Audience Assembly: Terrible News

"Very good. When you have enough courage to bear everything, you have the right to know the answer."

[Deception] He smiled slightly, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable. He Cheng Shi his gaze and asked in an unprecedentedly serious tone, "Are you ready?"

These five simple words were like five bullets that struck Cheng Shi directly Cheng Shi the eyebrows, causing him to freeze in place, his whole body stiff.

He felt the surrounding Void solidify, and the tangible pressure instantly enveloped him, rendering him powerless, as if he were about to face a cruel torture at the mercy of others.

Cheng Shi's heart suddenly raced. He was anxious and even a little thirsty as he asked, "What? What are you preparing?"

"The answer you're looking for."

"!!!"

Cheng Shi's heart was pounding in his chest. He could clearly feel every muscle in his body trembling, and the uncontrollable fear was almost overwhelming his reason.

Yes, fear!

Even though Cheng Shi thought about knowing the answer to the future of the world Cheng Shi, he was afraid when he actually faced it.

The closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes; the closer one gets to the truth, the more fearful one becomes—this is the same principle.

He dared not face the answer. Even if he didn't know exactly what the answer was, he could foresee that to reach the other side of the future, this world would definitely have to pay a very "high" price...

After experiencing a False Curtain Call, he was no longer afraid of death, but he feared that his death could not bring back the friendships that had been nurtured with blood.

Is the gaze of [Origin] really so easy to "act" out?

If Wei Mu's guess is true... can the world where that New God has descended truly survive?

Cheng Shi didn't know, and dared not even think about it.

However, the Deception was still the same Deception; He didn't give Cheng Shi a choice at all. The only improvement was that this time He gave Cheng Shi a heads-up.

Cheng Shi's thoughts were racing. He didn't know how to respond, nor how to express his fear. He could only subconsciously reply:

What's the answer?

[Deception] He chuckled, but there was no real smile in his upturned eyes.

All answers.

Aren't you curious to know where I locked [Destiny] away?

I can tell you, I did not imprison Him.

"?"

"He is my only Twin Gods in [Nothingness], and my only support under this Starry Sky."

Appearance and essence are interdependent; without appearance, all essence is empty talk, and without essence, all appearance is also illusory.

Therefore, I will never distance myself from Him, never despise Him, and never betray Him...

"!!!"

What!?

Cheng Shi's mind went completely blank.

Your will is so vastly different from that of "Destiny" that it's known Cosmos; even "Nothingness" is embroiled in conflict with it. And now you're telling me that "Destiny" is your only reliance?

My esteemed Lord of Grace, have you been drinking counterfeit alcohol?

Or is the current "Deception" not "Deception," but rather "Destiny"?

Otherwise, Cheng Shi couldn't think of any reason why he would say such a thing [Deception].

However, before he could finish saying "[Deception]", his eyes lowered and a strange emotion flashed within them.

But He... betrayed me.

"Ha."

Cheng Shi suddenly laughed.

At this moment, the Clown's intelligence returned to its peak. He shook his index finger at those eyes, refusing to utter a single word:

"Don't lie to your Lord of Grace."

In the False Curtain Call, [Destiny] once said that He descended at the Dawn of the Era along with the Predestination will, and you, in particular, were born with 'rebellion'. Therefore, from the very beginning, the two of you were opposed to each other, and there was no question of who betrayed whom!

I thought this would be a game of honesty, but you insisted on playing a 'heart-to-heart' game with me...

I don't know what you're trying to say. Your emotions are too strange. This doesn't seem like my Lord of Grace, not like the God of Merriment who has everything under control and laughs at the Cosmos.

I really can't trust you anymore, especially at this time.

My Lord of Grace, can't you be a little more sincere?

Okay, even if we assume you're telling the truth, there's a condition: you say you didn't imprison [Destiny], then let [Destiny] come and verify this with you.

I'm talking about real [Destiny], not your illusions, your Avatar, your personas.

"As long as He appears here, confirming everything you've said, I will..."

He is dead.

"... Don't cause trouble. This excuse is so low that even your Believer no longer use it. If you're hiding [Destiny], just say so."

"The Clown is on the side of the Fear Faction. You can see through my thoughts, so why should I be wary of the Clown?" Cheng Shi was completely puzzled.

[Deception] remained silent, merely staring blankly at Cheng Shi until Cheng Shi's expression slowly froze, forcing him to swallow the rest of his words. Only then did He repeat, without joy or sorrow, a single sentence:

He is dead.

"I don't believe it!" Cheng Shi blurted out, a sneer rising from his lips, but he quickly suppressed it.

His cheeks were twitching, his body was trembling, and his consciousness was battling.

One consciousness told him that this was a new trick by the God of Merriment to play on the Clown, and he should not believe it, or he would Clown; while another consciousness told him that the God of Merriment's emotions did not seem fake, and [Destiny] might have really fallen, otherwise this joke would be too abrupt and unnecessary.

But Cheng Shi couldn't believe it!

Although he cursed "bitch, bitch" every day, when he actually heard the news of [Destiny]'s death, he felt as if his rationality had been drained, and he completely lost his mind.

This is an age of Nothingness. How could Destiny, as the Dominion Nothingness capable of foreseeing the past and future, possibly die?

When did He die?

When [Prosperity], [Truth], and [Annihilation] fell, the Cosmos trembled. Is the fall of a Dominion of an era less significant than the fall of these figures?

Cheng Shi instinctively rejected this "answer," but then he remembered that he had indeed left this world three days before the Audience Assembly, and he knew nothing about what had happened in the Cosmos during that time.

But this proves nothing. The swindlers at the Audience Assembly never discussed this matter. Even if they didn't know the inside story, what about Long Jing, the Clown, and the Big Cat?

If such a major event were to occur, it would be impossible to keep it from Zhen Xin, who had succeeded to the throne amidst the [Chaos], and the Big Cat, who was recognized by the Covenant. They would definitely try every means to inform her.

Since no message was received, it means that nothing happened during those three days.

Therefore, what the God of Merriment said is a complete lie; no god can die silently...

Etc!

Cheng Shi suddenly froze, then seemed to realize something, his eyes slowly widened, and his pupils shrank to pinpoints.

It's not that it doesn't exist!

In that False Curtain Call Change, one god truly died without a trace!

And as fate would have it, it was [Destiny]!!

The Outer God's [Origin] power restrained the misfortune that was about to destroy the Cosmos, turning [Destiny's ] self-destruction into a muffled thud, leaving no trace!

Did Destiny die at that time?

But wasn't that a Change that triggered the Divine Authority [Destiny]? How could a god really have fallen?

Could it be that the God of Merriment uniquely incorporated the death of [Destiny] into reality, making that muffled thud the swan song of [Destiny]!?

Thinking of this, Cheng Shi shuddered, looking at [the Deception] in disbelief, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:

Who exactly are you?

"..."

[Deception] He remained silent for a long time before speaking softly.

"I am [Deception], and I am [Destiny]."