Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 186 Twin Mirror Room, Door of Destiny

"Wandering between endless destinies,
All we can hold onto is false courage."

It was three days later that I once again stepped into the hometown of the returnees.

The bar door was gently pushed open, and the brass wind chimes made a soft sound, as if awakening from an old dream.

Siming walked in slowly. The bar was still warm and quiet. The light shone between the wooden floor and the wine bottles, reflecting a layer of slightly golden glow.

The air is filled with the faint aroma of wine and the aftertaste of tobacco, which makes people relax involuntarily.

Behind the bar, Leng Ji was flipping through a thick stack of reports with a serious face.

She stood tall and straight, her fingertips turning the pages decisively and quickly, her expression even more stern than usual, as if she had condensed the silence of the entire tavern into her.

Opposite her, Ruoli looked completely different.

She leaned against the high chair, one elbow resting on the table, her slender fingertips lazily entwining a few strands of black hair.

There was a casual smile on the corner of his lips, and he looked as if he had just woken up from a lazy dream.

"I've already told you, Xiao Ji," Ruoli's voice was soft and lazy, with a hint of coquettishness and helplessness, "Please don't bother me with these boring documents anymore."

Leng Ji flipped a page of the report without looking up: "Master, you are a member of the Secret Council. These should be approved by you personally. Stop throwing them at me every day."

The tone was neither hurried nor slow, but it contained hidden firepower.

Ruoli chuckled, reached out and poked Leng Ji's forehead, and said in a softer voice: "But you are my most intelligent and capable disciple. This little thing shouldn't be difficult for you."

Leng Ji finally looked up, rubbed his forehead, and felt a headache. He was about to fight back when he suddenly noticed that there was another person at the door.

She looked up, her eyes moving slightly: "Si Ming, you are here." Her voice was unusually softer.

Ruoli also noticed the figure at the door, her eyes lit up, as if she had finally found an excuse, and she instantly became more energetic.
Smiling, he waved at Siming, "Hey, Siming, you're finally here. Xiaoji told me that you completed two expeditions to the Gate World. You performed quite well. Have you considered... upgrading your star?"

"Star promotion?" Si Ming was slightly stunned and turned his gaze to Leng Ji. It was obvious that this was the first time he heard of this term.

Leng Ji flipped through the report in his hand and explained calmly:
"After completing a certain number of world quests, a Mystic is eligible to apply for a star upgrade. The process is presided over by a high-level Mystic. After the ceremony is completed, there is a chance that a new fate star map will be ignited, thereby increasing the number of stars."

At this point, she paused, a rare half-smile crossing her face. "I would have loved to assist you with the operation... but unfortunately, this ritual must be presided over by the most senior and high-ranking mystic present."

She gave Ruoli a meaningful look and said, "And this person happens to be my master who is lazy and does not do his work all day long."

Ruoli grinned, unconcerned: "I'm not being lazy, this is the art of 'leaving blank space'."

Siming smiled and shook his head, as if he had long been accustomed to the bickering between the master and disciple.

He tapped his fingertips on the bar: "So what should I prepare?"

Leng Ji did not rush to speak this time, but reached out and placed a familiar crystal stone in front of him.

That was the dazzling star diamond he brought back from the Sea of ​​Dreams. Its blue-gold light sparkled under the light, like a star left behind in the world.

"Take it with you." Her tone softened. "Perhaps... it will bring you an unexpected surprise."

Ruoli looked at the star diamond, her eyes moved slightly, and her smile deepened: "It seems that you have really been to the domain of the Lord of Sleep?"

Siming nodded, his eyes deep, and his expression was a little lonely for a moment: "Yes, it's still... lucky."

"Lucky?" Ruoli repeated the word, looking at him with a half-smile. Her voice was as light as a feather, yet full of meaning: "You are so lucky every time, Siming."

She stood up and walked in front of him, her tone suddenly becoming more serious: "Since you have decided to upgrade the star, then I must explain it to you clearly - this is not a simple strengthening ritual."

She raised her hand slightly, and her fingertips drew a golden life pattern, "Every time a life pattern star rises, it will tear apart the strongest defense line deep in your soul.

