Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 558 The Returning Traveler of Wangchuan Town
Those who return may not necessarily belong to the human world.

—The Mysterious Records: The River of Oblivion

Night fell.

The wind outside Wangchuan Town carried gray fog and mud, blowing all the way from the foot of the mountain to the roof of the dilapidated temple.

The wind whistled through the cracked wooden window, swirling up the ashes and scraps of paper on the table, as if even the air itself had been ground raw.

The dilapidated temple at the village entrance is the only place in this ruin that still has lights on.

A few oil lamps swayed under the half-collapsed beams, their light flickering erratically, casting mottled patterns of yellow and blood.

The ground was covered with straw mats and old sheets salvaged from the dungeon, and the injured members of the Mystic Guild were placed on them one by one.

Some were burned by the poisonous flowers, some were cut open by the vines, and some had sunken chests, broken bones, and weak breathing.

The air was filled with the mixed smells of iodine, herbs, and blood.

This is a quietness unique to the postwar period, not a peace, but a stillness where the battlefield has temporarily slowed its breathing.

Selene bent down, pulled the remaining thorns from the chest of an unconscious wounded man, and casually tossed them into the iron bucket.

Blood splattered on the back of her hand, but she simply wiped it away carelessly with the back of her hand.

"Where's the medicine powder?"

"Here." A union member nearby quickly handed it over.

Selene sprinkled the powder, then pressed her hand against the wound, the cold blood evaporating in her palm.

The injured man's expression softened, and Serian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She raised her hand to smooth the red hair on her forehead and sat down wearily at the table.

The only sound in the room was breathing.

That suppressed panting, accompanied by the scent of medicine and blood, seeped heavily into my heart.

She looked up towards the doorway.

The door was half-open, and outside was a dimly lit street.

Wangchuan Town is like a dead world, even the wind carries gray.

"...You'd better come back soon, Siming."

Selene leaned against the doorframe, her voice so soft it was almost like talking to herself.

A hint of red reflected from the firelight in her eyes, like a remnant of her vampire nature, or like a lamp keeping watch.

"Look at you like this?"

A hoarse voice came from behind her.

The old mystery master leaned against the wooden cabinet, his chest wrapped in bandages, his face pale.

He smiled and said, "He'll be back. That kid from fate is tough."

Selene turned around, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Hard-fated? I think he's too lucky."

"Isn't having a good life also a kind of being tough?" the old cryptic master said with a wry smile.

"It's just that he gambled too much, and one day... he'll lose his life."

“Then I’ll win it back for him,” Celian said softly.

Her tone was light, but it concealed a hint of anxiety.

The wind outside picked up, dust seeped in through the cracks, and the lamp flame was blown askew.

She raised her hand to shield her eyes, but the light in the corner of her eye was suddenly drawn to a certain movement.

The fog in the distance is swaying.

That wasn't the movement of wind, but light.

A faint glimmer of light began to flicker from the direction of the town entrance.

The light was very dim at first, like stars falling to the ground.

It then gradually expanded, turning from gray to white, like a bright line before dawn.

The streets were gradually illuminated, and the dust in the light looked like floating snowflakes.

Selene suddenly stood up.

She stared at the light, her heart pounding.

"That is?"

The sound of footsteps came.

Calm, yet slightly dragging.

The gravel crunched underfoot as they stepped out of the depths of the fog.

Two blurry figures slowly appeared.

One was tall, the other was slightly shorter.

They walked slowly, but each step brought the light closer.

The wind whipped up dust, illuminating their silhouettes.

Silver hair, a cloak, a familiar scent.

At that moment, Celian's lips finally curved into a smile.

She raised her hand, brushed the strands of hair from her face, and couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Siming, you're finally back."

The fog dissipated.

Si Ming helped Natasha, who was almost unable to stand, and slowly walked into the dim light.

The lights flickered, and the flames seemed to cheer.

The night in Wangchuan Town has finally begun to breathe again.

The door of the dilapidated temple swayed gently in the wind.

The wooden door, blackened by smoke and ash, creaked open with a low groan as Siming pushed it open.

A blast of cold air then swept in.
The chill wasn't from the wind, but rather emanated from Natasha.

She was helped into the house by Si Ming; her short, silvery-white hair was still dripping wet.
Frost had settled on the hem of her clothes.

The pocket watch was broken and half-closed, its hands stopped at zero.

Her hand was still gripping the gleaming silver sniper rifle.

