CHAPTER 329: CHAPTER 290: COMPENSATION_2

Yang Qizhou thought to himself, secretly hoping that the ’Secret Cultivator’ would accept this proposal.

On the other side.

The ’Lamp Holder’ actually apologized. Given the disparity in our power levels, he had absolutely no need to do so.

The Secret Cultivator widened her eyes in disbelief.

In her view, this unique unregistered S-tier player from the Deceit Bureau was terrifying, arrogant, and imbued with a twisted sense of humor while looking down on everything. Although he had broken their agreement and personally severed the hope of reaching the ’House of Truth,’ not only would he not feel any remorse, but he wouldn’t even make any sort of explanation. To him, such behavior was as natural as breathing.

But now, the ’Lamp Holder’ not only apologized but also offered a ’Quasi-legendary’ magical item as compensation...

Wait, wait! A ’Quasi-legendary’? And a magical item?

The Secret Cultivator finally realized the significance, and her breathing grew rapid.

A Quasi-legendary—she didn’t yet fully understand the hierarchy of Divinity positions, but she was well aware that such an item was powerful enough to contend with moderately strong divine beings, especially given that this was a ’magical item’ with no drawbacks or negative effects.

Even she, the founder of the ’Secret Cultivation Society’ and a top-tier player in the ’Deceit World,’ only possessed one ’Epic’-grade item. However, it was an ancient object with profoundly terrifying side effects.

In an instant, the Secret Cultivator was about to agree, but her formidable self-control held her impulse in check.

"’Lamp Holder,’ sir, what is the second compensation option?"

She actually resisted. I thought for sure she would eagerly agree right away. Yang Qizhou’s eyes briefly glimmered with a subtle hint of approval before he said, "The second compensation option: I will help you find a way to ascend to godhood and do everything within my power to help you become a ’divine being.’"

The Secret Cultivator hesitated, not immediately responding...

"I recommend choosing the first option—godhood is ephemeral and elusive. It might be found in a day, a year, or it might never be discovered at all. This option is like trying to catch the moon in water. On the other hand, while the [Golden Law Book] is only a ’Quasi-legendary’ magical item and its effects place substantial limitations on the user, it still gives you enough confidence to face lower-position divine beings,"

"Of course,"

"It’s just my suggestion. Ultimately, the choice is yours."

After saying this, Yang Qizhou was certain that the ’Secret Cultivator’ would choose the [Golden Law Book]. After all, this compensation was tangible and firmly graspable, rather than the abstract uncertainty of ascending to godhood.

What decision should she make... The first compensation option was clearly a guaranteed benefit—a ’Quasi-legendary’ magical item, more than enough to offset any loss. Yet, in comparison, the second compensation option was more enticing. Ascending to ’Divinity’ meant becoming part of the universal order itself. Unless killed by external force, one would no longer have mortal limits... But who could guarantee that the ’Lamp Holder’ would truly dedicate himself to the search? Wait, no—if he intended to deceive me, he wouldn’t need to offer a ’Quasi-legendary’ magical item in the first place...

The Secret Cultivator silently deliberated for a few seconds before raising her head, her gaze resolute as she said, "I choose the second compensation option..."

"Oh, the first one... Huh?"

Yang Qizhou had just been about to hand over the [Golden Law Book] when his eyes suddenly widened. Forcing himself to suppress his disbelief, he spoke as calmly as possible: "Are you sure you’re willing to wait an indeterminate amount of time to find the ’method to ascend to godhood’?"

"Yes."

The Secret Cultivator nodded decisively.

Yang Qizhou shrugged. "Of course, it’s your choice. But I’m curious—why would you pick a method for ’godhood’ that is so elusive, rather than a concrete, immediate benefit like the [Golden Law Book]?"

Indeed.

Anyone else would choose the tangible benefits of the [Golden Law Book], wouldn’t they?

As thoughts swirled through his mind, a faintly contented smile appeared on the Secret Cultivator’s face. "Because you are the ’Lamp Holder.’ Your power is so fearsome that even ’Divine Beings’ are terrified of it. Finding a way to ascend to godhood may be an improbable feat for others, but for you, it’s merely a matter of time."

