Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 5 Commoners, nobles, kings—who eats whom?
In the world of hunters and prey, it is always the self-righteous one that is hunted.

You are playing a carefully decorated role, and so are others?
The person who laughs last may not be you, but the actor who performs better than you.

Golden Country, Angel Tears private club.

This ordinary-looking old building is hidden in a corner of a bustling city. There is no sign at the door, not even a door handle.

Ordinary people are not welcome here. No matter how rich you are, you have no right to enter.

Want to get in? Unless you've been chosen by fate.

Siming had passed by here several times and tried to sneak in every time.
He has played a variety of different identities - the son of a wealthy businessman, a mysterious gambler, an exotic tycoon, and even a low-key waiter.

But every time, the bodyguard at the door didn't even bother to look at him, and he couldn't even step over the threshold.

But today, he came in.

When Natashava brought him to the door, Sima Ming finally saw the "entrance method" to the Golden City.

The bodyguard at the door held a metal tube-shaped device in his hand and scanned Natashava's pupils carefully. After a moment, the heavy iron door opened silently inward.

"He is my assistant." Natashava added casually.

The bodyguard glanced at Siming and then stepped aside to make way without any scrutiny or suspicion.

It's that simple?
Sima Ming raised his eyebrows slightly. Before he even had time to think, he had already stepped into the gate of the Golden City.

Wow… luxurious as hell.

The moment he entered the Golden City, Siming was almost dazzled by the oncoming golden light.

Is the owner of this place crazy? Every inch of the walls, every beam, even the floor, is made of pure gold!

Siming looked down at the golden bricks under his feet, and an absurd thought popped up in his mind - if he just scraped off a piece and took it away, would it be enough to spend for a lifetime?
He was about to start teasing, but Natashava beat him to the punch:
"When I first came here, I also thought about scraping off some gold flakes to take away. But after a while, you'll find that this place hurts your eyes. The gold is too bright, and looking at it for too long will only make you sick."

Siming nodded, revealing a greedy smile. This was certainly not because the gold excited him, but because he really liked the "games" here - games that were more interesting than gold.

They walked up the jewel-encrusted spiral staircase to the private room on the third floor.

The decoration on the third floor is even more luxurious than the lobby. The walls are covered with gilded antique paintings, and dozens of crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, reflecting dazzling light.

In the center of the room, three card hunters who had been waiting for a long time were already sitting at a long black table.

They were wrapped in black robes, drinking with their heads down, tapping the table impatiently.

He urged the waiter to bring more wine in a rude manner, like a wild beast that had been suppressed for too long and was ready to burst out and tear its prey apart at any time.

Until Natasha pushed the door open.

The three of them looked up at the same time, their eyes scanning her for a moment, then the leading man in black put down his wine glass and smiled maliciously.

"Natashava... I thought we needed to come and 'invite' you in person."

Siming was slightly stunned.

He was very familiar with this voice.

He observed the other person calmly - the man in black had taken off his hood, revealing a bald head and a sharp face. His eyes were sharp, and there was a hint of contempt at the corner of his mouth.

He was the leader of the group of card hunters who were chasing him last night.

He also noticed Sima Ming. He was stunned for a moment, and then a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, as if he saw prey fall into his trap.

He scoffed, "Rookie, I never thought fate would be so kind to me."

Siming frowned, showing an appropriately horrified expression, and whispered to Natashava, "You didn't tell me... it was them?"

His voice trembled slightly, like an ordinary gambler with no combat experience who was drawn into a world beyond his ability.

"I...I only know how to play cards!"

Natashava sighed, looked at the pocket watch in her hand helplessly, and whispered something before turning back to the bald man and saying:

"We are here to play a 'game', aren't we, Mr. Card Hunter?"

She smiled and shrugged casually: "If we were planning to fight directly, we wouldn't have chosen the Golden Country as the venue for the duel.

The owner here doesn't like his guests breaking the 'rules of the game'."

The bald man's smile froze.

He glanced around.

