Chapter 261

Chapter 261

Justice Is Skin-Deep and Other Players suddenly noticed the illuminated billboards and screens within the city, which had previously gone dark, functioning normally again. More perplexing was that they displayed Arkham and New Port City.

What's this? Is someone filming? There are so many camera angles… No, at this hour, there aren't any signal towers left. How are they managing a live broadcast?

Filled with questions, Justice Is Skin-Deep quickly opened the player forum and entered the live streaming section. He randomly clicked into the live streams of players from both cities.

"What's going on here? How are you able to do a live broadcast?"

"What live broadcast?"

"What's what? What happened?"

"There's a major issue. Now, apart from Arkham and New Port Cities, people in other areas can see recordings of your cities through electronic devices."

"????"

"Well, uh, can someone start a live stream so I can take a look?"

The players grew restless. The prominent Pink Bunny livestreamer had started a broadcast, focusing on the colossal swarm of locusts rampaging within the city and the advertising screens between towering skyscrapers that displayed the ongoing events.

"Aha, we're on TV!"

Upon hearing this, players from Arkham City and New Harbor City hurriedly tuned into the livestream. Cloud viewers hopped between two or three channels, intrigued to find that indeed, a live feed was being shared worldwide, limited to only these two cities.

The key question was how so many camera angles were managed. None of the players in these two cities could spot where they were. A Druid, innocently unaware, waved at the sky, "Can you see me?"

"HHHHAHA, yes, we can see you!"

"I specifically went to Pink Bunny's live stream, and everyone saw you waving, even though it was just your back."

"Why are only these two cities being broadcast? Speaking of which, who's behind this? Has the signal been restored?"

"No way, I'm certain it hasn't. The NPC next to me has a phone that's out of battery and turned off, yet we can still see the feed. It's absurd. It looks high-tech, but it doesn't feel like it at all."

"This is magic!"

"Why are the live feeds limited to just these two cities? What could be the reason behind it?"

Or rather, why would such a live broadcast be necessary?

Looking up at the sky from his vantage point on Earth, the divine being couldn't actually see beyond the clouds. The sun had been concealed by dark clouds since the seventh seal was broken, casting the world into near darkness. Yet, somehow, he could sense that the false God above the clouds wasn't sitting comfortably on the divine throne.

There was still someone, or something, battling against It, defying the Almighty.

Just as he had suspected.

The key to defeating this false God lay within the mythic rituals and the Book of Revelation.

"The resistance of humankind," the divine being murmured on Earth.

The nearby Blood Acolyte didn't catch what he said. "What?"

"Does the Book of Revelation in the Bible mention the resistance of humans?"

"No, I don't think so. And even if it did, who could resist an all-knowing, all-powerful God?" The Blood Acolyte shrugged.

"Exactly. The crux lies in who could defy an all-knowing, all-powerful God," the divine being's eyes gleamed intensely. "In the fifth trumpet judgment, non-believers like us were supposed to suffer under a plague of monstrous locusts. But only our two cities managed to erect barriers before the trumpet sounded. Look, no one inside the barrier has been injured or killed."

"In other words... we have defied God's judgment."

The Bloodthirsters seemed to grasp the concept but not entirely.

The deity smiled on Earth. "Our two cities are evidence of disobedience against God. Now, our existence is being broadcast worldwide. Everyone is watching us. If we hold on, it would mean that God's judgment isn't solely about destruction—He failed to annihilate us at least. But if He can't even destroy our two cities, can He truly be the all-knowing, all-powerful God?"

The black cat of Arkham arrived at the same conclusion. His assessment was similar to the deity's, and the players around him understood as well.

"So, we're being put on the spot?" Crazy Fast Talker blurted out.

"...If you put it that way, you're not wrong. The whole world is watching us. Perhaps only our two cities will successfully defend against the fifth trumpet. Look, the barrier covers most of the sanctuary and the residents of Arkham."

Arkham had protected even more residents than New Port. Mainly due to their worship of Lane, and having experienced two disasters, coupled with Carmen and Carrens' governance, it was easier to mobilize the population for refuge. Most of the residents were now under the barrier's protection, unaware that they were being live-streamed. They were all marveling at the massive swarm of locusts outside the barrier.

