Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 494 Seven Tombs and Fourteen Shadows: The Nameless Tomb
The alarm bells rang continuously in my dreams.

Seven people have been backed up.

The reflection collapses, time is swept away.
But the vow still echoes across the lake.

—"Reflection Inscription"

My name is Xiao Jinyan, the second young master of the Xiao family in Luohongjing Township.

As far back as I can remember, I've been plagued by a strange dream.

In my dreams, the scenes are always the same.

A heavy door creaked and groaned, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Black tentacles kept crawling in through the crack in the door, wriggling, slapping, and tearing wildly.

And standing in front of the door was my older sister, Xiao Lianyin.

Her arms were pressed tightly against the door, veins bulging, and her teeth clenched.

His clothes were already torn, and sweat dripped down his temples, but he did not back down an inch.

Behind her was a group of people dressed in strange clothes.

Some people wore brass masks and carried heavy scrolls on their backs;
Someone was wearing a tattered black robe and holding a spell card that emitted a ghostly light in their hand;
Some people may appear ordinary, but their eyes are cold and sharp, as if they can see through the world.

They were all shouting.

"Yan, are you ready?"

"Quickly! We can't hold on any longer!"

Their voices were urgent and frantic, as if they had placed all their hopes on me.

But I stood there, empty-handed, not even knowing what I should do.

Before I could answer, the door finally shattered open.

Countless tentacles surged in.

They pounced like hungry monsters that had been waiting for a long time.

My sister's body was curled up high by the tentacles, and she desperately reached out to push me away;
One by one, those people were pulled into the air and disappeared amidst screams and roars.

Finally, even I was enveloped by tentacles and dragged violently into the darkness.

In the moments before I completely lose consciousness, I can always hear that cold, mechanical voice.

[Seven people have been backed up.]

[Reflection, reflection.]

[Warning. Defense out of control.]

The sound seemed to be squeezed out of a metal throat, devoid of emotion, yet it made my eardrums buzz.

Then, everything fell silent.

I've had this dream countless times.

Every time it's the same, and every time it makes my heart race.

But strangely enough, I never told anyone.

I know there must be something hidden behind this dream.

Some kind of secret.

A secret that even her older sister couldn't know.

I will always remember that day.

That was the day I officially became a Voidwalker and stepped onto the planet of the Cataclysm.

I rushed to my sister almost impatiently.

"Sister, let's go! Let's go to the Tower of the End!"

Xiao Lianyin has been promoted for quite some time and is already a shining star in the family.

She was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, trimming the glowing fox flower between her fingers.

She looked up at me, panting, and a smile flashed in her eyes.

"What's the rush? You won't even catch your breath."

But how can I care about all that?
I raised the longsword on my back high, struck a chuunibyou (delusional) pose, and loudly proclaimed:

"I am invincible in this world!"

"If we don't fight against Heaven, we'll all be in vain!"

The wind blew through the courtyard, making my hair fly wildly.

I imagine myself at this moment, looking heroic and valiant, like a lone warrior facing the heavens and the earth.

However, the next second, a crisp "smack" rang out on his forehead.

"Ouch!"

My sister's fingers struck my head mercilessly.

I bent over, covered my forehead, and grimaced.

She withdrew her hand, her eyes crinkling with a smile as she teased:

"You think you're invincible? Keep spouting nonsense and I'll drag you back."

She spoke with such conviction, as if she truly had the power to drag me home.

I was speechless for a moment, and could only stare wide-eyed, muttering, "Sis, you're really disrespecting me..."

Xiao Lianyin just smiled, stood up, put down the spirit fox flower, and reached out to straighten the corner of my clothes.

"Alright, since you're so eager to go, let's go."

Her tone was soft, yet it carried a reassuring certainty.

At that moment, I felt that even in an unknown trial ground like the Tower of the End, as long as she was by my side, there was nothing to be afraid of.

But later I realized that the Tower of the End never makes an exception for anyone because of their courage.

