Chapter 104

Chapter 104

The square had already transformed into a nightmare.

The citizens present were divided into various groups: those who willingly approached the abnormalities, those searching for their loved ones amidst the creatures and fog, the fearful, the screaming, those trying to stop players from attacking the abnormalities, and those driven mad by the atmosphere on the scene.

Chaos didn't even begin to describe it; it was a hopeless hell.

Players also started to panic, or rather, they were infected by the overwhelming hopelessness. Countless Sanity checks rang in their ears, and those with low Sanity entered a temporary state of madness, suddenly attacking the players around them, further fueling the chaos.

Regardless of skin color or whether they were NPCs or players, all were swept up by the atmosphere. Death and abnormalities were equalizers for everyone.

"Mr. Jin, we should leave this place quickly!"

Behind the podium, the lone bodyguard who had stayed behind looked distraught as he spoke to God Amongst Men.

"Why did you stay behind when you should have left earlier?" God Amongst Men asked, puzzled.

"Of course, it's because you hadn't left yet. My duty is to protect you!" the bodyguard replied.

God Among Men was taken aback. "So dedicated."

"I wasn't like that before. I used to love slacking off. Work was just a means of survival for me, but you're different," the bodyguard pointed at himself and smiled helplessly. "As you can see, I'm also a victim of discrimination. Growing up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, I know better than anyone how severe this issue is."

"But your appearance has changed that, Mr. Kim. Please come with me now. You're the one person who absolutely cannot die there. Your presence has altered many people's destinies, and it will change even more in the future!"

Norman Kim simply looked at him quietly and said, "That's all the more reason why I can't leave. The one who desires a change in fate the most is right here, right in front of me."

Under the bodyguard's astonished gaze, he walked out and headed to the back of the stage, where a large group of people were huddled together. Everyone looked at Norman Kim in shock as he approached, with some even kindly offering their spots.

"Thank you, but I don't need it." God Among Men declined with a smile, pointing at the speaker. "Can you help me plug it in?"

The mayor, hiding in the center, mocked, "Are you going to give a speech now? Who's your audience? The monster?"

"Something like that, perhaps for the last time," God Among Men replied.

...

Black Cat wiped his face, experiencing an unprecedented frustration from killing monsters.

Actually, players weren't afraid of grinding monsters; they even secretly wished there were more, for without it, the game somehow felt incomplete. But this scenario was genuinely disgusting.

Especially when they realized that the creatures they were fighting were the deceased Arkhamites, and even living NPCs were desperately trying to stop them. It was like having an unpleasant interruption while in the middle of doing your business.

The current situation was troublesome because, despite the creatures not being strong, players couldn't defeat them individually due to their sheer numbers.

There were too many residents on the scene, divided into three groups: those who could see and were panicking, those who couldn't see and were confused, and the most problematic group—those who could see and were trying to stop the players from killing the creatures.

With the number of players available, suppressing the chaos was impossible. Over 5,000 players were scattered across neighborhoods, as per Black Cat's prior arrangement. However, it was likely that disasters were happening elsewhere too, meaning they couldn't count on reinforcements.

Some players on the scene had already grown agitated, violently knocking down residents who tried to hinder them. In the next moment, these players found their necks pierced by the creatures while they were distracted.

The live stream was filled with curses.

"…To be honest, I think this game should be rated 35+," the Druid said. "Not even 20+. I'm feeling physically disgusted right now."

"+1"

"+1+10086"

"+ ID card number"

"Truly disgusting. What were the officials thinking? Will they even manage to launch this public test successfully?"

"We shouldn't bother with these humans who side with the anomalies. If they want to die, let them!"

"Can't say that. After all, in this world, they're just trying to save their loved ones."

"Sigh, it's just an unsolvable plot. I think players are headed for a massacre, and these people here won't survive either."

"I can't watch anymore. It's too disturbing. I'm logging off."

"Me too."

