The Ascendance Deceiver

Let the Game Begins

As Alayn contemplated how to convey his intentions and address the matter of his bloodlust to Serene, Aria's voice resounded once again.

"And finally, for the last but not least, the god supporting Mr. Mortis," she said, casting a glance in Mortis's direction. "Well, this is also quite a complicated situation," she continued, wearing a wry yet innocent smile.

"What do you mean?" Mortis asked, his expression one of puzzlement.

"You see, Solarael did tell me the name of your god and the domain he is in charge of, but I didn't understand a single word he said," Aria explained, her smile still present.

"What do you mean you didn't understand?" Luvern inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"I mean, I do remember what he said, but I didn't comprehend the meaning behind the words," Aria clarified, her wry smile unwavering.

"Allow me to share what he said. Even though I didn't understand it, I can still repeat those words, or rather, the sounds that resembled words," Aria continued, shifting her gaze to the other players. With their nods of acknowledgement, she began to articulate the sounds that seemed like words.

"He said Mr. Mortis's god is '&$%$#%'—the god of $%##$$%."

"Huh? Wait, I truly didn't understand what she said," Alayn expressed his confusion. It seemed that she had uttered words that had no existence in this world. Although he perceived the sounds, they carried no discernible meaning.

"Right~. Good to see that I wasn't the only one. Well, I asked him what that was all about, and Solarael said that I would understand the moment I leave the waiting hall," Aria explained with a slight sigh.

"Wait, what do you mean you didn't understand? It was crystal clear to me what she said," Mortis replied, his face displaying a mix of confusion and shock. As he spoke, his expression suddenly shifted, as if he had finally found an answer to a long-standing question.

"Do you actually know what those words meant? Did you discover something?" Luvern asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes, I found out something. But it will be difficult to explain it here, and I doubt you would even grasp the significance of the '$%#' I received from Solarael, even if I showed it to you," Mortis replied with a sigh.

"Now I'm even more curious," Alayn thought to himself, his intrigue growing as to what this unnamable object from Solarael could be.

"Well, Solarael did mention that we would understand it once we leave this place and enter the game, so perhaps it's not something we need to figure out here," Luvern remarked, though his expression hinted at a certain level of discontent.

"Yes, you're right. I don't think we'll be able to uncover the answer, even if we tried. If it's not meant for us to know at this moment, then it's best to focus on what lies ahead," Aria agreed, offering a slight nod.

"Well they got a point, If gods don't want us to know about something they must have the ability to hide it from us." Alayn mused silently.

As they concluded Aria's question and the answer she received, it was finally time for Mortis to share the question he had asked.

"Well, as for my question, I inquired of Solarael whether there were any additional limitations or possibilities for modifying our abilities, beyond the potential restrictions, And if I could add any option or editing to my ability" Mortis revealed, his hands casually resting in his pockets.

"Holy sh*t, that's literally the same question I was going to ask Solarael," Alayn silently exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief and excitement flooding over him. It felt as if his luck had taken a favorable turn, as if his god was the deity of good fortune rather than deception and trickery.

Alayn had contemplated asking this very question himself, but he held back, sensing that someone else in the group would have the same curiosity about their extraordinary abilities. He anticipated that others would utilize their one-time questions to inquire about the nature of their powers.

Although he didn't receive the answer he desired from Aidan's question, his restraint had paid off. Thanks to Mr. Mortis, he was able to conserve his own credits and still gain the insight he sought.

Now, as Mortis revealed his question, Alayn's attention perked up. The possibilities of modifying his own ability intrigued him. He had always wondered if there was a way to enhance or customize his copied abilities, perhaps extending the duration to ten seconds instead of a one-time usage of 20%. Alayn eagerly awaited Mortis' response, hoping that Solarael had shed light on the potential for such alterations.

"And as for the answer, Solarael clarified that our abilities are restricted within the confines of the Cosmo shop, but there are no other limitations unless we encounter an ability specifically designed to counter ours, And we can do something like editing our ability a bit but we should pay credits like 100 for a really little edit and we have to get consent from our superior for some reason," Mortis concluded his explanation.

"Hmm, well, I anticipated the 'should pay credits' part. But the requirement of obtaining consent from our superior adds an intriguing twist, doesn't it? Oh well, I'm confident that my superior wouldn't mind. I'm preparing to give him a grand performance, after all," Alayn chuckled inwardly, a mischievous spark in his eyes. He nonchalantly held his lower lip with his right hand, casting a sly glance upward, as if plotting his next move.

