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Chapter 35: Chapter35-Deception Apostle

John never imagined that he would meet the nightmare of his heart again at this time, in this way.

"How are you here, [Deception Apostle]?"

"Aha! I knew it! That reaction, you must be the one who deceived time!"

Standing atop the giant wolf\'s corpse, the [Apostle] rose, his eyes full of manic laughter.

"You really surprise me. How did you do it? Rewinding the timeline by two years, fooling even those other idiots, and you even... deceived the [Gods].

Amazing, truly amazing, John. Leaving you alive was undoubtedly the right choice."

[Deception Apostle] showered him with praise, the applause unceasing until he stood before John, looking down on him.

"Aren\'t we old friends by now? After all, I killed so many of your comrades, and you hate me to the bone.

Look, I even brought you a gift. What about you? No gift for an old friend?"

The terrifying pressure bore down on him, causing John\'s body to tremble instinctively.

But John refused to show weakness in front of this man. He bit down hard, his face flushing red, determined to control his shaking body.

"How did you awaken early?"

"This is a grand deception. You fooled time, fooled the [Gods], but you can\'t fool me."

[Deception Apostle] grinned, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he spoke, "I wanted to see who orchestrated this grand deception, so I awakened and appeared before you. But you disappoint me. You\'re as weak as an ant, even weaker than you were two years ago, incapable of even struggling."

[Deception Apostle] opened his palm, and in the next moment, a still-beating, bright red chunk of flesh appeared in his hand.

"Look, this is your heart. Why is it beating so fast? Are you perhaps afraid of me?"

With just a slight squeeze, John felt a searing pain shoot through him, and his HP plummeted!

"What... what do you want? To destroy the world? With your power, no one can stop you. Should I congratulate you?"

"Destroy the world? No, no, no, what are you talking about, old friend?"

Hearing this, [Deception Apostle] burst into uproarious laughter, doubling over as if he\'d heard the funniest joke in the world, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"If this is your welcome gift, ha ha ha, I love it! Destroy the world? I have no interest in that.

It doesn\'t benefit me in any way. I don\'t like being controlled by others. Besides, I\'m genuinely curious to see what someone chosen by the [Gods] can achieve."

"What are you talking about? Chosen by the [Gods]? Explain yourself!"

John swallowed hard, his eyes filled with urgency.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at you. How pitiful. You thought you were the lucky one, fancying yourself as the savior, bearing the hope of humanity\'s survival.

Little did you know, you are merely a pawn, placed on the board, a tool in the chess game between [Gods]."

With this, [Deception Apostle] paused, gradually reining in his laughter. Seemingly losing interest in tormenting John further, he restored his heart to its rightful place.

"Who am I mocking? After all, I\'m just a pawn myself..."

"The game between [Gods], what does it truly mean?"

"Do you remember that disaster? Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions—every known natural disaster happened simultaneously across the globe. Let me tell you a secret: that was the end of humanity.

Humans were meant to be completely wiped out, with no survivors. However, certain [Gods] disapproved of this annihilation and intervened, stopping the disaster after just seven days.

But the end must continue, for humanity has committed unforgivable sins. Thus, this game was created, [Apocalypse]."

[Deception Apostle] turned around, and a throne appeared out of thin air before him.

"Take a seat. Let\'s talk slowly."

Before John could react, he found himself seated on the throne.

"[Tyche] chose you, believing you would be the turning point to change everything. So, he granted you his Authority, which you call a talent. It\'s the power bestowed upon you by the gods.

Two years ago, when I first awakened, I noticed this. Though I don\'t know why [Tyche] favors you so, I believe [Gods] have their reasons."

"[Tyche]? They really exist?"

"Of course! [Gods] are [Gods]. They are nearly impossible to kill and have lifespans that are almost eternal.

Their humanity has been eroded by their long lives, and they have gone to a place where they will never be noticed, merely observing from afar.

How else would you explain the existence of this so-called game if not for divine intervention?

This game is originally a game between [Gods], and you, a bunch of foolish, clueless guinea pigs, actually find joy in it. How laughable."

John stood there in a daze, his lips quivering, unsure of what to say. The news was too shocking, relentlessly shattering his existing worldview into fragments.

"But... why?"

"Why what? Why the apocalypse? Why this tedious game? Why you? I\'m not a [God]; how would I know what they\'re thinking?

Like you, I have my own mission. Humanity must prove its worth to survive, and I must do everything I can to stop you, to push the apocalypse forward.

But don\'t you find this incredibly boring? I refuse to be a pawn. I want to be the one playing the game."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Don\'t rush. The mystery must be unveiled piece by piece to be truly interesting. The game is about to begin, John. Will you join me? Step out of the [Gods]\' game and into one that\'s just between you and me."

John fell silent.

As he finally comprehended the true nature of this world, the determination that had kept him going suddenly snapped.

What were they really fighting against, and why were they struggling to survive? Countless thoughts filled John\'s mind, making his thoughts even more chaotic.

"...What are you planning to do?"

"Two years ago, the [Abyss] opened, and seven [Apostles] appeared. Do you know what the final outcome was?

Less than a month after your death, the [Apostles] joined forces and wiped out all life in the real world, achieving the apocalypse. We became the victors of this game. But it seems you changed all that, giving everyone a second chance. Remarkable.

And you did all this as an ordinary person, not even a demigod. I\'m truly curious—if you were to become a [God], what would you be capable of? So, I orchestrated this grand deception."

[Deception Apostle] stood up, arms outstretched to the sky, a crazed expression on his face.

"I deceived time and the [Gods] to find you. I have a plan, which I call the [God-Making Project].

That\'s right, I intend to turn you into a [God]!"

"You\'re insane! Do you think that\'s even possible?"

John sneered, mocking [Deception Apostle] just as he had once been mocked.

"Of course it\'s possible. Even if you don\'t believe me, at least have some faith in yourself. You possess half of [Tyche]\'s Authority. Once you fully master this power, you can ascend to demigod status.

Now, what if you also had my Authority?"

At this point, the fanaticism in [Deception Apostle]\'s eyes grew even more intense.

"When luck and lies merge together, just imagine how interesting it will be! It\'s decided, John, I will bestow my Authority upon you!

What expression will the [Deities] have when they suddenly realize that a piece on their chessboard has gained powers equal to theirs?"

"I-I don\'t understand, what exactly are you trying to do? You want to give me your power? Stop joking, is that even possible?"

"Of course, no one knows me better than I know myself. I was born to plunder, and naturally, I also bear the fate of being plundered. My power, my Authority, can indeed be taken away."

[Deception Apostle] stood up, walked slowly to John, and said solemnly, "Without a doubt, you are the perfect vessel for it!"

"No, I refuse to cooperate with you."

Without a moment\'s hesitation, John immediately rejected [Deception Apostle]\'s proposal.

Perhaps this time [Deception Apostle] wasn\'t deceiving him, perhaps this world was indeed just a trivial game between [Deities] to pass their boring time, but John still didn\'t want to make any deals with someone so fickle and unpredictable.

Isn\'t it laughable to negotiate with a tiger for its skin?

But...

"Do you think you have the luxury of refusal? Our game has already begun, John. From the moment I met you, your future was already sealed.

Would you like to check your status screen?"

Upon hearing this, John was momentarily stunned, then he opened his character panel. In the status bar, a new and unknown status appeared. John looked closely, and his expression suddenly froze.

[Curse of Deception Apostle: Life Countdown 712 days]