Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 369 The Approaching Mirror Lake: The Throne in the Reflection
"Not all reflections in the mirror are imitating you; some... are waiting for you to die."

—Quoted from "The Harlan Fragments: Mirror Tide: Saze's Notes"

Royal Capital, Northwest District of Alleston.

The night was deep, as if I had fallen into a starless abyss.

No stars shone, for the entire sky was swallowed by a giant mirror—the reflection of the tides from Mirror Lake.

Like flipping the boundary between the sky and reality, it pulls the entire city into the depths of an old dream.

Beneath the sky, the reflections of every Trean resident were subtly distorted—as they wept, their reflections in the water laughed;

As they knelt in prayer, their reflections danced wildly.

That was no longer a simple reflection, but a shadow of existence stolen by the whispers of the Great Old Ones.

At the summit of Mirror Lake, strolling like oracles on the reflected tides, are the twin priests—Arthur and Victorian—clad in Haran's black robes.

Arthur held tightly in his hand a crystal that emitted a faint blue glow—the Reflection Crystal.

Within that crystal, countless twisted souls and life patterns were refracted, reflecting the deep and cold hatred in his eyes.

He gazed at the royal palace in the distance, which had not yet been swallowed by Mirror Lake, and spoke softly, his words like a whisper from the depths of the void:
"Just now, I felt that star map go out."

"My father's destiny chart has finally shattered into dust."

Victorian wore a deep purple Harlan gown, upon which floated runes resembling snake scales.
She gazed at the winding, flowing lines of destiny within the crystal, and whispered with a smile:
"Twenty years."

"We lie in the shadows, enduring, disguising ourselves, and even bowing and smiling at the enemies we hate."

"From exiles of Harlan to nobles of Trean, and then to sons of royalty. This moment has finally come."

She turned her head to look at Arthur, her voice as fine and sharp as silver needles:
"Now, we can finally play the song of our true king's return."

Arthur chuckled softly and raised the reflection crystal high:

"Sazarras - ruler of the mirror tides, origin of illusions, true god in the reflection."

"We, the twins, with the blood of King Henrian as our key and the lives of all the living beings in the capital as our sacrifice, offer you a feast worthy of being recorded in the epics of the past."

His gaze gradually shifted from the depths of the Mirror Lake to the faint remaining light, and his voice grew increasingly cold:

"But the current offerings are still insufficient."

The next moment, he waved his right hand, and the incantation appeared instantly.

A terrifying being, its body wreathed in black flames and void scales, its eyes as deep blue as an abyss, burst forth from the mirror!

[Life-type High-Tier Card: Reflected Void Dragon Azehetu]

It had long since died, but tonight it has been reborn in its reflection.

Its body resembles a divine tower, its scales woven from nothingness, and one can vaguely hear whispers from the void, silent yet frenzied.

Victorian raised her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if drawing the final note of a prophecy:
"Go, Azehetu."

"Offer your most magnificent fireworks for Medici's coronation ceremony."

The Void Dragon roared like a storm's curse, its massive and ferocious body instantly erupting with black and blue flames.

It soared into the sky like a falling black star, heading straight for the heart of the royal palace!

Inside the royal palace, the archbishop and the Knights of Divine Grace instantly activated a world-system barrier, with layers of runes and barriers attempting to stop the destructive fire.

But the moment the Void Flame Bullet landed, the barrier crumbled like paper.

Soldiers screamed in terror, clergymen trembled on their knees, and everyone was filled with fear as if the end of the world had come.

However, Medusa remained unmoved on the throne.

She merely frowned slightly, slowly raising the royal staff in her right hand, the incantation as calm and profound as a clear spring:
"In the name of Our Lady who gives birth to all people, protect believers and dispel falsehoods."

Before her voice faded, a pale, enormous divine hand, as vast as the heavens, descended from the sky.

The palm, woven from countless maternal incantations and fragments of life, shone with a milky-white holy radiance, enveloping the royal palace as it slowly descended.

The moment the Void Flame Bullet touched the Divine Palm, it vanished like a thin mist, silently purifying itself.

But the curse waves brought by the purification still surged back like the tide, leaving the royal palace in a mess, with soldiers rolling and howling in pain, and priests screaming and collapsing.

Medusa, however, remained steadfast before the throne, her long silver hair billowing, her eyes as hard as steel.

