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 mont later, the man aid straight at him once more.
Even with the glass between them, an intense wave of unease suddenly surged in Ming Po's heart.
"Don't look at him."
Naless's voice rang out beside him.
She had sohow followed him onto the subway and gave him another sharp pull.
Right at that mont, another bullet fired.
This ti, 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 imdiately 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."
Naless'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 mont you stare at him, he practically gets x-ray vision."
Ming Po glanced back at her, only to find that Naless had sohow transford into a little blonde girl dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.
He grabbed her by the collar, lifted her into the air, and slamd her hard against the subway wall.
"Did you really think that turning into a child would stop from dealing with you?"
Ming Po's tone was chilling. "I despise children."
"Hey, I just saved your life twice," Naless grumbled in dissatisfaction.
"I know. Otherwise, you'd already be dead," Ming Po stated calmly.
These were no empty words.
If Naless hadn't pushed and pulled him those two tis, 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 Naless...
If Ming Po hadn't co here, he wouldn't have been assassinated in the first place!
"Even if you didn't co here, you'd still be assassinated."
Naless showed no signs of nervousness.
She rely stared at Ming Po and said earnestly, "And by coming here—you can finally believe my words, right?"
Ming Po fell silent for a mont 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 Naless 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 ? I don't even know him... nor have I offended anyone."
Instead of answering directly, Naless 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 sowhat 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 mont it strikes a Deceiver of the World, it freezes their ti."
...Treasure?
Ming Po furrowed his brows slightly.
He suddenly rembered his mirror, his wine cabinet, and that strange television set with no apparent purpose.
Naless spoke leisurely, "When a person dies, they beco a ghost; when a ghost dies, they beco a jian; when a jian dies, they beco sothing faint; when the faint dies, they beco sothing 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 seed to understand.
If people beca 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 ga, they would beco a Host.
—Then what would a Host beco if they died again?
"Are Treasures transford from dead Hosts?"
"So co from corrupted Hosts, others from corrupted Deceivers of the World."
Naless 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, rely asking, "What does this have to do with ?"
Naless dropped the riddles and spoke directly. "There is an organization of Deceivers of the World called Divine Cody. 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 nad 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 ets the requirents.
"But recently... he made an announcent.
"He claid 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 ?"
Ming Po remained unflinching, continuing to press the issue.
"Perhaps nothing."
Naless 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, Naless 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 sothing.
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 newcor 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."
Naless nodded. "That's why so 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... soone '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 sothing.
It was a sentence Ink had once ntioned:
[—The Ga 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."
Naless t 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 seed to know him.
Yet he didn't rember 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, beco 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 Ga of Deception. No one knows... if this tide will ever have an end."
In Ming Po's mind, nas flashed by one after another.
Lin Ya, Chen Bingwen, "Raccoon"...
Gu Ke'er, Ti Key...
And... Ai Shiping.
—Could all of them potentially be dragged into the Ga of Deception?
"Do you understand now?"
Naless said, "Your current situation is extrely 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.
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