"Cipher, when did you start planning this whole scam? It wasn't all fake from the very beginning, was it?" Batrus asked her.
"How could that be? Other things can be faked, but faking emotions… that's something that can be seen through in an instant. My feelings for Derry-boy are, at the very least, more than just 'like.'"
Cipher shook her head forcefully.
"Forget Derry-boy, even with the seamstress and Big Sis Tribbie, I'd have a hard time hiding it," Cipher said, then plopped down on the ground.
She continued in a 'complaining' tone, "The last time I came to Okhema with Derry-boy, the seamstress tied me up before I could say a word. Everyone else thinks I only did so many things later because she tortured me in all sorts of ways."
"In reality, aside from the cucumber Derry-boy stuffed down my back at the beginning which gave me a scare, the seamstress didn't do anything to me. She just asked about my situation and wanted to know what I'd really been up to all these years. You know me, I can't stand that kind of thing, and I was also afraid of exposing my own affairs, so I quickly ran off, saying I'd help her with her work."
"My deception absolutely cannot be exposed," Cipher said with a determined tone.
Batrus asked curiously, "Then why did you keep telling that kid Derick that you were the most desperate one to get rid of your own Titan of Deceit energy?"
"Because that fits my persona perfectly! In the eyes of outsiders, I, Cipher, the demigod of the Titan of Deceit, am the most cowardly and afraid of death, just like the Titan of Deceit himself…"
As she spoke, Batrus hummed a proud little tune, shaking his head.
"Doing everything I can to stay alive is the only thing I should be doing," Cipher continued. "Therefore, upon seeing Derry-boy's ability, I had to act that way. Besides, isn't it fun to tease Derry-boy and Castorice?"
"I really don't understand you humans' emotions." Batrus shook his head even more vigorously.
"Hey, according to Poli, in the last world, you weren't a Titan either, you were also a Chrysos Heir. Maybe back then, you also had your own emotions? Batrus, or should I say… Zagreus."
If an outsider had heard Cipher's words, they would have been utterly shocked. Before Derick's arrival, if a Titan gave away their Core Flame, they would inevitably fall. Cipher had become a demigod a thousand years ago. In the eyes of the world, Zagreus had fallen a thousand years ago.
But to say now that Zagreus, who was thought to have fallen, was actually alive and well… it would surely stun anyone.
Cipher, in the trial to become a demigod all those years ago, had deceived everyone, allowing the Titan of Deceit, Zagreus, to successfully survive, living on to this day as the Spirithief, Batrus.
"My current identity and strength are no longer worthy of the name Zagreus. You should just call me Batrus; it sounds better to my ears. Even if you say I was human in a past life, I lost all my memories after becoming a Titan. And even if I had memories…"
"How could anyone possibly like a coward like me?"
"Yes, how could anyone possibly like a coward," Cipher sighed. Seeing her like this, Batrus couldn't resist the urge to punch her in the head to snap her out of it.
But just as he raised his fist, Cipher decked him, sending him to the ground.
"That trick of knocking sense into people's heads doesn't work on me. If you have something to say, say it properly. If you try to lecture me like an elder again, I'll hit you even harder next time."
"I know, I know! You girl, why are you so different from everyone else!" Batrus said, rubbing his stomach.
"I was just trying to say, when it comes to courage, in all of Okhema, or even all of Amphoreus, no one is stronger than you." Batrus looked towards the distant Okhema, at the dawn in the distance, and said slowly, "No one would ever imagine that the entire dawn of Okhema right now is born from the lie of a little girl like you."
"Hmph!" A very proud smile spread across Cipher's lips.
At the same time, her mind couldn't help but drift back to a scene from a thousand years ago:
A thousand years ago, she wasn't the slick veteran she was today. On the contrary, she was just a rookie thief with a bit of cunning and craftiness. At the same time, she harbored a deep sense of inferiority. Even becoming a Chrysos Heir was a huge surprise to her. She had originally thought that only beautiful and noble women like Aglaea could become Chrysos Heirs, shouldering the responsibility of saving the world. How could a little thief like her possibly save the world?
By deceiving, by stealing… how could that save the world?
But she still inherited the Core Flame of Zagreus and became the demigod of the Titan of Deceit.