She slowly lowered the scepter, her voice as cold as an icy blade, piercing the night:
“Arthur, Victoria.”

"You have finally succeeded in provoking me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the star map of the entire capital city trembled, as if the lifeblood of the world was roaring in accordance with her will.

At that moment, amidst the dust and darkness in the distance, the sound of hooves and deep incantations suddenly resounded, shaking the very soul.

Medici slowly turned her head.

Riding a blue lion, covered in sand and blood, Liseria slowly ascended the steps of the royal palace, her body wreathed in lion flames.

Following closely behind was the iron hooves of Edel's silver warhorse, which steadily and firmly stepped into the ranks of knights.

Medici gazed at them, a slight smile playing on her lips, and slowly rose, her arms outstretched as if welcoming back long-lost family:
"They've finally arrived, my dearest younger brother and sister."

"Now is the time—to decide together, in the name of the Queen, the future of Trelian."

The East Hall of the Royal Palace was formerly known as the "Hall of the Pale Lion King".

This is the only place in the royal family's history where a throne is not set up for deliberations. In the center of the hall, the triangular coat of arms of the Trean family is engraved on a star map stone slab.

Its three vertices lead to three heavy gates: the Military Corridor, the Council Building, and the Divine Hall.

Now, the heirs of these three gates have finally reunited here.

Medici, Edel, and Liseria sat on triangular markers, with a small star map suspended between them.
Reflecting the true state of the capital at this moment—the enormous Mirror Lake, like a wound tearing through the sky, is slowly spreading and eroding the fate of the entire city.

There was no wind in the hall, yet a chill permeated the air, lingering like a cold whisper.

Medici broke the silence first, her voice steady like a spell:

"Thank you for coming here."

"The capital is no longer what it used to be. As people of Trelian blood, I hope we can speak the same language right now."

She did not explicitly state her status as queen, but cleverly steered the conversation in the direction she desired by using the words "hope" and "we".

Edel remained silent, staring quietly at the ever-moving military blockade line at the edge of the star map, his fingertips slowly tracing the military command ring, never looking at her.

Liseria slowly raised her head, her eyes coldly fixed on Medici. Her voice was not loud, but it pierced the heart like a sharp sword:

“If by ‘language’ you mean the incantations under the blood moon, then I can indeed understand them.”

“But if you are referring to the silent souls of those who died for your ascension to the throne, then I will never learn that.”

A subtle tremor suddenly appeared in the air.

Medici didn't frown; instead, she sighed softly, her voice carrying a subtle, unfathomable pain.
That's the price.

“I never defend it, but it has already happened.”

Her gaze then slowly shifted to Edel, and she asked softly:

"You are a soldier, I will not ask you for loyalty."

"I just want to ask one question—if the capital suffers another devastating blow tonight, can your legions hold out?"

Edel finally raised his head, his eyes cold and icy, his words brief and decisive:
"We can't hold on."

"But even if I can't hold on, it doesn't mean I'll acknowledge you as my king."

"What I acknowledge is merely the still-living, breathing Trelian Empire."

His words were as clear as a knife, and though not provocative, they completely separated him from the "Queen".

Silence slowly spread again, like an invisible shadow.

Until Liseria's voice rang out again in the silence:

"The three of us were once summoned to this hall by our father alone."

“I remember that the wind was very strong that year. The lights of the Star Map were reflected on his back. He said: ‘The King Map is never a seal, but a means to make a person willing to die for the people.’”

She slowly rose, standing firmly in the very center of the family crest, her gaze filled with both resolve and helplessness:
"The royal family has now died once."

"I don't want it to die a second time."

"Even if our unity is only superficial... it is enough for me."

Medici finally smiled, but there was no contempt in her smile. Instead, it was as if she had finally encountered something long-lost and real.

She slowly rose to her feet, her tone slightly raised:

"very good."

"Then I will issue the first formal order in the name of the 'Queen'."

"Common Defense Order for the Royal Capital"

She turned to Edel, her gaze deep:
"I will not interfere with military and political authority. But when battle breaks out, I hope your soldiers will no longer question the source of orders."

Edel nodded slowly, his voice firm:

"Unified command of military operations, acceptable."

“But if you use blood sacrifice again, I will be the first to draw my sword and fight you.”

Medici remained noncommittal, then looked at Liseria:

"And you, the master of the Azure Lion?"

