Chapter 83 Chapter 84 Lies
In a dream, above a castle.
Jima flapped her wings, laughing incessantly as she flew.
“I’m dying of laughter, a bunch of silly fools, they even drink foot water.”
“Will the goddess pay attention to me?”
Jima felt a wave of guilt, then muttered to herself, “I can still be considered to be doing a good deed, it’s just that my methods are a bit off, what is there to be afraid of?”
After she said this, she landed on the castle and noticed a strange phenomenon.
The swirling yellow fog of rumors below was too bizarre. Before she set off, the yellow fog of rumors had already been drained to half, barely alive, but now it had surged back, intertwining green and yellow.
Jima found it hard to explain this phenomenon.
The green wind, she thought, represented the original rumors; she had studied it and successfully claimed some emerging rumors as her own.
“This does not conform to the law of conservation of energy,” Jima muttered, raising a possibility, “Could it be that the previous guess was wrong? This is not original rumors, but a form of extraordinary ability? An ability similar to mine?”
Jima instantly became alert. If this were true, then many of her previous inherent understandings could be explained as being “deceived.”
Perhaps St. John had already become a vampire, but he was very well disguised by lies, fooling everyone’s eyes. The old saint standing before them had probably long been a corpse.
Perhaps Drew was actually a healthy person…
Jima immediately dismissed the assumption that St. John was a vampire.
The reason was simple; that was too overpowered. The ability of lies is not just about saying something and it becoming true. That is an unparalleled power only possessed by a creator.
Jima understood that as long as there is a lie, there must be a way to puncture it, as long as it is punctured.
“The more people who are deceived, the more that the rumors become part of reality…” Jima slowly recited her summary of the ability of lies, lowering her head to look at the green wind sweeping past the castle below.
She immediately felt goosebumps.
The rumors represented by the green wind were that Lord Drew had become a vampire. It was likely not a naturally formed rumor but rather the rumor of another extraordinary being!
Another mixed yellow and green rumor, born with the implication that it was Jima’s own efforts: “Jima is the culprit; whether green skins or diseases, all are brought by her.”
What was the other party’s objective?
What was the other party’s extraordinary ability?
To be able to weave such a large-scale rumor, they were probably more powerful than George, at least a fifty-fifty chance.
Jima’s first reaction was to flee.
The situation was complex and dangerous; if she couldn’t fight, why not run?
She raised her head to look toward the direction of the temple, where she had previously prepared an anchor point. Utilizing her free time, she had transferred funds to the temple and also bought potion materials anonymously with the help of her lie ability, spending a full twelve hundred gold coins.
Cursed profiteers!
As long as she fled to the temple, prepared her potions, understood the promotion ceremony, and successfully leveled up, she would also be a golden deity, able to seek the fragments of the demon king’s crown, much better than staying in this perilous city.
However, that would lack someone who understood the ability of lies; George and Jenna would likely be unable to save the city, and during their retreat, they might be attacked by the behind-the-scenes mastermind, which could result in serious injury or death.
Forget it, she would at least remind them before she ran.
George and Jenna would certainly understand her; they were good people after all.
If Jenna were to die, she would feel upset for a while.
As for George? He was the son of destiny, it was impossible for him to die. Even if he did, placing a golden inscription on his grave as a memorial would be enough for her.
“Right, it’s decided.” Jima murmured to herself, “I’ll tell them that I can’t reveal my ability of ‘dream walking’ and ask them to escort me out of the city. As soon as I’m out, I’ll take a sleeping potion and escape into the dream. It’s settled.”
Not just the “dream walking” ability, it was best not to expose any ability.
With this in mind, Jima stomped her foot, and a hole appeared beneath her, leading to her room. Just as she was about to return to her body.
The dream began to shake, on the verge of collapsing.
“Jima, Jima, wake up.” George’s voice descended from above.
So late, still disturbing someone’s sleep. It’s perfect; I should tell him about my plan to escape.
Jima thought as she returned to her body.
A hand was patting her cheek. Jima opened her eyes, still feeling groggy and swatted George’s hand away, saying, “Disturbing someone’s sleep will make them age faster, George.”
“There’s something very important.”
Jima saw that George and Jenna were standing in front of her, and a semi-transparent membrane emanating a faint light enveloped the room.
George had already donned his armored clothing—a garment made of multiple layers of linen, serving as armor with cushioning and the ability to carry some armor components. The heavier armor was laid on Jenna’s bed.
Jima asked, “Are you going to launch a night attack on the green skin camp? Actually, Sister Jenna could help you put on the armor.”
“No,” George said, “there are too many big brutes beside the war boss, with cannon fodder covering us. With just the two of us, I find it hard to kill the war boss in a short time. Unless Drew sends his troops for assistance, but that traitor has already abandoned his subjects, embarking on the path of corruption. He hasn’t ventured out at all, dare not even burn the green skin siege equipment.”
“So you’re planning to assassinate Drew?”
