The Silent Deception

Inside the underground base, Will Valetti, as agreed, began to influence the monster's judgment by using the intricate connection between him and the monster!

"As you wish... the plan begins."

Will Valetti spoke, and then...

His figure transformed back into black oil and vanished, flowing down the cracks in the platform and merging into the vast black ocean.

And just after Will Valetti disappeared.

Suddenly, all the black oil surged, and the once calm and peaceful surface began to ripple.

It's like...

It's starting to boil!

Lin Yu stood on the platform, quietly observing everything.

He felt an invisible gaze upon him—a gaze that came from all directions, as if the entire Winter Mountain was looking back at the tiny human within its walls.

This feeling is enough to send chills down anyone's spine.

Lin Yu was no exception; he felt a chill run down his spine.

While it wasn't quite "fear," it wasn't a pleasant experience either.

"Tsk, it's a real shame that the 'Corporate Slave' ability is gone."

"However... it's not a big problem."

As Lin Yu spoke, he began to climb onto the railing at the edge of the platform.

At the top of this cave, there are many metal-structured "Maintenance Tunnel".

Lin Yu used his legs to propel himself up and then leaped onto the metal passage closest to him.

Grab the edge and easily flip over to climb up.

Lin Yu was now standing a little taller.

"Come on, monster... come on, Chate!"

He spoke loudly, his gaze fixed firmly downwards, responding in kind to the watchful eyes of the enormous, amorphous monster.

The monster seemed to sense Lin Yu's response and changed again.

The black oil below was churning and boiling!

Soon...

It changes and condenses, appearing one image after another on the surface of the liquid.

A grotesque Snow Monster, terrifying and deformed zombies, pale and eerie ghosts...

But Lin Yu simply stared coldly at those lifelike and terrifying "images," showing not a trace of fear.

"I'm not afraid of any of that..."

No matter what kind of monster it is, knowing it's all an illusion... at least Lin Yu won't be afraid.

Lin Yu, who aspired to become a great Actor since childhood, has watched countless films and television series, including a large number of horror and thriller works.

A mere visual impact wouldn't be enough to instill fear in Lin Yu.

Once they realize that Lin Yu won't be frightened, these terrifying images immediately dissipate.

As Will Valetti said, and as Lin Yu predicted—

"Even if this monster were to kill someone in real life, it would still need to use the emotion of 'fear'!"

As long as you're not afraid, these things can't hurt you.

"If it weren't for me, most people probably wouldn't even realize this..."

Lin Yu murmured.

After all, this monster's "characteristic"... is very similar to that of a "Fraudster"!

The only difference is that one requires "belief," while the other requires "fear."

Regardless, Lin Yu looked down at the monster from his elevated position.

"That's all you can do to scare me."

"Put away those cheap tricks!"

"If this is all you've got... you'll be buried here today!"

He spoke with an air of pride.

As Lin Yu spoke, the monster seemed to become even more agitated.

It was only one step away from gaining true life, but precisely because of this...

This monster's consciousness is almost indistinguishable from that of a real life.

Therefore, it has already given birth to the original "emotion".

Emotions can cause it to make Error judgments.

"Come on, come on, come on, let me see what you're really capable of!"

Lin Yu murmured, staring intently at the surface of the liquid below.

And soon...

All the black oil came together and coalesced into a new form.

A tall, humanoid figure, covered in black grease, appeared, as tall as several stories.

It growled and roared at Lin Yu.

Looking at the monster, Lin Yu was instantly overwhelmed with fear.

His previous arrogance and confidence vanished, replaced by extreme terror.

Painful childhood memories flooded back.

In that dilapidated Mine Tunnel, in that environment filled with flammable gases, an oil well leaked because old screws and pipes burst...

The father, covered in oil splatter, growled at himself, "Get out of here!"

Then...

He reached the top of the mine, but his father was engulfed in flames...

This was his deepest, most intense fear—the image of that monstrous man, soaked to the bone, who finally vanished in the raging flames!

"Run!"

The monster roared.

"Ah Hu... run!"

And at that very moment, the towering figure, which was becoming increasingly realistic and increasingly distorted into a monster, gradually solidified.

The fear in Lin Yu's eyes suddenly vanished.

He let out a breath.

"Oh, by the way, my name isn't Ah Hu... and my father wasn't a miner either."

Lin Yu remained extremely calm, muttering to himself softly.

This is not because of the abilities of "Corporate Slave"—that ability has long since disappeared.

Instead, Lin Yu regained consciousness.

Everything that just happened was Lin Yu's "deception".

This is a "deception" that only Actor could pull off, a deception that even fooled himself.

Why does it take forty hours?

Because Lin Yu needs as much time as possible to immerse himself in the role.

Over the past forty hours, Lin Yu has been writing a new "biography" for himself.

He was a young man nicknamed Ah Hu. His father was a miner who died in a mining accident—and he happened to be there during that accident.

"Chate" has a certain ability to read people's fears.

That's the ability that Lin Yu wants to utilize.

He looked at the humanoid figure that had already solidified, smelled the faint scent of flammable gas in the air, and looked down at the boiling, murky black sea of oil, and laughed.

"My 'fear' plus your 'belief'... doubly Make It Real, it's almost a perfect recreation!"

He looked down at the surface of the liquid and spoke loudly.

"Vill Valetti, this is what I want you to do—do you understand?"

"Let it maintain this image!"

As Lin Yu spoke, he took out Black Oil Torch.

"Bang--!"

Pale flames emerged.

"Come, Will Valetti —my friend, let it burn to ashes as you wish!"

Lin Yu threw the Torch with all his might toward the enormous monster.

Within the black, oily slick covering the monster, a human hand reached out and caught the Torch.

Thank you, my friend!

Will Valetti's voice echoed underground before he pulled the Torch into the monster's body.

"Laugh--"

Pale flames instantly erupted from inside the monster, igniting the oil covering its body and spreading outwards, then—

"Boom--!"

A massive explosion echoed at the Winter Mountain!