Reverend Insanity: The Gacha System

"Xing Su, when do we get married?" A boy with a pale face and black eyes asked softly, his voice tender as he gazed at the girl sitting beside him.

"My master said he prepared a gift for you, and I was happy about that," Xing Su began, her tone tinged with sadness. "But why did you hide a secret from me, Li Tian?"

Sensing her emotions, Li Tian smiled gently and responded, "What do you mean? I haven't hidden any secrets from you. I swear on Heaven's will—I have no secrets."

"Really? Then what about the fact that you're a variant human?" Xing Su said, her voice turning cold, though her sadness was still evident.

"Hehehe, so that's what you're talking about," Li Tian said with a soft chuckle. "I was going to tell you about that, but first, who told you I'm a variant human?" he asked, maintaining his calm demeanor.

"Why does it matter who told me? Since you've confirmed it, I'm leaving you," Xing Su snapped. "Don't ever try to come near me again, or I'll kill you with my own hands." She rose abruptly and attempted to fly away, but before she could take off, Li Tian grabbed her wrist.

"Wait... just listen to me for a second! I never said I was a variant human. If you insist on leaving, at least hear me out first.

I'm not a variant human. I wore the disguise of one to find those monsters. Variant humans killed my parents and destroyed my village—how could I stay calm after that? When I learned they had all gone into hiding, I was shocked. But I made a promise to my family and my village to find them and exact justice. To do that, I had to disguise myself as one of them to infiltrate their ranks and track them down. Please believe me. Look, this is my true face."

As he spoke, the pale complexion and dark eyes began to dissolve, but the process was far from smooth. His face twisted in excruciating pain, veins bulging on his temples as his body convulsed slightly.

Coarse hair erupted across his skin, each strand forcing its way out like tiny needles piercing his flesh. He clenched his jaw tightly, a low, guttural sound escaping him as he fought against the agony.

With trembling hands, he held onto Xing Su's wrist, his grip firm yet desperate, as if anchoring himself through the torment. "Please... just watch," he muttered, his voice strained.

The coarse hair receded just as painfully as it had appeared, leaving patches of raw skin that shimmered faintly before smoothing over. The transformation wasn't over. A second wave of pain surged through him, forcing his body to contort as the remnants of the disguise peeled away. His back arched, and sweat dripped from his forehead as his true form began to emerge.

Finally, with one last gasp, the pain subsided. Standing before Xing Su was a strikingly handsome man with radiant silver eyes, silky black hair, and a pale, unblemished complexion. His breathing was ragged, and his grip on her hand loosened slightly as he whispered, "This... this is the real me."

Inside Xing Su's mind,

"Don't listen to him. He's deceiving you. He's a variant human—you've seen him transform! He can easily disguise himself as anyone he wants. He's trying to fool you by showing you this so-called 'true form,' but it's just another lie," a floating woman's ethereal voice echoed, grasping onto Xing Su's wavering will.

The woman's presence loomed large, her translucent form shimmering as she leaned closer to Xing Su's ear, her tone sharp and insistent. "You cannot trust him. Don't let his words cloud your judgment. If you let your emotions get the better of you, he'll only betray you again."

Xing Su's gaze hardened as she stared at Li Tian, her expression a mixture of confusion. The woman's words echoed louder in her mind, fueling her doubts. "He's lying," the voice insisted, a chilling finality in its tone.

"Hey, Xing Su, don't listen to that voice in your head," Li Tian said softly, his voice steady and warm as his eyes locked onto hers. "Listen to your heart. If you let that voice guide you, it will only bring you pain and regret. I swear on Heaven's will, I'm telling you the truth. Please, try to listen to your heart—you'll know what you truly want." His words were calm, yet there was an undeniable sincerity that carried through them, as if he was pleading with every fiber of his being for her to trust him.

Hearing his words, Xing Su attempted to use Wisdom Path methods to silence the voices echoing in her mind, but they stubbornly remained, relentless and oppressive.

Seeing her conflicted expression, Li Tian gently spoke, "Those inner voices are called demons. They'll try every possible way to harm you, to twist your thoughts, and to make you doubt yourself. Don't give them that power. Instead, calm your mind by removing all the confusion and focus on your heart. Use your heart to find the truth."

His voice, calm and reassuring, seemed to reach a part of her that had been buried beneath the storm of doubt. Slowly, Xing Su closed her eyes, drawing in deep breaths to center herself. She touched her chest, feeling the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Focusing on its sound, she pushed the lingering doubts to the background, quieting the storm within her.

As she concentrated, a voice began to emerge, soft and steady, distinct from the shrill cries of the demons in her mind. "Trust what you see, what you feel," it whispered. "Do not let fear cloud your judgment. Your heart knows the truth." The words resonated deeply within her, washing away the lingering echoes of doubt like a tide receding from the shore.

She felt calm as she focused on the steady rhythm of her heart. Even though she had used her Wisdom Path methods to verify Li Tian's words and found no lies, the lingering doubts had still placed her in a difficult situation. But now, as her heart echoed with clarity and reassurance, a sense of warmth and conviction began to fill her. For the first time, she truly felt she could trust Li Tian.