Role Playing the Dark Horse Character-Chapter 124 : Chapter 124

Chapter 124: The god’s Deal
At that moment, Li Li suddenly recalled what the system always said each time she returned to reality.
‘Opening the channel for you...’
So, was this channel a network channel? Did Libra connect the two worlds through the internet?
“No wonder Libra can come to this world.” The Manga Artist had a revelation, “I remember my original setting was that even SSS-rank ability users couldn’t escape the world, which is why Libra clashed with the protagonists to stabilize the Empire! Because He believed their actions were wrong and would destabilize the world!”
“He came to this world through a network channel.” Li Li thought for a moment, “That’s why He always speaks to us in reality with a mechanical voice and never appears in person to do anything. He can’t truly manifest in the real world.”
Now that she thought about it, the first time Libra appeared in reality was on the Manga Artist’s computer, a clue that had been evident from the start.
Libra had calculated everything, but He probably hadn’t accounted for the fact that not every place in the real world had internet access, Li Li thought.
At school, there was campus Wi-Fi.
When there was no campus Wi-Fi, she used mobile data.
At home, there was always Wi-Fi.
Thinking about it now, she was indeed living in a constant network environment.
The Manga Artist was the same—their generation was practically inseparable from the internet.
“Hey, we can talk, we can really talk!” The Manga Artist was both shocked and thrilled, then, as if his eyebrows were on fire, he grabbed Li Li and rattled off, “Bigshot, quick, let me tell you my original setting.”
There were still dozens of minutes before the plane landed, enough time for them to share information openly, discussing secrets they couldn’t speak of under Libra’s surveillance.
“In
Extreme Black and White
, the ultimate villain boss, Libra, divides humans into valuable and worthless.
SS-rank ability users create more value than the people they might kill in their lifetime, so He supported them and built the Empire.
In the original setting, Libra hadn’t found a way to escape the world, but somehow, He found me.” The Manga Artist himself was puzzled.
“You mentioned before that you tried drawing the manga world’s destruction, but it failed?” Li Li asked.
The Manga Artist nodded and said: “I drew the manga world’s destruction, but it was rejected by the editor. Then I posted it online with a side account, and some people saw it, but it still had no effect on Libra. He even told me it was useless.”
“Can you see Heige’s actions and thoughts, or are you just an observer?” Li Li thought of this question.
“Sometimes I can feel them, sometimes I can’t. It’s like drawing a regular manga.” The Manga Artist tapped his head, organizing his words, “It’s like, a flash of inspiration?”
He gestured animatedly, explaining to Li Li: “In my original planned plot, there was no Heige. But when I started sketching, he just popped up. At first, I thought it was a burst of inspiration.”
“Really stealing the pen?” Li Li found it amusing.
The Manga Artist nodded emphatically: “Whenever it’s your storyline, bigshot, the plot is like a wild horse off the reins, completely out of control.”
And he could only mutter “what the heck” while dutifully drawing the manga, only to get scolded by the editor later for not following the outline.
“What did Libra ask you to do?” Li Li asked finally.
“He told me to draw the manga, to draw whatever came to mind, to draw when I had inspiration, to draw wherever the inspiration took me.” The Manga Artist looked miserable, “And I can’t stop.”
The Manga Artist was practically a drained corporate slave, while Li Li was a sort of otherworldly worker.
They truly shared the same plight.
But Li Li thought for a moment, fixating on the word “inspiration.”
She began organizing the information, piecing things together.
And then she felt she had roughly figured out the relationship between the real world and the manga world.
The Manga Artist’s existence had made her think the manga world was fictional, merely a product of his artistic creation.
But clearly, the Manga Artist couldn’t control the manga world’s plot.
He only occasionally had moments when his thoughts aligned with the manga world’s developments.
He couldn’t change the manga world’s course because he wasn’t its creator.
He had merely unconsciously observed another world.
These were originally two unrelated worlds, but the Manga Artist’s inspiration had captured glimpses of the other world.
He recorded his observations in the form of a manga, creating an intersection between the two worlds, and this intersection drew in Libra, who was otherwise unable to escape His world.
Libra entered the real world through the internet because the manga was serialized online.
He couldn’t exist outside the network, but that was enough for Him to meddle.
Li Li could trade popularity points from the other world with Libra for abilities, and now, recalling it, those abilities, while not high-rank, were still A-rank.
This proved that popularity points held immense value.
Libra urged the Manga Artist to keep drawing but never told him to focus on popularity points—only Li Li was tasked with earning them.
Now, it seemed that Libra, who could only influence the real world through the internet, might also only be able to obtain popularity points through Li Li.
He couldn’t access the manga’s popularity points directly, so this god, willing to sacrifice Himself for the world’s stability, had chosen Li Li.
Only Li Li, a person from the real world, could deliver those popularity points to Him.
She was the intermediary He had selected.
When Li Li ascended to SSS-rank,it would likely be the moment Libra transferred all the popularity points to the manga world in one fell swoop.
“Libra is the final boss, so in the original setting, He’s very strong, ridiculously strong.” The Manga Artist said worriedly, “His ability is [Equivalent Exchange], but the ‘equivalence’ is defined by Him. He freely decides when a deal begins and ends. It doesn’t require the other party’s consent or even their input. He’s the god of that world—everything falls under His ability.”
“Even SSS-rank ability users?” Li Li asked.