On the third floor of the entire Golden City, hidden cameras are installed on the gold-inlaid walls, and a complex alarm system is hidden in the crystal chandeliers on the ceiling.

And more importantly - in the corner of the room, a man in a black tuxedo was leisurely wiping the white gloves in his hands.

The man seemed harmless, but his presence alone was terrifying.

The "guards" of the Golden City are specifically responsible for dealing with "unsuitable guests".

The bald man took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and replaced it with a fake smile.

"Of course, we are players who abide by the rules of the game," he said. "Now that Miss Natashava is here, let's begin today's 'duel'."

He glanced at Siming, the corners of his mouth raised slightly: "Mr. Rookie, are you sure you want to come to the table?"

"This isn't your average little gamble, this is a 'Game of Fate'."

Siming pretended to suppress his trembling and tried to make his tone sound calmer: "I...I understand."

"Then take a seat."

The bald man smiled slightly and tapped his fingers on the table. "Let's play a simple game - 'Commoner, Noble, King'."

Who is the king? Who is the noble? Who is the commoner who is eaten?
Is the outcome of this game already determined?

"Some people listen carefully to the rules of the game, while others don't care at all."

"They never intended to beat you at the game, and unfortunately, neither did you."

game rules
Card pool: 15 cards, 5 each for commoners, nobles, and kings. After shuffling the cards, both parties draw 5 cards.

Game process: Both players take out a fighting card each and turn over the cards to duel.

The common people were eaten by the nobles, the nobles were eaten by the king, and the king was eaten by the common people.

Each player has the right to change his hand three times, returning the remaining cards in his hand to the card pool, shuffling the cards, and then drawing the same number of cards from his hand.

The eaten cards belong to the winner of the card fight, and the loser's cards go into the winner's hand.

The game continues until one player's hand is cleared of cards, and the player loses.

Siming lowered his head to sort out the cards in his hand, his fingers slowly stroking the edges of the cards.

"What a low-level game."

He silently commented in his mind.

He had played similar psychological games in the casino more than once, and these men in black actually thought they could beat him with such a trick?
It's ridiculous.

Natashava sat beside him and explained the rules in a calm tone, as if Sima Ming was a beginner.

"Strange...what is she doing?"

Siming's eyes moved slightly, but he remained calm and pretended it was his first time playing the game.
He followed Natashava's explanation, but he was already wondering—she clearly knew she was an expert, yet she kept explaining the rules over and over again. This must be hinting at something...

Her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall from time to time.

“She’s very conscious of time.”

Sima Ming made a judgment in his mind instantly.

Winning or losing this game...is not important. What is important is the control of timing.

The bald card hunter was already getting impatient. He interrupted gruffly, "Stop rambling on and on. Let's get started."

Natashava just smiled faintly and raised her hand to signal: "Then, the game begins."

Siming sat down at the card table, tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and his hunting officially began.

The game went smoothly.

The bald card hunter's card skills are very average, and it can even be said that he has no understanding of psychological games at all.

He always made wrong choices due to some obvious hints, and Sima Ming only gave him a slight push and made him lose four cards.

Natashava smiled, her face showing some unconcealable excitement. She even unconsciously grabbed Siming's shoulders, using a little too much force with her fingertips.

“…She’s a little nervous.”

Sima Ming was keenly aware of this, "And the more nervous she is, the more it means that the 'certain event' she is expecting has not happened yet."

He blinked and suddenly decided to cooperate with her performance.

The drama of "missing the decisive shot" is about to happen.

Sima Ming deliberately revealed a flaw and chose a "Noble", while the bald man's card was exactly "King".

——The nobles were eaten by the king.

The bald man accepted Siming's noble card with a smug look on his face, while Siming pretended to be annoyed and murmured:

"The unpredictable goddess, fate, reflected in the eyes of others, smiles at me..."

The bald man frowned, annoyance evident on his face. "Boring poetry! Can you please shut up? You've been chattering on and on since the game started!"

Siming's mouth curled up slightly. Haha, he really doesn't understand anything.

——If a person hates your words, it means that he will unconsciously block the hints in them.

