Chapter 190

Chapter 190

Should there be any hesitation in accepting this quest?

Of course not!

Without any hesitation, Divine Being on Earth accepted the quest, a decision that was within Lane's expectations. The setup for this replica had been long and most players still held proper values. Knowing the horrifying events that would unfold in the upcoming stages of the replica, many righteous players would feel compelled to intervene.

"Yay! Increasing my wife's affection!"

"Sob sob sob, 10 points of affection from my wife! I'm rushing over to accept the quest right now!"

"Why, why couldn't I enter this replica?"

"I'm coming to accept the quest! Please wait for me!"

...They're taking on the quest for justice, right?

"I've kept you waiting, my apologies for the delay." Fors approached God on Earth with a hint of guilt, aware that due to God on Earth's unique status, it wouldn't be easy for those who despised the Church to accept him immediately. However, Fors trusted God on Earth and didn't want this matter to create internal strife.

Unbeknownst to Fors, God on Earth was no longer the same as an hour ago.

After interacting with players on the forum and receiving intelligence from Lane, God on Earth now had a clear plan in mind: "It's alright, I understand everyone's concerns. But please rest assured, for I will only become your most reliable ally, not an adversary."

For some reason, Fors felt an inexplicable charm emanating from God on Earth that instinctively inspired trust.

"I'm relieved to hear that," said Fors.

Soon, Fors led God on Earth to the war room. Along the way, he explained the current composition of the 'Resistance.'

Calling them a resistance was a stretch, as they were essentially a group of discontented residents, consisting of those persecuted by the Church, families torn apart by its influence, and numerous intellectuals. However, due to the plague, less than a hundred were capable of contributing to combat.

Upon hearing this, God on Earth almost lost his composure: "You call this a resistance?!"

Fors smiled awkwardly: "There are likely others in different districts who oppose the Salvation Society, but they won't join us. These are the limits of our gathering. Besides, because of the rat plague, large-scale gatherings aren't advisable. Some supporters can only stay in their respective quarantine zones."

In other words, this lone organization defying the Church was still a disunited group.

In the presence of the divine, it became immediately clear that the situation was urgent. Completing this mission that Lane had assigned would be no small feat.

At the very least, they needed to increase the numbers of the Resistance.

Fors led the divine into a war room, where Anthony, who had previously led the rescue operation, was also present. He smiled and nodded at the divine.

However, not everyone was as welcoming. A brown-haired man standing near the door huffed coldly as the divine approached, clearly disapproving of his former priestly status.

On their way, Fors had briefly mentioned this person to the divine. His name was Jamie, young and aggrieved. His family had been extorted by a church priest, who had refused to save them unless they paid. Despite surrendering all their possessions, Jamie's mother still succumbed to the plague, causing him to lose all faith in the church and turn against it.

"Jamie, what's with your attitude?" Fors said with displeasure. "Simon may have been a priest of the Church, but he is one of us now, and he has left the Church."

"Yeah, but who knows how much he plundered from us common folk before he left," Jamie replied sardonically. "I don't understand why we're recruiting someone from the Salvation Society. What if he's a spy?"

Fors declared firmly, "He won't be."

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Because he saved my life before."

"Haha, what if he did it on purpose to gain your trust?"

Jamie directly engaged Fors in an argument, with both sides stubbornly holding their own opinions. Eventually, Fors couldn't take it anymore, "Could an undercover agent urinate on a church symbol?"

At this, the room fell silent, with countless eyes fixated on God Among Us.

God Among Us couldn't help but fall silent too. Although he had given many speeches and been met with various admiring gazes, he had never encountered such a complex reaction before.

"Ahahaha, big shot!"

"A black mark in the big shot's history that can't be escaped!"

"That's clearly proof of his audacity! Hahaha, I support you, big shot!"

The chat was also fueling the fire, but God Among Us knew that if he felt embarrassed or ashamed at this moment, he would be teased about it for the rest of his life. So, he nonchalantly said, "Do you want me to show you again?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the war room couldn't help but fall silent.

"Well, well, forget it then." Jamie, who was part of the opposition, didn't know what to say. He sat down with a stiff expression.

The most rebellious member fell silent, and Anthony sighed in relief. He smiled at God on Earth and said, "Welcome to our cause."

God on Earth shook his hand, his eyes flickering. "I'm grateful for your rescue. Can I know what your plans are next?"

"By asking that, you must have some ideas," Anthony replied, deflecting the question back to God on Earth.

"Of course," God on Earth answered without hesitation. This time, he intended to seize the initiative. In truth, he would have organized players to resist the Savior's Union even if the NPCs didn't join in. But at this crucial moment, more hands on deck were better. "You see, while I was with the Savior's Union, I gathered quite a bit of intel. For instance, the hospitals within the city can no longer provide medicine. The Church claims they're redistributing resources, but they've actually sold the medicine to others and colluded with politicians and the military to profit from the disaster."

Though this information came from Lane, it still held weight!

"And we'll use this to our advantage."

