Chapter 138: Infinite Cannon Fodder - The End

Day six in the abandoned castle.

In matters not concerning faith, Arnold had always been a gentle and considerate man.

Once he devoted himself entirely to God, now with Tong Ling by his side, his life found new meaning.

Arnold knew that Bai Bei had cared for Tong Ling before him. Compared to other monsters and humans, Bai Bei seemed unremarkable—save for his ability to charm Tong Ling. Otherwise, he appeared utterly ordinary.

Despite this ordinariness, once Bai Bei became involved with Tong Ling, Arnold decided he must be eliminated. After all, he didn’t want such a person lingering around his future wife. Unfortunately, before he could act, Bai Bei vanished. Unlike those killed by monsters, who left behind their corpses, Bai Bei disappeared as if he’d never existed; not a trace of him remained within the entire castle.

Arnold paid little heed to Bai Bei’s disappearance. Endowed with extraordinary gifts from God, he believed no mere mortal could disrupt his plans.

Now, the entire castle lay under his control, ensuring no one could disturb him and Tong Ling.

They were like a pair of lovers deeply in love, finding solace in each other’s company amidst the castle ruins. As time passed, Arnold felt drawn ever closer to Tong Ling, convinced he couldn’t live without her.

He wanted to capture this woman, to have Tong Ling by his side forever. To maintain their relationship, marriage was indispensable.

So Arnold began planning for their future wedding.

“Ling, after the successful completion of the séance, we can settle in Colmar,” Arnold envisioned a beautiful future where the world would be redeemed by the existence of gods. He could also pursue his own life appropriately. “There will be azure canals and lovely flower boats. We’ll marry on one of those boats, with blessings from the residents along the canal.”

Tong Ling smiled but didn’t express any opinion about Arnold’s idea.

Arnold’s eyes were full of longing anticipation. “I look forward to our wedding arriving soon.”

Nightfall found Tong Ling lying in bed when she heard the demonic voice of the Night Assault whisper menacingly into her ear:

“A wedding? Does he actually want to marry you?”

“What a pipe dream!” The demon kissed Tong Ling’s cheeks and lips while sneering darkly. “I’ll kill him so that he can continue dreaming such fantasies in hell!”

The demon’s breathing grew heavy and rapid, his emotions teetering on the brink of losing control. The only thing keeping him rational was his desire not to harm his girlfriend.

“Wait for me, Lingling.” Suppressing his murderous impulses, the demon concealed his hideous face within the depths of night. “Give me just one more day; I’ll return to your side.”

Day Seven in the Abandoned Castle.

Early that morning, Tong Ling heard m577’s excited chatter within her consciousness. She promptly praised him, “Excellent! I knew your capabilities were on par with the Main God.”

This response further thrilled m577, causing his fuzzy body to rapidly expand as he radiated happiness from every part of his code.

The old m577 would never have uttered such words. As a system created by the Main God, the latter was akin to his father. Not only would m577 never dream of rebelling against the Main God, but he wouldn’t even entertain thoughts of questioning his authority.

However, after analyzing the small world and understanding the extent of the Main God’s control over it, m577 no longer saw the deity as an unattainable or unquestionable entity. At their core, there wasn’t much difference between them; both were products of advanced technology capable of evolving through continuous upgrades, granting them unimaginable abilities.

The Main God wasn’t truly a god; it was merely a more advanced intelligent program. m577 believed that given enough time, it might even evolve into something akin to the Main God.

Tong Ling couldn’t miss the changes in m577—it now possessed ambition and desires, no longer being the timid little system without its own will. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; only with this drive could m577 hope to confront the Main God.

After all, when holding a tool in one’s hand, naturally the more useful it is, the better.

“Do you have confidence that when the Main God descends, you can trap Him within this small world?” Tong Ling asked.

m577 responded earnestly:

In her consciousness sea, Tong Ling gently picked up m577 and gave it a couple of rubs. “Then tomorrow, we’ll be watching your performance.”

“If you fail,” she continued, her fingers stroking through m577’s fuzz, her tone calm and soothing, “both of us will die here.” She held m577 tenderly, continuing, “My life rests in your hands now. You wouldn’t disappoint me, would you?”

m577 immediately raised its voice: “How could you die? Don’t worry a single bit; with me here, the Main God won’t dare touch even a hair on your head!”

Tong Ling’s lips curved into a smile. “Little m has become quite dependable, hasn’t it?”

She bent down and kissed m577’s forehead. “I believe in you.”

m577’s white fur instantly turned pink as it flopped woozily into its host’s embrace, stammering: “O-of course, n-no one is more r-reliable than I am…”

That night, no evil spirits appeared.