"I've never seen so many huge locusts... Can we still call them locusts?"

"Wow, they even have human faces."

"How terrifying... Hmm, why does this scene feel familiar?"

"Amazing, compared to the previous two instances, it's terrifying, but it seems rather ordinary now."

"Hey, don't just stand there watching from a distance! Is this the time for spectating?!" A Black Poker member sternly dispersed the residents who ventured too close to the barrier. "The calamity isn't over yet! Hurry back to the shelters! Leave the outside to us!"

Ordinarily, people would have been intimidated by these gangsters. However, after the last disaster when the Black Poker had provided refuge, they realized that these seemingly menacing gangsters were not so bad. Some of them had even been saved by the Black Poker members.

"Alright, we'll go back right away." Someone shouted, handing a bottle of water to the Black Poker member, who reluctantly accepted it before passing it to Carrens, who was coordinating in the center.

"Boss, take a drink and rest a bit. They're showing their respect."

Carrens rubbed his temples, twisted open the cap, and took a sip. Last time in the Dream World, he didn't have a chance to participate, as Lord Lane trusted him and Carmen to hold the fort. In a way, it was a sign of trust. Yet, observing the residents, who once feared them like scorpions, now being friendly, he couldn't shake off the feeling that they might have strayed from their original path.

To be honest, since becoming the leader of the Black Poker, opportunities for disaster relief far outweighed those for leading clashes. The few times they did engage in battles, players were at the forefront, leaving the local Black Poker members trailing behind. At this point, it was unclear whether the organization was more of a rescue group or a gang.

Given the previous two experiences, Arkham's residents were less panicked this time around. Moreover, they were promptly placed in shelters when the calamity struck, resulting in minimal casualties. It was far less nerve-wracking than the previous incidents.

At the edge of the barrier, the group of players had adeptly set up watchtowers, turning the situation into a simulated city defense game.

Perched on the watchtower, the black cat gazed at the locusts swarming outside the barrier, a sharp glint flickering in its eyes. "Our resistance will be witnessed by the world. The longer it lasts, the deeper the doubts about God will grow."

"After all, this false God relies on absolute violence and fear (the power of natural disasters) to gather faith. Such a method isn't very efficient unless the terror is consistently and unimaginably excessive, absolute, violent, and irresistible. That's when human resentment might transform into helplessness and numbness, even acceptance. But once a flaw appears in His violence, it will spark human resistance.

Of course, God will spare no effort to mend these two errors. So, everyone, brace yourselves!"

"The storm is coming!"

As the black cat had said, Badder wasn't unaware of this logic. Rather, he was too anxious and believed that he had laid a solid foundation, only for Lane to throw a wrench in his plans.

The moment the live feeds from the two cities appeared, the world realized that the Fifth Trumpet wasn't something the entire world could simply endure. Thus, Badder didn't receive as much faith as He had anticipated under the Fifth Trumpet.

Badder immediately turned His gaze underground and, through the emerging power of 'omniscience,' understood what was happening on the surface. He looked deeply at Lane.

"Have you still not ceased this futile resistance?"

Lane spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping his mouth nonchalantly. "Whether it's futile or not, wouldn't you know if you tried it yourself?"

"...Then I must try," Badder said coldly. Looking at the two cities, white deathly light began to appear on His fingers. For Badder now, erasing two cities was as simple as flicking His wrist.

Bang!

A powerful impact struck Bader from behind, dispersing the energy he had gathered. He turned to see Ogier, who appeared to be in a terrible state, his entire body cracking as if under immense strain. Even the formidable physique of a giant was being shattered by Bader's ever-increasing strength, all facilitated by Lahn's cunning manipulation of time and space.

During this, Lahn had already used one of his save points to protect Ogier when Bader attempted to deal a fatal blow. However, the save point ability had a 24-hour cooldown and was no longer available as a safety net.

Until now, it had been Lahn and Ogier evading Bader's attacks. But the tables had turned; to prevent Bader from ruthlessly annihilating the inhabitants of both cities, they were now forced to risk everything and go on the offensive.

It was uncertain how long they could hold out. All they could hope for was that the players would step up and swiftly diminish God's faith within the limited livestream time.