Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 16: Bloody Suspicion and the Disappearing Gambler

"As chips are raised, the game becomes more interesting. However, the real players may still be hiding in the dark."

The candlelight in the Moon Hunter Tavern flickered, and the weak flames reflected on the old wooden table, with light and shadow intertwined.

Like a never-ending gambling game, the air was filled with the faint scent of spices, mixed with the pungent aroma of alcohol, the chill of the damp night, and a hint of the unique fragrance of vampires.

Siming leaned back in his chair leisurely, his fingers gently flipping a playing card. The corner of the card trembled slightly between his fingers, making a slight friction sound.

His eyes fell on the silver coin on the table, and he seemed to be thoughtfully calculating a situation that was still unclear.

Not far away, Loren was talking in low voices with Avel and Roca, discussing the next plan of action.

Roca's brows were furrowed, and his knuckles tapped the table unconsciously, seeming extremely impatient with the current situation.

And Avel was like a shadow, half hidden outside the candlelight, listening quietly with no expression on his face.

Celia sat leisurely in the corner, chin in hand, observing the various astrologers in the tavern with interest.

There was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, as if she was waiting for some expected change.

Just then, a silver bell-like laughter came from the other side of the tavern.

Natasha walked lightly across the dance floor in the middle of the tavern with a bag of newly earned gold coins hanging around her waist.

Her skirt swayed slightly with her steps, and around her neck hung a gold chain given by the audience, and her fingertips were casually wrapped around a few vampire gold coins of considerable value.

Her smile was charming and lazy, like a cat teasing its prey.

"Who knows if I'm here to carry out a mission or to make money?" She sighed softly and sat down on Siming's knees without any hesitation.
Her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, and her warm breath fell on his ear.

Her voice was teasing. "Hey, that fat guy Huck's asking a pretty high price this time. Would you consider adding me?"

Loren frowned, his eyes calmly sweeping across her slightly raised red lips. His eyes were like a sharp blade, instantly detecting the temptation in this sentence.

"That's for the boss to decide." He said in a flat tone, with a businessman's cold calculation, "I'm just the team leader."

Natasha shrugged, her fingers hooked around the gold chain, her smile becoming even more charming. "Oh? Then should I ask Huck myself?"

Siming narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the scene in front of him, and a faint smile unconsciously rose at the corner of his mouth.

At first glance, Natasha's words seemed like a tease to Loren, but in fact, she was reminding everyone present that Huck's purpose might be more complicated than they imagined.

She is not bargaining, but guiding everyone's thinking.

An absurd guess emerged in Siming's mind -

Could it be that fat guy Hake really have kidnapped the vampire princess?

A Beauty and the Beast scene?

He resisted the urge to sneer, but the absurd thought only flashed through his mind and was quickly replaced by more realistic issues.

——Hake is willing to pay such a high price, it is impossible that it is just for a few pieces of information.

If it was just ordinary intelligence, he could have sent more reliable spies or even purchased it through underground channels.

Instead of sending these people deep into the heart of the Eternal Night Blood Alliance to personally explore the core of this vortex.

He turned his head and glanced at Loren, and found that he was thinking about the same question.

Siming slowly turned the poker cards in his hand, his eyes still on the table. The silver coin glowed coldly under the dim candlelight.

"Do you feel anything is wrong?"

His voice was soft, like a casual whisper, but every word carried a hint of inquiry.

Loren didn't answer directly. Instead, he exhaled slowly and tapped his fingertips on the table twice, the rhythm steady and restrained.

"Huck's plans are never superficial."

His tone was calm, but his eyes were slightly deep, and he had obviously noticed deeper clues.

"He spent a lot of money this time, not just to investigate the vampires, nor just to recover the losses."

"He must... have other purposes."

Sima Ming gently stroked the card with his fingers, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

This gamble may be more complicated than they expected.

Compared to Huck's purpose, Sima Ming cares more about Herman's disappearance.

After they entered this gate world, Herman never appeared again.

According to Herman's usual character, he would not lose contact for no reason, nor would he suddenly disappear in the middle of a mission.

Unless, he has a goal that is more important than the team, or... he simply doesn't intend to let them know what he is going to do.

More importantly, Herman's ability - memory stripping.

Siming narrowed his eyes, tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, and recalled the scene in the basement of Golden City that day in his mind.

Hermann once casually passed his pocket watch over, and his fingertips accidentally brushed against the side of the dial. At that moment, a strange illusion flashed through his mind.

What exactly did he "erase"?
Or in other words, what exactly does he want himself to forget?
The air was filled with the faint aroma of wine. The candlelight in the Moon Hunter Tavern flickered slightly, reflecting on Siming's profile.

Light and shadow intertwined. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he whispered the name softly.

"Hermann..."

The voice was low, carrying some unknown meaning, as if someone was chewing a bitter dice and considering its chances of winning.

If Herman really had something to do with this...

So, he actually dared to step into the Eternal Night Blood Alliance during the Blood Banquet?
Are you just being confident, or do you have other motives?
Or did Herman know more than any of them?

Silence spread across the tavern.

In the candlelight, Loren exhaled slowly, a golden glimmer flickering in his right eye, as if he was measuring the intricate chess pieces on the chessboard.

Avel and Roca exchanged glances, both of them noticed the subtle change in the situation.

Hermann's disappearance, Huck's true intentions, the movements of the vampires...all the clues are intertwined to form a disturbing chessboard.

"The question now is, do we continue to wait and see, or do we take the initiative?"

Roca whispered that he was not used to this kind of gamble full of unknown risks.

He prefers to solve problems with a battle axe rather than using his brain - but now, they obviously don't have any chips to directly break the dilemma.

