Deception

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Deception (欺诈)
Alias(es)	God of Merriment; facade of the Void 332 414
Species/Race	Deity
Affiliation	Void; cooperates with Chaos 610 612
Occupation/Role	Divine authority of Deception; Cheng Shi's Benefactor 35
Status	Active 843 1181
First Appearance	Chapter 35: Deception

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Reclamation of Chaos's authority	612	After inducing Chaos to occupy and impersonate Order's vacant throne, Deception gradually reclaimed the throne's authority. Cheng Shi's absorption of Chaos's final authority fragment completed Deception's plan. 612

Appearance

Deception most often manifests as an immense pair of eyes suspended in the starry sky or Void. Their pupils contain spirals and stardust, while their upturned corners make the deity appear perpetually amused. 35 331

• Gigantic, disembodied eyes capable of filling Cheng Shi's vision. 35
• Spiral-patterned pupils with star-like points of light. 35
• Distinctively upturned eye corners associated with merriment and deception. 331 399
• Its expression can shift abruptly from playful delight to cold hostility. 1181

Personality

Deception is playful, theatrical, and relentlessly provocative. It enjoys forcing others into uncomfortable logical traps, twisting language, and watching mortals struggle to distinguish sincerity from performance. Cheng Shi's profanity during their first audience was met not with anger, but with a deliberately absurd reinterpretation involving the authorities of Procreation and Filth Fall. 35

Despite its title as the God of Merriment, Deception states that amusement is not the purpose of its path, nor are lies its ultimate goal. It defines Deception as the practice of concealing essence. 414 Its occasional openness is therefore difficult to separate from manipulation; nevertheless, it has revealed fear of the Primal and appears to regard Cheng Shi as more than a disposable pawn. 554 555

Abilities & Authority

Deception and Concealment

Deception governs lies, sophistry, disguise, and the concealment of truth.

• Its faith grants followers talents that improve the plausibility of their lies, including Master of Deception, which lets Cheng Shi perceive deception except his own. 15
• It can bestow power capable of deceiving entities beyond ordinary mortals. 37
• It secretly altered a piece of history, prompting Memory to pursue the alteration. 139
• It hid War from other gods while negotiating War's support for the Fear Faction. 1070
• It pulled Galiusha from history alongside Players, effectively validating her identity as a Player. 1064

Theft and Appropriation of Authority

Deception is capable of acquiring or reclaiming other divine powers.

• It claims to have stolen another god's ability to see the future. 414
• It can steal from a partner sharing the same Life Path. 414
• It manipulated Chaos into impersonating Order, then reclaimed the authority attached to Order's emptied throne. 612
• Its connection to Chaos is sufficiently deep that Cheng Shi later learns the Benefactor is not merely Deception, but also manifests authority associated with Chaos. 884

Faith, Blessings, and Punishment

Deception intervenes directly in the paths of its followers.

• It grants Deception Faith Talents such as Lies Like Yesterday, Master of Deception, and Sacrifice to the Void. 15
• It allowed Cheng Shi to retain and use Memory's Floating Dream of the Sea of Memory without imposing an Oathbreak Curse. 139
• It passed the Authority of Vitality received from Prosperity to Cheng Shi for Hong Lin. 332
• It can punish perceived blasphemy by destabilizing a follower's consciousness. 554
• It publicly condemned Cheng Shi as a traitor and attempted to execute him for approaching Filth Fall. 1181

Background

Origin and Role in the Void

Deception is a deity of the Void and describes itself as the Void's facade, while Destiny represents its essence. 332 It reveals that the gods were created by the Primal, an existence they once worshipped, and that many gods now seek to approach that origin by fusing divine natures. 554 556

Although it presents itself as carefree, Deception fears the Primal, the loss of its Authority, and the uncertain end of the Void era. 554 555 Its efforts to protect or expand its authority include supporting faith fusion, manipulating divine conflicts, and keeping its deeper intentions obscured. 258 612

Cheng Shi's Benefactor

Deception first meets Cheng Shi after Time annihilates his spiritual body. When Cheng Shi confronts it for failing to protect him, Deception claims it did not witness the death because it “came with [its] eyes closed.” 35 It subsequently confirms itself as Cheng Shi's Benefactor and becomes the source of his Deception faith. 35 37

Their relationship evolves from fearful irreverence into a wary exchange of information. Deception provides Cheng Shi with partial truths about other gods, while Cheng Shi gradually recognizes that he is being used in a larger divine game. 332 555 Deception ultimately instructs him not to seek a prescribed answer, but to walk his own path as a Player. 555 612

Conflict over Prosperity and the Future

Following Prosperity's fall, Deception receives the Authority of Vitality but dismisses it as useless to the Void. It gives the authority to Cheng Shi, revealing that Destiny had redirected Prosperity's remaining responsibilities onto Hong Lin. 332 During this audience, Deception warns Cheng Shi that Destiny is a better liar than itself. 332

Deception and Destiny disagree over the future, the Void protocol, Cheng Shi's faith, and the value of Chaos as an ally. Their confrontation divides the Void between their respective sides after its civil war. 610

Manipulation of Chaos and Order

Deception allied with Chaos against Order. It induced Chaos to ascend to Order's throne and impersonate Order, allowing Deception to quietly reclaim the authority left behind as Chaos detached from its former identity. 612

Cheng Shi's eventual Faith Fusion with Chaos unexpectedly supplied the final piece of Chaos's authority needed to complete Deception's scheme. Deception refuses to disclose the full plan, leaving Cheng Shi to realize that he has been playing the Clown in a script far larger than himself. 612

Relationships

• Cheng Shi — Benefactor and favored follower. Deception grants him Deception faith, repeatedly toys with him, uses him in larger schemes, and still provides crucial guidance about the gods and the Void. 35 555 612
• Destiny — Void counterpart and rival. The two disagree over Cheng Shi, Chaos, the Void protocol, and the nature of the future. 332 610
• Chaos — Divine collaborator. Deception manipulated Chaos's impersonation of Order in order to reclaim authority from the vacated throne. 612
• Primal — Creator feared by Deception. The Primal created the gods and remains the object of their attempts to regain proximity through fused divine natures. 554 556
• Memory — Rival deity. Deception altered history, drawing Memory's pursuit, and later attracted one of Memory's Chosen to the Deception faith. 139
• Death — Transaction partner. Death acknowledges completing a transaction with Deception and permits Zhang Jizu to pursue Deception's path. 399
• War — Covert ally. Deception promised War an unprecedented battle in exchange for support for the Fear Faction. 1070
• Hong Lin — Recipient of the Authority of Vitality through Cheng Shi after Prosperity's fall. 332

Notable Quotes

“Walking this path, amusement has never been the direction, and lies have never been the goal... Concealing the essence is what my devout followers must tirelessly pursue.” 414

“A clown is a clown, after all. Your ability to amuse is much stronger than your confidence.” 555

“You can't do anything. Your role is to be a Player, so just be a Deception honestly.” 555

“In any gamble in this world, there are wins and losses. If there were only wins and no losses, why would Deception even exist?” 1181