Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 3: The Mysterious Master

"You think you're betting chips? No, you're betting your own destiny."

"From the moment you get that card, you are no longer an ordinary person."

"Welcome to the world of mysteries, Mysteriographer."

The air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol, the dim chandelier was swaying slightly, and behind the bar, the bartender was still wiping the glasses as if nothing had happened.

Everything here exudes a strange sense of unreality, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened, as if this place has existed in another time dimension from beginning to end, watching everything coldly.

Siming took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

His mind was churning, his brain trying to piece together all the clues.

He had to figure out...what kind of vortex he had gotten himself into.

He turned to look at the silver-haired girl, who was still lazily leaning against the bar, looking at him with a playful look.

"Who are you?" Siming spoke first.

Leng Ji gently blew away the lens fragments remaining on his fingertips and said casually:

"Your savior."

"..."

Siming frowned and stared into her eyes. Leng Ji smiled slightly and his tone became more serious.

"But now that you've survived, I think it's time I told you...what you've gotten yourself into."

"Last night, the man you gambled with... do you still remember him?"

Siming nodded. How could he forget?

The crazy gambler who firmly believed that he was favored by fate eventually lost everything, even... his life.

Leng Ji knocked on the bar and continued:

"That guy got a card from somewhere."

"Although we don't know the specific information of the card, we can be sure that it can grant 'good luck' to the holder."

Siming's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he remembered the gamble last night.

——That uncle’s good luck is unbelievably weird.

——But his ending was so tragic that it made people feel chilled.

Leng Ji chuckled, as if he could see what Siming was thinking.

"He couldn't control that card, though."

"And you—won it."

Her tone was calm, but Sima Ming sensed some hidden meaning.

He finally realized that what he won was not an ordinary gambling tool, but some kind of...'contract' from an unknown world.

A gamble that does not belong to humans.

"The problem is... your 'victory' has become known to some people in the dark world."

Leng Ji gently spun the wine glass with his fingertips and spoke in a casual tone.

"So, the card hunter came to you."

Siming's pupils contracted slightly.

"...Card Hunter?"

Leng Ji nodded, with a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"They are hunters who roam the dark world."

"They specifically target 'newbies' like you, hunting you down and taking your cards."

Siming's heart suddenly sank as he remembered the look those people had given him just now.

——That greed, that malice...

He finally understood that it was not an ordinary casino thug, nor a gangster, but... another kind of predator.

"...They are snatching the cards?" Siming asked tentatively.

"It's more cruel than you can imagine." Leng Ji sneered, "They don't just 'rob', they also 'deprive'."

"If they knew your card's real name, do you know what would happen?"

Siming suddenly remembered how the uncle died.

All that was left of him was a shriveled shell, as if everything had been drained out of it.

"..."

Siming felt a chill running down his spine, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

"...If I'm snatched away, will I become like that?"

Leng Ji looked at him and smiled slightly, with an indescribable meaning in his eyes.

"uncertain."

"But chances are, your ending won't be much better than that uncle's."

Siming clenched his fists slightly, and he finally realized that he had been drawn into a more dangerous game that he had no idea about.

Leng Ji suddenly tilted his head and looked at him with a playful look.

"By the way, is your card—bound?"

Siming was stunned: "What do you mean?"

Leng Ji raised his hand and made a casual gesture, as if he was talking about an insignificant matter.

"That is, did you learn and pronounce its real name?"

"..."

Siming's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He remembered last night, when he was struggling in pain, and the whisper echoed in his ears. He couldn't help but read out the real name of the card -

"The One with a Thousand Faces who weaves fate."

Leng Ji looked at his silent expression, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"It seems that you are already bound."

Her tone became leisurely, as if welcoming a new member:

"Congratulations, Siming."

"You became a 'Mystic Master'."

Siming's fingertips felt slightly cold.

He became... a mystic?

Leng Ji slowly took a step closer, leaned forward slightly, and lowered his voice, "One more thing——"

Her voice suddenly turned cold and her eyes looked straight into Siming's.

"Remember, don't casually reveal the real name of your card."

Siming's pupils shrank.