As it turns out, my initial trip to Tajikistan went too smoothly.

In the first instance, all you encounter are hordes of skeletons.

I didn't even bother using the power of the Star Calamity; I simply waved my hand and unleashed the [Karma-Slaying Sword Domain].

In an instant, countless reflected swords emerged from the void, severing their connection with "existence".

The skeletons didn't even have time to make a sound before they vanished like shadows in an instant.

The second instance is a bit more complicated, with some giant beasts shrouded in black mist rushing in.

But the sister's nine-tailed fox spirit transformed into a phantom of fire, entwined with foxfire, and with a gentle flick of its tail, forced those monsters to retreat step by step.

I added another Sword Domain and a Voidwalker's Cataclysm release, and the entire instance collapsed like it was made of paper.

In just two battles, I didn't even have to use my true Star Calamity power.

However, the enemies in the instance crumbled like sand sculptures in the wind.

I chuckled to myself: This tower is nothing special.

In the hall, I was full of vigor, playing with the light and shadow of the Sword of Slaying Karma in my hand, as if I could already see the glory of the future.

"I will charge all the way to the top of the tower!"

"I will face my destiny!"

My voice echoed under the dome of the hall, attracting many sidelong glances and whispers.

Some people sneered, some shook their heads, but I just felt like I was walking on air.

At that moment, I truly believed that reaching the top of the tower was only a matter of time for me.

Only later did I realize that the true nature of the Tower of the End was never as easy and smooth as it seemed at the beginning.

That's just it smiling, waiting to see when you stop smiling.

The name of the sixth level dungeon is [The Tomb of the Seven Nameless Men, Water Moon Sky].

The moment you step inside, the world suddenly falls silent.

The lake water is clear, white mist hangs in the air, and seven tombs stand side by side.

In the lake, seven identical shadow tombs also stand.

—Seven tombs side by side, fourteen layers of shadows.

It is difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, and impossible to predict the truth.

The dungeon quest is clear, with a cold, impersonal message appearing on the panel:

[In the real Shadow Tomb, find the relic: the antlers of Sazeroth]

I looked up at the fourteen layers of tomb mounds and smiled.

"Never mind the truth or falsehood, just get through them one by one!"

Having said that, I raised my hand and unleashed the [Karma-Slaying Sword Domain]. The Karma-Slaying Sword shot out from the sky, its sword energy raining down.

My sister's nine-tailed fox spirit appeared simultaneously, its foxfire blazing and its phantoms flickering. With a sweep of its tail, flames surged like a tide, and together with my sword domain, instantly tore the first graveyard apart.

The tombstone shattered, and the spirit vanished.

However, the mission progress remained unchanged.

“…A virtual tomb.” I frowned.

"continue."

We then entered a second tomb.

This time, the coordination was even more decisive. The Nine-Tailed Fox Lord broke through first, and I then severed the tomb door with a single sword strike.

Still relaxed.

It is still a false tomb.

The third tomb.

Feeling somewhat agitated, I decided to activate the Voidwalker's abilities directly.

"Since it's a reflection, then let's follow the path of the reflection!"

I took my sister's hand, and with a whirlwind, the two of us flew into the reflected tomb on the lake.

The water shimmered and the surroundings suddenly darkened.

The tomb passage was long and chaotic, with branching paths winding like a maze, and the patterns on the walls constantly changing without any discernible pattern.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the stone path, growing heavier and heavier.

Soon, I realized something was wrong.

His breathing became slow, and even the movement of raising his hand seemed to be stretched out.

My sword domain gathered at my fingertips, but it was slow to fully unfold.

Time is being stolen away little by little.

"This is a trap!" the older sister whispered.

That's when I noticed that deep inside the tomb passage, a card was floating, its image faintly visible.

Fate-type High-level Mystic Card.

【The merciless years that have passed】.

The entire tomb was actually a fake tomb constructed from a disguised Destiny Card.