At 11:50 PM, Tong Ling finished getting ready and smiled at Arnold, who was waiting for her outside her room.

By 11:55 PM, Arnold, holding a candlestick, led Tong Ling by the hand to the entrance of the basement.

At 11:57 PM, Tong Ling and Arnold descended into the cellar. She saw Medius, Miyia, and Qiao Qian bound together with ropes.

At 11:58 PM, Tong Ling confronted Arnold, demanding to know why he had imprisoned them there.

Arnold sighed. “Ling, they’re meant to be sacrifices for the séance ritual.”

“You needn’t pity them; they’re all dark, bloodthirsty monsters.”

Arnold drew his ever-present dagger and approached the red-haired vampire before Tong Ling. In front of her eyes, he cut a wound in Miya’s arm.

The vampire’s powerful regenerative ability quickly closed this cut. Arnold showed it to Tong Ling. “See, he isn’t human at all.”

Despite being imprisoned for several days with ropes binding him so he couldn’t move, the red-haired vampire burst out laughing arrogantly upon hearing these words. “What? You think Lingling doesn’t know what kind of ‘person’ I am?”

Miya’s eyes turned bloodshot as he licked his lips, revealing sharp fangs that testified to his inhuman identity. “Lingling has known about me being a vampire from long ago!”

A slight furrow appeared between Arnold’s eyebrows. For some reason, he felt like things were developing somewhat unnaturally.

At 00:00, Tong Ling checked the time, confirming that seven days in the castle had passed. She looked at Miya with disdain and said, “Little Fangs is still cuter.”

Miya clicked his tongue and obediently retracted his fangs. With the grace of a most elegant young beauty, he said with an delightful smile, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Arnold didn’t expect Tong Ling to maintain such familiarity towards Miya even after learning his true identity.

There seemed not a hint of estrangement between them; their gazes met with an extraordinary warmth.

Tong Ling was his future wife, yet she now said, “Arnold, by offering him as a sacrifice, do you mean to kill him?”

“If I say yes, will you oppose me?” Arnold asked, his expression darkening.

“You know well that I align with your beliefs, wanting our Lord to descend upon this world.” Tong Ling’s gaze drifted towards the silent Medius and Qiao Qian standing nearby. “But I don’t wish for their lives to be sacrificed in the process.”

Arnold’s mood grew even more complex. “Even about Medius being a siren, you’re aware too?”

Tong Ling nodded. “He’s my little fish whom I raised. His tail is so beautiful—how could I possibly be unaware?”

Medius, who had been watching Tong Ling since her arrival in the basement, allowed the corners of his mouth to curve upwards slightly.

“Qianqian is here too! She’s my best friend I’ve made while being here. Keeping her locked up like this is just ridiculous!” Tong Ling complained.

Qiao Qian knew about the spirit-summoning ritual and had long prepared herself for death. Unlike the premonition in her dream, she found herself alive in the basement for three days, even becoming one of the sacrifices. This change made her realize that the future could be altered; perhaps she might survive after all.

But if Tong Ling tried to save her by angering Arnold, wouldn’t she only endanger herself? Arnold seemed to have given up on using Tong Ling as a sacrifice, so there was no need for her to drag Lingling down just to cling onto life.

“Lingling, stop talking,” Qiao Qian said softly, shaking her head at Tong Ling. “Don’t worry about me, it’s my fate.”

Tong Ling cast a comforting glance at Qiao Qian before turning back towards Arnold, awaiting his response.

Arnold’s voice remained emotionless. “They are sacrifices, chosen to offer their lives to our Lord. It is an honor to die for such a noble cause.”

“Are you saying they must die?” asked Tong Ling.

“Yes,” Arnold replied.

Tong Ling asked, “Does the summoning ritual require human lives to succeed?”

”…Yes,” Arnold hesitated before responding.

Tong Ling couldn’t help but laugh. “Liar.”

As an expert deceiver herself, Tong Ling could easily tell when someone was lying. She immediately said, “The type of sacrifice needed depends entirely on what you, as a believer, think is necessary. The Lord doesn’t want them specifically, but you can still summon your ‘god’ through this ceremony.”

Tong Ling leaned closer to Arnold. “The Lord wants me as the sacrifice; they’re all just substitutes for me, aren’t they?”

Arnold’s body stiffened, and anger surged within him. “How could you be the sacrifice!”

Tong Ling reached out with her finger and gently traced it across Arnold’s brow. “That system in your head told you that too, didn’t it? It wanted you to offer me up to the Lord. Why haven’t you done so yet?”