"If someone knows the true name of your card... you will lose it."

Her tone was calm, but Sima Ming felt a huge threat.

He thought of that uncle. His ending... was it because the real name of his card was revealed?
His body suddenly tensed up and his hair stood on end.

——He wants to live.

He quickly shook his head, indicating that he would not tell anyone.

Leng Ji nodded with satisfaction, then patted his shoulder and said in a relaxed tone:

"Well, it looks like you've officially entered our world."

"That card of yours is your secret card."

"You are no longer an ordinary person."

She narrowed her eyes slightly and gently reminded:
"Read its entry carefully. Secret cards usually grant their holders certain abilities."

Siming lowered his head and looked at the cards in his pocket.

The card still lay there quietly, but...

It was trembling slightly.

As if waiting for him to actually open its story.

"O One of a Thousand Faces...what exactly did you give me?"

"You hold more than just a card."

"You can read its contents because it has accepted you."

"But can you truly control it, or is it just waiting to devour you?"

Siming's hand slowly reached into his pocket, and he could feel the secret card vibrating slightly.

It was not an ordinary tremor, but a living throbbing, like breathing gently, as if responding to his touch.

He carefully took out the card -

——The next second, he felt an invisible pressure enveloping him.

On the card's surface, mist swirled, twisted shadows wriggled, as if some living thing were swimming within. It lacked the clear patterns of ordinary cards, only a blurry, indescribable eye, peering out from the depths of the mist, staring at Sima Ming.

It was a creepy feeling, as if this wasn't a card, but some kind of living being, staring at him through the barrier of reality.

Siming's heartbeat quickened slightly, and he subconsciously clenched the card.

——However, he soon noticed something else.

Leng Ji, the girl who seemed to know everything, had no interest in his cards and didn't even take a look at them?
Did she really not care? Or...did she simply not see?
Siming did not ask immediately, but observed Leng Ji's expression thoughtfully.

Sure enough, Leng Ji seemed to see his doubts. She smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone:
"A secret card can only be read by its owner."

"No matter how curious I am, your card is just a blank in my eyes."

She knocked lightly on the bar, her tone filled with helplessness. "So, since I can't even understand a word, I naturally have no interest in it."

"Very boring."

Sima Ming suddenly understood.

——The secret card can only be read by its holder!
This setting made him feel relieved and also made him subconsciously adjust his strategy.

"Great, this means my card information is completely safe."

He decided to continue to maintain his "newbie" image, pretending to be defenseless and asking questions humbly in exchange for more information.

Siming raised his head, pretending to be confused, and asked curiously:
"Ms. Leng Ji, can you tell me more about the origin of the card?"

Leng Ji was amused by his compliment and raised his eyebrows with a playful smile in his eyes.

"Heh, quite a self-aware newcomer."

She picked up the wine glass on the bar, shook it gently, and said slowly through the amber wine:

"Since you asked, then listen carefully."

She held up a finger. "Mystery cards and legacy cards both come from the 'world behind the door'."

"They are not created by humans, but projections of the 'Gate' world, traces left by some kind of existence."

"They are essentially the same, the only difference is that -

A Mystic card is a 'bound object,' granting its holder specific 'powers' and having only one owner. A Legacy card is an 'unowned object,' allowing anyone to possess and summon it into battle, but it does not grant its holder any power.

"but--"

Leng Ji's eyes suddenly became sharper, as if he was emphasizing some particularly important information.

"Whether it's a Secret or a Legacy, their 'summoning cost' is exactly the same."

"If you can't bear it, you will become their 'food'."

Siming's heart sank slightly.

Whether it's a Secret or a Legacy, both require the holder's sanity to be consumed. If sanity is insufficient... the holder will be devoured by the card, and even their soul may be robbed.

He thought of the uncle's death again, and a chill ran down his spine.

"..."

Leng Ji continued:

"Also, the card's 'entry' is crucial."

"The higher the level of the card, the more entries it has."

"Some powerful secret cards may even have three or four entries."

Siming lowered his head slightly, his fingers quietly stroking his secret card.

He noticed that there were three terms clearly written on his card.