Jenna shook her head and said, “We’re forced into this. George and I just discussed this for a long time; the temple’s reply has been delayed. I contacted St. John, but the messenger he sent is also silent.”
George couldn’t help but raise his chin and say:
“This isn’t an assassination; it’s a sanction. I want to publicly challenge him and impose a sanction. If he has become a vampire, I will execute him publicly. Lead the guards, resist the green skins. To preserve this city, it is the only course of action.”
So you discussed such a significant matter without involving me? I’ve been fighting for centuries; my experience isn’t much lower than yours!
Jima felt a surge of frustration and said, “Why didn’t you call me?”
George replied, “I thought it was unnecessary.”
Hmph, the heartless jerk!
Jenna continued, “Jima, there’s a teleportation scroll here, you should go.”
“Go?”
“Yes, it’s very dangerous here for you,” Jenna said, “We cannot guarantee your safety.”
Although this was what she wanted, Jima felt inexplicably angry.
She raised her head to look at the golden couple. The two fought side by side, and Jenna was speaking with a clear glow of happiness on her face, as if she was about to take George’s arm and step into marriage, rather than a battlefield.
That naive, brainless woman certainly thinks this proves once again that she is the indisputable main wife and is overjoyed about it.
Heh, the woman I will eventually undermine is still so proud; let’s see if you can still smile when I have you pinned beneath me.
Jima said, “You’re just looking down on me for being useless?”
Jenna smiled soothingly, “Not that, Jima, don’t throw a tantrum; the difficulty of this mission has exceeded expectations.”
“I’m not throwing a tantrum.” Jima made an effort to sound mature and fitting her true identity, “I know I haven’t contributed; in terms of preserving life, I can only defend against common attacks. If surrounded by green skins, I would eventually be stabbed to death. So far, I haven’t been of any use to the team.”
George said, “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Hmph, don’t say anymore.” Jima crossed her arms, her tail raised, saying, “It’s also just as well; I have a significant discovery to tell you, related to the behind-the-scenes mastermind.”
“What significant discovery?”
“Who do you think the mastermind is?”
George said, “It’s very likely the resurrected necromancer.”
“Then, has anyone ever seen a necromancer with their own eyes?”
“Everyone says so, and it’s not a lie.” George said, “Drew has seen him in person, bare-headed, riding a necromantic dragon, attacking his army. I asked the soldiers, many of whom witnessed it firsthand; their descriptions matched the dragon’s breath very well.”
“Have you seen any of the victims?”
“No,” George said, “but the victims are all mortals; it’s completely normal for them to lose their lives after sustaining even a little damage.”
“I discovered traces left by a supernatural ability; I call it ‘lies becoming reality,'” Jima said. “As long as a rumor is spread and enough people believe it, the rumor gains power. If its owner wishes, they can draw power from it, causing the rumor to temporarily become true.”
George fell silent for a moment, stroking his chin, asking, “So, do you suspect that some truths we believe are false? Who is false? St. John?”
“That saint, how dare I doubt him? There’s no evidence.” Jima said, “I’m talking about Drew.”
Saint Jenna spoke, “I secretly tested him; he has indeed been corroded by vampire venom. The divinity of the God of Dawn includes ‘public,’ inherently a nemesis of secrecy and falsehood.”
“Lies becoming reality,” Jima said. “Everyone in the city, including himself, believes he is transforming into a vampire.”
George said, “According to what you say, everything could be false, including a whole bunch of green skins outside the city. What difference does it make between the false and the true?”
“The false can’t last long.”
“Jima, we don’t have much time left.” George said, “The green skins are building a siege tower taller than the city walls.”
Jima fell silent for a moment; she had a method, but it was somewhat dangerous.
In the end, she decided:
“I have a way to verify this. I just need to enter his dream, check his memories, and see if the rumors outside are true. If he hasn’t been biting into people’s necks, it would indicate that the external rumors are the result of malicious intent; seeing is not necessarily believing.”
George said, “Alright.”
Heh, if I were the mastermind, I would definitely leave a trap to protect Drew’s mind, and I might be walking right into the trap.
Jima felt as if she were Gandalf, knowing that there were fire demons in the dwarven city, but still having to accompany hobbits along the way.
But George knew nothing; in his view, my ability was merely a clever trick, able to deceive a chubby, pitiful woman into causing him trouble…
Forget it, I’ll help this once, and once it’s done, I will run.
Jima lay on the bed and said, “I’m leaving now.”
“Jima, be careful,” George said, giving her a glass bead, “If you encounter any danger, smash it on the ground, and we will come to your rescue immediately.”
Jima immediately felt that the glass bead was hot to the touch. She lowered her head, hiding her moist eyes, and said, “Alright.”
Jima lay on the bed, turned towards the wall, and listened to the sound of George putting on his armor as she gradually entered the dream.
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I’ve been in good form lately; Mount & Blade II has been uninstalled. I’ve resolved to take the hardcore competition seriously. I can manage a maximum of six thousand words per day. Ah, anyway it seems not many people are investing.
