Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Though the divine proposal for humanity seemed preposterous, with no better alternatives at hand, the players — or rather, the justice-seeking Fourth Calamity — eagerly embarked on their mission to disseminate (crossed out: sell) the idea.

Thus, in the wilderness, another group roamed alongside the Carrion Crows.

They refer to themselves as 'investigators.'

Needless to say, it was riding on the coattails of Randolph Carter's fame. Now that the exploits of this legendary investigator were known, and a certain player had even managed to glean from a regional authority that they remembered Carter and held his deeds in high esteem.

Well, considering the long lifespans of the perfect beings in the Dreamworld, there were indeed a few fortunate souls who had encountered Randolph Carter if they managed to avoid corruption or exceptional incidents. Upon hearing this, the divine beings on Earth declared that they must capitalize on this momentum – no, that their investigators must inherit the will of their predecessors and save the Dreamworld.

Thus, the perfected beings, gathered in various locales, noticed a peculiar trend among recent travelers: they appeared to be peddling something quite novel.

"Hello, have you heard of the New World? No? Would you be interested in learning about it then? It's absolutely free! No strings attached whatsoever!"

On the Earth where players resided, if someone suddenly appeared on the street, spouting incomprehensible words and attempting to lead you into an isolated room, half of the people would immediately flee, while the other half would opt to call the police.

Yet, this was the Dream World, where its unsophisticated inhabitants were unfamiliar with such promotional tactics. Coupled with the fact that the players were conducting their campaign in the townsfolk's own backyard, most residents joined in without suspicion, traveling in groups.

The Insidious Idol took a deep breath, looking at the growing crowd of Perfect Ones below with some nervousness. "Are we really going to do this? Should we really be doing this? And it has to be me?"

Insane retorted, "Stop stalling! You won the lottery, so get up there!"

"I could have easily let you guys handle this!" The Insidious Idol protested, feeling that as an AI, standing on this stage was a bit too thrilling.

Fed up, Insane gave him a push from behind, forcing him onto the stage. "Just go! It's just a game, they're all NPCs, artificial intelligence. Why are you being so timid?"

Yes, yes, they were all NPCs, mere programs.

The Insidious Idol tried to reassure himself and, facing the curious gazes of the Perfect Ones below, managed to regain his composure. He then accessed the script personally written by the mighty God-In-Human-Form:

"Greetings, dream world humans."

"Standing here, I would like to ask you all a question: Are you content with the world as it is? Are you satisfied with your current situation?"

The crowd of Perfect Ones, there only for the spectacle, exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what this person was getting at.

"I believe the answer is no. I understand your struggles, the challenges faced by the entire dream world. You live each day in fear, constantly on edge, afraid of the rules, afraid of death, and even more terrified of the pain that comes with no escape..."

The expressions of the residents gradually shifted.

"I have a question for all of you. How long has it been since you last laughed? You can't find joy in this world. How long has it been since you last had a conversation, because you never know if the person you're talking to will be gone the next second? How long has it been since you last made love or had children, because you don't wish to bring a child into this hopeless world?"

Silence ensued below. The depraved idol spoke with some unease, but seeing the reactions of the crowd, he gradually relaxed. He noticed that everyone's attention was now focused on him, which indicated that they had successfully completed the first step of the simple training given by the deity's earthly representative.

...

"What can we do then? Cry? Give up? Take our own lives? No, things aren't that desperate yet. The world may have let you down, but we won't. There will always be those who walk alone in the darkness, searching for a path for everyone. We are such people. For the sake of altering our current state, for the salvation of all, we've endured great hardships and finally found an answer!"

The tax collector produced a projector and photographs that were prepared beforehand. He addressed the crowd solemnly, "Please look. This is the answer we've found, a new world, a new home for us."

The initially indifferent crowd couldn't help but glance over when the tax collector projected the images. After their first glimpse, their excitement was palpable.

"What... What place is this?"

The tax collector had displayed a simple image of a blue sky, white clouds, and a vast grassland. However, to the inhabitants of the Dream World, the impact was immense.

Ever since the arrival of the malevolent deity and the subsequent divine war between the old gods and the evil one, the Dream World's skies had never seen the sun rise or a clear, pristine blue. It was perpetually veiled in fog and illuminated by the blood-red moon that drove people mad.

It had been so long since they'd seen the sun, an open sky, or a stretch of grass.

The mere sight of the image conveyed a sense of beauty and security that was more alluring than any words that had come before.

The tax collector's smile deepened. "Since the Dream World has become so terrible, why don't we move to another place? This is the utopia we've found for everyone, which we shall call the New World!"

