Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 533 Remaining Ashes
They thought the story was over.

Little did they know that it was merely the sound of fate turning the pages of a book.

—Preview of "The Script of Destiny: A New Chapter"

The afterglow of the nuclear flame had not yet dissipated.

Abe no Haruhisa stood in the center of the scorched earth, his robes spotless, his fox-like eyes like gold.

He lightly flicked the corner of his sleeve, his tone indifferent and composed, as if the war that had just taken place was nothing more than dust.

"In this instance, under the protection of Mr. World's rules, no one can hurt me."

I am an observer. I am a god! A god cannot be slain.

The air froze instantly.

The flames seemed to be frozen in his palm.

A cold smile surfaced beneath the mask of the God of Fate.

He looked up, his voice low and calm, yet carrying a sharp, sarcastic edge:
"Then you're unlucky today, you've run into players who don't believe in God."

Xiao Lianyin raised her eyebrows, her smile tinged with coldness.

She stroked the fox's tail, her words cutting through the silence like a sharp blade.

"That's how it is with Hideyuki Hanakain, and it's the same with us."

—At that moment, the air stopped breathing.

The next second, the heavens and earth shattered.

Abe Haruhisa raised his hand, and golden flames ignited in his palm.
"The calamity-bringing fox spirit, Feathered Fox Princess—appears."

The foxfire fell from the sky and transformed into a nine-foot-long demon fox with tail feathers like golden threads.
With each spin, a streak of light is torn through the air.

In that instant, the colors of heaven and earth were swallowed up by gold.

However, before the fox demon could even descend to the ground,
A clear whistle tore through the sky.

Xiao Lianyin stood on the front line of fire.
Her nine-tailed fox lord unleashed its tail flames, the crimson-gold foxfire scorching the sky.

"Imperial decree—Tu Jun is here, fox demons, begone!"

The air vibrates.

The fox king roared, its tail flames transforming into a raging firestorm.
It swallowed Hagoromo Gitsune whole and burned her to ashes.

The golden light collapsed.

Abe's smile cracked for the first time.

In that very instant,
Xu Long stepped out.

The Crimson Sky Divine Sword was drawn.

The raging flames instantly transformed into a nine-layered dragon-shaped sword light.

His gaze was cold and his voice was like iron.

"Crimson Sky - Slay the God!"

Flames pierced the air, and the sword's momentum surged like a raging torrent.

At that moment, even the sky seemed to be cracked.

The "Spectator Shield" emitted a piercing shriek before the Crimson Sky Sword's edge.

Cracks appeared inch by inch.

Like shattered glass, even the rules of God are crumbling.

A crack appeared in the light curtain.

Si Ming raised his hand and gently touched the crack.

Countless masks appeared behind him—white and silent.

His voice was soft, yet colder than death.

"Don't you want destiny?"
Then taste for yourself the favor of fate.

The mask slipped from his palm like quicksand.

They burrowed into the crack in the light curtain.

The next moment——

A white storm erupted within the divine realm.

That was a thousand-faced raging tide.

Each mask represents a destiny, a possible ending.

The storm twisted and swirled.
It condensed into a vortex within the light curtain.

Abe Haruhisa's figure was torn and stretched, a bloody mess.

His first scream tore through the air.

Nobuna closed her eyes.

When she looked up again, her tears had dried on her face.

She walked forward step by step.
The longsword trembled in her hand, and fox flames ignited.

"This strike is for... Mijinin, my grandfather—Mijinin Yukitaka!"

The demons and monsters burned, and the blade shone like a red lotus.

An illusory image of Tamamo-no-Mae appeared behind her.
The roar shook the heavens and the earth.

The demonic flames pierced through the light barrier.

--boom.

The light curtain burst open from the inside.

Brilliant flames swept across the land.

Amidst the flames, Abe Haruhisa's body burned, twisted, and disintegrated.

His voice echoed in the firelight:

"Si Ming—I will come back!"

Then, he turned to ashes completely.

The air is still.

Everyone was panting.

