Chapter 186

Chapter 186

The moment the Pope stepped out, Divine Being in the World's heart skipped a beat. Rationality returned, and he instinctively lowered his head to meet the child's gaze. Amos still had an innocent look in his eyes and tilted his head playfully at Divine Being in the World.

The child was adorable, but for some reason, Divine Being in the World felt something was off, as if he had fallen into a trap.

Seeing that Divine Being in the World didn't respond, the Pope repeated his question, his sinister eyes fixated on him. "What are you doing?"

"Your Holiness, I…"

"I heard you say you want to take the Saint away?"

"No… I just wanted to take the Saint for a walk," Divine Being in the World calmly swept a glance over the Pope's back. Perfect, there were no other followers in sight.

"At a time like this, when the plague is rampant?" The Pope took a step forward. His sunken face seemed even more sinister under the moonlight, and his glare at Divine Being in the World oozed malevolence.

"I realize now that I spoke out of turn. My apologies," Divine Being in the World bowed his head, showing submission. Then, with an expressionless face, he continued, "Pardon me, the banquet should be winding down. I must be on my way."

The Pope didn't stop Divine Being in the World. This garden wasn't far from the banquet hall, and any noise would carry. He simply watched coldly as Divine Being in the World approached, then, as they passed each other, he threw out a warning. "Don't do anything unnecessary."

God hesitated in His steps on Earth, not turning back before swiftly departing from the garden.

"A rare sight, the big shot is actually scared."

"Damn, if it were you, wouldn't you be scared too? That Pope is weird, suddenly popping out like that and giving me a fright with his unexpected voice."

"He should indeed be scared. Talking about taking someone else's child away right in front of them."

"Hilarious, turns out Uncle Policeman is this guy."

"But was Amos telling the truth? If so, he does need help. And considering he's the source of the holy medicine, it feels like a déjà vu of a biochemical crisis."

"Jesus, you're saying that in the end, players might have to form a team to rescue Amos?"

"Exactly, like a classic scene where they save Amos from the church's pursuit, protecting the child all the way to the military."

"And at the final moment, the last surviving player would deliver Amos to a designated spot, then die from their injuries, allowing Amos to escape first, right?"

"No, based on Amos's character, he might just stab the player, pulling off a major plot twist like in 'Madhouse,' killing all the players."

Amos: "You've truly put in a lot of effort. Thank you. Now, you may pass on with a smile."

Damn! That was wicked, but very much like Amos.

Players are a bunch of talents.

Lahn couldn't help but chuckle, causing the white puppy by his feet to look at him questioningly.

After the divine figure vanished, the Pope turned his gaze onto Amos. The child smiled at him, yet the Pope merely harrumphed coldly, his expression devoid of any paternal affection. As he waited for the attendants to arrive, he instructed, "Send the Saint back to his room."

With that said, he turned and left the hedge maze. Amos maintained his smile as he was escorted back to his original room.

On the other hand, after Divine Presence had left the Pope's sight, the foreboding feeling still lingered. He had intended to return to the secondary banquet, but coincidentally, he spotted a familiar priest standing in a corner along the way, stiffly waving at him.

It was the same priest who had escorted Divine Presence earlier. Assuming there might be more instructions, Divine Presence approached and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is. You left halfway. Did you go to find the Saint?" The priest wore a secretive expression.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Didn't you hear the rumors within the Church?"

"Rumors?" A flicker of interest sparked in God Amongst Men's mind. "What rumors are those?"

"There's nothing to it really, just stay away from the Saint. I understand that the faithful are curious about him, but I advise against it. After the lesson from the Holy Mother, the Pope holds ill intentions towards anyone who gets too close to the Saint. It's said that those who were once close to the Saint have vanished without a trace."

"Listening: Failed"

God Amongst Men: ???

Feeling a chill in his heart, the deity on Earth warily scanned his surroundings. The priest had led him to a corner outside the garden, away from the entrance to the banquet hall. Perhaps due to his failed attempt at eavesdropping, the deity perceived nothing, heard nothing.

"Hey, did you hear what I just said?"

"Well, I've heard you."

Well, anyway, it's hard to explain. The Pope is quite sensitive when it comes to matters concerning the Holy Son, but he's generally quite kind and affable—a good Pope, really. As long as one doesn't lead the Holy Son astray, he's quite reasonable to talk to. After all, I'm about to become a father myself, so I can empathize with his feelings.

