Chapter 173: The God’s Favored (Twenty-Two)

Chapter 173: The God's Favored (Twenty-Two)

Strangling his wife to death, and before even giving her a proper burial, hastily marrying another.

Continuously calling others "lowly citizens", coercing their own kind to give up their grain...

Under the rule of the benevolent deity, why have such circumstances arisen?

A "benevolent" deity?

In He Yanhui's mind, doubts began to form regarding the term "benevolence".

After angrily voicing her thoughts, He Yanhui realized that the NPC she accused looked at her in astonishment, as if she had said something bizarre.

"Honored One, each one of us lives under the watchful eyes of the benevolent deity. All I do is sanctioned by the deity. Why would you say such things to me?"

The deity... permits such actions??

He Yanhui wanted to retort, but for some reason, a voice deep within was incessantly telling her: Yes, the deity wouldn't prevent such occurrences. These so-called citizens are merely common folk, not the deity's favored or servants, unworthy of entering the deity's sight.

They are mere ants, the dirt beneath towering skyscrapers, the lives or deaths of these "lowly citizens" matter not. Only the god's favored and servants are the most noble beings in this world, aside from the deity itself.

He Yanhui felt as if her originally enraged mind was enveloped by a gentle layer of water, softly soothing her fury.

She knew the words of the NPC before her were wrong, but... did it really matter? After all, she wasn't one of these "lowly citizens".

Wouldn't it be fine to continue being the elevated “Divine Patron”?

Often, people don't need to remain lucid, or even if they are lucid, they can continue to feign ignorance, especially the beneficiaries.

Just like finding a windfall, how many people would actively seek the origin of that fortune, provided it is not illegal and no one notices?

Particularly for the players of this game, purely good people cannot survive here.

The gentle film encompassing He Yanhui's mind whispered a reminder: they were just NPCs, weren't they? Hadn't she killed some before? What was the difference?

Indeed...

At that moment, the child in He Yanhui's arms suddenly burst into tears.

He Yanhui abruptly snapped back to reality.

The NPC before her promptly spoke, "Divine Patron, I will find suitable food for the child soon, rest assured!"

That was exactly what He Yanhui needed the most.

Hesitating, she held the child in her arms, as if understanding something, she raised her eyes to look at the NPC before her.

"Alright." She paused before adding, "But don't act like you did just now."

This instruction seemed like the last struggle of her conscience, albeit limited to just a verbal caution.

The NPC agreed readily, without hesitation.

He Yanhui, holding the child, eventually returned to the Divine Residence silently.

The expressions of the players who went out to help in the morning were somewhat off.

They refused to eat the food from the warehouse, as the door was broken, and the breeze from the mass grave blew inside, making everyone uneasy.

But they couldn't starve themselves either, hence they had to ask the NPCs to find food for them.

This “finding” seemed simple when the players hadn't stepped out of the Divine Residence, but many encountered the NPCs confiscating food in the morning.

In the humble dwellings, each household gave food they had saved by starving themselves.

The divine servants had previously set a very strict standard for food contribution, the amount demanded periodically was enough to keep the residents half-fed. Now with the sudden increase in the levy, many were forced to endure hunger.

Although the residents of the Bright City quickly adapted, many players found it hard to adjust.

Seeing the residents sparing not even a spoonful of rice for themselves while cooking, yet having to give away more food than the players could consume, made them somewhat uncomfortable.

"I think we don't have that many people, there's no need to demand so much food from them, right?"

Just like the breakfast provided, they left half of it untouched.

Since entering this dungeon, the Tower of the Gods had been supplying ample food at all times, with non-fresh items quickly replaced. Everyone was caught off-guard, realizing how little the people outside were eating.

Yet, at this moment, while someone proposed a suggestion, another voiced opposition.

"Providing this amount is their existing policy, you shouldn't alter such rules casually. What if it hinders our quest for the Divine Child?"

"Indeed. Besides... these people are merely residents, while we are the God's favored ones. It's their duty to supply us."

Though the words were spoken, none of the players began eating, clearly showing that even those who voiced such opinions were internally resistant.

"Damn it!" Nie Shuangshuang couldn't help but curse, then restrained herself.

She was well aware that those who spoke such words were not necessarily evil; after all, significant changes occurred in individuals once that entity invaded their minds.

Just like Wei Yuan, he even started fighting with Qiao Mai, an act unimaginable in the past.

However, how much provocation would it take to prick their conscience and make them realize that the so-called gods are malicious?

Nie Shuangshuang simmered in anger while pondering deeply.

Gradually, some managed to overcome their mental barriers, beginning to eat reluctantly.

Yet, this lunch seemed rather unpalatable to the few who had regained clarity, knowing the origin of the food in their mouths, swallowing became a struggle.

