Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 466 The Flower of Lies, the Shadow of the Past

"The old days are not dead."
They simply slumber in the abyss of darkness.

When mortals call their names with lies

The fragrance of flowers once again filled all realms.

—From the Martian Remnants: Ussum Chapter

Si Ming took a deep breath, his fingertips pausing on the pages of the book, the star patterns on the back of his hand fading one by one.

The Book of Lies unfolded in his palm, the ink flowing into blood and mist, and distorted Martian script appearing on the pages.

“Usum, God of Mars…Sleeper of Lavomos.”

The God of Fate chanted in a low voice, his voice trembling indescribably.

--boom.

In an instant, the void outside the train was torn apart.

A colossal, unbelievable silhouette emerged:
The pale, giant bulbs filled the darkness, the thick branches resembled pillars of a galaxy, the crimson calyxes bloomed in the void, and a small, pearly figure rose from the center of the flower, as if indifferently watching everything.

At that moment, even the Frost Dragon paused and let out a suppressed growl.

Si Ming nodded slightly, gesturing to Erwin not far away.

"Mother Earth, lifeblood of the forest—a response."

Erwin chanted a secret incantation, and the domain of the Forest of Life burst forth, with the phantom of a sea of ​​trees rising from the ground in space and entwining the roots of Usum.

The two opposing forces merged, and the crimson calyx suddenly bloomed, emitting an indescribable fragrance.

The fragrance spread, penetrating the frost and the void, and quickly enveloped the Frost Dragon.

The dragon's pupils contracted sharply, and its movements noticeably slowed. The condensed frost breath also trembled, as if being dragged into a nightmare-like, sluggish realm.

Si Ming closed the book, his breath trembling slightly. One of the star patterns on the back of his hand suddenly dimmed, and he exhaled softly:
"...One minute. Its nerves will be paralyzed, in a state of extreme slowness. That's all I can do."

His calamity value plummeted by 94 points.

He looked up and nodded to the three of them.

The girl with pigtails, unusually, didn't laugh. She put away her lollipop, her expression more serious than ever before.

"A liar? ...That's quite an ability."

She chuckled softly, but her eyes were sharp as fire.

"Alright. Since you've gone this far, I can't hold back anymore."

She reached out her hand, and the phantom of the red lotus swirled behind her, while stars burned.

"Great Sage of Burning the World... My Cataclysm!"

Suddenly, a new power of fire is about to descend.

The girl with pigtails slowly raised her hands, her fingertips intertwining, her movements light yet like weaving a cruel symphony.

Her fingers flicked through the air, and the void trembled.

Dark red micro-stars emerged from her fingertips, trailing fiery tails as they plummeted toward the dragon's body.

Limbs, wings, scales, dragon's throat...

The crimson sparks of evil fire were precisely driven into the dragon's vital points, as if dismantling this ancient wreckage inch by inch.

The Frost Dragon struggled desperately.

Its massive wings trembled violently, and its dragon claws tried to tear apart the flames on its body, but its enormous body moved ridiculously slowly in the void.

It knew danger was imminent, but it couldn't control its own flesh and blood.

—As the god of fate said, it was nothing more than a paralyzed specimen.

"Bang-bang-bang-"

The girl's soft chanting sounded like a children's song, yet it ignited one raging flame after another in the void.

Crimson flames bloomed one after another on the dragon's scales, adorning its icy body like a burning night sky.

Its agonizing screams were delayed for a mere moment.

Only when Elwin roared and transformed into a giant bear, lunging forward and piercing the dragon's eyes with his claws, did a belated roar echo.

The wailing shattered the starry sea, and ice mist and firelight intertwined, like the end of the world.

The last meteor streaked across the sky, carrying scorching flames as it pierced the dragon's heart.

Suddenly, the dragon's chest cavity exploded, and burning crimson light and frost burst forth together, like the Milky Way shattering.

Its sound still echoes.

Is it resentment? Is it pain? Or... liberation?
No one knows.

The four people slowly landed back on the train.

What's chilling is that the train roof, which had been bitten off and cracked, silently recovered the moment they stepped back into the carriage, as if it had been forcibly rewritten by some invisible rule.

The iron walls remained intact, the lights were still on, and the carriage was as quiet as when they first boarded. Only the corpses scattered on the ground and the ashes of the extinguished name tags coldly proved that what had just happened was not an illusion.

