Death Game: Starting as a Trickster, Pretending to Be a God

From beginning to end, the arbitrator never appeared at the Healing Station.

This so-called ”arbitrator” was actually Stiller in disguise, who had slipped out under Lin Yu’s instructions.

As an artificial human and an ”experienced combatant,” Stiller naturally had a tall, lean build with well-defined muscles, so playing the part of a Blood Rakshasa wasn’t strange at all.

The paint on his body was provided by Hannah.

The animal hide covering his key areas, the beast skull helmet, and the white bone staff were all pieced together by Stiller from the remains of the two giant beasts Lin Yu had killed yesterday, after he returned to their location.

As for casually ”dispelling” the confusion effect on everyone present, that was handled with Old Zheng’s help—the confusion inflicted by 『Twenty』 relied on the Psychological Society’s item, the 【Arrogant Tongue】.

Old Zheng, of course, had a method to break it.

Even though he was just a brain in a jar, Twenty wasn’t exactly a legitimate user of the item either.

So, saying the ”arbitrator” from earlier was solely played by Stiller isn’t entirely accurate.

In practice, the performers should be considered Stiller, Hannah, and Old Zheng—all three of them!

And since even the arbitrator was fake, the subsequent scene of the ”Rakshasa battling the arbitrator” was naturally a complete performance by just two people.

With Lin Yu’s current strength, even though his physical power was already terrifying, if a real arbitrator were to show up...

Lin Yu still didn’t have full confidence he could defeat his opponent.

Moreover, if it were a real fight...

Lin Yu had no confidence he could deliver a fight scene that would feel ”shocking” and ”convincing” to those 『Second Tier』 Players and the battle-hardened Blood Rakshasas and Barbarians.

His strength ultimately couldn’t create a chasm-like gap compared to the people present—but this fact didn’t align with the image of the ”Rakshasa’s” strength that Lin Yu wanted to implant in their minds.

So...

Lin Yu, of course, chose to fake the fight!

With the assistance of Hannah and Old Zheng, plus Stiller, a close-quarters combat expert, creating a deeply convincing fake fight was relatively easy.

While Lin Yu wasn’t that knowledgeable about combat, he understood stagecraft, performance, and action choreography!

To fake it, he didn’t need to be a master proficient in combat techniques—Lin Yu’s role was closer to that of an ”action director.”

And he had read quite a few books, theories, and biographies related to action direction as supplements to his own ”performances.”

Thus, with the help of Hannah and Old Zheng, a sufficiently ”high-level” action performance was presented within the Healing Station.

”It also helped that it was a tent with mediocre lighting conditions, almost like a stage itself,” Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief. ”If it were somewhere with narrow terrain and bright, clear lighting, it would have been really hard to design!”

After all, this impromptu action performance didn’t give Lin Yu time to prepare any 【items】 or the like.

If the lighting were good, someone with sharp eyes might have seen through the act.

And if the terrain were narrow...

If they bumped into some obstacle nearby and couldn’t even leave a deep dent, the terrifying speed and force they were trying to convey through ”sound and fury” and Hannah’s ”special effects” would have been completely exposed.

But thankfully...

Everything was perfect!

Not only did no one suspect this ”performance,” it left a deep impression on every single ”audience member”!

Lin Yu knew this clearly.

Because the evidence was the massive amount of 『belief』 currently surging forth continuously.

That 『belief』 empowered Lin Yu, filling him with confidence.

”Ha, looks like I might even have a talent for being a martial arts actor...”

He thought lightheartedly.

Of course...

All this performance, all this fraud, was actually built on one prerequisite.

The ”arbitrator” didn’t come.

This condition was also why everyone subconsciously chose to believe Lin Yu’s deception without any suspicion.

Even with two clever people like Fern and Twenty present, Lin Yu didn’t feel any ”doubt” shaking his lies and fraud.

The reason was simple: whether they were Players or natives, whether sharp or not, everyone could recognize the most basic logic.

If he was impersonating an arbitrator, wouldn’t the real arbitrator show up and expose him?

So, no one would even consider the possibility of ”impersonating an arbitrator.”

But...

Lin Yu had, of course, thought of this point.

Or, in a sense, this was the very core of his deception.

Everyone assumed the arbitrator would come.

But in reality...

The so-called ”arbitrator” would never come.

Arbitrators only arrived when anomalies or major rule violations occurred.

Lin Yu took a glass jar from his chest. A small flame danced inside it.

At the flame’s core, a beautiful solid crystal nucleus was enveloped.

He unscrewed the jar’s lid, and the flame rose up.

”You really managed to bring me out... impressive, Rakshasa!”

The flame Monster named ”Shuo” materialized a face, speaking excitedly.

The earlier gunshot was just a threat and a cover.

What truly happened in that darkness wasn’t murder...

It was a transaction!

Lin Yu had to thank Fern for laying such a good foundation: that clever 『Fraudster』’s habitual deception and communication had led Lin Yu to learn a crucial piece of information about the Flame Monster.

This creature wasn’t here voluntarily;it yearned for ”freedom.”

In fact, Fern had even accidentally made the Flame Monster develop ”belief” that he could bring it freedom!

And once this foundation of belief appeared, regardless of whether he actually had the ability, Lin Yu could use his 『Fraudster』 ability to turn it into reality.

As one of the ”arbitrators,” ”Shuo” naturally knew under what conditions the other arbitrators would arrive.

Someone violating the rules, or its own death, would both cause other arbitrators to come to the Healing Station.

However, all rule violations at the Healing Station were judged and actively reported by ”Shuo,” the arbitrator—this was also a known condition Fern had already probed earlier.

So, Lin Yu made a deal with this Monster.

Like Fern, Lin Yu’s transaction was still based on ”fraud,” but for Lin Yu...

The biggest difference between him and Fern was that he could turn ”fraud” into ”truth.”

By simply using 【Counterfeit】 to transform into some kind of container that looked reliable, plus adding a bit of mystique from his ”Rakshasa” identity, Lin Yu was more than enough to run circles around this Flame Monster that called itself ”ancient wisdom.”

Their negotiation didn’t even take Lin Yu very long—in that darkness, Lin Yu simply laid out the terms and settled everything.

”Guarantee the other arbitrators won’t come, make them think everything at the Healing Station is normal, and I’ll take you away from here—what do you say?”

”Deal!”