——If a person is unwilling to listen to you, he will not seriously think about what you are saying.

——If a person is misled, he will never know that he is being hunted.

So, who is the hunter, and who is the prey?
Sima Ming continued to feed the other party, and let them swallow two more cards.

The expression on his face changed from calmness at the beginning to a bitter smile, like a veteran player being dragged into a tough battle by a rookie.
It seems that I really sighed because of the unfairness of fate: "Fate is always like this, sometimes on my side, sometimes on your side."

The bald man grinned smugly and said, "So, you should honestly hand over the card you got by chance to us."

He raised his glass and clinked it with his two companions, as if celebrating his impending victory.

Siming shrugged helplessly, and lowered his head to fiddle with his cards.

But in fact, his hand has returned to the most perfect state.

He can end this game at any time if he wants.

However, he was not in a hurry.

He glanced at Natashava beside him. She was still looking at the clock on the wall from time to time, as if she was counting the time silently.

"What is she waiting for?"

Siming's mind was working at high speed, and he smelled something wrong in the air.

She doesn't care about winning or losing, or even the outcome of the game.

She was waiting for a time point, a critical time point.

But the question is - what is she waiting for?
Siming lowered his eyes to hide the coldness in them.

"Forget it. Since my employer has given me this 'hint', I'll just comply."

He smiled slightly and continued to send one of his "civilians" to the altar, pretending to be trapped in a tough battle.

But in fact, his "reflection of fate" has quietly begun to operate.

Because the script has just reached the most exciting part.

Foolish hunters always think they have the right to overturn the table.

"They thought they could come back, but from the moment the first card was turned over, they had already lost."

Golden Country, private room on the third floor.

The amber liquid in the wine glass swayed slightly, and the faint light was reflected on the mirror-like golden table. The interlaced shadows entangled with each other, making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

The game has entered its final stage.

The bald card hunter had a gloomy expression on his face. He tightly grasped the last card in his hand. The veins on his forehead were throbbing and sweat was dripping down his smooth scalp.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the premonition of failure was already lingering in his heart, like a poisonous snake coiling around its prey.

He was not reconciled.

He wouldn't allow himself to lose the game to this rookie.

So he made a final struggle - applying for a license plate change.

"the last time."

He gritted his teeth, threw the only remaining card in his hand back into the deck, shuffled the deck, and drew a card.

This was his last chance. Even though he didn't care about winning or losing the game, as a man, he had a strong desire to win.
He couldn't accept being completely crushed by a "rookie" whom he had never taken seriously in front of a woman.

His fingers trembled slightly, like a gambler's last chips.

He carefully turned over the card -

"king"!
The bald man was delighted. If the opponent played "Noble", then he could still win this round, or at least delay a little!
Siming stretched out his hand lazily and placed his cards on the table.

However, this time, he didn't even bother to say anything.

Yes, in this game, deception and psychological games before the card game only make sense when the opponent has at least two cards in his hand.

And when the opponent only has one left——

Cheating or not, it doesn't matter.

The bald man stared at Siming, staring at the card on the table.

Is this card a noble? Or... a commoner?
Time seemed to stretch out, and the air in the room grew heavy, as if it were about to fall into the abyss in the next second. Then, Sima Ming smiled.

"You've already used up your last chance to change cards."

"Even if you win this one, I already know your hand."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, playing with the cards skillfully, his fingertips moving across the texture of the paper with the calmness and casualness of a winner.

He slowly flipped open a corner of the card and said in a deliberately mocking tone:

"Is this? A king? Or? A commoner? Or? A noble?"

The bald man's expression became more and more ugly. He stared at the card intently, his fists almost clenched so hard that they creaked.

Then, Sima Ming flipped the page lightly, revealing the final answer—

"I'm sorry, it's a civilian."

game over.

The bald man's face was completely frozen. He watched Siming take the last card from his hand, completely depriving him of the possibility of winning.

Then, Siming turned around and smiled at Natashava, "The game is over, Miss. How do you want to settle your reward?"

