Chapter 154: God’s Favor (3)

Chapter 154: God's Favor (Part Three)

For a moment, no one spoke inside the temple.

The flickering candlelight seemed to freeze the atmosphere in the temple.

Jie Fangcheng held a special position, not only possessing remarkable combat abilities but also being regarded as an underworld employee by many inside Ronghua, despite what outsiders said.

Hence, while it remained unspoken, many kept a certain distance from him, except for Nie Shuangshuang who would occasionally lose her temper and scold him vehemently due to his irritating demeanor.

As for Zhang Dao'an, the extent of his intellect had already been demonstrated in the "Digital Cruise" dungeon.

These two individuals held unparalleled authority within the guild, commanding even more respect than Wei Yuan, the nominal guild leader.

In any other dungeon, if Zhang Dao'an suggested demolishing something, everyone would unquestionably grab their weapons and follow Jie Fangcheng to assist.

However, this time, more than ten people rushed to confront Jie Fangcheng, not to aid him in tearing down the temple but to prevent him from progressing further.

Zhang Dao'an's words had effectively torn away the veil from Wei Yuan's persistent claim that "we won't become addicted."

Not addicted?

How could that be possible?

Not addicted and yet standing in the way of Jie Fangcheng over a statue, a temple? Moreover, the progressively lengthened time spent in the dreamscape with each occurrence only substantiates this.

Wei Yuan's face turned crimson.

He sensed something amiss, yet found his words stifled at the tip of his tongue, struggling for a while before finally mustering, "Everyone just wants to take a break..."

"A break?" Zong Dao'an gazed at him, his face composed but his words harsh, "Are you seeking rest or courting death?"

Wei Yuan fell silent.

Despite his slow reaction, he knew this dream wasn't any harbinger of good.

Someone whispered, "But nothing dangerous has happened to us so far, has it..."

Zong Dao'an, however, had no interest in engaging further with the commenter, his focus remained on Wei Yuan.

"Knowing full well there's a pitfall ahead, yet you insist on plunging forward. Are you willingly seeking death or do you believe that with Jie Manager and I here, you can afford to relax? We are not your caretakers, and it's appalling that we have to repeatedly emphasize the dangers of this instance to a group of veteran players like you, fervently advising against venturing into obvious traps."

Though Zong Dao'an usually appeared intimidating and his words often carried multitudes of meanings, causing those less tactful to struggle to grasp his true intentions,

He had always carried himself with a certain grace, and was genuinely kind to the members of Ronghua.

This was the first time he had spoken with such vehement criticism, causing a noticeable discomfort amongst the crowd.

Zong Dao'an chose not to elaborate further.

"Jie Manager and I are not your mercenaries to be summoned at will. Our willingness to aid stems from a desire to prevent your deaths. If you're adamant about forsaking your own lives, don't waste our time."

With that, he exchanged a knowing glance with Jie Fangcheng, who understood immediately. Together, they exited the temple.

Once outside, Jie Fangcheng cleared his throat, "At the end of the day, they are just ordinary people. It's normal for them to be immersed in it."

To put it bluntly, in modern society, many can't function without their phones. Wei Yuan and the others, being gamers who have been engrossed for so many years, finding themselves trapped in a dreamscape within this kind of instance is fairly normal.

While Jie Fangcheng found it not particularly alarming, Zong Dao'an gravely shook his head.

"This instance is different from previous ones, where we could clear them relying on each other and consider it concluded upon return. Here, even after clearing, if they still harbor affection for these dreamscapes, the disparity between reality and the dream will only magnify."

Eventually, the cherished dreamscape will become an irreplaceable entity in their hearts, casting their real lives in increasingly dull and desperate shadows.

Particularly given that they are players of the infinite game, in such a destructive environment, once Zong Dao'an's predictions come true, the choices they face upon exiting this instance - succumbing in the illusory dreams or struggling for survival in this perilous game - may not be uniform.

"Furthermore, I'm uncertain if, as the number of entries into the dreamscape increases, they might one day truly become 'God's Favored' and stand against us."

The brainwashing power of the dreamscape is too formidable. Currently, Wei Yuan and others are just defending the temple to continue indulging in pleasant dreams, but what if, in the end, Jie Fangcheng has to confront the 'deity' of this instance? Would they still stand by Jie Fangcheng's side?

Zong Dao'an's concerns were evidently warranted.

This was only the fourth day, and on their fourth entry into the dreamscape, there were already individuals obstructing Jie Fangcheng.

Just as Zong Dao'an was about to continue, Yan Xiaohua also stepped out from the temple.

The little imp looked terrifying, yet inexplicably, donning the divine robe seemed to confer upon her a divinity that seemed quite out of place on her face.

