Chapter 120: Earth

For a moment, it felt as if the weight of the entire universe bore down upon him.

The stars above were obscured, and in this boundless darkness, time itself seemed to stand still, awaiting his response.

To survive meekly or to fight for life and death – this was yet another seemingly unchanging choice presented to him.

Chen Shijin looked at Le Feng, standing motionless before him, then glanced upward at the omnipresent, silent pressure that posed as a "god" questioning him.

Pausing on the spot, he curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

What a tedious question, he thought.

But perhaps it wasn't tedious for some?

Thus, he raised his gaze to the heavens and the earth:

"Is mere survival truly living?"

What kind of meager existence, what kind of life, did the deities refer to?

Then, he heard the answer from the gods of this world:

"You can become the new lord and build the grandest city."

Chen Jinkun smiled.

"Would I then follow in the footsteps of the Jincheng and Baoyue City lords, periodically sending my citizens, my fellow humans, to their deaths?"

The deity of this realm fell silent for a moment before responding coldly, "Upon arriving in this Exiled Land, they have accepted their fate."

Humans here were destined to die sooner or later; having a stable city before that was already their fortune and blessing.

Each city lord was either an indulgence towards power or a temporary compromise.

In any case...

Almost all humans, regardless of their past, would eventually become unrecognizable versions of themselves over time, as they were eroded by the accumulation of wealth and power.

The Exiled God of Devouring knew all too well how complex and peculiar human beings could be in this forsaken land.

They could be weak as dust or rise to towering heights; they could be utterly despicable, abandoning all morals and kinship, or they could display boundless loyalty to strangers.

They were strange, intricate creatures, but no matter what kind of life they had led, time, power, money, and strength would ultimately shape them into the deplorable forms He had witnessed.

"At least you can protect those you wish to protect."

Upon hearing these last words, Chen Shijin thought of his companions, friends, and even the noisy, troublesome family members he had shared life and death with in the Eternal Heart.

If he chose to survive and become the ruler of a new city, they would likely live long lives, thriving within its walls.

"Otherwise... all humans in the Exiled Land will fall into despair because of you."

Chen Shijin blinked.

It seemed like a choice with barely any choice at all.

He lifted his gaze to the heavens, as if looking at the unseen Devourer God, but soon returned his attention to Yue Feng, who had been watching him intently without uttering a word.

"So, I should choose to survive, after all, there's still a long road ahead. If I become a god, these problems will likely fade away."

"My loved ones would benefit the most from my decision, otherwise they'd have to face that certain death final battle alongside me."

Yue Feng looked at him, raising an eyebrow and nodding. "A wise choice."

"But I'm inherently rebellious. The more people want me to do something, the less I want to do it."

"And I never claimed to be a good person, one who would compromise for others' peace and happiness."

"Pathetic." Chen Shijin's expression sharpened abruptly. "After my death, let the floods rage!"

"As long as I am here, the world exists."

"If I am not, then what does this world matter to me?!"

Chen Shijin scoffed after finishing his words. "If there's a fight to be had, then so be it! 'Surviving' is not a word in my dictionary!"

"And how can you be so sure that this war won't end with your demise and my ascension to godhood?"

"Arrogance!"

Suddenly, a chilling gale swept across the heavens and earth, piercing through one's bones with its coldness.

Amidst the black tempest that had formed, Chen Shijin was tossed about, unable to keep his balance or even see clearly.

All he could hear was the furious and ominous voice of the Devourer's deity in his ear, "You will pay for your choice."

Then, an earth-shattering roar echoed throughout the world as the sky crumbled and the land began to collapse!

Chen Shijin watched as a massive fissure emerged beneath his feet, spreading in all directions.

Even his composure was shaken by this unforeseen turn of events. He had prepared himself for a desperate battle or the possibility of being dragged into another horrifying realm.

But why wasn't there a fight? Instead, the entire Exiled World started collapsing?

As Chen Shijin pondered the cunning and sinister tactics a divine Devourer might employ, he suddenly felt a familiar pull.

It was the familiar sensation of being on the cusp of being engulfed by another world.

That's more like it.

Yet, it was merely another world riddled with challenges, albeit an illusory one.

As Chen Shijin began to calmly yield to the force's pull, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his earlobe.

He was taken aback, then erupted in furious anger.

"You cursed joy,"

"Don't forget this is a battle, where a moment's lapse can reduce you to mere cannon fodder for others to feast upon."