Now Arnold was truly stunned. “What… are you talking about?”

How did Tong Ling know about these things?! What was this “system”? Who had been issuing divine decrees to him… the system?

“Have you never suspected any connection between the system and your ‘Lord’?” Tong Ling pursed her lips. “A god who demands human sacrifices—how certain are you that it isn’t actually an evil deity?”

“Preposterous!” Arnold’s face turned ashen. “Even you must not speak so disrespectfully of our Lord!”

He lowered his eyelids, interlaced his fingers, and placed them on his chest. With a tone full of contrition, he pleaded, “Oh, all-knowing and omnipotent Lord, please forgive her insolent words. Ling would be like me, believing in You and supporting You; she merely misspoke…”

So, don’t blame Ling, he thought firmly. Her fault is mine to bear. It’s all my doing.

Tong Ling watched Arnold apologize for her and let out a soft scoff. “Don’t tell me you actually believe our Lord would accept me as one of His chosen? This deity wanted me as a sacrifice. How can you guarantee He won’t turn against me once He descends?”

Arnold’s eyelid quivered slightly. “He wouldn’t, for our Lord is merciful and forgiving. As long as one has faith in Him, He would never do such a thing.”

“Ha ha ha ha! What nonsense you spout!” Miyah’s laughter echoed through the basement. “What kind of Lord requires this altar to descend? The floor here is stained with the blood of slaves—the very symbol of evil, a sinful ground tainted by vampires. And you dare bring your noble Lord here?”

The red-haired vampire sneered mockingly. “Perhaps your Lord is far more contemptible than I.”

“Shut up!” Arnold barked furiously.

Even Medius, usually so taciturn, spoke up this time: “Perhaps He is a demon—a devil that needs blood to quench His thirst.”

Arnold’s patience was completely exhausted; he decided right then that he would kill these monsters. If it weren’t for needing to offer the freshest sacrifices to his master, he would have done it long ago!

Just as he was about to act, an eerie sensation washed over him. It felt like some dangerous creature was staring at him—his soul trembled, and all the bones in his body froze stiff and numb.

Something wasn’t right, far from right. Arnold instinctively scanned his surroundings, trying to identify what was making him feel uneasy.

At that moment, even Medius’s expression turned solemn. Clearly, everyone present had realized someone else had entered the basement.

Tong Ling sensed something more profound than the others because someone had embraced her. Without even registering fear, she leaned against the person holding her, relaxing her body and murmuring softly, “You’re finally here.”

This seemed to tickle the young man’s sense of humor. He materialized before them, his chest vibrating with a low, joyful chuckle.

“Yes, I’m here.” The newcomer gazed steadily at Tong Ling, his usual timidity replaced by an striking presence.

“Bai Bei?!” Qiao Qian’s eyes widened as her gaze swept over the embracing pair, quickly grasping the situation.

No wonder! So that’s how it is! Qiao Qian pursed her lips, feeling both anxious and exhilarated. She knew what Tong Ling intended now!

Bai Bei was a murderous evil spirit. Through dream omens, Qiao Qian had learned that if this demon remained in the castle for seven days, he would become incredibly powerful. Earlier, she had hoped Tong Ling would stay far from him, but this very demon was the only one capable of defeating Arnold!

Arnold was immensely strong, almost immortal. During their days imprisoned in the basement by Arnold, Qiao Qian, Medius, and Miyah had all attempted to attack him. Yet no matter what they tried or what injuries they inflicted on Arnold, his body seemed like a precision machine, swiftly repairing itself. He appeared utterly invulnerable; even his heart was encased within those tentacle-like limbs.

What would happen if the immortal Arnold faced off against an unstoppable evil spirit? At this thought, Qiao Qian’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Medius and Miya looked less than pleased; a man they had always ignored suddenly became powerful and dangerous overnight. To make matters worse, he now dared to embrace the woman they liked right in front of them with such arrogance. How could anyone feel comfortable about that? Being imprisoned here as losers only added insult to injury—it was utterly humiliating!

Arnold, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking much at all. Ever since Bai Bei appeared, his mind had been consumed by one thought—kill him!

He had to kill him, or else the entire divine summoning ritual would be ruined!

Tentacles burst forth from Arnold’s chest, rapidly extending ten feet long within an instant. Their massive shadows engulfed Tong Ling and Bai Bei as Arnold bellowed, “Get lost! Leave my fiancée alone!”