——The Thousand Faces is a high-level secret crafter.

Siming raised his head cautiously and asked in a nonchalant manner:

"If a secret card only has two entries, is it considered high-level?"

Leng Ji was slightly stunned, then narrowed his eyes and chuckled:
"Two entries?"

She gently put down her glass, a hint of surprise in her tone. "That's quite interesting. I originally thought you won just a low-level card that brings good luck, but I didn't expect it to be a 'Intermediate Secret' with two entries."

There was a hint of temptation in her eyes, and she asked casually:
"Then what is its effect?"

Sima Ming's fingertips gently stroked the surface of the card, and his eyes rested on the three descriptions on it.

The first entry: Weaving of fate (vague and undecipherable).

Second entry: True lies (can only be partially interpreted).

The third entry: The Favor of Fate (read in full).

He calmly adjusted his expression, continued to play the rookie, and said in a natural tone:

"The first entry is 'Fate's Favor'."

"After triggering, within a certain period of time, there is a 90% chance that I will be favored by fate, but... there is also a chance of bad luck."

Leng Ji nodded, seemingly not surprised.

"Yes, the entry for 'Fate's Favor' sounds like some kind of probability-based ability."

Siming deliberately showed a hint of confusion and continued:

"The second entry is 'Reflection of Fate'."

"It seems to say that it can write the background of...some card?"

He squinted his eyes in a confused manner, revealing a hint of doubt. "It's too blurry. I can't see clearly."

His expression was very natural, without any flaws, as if he was truly an unsuspecting novice.

——This sentence was half true and half false, making Leng Ji think that his card only had ordinary abilities, while also avoiding exposing the Thousand Faces' true conceptual abilities.

After hearing this, Leng Ji shrugged, seemingly not very interested in this effect.

"It sounds like it's a medium-level secret."

"It's good, but not particularly strong."

Sima Ming smiled slightly in his heart.

He successfully concealed the true power of the Thousand Faces.

Now, Leng Ji and the outside world would only think that he was just an intermediate-level secret holder of the "fate manipulation type", rather than... an existence who could truly "weave fate".

"Deception is not the goal, but the best camouflage."

"Now, you all think I'm just an ordinary rookie - fine, let you think so."

"A summoning is a contract, and a contract is a gamble."

"You think you can control it? No, it's also evaluating whether you're worthy of being devoured by it."

"If your sanity is insufficient, then what you summon will not be your servants, but your nightmares."

In the dim bar, the light from the chandelier swayed slightly in the breeze, and the sound of wine glasses clinking mixed with the sound of the bartender wiping the glass, as if everything seemed particularly comfortable.

But Sima Ming knew that he had no way out.

Leng Ji's gaze was fixed on him with great interest, with a certain anticipation and teasing. The corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and her eyes revealed a bit of the patience of a hunter.

"Well, now it's time to teach you how to 'summon' your Mystic."

Leng Ji tapped the bar lightly with a relaxed tone, but Siming sensed a hint of danger in her attitude.

"The method of summoning secret cards and legacy cards is the same."

"You only need to pronounce its 'virtual name' and it will manifest into reality."

Siming frowned slightly, "Empty reputation?"

Leng Ji nodded and explained slowly:
"All cards have two names - 'Fake Name' and 'True Name'."

The True Name is the card's true name; once known to others, the secret ownership is transferred. The False Name is a card's "external code," its function being to summon the card into reality and make it exist as a combat unit.

"You can't tell your real name casually, otherwise you will die miserably."

"But a false name is okay, because it's just a 'summoning code'."

"The location of the fictitious name is easy to find. It's right below the real name, usually in a line of very small words."

Upon hearing this, Siming lowered his head and looked at the cards in his hand.

The card of the Thousand Faces was still shrouded in mist, and the indescribable eyeball stared at him quietly in the darkness, as if with endless mockery and expectation.

He looked closely and finally found a line of tiny words below the card's real name:

"Lord of Destiny"

——This is its false reputation.

Leng Ji continued:

"The rules for summoning the Mysterious are simple."

"As long as you have enough rationality, the card will obey you after it appears."

