Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 577 The Kingdom of Gluttony
"At the top of the tower, science no longer seeks the truth."

It is simply another kind of hunger of God.

—The Tower of the End, Upper Archives, Volume I

The upper level of the tower is the land of gluttony.

It was a city suspended in a crimson sky, its dome cast from the bones of a giant dragon and black gold. Countless mechanical statues stood with their heads bowed, light flowing from their eye sockets, like indifferent gods in silent prayer.

The ground was covered with dark metal, and faintly visible data streams meandered and flickered beneath it, like sealed blood vessels slowly pulsating.

The entire kingdom was shrouded in a strange order, perfect, symmetrical, and sacred, yet unsettlingly beautiful, as if miracles and morbidity were breathing in the same place.

Miranda stood on the high platform of the central experimental hall.

Her white lab coat shimmered faintly with gold under the red light, and her black gloves, stained with tiny bloodstains, still maintained an impeccable elegance.

The photolithography surgical instrument emitted a low hum, and the cold white light illuminated the huge and twisted remains of the Taotie on the operating table.

The flesh and blood were as thick as a mountain, seemingly pieced together from countless lives. With each breath, golden data streams flickered on its surface, as if nerves were responding to her touch.

Her movements were as steady as a sculpture, her fingers moving between the light blades and the energy screen, operating, recording, and cutting with a precision as sacred as a ritual.

Each incision was made with calm reverence; her gaze was focused and serene, her expression like that of a scientist conducting research or a believer praying.

Behind her stood two petri dishes.

On the left, in the pool filled with crimson liquid, a woman's body was curled up deep within the liquid, her skin almost blending into it.
Entangled in red roses and thorns, petals covered half her face while the other half remained hidden in shadow, serene yet eerily beautiful. That was "Bloodthirsty Rose - Haruno Miyoko".

At first glance, the petri dish on the right appears to be empty, but if viewed from another angle, one can see a constantly changing two-dimensional shadow that moves across the transparent wall, sometimes appearing as a human, sometimes as a beast, and sometimes as a flowing star map.

That was "a constellation of stars," the remnant of a two-dimensional being.

The air was filled with the smell of culture medium, a mixture of the sweet metallic scent and floral fragrance, cold and eerie, making the laboratory more like a temple, both an altar of sacrifice and a cradle of creation.

“Data synchronization is 79 percent,” Miranda murmured.

Her voice was transcribed in real time by the recording system, and the words were suspended on a semi-transparent light screen.

Her scalpel precisely sliced ​​open the shell of the Taotie's remains, and what flowed out was not blood, but flowing light. That light meandered up her fingers, illuminating her profile.

At this moment, her eyes were gentle, with an almost maternal warmth, as if she were gazing at her own child.

However, almost at the same instant, the sound of that meeting echoed deep within my mind.

“Your plan wasted the two tools I gave you, seven hundred followers, and you even had control of Taotie taken away right before your eyes. You have disappointed me greatly, Miranda.”

The voice was deep and cold, as if descending from the top of a tower, carrying an unassailable authority.

Miranda slowly knelt down, her hands pressing against the cold ground, her forehead touching the reflective metal. Her voice trembled, yet remained calm: "I brought back the remains of the Taotie."

There was no excuse in his tone, only certainty and conviction. "It proves that God can be dismantled."

Silence. A silence so long it seemed to freeze the air.

Finally, the voice rang out calmly: "Don't let me see you before you prove it."

The light suddenly went out, communications were cut off, and the meeting ended. The experimental hall returned to darkness, with only the golden data stream within the remnants of the Taotie still pulsating.

Miranda slowly raised her head, sweat trickling down her chin and onto the metal floor.

There was no resentment on her face, only a strange smile—a cold smile, yet radiating a resolute light.

She put down her surgical instruments and her gaze fell on the enormous mutilated body before her.

Light and shadow played on her face, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up, a smile that contained both fear and longing. "I will prove it," she said.

She murmured softly, her voice seemingly overflowing from the depths of her soul, "I will let Him see the birth of a new God."

She reached out and gently touched the Taotie's chest with her fingertips. The flesh there rose and fell slightly, as if in response to her vow.

The memory of that "cleansing" suddenly flashed through the depths of her mind—a nightmare she didn't want to recall but could never forget.

At that time, her exes were taken away one by one, their footsteps echoing through the endless tower corridors.

She saw them being watched by the Primal One, golden souls gushing from their spines, and the Primal Eyes extending translucent tentacles that pierced through their skulls, as if a god were consuming their thoughts and beliefs.

Moments later, those bodies collapsed to the ground, their blood and spirit mixing into a viscous liquid that gradually solidified into transparent moss, which climbed and spread along the walls of the council.

The air was thick with the sweet, metallic stench of decay. She huddled in a corner, trembling, and watched as the "Gluttonous Lunar Eclipse" continued to watch her until its final moments, as it was swallowed whole.

Before those eyes vanished into nothingness, they seemed to be conveying something—was it a plea, or a warning? She didn't know.

All she remembers is swearing in fear: never to become food for the dead, never to become something worthless.

Her fingers trembled slightly, and reality returned to her. The liquid in the reagent bottle slowly dripped down, splashing onto the Taotie's skin.

The mangled body twitched, and golden light shone from its chest, flickering like a heartbeat. Miranda leaned down to observe, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Very good."

She whispered, "You still remember being hungry."

The remains of the Taotie seemed to hear her voice, and golden light spread along its veins, reaching its limbs.

The lab bench vibrated slightly, and a faint, eerie scent of blood filled the air. Miranda nodded in satisfaction, her gaze gentle yet cold.

“Be a little more patient,” she murmured. “A new god needs a better stomach.”