All that remained on the ground was a layer of talisman ash.

When the wind blew, the ashes swirled and turned.

Like the remnants of a divine kingdom escaping.

Shinna knelt down and reached out to pick up a piece of the remaining talisman paper.

The runes flickered faintly.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly.

"...It's a substitute talisman. I'm afraid he used his ability to reincarnate and escape."

The foxfire glowed faintly.

At that moment, the same thought surged in everyone's mind—

That man who calls himself a god is not dead yet.

The middle level of the Tower of the End, the Land of Flower Sleep.

The morning mist swirls around the mountains, and thousands of flowering trees bloom quietly.

A moist fragrance filled the air.
Birdsong, the sound of wind, falling petals—everything was as peaceful as a dream.

In the courtyard of the shrine, a young Onmyoji (yin-yang master) was bending down to prune the flowers.

His features were gentle, and he was dressed in white, as white as snow.

The scissors opened and closed gently between his fingers, making a soft "snip" sound.

Petals fell at his feet, the sea a pale pink.

The sunlight illuminated half of his face.

In that instant, it seemed as if even the winds of the divine realm held their breath.

however--

"Snapped."

The scissors slipped and fell to the ground.

The boy was slightly taken aback.
In the instant he lowered his head, a glint of gold flashed in his eyes.

The next second, his body began to convulse.

The veins beneath the white coat became visible, winding and pulsating.

His breathing became rapid, as if something invisible was choking him from within.

"Lord Haruhisa...no...I'm not—"

He suddenly looked up.

A tumor sprouted from his forehead.

It was an eerie golden eye, which slowly opened.

"Gurgle... Ahh—!"

The sound of skin tearing echoed in the silence of the shrine.

Blood seeped from his fingertips and dripped onto the flower petals.

The pink flowers turned crimson.

Fox-like growths covered his entire body.

It meanders down to the chest, throat, and corner of the eye.

His body was curled up, enveloped in invisible foxfire.

The foxfire wasn't red, but a strange golden-white.

Flames rose in layers, completely engulfing him.

finally--

His body shattered in the flames, transforming into a golden cocoon. The courtyard fell silent once more.

The wind blew, carrying away the fallen petals.

The "fox cocoon" trembled slightly.

Then, accompanied by a low breathing sound—

"...Reincarnation complete."

The fox cocoon burst open.

Smoke spread everywhere.

A man emerges from his cocoon, his steps slow yet steady as a god's.

He was still wearing the boy's clothes.

But that face was no longer the handsome young man it once was—

Instead, it was that familiar golden-eyed smile.

——Abe Haruhisa.

He reached up and smoothed his sleeve.

There were charred blood streaks on his fingers.

He sighed softly, his tone eerily calm.

"The skin of mortals is too thin."

Each rebirth only makes me weary.

In the distance, a group of Imperial Guards knelt on the ground.
Their foreheads touched the ground, and they dared not lift their eyes.

"Bless your highness."

They shouted in unison,

Flames ignited in their palms, forming fox-shaped marks.

We pay tribute to him with our lives.

Abe Haruhisa walked past them.
Their steps were light, as if they weren't walking on bones.
Instead, they are flower petals.

He returned to the shrine's tatami mat.

A maid brought over a teacup.

He took it and sipped it.

As the aroma of tea began to waft through the air, his eyes twitched slightly.

The next second, the teacup shattered with a "crack" and turned into powder.

The warmth still lingered between Qingjiu's fingers.

It was a kind of anger that had been suppressed to the extreme.

"If it weren't for Mr. World's 'observation device',
This prevents me from enabling the disaster zone...

How could I be forced to use a reincarnation spell to escape by those low-level insects?

He spoke in a low voice, each syllable sounding like he was tearing at it.

Foxfire flickered in his palm.
The ash from the teacup was swept up by the heat and turned into a wisp of smoke.

He closed his eyes and murmured softly:
"The Mishinin family... the God of Destiny... are quite the schemers."

When it opened its eyes again, its golden fox eyes shone brightly once more.

