Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 220 Before Nightfall

Not all fates befall the night.

Some seeds are sown in the daytime.

As evening approached, the last rays of the setting sun slowly sank into the thick, dark clouds through the cracked skylight on the top floor of the shopping mall.

The skyline was stained an eerie dark red, like a wound slowly bleeding.

An indescribable sense of oppression filled the air, as if the entire city was holding its breath, waiting for something.

The next second, all the power lines vibrated violently at the same time, and the broadcast system crackled to life—

"—Welcome back on the second night."

The voice sounded like a madman laughing and speaking through a rusty megaphone; the distorted sound waves descended not only from the sky, but also...

It seemed to flow back from the depths of the earth, carrying a soul-wrenching tremor that echoed in everyone's mind.

“We have prepared a brand new stage for all the ‘survivors’.”

"Let's divide and split, trust or betray, tonight's prelude will begin with 'separation'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the floor of the shopping mall's first-floor lobby suddenly shook.

The floor tiles were cracked, with wrinkles spreading out from the center like a pulsating heartbeat.

Immediately afterwards, a huge, mysterious-style card silently descended—no one saw how it came down.
It's as if it had always been here, only now being allowed to appear.

It hovered in mid-air, gleaming with a metallic luster that was a mix of dark blue and crimson, its edges engraved with ancient and profound runes of fate.

Mechanical lettering gradually emerged on the card, line by line, cold and clear:

[Second Night Warm-up Mechanism: Group Games]

[Randomly select three team captains]

Other participants may choose to join, or be assigned by the system.

[Note: The difficulty level in this round is not determined by the number of players; teams will be randomly teleported to different areas.]

[After the groups are formed, the game will start automatically in 10 minutes.]

【Good luck】

Before he finished speaking, three beams of light shot down from the dome, landing precisely in the center of the crowd.

Wang Yichen.

Abel Cohen.

Duan Xingzhou.

Beneath their feet, halos of different colors appeared, like invisible shackles or some kind of fate binding them silently.

The final, chilling slogan emerges from the card:

[Captain locked, confirmed]

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Then—chaos erupted.

"it's me?"

Wang Yichen was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the halo shimmering with icy blue light at his feet, and froze for half a second.

Immediately, he straightened his back, and a subtle glow appeared on his face, as if he had finally returned to the "main stage" he had longed for.

"I'm the captain?" he murmured, his eyes suddenly burning with intensity, as if he had seen some long-lost possibility.

He coughed, suppressing his emotions, raised his voice, and tried to appear calm and composed:

"listen to me!"

He surveyed his surroundings, his eyes gleaming with the sharp light of a controller.

“I know you are hesitant, and I know you may have some opinions about me.”

"But everyone saw what happened last night. In the food street, I chose the right first soup, Paper-Sealed Building... I didn't hold anyone back, right?"

His voice was unhurried and deliberate, progressing step by step, trying to keep his tone non-aggressive, but the underlying confidence and ambition almost overflowed between the lines.

"In this game, we'll have to split up sooner or later. Rather than creating chaos later, it's better to trust me now. I'll do everything I can to protect those who come with me."

"I, Wang Yichen, am willing to take responsibility."

His voice was strong and powerful, like a drumbeat striking in the dead silence.

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur and a slight tremor immediately arose in the crowd.

Mu Sisi huddled next to Fujimiya Sumi, her expression hesitant and unreadable;
Lilith bit her lower lip tightly, lowered her head and remained silent, but quietly moved closer to Lynn.

Eileen looked up at Si Ming, her eyes filled with hesitation and uncertainty.

On the other side, Abel Cohen stood in the center of the halo, nervously rubbing his hands, his voice so low it was almost drowned out by the crowd:
"I... I'm not good at this kind of thing... but I will really try my best to protect everyone... If you are willing to come with me, I will do my best."

After saying that, he never looked up again. He stood there silently, like a bird with nowhere to go, enduring the unease that permeated the surroundings.

Duan Xingzhou remained silent.

He simply took a step forward in silence, standing firmly in the center of his own aura, like a rough yet sturdy stake.

He made no exaggerated declarations, nor did he try to win over anyone.

He simply stood there quietly, his hands resting on the straps of his worn-out backpack, his gaze as calm as a still lake.
Yet it exudes a weight that is hard to ignore.

In that dim, almost unreal light, three distinct auras slowly intersected, collided, and spread among the three people.

choose--

It's no longer something we can avoid.