"The New World..." Someone in the crowd couldn't help but murmur, the term itself holding countless promises.

...

"That's right." God Among Men sat on the steps of the square, surrounded by countless residents who had gathered voluntarily, even the patrol officers attempting to disperse the crowd found themselves sitting down unawares.

"The New World is our hope," he said.

"Then how do we get there?" someone asked eagerly from below.

God Among Men's smile grew warmer and more affable. "Exactly, you've hit the nail on the head. The dimension we've discovered with great effort is not within the Dream World. Therefore, we need a vessel, a large enough ship to carry us all. We will successfully transport every inhabitant to the New World!"

At this, the crowd burst into cheers. In just half an hour, their expressions had transformed from skepticism and apathy to astonishment, awe, and anticipation.

In a despairing social climate, people tend to subconsciously seek divine intervention, for they no longer believe in their own strength to escape the current hopeless predicament. They lack faith in themselves, preferring to entrust everything to a deity. However, unfortunately, due to the old gods' circumstances, they cannot fill this void. But it doesn't matter, for a new god has descended upon humanity.

He brings with him the 'Ark of Noah' plan, which will replenish the people's hope and faith.

The impact of his proposition seems overwhelming. The God Among Men waits patiently, yet the applause and cheers from the crowd show no sign of subsiding.

"Silence, everyone, silence! Mr. Hiram hasn't finished speaking!" Fortunately, one of the players who arrived alongside the God Among Men steps up to maintain order.

The crowd eventually quiets down, and the God Among Men gestures with both hands to further calm them. "I understand, I understand your excitement, but let's not rush things. Our ark isn't built yet, and we can't complete such an ambitious plan on our own. We need your help!"

This is indeed reasonable.

The Perfects of the Dream World are ignorant of technology, but due to their interactions with the old gods, some even being former demigods, they grasp the challenge of traversing dimensions. If the God Among Men had initially asked for the Perfects' assistance, they might have ignored him. However, after his impassioned speech, the crowd is now enthusiastic, eagerly volunteering to lend a hand.

"Thank you, thank you all! We need many things - various magic-infused herbs, potions, spells, artifacts – anything that can be useful. We'll record every contribution, and when the great ark is completed, these will serve as your tickets aboard!"

The realization dawns on the residents; if it's a ship, there must be limited space. Some grow anxious. "What if my contribution isn't enough?"

"Don't worry, everyone. If your contribution is small, you can invite more people to join our endeavor. The ark we're building is colossal, requiring vast resources and assistance. Our path is ours to tread. Since the old gods won't save us, we humans can save ourselves!"

In the mortal world, God-on-Earth carelessly added a slogan, which unexpectedly sparked an intense response. All the NPCs present scrambled to return home and hand over various resources to the players.

"Don't push, everyone will get their share!" Milk Tea Dog and Odd Number looked at the good items being offered by the NPCs, their smiles stretching wide to their ears. They knew that tagging along with the big shots was the most efficient! There was no need to persuade these residents; the 'players,' or rather, the NPCs willingly provided the resources.

Moreover, these were items that players had never seen before. Although the NPCs here appeared poverty-stricken with medieval-style architecture, they were once genuine pseudo-semi-gods. Any treasure hidden in their homes would be an eye-opener for the players.

Player Forum.

Milk Tea Dog: Ancient Seal, Spellbook, Curse Compendium, Forget-Sorrow Grass (A-grade herb), Philosopher's Stone, Volcanic Essence, Sun Crystal... Damn, these items are terrifying. I'm a bit scared.

Black Cat's initial speculation was correct. In the Dream World, even roadside weeds were C-grade herbs, so this place must be full of treasures... And there they were!

Initially, players assumed saving the world would be a tough task. After all, they didn't always receive rewards when rescuing NPCs in the past, and this plan sounded somewhat absurd. Not all players bought into God-on-Earth's proposal. However, upon seeing the resources showcased by Milk Tea Dog and others, all players were stunned.

To put it simply, anything below B-grade had no right to exist here.

When had players ever seen a mountain of A-grade herbs piled on the ground? When had A-grade magic potions, spellbooks, ancient seals, and unheard-of philosopher's stones been treated as worthless? Had they activated cheat codes?

Blood Disciple: Something's not right. Aren't you supposed to save the world? Has the official server been hijacked? Are you holding a knife to the programmer's neck?

Milk Tea Dog: I'm curious too.

God Among Us: Calm down, this is what we deserve. We're the heroes destined to save the world, so of course we should wield the village's finest sword and carry the hardest shield.

Appearance Is Justice: Huh? Isn't your so-called plan just about having Lane open the gate to send them to reality? Doesn't that make it a risk-free deal?

