Chapter 237 – God Among Men

Chapter 237 - God Among Men

God Among Men was currently collating the data submitted by the players regarding the progress of the 'Ark of Noah' initiative.

Initially, players were reluctant to provide any reports, as they found real-life work exhausting enough, and most preferred to enjoy the game without hassle. However, since this plan originated from God Among Men, most players, aware that they benefited from his influence, didn't mind sparing a minute or two to supply the data. It wasn't an inconvenience, and many were willing to give him this favor.

The data...

While compiling, God Among Men noticed something peculiar.

He glanced at the map on one side, which was mostly marked with circles by God Among Men, indicating that players had ventured into these regions for promotion. It was undeniable that players' enthusiasm was high when there were profits to be gained.

However... Why did the growth in the data seem a bit odd?

God Among Men frowned at the curve. According to his estimation, the initial support rate should have skyrocketed, and then, after reaching a certain point, the growth rate should have gradually slowed down.

However, the current growth rate showed no sign of slowing down, which, while positive, was also making God on Earth a bit concerned about this unexpected development.

After some thought, he logged onto the player forum.

["Noah's Ark Plan Progress Thread - Post any issues here"]

God on Earth: Folks, how's the plan progressing lately? Have you encountered any obstacles or bottlenecks in promoting it elsewhere, like being chased out by local administrators?

Blood Acolyte: ! Big shot is here, Master Ball!

Blood Acolyte: Reporting to the big shot, I haven't encountered any issues.

Tax Collector: Same here.

Milk Tea Dog: Ditto~ Haha, they must have been convinced by my persuasive skills!

Odd Seeker: Oh please, you? It's a miracle the residents didn't kick us out!

Earthly Peach Blossom: Those Perfect Ones didn't chase you out thanks to the well-prepared script from the big shot. Quick, pay your respects to the big shot.

Yeye: Hmm, I kind of have an idea what's going on.

Milk Tea Dog: ?

Yeye: Actually, it's quite simple. Didn't you notice that there are a lot more live streams in the game recently? Just check them out and you'll understand.

Live streams? God Among Mortals looked at Yeye's message with curiosity. Due to his responsibilities in overseeing the overall situation, planning future strategies, and helping players who weren't skilled in communication, he hadn't visited any live streams for a long time. Intrigued by Yeye's words, he entered the game's live stream section in the forum.

Upon entering, God Among Mortals was genuinely astonished. The number of player-run live streams had almost doubled compared to before. What was happening? Had so many players become game streamers? Could it be that the game had regained popularity without his knowledge?

Well, indeed it had.

Ever since Black Cat and their group streamed their exploration of the rules, the audience seemed to have been reminded of the game's terrifying nature. The viewing statistics were quite good during those three days.

In particular, the scene where residents fought to join in sparked considerable discussion. Viewers enjoyed such storylines, and with the high risk of death and potential for entertaining moments during rule investigations, more and more game streamers joined the live streaming trend.

"Exploring the Rules Live! Lend a Brother a Hand!"

"I'm the Rule Talker, Get It?"

"The Quickest Card-Tearing Record in History"

God, curious amidst mortals, clicked in to the live stream and lingered for a while, observing the player-broadcasters at work and glancing through the scrolling comments. It was then that he finally understood why the anticipated obstacles had not materialized.

For the players, amidst their promotional efforts, they didn't forget to test the boundaries with their very lives.

"Sigh, another one bites the dust. Can you handle it, Barbara? Or will you be carried out once again?"

"Babas' corpses are piling up to fill an entire room outside."

"Hilarious! Hahaha. The perfect people outside are already contemplating erecting a monument in your honor."

"What a elusive rule this is, no wonder so many people have lost their lives in this town."

"Go for it, Babba!"

Inside the live streaming room, Baba furrowed her brows, suddenly struck by a thought. Just as an eerie silhouette began to materialize in the corner of the ceiling, she found herself facing a mirror directly.

Barbara eventually succeeded in escaping, and those who had been anxiously waiting outside breathed a collective sigh of relief as she emerged from the room. Among the crowd, a shy little girl timidly offered her a bouquet of flowers.

Baba took it with a smile.

God, observing the mortal realm, cast a glance at the streaming channel where the viewer count continued to soar, then withdrew, proceeding to survey the statistics of other channels.

The essence was more or less the same: players live-streaming their exploration of the rules. The convenience of live-streams, allowing for easy replay and analysis, made even those who had no intention of becoming game streamers broadcast their adventures. As a result, the live-streaming sector boomed with an overwhelming presence.

He switched back to the original post, where the players had already tagged Black Cat and the others amid a flurry of excitement.

Yeyue: @Black Cat @Druid @Matcha Milk Green. Here, the initiator of the Rule Livestream.

Black Cat: We're not exactly initiators, but we feel we can contribute something.

Druid: Yeah, after all, the administrator in Blackrock Town trusts us quite a bit.

Druid: Most importantly, we can't die anyway. We've taken so many resources from them; it's almost guilt-inducing. What if the authorities see how easily we got them and decide to take them back?

Blood Acolyte: Damn, that makes sense.

Milk Tea Dog: You're right, we should address the rules. And the gameplay mechanics in this Dream World are indeed fascinating. I wonder if they'll still be there in the open beta. I suspect that once everyone leaves this place, the rule mechanics will vanish.

Security Guard: ! You're absolutely right! We should seize the opportunity and enjoy it while we can!

