Chapter 203

Chapter 203

An hour earlier...

After deciding to lure out the parasites hiding among the crowd with the medicine warehouse, God Among Us took a few volunteers to prepare the medications.

The fake medicines were relatively simple and had already been stockpiled in the warehouse. Now, they mainly needed to prepare genuine medicines for actual patients.

God Among Us said, "Before we officially start, let me ask if you're all certain. After all, the quantity of medicine involved is considerable. Based on my previous experiments, one year of lifespan can only exchange for one bottle of medicine at most."

There were quite a variety of medicines, and patients needed a significant amount daily. Just God Among Us alone would not be enough.

Please Don't Fail Me: "Well, it doesn't really matter, right? Are we expecting the preset cards to keep us alive for long?"

Stop Staring and the other players nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah."

Preset cards were essentially a type of character card that could only be used within a dungeon. They were usually retrieved after the dungeon was cleared, so the players had no qualms about using up their entire lifespan. All that mattered was that the cards could sustain them long enough for this period.

God Among Us was aware of this and merely asked out of courtesy. After receiving nods from the players, he began to draw the array.

"Alright, let's give it a shot."

With an unbothered glance, the player began reciting the prayer.

"Intelligence: Success."

"Sanity: Failure."

One player failed, but the other smoothly took over. This time, the dice rolled in their favor. They confidently spoke, "I offer ten years of my life in exchange for Gentamicin, Kanamycin, Amikacin, Streptomycin, Quinolones, and Tetracyclines..."

It was akin to how prayers were conducted to gods on Earth, yet this time, there was no immediate response.

Huh? ??

Did they fail? The players exchanged perplexed looks.

The Evil God wasn't foolish. Even if it didn't initially grasp the significance of those medications, Judas was still monitoring human activities. The players' tactic was clearly hindering the Church's growth.

But...

"Ha." Lane chuckled softly. "What are you afraid of? That your beliefs might be overturned?"

While the players were locked in conflict with the Church, Lane was equally occupied, engaging in a battle of wits with Judas and doing his utmost to delay the latter's interference in mortal affairs. As a result, he couldn't provide much assistance to the players.

Nonetheless, this gave him a clearer understanding of Judas's current strength.

In short, before Judas seized control of the Salvation Society's faith, he was no match for Lane. Unlike the previous encounter in the Gap of Dreams, Judas was now separated from Lane by an entire dimension within the Dream World, limiting his power significantly. He might have descended into the dream realm long ago but hadn't shown himself due to uncertainty about defeating Lane.

However, his appearance now was a result of possessing the Salvation Society's faith. After all, the Salvation Society was currently the only religion within the city, with a wide range of followers. Among them were the very building blocks of this dream world. With their support, Judas had gained the upper hand over Lane, successfully cutting off communication channels between the city and the outside world.

But that was all there was to it. Though Judah held the upper hand over Lane, he had no assurance of detaining Lane unless he converted the entire city into his followers, thanks to the Ark in Lane's possession. Thus, their clashes over the past few days had been held in check.

In response to Lane's mocking laughter, Judah remained unusually calm. "That's impossible."

Humans tend to fear what they do not understand, and from fear, worship often emerges.

It was a timeless principle.

Lane had no interest in bickering with Judah. Upon sensing the movements of the players, he swiftly dismissed Judah as an opponent. With a thought, the various elements in the air assembled themselves into a powder with unique properties.

Since the malevolent deity wasn't willing to provide, why not give it to them oneself?

However, before Lane could transmit the potion to the players, Judas's assault arrived first.

"Didn't you say it was impossible?" Lane sneered.

Judas ignored Lane's taunt; his single eye in the void remained cold and detached.

Under no circumstances could he allow Lane to establish a following within the city. There were currently only two Old Gods in this dreamland, and whoever was more powerful and had more believers would wield greater influence here. In comparison, the malevolent deity could at most taint this dreamland but couldn't control it like an Old God.

He couldn't afford to let Lane have the chance to interact with the foundations of these dreams. Sacrificing a bit of faith to the malevolent deity was a small price to pay for that.

...

Mad whispers echoed in the players' ears.

"Ideation: Success"

"Please, let me not fail this exam." With a dazed expression, the voice of Divine Being in the mortal world discussing with other players faded into the distance around him. A grand will seemed to descend.

"...Faith...is still insufficient."

"Hmm? What did you say?" Divine Being in the Mortal World was taken aback, turning his gaze towards Please Don't Fail Me in the Exam.

Regaining his composure, Please Don't Fail Me in the Exam noticed that over a dozen pills had already materialized in front of him within the array.

