Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 254 Where Star Trails Break - The Follower of Fate
Some people look up at the stars.
Some people kneel before fate.

And they,
It was in the starlight.
Cut off your own heart.

The midday light was as pale as an unfinished death notice.

The abandoned station still stands amidst the city ruins, its rails rusted red, and the wind makes the broken chandeliers jingle, like a heart teetering on the verge of collapse.

Si Ming, Lin Wanqing, Duan Xingzhou, and Lin En, a group of four, staggered back to the gathering place.

Far behind, the gray Holy Healing Place collapsed completely, leaving only a deathly black shadow, as if it had been erased from the world.

Vera was the first to greet him.

She didn't ask any questions, but quickly scanned their bodies for blood and exhaustion.

"It's good that you're back," she said softly.

Mu Sisi, Zhuang Yege, and the group members of Old Gregory also gathered around one after another, offering their silent condolences.

But no one dared to ask, "Where is he?"

Because they all understand.

Only four people will be able to come back.

The fifth name is now forever lost in those gray star fragments.

Lynn did not cry.

She just stood there, staring blankly at the crowd, her eyes seemingly devoid of all expression.

Duan Xingzhou wanted to reach out and pat her shoulder, but hesitated and withdrew his hand.

Lin Wanqing's eyes reddened; she wanted to offer comfort, but the words caught in her throat.

In the end, it was Si Ming who stepped forward.

He didn't say anything.

He simply crouched down very gently and picked up a piece of old parchment that had fallen to the ground.

That was—the fragment of the Grey Tower Starmark Manuscript that Gregory had slipped into Lynn's hand before he left.

Lynn slowly sat down, holding the manuscript in both hands as if it were the last piece of driftwood.

She finally spoke, her voice as soft as a leaf rustling in the wind:
"……there is none left."

"I thought I was ready."

"But when that moment actually arrives..."

She looked up, and tears finally streamed down her face.

"I still don't know how... I can keep going alone."

Vera knelt down beside her and handed her a jug of warm water.

“He left something for you, didn’t he?” Vera whispered.

Lynn nodded blankly.

Si Ming slowly sat down opposite her.

At that moment, he was neither a mystery maker nor a gambler.

He was just another person wandering in this world.

He said softly:

"We're all still here."

"As long as you remember him, remember every word he taught you—"

"So he never really left."

Lynn raised his hand and gently brushed open the cover of the manuscript.

Beneath the parchment lay stacks of meticulously crafted manuscripts.

The ink marks are somewhat blurred, but each character is written with force and is clear.

That was Gregory's last gift to her.

Too--

The last Star Speaker legacy of the Gray Tower.

Lynn wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.

She knew that what her grandfather left her was not just sorrow.

It is also a responsibility.

She opened the parchment manuscript, her fingertips trembling slightly, yet she was unusually focused.

—

The first page contains the title written in Grey Tower script:
The Path of the Star Speakers

—Using language as a blade, and fate as a rope.

—A guide from the stars, and also a judge of oneself.

—

Lynn read it aloud softly.

Her voice trembled slightly at first, but as each word fell, she gradually regained her breathing rhythm.

Si Ming listened quietly, and Lin Wanqing and Duan Xingzhou also gathered around.

In a corner of the ruins, the wind rustles the tattered flags, as if listening to their tales.

—

Lynn continued reading:
"First-Level Divination Apprentice"

Premonition/Signature (Passive)
At the start of the battle, various possibilities for the future are foreseen through omens.

Star Perception (Passive)
At night or under the stars, perception gains an additional advantage; one can more keenly perceive the hostility and ripples of fate hidden in the environment.

Divination whispers (active)
Each adventure day allows you to gaze at the stars once and receive a brief omens of events or tactical advice.

—

Lin Wanqing nodded slightly.

“From a cognitive psychology perspective, these three terms are very interesting,” she said softly.

Si Ming turned to look at her.

Lin Wan cleared her mind and slowly began to speak:
“‘Omens’, ‘stellar perception’, ‘divine whispers’… on the surface they are ‘predicting the future’ or ‘foresight’.”

"But in reality, they all involve forcibly enhancing the [intuition] circuit and weakening the [rationality] circuit."

Duan Xingzhou was completely bewildered: "What do you mean?"

Lin Wanqing patiently explained:

"Simply put, it's the first-tier Star Speakers who, from the very beginning, are changing the structure of their brains."

"It makes them rely more on instinctive premonitions and intuitive ripples, rather than normal logical deduction."

“If this continues, they will inevitably develop a kind of ‘obsessive-compulsive disorder’ about stars.”

—

Lynn nodded and turned to the next page.

There, the cost of sanity for a first-tier Star Speaker is recorded in detail:

The Price of Reason

The initial touch of the future caused subtle cracks in the spirit.