The harsh reality caused many players and live stream viewers to disconnect. Black Cat sighed. The Druid asked, "Do you have any solutions?"

Black Cat: "Solutions? What kind of solutions? This time, there isn't a clear-cut boss like in previous dungeons. We don't even know who's behind this. How do we stop it?"

The Druid fell silent for a moment before responding, "Perhaps our previous choices were indeed wrong. The right thing to do might be to methodically investigate and uncover the true culprit."

The black cat didn't respond verbally, merely uttering a soft "hum," still unable to find words to refute the situation before her.

That's how tabletop games worked. Occasionally, the Game Master (GM) allowed players some leeway, even mischief. However, if one missed crucial clues, they would suffer in the interconnected narrative, potentially leading to the worst possible outcome.

Normally, one could only hope for the GM's mercy, but in this AI-monitored game, there was no such luxury.

Every choice was made of free will, and every consequence had to be borne by the chooser.

It seemed this main quest was destined for failure.

The black cat sighed silently. Suddenly, a piercing sound blared from speakers on the stage, catching everyone off guard. They instinctively covered their ears and looked toward the stage where God Amongst Men stood, holding a megaphone.

"I am Norman King. Many of you know me, but at this moment, I must make a brief request. If you can still move, residents, grab any weapon within reach and join me in slaying these monsters. If we don't act now, we all will perish. Please, fight with me!"

"A joke!" someone shouted hoarsely. "He's our family!"

"No! He is no longer human! Can't you see? Would your loved one hurt you? Would they look like this?" God Amongst Men countered calmly. "They are no longer human, nor are they your family."

His calm words sliced through the harsh reality like a surgical knife, but judging from the expressions of some in the crowd, not everyone was convinced.

But it didn't matter; God Among Men had never intended to win them over. His true aim was the vast majority who were lost and helpless.

These were the sheep who hadn't eaten the cookies, yet feared the air and the unknown, standing still and praying for salvation.

"Fight... How do we fight...?"

Correna heard their neighbor whisper, covering his ears and eyes in sheer terror.

"I'm a speaker, an advocate against discrimination. My life has been dedicated to opposing racial prejudice. But what is the true meaning of equality? I've spent my whole life searching for that answer, and now I tell you: in times of dire crisis, we have no distinction of skin color. We share one identity - we are all fellow humans!"

With the cookie raised high, God Among Men placed it in his mouth and loudly chewed it before everyone's eyes. "This is the moment to put my belief into action. You haven't lost all your loved ones, because those beside you, regardless of race, are our kin. We are your family, your fellow beings!"

"Pick up your weapons and prove it to me!"

God Among Men lifted his gun, aiming at the young man staring blankly at him from the audience. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

The youth screamed and turned his head, only to find the 'bullet' seemingly piercing through thin air. A monstrous cry of pain echoed faintly from within the atmosphere.

This shot, without a doubt, proved that their leader had ventured into the realm of monsters, stepping out of safety zones and casting aside his life.

How could those who followed him to this city lag behind?

People of diverse skin tones were the first to react. They snatched biscuits from nearby carts or those lying on the ground. Upon consuming them, the unknown creatures came into view.

"Aaaah!"

"Fight, damn it, what the f*ck!"

"Who's afraid of whom, damn it!"

In an instant, the venue was filled with curses and angry cries. The originally chaotic crowd was partially united by God Among Men. Especially the young and strong, these guys of different ethnicities had come from various cities for God Among Men, and now they were ready to go through fire and water for him.

"Here's our chance!" Black Cat shuddered, as if trying to shake off the goosebumps provoked by God Among Men's speech. He loudly reminded the players around him, "Just knock out anyone who gets in the way. The priority is to attack visible anomalies!"

"Got it!"

The tide had turned. What was once a hindrance – the crowd standing idle – had now proactively consumed the biscuits, becoming part of the force to eliminate the anomalies.

"Armed yourselves and fight!"