Evidently, the transaction still proceeded, albeit with significantly fewer items than they initially envisioned.

Divine Presence still collected the medicine and asked, seeking clarification about the previous statement. "What did you mean by that?"

"Don't tell me you don't remember what you just said?"

"I... I don't. I was just thinking about how to acquire enough medicine before it's too late," Plea for No Failing Grade replied instinctively.

"Time is almost up, and it would be troublesome if we don't exchange for sufficient medicine soon," he added.

The live stream viewers also commented,

"Indeed, the big shot said that although this move is simple, it's the fastest way to alleviate public panic. But if the medicine supply can't keep up, it'll be a different story."

"I've already seen patients arriving at the hospital; I'm getting a bit nervous. Are you almost done, big shots?"

"Don't worry, the big shot redeemed a batch of medicine in advance outside, probably expecting something like this to happen."

The chat was right. After God on Earth successfully exchanged for medicine with the Evil God during the initial experiment, to prevent the Evil God from reacting swiftly, he had redeemed a large quantity of medicine beforehand. As a result, his character card was now at its limits.

He had sacrificed his lifespan, health, luck, and constitution to the Evil God. Now, he only had 5 points of luck left, and his constitution was weak, causing him to contract pneumonic plague. It could be said that this card didn't have much time left.

That's why he had no choice but to gather players to exchange with him.

Upon hearing "Please don't fail me," God on Earth's first thought was that the Evil God was jacking up the price.

After all, medicine was currently the only means players had to counter the Church, and only the Evil God could provide it.

But strangely, wasn't Judas in collaboration with the Evil God? Why were they willing to provide the medicine?

God Among Men narrowed his eyes, and just then, other players asked, "Should we continue?"

"…No rush. Let's see how the other gods of chaos fare."

Indeed, there wasn't just one god of chaos in the city. They weren't solely communicating with God Among Men; other NPCs or players would often hear their whispers in their dreams or during difficult times.

It was as if they were recruiting followers...

This thought briefly crossed God Among Men's mind. As his fellow players called for more assistance in the live stream, soon, a few more players who had successfully become Fanatics joined them. After some testing, they confirmed that the price hike was consistent.

Or perhaps... the evil gods did not wish for them to obtain the medicine easily, yet they also did not completely seal off all avenues to it.

"Well, in order to redeem enough medicine, one must also offer devotion to the Evil God?" Qiuqiu's face was a mix of confusion and alarm. Faith—what was that supposed to mean? How could players possess such a thing? And even if they did, why would they direct their faith towards a deity within a game?

To judge doctrine by so-called faith and measure devotion would be too demanding of these gamers.

The divine entity in question did not share this sentiment. Glancing at his Sanity stat, he realized it had plummeted below 20 due to the numerous transactions with the malevolent deity. It was a precarious state; should he encounter another mythological creature, he might very well descend into permanent madness on the spot.

"Does anyone here know what happens when Reason hits zero?" the deity asked while among mortals.

Mother Hao pondered and said, "Isn't it just that players can no longer use Character Cards?"

"Indeed, but that doesn't mean the Character Cards are dead. I remember a player once tried to forcefully log in with a permanently insane Character Card."

"That's right, it was me who logged in. Of course, after permanent insanity, I couldn't control my character's actions. Eventually, I was sent to a mental hospital by an NPC who passed by because of my bizarre behavior."

A viewer's comment appeared on the live stream.

"Exactly, permanent insanity doesn't mean death. I wonder if there's a possibility that, once a player with the Fanatic occupation loses all their sanity, they might become genuine fanatics?" God Amongst Men asked.

"It does seem quite likely!"

"That speculation makes sense. In tabletop RPG sessions, it's common to repurpose abandoned Character Cards as NPCs."

The players in the live stream discussion were buzzing with excitement, and a few in-game players also agreed with God Amongst Men's conjecture.

"But wouldn't that mean the Evil God wants us to lose all our sanity and truly become his followers?" Please, No Failing Grades was troubled. "That won't do either. If we die in this reproduction dungeon, players won't be able to enter again. That's not a good deal."

"I'm well aware of that. So let's consider another hypothesis. If we could somehow prove our 'faith' in the Evil God," God Amongst Men continued.

"Proof? How do you prove it?"

"For instance..." God on Earth glanced at the nearby dagger, "Generally speaking, the parts that are more significant to us and capable of causing greater pain should serve as evidence of one's faith."

The live stream audience had caught on, and players started joking around.

"Here, take my appendix as proof!"

