Chapter 198

Chapter 198

As everyone had anticipated.

Three days after the Church lifted its control, the previously manageable plague began to spread on a large scale.

God Among Us didn't idle either. While other players were busy maintaining order, he teamed up with a player proficient in electronics to repair the telephone lines.

Indeed, though they were unsure how the Church had managed to block satellite phones and radio signals, they had, thanks to a tip from an NPC, discovered an abandoned landline and phone that hadn't fallen under the Church's control.

Now, their task was to fix it.

But even if they repaired it, would it actually work?

God Among Us kept his doubts to himself, not voicing them immediately. Soon, the player in charge of the repairs let out an exclamation.

"It's fixed, big shot!" exclaimed the player named Science Student Gone Crazy.

Blood Thug hummed in response and chuckled. "So college students nowadays are that capable?"

"This thing is incredibly ancient, a relic among relics... Can you guess? It matches exactly what we learned in our textbooks! Haha! This is my first time putting it into practice!"

Blood Apprentice: ...

"Alright, let's try dialing."

"No problem." The science enthusiast eagerly took charge, muttering as he worked, "This is an unauthorized telephone line, I hope it's still functional and hasn't been detected by anyone."

The science enthusiast held the receiver to his ear, waiting for one second, two seconds.

A minute passed, and those present had already guessed the outcome, their expressions turning grim. The science enthusiast sighed, "Still doesn't work."

The surrounding players instantly deflated, thinking they had finally found a glimmer of hope...

God Among Mortals took the receiver, still holding out some hope, but all he could hear was the static of electric currents.

Strange.

Both NPCs and players had tried their best, employing every means possible, yet they were unable to establish contact with the outside world. Moreover, no devices like jammers or metal barriers had been found within the city.

This was peculiar. What could be hindering them?

Divinity on Earth keenly sensed the vestiges of inhuman power within. However, even with this knowledge, it seemed powerless to do anything...

Wait a moment.

An idea struck Divinity on Earth, and he abruptly plucked a branch to sketch a pattern in the muddy ground.

"Boss? What are you doing?" The mad scientist noticed Divinity on Earth's actions and asked curiously.

"I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot," Divinity on Earth explained briefly. Turning, he gazed intently at the pattern before him and began to murmur a prayer:

"You are the subverter of fate,

The unspeakable mystery,

The new ruler of nature and the forest."

Indeed, this pattern had appeared in Divinity on Earth's mind when he was under the sway of the malevolent deity – the very array that could attract the deity's attention and establish a connection. It was this sudden inspiration that led him to consider: If the inability to contact the outside world was truly due to inhuman intervention, perhaps he could appeal to Lane to intervene.

In a sense, he was correct.

The deity closed its eyes on Earth, awaiting the recurrence of the previous vision.

However, it waited in vain for a long time and eventually couldn't resist opening its eyes again, meeting the puzzled gazes of the other players and NPCs.

Could it be that Lane isn't here?

"Zzzz—Simon—"

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the telephone, causing the player beside it to jerk in surprise. "The call went through??"

No need for further elaboration, God on Earth already held the receiver to his ear, his voice urgent. "Hello? Can you hear me? The situation in the city is dire. We're dealing with..."

Before he could give a detailed account, he was startled by a burst of static, followed by a voice that sounded eerily familiar to God on Earth:

"I know... Zzzz... the predicament you're in."

"Lord Lane?" God on Earth exclaimed, glancing down at the array he had drawn.

...

Len arrived at the edge of the city, facing the barrier Jude had created. In this realm of dreams, the power the Old Gods possessed exceeded human imagination.

For example, Jude only needed to set up a barrier here to isolate the city's electromagnetic waves from the outside world.

Len gently stroked his earlobe, sending his voice to the God on Earth, while his other hand slowly approached the barrier.

His hand effortlessly pierced through the transparent wall, but as he attempted to dismantle the barrier, he was met with backlash.

It was as if several pairs of eyes had opened in the void, staring coldly at him.

Len retracted his hand and turned to smile at the gazes behind him. "After all, if what's happening here were to be exposed to the outside world, you would be doomed. No wonder you took the risk of being discovered."

"Aren't you worried that I might leave before you're ready?"

The single eye in the sky remained motionless, seemingly indifferent. However, the moment Len took out the Ark, the eye blinked abruptly.

In an instant, the port city trembled violently. The residents who were isolating themselves at home were caught off guard by the sudden jolt, causing a glass cup on the edge of a table to crash to the ground with a loud thud.

"An earthquake?"

It wasn't an earthquake.

As an old god, Lane knew very well that one of the keystones supporting this dreamland had just perished.

