Chapter 39: Chapter39-Trickster (Part 2)
"Kill a god? Don't be ridiculous. Two years ago, I couldn't even defeat you. Now, in just two short months, you expect me to be capable of killing a god?"
"You won't know until you try. Besides, you underestimate my abilities."
[Deception Apostle] turned around slowly, spreading his arms wide.
"Lies, deceit, the most exquisite melodies of this world! You can achieve many unimaginable things with it, such as..."
[Deception Apostle] paused, pointing to an empty spot beside him, and said in a deep voice, "Before your eyes, there should be a sword."
"That's impossible..."
John instinctively questioned, but what happened next left him speechless.
Before him, in the empty spot, a longsword appeared, embedded in the ground!
"Go up and pull it out. Feel it carefully."
[Deception Apostle] made a gesture of invitation, and John, incredulous, walked forward and grasped the sword.
As he slightly swung his arm, the weight of the sword left him even more astonished.
If this was the [Trickster]'s ability—to create objects out of thin air—it was unbelievably powerful!
Seeing the confusion in John's eyes, [Deception Apostle] chuckled and explained, "I told you, the lies I construct are the truth you see. The moment you believe it, it ceases to be a lie and becomes reality.
I told you there was a sword here. Though you expressed doubt, your inner hesitation made you believe my words for a moment, so the sword appeared."
John was dumbfounded.
He had imagined countless possibilities but never anticipated that the [Trickster]'s ability would manifest in such a manner.
Understanding this power, it was no exaggeration to call it omnipotent!
"But... what if the other person doesn't believe it?"
"Why wouldn't they believe it? Have you forgotten the skills [Trickster] can learn at lower levels? Including Command and Affinity, as you grow, your words will be taken as gospel. At that point, every lie you utter will become truth.
Of course, the ability's activation requires certain conditions. Anything beyond the ability's scope can't be achieved, regardless of belief.
For instance, if I said you have the power to kill a god right now, even if you believed it, you couldn't kill a god because it's far beyond my ability.
Additionally, with your current strength, you can only use this power once every ten days. However, as you grow, the interval will shorten.
Now, I have fully disclosed the [Trickster]'s abilities to you. You must agree to my condition, or our deal ends here."
Hearing this, John frowned, hesitating.
Killing a god.
It sounded simple, but who knew how powerful these so-called [Deities] truly were?
If [Deception Apostle] could alter reality with a single sentence, then what about the [Deities]?
When a vague concept becomes a tangible enemy you must face, despair naturally arises.
"If it can be done, I won't refuse."
"John, don't try to play such useless tricks with me. The moment I judge you capable of killing a god, our agreement takes effect. So, you can abandon any ideas of confusing me with vague concepts.
Rest assured, I won't send you to your death, as it would do me no good. Your task is to use all available means to improve your abilities within the limited time, and I will provide you with assistance."
"...I understand."
John sighed. Though his little ploy was seen through, he didn't feel too downhearted.
After all, it was [Deception Apostle]; tricking him was exceedingly difficult.
"One last question."
"Speak. Given that I'm in a good mood today, I might indulge you."
"Besides you, when will the other [Apostles] and the [Abyss] appear? This is very important to me."
"Soon. I can't give you a precise time, but I can assure you their return isn't far off. You have the means to restart everything, and the [Lord of Abyss] won't sit idly by.
Of course, their premature awakening will result in weakened power, which can be seen as giving you a fighting chance. How merciful."
"If I want to contact you, besides coming to the [Abyss], is there any other way?"
"For the time being, don't contact me. I am being watched by certain entities."
With these final words, [Deception Apostle]'s figure abruptly vanished from John's sight, giving him no chance to ask more questions.
But regardless, he had achieved one of his goals.
The next task was to prepare some personal items for Helena.
Arriving at the ruins near the supermarket, John frowned at the pile of rubble. After much hesitation, he decided to try using the [Trickster]'s ability.
"The ruins blocking my path will disappear."
Nothing happened.
Unwilling to give up, John repeated the command, but the scene before him remained unchanged. He instantly felt as though he had been deceived, yet [Deception Apostle] had demonstrated this ability right before his eyes. There was no reason to joke about such a thing.
"Am I using it the wrong way?"
John scratched his head, still unable to pinpoint the issue. At that moment, Exiled Immortal, flying low with Helena, noticed John's frustrated gestures and landed steadily in front of him.
"John, I've been looking for you. What are you standing around here for?"
"Exiled Immortal! Just in time, come over here."
John's eyes lit up as he hooked Exiled Immortal's shoulder and pulled him close, pointing at the pile of rubble. "There should be some items and supplies left in the supermarket ruins, but the path is blocked."
"Yeah, obviously. John, why are you stating the obvious?"
"Don't interrupt me. I ask you, do you believe I can make these ruins disappear?"
"John, I'm young but not stupid. This is insulting. These ruins must weigh tens of tons. You say they'll disappear just like that? How is that even possible?"
"Ugh, forget it."
Frustrated, John kicked Exiled Immortal aside and turned his attention to Helena.
"Helena, do you believe me?"
"Of course, as long as it's you saying it, I believe everything!"
As soon as the words fell, under the watchful eyes of the three, the pile of rubble began to diminish gradually until a path leading into the supermarket appeared!
Seeing this, Exiled Immortal was dumbfounded, unable to believe his eyes.
"No way, John... John?"
Exiled Immortal glanced at John, only to find his face pale, sweat pouring down his forehead as if he had exhausted all his stamina. Seeing this, Exiled Immortal quickly moved to support John.
"John, are you alright? Big sister, come over and check on him!"
"Quiet, I'm fine. I just suddenly feel very tired..."
John waved his hand, gasping for breath as he explained. He also understood [Deception Apostle]'s vague statement about not exceeding the scope of his abilities.
The so-called "not exceeding the scope of abilities" meant accomplishing something within a time frame, given his current strength.
For example, with the rubble before him, given enough time, John could clear it all away. However, the stamina required was enormous.
Thus, the rubble didn't completely disappear; it only formed a path.
As a result, John had expended the stamina needed to clear that path, which was why he was so exhausted.
"Damn bastard, how could he not explain something so important!"
"Huh? John, what did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, let's go inside and see if we can find anything useful. Don't worry about me. I just need... a rest."
"Exiled Immortal, you go inside and check it out. I'll stay here and look after John. Someone has already noticed this place. Leaving him here alone makes me uneasy."
"Alright, you two stay safe. I'll be back soon."