"I just happened to have undergone circumcision..."

"I understand! I can sacrifice my integrity to the dark deity!"

"Hey, buddy up there, what's your integrity compared to mine? I can offer the virginity of Peony, preserved for thirty long years, to the dark deity!"

Mama Hao got it. He grabbed the small knife, disabled the pain sensation, and smiled at everyone. "In that case, let me set an example for all of you."

Before anyone could react, Mama Hao skillfully twisted his wrist, guiding the blade downward.

"???: Brother????"

"Damn, I feel a chill down there!"

"Are we really giving it up? This is about a man's dignity, isn't it? Is this really okay?"

"Do we really need to invest so much into this game??"

Not just the chat, but players like God on Earth and Please Don't Fail Me were also experiencing a piercing pain as they watched. Some even quietly moved away from Maama Hao without a word.

Too ruthless, too ruthless. What kind of werewolf was this?

"IQ Check: Success"

With everyone's doubtful gazes fixed on him, Maama Hao calmly regained his composure and said, "Hehe, I'm playing a hermaphrodite character. Of course, there's no issue."

"Oh, so you're sisters. Then it's fine."

"!! But we have a huge problem here!"

In the midst of stunned silence, a mangled figure landed within the array. Then, as God on Earth and the others stared in disbelief, the array illuminated—

A mountain of medications tumbled onto the array, creating a cacophony.

In the midst of the earthly breeze, was this the blessing of an evil god??

Amidst the chaos, Maama Hao cheered, meticulously categorizing the scattered drugs. He then wiped the blood off his dagger, administered first aid on himself, and fixed his fiery gaze upon the players present. "Your turn now."

"Damn, the pressure is on the other players now."

"The knife in my hand feels scorching hot."

"To be honest, I want to witness a 'No Chicken Talk'. Can my dream come true here?"

"I have a friend who also wants to see the big shots..."

"Well played, guys! You're the ones upstairs, aren't you? Let the big shot go, you're hilarious!"

As the comments suggested, Don't Fail Me Please felt the knife in his hand burning with anxiety. Ultimately, he lacked the courage to follow in No Chicken Talk's footsteps. Instead, he plucked out one of his eyes, earning a considerable amount of medicine, albeit significantly less than what No Chicken Talk had obtained.

The next player, after wiping the knife with alcohol, was about to test how much blood could be traded. He had just cut his wrist.

At that moment, a message popped up in the live stream chat:

"Tea Milk Dog: Oh no! Anthony is coming towards your cargo wagon! Are you done yet?!"

Divine Being on Earth froze, instinctively turning his head towards the direction of the wagon's door. There stood a figure, silently observing them with an enigmatic glint in their eyes.

Divine Being on Earth glanced again at the player who had just cut his wrist. Blood flowed onto the array, generating a fresh batch of medicines, all of which were seen clearly by Anthony.

...Well, this was awkward.

Realizing that things had taken a turn for the worse, Divine Being on Earth knew it was too late to cover it up now.

"Simon, you guys..." Anthony struggled to speak, his words trailing off.

"I'll talk to you elsewhere," Divine Being on Earth sighed, gesturing for the other players to continue while he mustered the courage to approach Anthony.

Anthony followed Divine Being on Earth, but kept his head down. Divine Being on Earth had no idea what was going through his mind or what he had witnessed. He pondered how to explain the situation – the involvement of players and an evil deity – and wondered if it would put Anthony in a difficult position.

"So, that's how the medicine is obtained?" Anthony asked in a hoarse voice.

Just as God Amongst Men was about to explain, he suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He instinctively covered his mouth and began coughing violently.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

"Simon?"

"Stay back!" Knowing the lethality of the pneumonic plague, God Amongst Men, despite wearing a mask, couldn't afford to be careless. He clutched his mouth tightly, trying his best to suppress the coughing.

In the meantime, God Amongst Men heard rustling behind him. Anthony, fully geared up in protective equipment, forcefully turned his shoulders around. As expected, he saw the bloodstains on God Amongst Men's fingertips.

"Is it... the plague?"

God Amongst Men didn't respond, which could be taken as an affirmation. Given his low constitution and constant presence in the hospital, it wasn't strange for him to contract the plague.

Anthony's lips trembled as he continued, "What were you using as payment for the medicine before this?"

God Amongst Men sighed. "You did see it, after all."

"Reply? What is that? An evil deity? Similar to the Savior Congregation?" Anthony was astounded. "Why... did you keep this from me? I always assumed the medicine came from the Church, but it turns out..."

Turned out, the life-saving medicine they had clung to was predicated on the sacrifice of others and rooted in theology.

