Chapter 810 — Nightfall Visitors
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
The first daylight hours within the Sandbox world passed in a hurried blur of exploration, given over to the temple and the city.
The simulated giant sun at the horizon's rim was drawing steadily closer to the earth, its resplendent afterglow casting the silhouette of the desert city-state of Nim Sanzhuo across the land. Gao Yang had climbed to a high terrace near the temple and now stood looking down upon the deserted, long-abandoned city, seemingly lost in thought.
Footsteps sounded behind him. Gao Yang turned and saw Selina come to stand at his side.
"Tonight we will rest in an empty house near the temple," Selina said. "Will that suit you?"
"Nothing unsuitable about it," Gao Yang replied. "You know this place's environment—arrange it as you see fit."
Selina opened her mouth, seeming to hesitate, and only after a few seconds spoke. "Have you decided how to deal with the upper-level Narrator? For instance... how to draw Him out."
It was not only her question; it was what Yuri and Magnum wished to ask but dared not.
To this day, the upper-level Narrator remained in their eyes something formless and insubstantial. He existed; His power and influence were visible everywhere in Sandbox One; yet He had never exposed any physical entity before their eyes at all. Selina simply could not imagine how one might contend with such an enemy, and as for the Wanderer from Beyond...
She, Yuri, and Magnum had observed him for an entire day and had seen the Wanderer from Beyond take no active measures whatsoever to seek out or oppose the upper-level Narrator. Gao Yang had done exactly as they had, spending the whole day conducting investigations and gathering intelligence. This could not help but plant a measure of doubt in their minds—
Could what they were doing really be of any use against that formless, insubstantial "god"?
In the sinking radiance of the giant sun, Gao Yang glanced at Selina and smiled. "I know what you're worried about.
"Frankly, a god who never shows His face hiding within such a vast Sandbox world makes for a rather thorny situation even for me—no point of entry, no place to begin.
"So I am waiting—waiting for that 'upper-level Narrator' to show Himself of His own accord."
"Wait for Him to show Himself?" Selina's eyes widened slightly. "You think the upper-level Narrator will come out on His own?"
"He will. This is an opportunity He has long awaited," Gao Yang said with firm certainty. "We are the final springboard by which He might escape His predicament, and our exploration of Sandbox One is the finest chance He could seize. Even setting all that aside, the intrusion of we 'uninvited guests' has surely drawn His notice. According to what befell the previous exploration team, that god is not exactly welcoming to outsiders, and He will at the very least make some manner of response—and the moment He responds, we will have our chance to seize upon that substantive power and trace it to its source."
"An attack..." Selina murmured, her gaze on the giant sun now sunk to the horizon. "It's nearly dark."
"Yes, nearly dark. It was after nightfall that the previous exploration team fell to the mind's backlash," Gao Yang nodded. "In the Sandbox world, 'night' is a very particular concept. It seems that once night descends, this world undergoes a great many changes. We have already explored Nim Sanzhuo by day; next, perhaps we may look forward to seeing what it is like by night."
As he spoke, he stepped toward the edge of the terrace, preparing to return to their temporary encampment—but Selina's voice came suddenly from behind him. "Have you never considered whether that line at the temple gate and upon the preaching platform might be true?"
"'The god is dead'?" Gao Yang halted at the terrace's edge and gave a slight shake of his head. "I don't believe that for a moment."
Nightfall came at last.