Chapter 594: Deception

Kill the Spirit-Seer?

The "Bard" looked at Lu Mi, disguised as a "Muggle," and felt a chill run down his spine, every hair on his body standing on end.

He could feel the other's killing intent, and understood the source of that emotion, making him even more terrified.

Yet, in the next instant, the "Bard" suspected the other was deceiving him—deliberately displaying anger and hatred to force him with death, shattering his psychological defenses completely.

He harbored this suspicion because "Spirit-Seer" was not the optimal solution at present:

The Celestial Sovereign's rank surpassed that of many demonic gods, and even the corruption of those demonic gods could cause "Spirit-Seer" to fail—how much more so the Celestial Sovereign's "bestowal"?

Once he grasped this, the "Bard"'s heart grew firm and settled.

As a "Con Artist," he still wore a face of terror, staring at Lu Mi, stepping back two paces:

"I'll tell you all the truth—you can verify it!"

"Don't kill me!"

Lu Mi advanced step by step, swiftly drawing a dagger.

The "Bard" turned to look at "Hela," "Gandalf," and Furanka, pleading in panic:

"He's lost his mind—will you just let him do this?"

"'Spirit-Seer' isn't infallible!"

The "Bard" deliberately used "he" as the pronoun, revealing he knew Lu Mi was no "Muggle," as if urgently saying: Stop pretending.

Lu Mi took two steps forward, standing before the "Bard," his gaze fixed on this "Fool's Day" core member whose face was temporarily locked in another's form, raising his dagger.

The "Bard" sneered inwardly, becoming even more certain Lu Mi would not truly kill him—"Spirit-Seer," at least not now.

If his actions weren't feigned, "Gandalf" and "Hela" would have stopped him—they couldn't possibly just watch!

The "Bard" squeezed his voice, as if terrified:

"I'll cooperate with you! I'll help you find 'Loki,' locate his ancient castle!"

"Look, even in this situation, I didn't use my ability to resist!"

As he shouted, the "Bard" stared at Lu Mi and the dagger's tip, trying to make his gaze show both avoidance and pleading—the former fear, the latter supplication.

Throughout this, the "Bard"'s mind was filled with mockery, almost no fear:

Trying to deceive a "Con Artist"?

What nonsense!

I'll count to five—you'll stop.

Five, four, three…

Plop!

The "Bard"'s vision suddenly turned blood-red—the dagger plunged straight into his left eye, bursting the eyeball and piercing through the orbital fissure into his brain.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

He really means to kill me?

Intense pain surged through the "Bard"'s mind, making him instinctively raise his right hand to press against his face, struggling backward, trying to escape the dagger, to avoid the source of harm.

Lu Mi reached out his left hand, pinning the "Bard" in place, rendering his struggles useless.

Then, Lu Mi leaned forward slightly, bringing his head close to the ear of this "Fool's Day" core member.

The "Bard" saw the beautiful face of the "Muggle," saw "her" lips moving, heard "her" whisper with satisfaction and mockery:

"My godson devoured half of 'Loki's' arm—he knows far more about him than you do…"

Far more than I know… I should've used my ability earlier… Even amid agony and struggle, the "Bard" froze for a moment, overwhelmed by regret, despair, and furious shame.

Soon, those emotions vanished—Lu Mi twisted the dagger embedded in the "Bard"'s orbital fissure, shredding the frontal lobe.

Watching the "Bard" grow still, he nodded in satisfaction, withdrew the dagger, and carefully bandaged the wound—without any disinfection.

Only then did Furanka approach, clicking her tongue:

"I thought you were just scaring him."

That's why she didn't intervene—she watched Lu Mi raise the dagger, step closer to the "Bard," watched the "Bard" beg for mercy.

She believed "Hela" and "Gandalf" had thought the same.

When the dagger actually pierced the "Bard"'s eye socket, Furanka froze—only then did she realize Lu Mi was serious.

No, Lu Mi didn't truly intend to kill the "Bard"—he was using "Fool's Day"'s own prank against him, recreating the "I have a friend" scenario.

Before Lu Mi could respond, Furanka asked curiously:

"When did you learn how to perform a frontal lobe resection?"

Lu Mi wiped the dagger's blood with a white bandage, smiling with faint mockery:

"I learned it watching that doctor operate on 'I have a friend.'"

