Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 535 Lazy Sleeping and Daily Life

The world has been destroyed thousands of times.
But every new morning,
There will still be people who yawn, brush their teeth, swear, and slack off.

—From *The Logbook of the Tower of the End*, Volume Nine: A Page from the Human World

Sunlight streamed through the neon-colored data clouds, illuminating the second floor of the Evening Bell Tavern.

The light is fake, yet it makes you feel warmth.

Si Ming nestled in bed, half-asleep and half-awake.

In his dream, he heard thousands upon thousands of people calling out—"Lord of Destiny!"

He was about to turn around and smile as he took his leave when he was kicked out of his dream.

Of course, in reality, some people actually kicked him.

"Get up! Stop lying in bed."

The sound was as cold as the metal staircase of the Tower of the End.

Si Ming groggily threw back the covers and saw only a figure standing against the light—

Blonde hair, union jacket, eyes like a cat that just woke up and wanted to kill.

“Natasha…” he yawned, “What did I do wrong?”

"You promised me you'd pick someone up today."

"Who... are you picking up?"

“Serian! She also said she wanted to bring you a gift.”

Si Ming hugged the pillow without moving: "I have no interest in gifts from vampires."

The last time she gave me a wine glass that could bite.

"Stop talking nonsense." Natasha kicked him off the bed.

"Hurry up and get dressed. If you don't get up, I'll treat the entire tavern to a round of drinks for you."

Si Ming suddenly looked up: "You know that round requires three thousand points, right?"

"Then you'd better finish washing up within five minutes."

The bathroom light was on.

While brushing his teeth, Si Ming muttered, "Why are you so violent so early in the morning?"

"I practiced it."

"Okay, then you can play Calvino next time."

"He's too fragile; if you break him, you'll have to pay for his medical expenses."

Si Ming couldn't help but laugh: "Then it seems I really am the cheapest punching bag."

"Enough with the nonsense." Natasha opened his wardrobe. "Don't dress so formally. We don't need to fight down the tower."

Si Ming glanced at her: "Do I look like someone who likes to fight?"

"You just cleared out a thousand-player dungeon, don't think I didn't hear about it."

Si Ming shrugged: "It was their group of Yin-Yang Masters who made the first move."

Natasha sneered: "Yes, you just casually detonated a nuclear bomb and destroyed the entire capital."

The two left the dormitory.

As you pass through the spiral tunnel, you can see a panoramic view of the entire mission hall below.

The hall was bustling with noise—

Players dressed in outlandish costumes are showing off their achievements, trading mysterious cards, and gambling on points.

An orc player clad in armor was loudly boasting, "I single-handedly took on three dragons!"

The mage player next to him rolled his eyes: "You're not talking about a pet-level dragon, are you?"

Natasha skillfully squeezed through the crowd.

“Buy the save card first,” she said.

"Huh? I haven't even warmed up my points yet." Si Ming frowned.

In the Tower of the End, leaving the tower is equivalent to pausing the game progress.
You need to "purchase save points" to leave safely.

He opened the interface:

[Purchase at Save Points]

[Price: 1000 points]

[Function: Saves your current progress and allows you to restore it on your next visit]

Si Ming looked at the numbers and sighed, "This system is as corrupt as a medieval nobleman."

Natasha laughed: "You earn a lot, so stop pretending to be poor."

Si Ming swipes his card —

drop.

The light screen flickered.

[Saving complete]

Natasha reached out her hand: "Okay, use the teleportation card."

Si Ming inserted the teleportation card into the terminal.

There was a flash of white light.

After a moment of weightlessness, they found themselves standing in the teleportation plaza of Tarki City.

Blue sky. Wind. Crowd.

A floating train slowly passed by in the distance, its tracks gleaming golden in the sunlight.

Natasha stretched and said, "Let's go, the train station is over there."

Si Ming rubbed his forehead and murmured:
"The wind in Taji... is warm."

Natasha turned her head to look at him: "What did you say?"

Si Ming shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.

"nothing.

I just remembered—we left the battlefield.
But this place... is barely a place where one can live and breathe a sigh of relief.

The train station in Taki City floated in the morning mist.

The railway tracks encircling the city snaked through the air, with silver-white carriages weaving through them, leaving trails of light in their wake.

The air was filled with the roar of power engines and the aroma of dessert stalls.

This is the "bottom floor" of the Tower of the End, the only place where humans can pretend they are still alive.

Natasha stood on the platform, arms crossed, staring at the timetable.

She had been waiting here for ten minutes.

Si Ming was half-reclined on the bench, wearing sunglasses, holding a cup of old-street style coffee, sipping it slowly.

Passersby would occasionally steal glances at him—after all, that clown mask was unique among the vast sea of ​​aliens.

Natasha finally couldn't hold back: "You look like you're waiting for a funeral."

Si Ming lazily replied, "Isn't the person in charge of this funeral the one you called me here for?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Can't you act like a normal person?"

"I tried it, but later found it wasn't worth it."

Natasha gritted her teeth.

Just then, the train sounded its horn.

A silver train cut through the morning mist and entered the platform, steam billowing and waves of air mixed with flashes of energy.

As soon as the car door opened, a bright red figure jumped out; it was the vampire girl, Selene.

She remained as flamboyant as ever.

Her skin was as white as snow, her lips were a touch of crimson, and her eyes were like jewels that had just been dipped in red wine.

She wore a tight leather outfit, and the silver ornaments at her waist jingled with her movements.

"Master! I'm back~!"

She practically lunged forward and hugged Si Ming tightly.

"Hey, hey, hey... How many times have I told you not to shout that in public!"

Si Ming was nearly knocked over, and the coffee cup in her hand drew a perfect parabola in the air.