Strongest Man: Shh, don't mention that word. I'm afraid the game will be over... But damn, it's so thrilling! Never have we fought with such abundance!

God Among Us: So you see, you understand the benefits of executing this plan.

As Milk Tea Dog's post showcasing the spoils of war climbed the forum's front page, God Among Us chuckled behind the scenes, remaining silent.

Many believed God Among Us' strategy was simply to more reasonably convince the NPCs, since the notion that nothing comes for free was a universal truth. Unfortunately, that was only the first layer of his plan.

More importantly, he aimed to unite more players.

Ever since the Cat Goddess joined Lane's side, she had readily handed over the Dream World's map. Lane then passed it on to the players. Upon seeing the map, God Among Us knew they were in trouble.

The number of high-level players might not be sufficient at present.

The number of Perfects in the Dream World might not be as abundant as in reality, but given the world's scale, it was still considerable. Hence, the initial number of players that could be mobilized was crucial.

Fifty percent of this plan's purpose was to gain the NPCs' trust, while the other fifty percent was to lure players with high returns, compelling them to do whatever it takes to level up and enter the Dream World, becoming an integral part of his scheme voluntarily.

Though God Among Men had some prestige, he couldn't necessarily rally a hundred players with a single call. After all, no one played games to follow orders unless there were immense benefits involved.

Now, the 'Ark of Noah' plan offered immense benefits—unprecedented in the beta and perhaps unmatched in the future. There would likely never be another opportunity to plunder an entire world like this.

They would seize most of the Perfects' wealth, practically risk-free since the key to the real-world plan only required the Perfects to step through the gates that Lane had set up.

To be honest, even God Among Men felt a little guilty. With so many valuable items at stake, wouldn't the officials intervene? Could players really obtain such game-breaking assets? Would they allow players to keep so many high-level items after the open beta?

Ah, forget it. Let's just proceed for now.

Seeing the thread skyrocket to the top of the player forums, God Among Men knew that this move was a surefire success.

With the allure of enormous profits, countless skilled players eagerly ventured into these zones to promote the 'Ark of Noah' plan. Now, it was time to put faith in human ingenuity—albeit with its flaws.

...

After some time, in Blackrock Town,

"Sigh, have you heard?" On an empty, chilly street, a patrolling officer in blue attire struck up a conversation with a colleague, "Rumor has it that another group has suddenly emerged in the wilderness. They call themselves Investigators and claim they'll save the Fated's destiny."

"Save? How do they plan to do that?" The other officer gave a bitter smile, his eyes filled with desolation, "There's no saving us. This world is already lost..."

A week had passed since the priest's self-destruction.

In this week, Blackrock Town seemed as if it had died.

Everyone kept their doors tightly shut. If not for the occasional, despairing sobs echoing from within the houses, one might have thought the inhabitants had abandoned the town, leaving it deserted.

To be honest, if not for the crimson moon outside that meant certain death upon exit, most of the townsfolk would have already fled. But staying here wasn't much better.

Ever since the explosion at the church, the deaths of those three outsiders, and Cornelia, the de facto leader, lying severely injured in bed, the truth about the Rules had spread throughout the entire town.

Everyone now knew that the Rules were formed when the Fated, in extreme despair and agony, were corrupted by evil gods after death. That day, due to the priest's arm, over a dozen people perished, especially among the decision-makers. Two leaders were gravely injured, while one met their demise. With the arrival of new Rules, someone was dying daily in the town. Now, Blackrock Town could truly be said to be without hope.

Until news came from the neighboring district, and some people heard of this organization supposedly dedicated to saving the Fated.

Even the slightest hint was enough to rekindle hope in those dwelling in despair.

"Nonsense. Accept your fate," the man said before trudging away, leaving the patrol officer in his blue uniform standing alone. He sighed and then cautiously pulled out the cherished flyer from his pocket. It featured a vivid image of a clear sky and white clouds, exuding an industrial beauty that the Dream World lacked. The headline read:

"To the New World..."

"A new world, huh?" the patrol officer murmured, unable to resist the urge to say, "Please, come soon."

Their world, too, yearned for a blessing.

The next stop on his patrol was the city wall. Moving with mechanical steps, he reached his designated post, ever vigilant for any unusual occurrences. Assuming it would be another nerve-wracking day, he was surprised to spot three figures draped in leaves approaching at the end of his shift.

The black cat, the druid, and the matcha milk green looked up, waving at the familiar patrol officer atop the high wall. "We're 'investigators.' Would you be interested in learning about the 'Ark of Noah'?"

They had arrived.