Upon finishing this sentence, Chen Shijin was overwhelmed by a violent bout of dizziness. When the disorientation subsided and he regained his footing, he opened his eyes to a sight that left him utterly stunned.

So taken aback was he that he doubted the reliability of his own eyes, standing frozen in place, hesitating to make any move for fear of disrupting the scene before him.

Until a shrill scream pierced my ears —

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh—AHHHHHHHHHHH—Ah, Big Cousin! Big Cousin, Big Cousin, Big Cousin!! Chen Shijin! Am I seeing this right?!"

"This is your penthouse! We're back?!"

Chen Shijin took a sharp intake of breath to regain his composure.

In front of him was the all-too-familiar, annoyingly cunning cousin, Lu Jun, dressed up as if he were an elf from a cosplay, with sprouted tea leaves woven into a green wreath around his head to preserve some dignity. His face was a mix of excitement and distortion.

"Goodness, am I dreaming?! Are we really back? We're back?

Heavens, was the Exiled Land just a nightmare? Nothing actually happened! In reality, only one day has passed! Haha! I never even set foot in that damned place?!"

Lu Jun first screamed, then became agitated, talking to himself as if in a trance. Unfortunately, all his excitement was dashed by Chen Shijin's single sentence.

"Liu Dakai isn't here."

Lu Jun's voice trailed off. A brief expression of recollection and confusion flickered across his face, followed by intense disdain and mockery. He finally sighed.

"Well, I knew I couldn't be that lucky."

"However, it's truly... beyond my wildest dreams that I'd have the chance to return to Earth one day," Lu Jun said slowly, then turned to look at Chen Shi Jin. "Brother, so what did you do? How did you manage to bring us back to Earth?"

Chen Shi Jin raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know it was because of me?"

"How can you be sure that this is the real Earth and not an imitation created to deceive and exterminate all humans?"

Lu Jun fell silent.

After a while, he wiped his face. "Anyway, I knew that if there was ever a chance to go home, it would be thanks to my omnipotent cousin god!"

"If this is a false world, then I'll just find the world core with you and shatter it. With Cousin here, what do I have to fear?"

Moreover, as Lu Jun gazed at the familiar sights of Earth, his eyes misted over. Even if this world was fake, he was content to have seen this homeland that he had yearned for day and night in his lifetime.

"Even if it's fake... this is still Earth."

Chen Shijin fell silent.

In the silence that ensued between the two, the tightly shut door was suddenly pounded on with great force.

Instantly, both Chen Shijin and Lu Jun tensed up, adopting defensive postures. Chen Shijin glanced at Lu Jun, who gave him an 'OK' sign with his fingers.

Don't worry, brother. Under the aroma of this tea, no one can remain clear-headed!

Chen Shijin tugged at the corners of his mouth and walked to the door, feeling somewhat uneasy as he spoke, "Who's there?"

The pounding at the door abruptly ceased.

Then, Chen Shijin and Lu Jun heard a response they never could have anticipated:

"Good day, we are from the First Squad of the National Special Security Escort Team. Based on our investigation, the owner of this residence, Chen Shijin, went missing without a trace during the Red Rain incident a year ago. His fiancé, Liu Dakai, and cousin, Lu Jun, who were also residing here, disappeared alongside him."

"Therefore, this area, including the house, has been specially designated by the security department as a Level One Hazard Zone related to the Red Rain event, with infrared life monitoring systems installed for 24/7 surveillance."

"At 1:04 PM today, the infrared life monitor issued a continuous alarm."

"May I ask if the occupant inside is the owner, Chen Shijin, or an unintended intruder?"

The question left both Chen Shijin and Lu Jun with astonished expressions of disbelief.

Lu Jun couldn't control himself as he took a few steps forward. With wide eyes, he stared at Chen Shijin. Though he didn't speak, Chen Shijin could clearly read his thoughts:

This is real! Their questions and explanations are too convincing! Could this really be Earth? !

Lu Jun was eager to open the door, but he restrained himself, staying rooted beside his cousin until Chen Shijin made a move.

A polite knock sounded again.

"Is the person inside the owner, Chen Shijin?"

Chen Shijin lowered his gaze, then after a moment, reached for the doorknob and gently pushed it down.

The door opened.

Outside stood a fully equipped, armed special security team.

Behind the door stood a wanderer who had been missing for a year and had now returned.

When his eyes met those of the others, Chen Shijin thought that if this was a fabricated world created by a deity, then that deity was... utterly detestable.

And if this was indeed the real world... then that divine Devourer was indeed quite terrifying.

"I... am Chen Shijin."