The only person who was enjoying his meal was Xie Fangcheng, who was munching on a burger with a cola in hand, and before him, a computer borrowed from a player in the Shinigami guild, broadcasting the sounds of "Tom and Jerry", a complete depiction of a happy homebody.

Nie Shuangshuang couldn't resist approaching: "Hey, don't you feel uneasy?"

Xie Fangcheng responded with a puzzled "Hmm", continuously munching on the lettuce in his burger, without shifting his gaze from the computer.

"Damn!" Nie Shuangshuang was speechless, "You are enjoying your meal, while we can't stomach ours... Who lent you this computer? How could they bear to lend it to you?"

Xie Fangcheng finally spared a moment to glance at her, "Ask Teacher Zhang."

Teacher Zhang, on the other hand, wasn't seated with the Ronghua group, he was mingling with the eccentric members of the Shinigami guild, engaging in conversations that elicited rounds of applause now and then.

Nie Shuangshuang watched, thoroughly impressed.

Teacher Zhang truly is a talent! Even blending into the Shinigami guild seemed effortless for him. Is there anything he can't do?

The Ronghua section of the dining hall was the quietest. It was well-known that everyone in the game had a conscience, and even under the influence of the dream-fish residing in their minds, the meal before them seemed hard to swallow.

It was Wei Yuan who first picked up his bowl.

"Everyone, eat. It's a waste not to. We need a full stomach to have the energy to do other things." His words were simple, yet quite effective.

The people from Ronghua slowly started picking up their bowls, eating in silence.

The meal was as uncomfortable as it could possibly be, with everyone seeming to lack energy when the time came to initiate the ceremony to find the Godchild.

However, just before the ceremony was about to commence, another incident occurred.

For the first time, the door of the Divine Residence Tower was knocked.

Previously, the residents of the city dared not approach the vicinity of the Divine Residence Tower, as it was guarded by divine attendants and the common inhabitants of the Enlightened City were not entitled to approach the tower.

Yet, the establishment of the "Help Point" significantly bridged the gap between the Divine Residence Tower and the ordinary citizens.

At this moment, a player near the door opened it, pausing momentarily in surprise.

There were three people standing at the entrance, appearing to be a family of three.

The son standing in the middle looked very young, seemingly just reached adulthood, with the parents beside him not being much older, their hair not yet graying.

Upon seeing the player, the son retreated a couple of steps in apprehension, but his parents encouragingly nudged him forward.

"Don't be afraid, the God-favored ones are all kind," they reassured.

The player who opened the door softened his tone, attempting to appear gentle, "Do you need any help?"

With the encouragement of his parents, the son finally gathered enough courage.

"Great God-favored ones, today I have come of age," he said, turning to his parents reluctantly, tears glistening in all their eyes.

The players exchanged puzzled glances, not quite understanding his meaning, prompting the son to continue hesitantly, "As per the rules set by the gods... upon reaching adulthood, in order for me to live a burden-free life, my caregivers have to come to the Divine Residence Tower."

His words were rather unclear, but some sharper players began to grasp the situation.

The Divine Residence Tower had always been home to only the divine attendants, no one else had resided there in the past.

For ordinary people coming to the Divine Residence Tower, the only destination was that abyssal pit filled with an indeterminable number of corpses.

No wonder... there were no elderly people to be seen throughout the Enlightened City.

Because when a child reaches adulthood, their parents must die.

Wasn't this utterly inhumane?!

Ironically, while the players displayed faces of horror, the three NPCs before them seemed to find nothing amiss, as if this was a matter of course.

The parents clearly knew what was about to transpire, yet they merely wiped away their tears.

"The benevolent gods will guide us to be reborn in another cycle, death is but a temporary parting," they asserted.

They spoke with such devotion, treating death as nothing more than a casual "cycle".

For a moment, no player responded, as they truly did not know what to say to people who were actively seeking death.

Just then, a voice emanated from behind the crowd.

"Go back," Jie Fangcheng said, appearing at the entrance at some point. He looked at the family of three who had approached, "Death is just that, death. Even if there is reincarnation, it will be as someone else. Cherishing the days while alive is what's right."

The trio were momentarily stunned. After exchanging a glance, they suddenly broke down, weeping bitterly as they incessantly bowed in thanks while retreating from the Divine Residence Tower. Clearly, they were not here by choice, but due to the divine rule that had been laid down. Disobedience would result in being taken away by the divine servants, possibly even implicating their child, which forced them to come willingly.

"What kind of wicked god is this...?" someone couldn't help but curse.

This remark severely contradicted their status as "God-favored", yet at this moment, no one objected, with even a few scattered individuals echoing the sentiment.

Hearing this, Jie Fangcheng suddenly turned his head.

At some point, Zhang Dao'an had taken a place by his side, silently witnessing the unfolding scene.

Jie Fangcheng asked, "What do you think? Have you realized something?"

Zhang Dao'an smiled, yet his words were far from courteous.

"There's always a surplus of hypocrites, isn't there?"