Bang-!
The wine glass smashed heavily to the ground, shattering the glass and splashing the wine everywhere.

The bald man stood up angrily, his eyes burning with rage and murderous intent.

"You... don't want to admit it?" The smile on Natashava's face disappeared instantly. She took a step back in horror, her voice trembling slightly.

"Confession?"

The bald man's mouth curled up into a sinister smile: "Do you still naively think that we will abide by the rules?"

Natashava turned to look at the club guard in the room, with a last glimmer of hope in her eyes.

However, the man in the black suit just stood there calmly, watching everything indifferently, pretending that he saw nothing.

Her heart sank.

——The owners of the Golden Land never like unruly guests unless they follow higher rules, such as making some arrangements in advance.

——What they care about is the rules themselves, not who tramples on the rules.

The bald man licked the corner of his mouth and murmured a spell under his breath.

Flames suddenly burned in the air, and three black cards floated in the air, slowly spinning.

"Well, put an end to them, Disaster Bringer."

The flames of hell swept out, and a three-headed sheep-headed monster broke through the void and slowly descended.

Scarlet flames burned in their pupils, and the blood-red steel whips were wrapped in flames, burning with a strong smell of death.

The air was filled with the smell of sulfur and burning, and the skin was stinging from the scorching temperature, as if the flames of hell were approaching.

Siming narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled: "I guessed that it wouldn't be that easy for you."

"You're still stubborn even when death is imminent?" The bald man sneered and stepped closer. "Hand over your cards. Give me your real names, and perhaps you'll die more peacefully."

His two companions laughed out loud, their eyes full of sarcasm.

They are card hunters, always hunters, always winners, always plunderers.

They never thought they would become prey.

But today, they were wrong.

Today, they have fallen into the hunter's trap.

"You like my cards so much..."

Siming suddenly raised his hand, slowly pointed to the bald man's side, and a smile of ambiguous meaning appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't you know?"

"Actually..."

“It’s always been with you.”

The bald man suddenly froze.

He glanced to his side—nothing.

But at that moment, a cold chill ran from his spine to his brain, and a feeling of fear of being targeted gripped his heart.

He wanted to turn his head, but his body wouldn't obey.

Then, he heard Siming slowly utter the last words -

"After all, it's not just the Mirror Monster that can disguise itself, there's also—

A reflection, isn’t it?

The air seemed to be frozen, and a black shadow slowly emerged behind the bald man, twisting and squirming, gradually condensing into a familiar outline.

It was his reflection, but it was no longer just a reflection—

The hunt has begun.

The bald man's expression changed completely.

His eyes quickly scanned the room, sweat oozing from his forehead, and his back was soaked with cold, as if he was being spied on by something.

He stared at Siming, his voice low and full of caution: "What do you mean? What reflection?"

He slowly looked around, trying to find anything unusual.

But he saw nothing.

"Reflection of Fate, this is the undeserved name of my secret card."

Siming smiled slightly, tapped his fingers on the table lightly, his eyes deep and meaningful.

"Didn't you hear me pronounce its name just now when we were playing cards?"

The bald man's pupils suddenly shrank and he became alert in an instant.

--Just now?
He tried hard to recall, but his memory seemed to be shrouded in a fog, but he soon realized that - yes, this guy had been muttering non-stop while playing cards just now.

A reflection of fate? A disguise?
The bald man suddenly remembered what Siming had just said -

"The reflection of fate, she sometimes stands on my side, sometimes on your side."

--not good!
His expression suddenly changed, and he shouted, "Be careful! This guy's card can impersonate ours! Even... our card!"

Unfortunately, it's too late.

Sima Ming sneered in his heart.

“True lies” – you believed what I said, so it became true.

The air twisted slightly.

The bald leader's instincts instantly sounded the alarm - something was emerging from behind him, with a silent chill, like a shadow staring at its prey.

He turned around instinctively and looked behind him.

"When... did it appear behind me?"