The star talker developed a mild obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding celestial phenomena and omens.

If one fails to gaze at the stars and divine each night, one will find it difficult to fall asleep and will begin to hear faint whispers.

The symptoms of auditory hallucinations and compulsive stargazing gradually worsened.

—

Lin Wanqing was silent for a moment, then added in a low voice:
"If we classify it from a psychopathological perspective..."

"This condition is very similar to clinical symptoms of intrusive auditory hallucinations with anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive ritual behavior disorder."

"Moreover, because of the background of the planetary disaster, this auditory hallucination is not entirely a hallucination."

“It is truly ‘sourced’—an echo of information from the depths of the universe.”

Si Ming stroked his chin.

"...That is to say, the more powerful the Star Speaker is, the closer they are to the future line."

"But also—"

"The more likely you are to be dragged along by the future."

Lin Wanqing nodded, her expression serious:

"They don't see the future."

"They are being targeted by the future."

—

Lynn gently stroked the edges of the manuscript.

That was the path that Grandpa paved with a lifetime of reason and passion.

Yes, that's the path she has to take next.

Regardless of the cost.

Lynn continued flipping through the manuscript.

On the parchment, the lines of writing were so clear they seemed to be inscriptions etched into the very bones.

Her voice was low, but every word carried an invisible weight:

"The Trial by the Planet: The Prophecy Come True"

—The prophecy you whispered among the stars is coming true… The ripples of fate have spread into reality.

—

Lin Wanqing frowned slightly.

Lynn continued reading:
"When advancing to the first rank, a small matter that the Star Speaker inadvertently predicted will come true in a bizarre way."

"It often happens in an out-of-control and terrifying way."

"Mechanism: An event is selected or randomly generated by an external force (for example, the star talker foresees that someone will meet with misfortune), and the event will come true in a short period of time, forcing the star talker to face the result of his prediction."

"If you can calmly deal with and resolve the crisis, you have passed the test; if you fall into fear or become helpless, your rationality has been severely damaged."

"Upon failure, a permanent negative status will be acquired, such as—"

[The Shadow of Fate] (Persistent Guilt and Fear of Fate)

—

Duan Xingzhou swallowed hard and murmured:
In other words... it's not that you want to control the future, but that you must accept it—

"What you say is a disaster?"

—

Lin Wanqing closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened her eyes again, they were unusually solemn.

"This is—Invasive self-fulfilling prophecy syndrome."

"In normal psychology, it is an extremely rare and extreme mental illness."

“Once a patient unintentionally ‘predicts’ a bad thing happening, he or she becomes convinced that he or she has some kind of curse ability.”

"What follows is self-blame, cognitive confusion, paralysis of action, and even depression, madness, and self-destruction."

—

She paused.

The sound was as low as the wind passing through ruins:

"And the Star Speakers... are forcibly infected with this mental illness."

"They must remain sober amidst this bizarre fulfillment of prophecy."

"You have to keep talking and keep living even if you know you might kill someone else."

—

Si Ming squatted on the ground, lightly flicking a heart playing card with his fingertips.

After a long while, he raised his head, a weary smile tugging at the corners of his lips:

"—Therefore, transcendence is not about advancing in rank."

"You took your heart and played dice with a madman."

—

Everyone was silent.

Every breath felt unusually heavy.

—

Lynn hugged the copy tightly.

His gaze gradually shifted from sadness to a resolute sharpness.

She finally understood that what her grandfather left her was not glory.

It was a responsibility so heavy it almost crushed her spine.

The Star Speaker is not there to see destiny.

The Star Speaker is someone who dares to speak even knowing that everything will collapse.

The wind calmed down.

Sunlight streamed sparsely over the ruined station, like broken silver threads.

Si Ming stood up and dusted himself off.

He stared at the playing cards in his hand, then at Lynn holding the manuscript, and after a long while, he finally spoke:
“Gregory…he won his bet.”

"At least, in front of Nicholas, he used the Star Calamity to burn himself out, burning away the path to advancement of that plague god."

"But at the same time, he also left the gambling table to us."

—

Lynn raised her head, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze was unusually clear.

She held the copy tightly.

That thin parchment felt as heavy as a thousand pounds at that moment.

"I understand."

"Transcendence is not for the purpose of becoming a god."

"It's so that I can remember who I am before I become a monster."

—

Duan Xingzhou scratched his head and gave an awkward but forceful laugh.

"...Although I only understood part of what I heard, I finally got it."

"We have to keep living."

—

Lin Wanqing sat on a broken piece of railway track, quickly jotting something down in a small notebook.

She raised her head and said earnestly:

"The Star Speakers are a typical supernatural system characterized by a dual tearing of cognition and emotion."

