Deceived again
The Wise One need no emotion, yet the Wise One do have emotions.
Although Wei Mu never mentioned it, he was by no means the kind of person who was detached from the world, aloof and contemptuous of all living beings.
Whether it's Jie Shu, Sun Miao, Galiusha, or other [Folly] Believer, they are all somewhat tainted by [Folly] characteristics, and in certain situations they still despise ignorance.
However, Wei Mu did not; his contempt seemed to be reserved only for [Folly].
This also means that he doesn't hate this "stupid" world.
He remarked that Cheng Shi was full of emotion for the world, implying that he admired that emotion, or at least shared some similar emotional attachments.
Perhaps it was because [Folly]' s act of hiding his Divine Authority made him one of the beings in the world, allowing him to experience a "life" completely different from that of those with Divine Authority; or perhaps he had also devoted his heart and soul to finding the truth and future of this world, and the sunk costs had evolved into special emotions; of course, there may be many other reasons, but these reasons are no longer known to outsiders after Wei Mu's departure.
The Wise One understands efficiency best, which is why he left decisively.
But it was precisely because he was so efficient that some truths that were still hidden were laid bare before Cheng Shi.
[Deception]!
Is He really looking for answers?
If this Creator's Experiment goes as He intends, then the real answer will never be in the True Universe, because the variables that appear there should have been eliminated to avoid affecting other Experiment.
Therefore, His departure was most likely just an excuse, and He...
No, I clearly saw Him in the True Universe. Those unforgettable Starry Eyes didn't have the star points representing the [Origin], only the spiraling [Deception], it couldn't possibly be fake!
I was overthinking it.
There is still a chance for things to turn around in the future.
"..."
Despite thinking this, Cheng Shi's face showed no joy or hope.
Lord of Grace benefactor, I will never be able to learn your skill of self-deception.
No matter how many excuses he had, at this moment, he couldn't fool himself.
The [Deception] we see in the True Universe is certainly not fake, but the problem is that it may not necessarily belong to this world.
In an Experiment Field containing countless Slice Universe, it is not surprising to have several similar or even identical samples. Therefore, even if the starlight in those eyes is gone, Cheng Shi cannot determine that He is his Lord of Grace.
Furthermore, [Deception] had previously set foot in the True Universe, and at that time, He possessed the power of [Origin]. Cheng Shi could conceive that the Lord of Grace whose eyes shone with starlight would not so ostentatiously carry the power of the Creator and run around under the Creator's nose. Therefore, the most likely way was that He would deliberately hide the starlight in His eyes and travel discreetly through the True Universe.
This also brings up an even more terrifying possibility: which world and which stage of Deception is the Deception I've encountered?
Cheng Shi was filled with remorse. He felt he should have realized all of this sooner, but he was so eager to see his Lord of Grace in the True Universe that the moment he encountered the [Deception], his excitement, joy, and relief overwhelmed all his doubts.
Until he began to question himself, question the Experiment, question [the Origin]... he finally thought of these possibilities, but at that time he was still unwilling to believe them, and dared not believe them, and was still silently deceiving himself.
Now, with the Wei Mu, "[Deception] has protected you very well, but unfortunately, He hasn't been so good to Himself," the truth is revealed.
Ha.
Why?
I've been scammed again...
It's so frustrating! Why do I always get scammed?
I am clearly your Believer, the sole practitioner of [Nothingness], the Clown pushed to the forefront by the Fear Faction, and the one who, despite hesitation and trepidation, has always followed you Predestination with great strides.
I trusted you so much, yet you always lied to me like this.
Does the Clown deserve to be fooled?
Ha, I, Cheng Shi, am truly a Clown.
Cheng Shi clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and swallowed back the words in his mouth and the bitterness in his eyes.
It's time to wake up from this dream.
He smiled and wiped away the last tear from the corner of his eye.
The Clown has lost his protection; now it's Clown turn to protect the world.
The will of the Fear Faction, the dying wish of [Nothingness], the schemes of [Deception], and the future of the world are all in Cheng Shi's hands.
His expression turned serious. He took out his Mask and countless Dice, tossed them into the air, the Mask hovering high above, the Dice scattering like rain.
This scene is strikingly similar to someone behind the scenes who has surveyed countless worlds, watching the Dice spin endlessly, lost in thought.
He was about to make a prediction, a prediction that would concern the future of the world!
At this moment, Cheng Shi identified with himself—no, he should say he identified with [Origin]!
Assuming his deepest fear is real, and the world is Experiment, Experiment is the world, then we should logically conclude that:
[Origin] is Predestination, Predestination is [Origin].
[*He] should be at least infinitely similar to oneself, if not exactly the same, and even the past experiences should be a perfect replica, otherwise one would not have come this far.
So here's the question:
I had already thought of everything, and glimpsed the past in the present. So why did the other party still start this Experiment when they knew that the world had no answers and that the Experiment could only continue in endless pain?
The Experiment's initial intention may have overlooked Cheng Shi the Experiment, but once he realizes all of this, would he really continue so ruthlessly?
The countless hardships Cheng Shi endured are still vivid in our minds. What belief could possibly enable [*He] to relive these painful Memory again?
Is it a must-do, or something we simply have to do?
Or is the so-called answer simply the start of another Experiment that perpetuates suffering?
Even if [Deception] is gone, He would never abandon the world and forsake His will. So what contingency plan did He leave for the world, or rather, for Himself?
Wei Mu also said that [Folly] simply doesn't believe that [Deception]'s answer is the real one, but neither [Folly] nor Wei Mu has ever denied that [Deception] has found an answer!
The world will surely have an answer, and it will surely have a future. Cheng Shi now is to find that answer from everything left behind by [Deception] before the era ends!
Although it has reached the pinnacle of divine authority, countless mysteries remain unsolved:
Why did [Deception] lead to death? What secrets lie hidden in the Sea of Desire of Filth and Decay and lust?
Where has His Divine Authority gone? Where has the Divine Authority of [Destiny] gone? Are there any clues about the future in this?
Why did the Hope's Flame disappear? Was it related to the follow-up scheme of the [Deception]?
The Nose of Discernment was never found. Could the Memory in the Memory Archive hold a clue to the final answer?
Of the three remaining members of the Fear Faction, did [Death] and [Silence] already know the truth about [Deception]?
[Folly] once said that there were supporting characters in that play of the collapse of the Void. Were those two not supporting characters to themselves at all, but rather... supporting characters to [Folly]?
And then there's the [Time]. He still refuses to see me. Will the things He's busy with provide the answer I'm hoping for?
"..."
A multitude of issues.
You have to eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time.
Cheng Shi decided to start with the easiest thing to do.
[Time]!
Although [Time] no longer has time and no longer summons me, at least I can summon [Time] at any time now.
Therefore, let's first meet with [Time] and get the first clue from Him.