Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 192: Gambler Beyond Fate

"It's not the weakest who die first, but the one who believes most that he is safe."

As the countdown of trust quietly flowed in the air, the scarlet numbers jumped like burning flames, as if dyeing this gray and cold space with anxiety and oppression.

Every beat of the numbers is a countdown that strikes at the heartstrings.

Most people were still trapped in a quagmire of choice and suspicion, their eyes wandering and their breathing disordered. Yet, amidst this turmoil, only three people silently gazed at each other.

Siming, Vera, and Zhuang Yege.

Amidst the noise and chaos, and under the pendulum of fate, the three mystics began their first real communication.

"The Sima of the Secret Garden, right?"

Zhuang Yege stood up from the edge of the crowd. His movements seemed casual, but they were actually well controlled.

He seemed to be inadvertently pacing closer to Siming, his figure passing through the shadows of the lights. When he was within two meters, his footsteps paused slightly, and his voice also lowered, just loud enough for the two of them to hear:

"I know you, the Nine-Star Emissary. Zhuang Yege from the Fengdu Gate World, World System, Eighth Star Rank."

His tone was light, but it concealed a carefulness and respect that was measured with great care.

"Are you sure...you don't need my help?"

Sima Ming didn't look up.

He stood in the circle of light, as if he had isolated himself from the noise in the entire room.

His right hand hung naturally at his side, but he gently stroked the edge of the destiny star map behind his back, the rhythm of his knuckles slow and firm.

The voice was low and calm, coming out from between his lips and teeth, like the sound of wind passing through a thousand pages:
"We cannot confirm whether the 'game' they will face this round is related to the Mystery."

He raised his head slightly, and finally met Zhuang Yege's gaze. His eyes contained no ripples, but were deeper than the sea before a storm.

"If it's a mysterious trial, ordinary people have almost no chance of survival."

His tone was gentle but powerful.

"I am enough alone."

After saying this, Si Ming paused for a moment and looked at the crowd gathering near Wang Yichen in the distance.

"But Wang Yichen...can't be without a secret master."

These words sounded like a quiet yet irresistible choice.

Zhuang Yege was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He understood that this was not just a strategic decision concerning survival, but also a crossroads where ethics and destiny were intertwined.

And Sima Ming has already stood in the position that needs to take the most responsibility.

He didn't say much, but turned around and walked towards where Wang Yichen was. His steps were clean and neat, with the responsibility that an eight-star secret master should have.

Not far away, Vera leaned lightly against the aperture on her side, her short golden brown hair shining softly under the cold light.

She noticed the brief exchange between the two and a slightly meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her lips.

She didn't say anything, but used the "secret language sensing" unique to the secret masters to cast a feather-soft thought.

The sound was silent, but it flashed through my mind like a flash of starlight:
——In the world of Angel Hymn Gate, the Destiny Department, the eight-star mystic, Vera Castiel.

——May the glory be with you.

Sima Ming tilted his head slightly, smiled faintly, and did not respond.

The smile on his lips seemed to illuminate the dark road of fate beside him.

They understood that the real competition in this game had just begun.

From this moment on, trust is no longer a choice - it is a knife, a shield, a weapon that can kill or save lives, a arbiter of fate.

Countdown: 00:03:47
"Okay, okay, I know everyone is still struggling."

Wang Yichen stood straight at this moment, with his signature confident smile on his face, and his voice became more enthusiastic.
With that persuasive public speaking voice, he said, "But we can't waste any more time! I've already made plans for our team's victory. Hehe - all I need is your approval."

He persuaded those who had not yet expressed their opinions one by one, his words full of encouragement and a sense of security:
"With more people, the challenge will be less difficult. Strength in numbers is not just empty talk; it's written into the rules. The more people we have, the more chances we have to survive.

You don’t really want to escape by gambling your life, do you? Not everyone is a gambling god.”

His words were like seeping poison, penetrating gently yet powerfully into people's hearts.

Those civilians who were still hesitating began to slowly move towards him. When it came to survival, choosing to stand on one side seemed much more rational than taking a gamble.

Just as the situation became clearer, Wang Yichen suddenly turned around, with a somewhat "innocent" questioning,

He cast his gaze precisely at the figure still standing in the circle of light—Siming.

"Hey, that gentleman who's been silent over there, huh?" He raised his chin, frowned slightly, and spoke in a confused tone.
"You didn't say a word the whole time. You didn't introduce yourself, express your opinion, or participate in the discussion—doesn't that seem... a bit unsociable?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Siming.