The light illuminated her pale face.
Those blue eyes, as bright as jewels,

It shone with a light of weariness and restraint.

"Natasha!"

Selene was the first to go to greet them.

Her eyes lit up.
"you also……"

Si Ming smiled faintly.
"We almost died at her hands."

Natasha pursed her lips, a weary smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"This time... I guess I won."

Her voice was hoarse, like the wind blowing across a snowfield.

As Celian helped her to a chair, she murmured to herself:
"You've barely survived, and you still have the nerve to laugh?"

Si Ming raised an eyebrow: "At least your smile is better than mine."

"Heh." Natasha snorted.
"Next time you come and set off the stars for me, let's see if you can still laugh."

The lights in the dilapidated temple were dim and yellow.

The air was filled with the smell of herbs and kerosene.

Natasha took off her cloak, revealing a tactical suit underneath that was torn and ripped.
Her arms were covered with tiny ice patterns, the marks of the backlash from the burning star.

Selene knelt down to examine her wound.
"You're... unusually cold."

Natasha explained softly,
"I used a power beyond the Burning Star Technique, which is extraordinary."

Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

“This technique involves burning the planetary calamity every time. To save this fraudster, I poured all my planetary calamity into him in one go. Serian, you can be my witness. If he doesn’t reimburse me, bite him to death.”

After hearing this, Si Ming could only nod helplessly.

"Okay, alright, go get some rest, leave the rest to me."

Natasha looked up,
Those blue eyes reflected a cold light under the lamplight.

"Stop gambling with your life," she whispered.

Si Ming smiled.

"You should know that I only bet on games I'm confident of winning."

“You said the same thing last time,” Natasha retorted.

Selene covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes darting back and forth between the two.

He sighed softly and reached out to take Natasha's sniper rifle.

"Go and rest. We'll hold this place."

Natasha finally closed her eyes.

Leaning back in the chair,
In that instant, it seemed even her breath turned into a faint white mist.

“I believe you,” she said softly.

A brief silence.

The flames crackled and popped.

Si Ming leaned against the doorway, wiping the bloodstains off his body.

Selene sat to the side, looking down as she adjusted her Bloodclaw gloves.

The air was like a taut string, with only the sound of breathing flowing through it.

Suddenly, Celian looked up.

She smiled.

"Oh, right, an old friend has come."

Si Ming raised an eyebrow.
"Old friend?"

"You should be interested."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than footsteps sounded outside the door. The sound was unhurried, each step like a beat.

The dim yellow light shone on the doorway.

A man dressed in black funerary clothes walked into the house.

Her hem swept the ground, bringing with it a touch of chill.

He was wearing a straw hat.
A black iron token hung from his waist.
The character “阎” is engraved on it in seal script.

A thin mist drifted into the room from around his feet.

It dispersed into a shallow ring of smoke on the ground.

That face still had a smile on it.
That calm smile after seeing through life and death.

He looked up, his tone as gentle as if he were greeting an old friend.

"Long time no see, Siming."

The fingertips of the Fate Master paused on the Fate Pen.

The moment he looked up, a smile appeared on his lips.

"Zhuang Yege."

The two looked at each other for a moment,

The air fell silent for a moment.
They then burst out laughing almost simultaneously.

"It seems you've gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble," Zhuang Yege said first.

Si Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, the stakes in this bet are quite high."

Zhuang Yege's smile deepened.
He stepped forward and patted Si Ming on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm here now."

“With you here,” Si Ming nodded.
"Even in the deepest hell, you can gamble on big or small."

The two smiled at each other,
The firelight reflected in their eyes,

One is a gambler of fate.
One is the apostle of death.

The night in Wangchuan Town
At this moment, the long-lost warmth returned.

The firelight flickered, and the air in the dilapidated temple was filled with the smell of blood and medicine.

Several people sat around a broken table, the wood grain still bearing traces of blood.

The flames cast long, thin shadows on their faces.
It looks like a paper-cut figure pasted on the wall.

Zhuang Yege took out a black wooden seal from his pocket.
The seal face is engraved with intricate Yan script symbols, which gleam with a cold, eerie blue light under the firelight.

"Fengdu Yama King received a plea for help from Director Ruoli,"

He gently stroked the seal, his tone calm.
"Let me lead a team to provide support. I agreed when I heard you were here."

Si Ming nodded.
Fingertips tapped lightly on the playing cards.

"Ever since the City of Mysteries... it's time for us to stand side by side again."