"Listen: The Sound of Failure"

Another failed attempt. The system's notification seemed to foreshadow a looming threat. The God on Earth felt restless, his gaze sweeping left and right, even behind him, wary of any lurking shadows from which some terrifying creature might emerge. The fear of the unknown was the most haunting.

"Don't take my words lightly," the priest grasped The God on Earth's shoulders, forcing eye contact. "After all, I brought you into the Church. I don't want you to suddenly vanish. Obey the Church's orders and curb your unwarranted curiosity, alright?"

The God on Earth stared fixedly at the priest. "You mentioned sudden disappearance."

"Yes, those people vanished overnight. It was horrifying. They all say there's a monster hiding beneath the Church."

"Survey: Successful"

The God on Earth gazed at the black slime descending onto the priest's left shoulder. "A black monster, perhaps?"

"How do you know? Have you heard this rumor too?"

Before the priest could finish, he caught a reflection in The God on Earth's eyes – a dark shadow.

...On his own shoulder.

The priest froze, watching as The God on Earth lunged towards him, albeit too late. The black appendage dragged the priest's head upward, while The God on Earth managed only to clutch at his legs. A gruesome tearing sound echoed as blood splattered over The God on Earth's head. Instinctively, he released his grip.

Thud!

The headless corpse fell to the ground.

"D*mn it!"

"Was there any warning about high energy ahead? I almost peed myself!"

"Hey, this is a live broadcast, where's the warning gonna come from?"

"Ahhhh! This is terrifying, someone, run for your life!"

Without needing the subtitles to tell him, God Among Men immediately sensed that something was seriously amiss. Resisting the urge to look up, he took a deep breath and dashed towards the source of light.

He had to reach the banquet!

But the black monster seemed to anticipate his path, its slug-like bulk blocking the way. God Among Men had no choice but to turn and sprint down another corridor, shouting as he went, "Help! Someone, there's a monster! Save me!"

"Damn, this big shot doesn't care about his gamer image at all."

"No, quite clever. This is clearly the Pope's doing. From the rumors the priest hinted at earlier, this creature should be that monster the Church has been keeping hidden. Remember the look the Pope gave God on Earth when he left? It was clear that he wouldn't let him off."

"At the banquet, there are many high society figures. If he could reach the center of the event, the Church might show some restraint, as long as they still care about their reputation."

"Wait, why does this monster look so familiar? Could it be Cthugha? The one players fought before?"

"Very possible."

As the live stream viewers analyzed the situation, they also grew anxious for God on Earth. In just a short distance, he was almost caught up to by Cthugha.

His cries for help went unheard by the banquet guests, as the Pope had returned at that moment and signaled for the band to play.

"You all have worked hard. Let's relax tonight."

Energetic music filled the air, and the dancers on the floor moved passionately, drowning out any cries for assistance from outside.

Cornered and forced to flee in another direction, which meant moving further away from the banquet hall, God on Earth's shouts went unanswered. His heavy breathing was met with silence, except for the rustling sounds growing closer behind him, his heart sinking deeper.

God on Earth had thrown everything he could at Cthugha, but it didn't seem to have much effect. After all, back then, it took more than five skilled players, fully equipped, to defeat the monster with great difficulty. Now, God on Earth wasn't using Old Card; his preset card stats were comparable to an ordinary person, especially lacking in agility!

"The mighty one's stubby legs, they're almost caught up from behind!"

"I'm so anxious watching this. Did the Pope really strike down the Saint just for chatting? That's ruthless."

"What do you mean, 'suspicious father'?"

"Sigh, mainly because he might think the big shot overheard some secrets – which he indeed did."

"Hold on, wasn't Amos being unintentionally careless? Normally, who would reveal secrets to a stranger?"

"He's just a kid, right? He wouldn't be that malicious, would he?"

"Folks upfront, naive malice isn't something to joke about. Have you seen 'Bad Seed'?"

"Stop it! Think of a solution! Can the big shot still use magic?"

Unfortunately, no. Gods on Earth only had one spell at their disposal – Hypnosis, which was limited to humans, and Cthulhu was not within that scope.

Amos, in his room, was sharing anecdotes from his daily life with Mr. Demon when he suddenly noticed Lane standing up, looking in a certain direction.

"What's the matter?" Amos inquired.

The white puppy narrowed its eyes mischievously: You're in trouble now.

Lan had been running the subs, but not paying close attention. He glanced at it while listening to Amos's tale and finally realized something was amiss.

"Amos."

