Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 386 Clues to Destiny

"All the threads of fate will eventually intertwine into a web, which we cannot escape; we can only try to decipher the truth within it."

—Excerpt from "The Web of Destiny: Notes of a Dream Weaver"

The night was slightly cool, enveloping Kunwu University like a light veil. The lights in the library shone through the tall glass windows, casting a hazy and soft glow, like an island floating in the night.

The reading area was bustling with people, and the whispers of students echoed between the bookshelves, like murmured prayers that could not reach the truth.

Zheng Yu sat in the corner, his face as pale as paper, his hands tightly clutching his head, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his body trembling violently, as if he were desperately resisting some unspeakable terror.

He muttered intermittently, his voice weak and frantic, his eyes filled with fear and confusion, as if he were about to be swallowed up by a monster lurking in the shadows.

"Zheng Yu, are you alright?" Several classmates who knew him approached tentatively, but were immediately deterred by his frightened gaze, which resembled that of a startled animal, and stood frozen in place, filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Just then, Si Ming slowly stood up, his expression as calm as an unfathomable pool. A faint golden light flashed in his eyes as he softly recited the mysterious incantation:

"Truth is delusion, lies are truth, follow my will—truthful lies."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it spread like invisible ripples, giving everyone present a strange, unsettling feeling.

It's as if reality is quietly undergoing some inexplicable distortion and reconstruction.

Zheng Yu was suddenly stunned. The fear and madness in his eyes receded in an instant, replaced by a calm and bewildered void.

It was as if all the madness just now was merely a fleeting, illusory wind passing through the soul.

"Zheng Yu, I am your psychologist, Si Ming. You are safe now, so relax."

The voice of the God of Destiny was gentle yet carried an irresistible authority, like suppressing the restless waves beneath the deep sea.

Zheng Yu nodded in realization, his eyes softening to the point of being almost dazed. He slowly stood up from his seat and replied in a low voice, "Okay, doctor, I feel much better now."

The surrounding students stared in disbelief, as if they were in the midst of a bizarre theatrical performance.
Someone lowered their voice and muttered in surprise, "A psychologist? When did he start having a psychologist?"

Si Ming turned around, meeting the suspicious and confused gazes of the crowd, his expression remaining calm and composed.

He smiled slightly and explained in the most casual tone, "Zheng Yu has been under too much academic pressure lately, which has led to severe delusions and paranoia. It was just a sudden attack just now. I will take him back for proper treatment."

The crowd gradually relaxed, and the doubt in their eyes was replaced by understanding and sympathy. They made way for each other.

Zheng Yu followed Si Ming quietly, as silent as a shadow, without any struggle or resistance.

Si Ming's gaze swept over everyone nonchalantly. After confirming that there were no more questions, he gently patted Zheng Yu's shoulder and led him slowly towards the library's exit.

The night wind gently blew through the campus, as soft and cool as a sigh.

Si Ming's face remained calm, but an inescapable shadow had already fallen over his heart.

Deep within his eyes, a hidden worry, like a shadow silently floating beneath the deep sea, slowly spread.
It's as if the truth, hidden beneath falsehoods and lies, has only just begun to reveal a grotesque corner.

In Lin Wanqing's office, soft lighting, like a pale golden veil, quietly spread across the large desk.

The surrounding bookshelves, with their neatly arranged psychology classics, stood like solemn bystanders, silently watching the fateful clash that was about to unfold.

In the center of the room, Lynn stood quietly, slowly raising her slender, pale fingers.
A wisp of gray mist, like a fog, quietly spread out, quickly engulfing the outline and details of the entire room.

It completely shut out all external sounds, as if the whole world had turned into an illusory other shore in an instant.

Selene nestled lazily into the sofa, clutching a bag of potato chips, her expression one of nonchalant ease, like a leisurely traveler observing the world's farce.

However, her half-closed eyes gleamed with a thoughtful light, as if she were a hunter, precisely capturing every subtle change.