That battle happened many years ago.

At that time, they had not yet entered the realm of the Star Calamity.
Now that they've reunited, both of them have become beings capable of shaking the rules of the instance.

The atmosphere instantly became more relaxed.

Selene crossed her arms, leaned against the table, and smiled.
"The ghost messengers of the underworld correspond to this ghost city. As a vampire, I have absolutely no way to deal with those ghosts and monsters."

"Vampires?" Zhuang Yege turned around with a smile.

"Indeed, but it would be better if you didn't suck our blood."

"I only absorb Si Ming's now," Celian snorted haughtily.

Laughter mingled in the firelight.
The long-lost warmth was rekindled in this team of disabled soldiers.

suddenly,

A blinding white light shone in from the window.

It was so bright that it made it impossible to open your eyes instantly.

"What the hell?" Celian instinctively drew her blood blade.

Si Ming was the first to get up and turn towards the town center.

The night outside the window was torn apart by white light.

A beam of light shot straight into the sky from the center of the town.
It illuminated the entire fog.

The people inside the room immediately became alert.

"That is?"

The old master of esoteric arts staggered to his feet, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.

"There shouldn't be any of our guild members left in the town... That white light... it's like the altar has been attacked!"

The firelight flickered, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Si Ming's expression darkened slightly.

"Our progress is still ahead of theirs by one altar..."

But of the remaining Seven Soul Altars, only two remain.

He turned to Zhuang Yege.

"How many people did you bring with you?"

Zhuang Yege replied in a deep voice:
"The instance has a player limit. I brought three people, and the rest were excluded."

“Enough.” Si Ming nodded, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Arrange for someone to guard the camp, and we'll rest for one night."

We'll set off tomorrow morning and take down the remaining two Soul Altars first.

Zhuang Yege responded.
Turning to his two companions dressed as ghost messengers behind him, he instructed:
"Deploy the Ghost Realm Barrier to shield the aura of the base."

You two stay behind to guard.

The two ghost messengers bowed simultaneously.

"As ordered."

They raised the command tokens in their hands.
The talisman turned into black flames and burned.

A ring of dark blue runes then rose from the ground.

As the runes spread, mist enveloped the area outside the medicine hall, forming a wall-like barrier.
A ghostly barrier slowly took shape.
This isolated the entire temporary encampment from outside view.

The air suddenly became calm.

The sounds of the wind and other noises were swallowed up by the black fog.
Only the flickering of the firelight remained.

Selene walked to Si Ming's side.
The brief silence was broken by a lighthearted tone.

"Looks like we'll be fighting side by side again."

Si Ming smiled.
"Of course, but this time?"

He looked up at her, his tone slightly teasing.
"Don't rush faster than me."

"Who told you to always pretend to be a hero?" she retorted, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes.

Zhuang Yege was organizing the Black Orders.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and beckoned towards the door.

A woman in white slowly walked in.
Her clothes were as white as snow, and her footsteps were silent.

Her skin was so white it was almost translucent.

Her smile was gentle, and her eyes were as tender as moonlight.

"Yu Weiwei," she introduced herself, her voice as soft as a gentle breeze.

"The White Ghost Messenger under the command of King Yama of Fengdu."

Brother Zhuang mentioned you, the Lord of Destiny, didn't he?

Si Ming reached out and shook hands with her.

"Master of Fate. I hope no one dies this time."

Zhuang Yege laughed from the side.
"That depends on whether fate is on your side."

The three of them looked at each other and smiled.
The firelight reflected in their pupils.

Beneath their smiles lay a tacit understanding of fighting side by side.

Black mist rose from the outskirts of the camp.
It's like a curtain that isolates them from the outside world.

And outside that curtain
A layer of colorful shimmering light began to seep from the ground.

That was neither a lamp nor fire.

It was some kind of eerie "color".
It spreads slowly along the shadows like paint.

It was silent, yet it devoured the light.

The wind blew in from outside the town.

It was accompanied by a murmur.

The voice was both gentle and distorted.

It was like a call coming from the other side of the starry sky.

"The Lord of Destiny?"

"I've found you."

The flames suddenly leaped.

Si Ming's pupils contracted slightly.

The night fell still once more.

"The game of fate never ends."

One step bright, one step dark;

They thought they were players.
But they forgot that the stars were also rolling dice.

—From *The Chronicles of the Tower of the End: Fragments of the River of Oblivion*

(End of this chapter)