She ambled over to Jie Fangcheng, chatting with him with breathy giggles.

Soon, the expression on Jie Fangcheng's face turned somewhat grave.

"Xiao Hua says she saw her grandfather in her dream. She asked if I could send her back; she hadn't had the chance to try on the sweater her grandfather knitted for her before she was brought out here," he shared.

This was a significant hold-up, clearly the entity creating the dreamscape had a profound knack for ensnaring people's minds, rendering the individuals of Ronghua unable to extract themselves.

But what was the purpose behind crafting such a dreamscape?

"What should we do now?"

Zhong Dao'an turned his gaze towards the temple.

"Since it created a belief... then we can foster a new belief as well."

"Eh?" Jie Fangcheng was stunned, unable to grasp the notion for a moment.

"A counterfeit god within the instance, no matter how potent, could never surpass a genuine 'deity' from the netherworld, could it?"

.

Zhong Dao'an said as much, but upon returning to Shenju Tower, it was as if those words were never uttered, returning to his routine with a nonchalant demeanor.

As favored by the gods, they had specific daily tasks to adhere to.

Morning rituals of "Spreading the Divine Light", afternoon quests to find the god-child, and evening prayers. Completing these tasks would reward them with a certain amount of divine power, facilitating the search for the god-child.

There were debates on whether failing to complete these daily tasks would hinder finding the god-child.

Drawing upon the players' collective experience, these daily prayers seemed obligatory, lest they find themselves unable to complete the instance at the final juncture.

Yet, since Zhong Dao'an and his companion were not garbed in divine robes, upon their return to Shenju Tower, the NPC in charge of their daily needs kindly reminded them with a smile, "Honored god-favored ones, without wearing the divine robes, the divine energies within Qiming City will not gravitate towards you, making it impossible to locate the god-child, you know!"

Having delivered the message, the NPC retreated, leaving Zhong Dao'an examining the robe in his hands.

The robe was primarily white, adorned with cryptic dark patterns, which were said to be traces left by the deity, allowing those who donned the robe to draw closer to the divine entity.

Whether it indeed facilitated a closer connection to the deity or served another purpose remained unclear.

Zhong Dao'an resolved to test it personally the following day.

Not long after their return, footsteps echoed from the corridor, signifying the return of Wei Yuan and his group.

They had departed in high spirits, each person eager to see what their prayers would reveal in their dreams.

Yet their return bore a stark contrast, all displaying signs of dejection and disappointment.

Everyone is no fool; it is evidently clear that there is something amiss with this dream, but like those before them, all are ensnared, unable to extricate themselves from its depths.

People inherently possess a herd mentality; seeing others around them so engrossed, their own thinking aligns similarly.

Look, everyone is going along with it, so following suit shouldn't pose any issues, right? Even if the sky were to fall, there would be taller individuals to bear it!

Besides, we are all veteran players here; if this dream harbours deceit, leaving when they sense danger should still be timely enough, shouldn't it?

Especially after the arrival of the duo, Jie Fangcheng...

Yes, although reluctant to admit, the arrival of the two in the instance genuinely brought a sigh of relief to Wei Yuan and others.

Brother Jie is so strong, even if the dream poses real danger, he should be capable of saving himself, right? Plus, there's Brother Zhong, who has a sharp mind to boot.

Their combined efforts in this instance seem to annihilate any obstacle in their path, what is there to fear then?

Yet, with Zhong Dao'an speaking so candidly, everyone could faintly perceive a sense of shame engulfing them.

"Brother Zhong is right, knowingly walking into a trap is akin to seeking death," they conceded.

"In the past, Ronghua was often expected to aid others as a matter of course. Now, aren't we implicitly assuming that Brother Jie and others will protect us? This mentality is rather reprehensible!"

Everyone began to self-criticize, momentarily restoring the atmosphere within Ronghua to its former state.

At that moment, a whisper emanated from the crowd: "What shall we do during tomorrow's prayer?"

Silence.

The topic rendered the group speechless.

Accompanied by them, Qi Chanyang interjected once more, "No matter how enticing the dreamscapes are, they remain illusions. No matter how harsh reality is, it remains the truth! You all are living beings, not virtual data in a dream!"

Who doesn't grasp such logic? Even a three-year-old child understands that dreams are not reality.

However...

"Today in my dream, I saw my wife giving birth to a child. I was pulled out before I could even see what the child looked like."

The speaker was quite renowned, previously a notable figure on the scoreboard. Following his wife's demise, he vanished from the public eye, resurfacing only after befriending Zhong Dawu and joining Ronghua.

Speaking thus, he seemed to have resolved himself.

