Chapter 62: Deceivers of the World Are the Parasites of the World |
Ming Po's mind raced, yet he did not stand frozen in place.
Even as he violently threw himself backward, his gaze snapped toward the source of the bullet.
It was an assassin straight out of a textbook stereotype—even underground, the man wore sunglasses, a white surgical mask, and a set of gray-black clothes, with a matching gray-black bag slung over his back.
It was precisely because the man lacked almost any color that Ming Po had subconsciously overlooked him upon leaving the building.
For Deceivers of the World, who could only judge another's identity by whether or not they possessed color, this was a perfect form of camouflage.
Noticing that the muzzle was still trained on him, Ming Po ducked back into the subway car without a second thought.
His footwork did not falter in the slightest.
Through the window, he clearly saw the man pull out a crimson chip and slide it into the "firearm" in his hand.
A moment later, the man aimed straight at him once more.
"Don't look at him."
Nameless's voice rang out beside him.
She had somehow followed him onto the subway and gave him another sharp pull.
Right at that moment, another bullet fired.
This time, Ming Po saw it clearly—
Neither the subway car nor the glass offered the slightest resistance to the bullet.
That streak of red light in a black-and-white world completely ignored the existence of the Material Realm, grazing right past Ming Po's ear!
After that shot missed, the attacker immediately ceased his assault and lowered his weapon.
Yet Ming Po kept his eyes glued to him.
Only when the subway slowly began to move did Ming Po let out a small sigh of relief.
"I told you, don't look at him."
Nameless's carefree voice echoed near his waist. "He is the 'Sharp Killer'. If you don't look at him, he might actually miss... but the moment you stare at him, he practically gets x-ray vision."
Ming Po glanced back at her, only to find that Nameless had somehow transformed into a little blonde girl dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.
He grabbed her by the collar, lifted her into the air, and slammed her hard against the subway wall.
"Did you really think that turning into a child would stop me from dealing with you?"
Ming Po's tone was chilling. "I despise children."
"Hey, I just saved your life twice," Nameless grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"I know. Otherwise, you'd already be dead," Ming Po stated calmly.
These were no empty words.
If Nameless hadn't pushed and pulled him those two times, allowing him to inexplicably dodge the gunman's shots, the very first thing he would have done upon boarding the train was twist her head off.
It was only because she had genuinely saved him that Ming Po had the patience to listen to her excuses...
After all, even though he was saved by Nameless...
If Ming Po hadn't come here, he wouldn't have been assassinated in the first place!
"Even if you didn't come here, you'd still be assassinated."
Nameless showed no signs of nervousness.
She merely stared at Ming Po and said earnestly, "And by coming here—you can finally believe my words, right?"
Ming Po fell silent for a moment before setting her down.
She had a point.
Given Ming Po's paranoia, if he hadn't seen the assassin with his own eyes, he likely wouldn't have believed a word Nameless said.
"But there's another possibility: you hired that man. Why else wouldn't he target you?"
Ming Po muttered in a low voice, "And why would he target me? I don't even know him... nor have I offended anyone."
Instead of answering directly, Nameless countered with a question of her own. "Aren't you curious about how I managed to call you?"
Ming Po didn't ask; he just stared at her in silence.
Finding this somewhat boring, she curled her lips.
She answered her own question: "That was Ghost Call, a Treasure I borrowed.
"—That gun is also a Treasure. The moment it strikes a Deceiver of the World, it freezes their time."
...Treasure?
Ming Po furrowed his brows slightly.
He suddenly remembered his mirror, his wine cabinet, and that strange television set with no apparent purpose.
Nameless spoke leisurely, "When a person dies, they become a ghost; when a ghost dies, they become a jian; when a jian dies, they become something faint; when the faint dies, they become something invisible... Have you heard this saying?"
"The Records of the Hidden and Visible Worlds... right," Ming Po spoke slowly, his tone softening a fraction.
He seemed to understand.
If people became Wronged Dead after they died, and these Wronged Dead then gave birth to Deceivers of the World... and if a Deceiver of the World died in a Promotion game, they would become a Host.
—Then what would a Host become if they died again?
"Are Treasures transformed from dead Hosts?"