This dreamland was composed of the dreams of multiple NPCs, their memories, and their subconscious. If it were solely created by one person, the dream would end the moment its core was destroyed, and everyone would be expelled.

However, due to the existence of multiple cores in this dreamland, the death of a single one was insufficient to destroy it entirely.

Nonetheless, it was undoubtedly a display of power from Judas.

If Lane were to leave now, none of the keystones in the dreamland would survive… That was probably the message. Although Judas didn't know what Lane intended to do within the dreamland, he could be fairly certain that there were either accomplices or followers of his here.

Lane pondered over the cultists who served as keystones and Amos. Hmm, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to leave now.

Fortunately, the white puppy wasn't with Lane at the moment; otherwise, it might have howled in distress—it would die for Lane without hesitation, provided that it would benefit him.

But if its death couldn't serve as nourishment, what was the point?

After much deliberation, Lane reluctantly dismissed the tempting idea. He could indeed retreat now, but doing so would render all his hard work and careful planning meaningless.

He narrowed his eyes at the single eye in the void and chuckled softly. "Let me see just how much power you can exert now... I'll hold Him back while trying to break through the barrier. The rest is up to you."

...

"I'll... Him... break through... barrier... up to you."

"Lord Lane?" God on Earth strained to extract any useful information from the phone call, but the static was overwhelming. All he could discern was that Lane seemed to be engaged in a struggle with some mysterious force. The players would have to rely on themselves to complete their faction quest.

When there was no more sound from the other end of the line, God on Earth sighed deeply and hung up helplessly. The science major approached curiously. "Boss? Was it really Lord Lane?"

"Yes, we can't contact the outside world, or rather, electronic communication seems to be disrupted, probably due to supernatural interference. There's an evil deity's influence within this dungeon opposing Lane," God on Earth analyzed instinctively. "So, it's likely we won't be able to rely on Lane's assistance this time. We'll have to figure things out on our own."

The science major nodded, quickly accepting the conclusion. It wasn't a secret in the forums that Lane had enemies. "So, what should we do next?"

God on Earth didn't respond immediately but instead looked at the sudden update on the faction quest progress that appeared after Lane's communication ended.

"Faction Quest Progress: 20%"

"Twenty percent, which means we're on the right track," God Among Men mumbled, closing his eyes to ponder further. "Based on the scenes we've witnessed, the key to preventing the Chaotic Three Days lies in establishing contact with the outside world, combating the Church, and fighting the plague. That train of thought is correct, even though the unexpected has left us unable to connect with the outside world. Thus, we must focus on battling the plague and opposing the Church."

"Bro, it's easier said than done," the science major said with a grimace. "But fighting a plague? Us players? No way."

Though tabletop RPG dungeons offered great freedom, they could also be too open-ended. In regular games, dungeons meant fighting monsters, but in tabletop RPGs, they meant investigation.

Yet, they were now faced with countering a plague. How were they supposed to do that? Players might not fear death, but their immunity didn't mean they could heal the sick. They couldn't conjure medicine, after all.

God Among Men was equally stumped. "Anyway, let's ask on the forum if any players are medical students or have nursing expertise. As for the Church..."

Before he could finish, an NPC rushed towards them, panicked. Panting, the NPC exclaimed, "N-No good, Doctor Fors asked me to deliver a message to you."

"The hospital has shut down, and all the doctors are on strike. The patients are now overcrowding the hospital without care."

Without hesitation, God Among Men replied, "Take me to Fors. Explain what's going on during the way."

"O-Okay." The NPC, still catching his breath, was pulled back the way they came, looking helpless.

Upon arriving, God Among Men and his companions realized the situation was far worse than they'd imagined.

The hospitals were already strained for medical supplies, and under the church's control, doctors could barely manage the patients. But after the church seized all the medications, even hospital interventions became futile. As more patients accumulated in the wards, the overworked healthcare workers, despite their dedication, were powerless. They weren't actual angels capable of healing without medicine; staying there would only add to the number of potential sources of infection.

The second part of God on Earth's initial strategy, controlling the city's population, initially showed some effect. The middle class still held onto some rationality when it came to their own lives. However, they couldn't withstand the suicidal attacks of some infected individuals, who seemed determined to take others down with them if they couldn't survive.

Coupled with the church's covert interference, the number of infected rapidly increased. The overwhelmed hospital system was no match for the plague's ferocity. Frustrated patients, along with church followers, fueled unrest, leading the healthcare workers to reluctantly go on strike.

Fors asked, "Didn't you have your people infiltrate the church? Could they help obtain medication from there?"