Matcha Milk Green: Moreover... The look in their eyes when they gave us the resources for registration made me feel a little guilty. They only want to survive. But I'm a bit worried that we might have disrupted God Among Us's plan. @God Among Us.

Investigating the rules definitely takes time. After all, figuring out the rules often involves several deaths. In that time, they could have recruited more people to join their side. While Black Cat and the others don't regret their actions, they're somewhat concerned about potentially spoiling God Among Us's final plan.

God Among Us: Don't worry, no such thing has happened. On the contrary, you've done an excellent job!

Initially, God Among Us was anxious that the viral marketing strategy used to quickly attract players and recruit people might provoke discontent or even rejection among the Completes, the smarter ones in particular. God Among Us had prepared for the possibility of players being expelled from the town.

To God Among Us's surprise, the collision between players and Completes brought a huge surprise.

Without even logging into the game, God Among Us knew how high the Investigator organization's reputation was among the Completes. It was all earned through life-risking efforts. Regardless of whether players were driven by profit, attention, or something else, the Completes saw them as fearless do-gooders, altruistic saviors.

How could such an organization be deceitful?

In reality, they weren't lying. Completes could indeed be saved, but the methods employed were rather extreme due to the urgency and the need to gather player power. Besides, there was no guarantee that these items would end up in the players' hands...

God Among Us exited the post and revised the plan. Originally, they expected some loss of player reputation in exchange for rapid organizational growth. However, now that both reputation and growth were preserved, the plan could be adjusted accordingly.

As for which part to revise, naturally it would be the subsequent sections. So far, God Among Men has yet to reveal the core of their plan, and the most formidable issue they face – that of severing human talent.

Originally, the plan was to reveal it at the very end, using the sunk cost to force the perfect ones into submission. But now, it seems that a more gentle approach might be appropriate, such as...

For a long while, the deity pondered deeply among mortals, but could devise no solution. Setting aside his blueprint, he stepped out from beneath the shelter of the woods and gazed into the distance.

In the heart of the forest, where emptiness once reigned, now stood a vessel, a colossal one in the midst of construction.

The satyr-like youth with a human face and a goat's body stood in the air. As he pointed his staff, the branches below obediently followed his command and spontaneously organized themselves into parts of a ship.

At this moment, Lane was completing the players' "Ark," and he was doing so in full view of everyone.

All players were aware that no matter how outrageous their plans might be, Lane would always be there to back them up.

"Hubby's building the ship, oh, his focused profile is so handsome (heart emoji)"

"Sob sob, I'm hubby's supervisor. Hubby's working so hard on the ship, it's really coming together"

"I'm already looking forward to the completion of the ship."

"They even feel that the boat tickets are worth it, considering Pan himself crafted this ship!"

"I was worried about where to find a boat for the big guy's plan earlier. I never expected Lane to actually build one for us. Sobs, he truly is… I'm overwhelmed with gratitude."

Many players watched this scene joyfully. Previously, Lane was hard to catch, but now he spent most of his time in the forest, directing animals and plants to construct the vessel. Everyone had tacitly accepted this spot as Lane's new spawn point, and occasionally, some bold players would attempt to strike up a conversation. Naturally, Lane would dismiss them with a few standard phrases if they had no significant matters.

At that moment, a few players noticed the username 'God Among Mortals' and watched as he approached the boat. "Lord Lane."

Lane looked down and saw God Among Mortals. Assuming that the player wouldn't come unless there was something important, he descended. "What can I do for you?"

The surrounding players instantly shot envious glances at God Among Mortals.

"Well, I believe it's time to inform them of the price they'll have to pay. However, I'm hesitating whether I should weave all this into an easily spread poem, incorporating your existence into it," God Among Mortals said.

Lane blinked. "A poem?"

"Yes," replied God Among Mortals. "Telling them directly might not yield the best results. There will surely be some who hesitate, for this power has been the foundation and support for the Perfect Ones in this world. Even though it has now turned into a poison that's eroding them."

The Perfect Ones' innate talent for mental power allowed them to flourish in the Dream World, but this same strength made them more susceptible to corruption by the malevolent gods.

Yet, to completely sever ties is akin to a normal person amputating a limb.

This fear would cause some Perfects to retreat in cowardice.

God on Earth had anticipated this psychological response: "Moving to a new world and abandoning their old way of life will undoubtedly provoke their fears. But if you can assure them that you will protect them in reality, it should provide considerable reassurance."

That made sense. Lane nodded. "Not necessary."

God on Earth: "???"

"Ahh, I didn't mean to say the plan is bad; the poetic part is quite good," Lane clarified. "But my presence isn't needed."

"But the Perfects have always lived under the protection of the Old Gods. They might find that more comforting," God on Earth pointed out, having done some research and gathered information about the interactions between Perfects and Old Gods in the Dream World.

Lane tilted his head. "But humans in reality have survived without divine protection, haven't they?"

God on Earth was momentarily speechless.

"And it's not me who saves them; it's you all," Lane said, looking at the live stream screen in front of him.

In the eyes of the deity, who could not perceive Lane's screen, it seemed that Lane's gaze had suddenly become profound, as if he had pierced through millions of miles to witness scenes unfolding in every corner of the Dreamworld. His expression was serene, his eyes filled with compassion. The phosphorescence that fell upon his emerald irises lent them a divine glow.

"But when it comes to poetry, I believe there should be a more suitable medium for its dissemination."

"What is it?" the deity asked, struggling to find the words.

Lane smiled slightly. "Have you heard of Mythical Rites?"