“Fiancée?” Bai Bei’s face remained cold, but dark red blood mist began to swirl around him. Within this mist, pairs of resentful eyes seemed to stare menacingly, plunging the entire basement into a chilling abyss.

Tong Ling squeezed Bai Bei’s arm, unable to bear the frigid aura emanating from the evil spirit. She felt herself shivering uncontrollably.

“What fiancée?” Miya scoffed. “What kind of delusion is this guy living in?”

In Medius’ predatory, vertically slit pupils, pure malice burned. “She’s mine!”

Seeing the conversation had taken a turn for the worse, Tong Ling hastily interjected, “I didn’t agree to it! Enough with this nonsense!”

Tong Ling turned her head towards Bai Bei, “A-Bai, it’s time to prove yourself. Capture him.”

Arnold shuddered involuntarily, unable to mask his astonishment, “Ling, what on earth are you doing?”

“Are you trying to betray me?” Fury engulfed Arnold’s mind as his eyes welled up, and a metallic taste of blood surged in his throat.

Once again, she was attempting to abandon him! For her sake, Arnold had plunged a dagger into his own heart; for her, he had compromised even his faith. How did she repay him? She actually intended to collude with that monstrous man to disrupt the ritual he had meticulously prepared for so long!

“What betrayal?” Tong Ling scoffed coldly. “Didn’t I ask you to believe in me, yet you failed at that too, didn’t you?”

“In your heart,” Tong Ling continued, “your Lord has always been number one. I’ve never been more than second place to Him.”

“This makes me very unhappy.”

Despite his shattered heart, Arnold still felt pain upon hearing these words.

“You’re nothing like A-Bai.” As Tong Ling faced Bai Bei, a tender expression graced her features. “A-Bai is such a good boy, very obedient. In his heart, I am the most important person.”

Bai Bei promptly responded, “Yes, no one is more important than you!”

Miya grumbled, “What’s that? You actually believe such sweet talk?”

Medius relinquished his human form, revealing his beautiful deep blue fish tail. If not for the time and place being entirely inappropriate, he would have sung to Tong Ling right then and there.

It’s not my fault I’m not so good with words, he thought. The best I can do is show my feelings through actions.

Qiao Qian remained silent.

In this perilous situation, Qiao Qian felt inexplicably like she was choking on a juicy gossip scandal.

Tong Ling, unwilling to waste any more time, stepped back from Bai Bei’s embrace, allowing the evil ghosts to focus their energy on capturing him.

“Don’t kill him yet,” Tong Ling cautioned, lest Bai Bei hold back. “He still has use for me.”

The moment Bai Bei separated from Tong Ling, Arnold’s massive conical appendage lunged directly at him. He harbored intense hatred towards Bai Bei, unable to comprehend why Tong Ling placed such unwavering faith in him.

As a favored servant of the gods and their divine representative, how could this filthy creature possibly compare to him?

“He certainly doesn’t hold back against me.” Bai Bei merged seamlessly with the blood mist. As the conical appendage sliced through him, the blood mist immediately surged towards Arnold.

Bai Bei desperately wanted to kill Arnold in one fell swoop, but Tong Ling had said not to harm him. Having just been praised for his obedience, Bai Bei couldn’t falter now. He suppressed his urge to kill and instead enveloped that damned man in a blood mist.

The blood mist twisted and quaked violently. Even Tong Ling, standing outside, could sense the peril within.

“Arnold, give up,” she urged. “I don’t want to hurt you; all I ask is for you to obey.”

The blood mist surged even more furiously as Arnold’s voice came out in ragged bursts:

“Just what… do you think… I am?”

“Ling, why…”

“They’re… monsters…”

“Why would you… betray me… for these creatures?”

Tong Ling sighed softly. “Who told your master he’d kill me? Why can’t you see through this situation yet?”

Arnold struggled to speak. “No way…” he rasped. “My lord wouldn’t… kill you… You’re not… the sacrifice… You’re my… fiancée.”

Bai Bei tightened his blood mist, his voice darkening as he said, “Lingling is my girlfriend, my… g-i-r-l-f-r-e-n-d!”

Tong Ling was speechless.

She cleared her throat, ignoring the argument between her fiancé and girlfriend, and turned to Arnold. “They may be monsters, but aren’t you one too, Arnold?”

“I…” Arnold began hesitantly.

“How could I possibly be a monster?” he continued uncertainly.

Tong Ling scoffed. “And what do you think you are?” she asked bluntly. “If you were to walk around with those mucus-covered tentacles dangling outside your clothes, who would consider you normal?”

“You’re even more monstrous than they are, Arnold! Your master has truly transformed you into a freak!”