"What is it?" Although he couldn't see the demon's expression, Amos picked up on the gravity in Lane's tone. Nevertheless, the boy maintained an innocent facade as if he had no clue about the situation.

Lane looked at Amos and suddenly sighed without saying anything. He gauged the direction of the divine presence and passed through the wall.

Only then did Amos become truly alarmed. The boy sat motionless by the bed for a moment before jumping up and rushing out the door.

"Your Highness, the Saint? Where are you going?"

"Get lost."

None of the nuns dared to genuinely stop Amos. Even if any of the new, naive ones attempted to do so, they quickly withdrew their hands after receiving a withering glance from him.

What kind of gaze was that... Could this really be a child?

...

"Eh, who's shouting? Running is prohibited within the church."

"Aaaahhh!"

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, just as Amos was about to be caught by the pursuing Hugues, a myopic old priest appeared around the corner of the corridor. Too aged to see the monster chasing after God Among Men, the young man dashed past him without pause. The elderly priest met his end in Hugues' jaws in less than three seconds.

Yet, this bought some time for God Among Men, allowing him to create some distance once more.

"Hurry! Sir, turn left up ahead; there's a lower wall. Climb over it, and you'll be out of the church."

"We don't know how far Hugues' range extends, he might chase relentlessly. Once you're out, head southeast. We'll come to your aid."

"By the time you arrive, Sir's body will be cold."

"Then we have to try nonetheless."

God Among Mortals barely had time to respond to the barrage of comments as he fled for his life, the crisp sounds of bones snapping still echoing in his ears.

This wasn't an illusion; that unfortunate priest and the elderly one were likely already snacks for the Shoggoth, and he was clearly the third on the menu!

A chill ran down God Among Mortals' spine. Was the climax of the dungeon yet to come, and he was about to meet his end here?

"Sanity Check: Failed"

At that moment, God Among Mortals felt a sudden disorientation. A whisper seemed to echo in his ear, a voice cryptic and incomprehensible, like a spoon digging deep into his brain and stirring it relentlessly.

"Become devoted to me... Believe in me..."

What was this?

God Among Mortals listened intently while a stream of system notifications appeared before his eyes.

"You sense an ancient summons. Please consider carefully whether to respond."

He first numbed himself to the pain. Seeing the notification, he also sensed that the Shoggoth was now within a meter behind him.

"Agreed."

The cryptic and insane whispers echoed in the ears of God on Earth once more. Contemplating how a typical human would react to encountering a monster, he cried out desperately, "Help! Anyone, please save me!"

Confused by his actions, viewers flooded the chat with question marks. However, in the next moment, they watched, wide-eyed in astonishment, as the Cthulhu, almost within reach of God on Earth, suddenly paused as if it had touched something.

Seizing the monster's momentary stillness, God on Earth instantly created distance, sprinting and leaping over the low wall.

The chat's question marks swiftly changed direction.

"What's going on, what's happening? Why did the Cthulhu stop all of a sudden?"

"Is it another spell from the big shot?"

"But we didn't see the big shot casting a spell."

"That's ridiculous."

Nonetheless, the players' speculation was correct. After God on Earth vaulted over the wall, the Cthulhu didn't give up the chase; instead, it accelerated significantly. God on Earth glanced back, nearly frozen in terror, for the creature was almost upon him!

With a grim determination, he once again listened to the frenzied whispers around him and ventured, "Save her to the end! After this is over, I'll definitely offer sacrifices to you!"

As a result, the approaching Shoggoth was, once more, pinned in place by that mysterious force for a few seconds.

The divine entity created distance on Earth, continuing to run in the direction indicated by the barrage of comments.

The live stream viewers were utterly dumbfounded. Of course, they couldn't hear the whispers, so to them, it seemed as if the Shoggoth had encountered a glitch, its movements jerky and disjointed.

Several minutes passed before the chat regained its composure.

"One, uh, coding bug? That's quite rare."

"I almost forgot, this is still in beta testing."

"Mainly because there haven't been any bugs in-game before. This must be a first."

"What luck the big shot has. So fortunate, huh."

"Sigh, let's disperse. Someone should report this bug to the developers."

"Quite enjoyable, hahaha. If not for this bug, I would almost have been convinced that this game is a genuine otherworld."

Little did they know that during this journey, the God had worn out its divine lips, promising all sorts of offerings and soliciting believers, all while helplessly watching the sanity indicator in the system plummet. Finally, it arrived at the location designated by the bullet screen.