Inside the tomb passage, time flows by like a thread, draining away our speed and strength.

Step by step, we were dragged into an irreversible stagnation.

I gripped the sword hilt tightly, cold sweat pouring down my forehead.

"Oops……"

This is the first time I've truly felt this—

The Tower of the End is not a game meant to be easily completed.

It's laughing, watching, waiting for us to reveal a weakness.

The tomb passage trembled, and the walls collapsed.

Countless insects of time surged forth from the depths of the cracks.

They are as thin as silk, yet they twist and turn in the air, producing a piercing friction sound.
Every insect is a physical manifestation of the passing years.

The foxfire dimmed instantly upon contact.

The Nine-Tailed Fox King roared to the sky, its tail flames blazing, but in an instant, its snow-white fur began to wither and fall off, and the divine light in its eyes gradually dimmed.

Even the Fox King aged in an instant.

My heart tightened, and I frantically activated the [Slaying Karma Sword Domain], but as soon as the sword shadow appeared, my speed was mercilessly slowed down, as if I were being held back by countless hands.

"sister--!"

Before I could pounce on her, my sister had already taken a step forward.

Her pupils turned red, her arms were outstretched, and her blood suddenly turned into runes in the air.

The Blood Priest's Star Calamity Power - Fully Unleashed.

"Blood Life Divine Palace!"

boom--

The stone walls of the tomb passage shattered, and a gigantic, blood-red phantom of a womb appeared behind her.

The remains of the Nine-Tailed Fox Lord were reconstructed inch by inch, and the reborn foxfire collided with the Time Worm, turning into a violent explosion.

At that moment, she almost sacrificed herself to hold back the torrent of the worms of time.

"Quickly, Jinyan!"

"Open the door!"

My hands trembled, I gritted my teeth, and forcibly gathered the power of the Voidwalker.

Black cracks appeared at the end of the tomb passage, and a door to another dimension slowly took shape.

But it's too slow.

Time cuts into me like a knife, even the sound of my blood flowing slows down.

"quick!"

My sister's voice was filled with pain.

White, silky worms of time were crawling inch by inch all over her body, from her legs and arms to her slender neck.

Her movements became increasingly sluggish, but her eyes remained fixed on me.

"Don't look back!"

With a final low shout, her nine tails suddenly swept across the area.

boom!
The fox's tail transformed into a whirlwind, forcefully sweeping me inside the doorway.

After a period of intense dizziness, I fell out of the crevice and crashed into the lake.

The icy lake water splashed on my face, soaking me to the bone, and I scrambled to my feet in a disheveled state.

Behind them, the tomb passage had been swallowed by white mist, and there was no longer any trace of their sister.

"sister--!"

My screams echoed across the lake, but no one answered.

Guilt weighed on me like a mountain.

If it weren't for my recklessness in insisting on venturing into the Reflection Tomb...

She won't end up like that.

His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

I took the card out of my pocket.

[Forced detachment].

You can use it to force yourself to leave the instance.

The cost is losing almost all of your points.

I took a deep breath and slammed it hard onto the lake.

click-

The lake surface distorted, and the power of the instance suddenly loosened.

My body was enveloped by a beam of light and slowly lifted up.

The points panel flashed before my eyes.

[Points: Reduced to 23]

Almost zero.

Before leaving, I looked up at the cold words that appeared in the sky.

[Instance: The Seven Nameless Tombs]

I gripped the longsword tightly, the blade trembling at my fingertips, but my voice was unwavering:
"Sister, wait for me."

"I will definitely come back to save you."

The light engulfed me, and the lake returned to calm.

Only fourteen layers of tomb shadows remained, silently watching from the mist, as if nothing had ever happened.

White hair, like the passing years.
The nine-tailed fox's path home was cut off.

The boy emerged from the lake,
The vow remains in the shadow of the tomb.

—From "Fragments of the Seven Tombs"

(End of this chapter)