The figure remained as silent as a sculpture, his eyes calm, showing neither anger nor fear.

Wang Yichen didn't give up. He changed his tone and pretended to be a "keen observer", with a hint of vigilance in his voice:

"The card just now said 'Mystic,' did you notice the look in his eyes?
His reaction at that time definitely showed he knew something. He clearly had more information but was keeping it from us.

"A man like that—do you dare to entrust your life to him?"

The spark of doubt was ignited by his words, the crowd began to get restless, and a few vague whispers spread across the room like a tide.

Siming remained standing. He slowly closed his eyes, as if shutting out all the rumors and hostility. He didn't argue, didn't dispute, and didn't even frown.

——Everything was just as he expected, slowly pushed into that invisible track.

Countdown: 00:00:27
"I understand."

A cold voice broke the silence.

Zhuang Yege walked towards Wang Yichen's team with quick and decisive movements, without any hesitation.

Wang Yichen was stunned for a moment, but he quickly concealed his surprise, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, showing a winner's smile.

He didn't say "welcome" or "thank you", but just nodded slightly, as if to tacitly acknowledge some kind of submission.

But the deep contempt in his eyes was like a fine needle, silently piercing the air—

It's like saying, "You finally understand the times."

And the countdown has quietly returned to zero.

“The trust phase is over.”

The voice of the floating card sounded again. The voice was hoarse and cold, but there was a hint of suppressed excitement in the tone, like a judge waiting for his prey to take the bait:
"Thank you for your choice—but, unfortunately... Captain Siming, the team is currently down to 1. Death annihilation will be executed shortly."

The scene instantly fell into deathly silence.

The crowd held their breath, looking at Siming standing alone in the circle of light. The air seemed to be sucked out in an instant.

He just sighed softly: "...Ah."

Everyone was waiting for him to break down, get angry, make excuses, and ask for help.

But Sima Ming just stretched lazily.

His movements were so sluggish that he didn't look like someone about to be "erased". Instead, he looked more like a gambler who had just woken up from a bench in a tavern in the afternoon.

He looked at the card projection spinning in the air, with a look of helplessness and ridicule, as if he was looking at an old dice that had gone wrong.

"Hey, hey, are your eyes not working well?" He spread his hands and said lazily, "Who told you I'm the only one here?"

——At that moment, the silence was broken.

A scarlet figure quietly emerged from behind Siming.

She seemed to have stepped out of a bloody dream, her long hair like flames fluttering with her steps, her eyes as deep as the abyss.

She was wearing a complicated and noble Gothic dress, with a blood-red veil draped over her shoulders, and a contemptuous and mocking smile on her lips.

Celian.

The princess of the blood clan, Sima Ming's contracted attendant.

She smiled softly, her voice like the night wind passing through the cemetery bell tower:

"Master, shall we start hunting now?"

Siming shrugged, as if responding to an ordinary, everyday request:
"No hurry, wait. We have to play this madman's 'game' to the end."

The floating card fell into a brief silence, as if undergoing some kind of data reconstruction.

Then, a system beep, even deeper than before, echoed in the confined space:
"Team structure confirmed and updated. Captain Siming, current number of members: 2. Challenge level set to - S."

The next second, three circles of light lit up on the ground, like marks carved by fate itself, distributed under the feet of the three captains.

Wang Yichen's team: D level.

Villa team: B grade.

And Sima Ming is S level.

The whispered exclamations around suddenly stopped, and an invisible pressure seemed to condense in the air.

The card is broadcast again:

"The challenge is about to begin."

"Hint 1: If you can't maintain trust, death will follow you."

“Tip 2: The simplest challenges often hold the greatest costs.”

“Tip 3: At the crossroads of fate, you can rewrite the script of your life at any time.”

The ground began to vibrate slowly, the aperture's rotation accelerated, the walls were covered with violent streams of light, the space was distorted like a whirlpool on the sea, and the structure of the room was about to be reconstructed.

Siming still stood in the circle of light, with the breeze blowing across his cheek.

He glanced at Wang Yichen from the corner of his eye. A smile of "victory in hand" just appeared on the other's face, but at this moment, it froze and turned into an awkward stiffness because of the word "Challenge Level: S".

Sima Ming raised his eyes, his gaze as cold as a knife.

He smiled softly and murmured:

"Welcome, first game."

"You thought you won,"

"It's just because the game hasn't started yet."

(End of this chapter)