Deception

Cheng Shi opened his eyes and found himself not on the rooftop.

His heart skipped a beat. His first thought was: Did I guess wrong? Is what Xu Lu said true?

But then he realized he was in the starry sky, above the stars, and his previous thought was negated.

He wasn't wrong.

His body had just been transferred by a mysterious power.

He had heard other players mention this kind of power during previous trials.

It was said that when a [Deity] favored one of its followers, it would descend in a form understandable to humans and summon them at the end of the trial.

"Holy crap, is this real?"

Cheng Shi's mind went blank, buzzing.

He had never imagined that the jokes these bastards told were actually true.

Just as he held his breath, searching for his benefactor in the brilliant starry sky, a pair of gigantic, terrifying eyes suddenly opened before him.

An indescribable pressure washed over him, striking directly at his soul, leaving him frozen on the spot.

Compared to these pupils, which were almost like black holes, Cheng Shi's body was like a speck of dust in the boundless cosmos.

"Thump—"

"Thump—"

"Thump—"

Cheng Shi stared, his heart pounding wildly.

He felt his heartbeat quicken, synchronizing with the fluctuations of the void under the starry sky within a few breaths, and then gradually lost all sensation of being "human."

If he had to describe this feeling, it was probably like his soul leaving his body.

Cheng Shi looked down in shock and saw that his physical body had indeed remained in place, with a stunned expression.

And he himself, now transparent and ethereal, was like a spirit.

Only then did the inexplicable pressure of fear gradually dissipate, and Cheng Shi gradually regained control of his consciousness.

And at this moment, from within the eye before him, whose "whites were filled with spirals and pupils scattered with starlight," a voice of eternal indifference transmitted.

"Cheng. Shi."

This voice was unlike any sound Cheng Shi had ever known; it felt as if just listening to it would cause one to merge into the void.

He felt he should be trembling, and glancing down at his feet, he saw that his body was indeed shaking.

But in his current spiritual form, he wasn't afraid, so he responded with a soft "Yes."

But then, he felt it wasn't enough.

No human could remain calm in the presence of [The Gods].

Even if they could, it certainly wouldn't be someone of Cheng Shi's strength.

So, like a sycophant, he added:

"Praise the Void, praise my Benefactor. How fortunate I am to be summoned by you."

Survival, after all, was not shameful.

Unexpectedly, the eye that saw through everything moved slightly, and a scoffing sound emerged.

"Weak human, you don't even recognize your own Benefactor, yet you dare to speak of praise."

"!!!"

Not [Deception]!

Cheng Shi's eyes widened in instant terror, but soon they narrowed, and his mind raced as he tentatively asked:

"[Time]?"

Upon hearing this divine name, the eye's pupil spun rapidly like a clock, and its voice grew colder:

"You speak the divine name in vain. Your crime is judged."

As soon as the words fell, Cheng Shi's spiritual body was instantly annihilated in the void.

As if it had never existed.

His physical body also crumbled into scattered sand, blown by the interstellar winds into the boundless abyss.

The giant eye swirled round and round until it sensed that someone's destiny had taken a turn here, and then it closed with a "satisfied" look.

As if it had never existed.

Time began to flow.

It felt like a century, or perhaps just a second.

In the chaotic passage of time, after an unknown duration, the eyes opened again in the same position.

However, this time, the corners of His eyes were slightly upturned, clearly smiling.

"My, you're not too late."

The eyes, filled with spirals and star points, blinked. With each blink, bright stardust appeared where Cheng Shi's body had been.

This stardust attracted and fused together.

When it was shaped into a human form again by an invisible force.

This clay figure, fabricated under the starry sky, opened its eyes.

"Ugh—hoo—"

Cheng Shi gasped for air, sweat beading on his forehead.

He looked at the eyes before him, gritted his teeth, and squeezed a word from his throat:

"Fuck!"

The eyes clearly paused for a moment, but then, He smiled even more happily.

"According to my understanding of your human language, this word seems to express that you want to share the authority of [Procreation] with me?"

His eyeballs rolled around twice, and He chuckled, "Or perhaps you want to drag me into the sea of desire of [Filth Fall], and do some unspeakable things to me, oh no, I mean, things that cannot be seen by [Deities]?"

Cheng Shi listened to these words in a daze, painstakingly swallowing back the highly expletive greeting he had been about to utter.

Judging by both his form and tone, this was clearly not the same entity as the one from before.

His mind raced for a moment, and as if guessing something, his expression darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Watching a believer being killed by other [Deities], as their benefactor, I'd like to ask, where is your so-called protection?"

The eyes under the starry sky rolled again, and He said with a smile, "It seems you've already guessed my identity, but you're mistaken on one point. I didn't see Him kill you. I came with my eyes closed."

"?"

Cheng Shi was shocked.

So, there was a reason he was shameless.

It was like the saying, "If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked," wasn't it?

But!!!

Was this what he was talking about right now???

Cheng Shi was speechless, but he also confirmed one thing. At least the other party had responded to him, acknowledging that He was his benefactor.

[Deception].

And the so-called "Deity Follower meeting" did not have the solemn and grand atmosphere he had imagined.

The first encounter earlier didn't count.

"So, can you tell your confused follower what happened just now, that murderer... Who was He?"

"Do you get familiar with everyone that quickly?"

"?"

Cheng Shi quickly regained some of his human instincts and retorted, "I'm socially awkward, I don't interact well with people."

"I can roughly understand your emotions, so? Is it only because I saved you, and am your benefactor, that you are so... Let me think, this word should be called: Reckless?"

Cheng Shi shook his head, denying [Deception]'s statement.

"It has nothing to do with that."

"?"

"Because you are not human."

"Hahahaha."

A burst of joyful laughter echoed through the starry sky. The eyes, adorned with spirals and star points, were laughing so hard that their blinking frequency became uncontrollable, distorting and deforming.

He looked at Cheng Shi with pleasure and unrestrained delight, as if admiring a precious work of art.

"You are the second creation that satisfies me."

Cheng Shi raised an eyebrow, his expression calm, though the word "creation" made him feel a little uneasy inside.

"Who is the lucky first one?"

"An interesting young girl named Zhen Xin. Using your slang, she's my [Chosen of the Gods]."

Cheng Shi's pupils contracted.

The Gods knew about the [Chosen of the Gods].

Of course, the Gods should know everything.

But when a Deity spoke about a Player as if they were merchandise right in front of him, Cheng Shi still felt a bit strange.

"Oh? It seems you've developed a sense of anger regarding your player status?"

Cheng Shi dropped his playful demeanor. He shrugged and replied with an infuriatingly casual attitude:

"Am I not allowed? Sorry, I can't control it."

"All anger is merely self-deception. The more a fragile life tries to hide its incompetence, the more enraged it becomes."

Its eyes scrutinized Cheng Shi's thoughts, and it chuckled, "Do you want to... get revenge on Him?"