"You trust me that much?" Yang Qizhou’s spirits lifted, a smile forming at the corners of his lips.

The Secret Cultivator nodded firmly,

"Of course."

...

The ’God of Justice’ was already dead, and the narrative thread leading to the ’House of Truth’ had naturally been severed. As a result, there was no need to continue refreshing the ’Land of Prayer Light’ dungeon. Once her game character respawned in ’Black Stone Town,’ the ’Secret Cultivator’ quickly left the villa.

Before she departed, she did not forget to remind Yang Qizhou of the compensation he owed her.

"This woman... Her obsession with godhood runs deep. Even knowing about the ’Divine Curse’... Oh right, she learned about the Divine Curse before the Evil God’s second offensive in the ’Land of Prayer Light,’ which wasn’t reset by the [Dark Crow of Profane Fortune]’s replay. Of course, she would still remember... Yet she still chose to reject the [Golden Law Book] and opted for the second form of compensation..."

"Honestly, this place feels so hollow... It’s too big to live in alone—I guess it’s not as wonderful as one might imagine."

"I’m kind of hungry."

"When’s the chef coming to make dinner?"

As he muttered to himself, Yang Qizhou stretched lazily, exited the game interface, and put away his phone, deciding not to continue playing for now.

With unlimited free respawns thanks to the ’Destiny Fire Bottle,’ there were no constraints in that regard. However, the [Dark Crow of Profane Fortune] had already been used four times today. Per his usual strategy, leaving one usage in reserve for emergencies, he would have to wait until just before midnight to use the final replay and resume gameplay.

Pouring himself a glass of cola, Yang Qizhou sat down on the sofa, reflecting on the recent narrative developments.

"The ’Land of Prayer Light’ storyline is currently on hold. The overall gains have been decent—[Destiny Replay], [Old Roots of Profanation from the Lord of Blasphemy], [Pure Void Attribute], [Emblem of Justice], among other items. There’s also the ’Dota Clan’ ruins and the ’Truth Hut,’ two locations that might prove useful... Stirring the pot while remaining unaffected is a strategy these game characters are well-versed in."

"Then there’s the King of Virtue’s holy relic, the [Chain of Mercy]. According to the lore, it’s in the hands of a Fallen God in the ’Land of Challenge’... Who knows how many attempts it’ll take to encounter that divine being."

"Next is the ’Deceiving Apostle’s’ ascension ritual. They’ve been preparing for it for a long time, and with the sudden demise of the Demon Lord masquerading as the Iron Blood Ancient God, the waters have been stirred. Perhaps the related storyline will soon unfold, requiring my character to return to ’Asgard’ and engage in a battle of wits with the ’Tree Ancient God.’"

"Oh, and there’s the ’Wisdom God.’ According to the ’Gate City’ narrative, the Wisdom God ventured to the ’City of Ten Thousand Gods,’ where the Three Ancient God Kings reside... But here’s the strange part: based on the assassination of the ’God of Justice,’ the statuses of the Three Ancient God Kings seem to have some issues. This might indicate a terrifying and unknown upheaval in the ’City of Ten Thousand Gods.’ The Wisdom God’s absence without word—could they have encountered misfortune?"

"There’s also the matter of Little Beanie. Honestly, the waters of the ’Nameless Land’ run too deep. Maybe I should warn her to stop probing into the mysteries of the ’Mysterious Town,’ lest she bring misfortune upon herself."

"And, of course, my promise to help the ’Secret Cultivator’ ascend to godhood."

"When you add it all up, there’s quite a lot to address."

...

The Deceit Prison.

Thick concrete walls reinforced with high-grade cement sealed the space tightly. Mysterious symbols from mysticism were etched all over the walls. There were no windows, and ventilation relied solely on a mechanical system. Every three meters hung a dimly lit, swaying lamp that cast an eerie ambiance.

In Cell 107, six egregiously guilty ’Deceit World’ players were imprisoned. Five of them were huddled together, scheming about how to escape. Occasionally, disputes and fights would break out. Only one person abstained from participating, lounging comfortably on the bed.

He glanced at the plotters, a trace of disdain flickering in his eyes...

"Idiots. The world out there is so dangerous. Isn’t it better to stay here?"