The screen suddenly flickered, and a series of characters flowed rapidly.

[Communication Request: Mirror Collapse - Requesting Access.] Miranda removed her gloves, reached out and lightly touched the screen, a slight smile playing on her lips, carrying an elegant yet dangerous chill.

"So you've finally come?" Her voice was soft, yet like cold light slicing through glass. The light screen flickered with cold blue pulses.
She raised her finger and lightly tapped the communication button, causing light to ripple through the air. A few seconds later, a blurry figure slowly emerged.

The mirror world collapsed.

The guy had that same nonchalant smile as always, a metal pipe dangling from his lips, and behind him floated shattered light like broken mirrors, reflecting countless illusory versions of himself.

His hair swayed gently in the translucent, ethereal reflection, as if it were a reflection that would never belong to any reality.

He glanced at the experimental chamber behind Miranda, whistled, and said in a flippant yet wistful tone, "Tsk—I really miss it."

As he spoke, he chuckled and pointed with his pipe at the woman on his left, who was soaking in rose petals. "That Bloodthirsty Rose lady is quite pretty. Can she still move?"

Miranda's gaze was as cold as a scalpel, and her voice, though not loud, carried a chilling calmness.

“Say one more word and I will personally dissect your optic nerve.”

The collapsing mirror immediately raised its hands, revealing a fake fearful smile: "Alright, alright, let's get down to business. Your temper... is becoming more and more like His."

Miranda didn't respond, only slightly twisting her neck, causing the lab lights to dim slightly. She spoke calmly, "The data from the Taotie remains... analyzed?"

"Of course." The collapsing Mirror Realm exhaled a puff of silver smoke, which dissipated into digital particles in the air, shimmering with a faint light.

"The full simulation is complete. Its neural structure is outrageously complex, but I've confirmed one thing—"

He reached out and parted the void, and a curtain of light unfolded between the two of them, with a huge spiral pattern appearing in the center.

The light flowed through the spiral, like a living star.

"The Taotie's nervous system is not simply biological tissue, but a biological server, a primordial creation, so perfect as to be almost terrifying."

The smile on Mirror Realm's face became more playful. "And the 'new god interface' you wanted can now begin to be built."

Miranda's lips slowly curved into a smile, a smile that was somewhere between prayer and prophecy, her voice almost inaudible.

“Very good.” Her eyes gleamed. “I knew it would remember what ‘eating’ is.”

“Eat? Ha.” The collapsing mirror world raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on its lips. “Sounds like yourself.”

Miranda raised her head, her gaze fixed on the experimental table in the distance, her tone calm and resolute: "We all eat. Some eat meat, some eat dreams, and I eat—God."

The air vibrated slightly with her tone of voice, and the light flickered gently on the walls of the experimental chamber.

The Mirror Collapsed and approached the screen, its voice lower: "Mr. World is very interested in your 'New God Project'... however, it is also very dangerous."

Miranda sighed, her tone carrying a hint of nonchalant composure: "He always likes to choose dancers on the edge of a knife, and so do I."

The Collapsed Mirror stared at her, a serious glint in its eyes, and lowered its voice: "Miranda, are you really sure? Creating a 'new god' is no longer about copying the old gods—it's about challenging them."

Miranda's expression shifted slightly, then she smiled faintly, a near-divine light appearing in her eyes.

"The old gods will eventually decay. Only we possess the formula of the gods. We do not pray, we create."

Her voice was deep, with a dangerous elegance and unwavering fervor, as if she were describing a work of art nearing completion rather than planning a rebellion against God.

The collapsing mirror tapped its forehead with its pipe, half-jokingly and half-sighing:

"I think you should remember your codename—Gluttonous Lunar Eclipse. Glutton, creator, devourer. I really hope you don't swallow yourself up one day."

Miranda stretched out a hand, her fingertips tracing the spiraling data stream on the light screen, her voice low and resolute:
"Given enough data, I can create a god that is even more perfect than them."

Mirror Collapse, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smiled with a hint of barely concealed worry: "Then I wish you success. Anyway, I have no other beliefs, only self-interest."

Miranda raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent: "Primordial Silence, perhaps it can grant you a new name."

The Mirror Realm collapsed, and he spread his hands, a hint of helplessness in his smile: "I wouldn't dare. It's just..."

He paused for a moment, then added with a wry smile, "God is too quiet; it always frightens people."

Miranda's lips curled slightly, a deep and indifferent smile, like the smile of the deep sea. "That's because He is listening."

The communication signal gradually dissipated, the edges of the light curtain dimmed little by little, and the image of the collapsing mirror shattered into countless light particles that drifted in the air.

The experimental hall fell silent again, save for the low hum of the instruments. Miranda turned around, her gaze sweeping over the two petri dishes before finally settling on the remains of the Taotie in the center.

Her reflection was cast on the glass wall, overlapping with the blood-red lunar eclipse outside the window.

She reached out and gently tapped the glass with her fingertips, a slight smile playing on her lips as she murmured, "The new God will be written by me."

The culture medium churned gently, and the chest of the mangled body throbbed slightly, as if the heart was slowly awakening.

Golden light flowed along her veins, illuminating Miranda's profile. At that moment, her expression was somewhere between prayer and curse, calm to the point of piety.

Above the dome of the Gluttony Kingdom, the shadow of the blood moon slowly spread, and crimson light spilled into the Experiment Hall, reflecting into her eyes.

That ray of light deepened her smile, like a harbinger of God's arrival, or like welcoming the end of the world.

The breath of the old gods is fading.

The heartbeat of the new god can be awakened with just a touch of madness.

—From *The Tower of the End: Upper Level Discussions*

(End of this chapter)