Chapter 707: What Have I Done to Deserve This!

The two of them soon arrived at the site where Cheng Shi and Qin Xin had fought. Cheng Shi remembered a bed of Rainbow Orchids growing in front of the residential section here.

Though the area was patchwork-ruined from Existence's repairs, not a single building was missing. Cheng Shi quickly spotted the red orchid bed and found a crimson bundle of small ball-flowers by the roadside.

Judging by the location, this was likely where the boy he'd "extorted" earlier had dropped his bouquet.

Indeed — even a picked bouquet had changed color. The Rainbow Orchids were Time's markers for different worlds — and the clues He'd left for the players.

'That's Truth for you — even if His followers are all eccentric, those brains of theirs... genuinely work.'

Now that he knew the world-anchoring markers, Cheng Shi began analyzing the entire trial's world-shift patterns — undeniably his paramount concern, and the key to finding his way home.

That said, the orchids he'd first seen were red, and they were red now too. Did that mean he'd returned to the original world?

Clearly yes. When he mapped each player's state against the orchid colors, the day's full timeline of shifts unraveled quickly.

At the trial's start, every player was "original." The world was "original." The Abyss Rainbow Orchids were red.

The first time Cheng Shi saw orange-yellow orchids was outside the Shanty Area before the second exploration — meaning the world had changed for the first time somewhere between the latter half of the first exploration and the end of the first group discussion.

This change corresponded exactly with the first wave of player discrepancies.

The green orchids appeared on the trail up to the mine after the second exploration — so the world had shifted again during the second exploration. That, too, coincided with the second wave of player discrepancies.

The pattern now seemed "obvious."

Even with someone in Cheng Shi's field of vision at every hour mark, the world he stood in still changed. This meant it wasn't only being ejected from a timeline that altered your world — the space-time itself could shift according to the players' discrepancy states.

For Cheng Shi, the most visceral proof was his own smoke trick. After that triple-discrepancy, the orchids had shifted from blue-violet back to red — confirming the hypothesis. World changes were strongly correlated with player discrepancy states.

In other words: as long as discrepancies erupted, even if a player didn't personally trigger the rule, the world could still be dragged into a discrepancy state.

So if someone wanted to keep the current world stable, they'd simply need to ensure nobody left anyone else's field of vision at each hour mark.

But was that feasible?

No. Because the Blind One wasn't currently her original self. She was bound to change eventually.

And the moment she changed, nobody could guarantee the world wouldn't change with her.

So the dilemma facing Cheng Shi was once again "random" permutation. He had to push the Blind One's transition while praying the world didn't shift in tandem — and simultaneously ensuring nobody else sabotaged the experiment of finding the way home.

This was impossibly hard.

Pinning his hopes on the Torchbearers was acceptable. But there were still two outsiders. Though their attitudes were passable, they remained uncontrollable variables.

Cheng Shi couldn't guarantee that over the next seven days, everyone would share his "desperation" to go home and cooperate obediently. So he devised a more reliable method — one that left absolutely no room for accidents.

Namely... kill the uncertain elements first!

The fewer people remaining in the trial, the higher the odds of returning home.

And when only he, Qin Xin, and the Blind One were left — three people who trusted each other — they could boldly play a permutation game against Time.

Having reached this conclusion, Cheng Shi immediately turned to the Investigator beside him with a friendly smile.

Li Wufang tensed. Catching the shift in Cheng Shi's expression, he quietly retreated half a step, one hand behind his back.

Cheng Shi leaned over to peek at his hidden hand: "Why so nervous?"

"..." Li Wufang's mouth twitched. He retreated another step. "Your eyes carry the same destructive urge as the Extinguisher. I don't want to assume the worst — but I need to make sure you won't silence me to protect your organization's secrecy."

'Tsk. The Investigator's too sharp. Hard to make a move on him.'

Cheng Shi frowned and switched tactics.

"I'm a priest who couldn't tie up a chicken. You're a hunter renowned for agility. How could I possibly silence you?

Relax — you're too tense."

Cheng Shi's fingers caressed the Fun Ring, his smile growing ever more genial.

"What I wanted to say is — do you really want to join us?"

"?" The Investigator blinked, stunned: "You people actually have an organization?"

"We do. Of course we do. You're clever and perceptive — you nearly deduced our existence.

That's right — we're indeed an organization that reveres Destiny. We have quite a few of these so-called Destiny's darlings you mentioned. But as you may have gathered, not just anyone can join.

At minimum, you'd need to be a Destiny's darling yourself to qualify for a seat at the same table.

Do you think... you are?"

Cheng Shi's smile grew radiant. He could see Li Wufang was tempted. But unfortunately, the man shook his head.

"No. I'm not.

I'm searching for Destiny's darlings, but I don't consider myself one.

I've certainly benefited from Destiny's guidance. But I have enough self-awareness to know — a single stroke of fortune isn't perpetual luck.

And your attitude makes me afraid to say 'yes.' I may believe in fate, but I'm not stupid."

"..."

'People are getting harder to scam these days. No matter — the con man adapts his con to the target.'

After sizing Li Wufang up once more, Cheng Shi smiled again:

"Be more confident, Investigator. How do you know you're not one? Nobody receives His gaze and guidance for no reason.

Having received even the smallest gift from Destiny means you've already traveled further down the path of fate than most.

So you can absolutely claim to be Destiny's darling."

"What are you actually trying to do?" Li Wufang panicked — not from fear of ambush, but because Cheng Shi's words were genuinely swaying him.

He'd even started wondering if Destiny had always favored him.

"What am I trying to do?

Obviously, I want to invite you to join us — to join the family favored by Destiny. Isn't that what you wanted? What — having second thoughts?"

"..." Li Wufang looked at Cheng Shi, conflicted: "What do I have to give up?"

"Smart!

Every gift from Destiny comes with a price. Some can afford it. Some can't.

I'll be straight with you: we have a method for testing whether someone is truly a Destiny's darling. It also serves as the initiation ritual. Pass it, and I'll happily introduce you to the other members.

Their identities will exceed anything you can imagine."

"Is Chosen One... one of them?"

"?" The smile froze on Cheng Shi's face. 'Dude, are you cheating?'

'How do you know everything?'

"No. A mere Chosen One? She's not worthy."

"..."

'Right, right, right — Destiny's own Chosen One isn't worthy, but I am!'

'What have I done to deserve this?!'