"We still have too little information at this point," Avel said slowly, his tone as calm as the night. "Any rash action could lead to deeper trouble."

Loren didn't answer immediately. His fingertips slowly stroked the tabletop, his golden pupils flickering slightly.

It was like they were weighing the chips, trying to find a path that would make them invincible.

Siming smiled slightly, the playing cards in his hand flew between his fingertips, and he whispered:

"Do you want to be a spectator, or take a gamble?"

His voice was light and joking, but it made everyone present feel a little nervous.

"This is a sealed bet. Do you think you can get out of it at any time?" "The vampires won't let you leave here easily."

Loren frowned and lowered his head in thought.

After a moment, he sighed softly, as if pushing an important chip on the gambling table.

"Let's wait and see what happens."

"But if the opportunity is right...we'll take the gamble."

Siming smiled slightly, raised his hand with satisfaction, and put the last poker card back into his sleeve.

The game has begun, who is the banker?

And who will become the bargaining chip?
Extra: The Transaction of Fate

"Identities can be changed, faces can be forged, but can the chains of fate be truly broken?"

Blood Moon Princess's Plea

The blood moon was still hanging high in the sky, looking down coldly at the black soil nourished by blood.

In Beizhen, in a long-forgotten basement, candlelight flickered.

Reflecting the deep runes on the ancient stone walls - those words seemed to come from the darkness before the birth of the world, they squirmed and whispered, as if they had life.

The Princess of Blood Moon knelt on the ground, her scarlet pupils reflecting the two figures standing in front of her.

One was a young man in a gray robe, his pocket watch spinning gently between his fingers, the metallic luster flashing with an unsettling glow.

Herman.

The other is a shadow that seems to not exist in reality.

His face was blurred, as if swallowed by darkness, only his unfathomable eyes burned with ancient wisdom and cruel interest.

"Faceless Lord." Herman whispered, a hint of respect and caution in his voice, "She's here."

"Hehehe..."

A low and eerie laugh echoed in the secret hall, like the night wind blowing on a broken mirror. The sound was soft, but creepy.

"A princess of the blood clan would actually beg a being like me..." His voice glided through the air like silk.

With a hint of mockery and amusement, he said, "You self-proclaimed noble sons of the night, don't you always look down upon the common people?"

The Blood Moon Princess' pale face was tense, her fists were clenched, and her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing out dark red blood.

She gritted her teeth, suppressed the humiliation, and whispered:
"I'm willing to pay the price."

"Oh?" The Faceless Prophet slowly approached her, his blurry face slightly tilted, as if he was looking at an interesting work of art.

"Even if... I lose my identity?" He whispered, his voice like a demon whispering in the night.

The Blood Moon Princess's breathing stagnated slightly.

identity--

She is a member of the royal family of the vampire clan, the descendant of the True Ancestor, and was born to carry the glory and curse of the vampire clan.

Her blood is connected to the True Ancestor, her fate is engraved in the long history of the blood clan, and her existence is a myth worshipped by all low-level blood clans.

But what does it matter?
She was tired of the endless blood feast, she was tired of sacrificing her blood to the Twin Princesses, she was tired of being bound by the fate of eternal life and unable to escape.

She... wants freedom!
The Princess of Blood Moon slowly raised her head, and the figure of the Faceless Prophet was reflected in her scarlet pupils.

"Even if I lose my identity, I am willing."

The air suddenly became cold and the candlelight flickered violently.

Herman frowned slightly and whispered, "Your decision cannot be changed."

"I don't need to change." Her voice was cold and firm. "What I want is never power, nor the throne of the vampires - I just want to be able to choose my own destiny."

There was silence in the secret hall for a moment, and then the Faceless Prophet smiled slowly.

His laughter was low and joyful, as if he had heard some very funny joke.

"What a pity, what a pity..." He murmured, his voice like a whisperer crawling in the darkness, with a hint of regret and mockery.

"Destiny isn't something you can escape just because you want to... Even if I can forge an identity for you, your fate is still determined."

The Blood Moon Princess suddenly raised her head, her pupils shrinking slightly.

The Faceless Prophet looked down at her and said in a low and gentle voice:

"Unless... the One who is above me—the Thousand Faces of Fate, or the Mystic Master who wields its power—takes action personally, you will still not be able to escape your fate."

The Blood Moon Princess's breathing quickened slightly, her chest heaving with anger.

She was unwilling to accept it and she didn't believe it.

However, the Faceless Prophet's gaze remained calm, as if he had already seen too many beings who did not believe in fate but were ultimately devoured.

After a moment, he sighed softly.

"Then... I hope your new identity can bring you a brief period of freedom."

Darkness engulfed the Blood Moon Princess like a tide—

And the next moment, her existence was completely wiped out from the world.

The vampires could no longer sense her presence, the blood contract was completely broken, and her name was blurred in history.
Her face became blurred in the vampires' memories, as if she had never existed.

The Blood Moon Princess disappeared.

Did she escape from the world behind the door?
Or will he be completely devoured by the Faceless Lord?

No one knows.

The night wind gently blew across the tall tower of Beizhen. A young girl stood on the top of the tower, gazing at the lonely blood moon hanging in the night sky.

Her eyes were filled with a distant expression, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she murmured softly:
"Father, do you long for the weaving of destiny like I do?"

Her voice was soft and distant, like a whisper from the abyss.

At that moment, the blood moon seemed to tremble slightly.

But, it's just an illusion.

The girl smiled, put on her hood, and disappeared into the darkness.

Under the cover of night, the lights of Beizhen are still flickering, and blood is still flowing quietly deep in the streets.

Everything seems to be business as usual.

But the trajectory of fate has quietly changed.

(End of this chapter)