Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 218 Warmth in the Interval
Humanity will not be extinguished by despair.
It simply extinguished its firelight in the darkness.

The dim morning light had long since faded, and after a day of running around and fighting, the main characters returned to the abandoned shopping mall.

The mall's doors remained twisted and open, like a weary, open mouth, breathing out the last gasps of humanity.

Life and death, hope and despair, all intertwine and coalesce behind this door.

Si Ming walked at the front, one hand on the shoulder of Duan Xingzhou who was still half-conscious, and the other carrying the simple medical kit he had brought back from the Paper Sealing Building.

He didn't say much, but his steady pace, neither too close nor too far, acted like an invisible thread, pulling the exhausted team back from the brink of collapse.

The dust inside the shopping mall had not yet settled, and in the dim light, collapsed advertising light boxes and scattered mascot molds could still be vaguely seen, as if the echoes of the previous night's lingering dreams had not completely faded away.

"Come in, all of you," Vera urged softly from the entrance, her voice gentle yet carrying an irresistible clarity and strength.

Wang Yichen led Eileen into the hall first, followed closely by Rudolf, who supported Fujimiya Sumi with careful and steady movements.

Mu Sisi and Lilith protected Lin Wanqing, whose strength had not yet recovered, and walked at the back of the group.

Xu Jinxiao, however, remained silent as she walked at the very back, her footsteps so light they were almost silent, as if each step was on a non-existent shadow.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the sounds of their breathing, the rustling of fabric, and the hoarse echo of their shoes crunching on the gravel.

The light was thin, and dust swirled slowly in the air, like weightless snowflakes, gently falling.

“Let’s set up camp here first.” Lynn looked around, glanced at Gregory, whose face was as pale as paper, and spoke decisively.

"Agreed." Zhuang Yege responded succinctly, wiping the fresh blood from his forehead with his sleeve, his gaze sweeping across the ruins like a sword. "There's no unusual activity in this building for now."

Vera nodded, her gaze serious:
"First, set up sentry posts and cordon lines, and establish medical and rest points."

The group dispersed in unison, each taking on their assigned duties. A simple defensive formation and perimeter were quickly established in silence.

But in this brief period of peace, the threads of fate were quietly stirred once again.

"This thing... can still be used?" Rudolf crouched down and asked, pointing to a rusty machine in the pile of ashes.

Duan Xingzhou approached, half-squatted down, and gently stroked the old-fashioned generator with his fingertips.

The metal casing had collapsed, and the cable puller was long rusted, but a long-lost light flashed in his eyes.

"let me try."

He didn't say anything more, but silently took off his backpack and spread out the simple tool bag he carried with him on the ground.

Screwdrivers, insulating tape, pliers, and even half a piece of wire were all available.

"You... can fix this?" Abel Cohen squatted down, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.

“I’m not an inventor,” Duan Xingzhou said without looking up as he disassembled the connector, wiping his sweat as he spoke, “but anyone in the transportation business should know a thing or two about emergency repairs.”

"Where there is electricity, there is light. With light, we are like human beings."

No one questioned him anymore.

Sparks flew through the dust, brief yet intense.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Mu Sisi knelt down beside Fujimiya Sumi, gently unbuttoning her blood-stained sleeves, and carefully cleaning her wounds with alcohol swabs and strips of cloth she found on a dilapidated shelf.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly.

Fujimiya Sumire simply shook her head slightly, not daring to look directly at her.

Mu Sisi smiled slightly and continued to carefully bandage her wound: "That's good... bear with it, it'll be over soon."

In the dim light, their silhouettes overlapped to form a blurry yet warm picture, as if time had been frozen in this brief moment of tenderness.

In the distance, Lilith was clumsily but earnestly changing Gregory's bandages.

The old man's injuries were still serious, but he just leaned against the cold wall, quietly nodding in acknowledgment, silently enduring the rare assistance he received.

Lynn stood behind them, remaining vigilant, but when Mu Sisi looked up and their eyes met, the frost in her eyes finally cracked slightly.

"Thank you," Lynn said softly.

Mu Sisi nodded: "We... just want to survive."

At that moment, Lynn's gaze softened slightly, as if he had finally let go of the heavy burden that had been weighing on his heart for so long.

In this silence—

"Om-"

The generator vibrated like it was coughing, then gradually stabilized.

A few old chandeliers swayed overhead, casting a dim and gentle light.

A corner of the hall was gradually illuminated.

Some people cheered quietly in the corner, while others' eyes welled up with tears.

Even if this faint light only lasts for ten minutes, for these survivors who had been gripped tightly by darkness and death,

This is still an incredible little miracle.

Under the chandelier, the disheveled and battered figures were enveloped in a soft light, like a group of homeless people struggling to stand up again after experiencing calamities.

Mu Sisi gently pressed the last band-aid onto Fujimiya Sumi's arm and patted her shoulder lightly.

"Alright, now you can get a good night's sleep."

Fujimiya Sumire choked back tears and whispered, "Thank you..."

Gregory remained seated against the wall, clutching the worn notebook tightly in his hand, as if listening to distant and ancient whispers.

