Con artist

(For those who enjoy mindless power fantasies, enter with caution. No toxicity, infinite scenarios, intelligent villains. Focuses on [Suspense] + [Dungeons] + [Deduction]. The pacing is a bit slow, so please be patient, male and female gods. This little author thanks you...)

[Welcome to the Path of the Gods game]

[Information synchronized. Please bring your brain...]

When Qin Shang woke up, he found himself in an extremely confined space.

Dark, damp, and pitch black, with very little light.

Once his vision fully adjusted to the environment, he looked around.

It was completely dark.

Shadows were vaguely visible. On both sides were rows of seats and compartments. It wasn't spacious; the area felt somewhat cramped, like being inside a train carriage.

He didn't know how long this train had been abandoned. From time to time, a particularly pungent smell wafted in.

Perhaps... it was the smell of sun-baked, moldy leather seats?

"Where am I?"

"What is this place?"

"Why am I here?"

The confusion in his eyes faded. He tentatively moved his arm, a flicker of relief crossing his handsome face.

He wasn't injured.

He patted his pockets. His phone, keys, and other personal belongings had been confiscated.

He could hear voices in the distance. Qin Shang instinctively moved his legs towards the front of the carriage.

He needed to figure out why he was here!

After taking only a couple of steps, he saw faint figures in the darkness.

Qin Shang's wariness spiked.

Just then, a slightly mocking voice came from not too far ahead.

"Looks like another one has arrived. What exactly does the person who kidnapped us want? They've captured so many people."

"You there, the cop... can you tell us why we're here now?"

Qin Shang was startled. So, there was more than just himself in this train carriage.

He quickly scanned the dark carriage and noticed there were a total of six figures over there.

The one who had spoken was among them. He had a sharp, monkey-like face, resembling a young thug.

Besides the thug who spoke first, everyone else had a look of fear and vigilance on their faces.

It wasn't just Qin Shang looking at them; they were all staring at him as well.

At that moment, a clear, ethereal female voice suddenly rang out, echoing through the train carriage.

[All players, please note, the player count for this round is full. The dungeon will begin in ten minutes.]

A game!?

[Ding! You are currently on the Death Train; the Death Train is a train from mid-19th century London, England. Passengers boarding this train began to disappear one after another, and in the end, no one survived. Strangely, besides the passengers disappearing, the train continued to travel between its origin and destination day after day, gradually becoming a well-known ghost train legend.]

[Level: S-Class]

[ID: 0927]

[Type: Exploration, Survival, Multiplayer]

[Your mission in this round is: Explore the mystery of the passenger disappearances on the Death Train]

[Time: Twenty-four hours]

[Exploration Progress: 0%]

[Your identity in this dungeon is: Passenger]

Just then, a cold electronic prompt sounded in Qin Shang's ear.

His pupils widened slightly. The reactions of the people nearby were almost identical.

"You all heard the dungeon prompt just now, right?"

"It's obvious this is a game. The game is about to start. If we clear the dungeon, we can go back..."

A burly man among the crowd spoke slowly.

Qin Shang cautiously sized him up. The man was powerfully built and wore a light blue uniform.

A Sheriff?

Is this man a Sheriff?

However, the burly man's words didn't offer much comfort. Instead, his slightly mocking and taunting tone sent a sense of foreboding through everyone.

Anxiety spread through the crowd, reaching its peak as a cacophony of voices erupted.

"Game! What game?"

"I'm telling you, kidnapping is illegal. If you imprison us, you'll be sentenced!"

"Even if you're the Sheriff, you have no right to kidnap us arbitrarily. Who are you?"

Qin Shang was also looking at the Sheriff, his mind racing.

That electronic prompt just now was clearly a supernatural phenomenon.

A game, this is a game?

A virtual reality game?

"I'm the same as you, a player. Your appearance here is not my doing..."

Just then, the Sheriff spoke calmly.

"There are still ten minutes before the game starts, so let's use this time for a simple explanation."

"It seems you are all newcomers."

"This is the Path of the Gods game!"

Path of the Gods?

Qin Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, his jaw appearing firm and strong. His already delicate features became even sharper.

The crowd was completely silent.

The next moment, the man who looked like a Sheriff cleared his throat.

"We are all game players!"

"The Path of the Gods game, while called a game, is not a game developed by humans. It's a supernatural phenomenon that the authorities haven't fully explored yet. I don't have much information."

"All I know is that everyone here has been chosen."

"The Path of the Gods game has many types: exploration, puzzle-solving, survival. We can only return to reality after clearing dungeons or completing missions..."

The Sheriff's voice was calm, yet indescribably eerie.