Natasha laughed so hard she bent over: "You seem to be enjoying this, Master." "Shut up, Natasha."

As soon as Celian let go, she immediately reached for Si Ming's pocket.

"Where's the points card?"

"……What are you doing?"

"Of course, it's a shopping spree! Natasha promised to take me to the main street of Tucky! She said the new decorations there are especially beautiful!"

Si Ming sighed helplessly, "I really suspect that you two are the real pirates."

Natasha looked completely innocent: "Shopping is a lifestyle, not a crime."

Si Ming raised his hands in surrender: "Do as you please, but at least leave us two thousand points. Otherwise, we'll have to fight the boss with wooden sticks next time we run the dungeon."

Selene blinked and smiled brightly: "Yay!"

Taqui Main Street is a long arcade that never sleeps.

The neon-lit floating signs in the air intertwine with the red-light alley below.

Mysterious workshops, mythical beast pet shops, and mechanical modification stalls lined up in a row.

A mechanical bird hovers around, carrying a flyer in its beak, while players and NPCs mingle among it.

Selene and Natasha flanked each other like a hurricane.

A top, a skirt, and a mysterious necklace—

Everything was "bought".

Natasha haggles, Selene swipes her card; their teamwork is comparable to a duo in a dungeon.

Si Ming walked silently behind them.

He counted the points as they jumped from full to the red line.
Then he looked up at the flashing advertising screens above the city of Tarki.

He sighed deeply, "I really miss the days when I gambled in casinos; at least I could save some money."

"If consumption could kill, Taki City would have died twice tonight."

Finally, after Celian shouted "This is a must-buy!" for the eighteenth time,
Si Ming made an excuse to leave.

He returned to his apartment.

It was a small basement rental room, with a view of half the city from the window.

He took off his coat, lay down on the sofa, and sank into the soft cushions.

The neon lights outside the window cast hundreds of illusory reflections on the glass.

A breeze blew in through the slightly open window, carrying the aroma of street-side desserts.

He half-closed his eyes and murmured softly:

"Perhaps... this is the kind of life a person should have."

At that moment, he was no longer the "master of destiny," nor the weaver of lies on the battlefield.

He was just a weary traveler.

In the endless loop of the dream world, I steal half a day of peaceful sleep.

As night fell, the lights of Tarki City began to illuminate the city.

The billboards on the street blended with the magical neon lights to create a dreamlike sea of ​​light.

The city is like an awakened whale, breathing in the noise of players and the smell of gold coins.

Si Ming heard the doorbell ring in a half-dreaming, half-awake state.
"Thump—thump thump".

It was rhythmic, yet slightly intoxicating.

He propped himself up and got up to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, two figures rushed in.

"We're back—!"

Natasha kicked the door open, laughing like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Selene was carrying a bunch of shopping bags and was almost invisible. Her foot was on the threshold when she suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and almost fell over.

"Don't push, don't push, you two—" Si Ming was about to complain when the living room was flooded with bags and packages of shopping spoils.

"We visited the Vampire Street, the Beast Market, and the Tower Cocktail Party!"

Seljane recounted the results of her operation, "Natasha is still arguing with a three-headed kitten at the pet market—"

“That cat insulted me first!” Natasha put down the bag she was holding and rolled her eyes.

“It just hissed.” Celian was speechless.

“That’s still a provocation,” Natasha said matter-of-factly. “I was acting in self-defense.”

Selene laughed so hard she lay sprawled on the sofa, glitter still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

"Oh right, we also ordered breakfast for you for tomorrow!"

“…Thank you.” Si Ming rubbed his temples. “I think I know why I’ll go bankrupt tomorrow.”

Natasha stretched and said, "You should be glad I didn't just buy an airship."

"I can already sense that you're hinting at 'next time'."

The three of them sat in the living room and opened a bottle of cheap red wine.

The outside lights streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, like a dream.

Selene couldn't hold her liquor; she slumped onto the table after just a couple of sips.

She squinted, like a cat about to fall asleep, and muttered to herself:
"Master, many more people will be coming back in a few days."

Si Ming put down his wine cup and looked up: "What do you mean?"

"Allison, Rex, Ian, and that big guy Baroque..."

Selene's voice gradually softened.

"They've all been promoted. They'll be arriving in Taki soon."

Natasha was taken aback for a moment, then smiled.

"It seems the union is about to become lively again."

She leaned against the window, her smile reflected in the glass.

The neon light reflected off her blonde hair, like a gentle fire.

"The new game has just begun," she said softly.

Si Ming leaned back on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the crystal chandelier on the ceiling.

The taste of wine, the noise of the city, the breath of humans—

All of this reminded him that he was still "alive".

His fingertips unconsciously traced the empty glass on the table.

Selene was already asleep, while Natasha leaned against the other end of the sofa with her eyes closed.

The sound of a train from Taki City echoed outside the window late at night.

That deep rumble sounded like the heartbeat of some ancient behemoth.

The God of Fate murmured softly:

"Perhaps, this is the real night."

He didn't finish speaking.

Natasha seemed to hear it in her half-awake state.

But she didn't answer; she just stretched lightly, her voice muffled:
"Don't overthink it. Tomorrow will be even more chaotic."

Si Ming smiled and said, "Chaos is fine too."

The wind from outside blew into the room, ruffling the pile of paper bags stuffed with shopping bags.

The lights flickered, and the neck of the wine bottle reflected a blood-red light.

For a moment, the world was at peace.

Like the breath before a storm, like a still frame before a restart.

In the days outside the battlefield,
People will still buy clothes, eat desserts, argue, and go shopping.

The apocalypse did not destroy humanity; it merely made humanity seem more precious.

—From *The Tower of the End: A Traveler's Chronicle of the Tower of the End*

(End of this chapter)