And Alayn also arrived at the conclusion that the waiting hall they were in was likely not considered a part of the Cosmo shop. The fact that Aria was able to utilize her beauty ability within the confines of the hall supported this assumption. It seemed that certain restrictions applied specifically to the shop itself, while the waiting hall existed in a different realm, unaffected by those limitations. Alayn couldn't help but wonder what other surprises awaited them beyond the boundaries of the Cosmo shop.

With their discussion concluded, a few minutes passed before a mesmerizing voice, ethereal and mysterious, resonated within their minds. It was the voice of the angel Viviana, speaking directly to their thoughts.

"Hey~ I hope you all can hear me clearly. Now that everyone's first transactions are complete, you can leave the waiting halls. However, keep in mind that once you exit, you won't be able to reenter until the first phase of the game is concluded. You will receive information about the first phase and the Kodoku directly in your minds upon leaving. The protective mind barrier around you will slightly diminish, allowing some exposure to confusion and challenges, but only to a tolerable extent. We wouldn't want you to succumb to depression, after all ehehe~. So, players, let us commence the first phase of the Kodoku game: the Battle of Seven Versus Seven. It's time to weed out the potential crops. Let the game begins~."

With that, Viviana's enchanting voice faded away, leaving only a faint echo of its beauty lingering in their minds.

As Viviana's voice faded into the distance, a low rumble reverberated through the air, originating from the majestic golden doors. With a subtle grumble, the doors swung open, revealing the outside world to the seven players. They stood in awe as their eyes took in the sight of partially dilapidated and overgrown buildings, a world that seemed to have undergone a slight decay.

Acknowledging each other's presence with nods of determination, the players stepped forward, crossing the threshold of the majestic golden door. Alayn's earlier intuition proved correct: this space was not a part of the Cosmo shop but rather the actual game venue itself. The door served as a gateway to the outside world.

Taking the lead, Mortis strode confidently through the doorway, followed closely by Aidan, their expressions resolute and focused. Luvern, with Serene holding his hand, joined them, their steps filled with determination. And finally, the remaining three players, including Alayn, followed suit, stepping out into the unknown realm beyond the golden door.

As the seven players emerged from the waiting hall, Alayn cast a lingering gaze behind him, only to find that the hall had vanished without a trace. In its place stood the doorway they had just passed through, seemingly suspended in mid-air like a rift in the fabric of reality. The mysterious tear in the doorframe slowly faded away, leaving no sign of its existence.

With the disappearance of the doors, a surge of information flooded the minds of each player. The details of the first phase of the game unfolded within their consciousness, as if implanted directly into their thoughts. They now possessed a clear understanding of what awaited them in this initial stage of the game.

[ Players should wipeout another team completely or survive till the timer hits zero and pay the designated amount of credits to complete the first phase of the game ]

[ The body condition of every player, including light and heavy injuries, will get reset at every midnight, except for foreign objects entering inside the players' bodies. This effect will not apply to dead players. ]

[ Hunger and thirst would still affect the players. The players could buy necessary foods and drinks through the Cosmo shop or find them in the wild. ]

[ The starting point of every team's player would be within a one-kilometer radius of two other teams. ]

Information of the 7v7 battle appeared one after another in Alayn's mind. And the final piece of information revealed the mystery behind the name of Mortis's god.

[ Buying guns from the Cosmo shop is prohibited from now on ]

"..."

Alayn was shocked by the information that appeared in his mind. "How did I forget about guns? It's as if the word itself had been deleted from my mind. Why just guns? I was able to think about explosives. Ah, right. I was focusing on explosions through chemical reactions, which must be why," Alayn contemplated silently. The complete absence of guns from his memory startled him.

As he pondered this, Mortis's god's name came to his mind. "Artemis, the goddess of marksman. Pfft... What the hell? Since when did she become a marksman? Wasn't she supposed to be the goddess of archery? Did her authority change during the Renaissance period? Talk about an upgrade! Hahaha..." Alayn chuckled inwardly, struggling to contain his amusement.

Realization dawned on Alayn. The power of Apollo, the god of the mind, had likely erased the word "gun" from every player's thoughts, except for Mortis. Apollo's influence was the reason none of the players on their team, except for Mortis, could think of the words "gun" or "marksman." Alayn remembered Mortis mentioning that they wouldn't understand even if he showed them the gun he obtained from Solarael.

"That means he has a freaking gun," Alayn remarked inwardly, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and fear. He realized Mortis could be considered one of the most powerful players in the entire game, armed with the most potent weapon a human could easily handle.

"I want that gun," Alayn thought to himself, his desire to obtain the weapon intensifying.