Wasn't that no different from the Savior Congregation?

"No, there's a significant difference," the God on Earth read the expression on Anthony's face and whispered softly. "The distinction lies in making them believe that this isn't the result of any divine or demonic intervention, but rather, humanity saving itself. That's crucial."

"Why?"

"The energy born from self-rescue is vastly different from passively waiting and praying for divine redemption," God Among Men's eyes shimmered with an enigmatic glow that eluded Anthony's comprehension.

…

In a hospital room on the third floor, an elderly man in his twilight years received medication from a nurse. His once labored breathing and swollen lungs had shown initial signs of improvement. His family and children, gathered on either side of the bed, held his hands with heartfelt emotion.

"Excellent, you're much better now."

The elder couldn't help but smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes forming gentle curves that radiated kindness. "Yes, thanks to God's blessings. Praise the Lord."

"Dad, that's not right, is it? It wasn't God who saved you here," his son teased playfully.

"Oh, you're correct," the elder promptly acknowledged, looking at the nurse and doctor with bloodshot eyes. "It was thanks to your help."

His son enumerates with calculated jest, "There's also Mr. Anthony who revealed the truth to us, Dr. Fors who offered assistance, Nurse Jenny who took care of you, me, my busy wife, and our children..."

"Oh dear, our beloved God would be ranked outside the top ten. I hope He won't take offense."

The group laughed, and the elderly man joined in. Upon hearing the commotion downstairs, he didn't hesitate long before discreetly discarding the cross he had received at the Salvation Meeting into the trash can by his bedside.

God doesn't save; humans save themselves.

...

"The only way is for humans to realize they must save themselves, that they alone can change their fate. Only then will their potential be unleashed," the words of Lane echoed in God on Earth's mind.

This was a secret plan, so secretive that even until its climactic reveal, God on Earth hadn't confided in any other player.

And now, this was merely the initial phase of the plan.

"This potential will upend the current state of affairs, toppling gods from their thrones."

He smiled softly as he spoke.

Antony gazed deeply at him, his frail and weakened appearance resembling a withered tree on the verge of death.

Yet, the spirit within him shone brightly.

...

Public opinion began to shift.

After learning that Antony's side had produced medicine, and the hospital had returned to normalcy, the Pope grew restless, sensing that an undesirable possibility was gradually turning into reality. He had thought the resistance, like a flickering candle in the wind, would never gain traction.

Where did they acquire their medicine? The Pope was well aware that there should be no more supplies left within the city.

When the news arrived from their spies, revealing that one of their own, hiding among the people, had foolishly exposed himself while attempting to torch the warehouse, the Pope could barely restrain himself from smashing every item in the room into smithereens.

"Precisely! Deny it all! Claim it as the act of an individual believer, not our doing."

The priests exchanged uneasy glances and dared to remind the Pope, "Of course we've said that, but nobody believes us."

Back when the Church withdrew from managing the quarantine zone, they cited reasons such as avoiding public misinterpretation, not wanting to sever connections with the outside world, and so on – all seemingly innocent public relations tactics. However, to rapidly expand the Church and gain more followers as per their instructions, they began discriminatory practices, which were in stark contrast to the teachings of the Bible.

The residents weren't fools. On one hand, there was the Church that only offered treatment to its members and had priests causing trouble. On the other hand, there was a hospital providing free treatment to all, and a compassionate organization going door-to-door to spread warmth. It was obvious who the villains were.

From the moment public opinion turned against them, the Church's reputation within the city plummeted irreparably, utterly destroying the hard-earned goodwill of the Salvation Society.

The Pope paced anxiously around the room before suddenly kneeling in the air, muttering to himself. The nearby priests were terrified but dared not show it.

"Yes, yes, that's right. There's no other choice. Only by letting these ignorant masses witness your brilliance can we turn this around," the Pope whispered, turning to face them. His panicked and enraged expression vanished, replaced by an imposing aura that recalled his former solemnity. With a stoic face, he declared, "Pass the word... It's time to prepare for the Holy Feast."

"Y-Yes? You mean... the Holy Feast?" The priest looked up in astonishment.

The Holy Feast was the grandest ceremony of the Salvation Congregation, a reenactment of the scene where the Bishop and the Pope partook of the Savior's blood. Of course, due to its stark brutality, knowledge of the Holy Feast was restricted only to the upper echelons of the Church.

"This time, the entire city is invited to witness the Holy Feast," the Pope announced. "So they may know that God has descended among us."

It was also the final act of this dreamlike spectacle.