Liseria gave a cold laugh, her voice firm:

"I am merely the people's city wall."

“You don’t believe them, but I will fight for their right to be present.”

“I will unite all the ‘illegal’ Mystic Awakeners you mentioned, and we will fight for this city.”

The three stood before the triangular formation of the royal coat of arms, gazing at each other.

Despite their calm exteriors, countless sharp blades and secret messages lurk in the shadows behind them.

Within the star map, the colossal reflection of a giant in the depths of Mirror Lake gradually emerges, and the enormous tentacles of Sazarras slowly extend from the water's surface, where illusion and reality meet.

The three exchanged glances, and though they didn't speak, they had already reached a consensus.

Outside the palace, the sky was reflected like a mirror, and in the vast night, the shadows of the three intertwined and stretched, as if temporarily rewriting the fate of the empire's impending collapse—

At least for this moment, the remaining unity persists.

Reflected in the Mirror Lake, the entire capital of Areston was plunged into an unprecedented stillness.

The silence was not peaceful, but a suffocating oppression, like the throat of a giant beast slowly tightening, gently but resolutely extinguishing the city's breath.

The sky had become a cold mirror, reflecting the streets, squares, palaces, and temples as distorted and indescribable symbols, silently changing, splitting, and recombining...

People on the street looked up at the sky in fear, seeing their own faces reflected in the mirrors, smiling eerily, crying, and whispering.

Gradually shedding its original human form, it became a nightmare projection reflected at the bottom of the lake.

Before the northern defensive line of the royal capital, Trelian's three legions finally converged. The Divine Grace Knights stood in perfect formation, their silver armor reflecting a solemn and dignified holy light.

Knight Commander Roland's face was resolute, his gaze as intense as a blazing fire as he stared at the army's reflection on the Mirror Lake.

They had faced astral disasters and witnessed divinity, but they had never seen such a bizarre scene, with shadows engulfing reality.

However, they remained fearless.

For standing before them was their supreme queen—Meddes Trean.

Medici slowly ascended the high platform, her red and white royal robes fluttering in the wind like burning flames, her face as calm as a deity.

It was as if he had already transformed himself into the altar of this sacrifice, vowing to protect the entire empire with his own strength.

She raised her scepter high and chanted slowly. Circles of holy runes unfolded from beneath her feet, rising like countless wings of light, gradually enveloping the entire battle formation.

"Knights," her voice was like a divine oracle, calm and clear, yet penetrating the soul of every person, "tonight, we are fighting against an ancient evil shadow that has crawled out of delusion, against a blasphemer who seeks to alter reality."

Her words echoed in the hearts of every knight:

"Tonight, there are no princes, no princesses, no nobles or priests."

"Here reside only the Trelians who refuse to succumb to the dream within the mirror!"

As she pressed down with her scepter, holy light condensed in the sky into a massive phantom of light wings, reflecting her extraordinary majesty and resolute determination.

Roland and all the knights knelt down, swords raised high, and roared in unison:

"May the Holy Light be eternal, and may the Kingship endure forever!"

Medici's gaze slowly shifted to the flank of the army formation, which was the military headquarters' Imperial Guard.

Edel stood at the front of the battle, his black armor covered with the marks of smoke and fire. His eyes were as tough and cold as steel, and he held the military command ring in his hand, his expression as solemn as a rock.

His adjutant, Karls, asked in a low voice beside him, "Your Highness, all the cannons are ready and can be fired at any time."

Edel did not respond, but simply gazed silently at Mirror Lake. After a moment, his voice was heavy and resolute:
"This battle is not for Medici, but for Trean."

"Tell everyone that as long as the enemy's feet are still on the land of the Empire, our gunfire will never cease!"

Karls saluted respectfully and responded loudly:

"Yes! Fight for the Empire!"

Then, Medici's voice rang out again, her tone less arrogant and sharp, and instead adopting a rare humility:
"Edel, the Empire needs your artillery and army."

"I do not ask for your loyalty, I only hope that your guns and cannons, together with the swords of knights, can tear apart that false sky."

Edel finally nodded slightly, responding briefly and firmly:

"With the enemy at our front, my cannons will fire in unison with the knight's sword."

Medici smiled and then turned to look at the noble guards on her right.

Liseria sat atop the lion, her cloak billowing in the wind. Her gaze was as resolute as the flames of starlight, her former gentleness transformed into steely determination.