Norman King took the lead, charging at the creatures with unwavering valor. When his bullets ran out, he grabbed nearby steel rods or chairs, inspiring courage in those who were once too afraid to wield weapons.

"We can eliminate them all!"

"Move to the center or behind the stage."

"Those without cookies, assist in transferring the wounded!"

"Wait, wait, wait, that's my son, don't kill my son..."

"Aunt Maria, your son is already dead. Snap out of it! He's not your son!"

"I know, I know, but he calls me mom..."

The brown-skinned young man blinked, momentarily loosening his grip on his weapon. In that instant, the contorted rope figure, which had been pinned down, lifted its body to a 90-degree angle and lunged at the youth.

A baseball bat swung in, crushing the rope creature's head. A white-haired middle-aged man roared, "Show no mercy to them! If you want compassion, show it to our fellow citizens they've killed!"

"Uncle John..."

"Listen, Auntie, if you wish, we can be your son, your friend, do you understand?"

"..."

Mary silently withdrew her hand, her fingers trembling as she traced over the eyes of the straw man.

The fragile anomalies were not as terrifying as they appeared, which gave many people hope. More and more individuals began to join the fight against these creatures.

"Shooting: Failed"

The Druid's bullet missed its mark, failing to land a headshot. This mistake was fatal; the creature, with its limbs on the ground, instantly closed the gap and opened its massive maw towards the Druid.

"We're doomed... wuwuwuwu..."

"Druid..."

"Ahhhh, I can't watch this anymore!"

"Dodge: Failed"

The cold system's voice seemed to foreshadow the exhaustion of all options. The Druid instinctively closed his eyes.

"..."

Pain, surprisingly, did not come.

The Druid snapped his eyes open to find two dark-skinned men standing before him, each holding a metal rod in either hand, blocking the bizarre oral appendage.

One of them turned to the Druid and asked, "Can you move? If not, hurry and leave. If you can, come quickly!"

"Damn, this is my first time being rescued by an NPC."

"Did you know that NPCs can fight monsters too?"

"They always could. Otherwise, why do you think God in Human Form mobilized them earlier?"

"Indeed, the majority present are residents of Arkham City, NPCs. With players now scattered and not enough, we have to rely on them."

"Aaaah, it's ignited!"

"Damn," the Druid cursed softly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "How could I not come after all of you said that?"

The scene was no longer a battle solely between players; numerous NPCs had joined in. The chaotic situation began to shift. The residents, who were too frightened to engage the anomalies, opted to hinder the troublemakers and tend to the injured who couldn't move.

The mayor, who had initially hidden behind the stage, was forced out. The area was temporarily converted into a makeshift medical station. Realizing that protesting would only make matters worse, he chose silence but lacked the courage to fight on the frontlines. He quietly retreated to another corner.

"Doctor! Is there a doctor here? Even a medical student will do!"

"I am! I specialize in pediatrics!"

"Great, please take care of the injured."

"I'm a veterinarian!"

"Uh... well, please help them too. Just, uh, don't accidentally remove any of their... family jewels."

In such a tense moment, Matcha Latte found herself amused by the NPC's playful remark, laughing uncontrollably. The injured people were the worst off, laughing through their pain with gritted teeth.

"Is there still hope for us?" the injured person asked.

Matcha Milk Green replied, "Of course!"

Player Channel:

No Way Out: Anyone out there? Help! Sector 1 is almost lost.

Mama's Not Home Today: The same in Sector 2. There are too many abnormalities. We've commandeered an office building, cleared it, and now the NPCs are hiding inside, barely holding on.

Thinking Toilet: But we don't know how much longer we can hold.

Infernal Watermelon: We're all in the same boat... It's chaos here too. No one like God on Earth to unite us all qwq

Piggy Ridden: It's similar here. We're trying to eliminate them, but the situation's too messy.

Evil God Cat Head: So hopeless, damn it. As expected of a Lovecraftian game. Sorry I said it wasn't that Lovecraftian earlier; despair is overflowing on some level...