"What happens if we can't complete it?"

Just then, a woman who looked like a young married woman suddenly exclaimed emotionally.

This place was too strange. A group of ordinary people were inexplicably pulled into playing some game by a supernatural phenomenon. No matter how thick-skinned a normal person was, they couldn't accept it.

Hearing this, the man who looked like a Sheriff glanced indifferently at the beautiful woman.

"You'll die!"

Boom—

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire venue became extremely oppressive.

Outside the window, thick fog filled the air, making it almost impossible to see clearly.

The dark carriage, the dim yellow light, and the fact that no one could see each other's expressions.

However, with just the two words "you'll die," the atmosphere became extremely oppressive.

In an instant, Qin Shang's heart felt as if it had been hit by a cannonball, and his breathing momentarily stopped.

"Are you kidding me?! We'll die?"

Immediately after, the young man who looked like a thug, who had been the calmest at first, couldn't sit still.

"Damn it, then I don't want to play any game. What kind of game kills people?"

"Besides, I didn't come here willingly. I just picked up a 'service' card from the side of the road and was pulled in here."

"Who did I offend? You can consider me a patron of prostitution, I'll turn myself in, let me out!"

The beautiful woman also chimed in emotionally.

"Exactly. I was just depositing money at the bank and found that the ATM had swallowed my card. I noticed a card stuck inside, so I pulled it. Then my vision blurred, and I ended up here."

"I didn't come here willingly, so why should I risk my life?"

The other people also started complaining frantically.

Qin Shang remained silent, listening to their accounts.

He easily captured a key piece of information: their entry into this place seemed to be related to a card.

He also had a card.

Ninety days ago, his wife Jiang Qiqi went to Yan Jing on a business trip and disappeared.

No news, vanished into thin air.

For the three months his wife was missing, Qin Shang went to the Security Bureau to inquire about the situation almost every day.

But the response was always a shake of the head.

Hundreds of thousands of people went missing nationwide every year. Qin Shang knew that perhaps his wife could no longer be found.

But he still refused to believe that a living person could just disappear into thin air.

Three days ago, the Yanjing Security Bureau announced the case was closed and sent over the items Jiang Qiqi had before she disappeared.

Inside was a mobile phone and a small, silver-white card.

[Character Card; Con artist]

The moment Qin Shang's palm touched the card, he lost consciousness.

When he woke up, he found himself here.

"The fact that you can enter the instance means you've all bound your Character Cards. You can't go back until you clear the instance."

"Instead of complaining and blaming fate, you should think about how to survive this round!"

Just then, the Sheriff impatiently interrupted everyone's chatter.

Qin Shang's eyes slowly narrowed.

If it was because of that card that he was brought to this place called the Path of the Gods game.

Perhaps there would be clues about his wife's disappearance.

Now, Qin Shang wanted to know another question even more.

Clearly, Jiang Qiqi's disappearance was likely related to this Path of the Gods game!

Did I just get my wife Jiang Qiqi's Character Card?

"Then how do I take out the Character Card?"

"Also, can my own Character Card be transferred to someone else?"

It seemed the Sheriff was the one who knew the most about the Path of the Gods in the current situation.

Qin Shang's questions could only be answered by him.

"You mean unbinding?"

The Sheriff glanced at him.

"As far as I know, the identity of a Path of the Gods player cannot be unbound. The only way to take out a Character Card is through death, and Character Cards cannot be transferred."

"This is because the Path of the Gods is more like a large server, and it has its own standards for selecting players. Those who transfer might not meet the requirements to become a player."

"When a player dies, the Path of the Gods usually automatically reclaims the Character Card and issues it to another selected player."

"The scene where a selected player receives a Character Card is not fixed. Just like those few people just said, some picked up small cards on the road, some encountered ATMs swallowing cards..."

"Mine was tucked inside my daughter's exam paper!"

Death?

Whoosh!

Qin Shang's face instantly turned pale. Did his wife die?

No, that's not right...

His mind raced, quickly processing the information the Sheriff had provided.

If a player died, according to the Sheriff, the Character Card would be reclaimed by the Path of the Gods.

Then how did his wife leave the Character Card for him?

The Security Bureau's explanation was that this package was sent out before his wife disappeared. At the time, the Security Bureau intercepted the package to investigate his wife's whereabouts. After ninety days, they closed the case and sent the package back.

Character Cards cannot be transferred, meaning this wasn't his wife's Character Card?

Or did this Sheriff have limited information, and the one he received was indeed his wife's Character Card, just preserved in some way?

Regardless, according to him, the Character Card was not reclaimed.

Doesn't that prove his wife is still alive?