God on Earth shook his head helplessly.

He had proposed a third option earlier: players infiltrating the church to find medicine. It seemed like a good idea, but the church wasn't foolish. Following the "Little Yellow Book" incident, the bishops had ruthlessly purged all priests and believers involved in its distribution. The undercover players were exposed and captured.

Confused, God on Earth questioned the players in the local channel:

God on Earth: Did all of you participate in selling the Little Yellow Books? Surely not, right? Someone must have been uninterested or didn't take on the faction mission?

Milk Tea Dog: Selling the books was fun!

Security Guard: Promoting lewd pictures - a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

God Among Us: ...

In short, almost all players were excluded from the core circle by the Church. The few exceptions also brought grim news – the Church had destroyed all medicines, leaving only the blood bottles distributed by priests for healing.

The Church's determination exceeded the players' expectations; they truly didn't care about turning the city into hell.

Upon sharing this news with Fors, her expression turned grim. Gazing at the overflowing patients in the ward and the empty consultation room devoid of doctors, she sighed deeply, "Tell me, would there be any chance of survival if we sent them to the Church?"

God Among Us was taken aback, pressing his lips together without a response.

Fors didn't mind God Among Us' silence. Looking at the overcrowded scene before her, she seemed to be talking to herself, "Even if they embrace that Church's faith, they might still have a chance to survive this calamity. We still don't understand the principle behind those blood bottles, but if they can save lives, then they are people's 'medicine'."

No, God Among Us countered inwardly, that's not medicine. Even if it is, it's a poison that eats through the gut.

An image flashed in his mind – Amos standing on a high-rise building, smiling as he looked down upon the masses.

Though players didn't have as detailed an understanding of the situation as Lane, their experiences across multiple games allowed them to piece together the probable sequence of events.

There must be more to Amos' desire to drag the entire city into hell than just his disregard for human life.

More so because the people of this city had once fed on him, draining his lifeblood.

Though his true enemy was the Church, the one that had oppressed his mother and him, using their flesh and blood as stepping stones to salvation. However, this city, controlled by the Salvation Society, had inadvertently become an accomplice in their suffering.

The Holy Medicine was, in reality, Amos's blood. The Day of Chaos occurred when Amos's blood lost its efficacy, driving the desperate into fratricidal madness. If this cycle wasn't broken and the city's inhabitants freed from religious control, this tragedy would inevitably repeat itself.

Thus, even if they were to submit to the Salvation Society now, it would be futile, merely postponing the inevitable end.

Suddenly, a woman's wail startled them out of their contemplation. God-on-Earth instinctively shuddered, and he craned his neck alongside Fors to locate the source of the sound. They saw a woman holding a child, who appeared to be around two years old, coughing up black blood with a bluish tint on their face.

"Please, save her! I beg of you, save my child!"

The mother frantically sought help, darting her eyes around in search of a doctor or anyone who could assist her. But those around them averted their gazes, even making efforts to distance themselves. A circle had formed around her as people tried to avoid getting involved.

In a time when everyone was preoccupied with their own survival, morality and law had gradually vanished from this place.

Fors rushed forward, "Make way, I'm a doctor."

Anthony took a deep breath and turned around. "I'll plead with the doctors again, ask them to come back and save lives. Some of them might still have medicine."

Both men left, leaving God on Earth alone. He gazed at the ashen-faced patients around him, his eyes flickering, then suddenly veered into the restroom.

Medicine – that was the biggest issue at hand.

Fighting the plague didn't require surgery; it relied more on medication. The doctors' skills were rendered useless without it – all efforts would be in vain without the proper drugs.

But even the Church didn't have any medicine. They were resorting to unscientific methods to save people.

So should he search for healing spells?

...No.

God on Earth etched a ritual onto the restroom floor with a piece of charcoal, but this time, his incantation was not directed at Lane.

"You are... the Eye of the Cosmos, the Stars..."

It was aimed at the evil god who had previously attempted to ensnare him.

"I am willing to sacrifice twenty years of my lifespan"

For this card probably won't live that long anyway.

"In exchange for—gentamicin, kanamycin, amikacin, streptomycin, quinolones, and tetracycline antibiotics."

Given that the Evil Gods are known adversaries of Lahn, logically, they might be the very entities he's currently battling.

But since they've extended an olive branch to players... they can't possibly leave all wishes unfulfilled, right?

The gods are gambling on Earth too. According to the Cthulhu mythos, Evil Gods don't concern themselves with humans or understand human society. Thus, they might not know what these drugs are or their purpose.

If all else fails, perhaps further prayers for raw materials could lead to players manually crafting them?