At that moment, someone finally spoke softly.

"Can I choose a team?" It was Rudolph.

The voice was low and deep, yet it seemed as if a pebble had been thrown in, breaking the stillness of the water.

"Anyone is fine?" Mu Sisi raised her head slightly and asked softly, her eyes showing obvious hesitation and unease.

"Can we choose Si Ming's side?" Fujimiya Sumi's voice was even softer, almost as if she were just muttering to herself.

At that very moment, the system card floating above everyone's heads flashed, and a cold, mechanical notification sounded:

[Apart from the three team leaders, all other members can choose to join any squad.]

If no selection is made within the time limit, the system will force a group assignment.

This clear and unambiguous rule instantly plunged the previously quiet crowd into a turbulent vortex of "choice."

The crowd began to get restless.

—Perhaps due to an instinctive distrust, or perhaps due to a fear of the unknown, some people subconsciously seek the protection of the "strong."

"Where is the God of Fate?"

"Which side are the mystery masters on?"

"I don't want to be grouped with strangers..."

"Could we let Vera lead a team?"

Anxiety and unease spread rapidly among the survivors like wildfire.

Small cliques are forming, and everyone is weighing their options—who is more reliable? Who is stronger? Whom might they be able to stay with for one more night?
Wang Yichen's face grew increasingly stiff.

He could feel that the situation that should have been his was rapidly spiraling out of control, like an hourglass in his hands, with grains of sand slipping uncontrollably through his fingers.

He gritted his teeth, abruptly turned to look at Si Ming, trying to salvage the situation with his last shred of control:
"Say something!"

His voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety and questioning.

"Do you want everyone to make random choices and then just wait to die together?"

Si Ming stood in the dimly lit corner, leaning lazily against a broken advertising pillar. He did not respond immediately.

Only when everyone's eyes were on him did he slowly emerge from the shadows.

A slight smile—still the usual playful tone, yet at this moment, it seemed to carry a chilling coldness.

Are you worried about making the wrong choice?

Si Ming stopped and tilted his head slightly, as if carefully examining Wang Yichen.

"You're afraid of dying, Wang Yichen."

He paused, his voice suddenly becoming low and deep:
"Those who are afraid of dying often do not deserve to choose how they die."

This sentence, like a nail driven into a thick silence, pierced through all the remaining hope in the air.

Wang Yichen opened his mouth slightly, wanting to refute, but ultimately fell silent, his face flushed, and his fingers unconsciously clenched into fists.

In that brief pause, Vera spoke slowly, her voice gentle yet firm:

"Let him come."

In an instant, everyone stared at her in surprise. Zhuang Yege also raised her eyes, no longer silent, her voice as calm as striking iron:
“He knows better than us how to ‘distribute the chips’.”

“We’ve already gambled our lives once,” he said calmly, his eyes as still as an abyss. “It wouldn’t be a big deal to do it again.”

Upon hearing this, Si Ming finally grinned.

He dusted himself off and walked to the mysterious card floating in the center, his movements as composed as if he were entering a gamble with a predetermined outcome.

His voice was light and sarcastic, as if he were giving a trivial weather forecast:

"If you all don't mind—"

"Then let's make a 'reasonable bet'."

He paced between the three captains, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall, the echoes long and heavy.

His gaze swept over Wang Yichen, carrying a hint of mockery, yet also a touch of faint pity.

Wang Yichen gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, but he couldn't utter a single word. He could only watch helplessly as the power was completely snatched from his grasp by this lazy gambler.

Si Ming ignored Wang Yichen's anxious gaze and simply smiled lazily.
He continued in that almost casual, yet undeniably authoritative tone:

"First, consider the wounded."

He raised his hand and decisively pointed out the first team.

"Duan Xingzhou Team".

“Vera, this group is yours. The members are as follows: Lin Wanqing, Eileen, Gregory Lynn, and Lynn Hart.”

His gaze swept across the faces of each person corresponding to their name, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable, calm logic:

"The wounded should be treated in a concentrated manner. Gregory can no longer be exposed to high-intensity combat, while Vera has a medical fate skill and Lynn has fate prediction."

"This is the most vulnerable team we have at this stage, but we must survive."

Vera nodded slightly, her expression calm;
Lynn pursed her lips, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, but more so an understanding and acceptance of the arrangement.