"To be promoted successfully, you must establish a very strong self-awareness anchor."

"in other words……"

She looked at Lynn.

You must know who you are better than anyone else.

"Otherwise, you will be swallowed up by the future you have predicted."

—

Lynn nodded slightly.

She stood up and solemnly tucked the "Grey Tower Star Mark Manuscript" into her bosom.

Then, I looked up at the dilapidated city skyline.

There, a gray star twinkled faintly, as if telling an unfinished story.

—

Si Ming walked to her side and patted her shoulder with a smile.

"Welcome back, Starwalker."

"Your journey is still long."

—

The group exchanged smiles. But within those smiles lay the pain of loss.

There is also light that is inherited.

In the abandoned station, the campfire flickered weakly, offering little dispelling of the chill.

There were no extra words exchanged among the survivors.

They simply nodded to confirm that they were still alive.

That's enough.

—

Lynn still clutched the Gray Tower Star Mark manuscript tightly, as if he were holding a fragment of a dying star.

She sat quietly in a corner.

The God of Fate did not offer any advice.

He understands.

Some pain is meant to be released slowly at night.

—

The night is getting darker.

Under the starry sky, the campfire in the ruins became the only remaining light of humanity.

And in this deathly silence—

On the ruins of the Holy Healing Place.

Ashes filled the sky, walls and ruins lay scattered, the plague had long since dissipated.

In the center of a ruin still radiating warmth, the air distorted slightly.

A faint light appeared, like a drop of ink rising against gravity.

Then, a smiling face slowly condensed from the ball of light.

White background with black teeth, exaggerated and stiff.

The projection of Madman Thirteen has descended.

—

He hovered silently above the remains of Nicholas's demise.

It's like looking at a charred corpse.

It's like admiring an unfinished toy.

His voice was both calm to the point of being mechanically ruthless, and interspersed with intermittent, manic laughter:
"Simulated Remains Carrying Planetary Cataclysmic Information Entity—"

He chuckled softly twice, as if grading an expired exam paper.

"……fail."

"What a beautiful failure, Nicholas."

—

His voice suddenly rose, like a rusty, dull needle piercing the eardrum:

"Human arrogance is indeed the most laughable fuel!"

It grew cold again, and he whispered:

"But it's also quite interesting."

"At least... it provides some parameter samples for subsequent versions."

—

Crazy Thirteen's gaze seemed to pierce through the ruins, looking into the distance.

There, Si Ming and his group were panting around the campfire.

His mouth stretched into a wider grin, and his voice seemed about to drip out:
"The game continues."

"The experiment continues."

"And my bet—is still slowly heating up."

—

The projection of Madman Thirteen slowly dissipated, leaving only a pile of ashes dancing in the wind.

In places unseen by anyone, a long night woven from madness and reason is quietly piling up new shadows.

—

Beside the campfire, Lin Wanqing and Duan Xingzhou were giving each other simple bandages.

Lynn silently organized the manuscript.

Si Ming leaned against a broken wall, looking up at the remaining gray star in the sky with a complicated expression.

A thought vaguely surfaced in his mind:
—The City of Mysteries is far from over.

The gradually dimming afternoon sunlight lowered the outline of the ruins.

Around the campfire, everyone took turns resting, doing simple bandaging, checking supplies, and some even took the opportunity to take a nap.

Si Ming silently circled the station ruins, confirming that there were no signs of the Secret Relics' activities for the time being.

When he returned to the campfire, he saw Vera organizing her Hymn Angel Mystery Cards.

Si Ming walked over and slowly sat down next to her.

“Vera,” he said softly.

Vera looked up, a hint of weariness in her eyes, but still wearing a polite smile.

Si Ming didn't beat around the bush; he got straight to the point:
"What kind of 'game' did you play last night?"

—

Vera paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Hmm... it's the [Entertainment City Challenge]."

She raised her hand to brush away the stray strands of hair from her forehead, her voice soft and low:
"That was a test of gambling and entertainment."

“A large number of eerie electronic screens, each containing a different kind of ‘life-or-death game’.”

"For example, the Wheel of Fortune, Crazy Slots, Headless Poker, Greedy Tower Climbing Race... all sorts of things."

"Losing a game may result in the forced loss of a card, or severe physical and mental punishment."

—

As Si Ming listened, his fingertips unconsciously fiddled with his playing cards.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked.

Vera gave a wry smile.

"Extremely dangerous."

"Fortunately, we have Xiao Lianyin, Xin Nai, Zhuang Yege and me, the four core combat forces working together."

"Although we paid a price, we eventually cleared the main hurdles."

—

Si Ming nodded and continued to ask casually:
"Wang Yichen...is he in that group too?"

Vera paused slightly, a hint of doubt appearing between her brows.