Si Ming stood in the center of the room, his eyes slightly closed, a faint silver light slowly flowing from his fingertips.
Like fine threads on a loom, it spread and intertwined slowly and steadily in all directions. He murmured a chant, his voice low and rhythmic:
"Let the threads of fate weave together, so that the truth may emerge from the mist—weaver of fate."

The moment the words fell, silver threads suddenly extended, lightly wrapping around Zheng Yu's body, weaving a hazy and eerie curtain of recollection.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to this shifting scene:
They clearly witnessed Zheng Yu opening that forbidden book, titled "Above the Star Calamity: The Dream Weaver of Destiny," for the first time in a corner of the library.
His curiosity gradually turned into obsession, and he eventually fell into a near-manic frenzy.

They spotted Zheng Yu and Xiao Jie again, secretly and excitedly plotting how to lure more students down the wrong path to the "back room."
Greed and twisted excitement intertwined on their young faces, making them appear exceptionally cruel.

The final scene gradually drew closer to suffocating darkness.

Cheng Hai, Lin Yuxi, Zhao Xue, and the other unsuspecting students, with blank and innocent expressions, slowly walked towards that strange door.

Zheng Yu's face was contorted with fear and self-reproach as he stood before the door, while Xiao Jie calmly chanted ominous words about the door.

The scene abruptly ended there, and the room fell into a deathly silence.

A moment later, Lin Wanqing suddenly stood up, her slender body trembling slightly. Her eyes burned with barely suppressed anger and deep unease, and her voice choked with emotion.
"It was my fault...it was my negligence! I didn't even realize...that Yu Xi was already in deep danger, and I was completely unaware..."

Her voice gradually weakened, her eyes reddened slightly, filled with self-blame and regret, and her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she were bearing some kind of heavy and invisible pressure.

Siming slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as a deep pool:

"Now is not the time for self-blame. Only by finding out the truth behind the 'back room' as soon as possible can we truly save your sister."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqing took a deep breath and nodded with difficulty. Her expression gradually regained some composure, but the anger burning deep in her eyes was even more intense than before.

Siming slowly lowered his hand, the silver threads of fate dissipating like fireflies and disappearing into the void. His brow furrowed slightly, and after a brief moment of contemplation, he spoke in a low, certain tone: "I can almost certainly confirm that this so-called 'back room' is essentially the same as the 'Thirteenth Quiet Island' where I was once trapped. Both are likely closed domains constructed from high-level world-system cards, with extremely similar rules and logic."

Upon hearing this, Lynn raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and asked with slight hesitation, "Siming, are you sure they belong to the same type of mysterious realm?"

Siming slowly raised his head, his eyes as deep as stars burning in the darkness, and answered in a low but clear voice:
"That's right. These World-type cards usually have their own closed rules, designed to be difficult to break through from the inside, and often rely on specific rituals to open them, such as that 'Words of the Gate'."

Based on our recent recap and Zheng Yu's memories, the back chamber possessed a very clear sacrificial ritual, which is extremely rare in the world of mystery and ghosts.

Upon hearing this, Selene's expression instantly became more lively. The corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes ignited with intense interest and amusement:

"It sounds dangerous and exciting. But, Siming, are you sure we want to take this risk? After all, we weren't prepared to deal with this mysterious world within the gate."

Si Ming glanced at her, his eyes revealing a confident and resolute expression, his tone low but unquestionable:

“If we do not delve into this ‘back chamber,’ it will remain forever in darkness, continuing to devour the souls of the innocent.”

This incident has already affected our community, and we must eliminate this hidden danger as soon as possible.

As Lin Wanqing listened to their conversation, she bit her lower lip tightly, her eyes filled with struggle and worry, as if she was trying to suppress the turbulent emotions in her heart. In the end, she simply nodded silently.

Si Ming gazed at her, his tone softening, carrying a hint of barely perceptible warmth and comfort:
"Don't worry, I will definitely bring your sister back."

Lin Wanqing raised her head slightly, looking at Si Ming's firm and steady gaze. A smile of gratitude and trust slowly bloomed on her lips, but the unease in her eyes did not disappear.

