Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 191 The Scale of Trust

"Trust is the sharpest blade.
It is also the sweetest poison.

You thought you were in the protection of your companions,
Little did you know—it was he who opened the door to your death."

The three light circles on the ground have lit up, which is the sign designated by the system as the "Chosen One".

Three faint lights descended from the ceiling, firmly locking onto the three candidates.

They are like core pieces on a chessboard, with no way out behind them and only gambles ahead of them.

On the left is Vera, in the middle is Wang Yichen, and on the right is Sima Ming.

Wang Yichen was the first to step into the light circle, with steady steps and a relaxed expression, as if all this was just a preset rehearsal on the live stage.

He was wearing a well-tailored urban casual jacket, and the bright accessories shone eye-catchingly under the lights, as if he still had the aura of "Follow +1" popularity from a certain platform.

He smiled gently and naturally, and spoke in a voice that was well-trained, magnetic and friendly: "Hi, everyone!"

The voice was clean and bright, yet it precisely hit the moment when everyone was most anxious. Like a pair of warm hands, it gently pulled them back from the brink of losing control.

"My name is Wang Yichen, and I'm a professional live streamer specializing in puzzle solving, escape rooms, urban legends, and all sorts of extreme survival stories. Honestly, this kind of setting is incredibly familiar to me."

He smiled and spread his hands, looking like "Let me give you some advice."

"So take my advice - the most important thing for us now is to understand each other.

It's not an understanding that goes into your privacy, but an understanding that's based on trust. Just say your name or profession; there's no need to hide it."

His tone rises and falls rhythmically, like a host guiding the emotional fluctuations on stage, which is both natural and subconsciously relaxing.

As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, the originally tense atmosphere at the scene softened a little.

In the corner, a middle-aged man in overalls spoke first, his voice deep and steady: "Duan Xingzhou, logistics driver."

Then, a gentle and soft-voiced girl whispered, "Lin Wanqing, college student, psychology department."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and wrote two words on the small notebook in her hand. The action was not noticeable, but it accurately aroused Siming's vigilance.

That's not recording, that's categorizing.

Then a familiar voice said, "Rudolf Moore, mechanical engineer."

He stood still, his tone as steady and calm as ever, like a nail pinning the chaos on the scene to the ground.

"Mu Sisi, freelance illustrator." A short-haired girl wearing large earmuffs sat against the wall.

He waved his hand lazily, with a hint of disdain on his lips, but said no more.

"Liu Jingyu, finance of state-owned enterprises." Another middle-aged woman spoke slowly, with clear pronunciation and alert eyes.

"Irene Harper, nurse." There was a hint of foreign accent in her voice, obviously not a local, but her temperament was calm and gentle.

"Fujimiya Sumi, a high school student." A girl with short student hair looked up, her tone dull and emotionless.

"Hernan Oliveira, fitness coach." The strong blond man spoke in a bad tone, as if he was venting, or as if he was subconsciously declaring his presence.

After one circle, everyone's eyes fell on the last three people who had not yet reported themselves.

Xu Jinxiao stood in the corner, leaning against the wall. He was silent for a long time before he spoke hesitantly, "Xu Jinxiao..."

The voice was so soft that it was almost swallowed by the air, and the whole person seemed to be hidden in the shadows.

Then, people turned their attention to Vera.

She looked up at everyone, her expression as indifferent as a cold wave, yet inexplicably eye-catching: "Vera, freelance."

These three words are like a sharp blade, leaving no room for doubt.

And the only one left was the young man who stood in the circle of light and never spoke a word from beginning to end.

He raised his head slightly, revealing a handsome yet unfamiliar face, and said in a calm voice:

"Zhuang Yege."

His tone was cold, without any ups and downs, and without any professional information attached. Just like his name, it was hidden in the night and avoided speaking.

Finally, everyone's eyes fell on the man in the third aperture.

Siming stood within the circle of light, like a painting deliberately preserved by blank brushstrokes. His face was expressionless, and he simply uttered two words:
"Si Ming."

The tone was calm, yet undeniable. There was no profession, no explanation, and no hesitation.

It seems that these two words themselves are his entire annotation.

At this moment, the twelve people truly stood in front of the starting point of their fate for the first time.

Who is the gambler, who is the prey.

And who is hiding behind the black moon? The secret.

Destiny begins to filter the weight of trust.