She didn't think much of it at first. Zagreus's power was lies, which only worked if others believed them. Even if she deceived everyone into thinking there would be no death or discord, people wouldn't believe it, so her lies would be useless.
At that time, Cipher didn't know what she could do.
So she continued her life as a thief. Occasionally, she would visit Aglaea and Tribbie, watching them devote their strength to the Flamechase Journey to save the world, which made Cipher feel even more useless.
One day, she received news that the Worldstone Gem, which had fallen from Kephale's Dawn Machine, was in the bedchamber of the head priest at Kephale's seminary.
Stealing that thing would really show how capable she, Cipher, was.
And so, Cipher disguised herself as an apprentice priest, infiltrated Kephale's seminary, and began to lay low, trying to find a trace of the Worldstone Gem.
After more than half a year of infiltration, pushing her cat-like brain to its limits, Cipher finally managed to sneak into the head priest's bedchamber and successfully found the precious treasure inside.
Just as she was contentedly preparing to leave, the head priest discovered her. But the gravely ill head priest mistook her for his most prized disciple.
Being mistaken like this, Cipher was naturally happy to play along. After exchanging a few words with the head priest in her disguise, he told her a secret.
Before the Worldbearing Titan Kephale fell into slumber, he had once told the head priest:
[The oracle has been delivered, and my mission shall end. Henceforth, I shall fall into silence. The eternal night will come, but for the next three hundred years, the dawn shall grace the holy city, awaiting only the golden-blooded child to work a miracle.]
Hearing the first half, Cipher was unfazed. Titans falling into slumber and the like were old news. But when she heard the second half, she froze.
Three hundred years? Kephale's dawn could only sustain Okhema for three hundred years.
What about after three hundred years? Would the world plunge into darkness?
Cipher knew very well that with the abilities of the Chrysos Heirs, it was impossible to complete the Flamechase Journey in three hundred years. The citizens of Okhema, upon hearing such a countdown on their lives, would fall into complete panic. In that case, the completion of the Flamechase Journey would be even more out of reach.
This information cannot be told to the people…
At that moment, Cipher suddenly felt that her presence in the head priest's bedchamber was an act of fate.
Seamstress, you always said I had the potential to be a good person, even a hero in everyone's eyes.
Now, it is my time to become a hero!
Using lies, the tricks she learned on the streets, and the power of the much-maligned Titan of Deceit.
To become a hero. To shoulder the future of all of Amphoreus.
And so, she disguised herself as the head priest's most outstanding disciple, the heir to the next priesthood, and announced loudly to everyone:
[The eternal night will come, but the Dawn Machine will grace the holy city, until forever!]
Kephale could only sustain Okhema's dawn for three hundred years, but she, Cipher, would make that dawn last continuously.
Seeing the hope in the eyes of the people of Okhema, Cipher, worried that someone would see through her lie, chose to leave Okhema, to leave the seamstress and Big Sis Tribbie, and to live alone so no one would discover her deception.
Until a thousand years later, when she was hired by the Council of Elders to take away a boy who could get close to Castorice.
After reliving the memories from over a thousand years ago, Cipher, thinking back on the lie she had told, couldn't help but place her hands on her hips in pride.
"Derry-boy doesn't even think about it. How could the power of Discord possibly enhance the ability of the Worldbearing Titan? It had to be the power of the Titan of Deceit, who also belongs to the three Titans of Calamity. His energy is what could, to some extent, enhance the power of my lie."
Batrus added from the side, "It's more than just that, isn't it? Simply increasing energy can't expand the range of your lie, can it? There must be something else."
"That's true. From that day on, I knew he was no ordinary person. The extent of his own belief was comparable to the belief of all of Okhema combined. At that time, he believed his power could reach that level, and with just a small lie in my heart, it really happened," Cipher said to Batrus.
"What!? He alone could do that?!" Batrus was also surprised.
Cipher nodded. "Yes. So if Derry-boy were a gullible, sweet fool, we would have teamed up and ruled all of Amphoreus by now. Alas, what a pity. He's not a fool, and he has a very deep understanding of common sense."
"Deceiving him is no easy task."
As she spoke, a crafty expression once again appeared on Cipher's face, like a cat that had just caught a large fish from a lake.
"And now, I have to tell the next lie, to deceive him and everyone else."