Thinking of this, Qin Shang's complexion improved slightly.

The current concern was how to clear this instance...

Death Train.

Was it a virtual reality game instance similar to urban legends?

Just then, the Sheriff interrupted the noisy arguing crowd.

"This should be a beginner trial instance with a difficulty rating of A."

"Our Character Card professions do not conflict with our player identities within the instance."

"Different professions will have different professional skills."

"For example, someone with the Character Card profession of [Teacher] can easily decipher foreign and ancient texts within the instance, while someone with the Character Card profession of [Priest] can perceive things in dark places."

"Everyone report your professions so I can coordinate your division of labor."

"After all, it's an A-class instance. If we don't cooperate, the possibility of clearing it will be infinitely close to zero."

The Sheriff held considerable prestige among the crowd.

At this moment, his words caused the previously bustling and arguing individuals to fall silent.

He looked at the man with a sense of resignation.

He was right; if they didn't cooperate, they might very well die in this instance.

When Qin Shang arrived, he had observed the carriage. The entire train exuded an eerie aura.

The seats in the front few rows showed signs of use, but the seats further back were inexplicably brand new, as if no passengers had ever occupied them.

Even stranger, the windows of the seats in the front rows were covered with newspapers, as if something terrifying lurked outside.

Looking further ahead, the view became obscured. The entire carriage was pitch black.

To understand why he was here and the whereabouts of his wife, he first needed to ensure he could survive and leave this game.

The Death Train, the mystery of the disappearing passengers…

Where did those passengers go?

Just then, an elder standing to the Sheriff's left suddenly spoke.

"My profession is [Priest], and my professional skill is [Night Vision]."

"I can indeed see in the dark. The carriage ahead is connected to this one…"

"So I can tell you now what's in the next carriage. I hope you're prepared."

After saying this, the elder paused.

"The next carriage contains Hello Kitty dolls…"

"Hello Kittys scattered on the ground, large ones, small ones, medium-sized… all sorts."

???

Hello Kitty?

This was too bizarre.

Hello Kitty, the pink plush toys favored by girls, appeared in the dim, enclosed carriage.

Although they were just plush toys, in the darkness of the eerie carriage, they inexplicably exuded a terrifying sense of dread.

Especially in a carriage filled with such bizarre, fluffy pink cat toys.

The scene was not cute at all; instead, it added a chilling absurdity.

Who had placed them there?

This elder was a Priest, able to see in the dark due to his professional traits.

But wasn't his mental fortitude a bit too good?

He could see the bizarre scene in the next carriage.

He had been holding back all this time without revealing anything?

As his words fell, the others showed various expressions of surprise, fear, and worry.

Qin Shang had already reviewed the introductory information for the Death Train instance in his mind.

The beautiful woman who had been panicking and shouting earlier had now calmed down. The Sheriff's composure clearly provided a sense of security in such a situation.

She knew that if she continued to panic without the Sheriff's help, she would likely be trapped in this instance.

So, she became much more cooperative.

She pursed her lips and said with a trembling voice, "I... I, I don't know what my profession is. When I pulled my card at the ATM, I didn't even notice what was written on it."

Upon hearing this, the Sheriff said calmly, "You should be novice players. Novice players' Character Cards are on their person. Touching the Character Card with your palm will allow you to view the attribute panel."

Hearing this, the beautiful woman fumbled around on her person. When she finally reached into her pocket, she was startled and then said, "I, I'm a Teacher, and my professional skill is Decipher…"

Seeing this, Qin Shang did the same. As expected, he found a card in his pocket.

The moment his palm touched the card, a light blue screen appeared before his eyes, not obstructing his vision, as if it were attached to his retina.

[Name: Qin Shang]

[Race: Human]

[Game ID: Fiercely Licking Cockroach Jade Feet]

[Profession: Con artist]

[Experience: 0%]

The information at the beginning was basic, but upon seeing the Game ID.

Qin Shang's eyelids twitched.

A pair of bright eyes flashed in his mind, the image of a playful figure in a pink dress. His heart became even more certain that this game card was definitely related to his wife!

Jiang Qiqi had this kind of quirky taste; her Taobao ID was also this name.

When picking up his express delivery, Qin Shang had quite a few embarrassing moments!

The following content is similar to the initial dungeon introduction.

[You are currently on the Death Train; the Death Train is a train in London, England in the mid-19th century. Passengers boarding this train began to mysteriously disappear one after another, and in the end, without exception, no one survived. Strangely, apart from the passengers disappearing, the train continued to travel between its starting point and destination day after day, gradually becoming a well-known ghost train legend.]