Beneath the lion's feet, ancient incantations surged like a tide of blood, as if the soul of Henrian VII had been rekindled within her body.

The old duke stood at the rear of the army formation, his eyes red-rimmed, and choked out in a low voice:

"Twenty years have passed, my king... You have finally returned once more."

Liseria ignored the gazes around her, looking directly at Medici with a resolute challenge in her voice:
"Noble Guards, Shield of Trelian, today we will shed our last drop of blood for this city, and we will never allow the waters of Mirror Lake to pollute our souls!"

The noble guards roared in unison, their longswords clanging, incantations and mysterious light intertwining like a raging torrent:

"Defend Trean to the death!"

Medici nodded in satisfaction, raising her scepter high, her eyes flashing with a resolute light:
"very good!"

"Then in my name—"

"Launch the general offensive!"

The incantation struck the ground like thunder.

The Divine Knights instantly activated their high-level Mystic Cards:

【Holy Judgment Wings - Telefil】Descending from the star map, fiery wings unfold, the Holy Judgment sword streaking across the darkness like a meteor.

【Cherangel Ramuel Shattered Light】unleashed a rain of sharp light arrows in the void, piercing the twisted body of the reflected monster.

The War Song Knights descended like a glorious legion, their songs and battle intent intertwined, their swords blazing with holy fire, tearing apart the shadowy creatures.

Roland roared as he led the knights in a charge:
"Forward! In the name of the Holy Light, purge this endless blasphemy!"

At the same time, Edel's artillery roared, and the shells, a blend of mechanical and magical energy, tore through the night sky like burning meteors, blasting countless cracks into the surface of Mirror Lake.

However, at this very moment—

A terrifying and enormous figure suddenly rose from the center of Mirror Lake; the void dragon Azehetu burst forth from the lake.

A massive black body obscured the entire night sky, its cold blue eyes sweeping across the army formation on the ground with the ruthlessness of the dead.

In the next instant, it opened its huge maw, and a stream of void flames poured down like a torrent in the night!

The Holy Shield crumbled instantly, the knight screamed and was annihilated in the illusory flames, the soldiers' weapons trembled, and fear surged into their hearts like a tide.

Medusa gazed at the sky and sighed softly:
"The real war has only just begun."

The dragon spread its wings, and night once again enveloped the entire capital.

Beneath Mirror Lake, the royal capital of Alleston is caught in an ancient dream and reality intertwined.

Just then, a deafening roar shattered the pervasive silence and tore apart the solidified fear in the night.

Liseria sat atop the lion, her face as resolute and dignified as a royal sculpture.

She gently stroked the lion's mane, which was covered with star patterns, and softly chanted a spell that seemed to originate from the core of the Destiny Chart:
"Father, please grant me the courage you did not have."

In an instant, the life patterns on the lion's body flickered violently, a power seemingly emanating from the depths of Henrian VII's soul.

Suddenly surging forth from the star map nodes, it pierced the distorted darkness beneath Mirror Lake like the dawn.

The lion raised its head and roared, its voice piercing the heavens and earth, its powerful limbs suddenly stomping the ground.

With unstoppable force, carrying the brilliance of the star map, it charged straight toward the void dragon Azehetu in the sky.

Within the army formation, all the soldiers halted their retreat at that moment, their astonished gazes following the figure where light and shadow clashed:

"A blue lion! It's the lion king's life mark!"

"Our king... is still protecting us!"

Morale instantly ignited like a spark, the soldiers regained their faith, raised their weapons high, and roared as they threw themselves back into this desperate battle.

Above the sky, the Azure Lion and the Night Dragon clashed like thunderbolts, their power and incantations intertwining in the void to form a dazzling star chart, tearing and resisting each other.

Although the lion was much smaller than the night dragon, it was agile and powerful, its star-like claws piercing the night sky time and again.

The intense collision with the Void Dragon's scales sparked countless dazzling and breathtaking sparks.

Azehetu roared in fury, his massive maw spewing forth a torrent of void flames that cascaded down like a waterfall, yet the Azure Lion deftly tumbled and weaved through the flames.
Its figure transformed into a streak of light, constantly piercing through the void flames' blockade, and repeatedly crashing into the Night Dragon's body. Wherever the star-patterned radiance reached, the void scales cracked inch by inch.