"Next time, I won't be so careless."

The foxfire reignited in his palm.

The reflection in his pupils
Like a burning sun in the sky.

The firelight illuminated his silhouette.

He sat upright before the couch.

Like a god reborn from ashes.

The wind blew in through the paper door.
It lifts up the petals.

The light of pink and gold intertwined
Spinning around him—

It's like a re-coronation of the Kingdom of God.

The Tower of the End - Mission Hall.

The light curtain of the portal faded in circles, and the last batch of pirates from the Deep Sea Nightmare stumbled out.

They smelled of gunpowder and their eyes still held lingering fear.

When the system notification sounded in the hall, the entire base of the tower fell silent.

[Dungeon Cleared - Faction Victory: Deep Sea Nightmare]

[Rewards are being distributed...]

A rain of gold coins fell from the sky.

Countless points of light, like golden stars, poured down from the sky.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Some people burst into laughter, while others looked up to the sky and wailed.

Some people knelt down silently amidst the revelry, placing their hands over their chests.

It was a complex emotion—

We won, but it felt like we died once.

Xu Long stood outside the crowd, his cigarette unlit.

He watched the cheering crowd go by, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as a calm sea.

Chen Mei walked over, wearing a bright red military jacket, and said in a low voice:
"The statistics are in, and 30%... haven't come back."

Some were consumed by the burning spark, some died from delayed resurrection, and others... were caught in the crossfire.

Xu Long took a breath of cold air and nodded: "You handle the compensation. Don't let the brothers down."

Chen Mei nodded. She glanced at Xu Long, about to speak, but then smiled:
"Long, you should probably drink less, shouldn't you?"

Xu Long did not answer; his gaze swept across the noisy crowd.

It stopped in the distance—the Fate Master.

Si Ming stood in the corner, took off his mask, revealing a tired but quiet face.

He stood with Calvino, Lilia, and Nobuna.

The lights shone down from above, casting long shadows on them.

Like four thin threads, they connect the lingering echoes of this nightmare to reality.

Xu Long withdrew his gaze and said, "Let's go, have a drink."

Cafe.

The lights were soft, and the breeze outside the window ruffled the corners of the curtains.

The air was filled with the smells of coffee and iron.

The four people sat down, and steam rose from the coffee cups on the table.

Everything seemed ordinary, yet it felt like a dream.

Xu Long spoke softly, "If I'm not mistaken—you're all awake, right?"

His tone was both a confirmation and a farewell.

Si Ming simply smiled slightly and remained silent.

There was a silent consensus in that laughter: "Finally, someone understands."

Xiao Jinyan was about to speak when Xu Long stopped him with a look.

Xu Long shook his head and lowered his voice: "Even here, it's not safe."

Xiao Jinyan understood, took out a card from his pocket, and handed it over.

Black background with silver lettering, and a line of small text:
"Void Train Station - Heading Towards the Reflection of Nothingness"

"Come sit down sometime." Xiao Jinyan smiled and winked. "I guarantee the coffee here will be better."

Xu Long laughed, but with a hint of bitterness: "There are too few companions."

We must live and find them.

Si Ming looked out the window, where the wind stirred the glow of the streetlights.

His voice was deep, yet carried a firm warmth:
"Live, climb to the top, and find them."

End this nightmare.

A few seconds of silence.

Xu Long picked up his coffee and took a sip.

He frowned and smacked his lips: "It tastes awful."

Xiao Lianyin laughed out loud and leaned back in her chair: "Uncle, you really have no class."

Xu Long protested, his face slightly flushed: "Hey! I'm not old yet!"

Several people looked at each other and smiled.

No one speaks.

Only the wind outside the window rang the doorbell.

"Ding--"

The sound was crisp and clear, like waking from a dream, or like the beginning of a new story.

Ordinary people use lies to break the veil.

God left a photo in his place.

The stage of destiny is never empty.
They just changed the actors.

—The Final Chapter of Destiny's Script: The Godbreaker

(End of this chapter)