Silence fell upon the room as everyone was stunned by the revelation. After a moment, Anthony regained his composure. "...We had suspicions before, but lacked evidence."

"We don't need evidence," God on Earth said calmly. "But I have the names of those involved. We just need to make the situation believable, especially the lack of medicine. If the citizens aren't all fools, they should recognize the truth of my words."

"Are we going to openly oppose the Savior's Union?" The group asked in surprise, looking at each other, clearly unprepared for such a move.

But God on Earth wouldn't let them evade their responsibility. "Certainly, you're aware of the current state. The plague isn't under control; it's worsening. This is due to the Church. We must resist, or else, when the plague erupts, we'll be the ones to die!"

Regrettably, computers had not yet become universally available in this era, especially in more remote locales like this one. The Church had long since severed the city residents' connections to the outside world; otherwise, how could their divine presence among mankind be so arduously maintained?

"What can we do, then?" Anthony asked. "We've tried peaceful protests, but to be frank, they haven't achieved much. The mercenaries would simply detain us, justified by the need to prevent gatherings during the plague."

Upon hearing this, the God Among Men's lips curled into a cunning smile. "Of course, we can't simply hold a march. Everyone is currently confined within their respective quarantine zones. Who would we be parading for on the streets? Chances are, before they even hear our demands, we'd be apprehended by those mercenaries. Hence, we need to be adaptable."

"Adaptability?" Fors was perplexed. If it were merely about healing, he was proficient in that. But when it came to other matters, this stubborn old military man was clueless.

"Indeed, the crux of the matter now lies in the issue of information channels."

Observing the confusion on everyone's faces, the Divine Being on Earth sighed and raised two fingers. "There are two ways to break the current dominance of the Church. One is to break out of their encirclement and seek help from the outside world."

"The impossible," the old military doctor finally found an opportunity to interject. "It's the military that surrounds this city. If the Church and the military are truly in alliance as you say, they would never allow anyone in. I've tried."

"Even sending a message is out of the question?" the Divine Being asked.

"I can attempt it, but I can't guarantee success," the doctor replied.

"Alright, given the disparity in power, we shouldn't rely too much on the outside," the Divine Being looked at the crowd and said solemnly. "Even if outsiders were to come, it'd likely be because the Church can no longer suppress the situation inside – with too many deaths. But by then, it would be too late. I believe everyone here has their loved ones, friends..."

God Among Men's gaze swept over the NPCs present. Under his solemn stare, they couldn't help but feel a sense of panic. Fors inwardly clicked her tongue, impressed by God Among Men's persuasive power. She glanced at Anthony, only to see him looking at God Among Men with admiration, completely unconcerned about the threat to his dominant position. To be vying for power and influence at a time like this was truly hopeless. Those who could organize a resistance army were no fools; they wouldn't be swayed by the Church's rhetoric. Perhaps even God Among Men himself was unaware that his already remarkable oratory skills, charm, and leadership had further improved through his immersive legendary experiences in the game. If Earth were a game, he would have rolled a growth dice in reality. Reality Oratory Skills, Charm, Leadership +10. Satisfied, God Among Men observed the solemn expressions on everyone's faces. "To avoid this worst-case scenario, we need to unite. Not just unite here, but also unite the people within the city. The Church sees this city as their pasture; let them taste the bite of the lambs." "But how can we unite those people?" someone asked. "If it were that easy, we wouldn't be troubled. The Church has used the excuse of quarantine to isolate different groups in separate areas. That is our greatest challenge." "That's why I said from the beginning that the key issue now is communication channels. If we cannot reach those in need with our message, all actions will be futile," God Among Men replied. "Does the Church have any communication channels in place? Like newspapers, for instance?" Fors shook her head. "There used to be newspapers in the city, but they've been paralyzed due to the plague. The Church sends priests into specific areas every day to preach. Occasionally, they might mention news from the outside world, but more often, they encourage residents to pray to the gods on their own initiative." God Among Men nodded. "As expected. After all, the more people's hearts waver, the easier it is to nurture the seeds of faith. Cutting off information flow benefits the Church. However, this also works to our advantage. Since they don't control the information channels, we'll intervene."

Others were puzzled. "But how do we do that? Start a newspaper? Apart from the fact that we might not be capable, the Church wouldn't allow it. All supplies are currently funnelled to the residents through their hands."

"In that case, it's not an issue," God on Earth said slowly. "I still have people within the Church who can help. The main problem is how to convince the residents to collect and distribute the newspaper without attracting the Church's attention in the early stages."

God on Earth turned to Anthony, who said, "If you have any ideas, just speak up."

"Actually, this problem isn't too difficult to solve. Not all areas are as severely affected by the plague. For instance, in the city center, where there are more educated individuals and the most potential support. After being isolated for so long with their TV and phone lines cut off, and no entertainment, they must be bored out of their minds."

"Are there any talented artists among you? Or perhaps…" God on Earth revealed the impractical idea that had been discussed in the forum. "Someone who can draw... explicit illustrations?"

Those present: ???