Looking at the disguised Core Flame of the Titan of Deceit, Cipher's tone was proud.
"Pretending it's the Titan of Deceit, but in reality, it's the power and Core Flame of the Worldbearing Titan being infused into Derry-boy's body. The whole world, not even Derry-boy himself, will know that the Core Flame of the Worldbearing Titan is inside him."
"I really want to see the look on Derry-boy's face when he's been using the power of the Titan of Deceit all this time, only for the lie to be exposed one day. On that day, I'll have to laugh at him properly. Yoo-hoo, how about that? Was my lie interesting?"
Batrus watched Cipher speechlessly from the side.
"You, right now, are acting just like the villainess in those picture books who's about to get pinned down and ravaged."
Cipher slapped Batrus hard. "Hey, aren't you a Titan? How can you have such mortal thoughts?"
"Before I became a Titan, I was also a Chrysos Heir of flesh and blood!" Batrus retorted, turning Cipher's earlier words back on her.
"Well, you still don't get it," Cipher said stubbornly.
But her mind couldn't help but think of Derick's somewhat excessive stats.
If she were to be pinned down by him…
The kitty's going to be torn apart! Cipher thought, a faint blush creeping onto her face.
As her thoughts wandered, Batrus continued, "But speaking of which, you're not doing this just to deceive Derick, are you? What other ideas do you have? Tell me everything, so I can help you when the time comes."
"There's not much to say. I just want Derry-boy to nurture the Worldbearing Titan's Core Flame, just like he's nurturing the others. My lie will be exposed sooner or later. And when that time comes, it will be up to Derry-boy to hold up Okhema's new dawn."
Batrus strongly agreed with Cipher's words.
"That's true. The power of the Worldbearing Titan is unlike any other. If that Flame-Reaver finds out about Derick's situation, even if Derick self-destructs, he would still come and try to snatch the Core Flame."
"Derry-boy doesn't have enough Oracle's Prophecies on him right now; it's not stable enough. What if someone can meet the death conditions for Discord, Death, Reason, and so on? For now, I'm telling everyone it's the Titan of Deceit. If someone actually fulfills the conditions for the Titan of Deceit, I'll announce at the last moment that the power within him is actually the Worldbearing Titan's."
"And, I've also preserved my own power of the Titan of Deceit. One day in the future, it might come in handy."
Cipher's expression grew even more proud.
"When that time comes, I'll proudly tell Derry-boy that the abilities of this thousand-year-old demigod are not something a newcomer like him, who has only been a demigod for a short time, can achieve."
"Alright, you win. Wait, that's Derick in the distance. He's back. We should get ready." Batrus looked into the distance, saw Derick returning, and quickly reminded Cipher.
"I know." Cipher nodded, then waited with Batrus for Derick's arrival.
Seeing Cipher and Batrus, Derick felt a small sense of relief. He had sensed that Cipher was hiding another secret, but because he was focused on obtaining the devouring power from his clone, he had put more of his attention on guarding against Cipher's possible prying.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and he had successfully obtained the ability to devour Titan energy from his first clone.
Cipher walked up to Derick and asked with a smile, "So now, Derry-boy, can you devour my Titan power?"
"Let's rest a little longer." Derick replied to Cipher.
This time, he really wanted to rest, to adjust his state, and then welcome the authority and energy of the Titan of Deceit in his best condition.
"Alright then. Do you want something to eat? Mydei's special cuisine."
"That would be for the best. Wait, how do you have Mydei's cooking?"
"I stole it, of course! You think I have the thick skin you and Castorice have?" Cipher righteously handed the dessert to Derick.
"Can you not talk about theft so openly?"
"So what!" Cipher scoffed, picking up a fish-shaped dessert and starting to eat it with big bites.
Derick couldn't be bothered to argue and silently ate the food Cipher handed him.
After they finished eating, Cipher stretched. She lazily tried to lean against Derick, but just as she did, he quickly sidestepped. Cipher leaned into empty air and fell onto the ground.
"Derick, you rascal!" Cipher let out a 'meow' and pounced at Derick.
Derick quickly dodged and blocked. But Cipher's movements were agile, and it wasn't so easy for him to evade. Subduing her wasn't easy either, mainly because Cipher was both shameless and unscrupulous. When Derick tried to pin her down, she would just press her chest against his hand.
