not bring any answers.
The True Universe remains as An Jing as ever.
Cheng Shi's expression was inscrutable; he seemed to be at a loss, but in reality, he had a new idea.
Since the explosion wouldn't attract the attention of other creatures, he could use timed bombs to expand his exploration range. Even though he didn't have many, it was better than doing nothing.
He couldn't possibly waste several days returning to his original world only to bring bad news to his the Fated; otherwise, what kind of destiny would that be?
Cheng Shi let out a heavy sigh. He realized that he had been oversimplifying things. There were some things that God of Merriment could do, but he, as Mortals, might not be able to.
The identity of the Fool's Game might fool people in the original world, but when it comes to using Divine Power, the fake is fake, just like that pale lie, easily exposed and giving people no confidence.
After exploring the True Universe for another three days, the pent-up frustration was driving Cheng Shi crazy. He detonated the last bomb, observed from a distance for a moment, and after receiving no feedback, closed his eyes and silently turned to walk towards the "starting point".
It's time to go back, but this isn't about giving up. It's about going back to replenish supplies. He won't leave Big Cat stranded in the True Universe, and he believes Big Cat won't be foolish enough to just wait there.
Perhaps she's already waiting for him in his original world?
But how to get back was another problem. There was no "Scrying Mirror" or anything like that around where Cheng Shi arrived; it was empty, just a "starting point."
He anchored at that location because he was afraid it would be related to the way home, but now that he has returned to the starting point, he has encountered a second problem.
Where is the road?
For a moment, Cheng Shi, who had been Cheng Shi deceiving himself, felt a genuine sense of fear.
He started thinking about things he dared not think about before.
This undoubtedly made his condition even worse; he slumped into the Starry Sky, like a walking corpse.
The ambitious adventure that was once so bold seems to have come to an end, ending abruptly as a tragedy.
But is that really the case?
Before every period under this Starry Sky lies a wonderful and unforgettable story, and this moment is no exception, so the turning point has arrived as expected.
Right at that starting point, right before his eyes, a figure suddenly appeared, looking at Cheng Shi, whose expression was Cheng Shi changing, and said in extreme shock:
Cheng Shi!?
How come you got here before me?
"!!!!!"
It's Big Cat!
Upon hearing the sound, Cheng Shi looked up abruptly. He couldn't believe at first that the Big Cat had actually appeared, and even wondered if what he was seeing was just a figment of his imagination.
He slapped himself hard, and after feeling the pain, he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter and hugged the Big Cat tightly.
"Hey, you..."
Just as the Big Cat was shocked and at a loss, the cold tip of a knife was pressed against the back of her neck.
Cheng Shi had just been laughing wildly, turned cold in an instant, his tone icy as he said:
"You're not Hong Lin, so who are you?"