"Brother! Hang in there!"

At the forefront of the players rushing to the rescue was an unfamiliar username, "Meow World's Number One," followed by none other than the recognizable NPC, Fors, whom God Amongst Men knew well, and then a dozen more unknown individuals, all armed and wary as they stared at God Amongst Men.

God, having made it to the players in the mortal world, finally caught his breath and panted, "Behind, behind..."

"Absolutely Adorable Cat is the Best in the World" looked behind, confused, "There's nothing there."

Divinity Among Mortals glanced back, only to find emptiness behind him. Perhaps it was due to their large group that the Chaos Beast had retreated.

A system notification popped up before him:

"You have responded to the call of the malevolent deity $#%& and initiated the profession transition - Fanatic. Starting now, your Sanity will decrease by 1 to 5 points daily, while your Spirit (MP) will increase by 1 to 5 points daily.

You will randomly acquire a spell each day."

"Rite of Sacrifice (Forbidden)"

"When Sanity reaches zero, the character card becomes uncontrollable."

"A fanatic...," the divine being murmured on earth, its brow furrowing. What in the world was that? Was that voice from an evil god?

In the meantime, Lane casually threw Cthugha back to the ground while gazing deeply into the sky.

To the untrained eye, the sky appeared unchanged from what they were accustomed to seeing. Only Lane knew the truth.

This world was like a bubble in a dream, a fabrication conjured by the pagan minds present at the initial event.

Above the sky, a few tentacles were hesitantly reaching downward.

Had it not been for his awareness of the anomaly, Lane wouldn't have noticed the intrusion of the evil god's power into this dream realm.

"Was it due to Amos's earlier display?"

Lane knitted his brows, pondering carefully. Instead of immediately severing the tentacles, he closed his eyes and utilized his authority as an Old God to perceive the dream directly.

A second, two seconds...

Lane stood motionless, delving into an even deeper dream state while concurrently checking on the precautions he had set up in reality, to see if his home had been compromised.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and exhaled in relief.

The good news was that no deity of chaos had descended upon this place.

The bad news was that he had indeed found traces of the chaotic deity's power left behind in the real world.

This also implied that Amos and his covert scheme could potentially be exposed to the malevolent deities. However, despite the extended duration within the dream, only a few minutes had passed in reality. They wouldn't have enough time to disrupt Lane's plan. Most of the intruding hands in the dream were those of the original cultists.

Malevolent deities could influence their cultists' minds, manifesting as tentacles attempting to infiltrate the dream.

Though Lane could sever these tendrils, they would regenerate, making any intervention futile unless he expelled all the cultists from the dream – or rather, out of the dream realm.

This raised several questions. What were the malevolent deities planning? Had Judas been roused? After all, Judas had a deeper mastery over dreams than Lane, the nascent Old God. If not for the Ark, Lane wouldn't have stood a chance against him in the battle for control of the dream last time. If Judas chose to intervene, complications would arise. Perhaps Judas was already lurking, unseen by Lane.

Yet, he quickly dismissed this notion. It was unlikely. Judas' reach wasn't that extensive. He wasn't yet 'God.' The malevolent deities could interfere with the dream because its foundation consisted of their cultists. New Port didn't have any orthodox Christians, and the dream world and reality were separated by more than one dimension. No matter how long the opposing deity's arm was, it couldn't snatch control of the dream core out of thin air, right?

With this thought, Lane felt much more at ease. Primarily, Judas had left a deep psychological shadow on him during their last encounter, almost causing him to admit defeat. His most proficient skill in dream manipulation was even crushed, making the game unplayable.

However, the purpose of the evil gods remained unknown, and Lane still kept an eye on their movements. After casually pushing Cthulhu underground, he hurried in the direction where the players had left.

"Lord Lane, take me with you!"

The little white puppy struggled to keep up with its short legs. If he had known, he wouldn't have transformed into such a tiny dog; he almost couldn't catch up to Lane's pace.

Lane glanced at the white puppy and casually picked it up, placing it on his shoulder. With a flicker, he vanished from the church's low wall, trailing behind the players.

After he disappeared, Amos emerged from behind the building he had been hiding behind, staring blankly in the direction Lane had gone. He instinctively took a few steps forward but lost his bearings due to Lane's sudden departure.

"Mr. Demon..."

Is he angry? Did he leave?

Will he come back?

A wave of panic suddenly washed over Amos, and for the first time in his life, he experienced regret.