At the edge of his vision, a blurry figure slowly emerged. It was a reflection that was a mixture of reality and illusion, like some kind of distorted light and shadow, both existing and not existing.

The shadow warrior stood quietly behind him, as if it had always been there, but it was not until this moment that he "saw" its existence.

"When? Wasn't it always there? It was standing there before it plunged the dagger into your heart."

Sima Ming's voice was slightly sarcastic, as if he was joking, but also as if he was stating a reality that could not be changed.

The bald man suddenly lowered his head and finally saw clearly - at some point, a black sharp blade had pierced through his chest, the blade piercing through the flesh and blood, as cold as a nightmare that had not yet ended.

His mouth opened slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but the blood had already rushed to his throat, turning all words into dull guttural sounds.

"...So I'm already, dead?"

One last clear thought emerged in his mind, and then it was engulfed by a tearing pain.

——No, he was unwilling to admit all this.

He was unwilling to admit that he had already reached a predetermined ending from the moment the game began.

He was unwilling to admit that the moment he heard the name "Reflection of Fate", he was forced to make it real.

But the more he "denies" it, the more "real" it becomes.

The bald man's body fell stiffly, his eyes wide open, and he died with his eyes open.

His ears seemed to still echo with his own mysterious final whispers—

"You summoned disaster, and disaster will always be with you."

Natashava's pupils narrowed slightly, and her breathing stagnated slightly.

This... was a variable she had not expected.

From beginning to end, she didn't notice when Sima Ming's secret appeared.

——Is this a secret that can “disguise nothingness”?

Natashava stared at Siming, her red lips slightly raised in a meaningful smile.

Interesting...really interesting.

"Boss!"

The remaining two card hunters stood up in shock, their faces grim, roaring and preparing to attack.

But just as they were about to make a move, Natashava closed her pocket watch, her voice indifferent and calm—

"The time is just right."

"Sniper time."

"Shoot them."

Two bloody holes instantly appeared on the foreheads of the two card hunters.

Their bodies were stiff, their pupils were dilated, and they fell straight onto the golden table without even being able to scream.

Silent and complete death.

The room was filled with a faint smell of blood, but the killing itself was silent, like some kind of execution carried out with precision.

Sima Ming narrowed his eyes and looked at Natashava warily.

This woman... from the very beginning was not a prey, but a true hunter.

She hunts her prey more ruthlessly and skillfully than anyone else.

Her technique is so precise, she doesn't even need to do it herself.

Natashava walked gracefully to the bodies of the card hunters and skillfully searched their pockets, sleeves, wrists, and even the soles of their shoes.

She took out nine cards of different styles and flipped through them casually with a satisfied smile in her eyes.

"It's been a good harvest tonight," she said to herself.

Then, she casually threw out two cards, which landed lightly in front of Siming.

"Here, your reward."

"You performed quite well tonight."

Siming did not pick up the two cards immediately, but narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to stare at Natashava vigilantly.

This woman's identity is more dangerous than he imagined.

From the very beginning, she was not a "helpless seeker in need of help", nor was she a person who simply wanted to gamble her life with "the favor of fate".

She... is a hunter.

She was calculating everything, waiting for the right moment, and then killing her prey with one strike.

She used Sima Ming, the game, and the bald man's emotional fluctuations to lead them step by step towards a situation where they were bound to die.

——And she is the biggest winner in the whole game.

Natashava looked at Siming's vigilant eyes and chuckled, not caring at all.

She walked slowly towards the door, and before leaving, she suddenly turned around and blew a frivolous kiss to Siming.

"You're a funny guy."

"Si Ming, right?"

"I'm looking forward to our next tryst."

After saying that, she pushed the door open and left without any reluctance, disappearing at the end of the corridor in the Golden Country.

In the room, only Siming and three cold corpses were left.

He lowered his eyes and looked at the two cards on the table, his fingertips slowly sliding across the texture of the paper.

"tryst?"

He chuckled softly and murmured:
"I hope you won't be consumed by the script you've created, Miss Natashava."

Then he gently picked up the two cards and turned away.

(End of this chapter)