After the brutal aftermath, the carriage fell into a deathly silence.

The ashes of the extinguished brand nameplate drifted in the wind, as if singing a final elegy for the deceased.

Erwin retracted his bear claws, his chest heaving violently, cold sweat beading on his forehead, the star pattern on the back of his hand dimmed as if it might go out at any moment.

Seraya hurriedly approached and whispered his name.

Erwin reached out and gently stroked her cheek, his gaze tender yet heavy.

“Seleia...you saw it, didn’t you? The end of Lodron.”

He paused, then sighed softly, "If one day I also reach that point... if my reason is consumed, please... end me with your own hands before I completely turn into a monster."

Seraya trembled, tears welling in her eyes. She shook her head, but couldn't bring herself to refuse.

She understood that it wasn't fear he felt, but rather the pride and conviction that he would rather die than become a monster.

Si Ming silently watched the couple, flipping through the playing cards in his hand, but quietly made a mental note: This is the real contrast—Lordren chose madness, while Erwin chose dignity.

—Just then, a deep announcement came over the loudspeaker:
"The virtual star train is about to reach its destination. Three passengers have passed the test and may disembark."

In an instant, the survivors' gazes all turned to the only anomaly—the girl with twin ponytails.

She was chewing a lollipop, a disdainful smile on her lips.

"What are you looking at? I never said I was a passenger."

As soon as she finished speaking, her attire suddenly changed:
The sweet, puffy skirt was replaced by a sharply tailored uniform, with a cold badge hanging on her chest.

The young girl bowed respectfully, her voice sweet yet full of mockery:
"Li Mei, a train attendant on the virtual star train."

She looked up with a smile, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "It's a pleasure to serve you all. What would you like? Coffee? Black tea? Or—a lollipop?"

She gently raised the lollipop, as if to remind everyone:

The sweet girl who just made the heart explosive was just her "side job".

The air grew tense again.

Flight attendant Li Mei still had her arms crossed, her eyes darting around, and her smile as wicked as a little devil.

"Having embarked on the path to the end, you've reached a dead end. Are you really ready to get off this train?"

She gently twitched her fingers, bowed slightly like a ballroom attendant, and spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone:

"Don't worry, if you regret it now, the Virtual Star Train has a return service... However, once you step into the End, if you want to turn back, you will have to pay a price that you can't even imagine."

The air suddenly felt heavy, as if even the lingering scent of death had intensified.

Si Ming simply smiled, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, his expression as if he were casually chatting in a tavern.

"As for the cost, do we, the planetary catastrophes, even have a choice? We either quietly wait to rot, or we spectacularly turn into fireworks."

He paused, then suddenly looked up at Li Mei: "By the way, flight attendant, I'm thirsty. Could you give me a Coke?"

Li Mei blinked, tilted her head, and smiled with an undisguised slyness.

"Fireworks? That's an interesting answer."

She spread her hands apologetically: "However—I'm sorry, the service station closed ten minutes ago. Sir, you're too late."

She skipped and hopped around as she returned to her toy kingdom, humming a cheerful tune as she went, leaving behind three "passengers" with different expressions.

Before they could even exchange glances, the train's announcement suddenly came on.

"—This train is about to land. Passengers, please find a place to strap your belts in as soon as possible. Friendly reminder: the descent speed this time is a bit... wild."

The moment he finished speaking, the carriage jolted violently.

Siming lost his balance and gripped the table corner's fixing bar tightly, his face turning ashen in an instant.

Looking out the window, he saw the boundless sea of ​​stars suddenly tilt, an unfamiliar planet rapidly magnifying, and the train plummeting downwards in an almost vertical dive.

"damn it……"

Si Ming gritted his teeth, the wind whistling like sharp blades tearing at his eardrums, and coldly uttered a sentence in his heart:
"Can't you even give me a second to rest?"

He hugged the metal bar tightly, feeling as if his entire body was being crushed by centrifugal force.

The train roared, leaving a long trail of flames, like a shooting star thrown into an abyss.

They are falling into hell.

"Falling is not the end."

Rather, it marks the beginning of a new game.

On the path to the end,
All celestial calamities are like dice that have been rolled.

—From the fragments of the prophecy of the Tower of the End

(End of this chapter)