Though the joy of reuniting tempered their fear, now was no ti for idle chat.
Even if the colossal Leaking World Silent Puppet truly was [Silence]'s corpse, Cheng Shi couldn't guarantee the remains posed no danger. Otherwise, why had the fake Hong Lin and fake Cheng Shi fled so quickly?
Just to have a laugh at his and Big Cat's expense?
Probably not.
Who would be bored enough to ss with people for fun in a place as dangerous as the Real Universe? That would be beyond shaless.
And yet — it genuinely was shaless.
At that very mont, the two shaless silhouettes stood at a great distance, gazing at the Leaking World Silent Puppet. One clicked his tongue with interest; the other narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"Tsk — plans can't keep pace with change. We finally found an opportunity, and then He drifts in...
You tell
— why did those two pick this direction of all directions? I guess that's just fate."
"That Spaceti Dolphin Bridge has existed for long enough. It should have been patched ages ago. But that's not what I'm focused on.
He has been drifting through the Real Universe for so many ages, always showing up wherever sothing interesting happens. If you tell
there's no secret behind it, I won't believe you."
The more cheerful figure stroked his chin, eyes sparkling with anticipation:
"Well — there they are, the ones who'll crack the mystery. I don't believe he can resist either."
The colder figure sighed softly:
"Even if he can't, what of it? When has a liar's mouth ever told the truth? Even if he uncovers the corpse's secret, he won't necessarily tell us.
No — he definitely won't tell us.
If only we could go up ourselves."
The cheerful figure blinked, then let out a wistful sigh of his own: "Forget it. They've got their Benefactors' protection. What are we, anyway?"
...
On the other side.
Just as the two shaless figures predicted, after nervously waiting beneath the Silent Puppet's shadow for a while and confirming the corpse truly posed no danger, the fire in Cheng Shi's heart rekindled.
The look in his eyes as he gazed at the corpse had changed — burning so brightly that it frightened Hong Lin.
Big Cat grabbed Cheng Shi's arm in alarm: "Don't look at It like that — you're scaring . What are you planning, Cheng Shi?"
Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, barely containing his excitent: "Don't you want to know what treas... information might still be on this corpse?"
"!!!"
'Treas-what? Treasure?!'
'I knew it. This greedy bastard is up to no good!'
"No!" Hong Lin rejected his proposal in an instant, hissing: "Are you insane? Have you already forgotten how we were just running for our lives? Getting out unscathed was lucky enough. How can you still be thinking of provoking It?!
Those two Real Universe fakes ran away! We're newcors here — don't cause trouble!
Cheng Shi, we ca for [War]'s Authority! [Silence] is [War]'s opposite! Disturbing Its remains is bad luck!"
"?"
'Lady — in a world where gods literally walk the earth, you're going to preach superstition at ?'
Cheng Shi's gaze didn't waver. Big Cat's words clearly hadn't swayed him.
Hong Lin grew frantic: "Where's your steadiness?!"
Cheng Shi was perfectly steady. This wasn't greed clouding his judgnt — it was the product of careful deliberation.
He pointed at the corpse overhead that blotted out half the universe and laid out his analysis with crystal clarity:
"Think about it. Even if the Real Universe's natives understand it far better than we do, they're still bound by its rules — still trapped within the frawork of the Creator's experint.
So if we can conclude that the Creator killed [Silence], they can too. But they can only conclude — never verify.
Because everyone knows that attracting Origin's gaze ans only one outco: obliteration.
Anomalous variables that don't belong to the experint have no reason to exist within it.
Given that — do you think they dare approach this corpse?"
Big Cat blinked and digested this for a while before she grasped what Cheng Shi ant: the two impostors had fled not because the corpse itself was dangerous, but because they were afraid of any connection to Origin.
She still wasn't convinced: "That's all speculation."
Cheng Shi nodded:
"Correct — all speculation. But not groundless speculation.
In the Real Universe, Origin represents extre danger. Everyone retreats from It. But precisely because of that, anything connected to Him could serve as camouflage for newcors like us!
It's like soone saring a predator's scent on themselves to brave the jungle. Yes, the dangerous act might attract the predator's attention. But at the sa ti, it scares off every other beast with designs on you.
In the law of the jungle, it's about who's bolder and who's tougher.
Fortune favors the bold, and the timid starve. Hong Lin, with your toughness...
Dare you gamble with ?"
"?"
When Hong Lin heard this logic, her brain short-circuited.
'Sothing everyone avoids at all costs — how did it beco a weapon in our hands?'
'Sophistry has its uses, but you're just fooling yourself! Who can predict what dangers lurk on a god's corpse?'
Yet the phrase "gamble with " instantly transported her back to that [Prosperity] trial. It was precisely that gamble that transford her from an ordinary mortal into [Prosperity]'s Proxy!
So here and now, in the Real Universe — could this gamble let her take... one more step?
Perhaps even beco that...
"..."
'Can't think about it. Don't dare think about it!'
Hong Lin's expression cycled through a dozen shades of conflict before everything finally condensed into a single question:
"What are our odds?"
Cheng Shi grinned: "We have no odds."
"!!!" Hong Lin was so tense she nearly crushed Cheng Shi's arm. "No odds?! Then what are you gambling with?!"
Cheng Shi's eyes flickered. From the corner of his vision, he looked into the infinite distance and answered silently in his heart:
'I'm gambling with their curiosity!'
'I refuse to believe those two fakes aren't interested in this corpse.'
'As long as we put on a show here and draw their attention, we'll naturally learn their attitude toward the corpse — and from that, whether there's any real danger on it, and what information it hides.'
'Unfortunately, I can't tell you any of this. Because they're liars too. The mont they read the truth on your face, this entire performance falls apart.'
'So forgive , Big Cat. To fool them, I have to fool you first.'
...
anwhile, on the other side.
The two figures were still betting on when Cheng Shi would make his move. In the next instant, they saw plus of smoke blossom beside the Leaking World Silent Puppet's massive elbow.
Compared to the colossal corpse, the smoke was little more than dust and mold clinging to the crease of an elbow — but it was enough to shroud Cheng Shi and Hong Lin completely, hiding them from outside view.
Seeing this, the cheerful figure raised an eyebrow:
"Ha — the liar's clever, all right. He's using our reaction to underwrite his gamble.
Normally, I wouldn't indulge him."
Despite saying this, his impatient little shuffling steps gave away just how interested he really was.
The cold figure let out a quiet snort:
"Go. Why wouldn't we go?
If he doesn't climb up there, who's going to find out what's hidden on it?
They won't tell us. So we'll just have to let Their followers do the talking. Let's go — let him 'fool' us this once."
...
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