CHAPTER 367: CHAPTER 309: ZHOU XU’S DISCOVERY_2

"Your heart hesitates, wavering as you slowly prepare to take out the [Old Roots of Profanation (Fragmented)] obtained from Bright City."

...

Reality, Capital City, Deceit Prison.

The Death Cult and Hermit Association had long planned for this day, making their earlier actions smooth. Two-thirds of the middle region is now under their control. The crucial point is... the entirety of these actions hasn’t triggered the Deceit Prison’s alarm system.

Mr. Death, wearing round-framed glasses, is currently assisting subordinates and Hermit Association members in eroding Deceit Prison’s defense system while simultaneously refreshing the game text to monitor the progress of the Deceiving Apostle’s Godhood Ritual.

Just then,

Mr. Death’s body suddenly freezes, pupils retracting slightly, as an invisible yet humbling force descends into his consciousness, granting him a certain clarity.

Meanwhile, the refreshed game text undergoes changes.

"You are chanting the devilish script from the sheepskin scroll gifted by the Deceiving Apostle. Some kind of mystical fluctuation, intangible but truly existent, is generated simultaneously and connects with different corners of Asgard."

"You continue chanting,"

"You are still chanting,"

"Due to the barrier here, which possesses the effect of deceitful perception, your presence remains undetected by anyone."

"No one knows what the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune is currently doing, or whether he has returned to Asgard. He should have, considering his evident interest in the Deceiving Apostle’s Godhood Ritual from prior exchanges."

"In your boredom, your thoughts wander,"

"Suddenly, your brows furrow as you feel a power indescribable through language yet undeniably real pouring into your sea of consciousness, a revelation of destiny arising from the unseen."

"’I did some things in Asgard, which might stir some waves. Keep an eye on the movements of various parties, and notify me of any updates.’"

"This... is the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune?"

"Did some things—what exactly did he do?"

"Might stir some waves—what could this possibly mean?"

"While you remain puzzled, a violent tremor abruptly erupts. This God’s Fortress, formed by the nine divine countries and known as Asgard, seems to quake violently. Guided by spiritual intuition, you instinctively look toward the center region unique to the Tree Ancient God, seeing the gargantuan silhouette of an ethereal tree, seemingly tens of thousands of meters tall, holding up the skies like Yggdrasil, filling the entire world. The unstoppable wrath of divine authority sweeps through the city like a storm."

"You faintly hear a furious roar... ’Thief.’"

"Simultaneously, the low whisper of the Deceiving Apostle reaches your ears... ’Do not resist. Allow the Tree Ancient God to investigate.’"

"You take a deep breath, abandoning your original intention to resist. Your heart trembles with a creeping dread as the thought emerges... To incite the anger of Asgard’s ruler, a being of Divine Sovereign status like the Tree Ancient God, what in the world has the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune done?"

The middle region of Deceit Prison.

Reading the game text, Mr. Death couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle. Despite his game character stepping into the Extraordinary Realm, it lacks the status and even falls short of many weaker fantastical beings. To him, beings with any status qualify as remarkable figures, and a Divine Sovereign-level entity is the ultimate apex in his eyes. Even as a servant of the Deceiving Apostle for some time, he hadn’t come close to touching such heights.

Yet this player with the ID ’Dark Crow of Profane Fortune’ not only seems to have stolen substantial gains from the Tree Ancient God, provoking the wrath of a Divine Sovereign, but also managed to escape unscathed.

The sheer improbability of it all is baffling.

If the Deceit World were purely a fictional game, Mr. Death might not be so affected emotionally. After all, virtual remains virtual, and rarely touches the soul profoundly. But this game is different; the Old Roots truly exist, and the power obtained therein manifests in reality.

In other words...

The strength exhibited by the Dark Crow of Profane Fortune in the game directly correlates with his real-world power.

"Is it truly fine to cooperate with someone like this?" A sudden thought flashed through Mr. Death’s mind, sending shivers through his body. Unfortunately, the die is cast; turning back is no longer an option.

At that moment, a deep voice spoke, "Mr. Death, are you alright?"

It came from the Hermit, who noticed the collaborator’s odd behavior.

Of course, Mr. Death wouldn’t reveal his true feelings to the Hermit. Despite their partnership, vigilance was essential. "I’m fine. Let’s continue."

...

Meanwhile, within Deceit Prison.

"How are the inmates today? Any abnormal activity?" Zhou Xu entered a room after finishing the imprisonment of three Rose Faction members and casually greeted a companion.

The man displayed an exaggerated expression, "What could possibly happen? This is Deceit Prison. Out there, those people might be ruthless criminals, but in here, they’re nothing more than meek lambs... Haha, just kidding. In reality, quite a few are still scheming and actively attempting a prison break. Poor fools. They don’t realize we’re monitoring their every move; thinking about it is truly amusing."

Though his later words revealed the prisoners’ true behavior, the initial remarks still carried traces of deceit.

The abnormalities within Deceit Prison showed no signs of dissipating. On the contrary, they had intensified compared to before.

Zhou Xu kept a heavy heart but maintained his composure outwardly. After placing his jacket on a chair, he approached the computer and immediately opened his inbox. This stemmed from the lamp holder’s earlier reminder; he hoped to verify whether the higher-ups had failed to respond or if the problem stemmed from his end.

Unbeknownst to Zhou Xu, his companion had approached from behind. Watching Zhou Xu’s actions, he teased, "Reporting abnormal activity to the higher-ups regarding Deceit Prison again? Boss Zhou, if I may, you’ve some potential as a joker. Each time you sit at the computer, you wear a solemn expression, claiming you’ll report the prison’s anomalies and request support, but your emails always read ’Deceit Prison is fine, all is well, rest assured.’ The higher-ups are busy too; can’t you find a new way to mess around...?"

The companion prattled on, chastising Zhou Xu’s supposed antics. Suddenly, his words ceased abruptly, as he noticed Zhou Xu wide-eyed, pupils locked in place, with an unseen force seemingly gripping his throat.

"Boss Zhou, I-I was just joking. No need to be so scary..."

Zhou Xu spoke in a grave tone: "Are you saying every email I’ve sent to the higher-ups about Deceit Prison reports ’all is well, no anomalies’?"

The companion, having joined the Deceit Bureau for some time, had dealt with mysterious events and faced ruthless players. He wasn’t a fool; seeing Zhou Xu’s serious expression, an ominous feeling gripped him.

"That’s right. You can check your emails if you don’t believe me."

Zhou Xu didn’t hesitate and opened his inbox immediately. Sure enough, each email to the Deceit Bureau’s higher-ups was a similar report stating Deceit Prison is fine, and there are no anomalies.

"So I wasn’t immune to Deceit Prison’s abnormalities after all. In fact, I’ve been affected worse than anyone; I just hadn’t realized it."

And at that moment,

Inside one of the prison cells, a frantic voice suddenly erupted through the sound system: "Someone! Help! I need to get out of here! I must leave; Deceit Prison has issues. If I don’t leave now, I’ll die! Hurry..."

Zhou Xu and his companion exchanged glances,

It was the leader of Dark Star Moment. He, too, had sensed the aberrations of Deceit Prison.