You might see the memories you least want to face, or you might...see the things you fear most about losing."

She paused and looked at him intently: "Are you ready?"

Ruoli's tone slowed down, and she gently stood up. Her slender fingers traced a soft trace of light in the air, as if playing the prelude to fate, and she slowly uttered a few words:

"The star-raising ceremony for the Mysterious Master is performed in the corresponding Mirror Room, depending on the type of Mystery. And you, Sima Ming, the Fate-based Mysterious Master, need to go to the Mysterious Guild's oldest star-raising site."

She paused for a moment, the corners of her lips slowly raised, and light and shadow flowed in her eyes, like a bottomless mirror.

"'Twin Mirror Room'."

Siming frowned slightly, hearing this name for the first time.

Ruoli slowly walked to the back of the bar, raised her hand and picked up the teacup handed to her by Leng Ji.
While explaining slowly, "The so-called 'Twin Mirror Chamber' is a star-raising secret realm designed specifically for Fate-type Mystery Masters. It is itself a semi-conscious World-type Mystery, supervised by the Mystery Guild.
Even I, the high-ranking extraditionist who presided over the ceremony, do not know what the structure of the mirror room will be like."

She paused, her eyes fell on Siming's face, and she became more serious:
"Once you enter the Mirror Room, you will face the most difficult 'crack in destiny' deep within your own heart.

You will have a full hour to complete the test. If you can successfully exit the mirror room while retaining the complete structure of your fate patterns, you will have successfully upgraded your star.

Siming's expression was slightly tense, and he asked in a deep voice, "What if we fail?"

Ruoli looked at him with a faint smile, but it was as cold as the night wind at the bottom of the sea.

"Most people simply fail. Their star count remains the same, and they need to accumulate more achievements before they can try again.

But a small number of people will be backfired by the rules of the Mirror Room, causing their fate patterns to collapse, their star counts to regress, and even…” She lightly stroked her neck with her fingers, her meaning complete.

Siming was silent for a moment, then asked, "Does using the Mirror Room... require a price?"

"Of course." Ruoli chuckled and leaned on the edge of the bar, like a careless gambler.

"Ten mysterious gold coins, the same for every entry. Guild prices are clearly marked, no credit."

She said this with a sly wink: "But if you're short on money right now, I can lend you nine... You only need to pay me back thirteen, with interest and all. That's not too much, right?"

Siming immediately waved his hands, his smile bitter: "Last time in the Sea of ​​Dreams, I almost died in the Whale Tomb. I dare not touch this kind of usury again."

Ruoli chuckled, her laughter tinged with a hint of playfulness and tenderness: "You are becoming more and more timid, Lord of Destiny."

Leng Ji suddenly interrupted at this moment, his expression calm, but his tone was concerned:
"Don't worry. I've reserved sixteen mysterious gold coins for you at the end of your mission. If you're willing, you can set off tomorrow."

Ruoli patted Siming's shoulder lightly and suddenly said seriously:

"Get a good rest tonight and adjust your condition. Tomorrow morning, I will personally lead you to open the main door of the Secret Guild. The next bet is not with others - but with yourself."

Siming looked at her, his eyes darker than before. He nodded gently, "Thank you."

Ruoli looked at him, her expression softening for a rare moment, but then she put on that ambiguous smile again: "Don't thank me. Don't forget, I'm just a witness."

She turned her eyes slightly and looked at the stars in the mist outside the window.

“What really determines success or failure is never the ritual.”

Her tone slowly deepened, "It's the 'answer' deep in your heart that you are most reluctant to face."

Siming was stunned, as if he was struck by something. He stood up silently, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Only a lonely but slightly tired figure was left behind, disappearing beyond the wind chimes.

Leng Ji withdrew his gaze from the door and asked softly, "Master... do you think he can succeed?"

Ruoli put away her smile, her fingers gently slid across the rim of the cup, her eyes as deep as an ancient mirror sunken in the sea.

"In this world, there are not many people who can break free from the web of fate." She said in a rare serious tone.

"And Sima Ming...maybe he is one of the few."

"When the mirror reflects the truth,

That is the day when fate's judgment comes."

(End of this chapter)