[Level: S-Class]

[Number: 0927]

[Your mission in this round of the dungeon is to explore the mystery of the disappearance of passengers on the Death Train.]

[Time: Twenty-four hours]

[Exploration Progress: 0%]

[Your identity in this dungeon is: Passenger]

Familiar with the usage of the Character Card, Qin Shang composed himself.

However, a question surfaced in his mind.

According to the Sheriff, different player classes have different class skills.

Why the heck don't I have any skills?

The next moment, he subtly glanced at the others.

The self-introduction of professions was still ongoing. The thug nearby pointed to himself;

"I'm a Martial Artist."

"I'm a Doctor. My panel shows I can concoct potions and possess healing spells..."

"Teacher, my skill here is Decipher..."

"Priest, just like that uncle before."

There were duplicate professions among these people. As everyone introduced themselves, the atmosphere seemed to become more harmonious.

The Sheriff's expression also improved considerably.

However, Qin Shang's brows furrowed even tighter.

Because among this group of people, he didn't see anyone whose profession was similar to his.

Including himself, there were seven people in total: five males and two females.

The Sheriff, like the thug, was a Martial Artist.

The beautiful woman was a Teacher, and the other male companion was a Doctor.

The Elder Priest and the other little loli in the pink dress were both Priests.

Only Qin Shang stood out from the crowd.

"Young man, what is your profession?"

Now it was Qin Shang's turn.

In this unfamiliar environment, he was a special existence.

Qin Shang still felt some unease.

Especially since he discovered more and more differences between himself and the others.

These people all seemed to have initial class skills, but my skill panel was empty.

Does a con artist have no initial skills?

Qin Shang's brow furrowed even deeper.

[Skill: ...]

Just as he was contemplating whether to tell them that his profession was Con artist, which sounded a bit strange...

A prompt sound rang out.

[The train is about to depart]

[Dungeon Exploration Progress: 0%]

[Dungeon Name: Death Train]

[Level: S-Class]

[Number of Players: 6]

[Mission Content: Explore the mystery of the disappearance of passengers on the Death Train]

[Please note: There is a God Slayer mixed among the players. When the train reaches its destination, you must find the God Slayer in the team.]

God Slayer!?

What is a God Slayer!?

As Qin Shang's brow furrowed.

He suddenly caught another key piece of information.

Wait a minute...

The player count is 6!?

But there are seven of us here!

This means something that isn't a player has infiltrated our group?

Qin Shang's spine went cold, and his scalp tingled.

At the same time, Qin Shang saw the Sheriff, who had maintained a calm demeanor until now, panic for the first time.

"God Slayer!?"

"We have a God Slayer in our party?"

"Could one of us be a Con artist?"

"Why would an A-rank dungeon have a God Slayer?"

"God Slayers are NPCs that only appear in Con artist dungeons! Is this Death Train a Con artist dungeon?"

Con artist!

Finally, my profession is mentioned for the first time?

And another point...

Qin Shang had noticed this discrepancy earlier but hadn't said anything.

According to the Sheriff, this was an A-rank dungeon.

However, his own status panel showed it had been S-rank from the start.

But when the Sheriff mentioned A-rank dungeons earlier, no one seemed to object, meaning the Death Train was indeed an A-rank mission for everyone else.

Could my mission rank be different from theirs?

Was the mission difficulty increased because I'm a Con artist?

Or perhaps, due to different professional attributes, my mission might be different from everyone else's?

Qin Shang's throat involuntarily bobbed.

The next moment, he asked the Sheriff.

"What kind of profession is Con artist?"

Qin Shang maintained a poker face, desperately wanting to get clues about the Con artist profession.

"Con artist is a profession naturally suited for clearing dungeons. When challenging dungeons, Con artists receive significantly more hidden clues than other players, but they also receive a hidden mission."

"Among all players in the Path of the Gods, Con artists have the highest survival rate."

"However, Con artists are public enemies to all players in the Path of the Gods!"

The Sheriff's expression turned grave as he said this.

Qin Shang's expression, however, changed slightly.

Public enemy!?

He had gained an initial understanding of the Path of the Gods, and the number of players might be far larger than he had imagined.

This could explain why, in reality, there were occasional reports of people suddenly disappearing or going missing without a trace.

Becoming a public enemy meant his enemies and rivals weren't just the NPCs in the dungeons.

But also other players?

Qin Shang, puzzled, blurted out:

"Why?"

However, this time, the Sheriff didn't answer Qin Shang's question obediently. Instead, he suddenly looked at the young man with a grave expression and then narrowed his eyes meaningfully.

"You... haven't mentioned your profession or professional skills at all, have you?"

"Don't tell me, you're the Con artist in our group?"