Vera crouched in the corner where light and shadow intertwined, closing her eyes to rest, her breathing deep, as if using the brief silence to heal her mind.

Everything seems to be gradually transitioning towards "stability".

But they all knew that this was just a brief and fragile calm before the storm.

Until Wang Yichen spoke.

"So, we're just going to keep hiding like this?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into still water, shattering the brief and fragile tranquility.

He stood in the brightest spot, covered in dust and bloodstains, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone as if searching for allies in a silent trial.

“This place is not safe,” he continued, his voice clear, each word like a wooden hammer striking bone.

"No food, no water, and the electricity is only temporary. What will we do if the Secret Relics suddenly come knocking again?"

No one responded immediately, but subtle fluctuations were already visible in the air.

Some survivors unconsciously frowned, some began to exchange whispered glances, while others clenched their fists, their muscles trembling slightly beneath their skin.

Seeing this, Wang Yichen seized the opportunity and changed the subject:
"Are we really going to rely on a few sorcerers to save us? They didn't even explain to us what that puppet king was."

These words were like a spark falling on dry grass, instantly freezing the atmosphere.

"What do you mean by this?" Lynn's gaze immediately turned cold, his voice low and dangerous, like a sharp blade scraping against a stone wall.

“I was just saying,” Wang Yichen raised his hand, his tone calm and almost innocent.

“Everyone has the right to know what kind of hell they are in. If we continue to be their ‘pawns’ as we are now, we can only passively wait for the next monster to appear.”

His tone was not aggressive, but it touched the softest spot in people's hearts perfectly.

Abser huddled in the corner, his eyes darting around, his lips trembling, but he dared not utter a sound.

Lilith gripped Lynn's clothes tightly, her voice as faint as the wind rustling through dry, cracked leaves:
Is he... blaming us?

“He’s stirring things up,” Lynn replied in a low voice, his gaze sharpening as if a falcon were surveying a valley before turmoil.

Seeing that the time was right, Wang Yichen delivered the final blow:
"I propose that we organize a new exploration team—one that we form ourselves."

While we're still clear-headed and have the strength, let's take the initiative and find the exit from this damned city.

These words, like a match, finally ignited the tense atmosphere that permeated the air.

“What he said… isn’t entirely unreasonable,” someone muttered in a corner.

“We can’t keep relying on them…” another voice followed, weak yet gradually spreading, like a small crack in a broken dam.

Even the faintest sound cast a shadow over the collective will that was already on the verge of collapse.

Rudolf stood silently to the side, his fists clenched.

He wasn't oblivious to Wang Yichen's intentions—this man had been looking for an opportunity from the very beginning, waiting for the right moment to push himself into the so-called "dominant" position.

Even if the price is walking over other people's unhealed wounds.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, as if even the air itself was stretched to the point of being about to tear apart.

Just then, a figure moved in the corner.

It's possible tonight.

He was originally silent as a shadow, sitting with his head down, as if he had been forgotten outside of time.

But at that moment, he suddenly raised his head, his brow furrowed, his face deathly pale, his eyes unfocused, as if he were being pulled by some invisible force. "...No..."

He murmured softly, his fingers pressed tightly against his temples, his body trembling slightly, as taut as a bowstring.

"Xu Jinxiao?" Mu Sisi was the first to notice something was wrong and quickly walked over, her voice full of anxiety.

"what happened to you?"

But Xu Jinxiao did not respond.

He simply closed his eyes, breathing rapidly, as if enduring some intense pain. A few seconds later, he suddenly relaxed his brow, and his expression quickly returned to calm.

"It's alright," he said softly, his voice so faint it seemed to drift from afar.

Mu Sisi was stunned for a moment, looking at him with some doubt, but in the end she didn't ask any questions and just stood silently by her side.

Meanwhile, Wang Yichen continued his speech.

He was unaware of Xu Jinxiao's unusual behavior, or rather—he was completely absorbed in his own words.

He attempts to draw everyone into his fabricated narrative of "active survival," entrusting their anxieties, ambitions, and future to a self-proclaimed heroism.

In the hall, the dim light illuminated every pale face.

They stood at the boundary between darkness and light, breathing in the smell of dust and rust, wavering between exhaustion and despair.

Deep within the city, the dormant gears have long been turning slowly and silently.

"If you want to go and die, then go and die!" Lynn finally lost control.

She took a sudden step forward and stood in front of Wang Yichen, her body trembling slightly, yet she remained stubbornly still.

"You have no idea what we've been through!"

Her voice tore through the silence, filled with suppressed grief and exhaustion.

"My master and I entered the city via another route," she hissed, her eyes seeming to pierce through the blood-red mist of memories.
“There, I watched as my three fellow occultists in our team fell one by one. Only the two of us came back.”

She abruptly raised her hand, which was covered in tiny bloodstains, and pointed it at Gregory, who was sitting weakly in the corner.

"Look at him now? He only got this life after burning away twelve stars of his sanity!"

“And I…” She forcefully pulled open her clothes, revealing the life pattern star map on her wrist that had long since burned out. The star tracks were broken and the marks were mottled, like a torn night sky.