Si Ming let out a soft breath and turned to look at the night sky outside the window.

At this moment, he could almost feel the mysterious door hidden deep in the darkness quietly opening its cold and greedy tentacles, waiting for them to approach.

Just as Si Ming stood up and was about to lead everyone away, Zheng Yu, who had been sitting quietly in the chair, suddenly trembled violently, as if he were being pulled by some unseen force like a puppet on strings.

A twisted, morbid smile graced his pale face, his lips moving silently.

A strange, hoarse whisper emanated from deep within her throat, a sound like a sigh in a storm, or a call from a distant world:

"Lord of Time... Dream Weaver of Fate... Gambler of Fate... Devourer of Stars... Witness of Eternity... or perhaps a Star Speaker? Whatever your identity as you stand here now, welcome back, Fate Master!"

The voice seemed to rise slowly from an endless abyss, carrying a chilling and heavy quality that seemed to belong to another world, causing one to tremble involuntarily.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment, and an indescribable chill ran down everyone's spine.

It was as if countless hidden and profound eyes were slowly opening from the darkness, coldly looking down at everything that was happening here.

Siming suddenly turned around, a brief but exceptionally clear tremor flashing deep in her eyes. Beneath her calm and composed face, a trace of awakened memories finally appeared.

He stared intently at Zheng Yu, his eyes slightly narrowed, his voice filled with suppressed vigilance and scrutiny:

"Who...are you?"

Zheng Yu's gaze remained unfocused, but a faint, elusive light shone deep within his pupils, like a distant and ancient star in the vast night sky.

He surveyed this place, traversing countless years. His voice was deeper and colder, as if concealing some obscure mockery:
“I am but a traveler passing through the long passage of time, and you, Si Ming, or should I call you... the Dream Weaver?”
You've once again stepped into the fog of fate. This time, are you ready to face the future you once wove and then discarded?

The atmosphere in the room suddenly froze, as if entangled by invisible spider silk, making it suffocating.

Lin Wanqing, Lin En, and Serian looked at Si Ming with surprised and uncertain expressions, clearly confused and wary of this sudden change.

Lynn was the first to react. She stepped forward and asked in a low voice with a serious expression, "Si Ming, what exactly is he talking about? What 'Dream Weaver' and what 'Gambler of Fate'?"

Si Ming did not answer immediately, but silently met Zheng Yu's strange and empty gaze.

Deep within his memory, long-buried images were surfacing wildly—countless paths woven from the threads of fate, chaotic, distorted, yet real.

He could even sense a vast, invisible force quietly propelling all cause and effect toward that forgotten end.

Lin Wanqing looked anxiously at Si Ming's solemn expression and asked in a soft but urgent voice, "Si Ming, what exactly happened?"

Si Ming took a deep breath, suppressing the unease surging in his heart, and slowly turned to the crowd. Although his eyes regained their calm, endless confusion and doubt were reflected in his deep pupils:

"It seems that this matter is far more complicated and dangerous than we imagined. Behind the 'back room' may lie an abyss and truth that we have yet to touch."

The room fell into complete silence once again, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Zheng Yu with tension and apprehension.

But at this moment, Zheng Yu seemed to have his soul suddenly ripped away, his body limp and he fell into a coma. The eerie and frantic whispers from before...

It seemed to originate not from his own consciousness, but from some ancient and darker force.

Si Ming slowly withdrew his gaze, looking out at the deep, thick night sky, feeling his heart still pounding wildly and erratically.

He was acutely aware that he was standing at a critical juncture overlooked by the weavers of fate, and what awaited him ahead might be a long-forgotten nightmare and the truth.

A cold, empty question involuntarily surfaced in his mind—

What have I forgotten?
What kind of fate am I facing?
Behind every name lies a deeper shadow. As the threads of fate begin to tremble, the hidden truth is about to emerge.

—Excerpt from *The Book of True Names: Archives of Mysticism*

(End of this chapter)