Choice

Hong Lin was building his own fortunes and Qin Xin Passing the Flame to Qin Xin, what Cheng Shi doing?

He is sleeping.

The Clown lay down.

Seeing that the white light was impassable and the darkness posed no danger, he closed his eyes and enjoyed a good sleep in the endless darkness.

Cheng Shi doesn't dream, but perhaps the True Universe influenced him, rendering his hypnosis ineffective, and today he had a long dream.

He dreamt that he had already jumped into the white light, and that he had encountered a person—no, a mouth...

The perspective shifts to the Shadow Cheng Shi.

When the dark shadow merged into the white light, Shadow Cheng Shi form was dead, because he could no longer sense his own body.

Of course, the term "original body" is just a description of the identities of the original body and the shadow, and does not represent a master-servant relationship. In his consciousness, he is Cheng Shi, and there is only one Cheng Shi. It's just that this time, because he was too cautious, he lost his physical body and the other half of his Faith in the darkness.

He has lost his Faith [Deception] and is now a pure Believer in [Destiny].

Although his face was completely dark, Cheng Shi's expression was undeniably extremely unpleasant.

He faced the biggest crisis in history.

He was "abandoned" by the God of Merriment...

Or perhaps, through an extremely prudent choice, he renounced his own [Deception].

This is undoubtedly fatal, because pure [Destiny] seems to lead only to Predestination.

My mind is racing with thoughts, and the current situation is far from optimistic.

He didn't know where he had come to. Beyond the white light lay another Starry Sky that was both somewhat familiar and somewhat strange.

This Starry Sky is not as desolate as the True Universe; at least the stars are still twinkling, and they seem to be getting brighter and brighter.

Based on this alone, Cheng Shi could conclude that he had been thrown into a Slice Universe by the erupting black Storm.

He was simply unsure whether this Slice Universe was his own, so he cautiously began to explore the Starry Sky.

Soon he saw countless streams of light fall from the highest point of the sky, turning into hazy white shadows that enveloped the Cosmos.

Cheng Shi was extremely nervous. At first, he thought that this was a method used by life under this Starry Sky to capture him, but then he realized that those white shadows were not "weapons", but "starting points"!

The Starting Point of Life Path!

Cheng Shi's eyes widened suddenly, and he said in disbelief:

"I've actually arrived at the beginning of Another World!?"

Having experienced so many "Predestination" events, Cheng Shi had long since developed a different understanding of [Destiny] than others.

He immediately looked at the Mask and Dice in his hand, his expression becoming incredibly complicated.

Has losing Faith in [Deception] turned me into a "discarded pawn" who can only achieve my desires by "passing on hope"?

Otherwise, why would they put a "failed" Clown into the starting point of Another World?

Lord of Grace lord, whoever your Lord of Grace may be, do you... want me to place this Mask and Dice back before the Clown who hasn't even begun his Path of Fate's Beginning?

So, are my Dice and Mask just "Relics" left behind by a failed version of myself?

For a moment, Cheng Shi fell silent.

He still doesn't understand how his originally smooth journey through the True Universe suddenly turned into this. He has to start doubting again the purpose of the God of Merriment, no, [Deception], in sending him into the True Universe.

Is this truly a way to disrupt the Predestination of Destiny?

So what should be done about this situation now?

[Destiny] gave itself a chance in order to continue Predestination?

But by what right does He have to influence the dark Storm of the True Universe?

Whether the "Destiny" of one's own world is even aware of the True Universe is uncertain; how then can it extend its hand across the Cosmos to influence its own Destiny in the True Universe!?

But if it wasn't Him... then who else could it be?

The only one capable of such manipulation in the True Universe seems to be that supreme Creator. No, that's ridiculous. What could this possibly have to do with that ruthless Creator...?

Cheng Shi forcibly interrupted his wandering thoughts. He looked at the vast array of white shadows at his feet, one of which was radiating a familiar yet fatal attraction to him.

He couldn't resist his curiosity and quietly crept down. The moment he touched the white figure, his dark body was assimilated, and he, like Hong Lin, became the "roof" of this "room".

Cheng Shi was certain that this was the Path of Fate's Beginning, but strangely, there were no Token in the room.

Not a single one.

He looked again at the Mask and the Dice on his body, feeling even more strongly the urging of "Destiny".

But at the same time, he wondered, if he didn't place this Token at the starting point, would the Cheng Shi of this world no longer have to bear such immense pressure, and would it not become the so-called Predestination?

Cheng Shi hesitated; he had never been so conflicted as he was now.

Is it better to be a prisoner, chained and stumbling, never seeing the light of day, or to continue bearing the weight of the gods' gaze, becoming a clown in shackles, dancing and gesturing Clown on Stage to entertain the audience...?

This choice is neither right nor wrong; it simply reflects Cheng Shi's state of mind.

Seeing the figures moving outside the room, and the blurry figure gradually approaching, a resolute glint flashed in Cheng Shi's eyes. He made his decision...

Do nothing.

He didn't choose the former, but rather realized that the person outside the door wasn't the real him.

The other party was a brand new, untainted, and confused Cheng Shi, not a down-and-out Cheng Shi who had lost half his Faith and was struggling to breathe.

This new Cheng Shi not be burdened by its past, nor should it have the right to be a source of hope.

He has not yet experienced the deception of Deception, the Predestination Destiny, or the fear of the Origin; where his path leads remains to Change.

A Cheng Shi should walk his own path.

As an "outsider," he could offer assistance to this new Cheng Shi, just like the other Cheng Shi, but he couldn't make choices for him.

Because Cheng Shi is Cheng Shi; he is not anyone's hope.

Except for Old Jia.

Thinking of Old Jia, Cheng Shi finally smiled.

But there was a hint of bitterness in that smile, something perhaps no one but him knew.

He hid in the room and watched as Cheng Shi pushed open the door. Just as the door to Faith was about to open, two streaks of light fell to the ground.

The Token of [Nothingness] has arrived, and nothing has changed.

Cheng Shi looked at the Token at his feet and suddenly wondered if he might run into another "Mouth Brother" here.

Thinking of this, a pang of sorrow flashed through his heart again.

The Lips of Foolish Play here are brand new, while the old, original Lips of Foolish Play, like the original body, have vanished in that dark Storm...

Cheng Shi took out the last remaining Gaze of Mockery, and just then, another streak of light flashed and fell straight onto the mask.

Soon, a question arose from the mask.

"Huh?"

"That's strange, I clearly felt that stinky fart eyeball was here, so how come it's gone now?"

It's Mouth Brother!

It was actually attracted by the aura of Gaze of Mockery from its own hand!?

Cheng Shi was shocked. He never expected that his casual actions would affect the "Change" in this world. Just as Lips of Foolish Play finished speaking, Cheng Shi pushed open the door and stepped in.

Another player is preparing to receive the baptism of Faith, but this player is clearly different from the others.

He stood before the two Tokens, hesitating for a long time, and finally asked the exact same question as Cheng Shi:

How should I choose?

The Lips of Foolish Play, which appeared here by "accident," naturally wouldn't choose a host who was "indecisive." So, with a wicked thought, it mysteriously began to guide:

Choose 'The Dice of Destiny'.

The player obediently chose the Dice of Destiny.

A mocking smile curled at the Lips of Foolish Play, seemingly disdainful of the other person's "naivety."

But its smirk quickly froze on its Mask, because it saw that the player, the instant they picked up the Dice of Destiny, reached out their other hand towards it.

At that moment, Cheng Shi, who had been hiding in the room doing nothing, finally revealed a smile.

Screw the Predestination, this is his own choice.

It was my own choice.