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

"『April』...?"

Hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar code name, Lin Yu couldn't help but nearly break character.

Having been fully immersed in playing Yayu, he was yanked out of his immersive state by the memories surging up.

Although he'd only met "April" once... since one of his earliest fake identities, "May," had been named by coasting off this "Doctor" and "April," he actually had a fairly deep impression of her.

And although that had been only his second 【dungeon】, and quite a long time ago now, it really was hard to forget.

The "chance" encounter with Li Nian, the "coincidental" meeting with the God of Change...

Those two "miraculous coincidences" truly were unforgettable to Lin Yu.

All the more so since April herself was quite memorable.

The way she'd decisively killed her own boyfriend with a single blade, it was hard not to leave an impression on Lin Yu.

And besides...

"She's actually already advanced to 『Second Tier』 and even joined the 『Marauders』. That's a strange path indeed..."

Lin Yu thought in surprise.

Back then, that girl in pink athletic wear, still a college student, had certainly seemed better suited to this cruel "Death Game" than her boyfriend. But she hadn't seemed at all like someone with enough potential to advance to "Second Tier" so quickly, nor like someone who would join the "Marauders."

Though he didn't know the Psychological Society's rating system, if he had to guess, his intuition told him she'd been rated around "C" or "C+."

However...

That strange growth rate and trajectory, while surprising to Lin Yu, was actually quite reasonable when he thought about it.

After all, she had personally killed her own boyfriend... perhaps that had been the turning point that accelerated her growth.

Thinking about it that way...

"You really did a number on her, Li Nian," Lin Yu lamented inwardly. "Turning a girl who was originally just a lovesick college student into a potential newcomer for the 『Marauders』!"

And in fact, Lin Yu suspected that if his own fame hadn't been so overwhelming lately, this "April" might well already be discussed on the forum as the "super rookie" newly emerging among the "Marauders."

Unfortunately...

His two identities, "Director" and "Zhu Ming," had raised the bar for what counted as a "super rookie" far too high. Especially since it was two people, the room for discussing anyone else naturally got compressed even further.

But all in all...

"Meeting an old acquaintance again, it really is both a joy and a cause for emotion."

Lin Yu sighed with feeling.

Even though that second 【dungeon】 hadn't been that long ago, it felt to Lin Yu like a lifetime ago.

Like two acts in a play separated by a vast distance... perhaps the "time span" wasn't much, but because so much had happened in between, so much had changed, it felt like a very long time had passed.

Especially now, judging by the other party's current situation, it wasn't just him, her life and state had probably undergone earth-shaking changes too.

To use a more fitting analogy, it was like the vast distance between chapter forty and chapter nine hundred and forty of a web novel.

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But Lin Yu only indulged in this sentiment briefly before returning to his Yayu roleplay.

"No need to meet her. I just need to know she won't drag me down," Lin Yu said. "Of course, even if she does drag me down, it doesn't matter."

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Fish wiggled her head, her hair ornament jingling like wind chimes.

"Oh come on, I think rather than worrying about her dragging you down... you should be more worried about her stealing your spotlight."

"Although you're already strong and your personality isn't the weak type, well..." Fish said, as if recalling something, "that girl is also a real savage!"

"A supposed 'outstanding support' who's also a 'savage,' huh?"

Lin Yu asked in surprise.

"Of course, the two don't conflict at all!"

Fish said, taking a 【Team Card】 out of her 【item space】.

"Anyway, if you two aren't going to meet, then just add each other on 【Social】 and team up remotely."

"That reminds me... when did you unlock the 【Social】 function?"

Lin Yu's face showed confusion. "Doesn't that automatically unlock on the second 【dungeon】 after 『Promotion』?"

Fish paused for a moment, then gave a thumbs up. "Impressive. That makes me even more reassured about you."

......

Taking the 【Team Card】 Fish gave him and adding "April" as a 【Social】 friend, Lin Yu returned to Ji Province using an anchor.

"Good, this wave completely locked in the character," Lin Yu said, using the 【False Face】 to restore his original appearance and letting out a breath. "Using 'Heavenly Artisan's' words to lay the groundwork first, then letting the character himself demonstrate his strength and throw out his personality traits. 'Fish' should already have a very strong impression of this 『Yayu』."

Although for a first meeting, this "Yayu" seemed to be displaying himself a bit too deliberately...

Within Lin Yu's "character design," Yayu was someone who would reveal his sharpness at the right moment. Though not particularly versed in social niceties, he was skilled at seizing opportunities to showcase and sell himself.

The 【script】 required this character to possess the traits of "selfishness and ruthlessness." But those two traits alone weren't enough to sketch out a complete, three-dimensional, deeply impactful character.

Lin Yu had a lot of room for his own free interpretation.

After all...

Sinister cunning and deep calculation could combine with "selfish ruthlessness."

Insatiable greed and profit-seeking could also serve as the underlying color of "selfish ruthlessness."

Mountain bandits, corrupt officials, despotic landlords, spoiled second-generation heirs...

There were far, far too many character archetypes that could fit this definition.

And what Lin Yu ultimately chose to combine with those two points was...

"Arrogance," "ambition," and "ruthlessness by any means."

After all, the "Marauders" higher-up he could reach through Heavenly Artisan and was most familiar with was inevitably "Fish"!

Lin Yu knew very well what kind of person would win Fish's favor and earn her goodwill.

Arrogance and ambition could, to a certain degree, be interpreted as straightforwardness, candor, and confidence.

These were absolutely qualities the frank and direct Fish would appreciate.

And the aspect of "climbing upward by any means necessary" itself perfectly fit the 【script's】 requirements.

A fellow full of hunger for power, status, strength, and wealth who, immediately after joining, voluntarily spoke up to fight for a position like "branch team leader" would certainly seem very rash. Yet because the character's actions aligned with his established "personality," it wouldn't seem suspicious.

If any one of Old Yao, Schreiber, Director, or Zhu Ming had directly expressed interest in a "promotion," it would have been a breakdown of their character and would have aroused deep suspicion within their respective organizations.