"Such a simple procedure—if I, a skilled adept, couldn't memorize and replicate it after one viewing, it'd prove my brain was corrupted by the Elixir."

While playing the "Muggle," Lu Mi always deliberately used his sister's voice, as if she were still alive.

Furanka looked at Aurora's face beneath the hood, listened to the voice, felt no anger at being mocked, and merely muttered:

"Surgery isn't just stabbing in and twisting—a lot happens before and after, and even during—if you'd gone deeper, the outcome would've been completely different."

"Different? Fine. If he dies, we start 'Spirit-Seer.'" Lu Mi didn't care—he poured the entire remaining dose of truth serum into the dazed, unresisting "Bard"'s mouth.

After finishing, he added:

"'Hela' said this place minimizes demonic god influence the most."

"Minimizes, not eliminates—and what if the problem lies in his soul, and he just self-destructs?" Furanka instinctively countered—this was also why "Hela" hadn't directly sent the "Bard" into a dream to extract answers; dreams might reveal images too dangerous to behold, far riskier than mere verbal descriptions.

At this moment, "Gandalf," clad in linen robes and a hood, sighed softly.

He felt a pang of pity for the "Bard"'s ordeal, yet said nothing—those harmed by "Fool's Day" weren't him; he had no right to condemn the victim's family's extreme actions.

—Before this operation, "Hela" had informed "Gandalf" of the "Muggle"'s death and Lu Mi's impersonation; the leader of the "Curly Baboon Research Society" felt sympathy for the siblings' fate and a touch of guilt, believing his own past laxity and lack of discipline as leader bore heavy responsibility.

After a while, the "Bard," soothed by "Soul-Soothing," gradually recovered from his pain and began answering the questions of those present.

First to speak was "Gandalf," looking down at the "Dream Thief," cutting straight to the core:

"How did you come to worship that Celestial Sovereign?"

"Gandalf" and "Hela" had already learned some details about the Celestial Sovereign from Furanka and Lu Mi, and took this very seriously.

The "Bard" spoke calmly:

"From the very beginning."

"I used to be a grave robber—I acquired a collection of ancient artifacts, and while studying their history to determine their value, I deciphered the meaning of some inscriptions…"

Suddenly, "Hela" interrupted the "Bard," her voice cold and clear:

"You don't need to explain the full meaning—just give a few keywords."

The "Bard" had no intention of arguing—he submitted like a lamb:

"Keywords: Deception, Trickery, Gate of Ten Thousand Doors, Secret Master…"

The moment the "Bard" finished uttering these names, the ancient palace around them grew hazy, less distinct.

Simultaneously, Lu Mi's left chest burned again.

The next second, the night sky beyond the palace darkened further, and all haziness vanished.

"I just got this creepy feeling like worms were growing on me," Furanka shuddered.

Just those few names—not even the full title—had made her unnerved, every inch of her flesh seeming to stir, ready to burst into insects and pierce through her skin.

One of the "Bard"'s original plans had been to answer Lu Mi and the others with complete honesty, then deliberately, in detail, reveal every aspect related to the Celestial Sovereign, hoping to subtly corrupt his enemies, destabilize the "Realm of Night," and open a "Gate" for escape.

If he truly corrupted "Gandalf" and "Hela," they'd all be Celestial Sovereign worshippers—why kill me? They'd unite against Lu Mi!

Of course, the "Bard" no longer held such thoughts—he had received his fated peace.

"Descriptions of higher beings often signify danger. In this world, ignorance isn't always bad," "Gandalf" sighed, commenting on what had just happened.

He then asked the next question.

The "Bard" spoke without expression:

"After deciphering those inscriptions, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I'd already crossed into this world."

"After adapting to this new body, I instinctively recalled my past experience, the deciphered inscriptions—and then I saw thin gray mist swirling around me, receiving the Celestial Sovereign's revelation."

"So you worshipped that Celestial Sovereign immediately upon crossing over, before even forming the Research Society?" "Gandalf" pressed further.

"Yes," the "Bard" showed no emotional fluctuation. "I thought: He found me, appeared to me that way—if I refused to submit, to worship Him, to follow Him, I'd die right then—and I might never get another chance to cross over and be reborn. Later, I gradually sensed His greatness—He could even trick the Realm of Night, making our problems undetected."

"Gandalf" thought for a moment:

"How did 'Loki' come to worship that Celestial Sovereign?"

(End of Chapter)