"But if you're not smart enough..."

She paused deliberately, a hint of coldness appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she added softly:
"Often, you will be the first blood food when the card descends."

A chill suddenly crept up Siming's back.

——He was almost, really just almost, bewitched by the Thousand Faces Man.

Last night, he heard the whispers of the Thousand-Faced Man in his dream. It guided him to pronounce his real name, and was also trying to guide him to pronounce his false name, which was hidden in the endless whispers.

But if he had followed its will and really summoned it...

He will die.

There is no doubt that his sanity value is simply not enough to withstand the consumption of summoning the Thousand Faces Man. If the Thousand Faces Man is really summoned, it will devour his soul the moment it descends.

The Thousand Faces Man... had no intention of letting him live from the beginning.

Siming's fingertips tightened unconsciously, and he secretly thanked himself for being alert.

But at this moment, Leng Ji suddenly tilted his head and asked with a bit of curiosity:
"Can your secret trick be used?"

Siming's heartbeat suddenly stopped.

"Your Secret is only an intermediate Secret, right? The Sanity consumption shouldn't be too high."

Leng Ji's tone was brisk, and there was a hint of excitement in her eyes, as if she was waiting for some interesting experiment.

"How about giving it a try?"

Siming's nerves tensed up instantly.

He couldn't tell Leng Ji that it was impossible for him to summon the Thousand Faces Man, otherwise it would definitely arouse suspicion.

But if he directly said that he would not summon now, it would also seem suspicious...

——He needs to find a breakthrough.

Siming calmly recalled his card information.

——Yes, a true lie!

"True Lie" - The holder can summon a Legacy Card or Secret Card out of thin air to fight, as long as the opponent believes that this card is real.

——This ability may be his opportunity.

He slowly raised his head, looked at Leng Ji, and smiled bitterly, "Okay."

Leng Ji blinked, crossed his arms, and waited with interest.

Siming lowered his head again, looking at the cards in his hand. He took a deep breath and said as if he was thinking:

"My secret is called 'Reflection of Fate'."

Leng Ji nodded and motioned for him to continue.

Siming pretended to hesitate for a moment, then said:

"It has two entries."

"The first one is 'Fate's Favor'. Once triggered, within a certain period of time, there is a 90% chance that I will be favored by fate, but... there is also a chance of being unlucky."

Leng Ji raised his eyebrows, seemingly not very interested in this ability.

"The second one is 'Reflection of Fate'. It seems... it can write the background of some kind of card?"

Siming narrowed his eyes, revealing a confused look, "It's too blurry, I can't see clearly."

His expression was perfect, without a flaw, and so smooth that it seemed as if he was describing the real situation.

Leng Ji seemed a little impatient and waved his hands, "Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense and let's see what your secret looks like."

Siming confirmed it once and said softly:

"You know my 'Reflection of Fate'?"

Leng Ji was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "Nonsense, didn't you just say that?"

"Then, come out, reflection of fate."

Siming slowly stretched out his hand and clenched it in the air.

The next second—

A strange shadow emerged in the air.

The distorted light and shadow, as if refracted by an unstable mirror, a shadowy warrior slowly emerged from the void.

It has no physical form and is always in a state of uncertainty between truth and falsehood. At first, its appearance even resembles the mirror monster that Leng Ji had just summoned.

But under Sima Ming's description, it began to take shape steadily.

Its outline gradually becomes clearer and its presence becomes more and more real.

——It is taking shape, it is becoming "real"!
Leng Ji looked at the twisted shadow warrior with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"...What a strange guy."

She tilted her head. "It... can really bring you good luck?"

The shadow warrior slowly floated beside Sima Ming, the distorted light and shadow still changing slightly, like an unstable reflection in a mirror.

Leng Ji shook his head slightly and murmured softly:
"As expected... 'Fate' is an incomprehensible monster."

Siming curled his lips slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

——Succeeded.

He used "true lies" to summon "the reflection of fate".

Leng Ji, on the other hand, had completely believed in its authenticity.

"One of a Thousand Faces, you want me to summon you? Sorry, I win this time."