"Tomorrow, I just wish to see what the child looks like and give him a name before I exit immediately, without any delay. Rest assured, this will be the last time!"

The surrounding individuals began a fervent discussion, and as they neared the rooms of Zhong Dao'an and Jie Fangcheng, the crowd quickly fell silent.

Qi Chanyang observed from the side, a mixed blend of emotions welling within him.

However, on a second thought, he nearly completed renovating a house for his parents in the dream today, providing them with a tranquil retirement.

If tomorrow's entrance to the dream resumes from this segment, would he truly be able to resist continuing the renovation alongside them?

Even when fully aware of the dangers of this instance, who could rationally extract themselves from the illusion when happiness seems within grasp?

Everyone remained silent, retreating to their respective rooms.

The next day, everyone awoke, freshened up, and prepared to embark on their daily tasks.

At that moment, everyone was astonished to find that Qiang Dao'an, who spoke those words yesterday, had unexpectedly donned the divine robe today.

He was fully equipped, standing upright, and adorned in that robe with anklets and bracelets, appearing at first glance even more like a devout disciple at the feet of a deity than the players.

Dressed in a white robe, Qiang Dao'an blended in among the players, distinguished only by his slightly more handsome appearance, seemingly no different from the others.

Due to yesterday's incident, the atmosphere in Ronghua was notably tense. However, when the time came to "disseminate the blessings of the deity," Qiang Dao'an quickly separated himself from the crowd with Xie Fangcheng.

His departure seemingly lifted a weight off Ronghua's atmosphere.

Wei Yuan observed the expressions of the companions around him.

He hadn't slept a wink last night.

How could he not be aware of what Qiang Dao'an said? But knowing is one thing, and taking action is another.

He truly believed that the current situation was not dangerous; firstly, because they had only been playing the game for four days, and secondly, as Qiang Dao'an mentioned, nothing seemed dangerous with Xie Fangcheng around.

Observing the expressions of his companions, the ordinarily slow-to-react Wei Yuan felt a fleeting moment of clarity.

"Everyone."

No matter what, Wei Yuan was the guild leader. As he spoke up, all the members of Ronghua turned to look at him.

Wei Yuan surveyed each person.

"I don't want to belabor the point that dreams are false and reality is true. I'll only say this... The guild leader doesn't want to die in the game in an unclear and unexplained manner. I hope none of us perish in the dream in an ambiguous and unclear way."

Saying this, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly, as if trying to shake something off.

Once inside the instance, it could be argued that the individual with the most abundant "divine power" at the moment was Wei Yuan.

He was lucky; on the first day of entering the instance, everyone dispersed to complete tasks, and he happened to save a child on the verge of drowning. Even more fortunate, this child bore a divine mark, identifying them as one of the God's children.

Saving a God's child granted more divine power than saving an ordinary resident. With this double buff, Wei Yuan could suddenly feel something flowing through him.

Because of this auspicious start, when everyone followed the instructions to find the God's children in the afternoon, it was Wei Yuan who found seven in quick succession.

Without a doubt, his divine power was currently the strongest among the players.

At this moment, he involuntarily shook his head, as if there was genuinely something residing in it.

Qiao Mai noticed this at his side and immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Shaking his head those couple of times, unsure of its efficacy, but after doing so, Wei Yuan seemed to appear slightly more listless than before.

"It's alright. Let's begin the mission!"

Everything seemed no different from yesterday, only this time, for an unknown reason, Qiang Dao'an had put on the divine robe, as if intending to join them.

But Xie Fangcheng was still not dressed in it.

While assisting the town's residents in fetching water from the river, Wei Yuan was lost in thought:

Could it be that Qiang Dao'an, now adorned in the divine robe, might perceive the divine power and subsequently find this instance truly intriguing, perceiving the deity as truly benevolent...?

After this thought surfaced in Wei Yuan's mind, he abruptly froze in place.

Qiao Mai, following behind him, couldn't help but voice her concern: "What's the matter, really? You seem quite distracted today."

Wei Yuan furrowed his brows for a moment, then realized that he seemed to have thought of something astonishing a moment ago, but now couldn't recall what it was.

"It's nothing..."

It should be... nothing, right?

Separated by a street from the members of the Ronghua Guild, Qiang Dao'an finally found the first NPC where he could "disseminate the deity's blessings".

"Divine Envoy, my child has scraped his hand, could you possibly help him?" a woman pleaded.

A woman implored.

The child embraced by the woman had a shallow wound on the back of his hand, which seemed about to scab over if not treated soon.

Qiang Dao'an didn't refuse.

He merely extended his hand, "Of course, what is the compensation?"

The NPC seeking the Divine Envoy's help was stunned.