“Even SSS-rank ability users.” The Manga Artist confirmed, “That’s His rule: ‘Everything can be exchanged.’”
“I can guess as much.” Li Li sighed lightly.
Even though Libra was heavily restricted in the real world, He remained invincible in the manga world.
And although she now knew the internet was the channel through which Libra connected the two worlds, she couldn’t exploit this weakness at the moment.
Because the midnight crossover froze real-world time, if she had the Manga Artist disconnect from the internet, she wouldn’t be able to enter the manga world either.
This condition limited Libra, but it also limited her.
Even if she timed it so they disconnected the internet after entering the manga world, once the connection between the two worlds was severed, not only would Libra be unable to link to the real world, but Li Li would be cut off too.
Knowing her opponent’s weakness but being unable to use it left Li Li feeling a rare pang of frustration.
But she wouldn’t give up.
After a moment’s thought, her mind raced through several possibilities, and a bold idea suddenly struck her.
“Manga Artist, can you do me a favor?” She turned, looking at him with a serious expression.
The Manga Artist froze for a second, then nodded vigorously: “Tell me, bigshot, I’ll make it happen!”
“I’m counting on you to carry me to victory!” He flashed a somewhat goofy grin.
...
After getting off the plane, neither Li Li nor the Manga Artist brought up the matter, nor did they ask Libra where He had been.
Libra, as usual, remained silent, and both sides tacitly moved past the incident.
The auditions were somewhat dull.
It was Li Li’s first time participating in something like this, and the characters from the manga world already felt real to her, so no voice she heard seemed to match them.
Was this another form of falsehood? Li Li thought, resting her chin in her hand.
Thinking of Libra’s “rules,” her initial definition of the manga world as “fake,” and now knowing it was a real world, Li Li realized her understanding of her ability had always been about making others believe.
If others believed her, she could invert truth and falsehood.
But at the same time, if she believed in herself, she could change herself, becoming the form she defined.
Libra, as an SSS-rank, could ignore others’ will, transforming Himself into the concept of “exchange.” So what about her?
Could she freely define the chaos in her heart, deciding what was true or false for herself?
[You seem to have figured out a lot.] During a break in the auditions, the system said.
“Sort of?” Li Li murmured.
She turned her head, glancing at the Manga Artist talking with the staff, then looked at the script in her hand.
“What happens if I don’t reach SSS-rank by the time the manga ends?” Li Li asked.
[No, you will.] The system said with firm belief, [I have a faint premonition—you will definitely become SSS-rank.]
“And then?” Li Li pressed.
[Stabilize this world.] The system answered.
Li Li let out a scoff and stopped talking to Him.
Libra had never told her the truth from the start.
Resurrection was a lie, the deal was a lie.
The only truth was His goal, perhaps the only sincere thing about Him.
The world’s value in His heart was truly unmatched, and as long as that was guaranteed, He didn’t care about anyone else’s life or death, including His own.
A god without emotions, who took the concept of value to its extreme.
...
In the manga world, Yan Changxiao, Rao Yue, and other former A-rank ability users had advanced to S-rank, while Yiming and others, relying on their exceptional talent, had also reached S-rank.
Tide’s power was growing stronger, and they were converging toward Floating City.
The time had finally come for Tide to launch their attack on Floating City.
Li Li, bored halfway through the nobles’ meeting, simply left.
No one would stop her anyway.
Those who wanted to stop her didn’t dare, and those who dared didn’t want to.
Li Li wore her casual smile, passing through the Imperial Family’s palace, walking down ornate corridors, until she reached the balcony.
The turmoil had cast a dark, blood-like hue over the world’s sky, as if it were congealed.
Even on a clear day, it looked like an irritating, overcast rainy day at a glance.
Li Li adjusted her sunglasses, though her vision wasn’t blocked by them at all.
Black crows materialized around her, then spread their wings and flew into the sky, soaring far away with the wind.
“If this continues, in this world, the praise that belongs to you will shift to a youth named Yiming.”
Petals fluttered, and Libra appeared beside her.
He still wore that refreshing, approachable smile, like the most compassionate god.
But in truth, He was the mastermind who had allowed everything to unfold, with no regard for the worthless masses in His heart.
“Do I look like someone who cares about that?” Li Li said indifferently.
In the sky, the crows’ crimson eyes surveyed the earth.
Under the oppressive, almost suffocating dark sky, they flew beyond Floating City.
Their black wings beat against the wind, slowly descending to Tide’s encampment.
A crow perched on a branch, hopping with surprising intelligence toward a hidden spot, tilting its head to observe the scene.
Yiming was sparring with Yan Changxiao.
Both had close-combat abilities and often trained together in their spare time.
“You’re growing fast.” Yan Changxiao praised heartily.
“Thanks.” Yiming lowered his stance, ready to counter Yan Changxiao’s moves.
“Yan Changxiao! You’re a lot less annoying than before!” An Huyu shouted from the sidelines.
Their punches carried fierce gusts, and with Tang’s healing ability present, neither held back.
“I heard.” Yan Changxiao sidestepped, dodging Yiming’s metal fist, and said, “Li Baige is Heige, the Empire’s Prophet, our enemy.”
“What do you think?” He asked Yiming.
On a nearby tree, the black crow quietly shifted deeper into the shadows, as if trying to conceal its pitch-black body with the canopy’s shade.