Derick naturally didn't want to take such an advantage.
After being tormented by this tactic for a while, Cipher finally wrapped her arms around Derick's neck, burying his head in her chest.
Being buried like this, Cipher, who had been teasing him, also froze for a moment. But she quickly recovered, sticking out her cat-like tongue to lick Derick's cheek.
"Derry-boy, just give in to me! Ouch, ouch, I was wrong…"
Since they were already in such close contact, Derick didn't hold back anymore and swiftly subdued Cipher.
"Big Sis Cipher right now is a classic cheeky brat!" Batrus said, shaking his head from the side.
Looking at Cipher's pert bottom, Derick resisted the urge to swat it for a long moment. In that brief hesitation, Cipher seized the opportunity to pinch his cheek.
Derick couldn't tolerate that. He retaliated by giving Cipher's bottom a smack.
With a crisp sound, Cipher's triumphant smile instantly froze.
Derick, whose many gal-games had not prepared him for this, cleared his throat and quickly said to Cipher, "Ahem, let's just absorb the Titan's energy."
"Okay!" Cipher smiled and stood up, handing the giant magnet to Derick.
"Come on, Derry-boy, let's begin the absorption."
"Mhm."
Following Cipher's instructions, Derick took the magnet and made a sucking motion. Soon, he felt a power from Cipher's body transferring to him.
So this is the power of the Titan of Deceit? It really is unlike any other ability. Mysterious, and bizarre.
Derick thought to himself as he absorbed the energy.
Soon, his body was filled with the fourth type of Titan's power. The Core Flame also left Cipher's side and moved into Derick's body. As the flame entered his body, Cipher said to him, "Alright, Derry-boy, now you can try the power of the Titan of Deceit."
The power of the Titan of Deceit…
Derick thought silently.
Lies, deception. To deceive everyone, and even to deceive oneself.
As he thought this, a coin appeared out of thin air in his hand.
"Wait, Derry-boy, you grasped it that quickly!?" Seeing the coin appear, Cipher couldn't help but widen her eyes.
The super speed of the Titan of Deceit required one to believe they could do it. When she had first mastered the power, she hadn't shown such proficiency.
What's more…
As Cipher was thinking, she saw the coin land on Derick's palm. In the next second, Derick's entire person appeared on a building a hundred meters away.
"He really has confidence in himself," Cipher said to herself.
In the next second, Derick reappeared beside Cipher.
"Now that I've obtained the super speed of the Titan of Deceit, my weakness in speed has been covered. But while I've mastered speed, I still need to properly try out the other aspects," Derick said to Cipher.
The Titan of Deceit required deception, required telling lies to others. This was something Derick's personality simply couldn't do. How could a kind and upright young man like him do something like deceiving people!
Derick thought to himself.
Cipher crossed her arms. "That won't do. You need to train that aspect. How about when we get back to Okhema, I'll teach you how to deceive people!"
"We'll start with children, swindling the candy from their hands…"
"Are you even human?" Derick couldn't help but retort upon hearing Cipher's idea.
"That's what you call a trickster's professional standards."
Cipher was not the least bit ashamed.
Derick waved his hand, rejecting her proposal. That's a job for you.
But thinking about his own secrets, he felt that it wouldn't take long for him to completely master the abilities of the Titan of Deceit. After all, in a way, he had also been telling lies, deceiving everyone in Okhema.
At the same time, now that he had obtained the power of the Titan of Deceit, Derick could also use his clone to devour the Black Tide. Even if the power of the Black Tide entered his body, he could use lies to conceal it. Or at least make the people and Aglaea believe he didn't have it.
"Giving the power of the Titan of Deceit to you is such a waste," Cipher, unaware of Derick's thoughts, was still complaining about his kindness.
Derick said to Cipher, "If you say that again, I'm not taking you back to Okhema."
"I just gave you my power, and you're abandoning me just like that? Isn't that a bit too scummy? That's not a case of 'love 'em and leave 'em,' is it?"
"Are you coming back or not? I'm returning to Okhema now, so Castorice and the others don't worry."
Derick couldn't be bothered to argue with her.
"I'm coming, of course I'm coming. It would be so tragic for me to be stranded here all alone!" Cipher quickly jumped into Derick's arms, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
_____
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