"Some come from corrupted Hosts, others from corrupted Deceivers of the World."
Nameless smiled, making a decapitation gesture. "When you defeat these 'monsters', they actually drop loot!"
Hearing this, it all clicked for Ming Po.
—Sure enough, his wine cabinet was the source of this trouble.
Though he didn't know how others had found out about it...
Ming Po refused to admit it, merely asking, "What does this have to do with me?"
Nameless dropped the riddles and spoke directly. "There is an organization of Deceivers of the World called Divine Comedy. They are all players led by Ling Bo Prison.
"You must have heard of Ling Bo Prison, right? One of the most famous Hosts, he collects powerful Titles and hands them out to players he favors. The reason he can do this is that he holds a Secret Treasure named the Bacchus Shrine. This Secret Treasure allows a Deceiver of the World to simultaneously hold multiple Titles across multiple Domains, and grant Titles to anyone who meets the requirements.
"But recently... he made an announcement.
"He claimed that he would no longer distribute Titles. He plans to resurrect, and therefore intends to give away all the Secret Treasures he holds. Naturally, this includes the Bacchus Shrine—any organization that obtains this Secret Treasure could instantly jump at least two ranks in power."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
Ming Po remained unflinching, continuing to press the issue.
"Perhaps nothing."
Nameless just smiled, dodging the question.
She continued, "But Ling Bo Prison stated that he intends to give the Bacchus Shrine to a new player.
"The specific start date for this was six months ago, and the end date is still unknown.
"—Therefore, the Deceiver of the World who receives this Treasure... must be one born within the last six months."
Reaching this point, Nameless fixed her bright eyes on Ming Po. "Among them, there is bound to be a lucky soul holding the Bacchus Shrine."
...No wonder those people had looked at him with such terror.
Ming Po suddenly realized something.
Those Deceivers of the World exchanging information weren't afraid of him because he "didn't hide his face." They had recognized him as a newcomer and feared that associating with him would bring disaster upon themselves.
"Then what if... this newborn hasn't even been born yet?"
Ming Po remained unmoved, analyzing the situation coldly. "Ling Bo Prison only said he intends to give it to a new player, right? Setting aside whether that's even true... it's still just an 'intention'."
"Exactly."
Nameless nodded. "That's why some Deceivers of the World have started manufacturing new Deceivers of the World. This is also to disrupt and delay the actions of other organizations. You aren't the only one being targeted for assassination, which is why I said... someone 'might' try to kill you."
"...Manufacturing new Deceivers of the World?"
Hearing this, Ming Po felt a loud buzzing in his head.
He suddenly realized something.
It was a sentence Ink had once mentioned:
[—The Game of Deception has never had a strict 'organizer'; the entire system is self-perpetuating.]
If the entire system was self-perpetuating...
Then...
Ming Po urgently asked, "The birth of a Deceiver of the World... how exactly is a 'Wronged Dead' determined?"
"You must have guessed it by now."
Nameless met his burning gaze without a hint of wavering.
The emotions in her eyes were so complex that Ming Po couldn't quite decipher them.
She seemed to know him.
Yet he didn't remember her.
She spoke softly, "The so-called 'Wronged Dead'... are ordinary people erased by Deceivers of the World.
"Those who have no direct connection to their own causality, yet are innocently murdered in the past, become the 'Wronged Dead'.
"Those searching for the Bacchus Shrine, those trying to stop others from getting the Bacchus Shrine... they have all gone mad. So...
"...There will be many newly born Deceivers of the World recently."
The girl with the unknown face whispered, "More and more people will be dragged into the Game of Deception. No one knows... if this tide will ever have an end."
In Ming Po's mind, names flashed by one after another.
Lin Ya, Chen Bingwen, "Raccoon"...
Gu Ke'er, Time Key...
And... Ai Shiping.
—Could all of them potentially be dragged into the Game of Deception?
"Do you understand now?"
Nameless said, "Your current situation is extremely dangerous... Do you want to join us?"
"I understand," Ming Po spoke slowly, his voice deep.
"Deceivers of the World... are the parasites of the world."
Every last one of them had to be slaughtered before this world could be saved.