On the ground, the old duke could no longer suppress the fighting spirit in his heart. He drew his sword and raised it high, his voice booming like thunder:
"Noble Guards, heed my command! For the glory of Trelian, for the bloodline of King Henrian!"

"Guards, fight to the death!"

The soldiers roared in response, raising their swords and quickly forming an impenetrable formation.
Working together, they charged into the surging tide of the reflected monsters, and the scene of blood and swords clashing on the battlefield instantly became even more tragic.

Medusa stood on the high platform, watching this scene, a slight smile playing on her lips, a smile that was both icy and meaningful.

She turned her head, her gaze sweeping over the Divine Grace Knights, her voice as resolute as a divine pronouncement:

"All troops, advance! At all costs, shatter the illusion of Mirror Lake!"

"Let the fanatics of Sarzeroth understand that the price of stepping into the lands of Trelian is only destruction!"

The knights of divine grace once again unleashed their secret techniques, holy light weaving into an irresistible torrent that swept over the reflected creatures like a raging wave, while illusory blades pierced the darkness as bright as day.

Edel, however, calmly and precisely issued his instructions:
"Prepare for the third round of shelling. Aim at the core of Mirror Lake and shatter that eerie mirror surface completely!"

In the next instant, cannons roared everywhere, steam and flames of magical energy roared out, and the huge mirror lake began to twist violently, with shocking cracks appearing on its surface.

And at that very moment, beneath Mirror Lake, in that dark depths—

"Boom."

A deep, muffled thud, as if an ancient door had been knocked on, plunged the entire city into an even deeper silence.

"Bam—"

The second sound was even deeper, like the knocking of an old god awakening from a dream, causing one's heart to stop and one's soul to tremble.

The ripples on the lake surface strangely "folded back" towards the center of the lake, as if space was being rolled inward by an indescribable force, vaguely revealing the reflection of a distorted, bizarre, and enormous city.

In the center of Mirror Lake, Arthur and Victorian, their black robes billowing, knelt on the ground, their faces devout and fervent.

Victoria parted her lips slightly, reciting ancient and forbidden phrases:
"Asa'keth Na-Sa'zhel Ture'mora..."

Arthur then slowly inserted the reflection crystal in his hand into the altar in the center of the Mirror Lake, and the dark blue crystal burst forth with a dazzling and eerie brilliance on the altar.

They were not chanting human language, nor were they ordinary incantations; rather, they were names that existed since the beginning of creation, names that all intelligent races had deliberately forgotten—

The real name of the Mirror Master, Sazeroth.

Victoria's tone was both gentle and authoritative:
"Old Gods, it's time to awaken."

On the other side, above the ruins of Broken Tower Street in the eastern part of the capital.

Si Ming, Allison, and Selene stopped in their tracks, their faces pale and solemn.

Selene frowned and whispered:
"Can you feel it? Something is tearing apart the very essence of reality."

Allison leaned against the wall with difficulty, her eyes fixed on the distant Mirror Lake, her tone revealing barely concealed fear:

"Something's not right... It's not a blood sacrifice, it's not a simple mystery. It's as if... the very existence of the city is being completely altered."

Si Ming, having broken free from Selian's support, walked with difficulty toward the edge of the ruins, his gaze fixed on the distant Tianmu Mirror Lake.

His voice flowed slowly from his lips like a whisper, each word carrying an unfathomable mystery and terror:
"The Council of the Silent Ones...the Hall of the Supreme Beings...below the Creator of All Gates..."

He paused, as if weighed down by the heavy destiny chart, then softly uttered his last few words:

"Lord of Reflections, are you finally about to descend?"

Above the sky, the battle between the Azure Lion and the Void Dragon continues.

An unwavering resolve flashed in Liseria's eyes. She gripped the lion's mane tightly and roared:

"Azure Lion, the final blow! Tear that twisted nightmare to shreds!"

The Azure Lion once again unleashed an unprecedented brilliance of destiny, roaring as it charged toward the Night Dragon, its power intertwining to create a dazzling starlight.

At that moment, everyone felt that dawn was approaching.

But they were unaware that deep within Mirror Lake, a far deeper and darker ritual was just beginning.

"Not every door opens for you; some are for 'it' to step out of."

—Excerpt from *The Secret Codex of the Mirror Realm: Reflection Chapter - The Gate of No Gate*

(End of this chapter)