"Your face looks..."
Cipher's nimble cat ears drooped.
She pointed at Phainon, his current appearance reflected in her pupils.
On his clear, handsome face, spiderweb-like cracks were spreading.
Shards of light seeped out from the cracks, as if a light touch would cause his face to completely disintegrate.
"It's about to shatter," Mydei said in a low voice, standing to the side.
He could feel the immense, almost uncontrollable power within Phainon, yet he was helpless!
"Small problem," Phainon replied nonchalantly, "My body is just reaching their limit."
Cipher came closer, circled him once, her expression more serious than ever.
"Is everything the Little Prince said true? How many Coreflames have you actually taken on now?"
Phainon held up two fingers, "Two hundred eighty-two million, eight hundred forty thousand."
He paused, then added, "Minus two."
The air was silent for a moment.
Cipher unconsciously gaped.
"Two... two hundred million?!"
"How did you stuff so many Coreflames into your body? What's your body made of?"
Phainon smiled calmly, "Actually, you all gave them to me willingly."
"Hmph, lying in front of a Trickery Demigod isn't a good habit," Cipher snorted lightly, but wisely didn't press further. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and declared grandly,
"Alright then! Seeing how hard you, Savior Kid, have worked, I, this Demigod, will help you out for free!"
No sooner had she spoken than her figure blurred, leaving only an afterimage.
She casually walked towards a passerby, and as she brushed past, she whispered something softly.
Then, under another person's astonished gaze, she gave a playful wink.
She weaved through the crowd.
Yet, in everyone's perception, she quietly sowed a lie.
The next moment, countless passersby instinctively turned their gaze towards Phainon, the surprise in their eyes replaced by admiration, some even giving him a thumbs-up.
A moment later, Cipher returned to her original spot, satisfied, and clapped her hands.
"Done! Trickery Divine Power, isn't it amazing?"
Mydei looked at Phainon, only to see that the cracks on his face had vanished without a trace, restoring his original appearance.
The surrounding passersby still cast curious glances at them, but no one noticed the strange scene from just now, as if the cracks had never existed.
"As expected of a Demigod."
Phainon praised her sincerely, but his gaze fell on Cipher's bulging pockets, "I'd be even more impressed if you hadn't 'borrowed' so many wallets along the way."
"They were in their pockets, and I figured no one wanted them. It was a blind spot anyway, triggering a passive!"
Cipher said righteously, "If you want to blame someone, go tell Zagreus!"
"Oh," Phainon said noncommittally, then changed the subject, his voice taking on a hint of inducement.
"Then you must have smelled him, the rich young master, right?"
"Before long, he'll be throwing money into the sky. At that time, use your Trickery Divine Power to show him what'spreading wealth' truly means, how about it?"
"Savior Kid, you're quite sharp!" Cipher's eyes instantly lit up.
"Deliverer, the legendary rogue," Mydei reminded helplessly from the side, "We should get going."
"No rush," Phainon raised a hand, stopping them.
He put away all smiles, and in the depths of his ice-blue eyes, a calculating glint flashed.
"Black Swan is essentially a memetic entity. She abandoned her physical body, and a target being watched by an 'anti-meme' will only make her keep her distance."
"So, we need to find another way to invite her... to the stage."
"What way?" Mydei asked.
"Eating."
"Eating?" Mydei was puzzled.
"Eating!" Cipher's eyes sparkled.
"Yes." Phainon's gaze turned to the Clockwork Restaurant not far away.
"Soon, they will come over. Right there, using the money you just 'borrowed,' treat us to a meal, no problem, right?"
"Objection!" Cipher almost hissed, immediately making an X with her arms, "I'm not hungry right now!"
Phainon slowly leaned into her ear, whispering in a voice only they could hear.
"Then just treat me."
"Mydei is a warrior, and warriors don't really need to eat."
Clap—
A crisp clap.
Mydei expressionlessly slapped his forehead.
He felt his fists clench.