"We... no longer have the resources to gamble again!"

Her voice was hoarse with extreme grief and indignation, carrying a chilling coldness and sorrow.

"You don't even know the truth about this city, you don't even know what the Secret Remains mean, yet you dare to talk so much about 'taking the initiative'?"

"You think this is some kind of arcade where you grind dungeons? You think you can change everything just by standing in the protagonist's position?"

Lynn took a step closer, his entire being like a drawn blade, cold and piercing:

"Go out? Are you prepared to pay with your lives for your decision?"

Wang Yichen's face turned ashen. He opened his mouth, but remained silent.

The air seemed to be on the verge of bursting, and everyone felt as if they were stretched taut on the same steel wire, breathing cautiously.

At that moment, Mu Sisi suddenly spoke up.

She stood beside Fujimiya Sumi, her cheeks flushed with emotion, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Stop arguing..."

The sound wasn't loud, but it was as clear as a pebble thrown into a lake, impossible to ignore.

"You're all right." She sniffed, her voice choked with emotion yet defiant.

"Yes, this city is too dangerous; anyone could die at any moment. But right now... we're still alive! Isn't that something to be thankful for?"

She looked up, her voice unusually loud in the silence.

"Can't you see? Si Ming, Vera, Lynn, Zhuang Yege... even that Uncle Duan covered in blood... they are all desperately trying to help us survive."

She lowered her head, clutching the bandage and alcohol in her hands tightly, and murmured:
“I’m not a mystery maker, so I can’t help much. But I don’t want to see you tear the last bit of hope to shreds because of your arguments.”

"We... have already lost too much."

The phrase "I've lost too much" pierces everyone's heart like a blade.

Lilith, huddled in the corner, bowed her head and hugged her knees, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably; Abel's eyes were red-rimmed, like a lost soul awakened by that sound.

"enough."

Duan Xingzhou walked over slowly, wiping the oil stains from his forehead, his voice as steady as a rock.

"I don't know anything about Leo or any kind of Mysterious Card."

"But I know that being able to stand here means that each of us should rely on each other and continue to live."

He walked up to Wang Yichen, his tone calm:
"Without the Mystic Master, can you lead everyone out alive? By your own means?"

Wang Yichen remained silent, his clenched fists finally loosening slowly as he lowered his head.

"Then shut up." Duan Xingzhou's voice was calm, yet carried an irresistible weight.

The atmosphere finally eased.

The flames of conflict gradually died out in silence and whispers.

Everyone lowered their heads and wearily returned to their respective corners.

Like a group of exiles who survived a catastrophe, they clung to each other in the ruins, clinging to the last remaining warmth.

Lynn quietly retreated to Gregory's side, tightly grasped his master's cold hands, lowered his head to regulate his breathing, and tried to calm his mind.

Vera slowly opened her eyes, nodded at Mu Sisi, and looked at her with approval.

Zhuang Yege sat quietly on the broken chair, his thin body shrouded in a black robe, as silent as a mountain about to awaken.

Si Ming—he simply looked down and flipped through the playing cards in his hand, a vague smile playing on his lips, as if he were waiting, or perhaps confirming something.

He looked up at the ceiling.

There's wind there.

The wind blew in through the shattered glass dome, carrying dust and faint, unseen noises.

The aftermath of the argument finally subsided.

Vera rose from the corner and slowly walked towards the stairwell on the outside of the mall, looking up at the cracked glass dome.

Sunlight streamed through the mottled glass, making it seem like a perfectly sunny day at first glance.

But look closely—

The clouds were slowly churning, and an eerie, morbid golden hue floated in the sunlight.

“…No.” she murmured.

The sun hung high, but its direction was distorted and bizarre. The angle at which the beams of light fell was steeper than any real noon, piercing almost vertically into the broken interior of the mall.

Those spots of light were dazzling, with an unusual white hue, yet they brought no warmth whatsoever.

Vera raised her hand and pressed it against the cold wall, feeling a chill run down her spine.

“The city… is too quiet,” Rudolf murmured to himself, standing behind her with a grave expression.

The sunlight illuminated the broken dust particles with exceptional clarity; they seemed to float in the air, as if they would never fall to the ground.

In the eerie silence, a faint, delicate sound came from deep within the escalator on the basement level of the mall.

"Sand... rustle..."

It sounded like someone was dragging their feet, rubbing against the floor tiles.

It was as if something was being slowly dragged along, inch by inch, approaching upwards.

Siming immediately looked up, his gaze locking onto the source of the sound like a sharp blade. There was no surprise in his eyes, only deep impatience and indifference.

"Here we go again," he muttered to himself.

The others also turned around, gripped their weapons, and nervously moved closer together, creating an oppressive silence that seemed to freeze the air.

The entire shopping mall seemed to hold its breath.

Sunlight still penetrated the broken glass, shining on the dusty artificial flowers and plastic shop windows.

Bright and beautiful—

It was like a silent mockery from another world.

They say that sunlight is salvation.

In some places—

It simply makes the darkness clearer.

(End of this chapter)