After a moment of silence, Wang Yichen suddenly clapped his hands softly. The sound was not loud, but it accurately broke the stagnation in the air.

"Good job, everyone." He smiled brightly, as if everything was under control.
"Don't be nervous, we've all done well. Now, it's time to think about the most important thing next - which team do you want to join?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand, his index finger naturally pointing at himself. "I recommend you choose me for simple reasons: I'm good at strategy, familiar with this type of game system, have extensive experience, and—"

He changed his tone, speaking with a touch of frivolous confidence, "I know how to lead a team, how to avoid the line of death, and how to maximize the chances of survival."

He stepped forward, his tone friendly but undeniable. "Besides, the more people there are, the easier the mission will be—that's clearly how the system is set up. Follow me, and we'll go further."

The crowd briefly murmured, some hesitant, others clearly moved by his eloquence.

however--

Suddenly, rustling sounds were heard all around, like moist whispers in the air, which seemed particularly abrupt and strange in the silence.

It wasn't wind, but more like the tentacles of some consciousness slowly moving through the air. The crowd fell silent, their eyes darting around in fear.

Then, the wall seemed to be touched by some kind of existence, and a deep voice of indistinguishable gender slowly rang out, as if echoing directly in the depths of everyone's soul:

"Three kings shall be established, and the sons shall choose them; a single shadow shall not gather, and the black moon shall arrive first."

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Rudolph frowned and muttered, "These words... seem to be declaring a certain price."

Wang Yichen pondered for a moment, and a glimmer flashed in his eyes.

He quickly turned to face the crowd, a proper smile on his face: "Everyone, calm down, don't panic - the meaning of this sentence is actually not complicated."

"'Three Kings' refers to our three captains. 'Choose from Among the Sons' means you must choose one person to side with."

He paused, his tone slightly more emphasized: "'A single shadow cannot gather together', this is very crucial. If a captain is not chosen by anyone, that person... will most likely be eliminated immediately."

He raised his head and lowered his voice deliberately: "'Black Moon Arrives First' means punishment, it means elimination."

His eyes swept towards Siming's circle - still empty.

"Of course, I'm not 100% sure if this is the intention of the rules."

He spread his hands, feigning innocence, then changed the subject, "But based on my experience, every line written by the system... should not be ignored."

He paused, looking at everyone calmly, "So, to be on the safe side, I suggest—don't choose the captain who hasn't explained himself clearly from beginning to end."

His words were not straightforward, but every word was full of thorns.

"Take the word 'mystery master' for example." He showed the joy of "discovering a clue".

"Do you remember? When the card prompted, Siming's reaction was the most intense. His eyes flickered, as if he had been touched upon a crucial point."

"I'm not accusing you." He smiled and waved his hand in a friendly manner.
"But I just want to say this - we are standing on the brink of life and death, and every bit of trust should be based on understanding and sincerity."

"A man who is so secretive about himself and refuses to reveal his true identity, do you really dare to put your life in his hands?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere changed visibly.

"Indeed... he has been too quiet." Lin Wanqing spoke softly, with some hesitation in her eyes.

"I... I always feel that he is not an ordinary person." Irene clutched her arm tightly, her voice trembling.

Duan Xingzhou said coldly: "Such a person is not suitable to be a leader."

Someone began to approach Wang Yichen's aperture.

The choice is fermenting.

Siming, who was standing in the circle of light, never spoke.

He looked at Wang Yichen quietly, as if he was looking at a card that had been shuffled too skillfully.

His eyes swept over Vera—the red-haired female mystic nodded slightly at him and smiled faintly.

Looking at Zhuang Yege again, the young man was leaning against the wall, with a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his lips, as if he had already expected all this.

This is not a selection, it is a screening of trust - a knife forged with words, a blade forged with collective fear.

The system's whispers sounded again, continuing to weave a web like a nightmare:
"Among the three, if one of them is destroyed, the others may gain blessings."

A glimmer of confidence in victory flashed in Wang Yichen's eyes.

Sima Ming just let out a light breath, as if he had already known the beginning of this game from the moment he stepped into the aperture.

He raised his eyes and looked at the giant card floating in the air, his eyes reflecting a dark light like the deep sea.

He never competes for the limelight, he just waits for the "wind" to come.

"When you think you have trust under control,

You have lost it.

——Have you ever thought about this,

The most trustworthy person,

Maybe from the beginning,
The one who is the best at lying?"

(End of this chapter)