Si Ming paused, his gaze sweeping across the second group like a sharp blade.

"Abel Team".

"Zhuang Yege, Rudolf, Mu Sisi, Lilith."

"Rudolph is rational and stable, and possesses the strongest structural judgment ability among ordinary people;

Although Musisi and Lilith are not combatants, they exhibit strong adaptability in chaotic environments.
As their protector, Zhuang Yege can ensure their survival to the greatest extent possible.

Zhuang Yege tilted his head slightly, his expression calm and profound, like a steady and silent rock.

“In other words,” Si Ming said in a low voice, “they will be our secondary brains.”

Record and correct anytime.

Then, he slowly turned around and looked at the last team—Wang Yichen's team.

That was the squad he was about to join.

"at last."

"Wang Yichen's team".

"The team members are—me, Xu Jinxiao, and Celian."

Wang Yichen's expression changed: "You...you're only planning to give me three people?"

His tone was filled with suppressed anger and unbelievable astonishment.

Selene shrugged beside her, biting her fingertip, and chimed in with a grin:
"To be precise, it's two people and a monster. But today, I'm in a pretty good mood and won't lose my temper."

Si Ming merely raised an eyebrow lazily, the smile at the corner of his mouth carrying an indescribable chill:

"You think you have too few people?"

He took a step forward, standing just an arm's length away from Wang Yichen, and whispered:
"But I am here."

"My presence is 'safe'."

He said this with utmost calmness, as calm as if he were stating an unchanging fact.

Yet this calmness carried an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Wang Yichen, who had wanted to argue further, opened his mouth slightly but couldn't utter a single word.

He suddenly realized that he had never been the one to gamble with this man.

He was the one who got dealt the cards.

The Master of Fate is the dealer on the other side of the card table.

In the distance, Zhuang Yege quietly watched this scene and whispered to Mu Sisi:
Do you know what he's saying?

Mu Sisi shook her head blankly.

Zhuang Yege said softly:

"What he meant was—this was not an equal game at all."

"Instead, he controls the game itself."

Just then, the cold white numbers on the system card began to count down.

[Countdown: 60 seconds]

The mechanical numbers pulsed, each pulse like the fingertips of death gently tapping at people's hearts.

Three halos, centered on the three captains, slowly expanded into a light field large enough for multiple people to stand in, emitting a faintly trembling, eerie blue glow.

The crowd fell silent.

No one made a fuss anymore, and no one questioned anything.

Before this impending fateful choice, everyone abandoned their last shred of hope.

Vera walked towards Lin Wanqing, gently placing her forearm on her shoulder, her voice soft yet firm:
"Relax. Tonight will be better than last night."

Rudolf whispered to Mu Sisi:
"Stay close to Zhuang Yege. He won't let us go astray."

Mu Sisi nodded vigorously, biting her lip and gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

Lilith, clutching the well-worn psychology manual, looked somewhat timid, yet she still stepped into the aura surrounding Zhuang Yege's team.

Abel Cohen, standing awkwardly in the center of the aperture, resembled a rusty old robot.

Until Zhuang Yege walked over, gently patted his shoulder, and said in a calm voice:
"You can do it."

Wang Yichen wanted to speak again, but at that moment, Si Ming's voice suddenly rose, like the first chime of a bell shattering the night sky:

"Everyone—listen up!"

His tone carried an irresistible, cold power.

"First, save your life."

"Second, to save your life."

"Thirdly—it's still about survival."

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the entire room:

"Those with spare capacity should collect as much information as possible about the 'madman'."

"The second night is crucial."

"After clearing customs, we will try to reunite first."

"Tomorrow morning—"

Si Ming smiled slightly, but his eyes were as cold as ice blades:

"We reunited at the 'origin'."

Vera and Zhuang Yege met his gaze firmly and nodded slightly.

[Countdown: 03]

[Countdown: 02]

[Countdown: 01]

The three beams of light, like blades of judgment, crashed down.

In an instant, the world was torn into fragments of light and shadow.

The figures of the three teams were almost simultaneously swallowed up in the beam of light and disappeared.

The shopping mall fell silent once again.

Only that mysterious card, floating in the air, slowly rotated and fell in silence, eventually shattering into countless particles of light, like a belated, silent snowfall.

All bets have been placed.
Every act of trust belongs to fate.
If we meet again tomorrow—

Let today's separation be worth a life.

(End of this chapter)