Look at My First Aid Punch: It's relatively stable here. The police station is nearby, so with their help, we can still defend our position.

Watch my First Aid Punch: But be cautious, the anomalies here aren't just the weak ones; occasionally, there might be powerful anomalies mixed in.

Watch my First Aid Punch: You can never let your guard down. Some D-rank or even C-rank anomalies deliberately blend in with the weaker ones to launch their attacks!

Seeing this warning, the black cat was startled and instinctively looked into the arena. "Be careful—!"

If these anomalies possessed intelligence, where would they strike? !

Their eyes met – the black cat's gaze locked onto Human God's pierced abdomen.

Human God had just defeated an anomaly resembling a Venus flytrap but hadn't noticed the insect hiding behind it.

C-rank Anomaly, Blood Poison Bug

The Blood Poison Bug's proboscis had completely pierced Human God's abdomen before its head was instantly shattered by surrounding players' covering fire.

"Shooting: Critical Success"

The Strongest Man scored a headshot. "Damn! That critical success came too late!"

"Hurry! Saw off its claws!"

"No, no, don't pull it out! What if there's excessive bleeding?"

The sudden severe injury of the divine presence caused chaos in the crowd. Many instinctively lost focus, getting injured by the anomalies. However, the one who triggered the commotion shouted, "What are you doing? Ignore me, I'm fine! Keep fighting!"

Hearing his voice still strong and resolute, the worried residents finally calmed down.

Black Cat: "Among these weak anomalies, there might be D or even C-class ones hiding. Everyone, be cautious!"

Black Cat's warning came too late. The scene, which was just starting to stabilize, stirred up again as the terrified citizens realized that some of the anomalies were abnormally powerful.

Residents, who had grown accustomed to this level of intensity, began to suffer casualties. Yet, with the divine presence still standing, their morale didn't waver.

Two or three citizens tried to carry the divine presence backstage, but they were stopped. "No need, just move me to the lecture platform."

"But that's not safe."

"It's alright. With me there, it'll be better than me not being there at all."

Observing that God Amongst Men remained composed, the two of them decided not to press further. "We'll call for a doctor."

"No need, I'll handle it," Carmen limped over.

The lectern had already fallen during the chaos. God Amongst Men eventually ended up lying half on the statue's feet. Matcha Milk Green intended to provide first aid, but God Amongst Men declined.

Staring into God Amongst Men's eyes, Matcha Milk Green suddenly understood something and silently withdrew.

Carmen examined God Amongst Men's wounds, and upon removing his clothes to reveal the blackened injuries, she looked up at him in shock.

"Shh—" God Amongst Men uttered a single syllable, "Keep your voice down."

Players didn't feel pain. Even though his health was critically low, God Amongst Men appeared no different, his face merely pale from blood loss.

"...I'll go get the doctor over there," Matcha Milk Green suggested.

God Amongst Men smiled. "It won't make a difference who comes, unless they put me straight into the ICU in the next second."

He had known this since he saw the poisoning notification on his system panel. His health was still declining steadily, and every five minutes, he lost a point of constitution.

Carmen forced a bitter smile. "If only there was even a sliver of hope... Why won't you go over there?"

"In that case, why are you still on the front lines with your injured leg?" God Among Men asked.

The two fell silent, their answers essentially the same. Carmen was the leader of the Kamuy tribe, their spiritual symbol. As long as he remained, the tribe's morale wouldn't crumble.

God Among Men now served a similar purpose, like a stabilizing anchor. As long as they were present, they exerted an influence.

"Sigh, what a terrible day," Carmen exclaimed, looking up at the sky.

Behind him, the massacre in the square continued, but the abnormalities were gradually overpowering the humans. It was only natural – players and people alike were limited in number, but the abnormalities seemed endless. Who knew where they all came from?

There were no magic arrays here, no bosses, only despair.