"...Yes. He was originally assigned to Xiao Lianyin's group, responsible for coordinating operations."

Si Ming narrowed his eyes.

"So, did he behave normally?"

—

Vera thought for a moment, her expression hesitant.

"Hmm... overall it's alright. But—"

She lowered her voice and moved closer:

"There was indeed one brief disappearance."

Si Ming raised an eyebrow.

Vera continued:
"Probably between the third and fourth levels."

"As we were clearing away the strangely generated monsters from the slot machine and preparing to move on to the next round, we suddenly realized that Wang Yichen was missing."

"I thought he had fallen behind due to injury, or had stumbled into some kind of trap."

"But less than two hours later, he reappeared, looking... somewhat dazed."

"But because the situation was critical, no one investigated further."

—

Si Ming slightly lowered his gaze.

He lightly tapped his knee with his fingertips, as if he were thinking silently.

two hours.

In the City of Mysteries, a lot can happen in two hours.

This is especially true for someone who has already wavered in spirit and will.

—

Vera noticed his silence and asked in a low voice:
"Any questions?"

Si Ming smiled and shook his head.

"nothing."

But deep down, a string was subtly taut.

—

The night wind swept across the ruins, stirring up clouds of dust.

The campfire flickered.

Si Ming looked up at the outline of the quietly shifting city ruins in the darkness.

He felt it.

the city.

This game.

And themselves.

Everything is being slowly pushed into a deeper abyss by an invisible hand.

The wind is getting colder.

Amidst the ruins, the campfire flickered with a thin yet tenacious halo of light.

Mu Sisi and Duan Xingzhou were busy taking stock of the supplies they had brought back from the Holy Healing Place:

Damaged but still usable first aid medication, two bottles of purification fluid, a small box of intact sanity-stabilizing tablets, and several temporary protective suits.

Zhuang Yege squatted to the side, checking the condition of his mysterious cards. Despite having many bandages on his body, he remained as steady as a mountain.

Vera and Xinna sat cross-legged in another corner, repairing the mysterious ritual while whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at the night sky with serious expressions.

—

Si Ming leaned against a half-fallen lamppost, wiping his playing cards with a rag.

Each time he wiped a sheet, he would gently pick it up, rotate it once, and check if the pattern was normal.

Their movements were skillful and focused, as if they were performing some kind of prayer ritual.

—

Lin Wanqing leaned against him not far away, her head down, writing something in her small notebook.

She is organizing all the information she observed today:
Crazy Thirteen's logical deviations, Wang Yichen's unusual movements, the changing trends of the rules in the City of Bones...

Everything was like scattered puzzle pieces.

The true outline of that nightmare has not yet been pieced together.

—

In this brief and quiet interval.

Lynn quietly walked up to Si Ming's side.

She held the tattered copy of the Gray Tower Star Marks manuscript, her expression still carrying a hint of sadness.

But more than anything, it's a clarity that comes after gritting your teeth and persevering.

—

Si Ming looked up at her, but didn't say anything. He simply made room for himself.

Lynn sat down, hugged his knees, and stared at the campfire for a long time.

The firelight reflected in her eyes, flickering uncertainly.

Finally, she spoke softly:

"Senior Si Ming."

"I want to tell you something."

Si Ming smiled and whispered:

"Don't call me senior, I'm not that much older than you."

Lynn smiled, but quickly composed himself and said solemnly:
"I want to follow in my grandfather's footsteps."

"I want to become—the new Star Speaker."

—

The campfire crackled and popped.

Sima Ming did not answer immediately.

He looked into Lynn's eyes, which were firm yet trembling slightly, and remained silent for a long time.

Then he nodded.

Very seriously.

It's like accepting some kind of contract.

—

Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and then hugged the manuscript tightly again.

She whispered:

"I don't know if I can make it to the end."

"I don't know if I have the ability to carry on the legacy of the entire Gray Tower."

"but……"

"I want to try."

Si Ming put away the playing cards, leaned against a pillar, and looked up at the sky.

The night sky was so dark that there were almost no stars.

But he still smiled and said:
"Then try it."

"Let's take a gamble."

—

Duan Xingzhou returned with the sedative and calming pills, and waved to them.

While dispensing the medicine, Mu Sisi whispered a reminder:
Try to get some sleep.

"We still don't know what new crazy game will be played tonight."

—

Lynn nodded and turned to rest.

Si Ming remained leaning against the pillar, motionless.

he was thinking.

After today.

Perhaps some of them will die.

Perhaps there will never be time to prove myself again.

—

But it's okay.

As long as there is even one person who remembers the vow they once made.

Therefore, no matter how much the City of Bones devours people, they will not truly lose.

"Stars fell,
It's not about ending the light.
It is to teach those who come after.
How to ignite yourself in the darkness.

(End of this chapter)