In the streets beyond the square, humans screamed in terror. The once-bustling food street was now bathed in blood and guts. Some fled while others watched, dazed, as their companions were killed by the 'air.' A little girl in a red dress tilted her head, staring at her fallen mother. From her perspective, her mother was lying on the ground, disappearing bit by bit, starting from her feet. Blood spattered from the wounds inflicted by the unseen attackers.

It was bizarre, absurd, and utterly mad.

Inside the police station, the chief was arguing with his deputy. He demanded that they dispatch police cars to aid other areas, but the deputy objected. "We can barely protect ourselves!"

"I told you, get that damn police car out here! I authorize you to use any weapons from the arsenal!"

"There's no gear left, we're running low on our own ammo!"

"Then use the batons!"

"Do you want our boys dead?!" The deputy angrily shoved him aside. "Enough, I'll do it myself!"

In the district under Black Poker's jurisdiction, Carrens had shown remarkable foresight. He'd dug an enormous air-raid shelter to accommodate all the residents in his territory. Now, one of Carrens' lieutenants playfully addressed the evacuees, "Well, aren't you glad you paid those protection fees?"

A thoughtful pause from one of the sheltered citizens, "Yes, indeed."

"But what about people in other areas?" someone whispered, "My friend is in the city center."

The lieutenant fell silent for a moment, "They'll have to fend for themselves."

...

"You're right, it's been a terrible day," God on Earth sighed slowly. He glanced at the system prompt to roll for constitution, but he didn't roll immediately. Instead, he tried to buy time, for he had a premonition that he might not succeed with the next attempt at enhancing his constitution.

What a calamity. Today was supposed to be Norman King's ascension to godhood, but this incident has occurred instead.

Norman Gideon was meant to die in full view, not vanish to be found dead later, unnoticed and unmissed.

Perhaps after the main plotline fails, someone might find Norman Kin among the pile of corpses in the square - a civil rights activist fallen in Arkham City. But such news would quickly be overshadowed, for with so many deaths in Arkham City, that would be the real headline-grabbing catastrophe.

A divine card, I'm afraid it no longer exists.

"Carmen, have you ever prayed to the gods?" the deity, harboring their last vestige of hope, asked with tenderness.

"I did, but there was no response." Carmen's voice was hoarse, and he could see the divine's somewhat distracted gaze in the mortal world.

" constitution: Failed"

"That is... regrettable." The God in the Mortal World sighed, his gaze finally reflecting on the faceless deity statue before him.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

"HP: 0"

Carmen couldn't suppress a sob, bending down. Those watching from the sidelines, their actions suspended, some lowered their weapons, while others despairingly fell to their knees.

In that moment, Carmen noticed a faint glow emerging from the ground.

A green hue, where none should have been, struggled to push through the soil.

Death lingered, and the divine in the mortal world opened its eyes wide. It beheld a spectral figure materializing before it.

It was Lane, in his Satyr form.

Fortunately, I am already dead, or this sight alone would have driven me mad, Divine Mortal mused.

Before him stood the youth's otherworldly, beautiful visage. Eyes that typically brimmed with verdant vitality now shimmered with a regal crimson gold, as if molten lava churned within. His silken white tresses, a testament to his hybrid form—half-human, half-goat—hung gracefully. Once elongated and fair limbs were now sheathed in pristine wool, save for the gradient black that crept in towards the hooves. Upon his head, horns curled intricately, resembling those of a goat yet endowed with a more complex, lustrous quality. And upon his forehead, a third eye opened, adding to the ethereal aura that enveloped him.

He extended a hand toward the divine on earth, as if offering an invitation from the gods themselves.

God Among Us: ???

Why, am I able to see myself in the mode of death?

A reckless notion suddenly surged into the mortal's mind, and he involuntarily reached out to grasp Lane's hand. Divine power wound its way from the delicate wrist, slowly infiltrating the mortal's being.

It seemed as though the deity was laughing.