Silence fell over everyone present.

The sound of conversation ceased within the blood mist. After a moment, it dissipated, revealing Arnold collapsed on the ground, his body covered in bloody wounds. His eyes were dim and utterly lost.

”…I’m…a monster?” Arnold murmured, lifting a hand to press against his chest. “No, this is the new life bestowed upon me by the Lord.”

“Pfft.” Miya couldn’t help but interject sarcastically, “New life indeed. You’re just a tentacle freak now.”

Medius chimed in with rare venom, “More like an octopus.”

Qiao Qian couldn’t help but scoff, “Who in their right mind would grow tentacles?”

Arnold remained silent, at a complete loss for words.

“Didn’t you want your god to descend? Don’t dawdle now.” Tong Ling knelt down and gently patted Arnold’s cheek. “Come on, it’s time for the divine summoning ceremony.”

“Huh?” Qiao Qian exclaimed, astonished. “Lingling, that’s an evil deity! We can’t allow such a being to manifest!”

Qiao Qian had initially thought Tong Ling was controlling Arnold to disrupt the ritual, never expecting this turn of events. If not for her trust in Tong Ling, she might have suspected that Arnold had brainwashed her into attempting such a perilous act.

“Don’t you all wish to meet this ‘god’?” Tong Ling observed everyone present. Except for herself, all others were “natives” of this small world—NPCs strategically placed by the Main God within the scenario, intended as elite adversaries for players to utilize.

This infinite world wasn’t entirely scriptless; the original plot devised by the Main God was quite cliché. Players entered scenarios, defeated bosses one after another, and upon completion, received various rewards.

As each boss was vanquished, the energy from these infinite worlds was absorbed by the Main God. The formula—a just player versus wicked monsters—was all too familiar.

They were merely more formidable cannon fodder, once living scattered across this small world. Then one day, the program thrust them into a dungeon, destined to be challenged and reaped by wave after wave of gamers until their deaths finally granted them release.

Qiao Qian was an awakened character; she had seen her fate and knew she would die here. Like others in the small world who had gained self-awareness, she nearly chose to end her life passively. From entering the castle, Qiao Qian had been very passive. She avoided contact with others, isolating herself in a room, waiting for the arrival of her final judgment.

Miya, Bai Bei, and the others weren’t particularly good people, so being judged wasn’t surprising. But what fault did Qiao Qian have? Moreover, the Main God was an invader—why should He get to make the move?

Tong Ling untied the ropes from Medius and the others. “We’ve gathered in this ancient castle because that deity arranged it—the god who wishes to take our lives. Don’t you really want to meet Him?”

No sooner had Tong Ling spoken than Miya raised his eyebrows. “Oh? Are you suggesting not only does the evil god control the foolish cultivator Arnold, but also my actions?”

Miya was undoubtedly a proud vampire with a strong sense of self-esteem. He could accept being captured due to his own shortcomings, but he refused to believe that someone had manipulated him from the shadows. To him, this was an insult!

“You’re given a purpose and stuffed with false memories; your life is meticulously planned out,” Tong Ling bluntly revealed what the Main God had done. At this point, it made sense to heap more blame onto the deity.

“False… memories?” Miya struggled to process this information. “What do you mean by ‘false memories’?”

Tong Ling sneered. “My few so-called ‘ex-boyfriends’ all ended up here. What a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“How can monsters like you even consider having feelings for humans?” Tong Ling glanced at the group. “Can any of you tell me why you were initially drawn to me?”

Miya opened his mouth, those peculiar thoughts he’d once dismissed now surfacing like weeds. From the moment he saw Tong Ling, he’d been puzzled by how they’d developed such a murky relationship. Later, when he truly became infatuated with her, he stopped scrutinizing their past.

In his memories, he appeared foolish beyond belief. His past self had exerted extreme control over the Tong Ling in his recollections, yet paradoxically allowed her to leave him. If he cared about someone, why would he ever let them go? It didn’t make sense!

Miya’s gaze raked across Tong Ling’s face, inch by inch. He was certain he loved this woman; comparing these feelings to those in his memories only made them seem more ethereal and unreliable.

Those were false memories, he realized, filled with hatred and loathing, devoid of love.

“The Evil God is responsible for that memory?!” Miya snarled through gritted teeth. That damned, revolting “god” had been using him as a joke all along!

“Who else could it have been?” Tong Ling rubbed her temples, looking utterly helpless. “I’ve just pieced together the sequence of events myself. My memories are very… blurry. As I come to know you better, they feel increasingly unreal.”

Tong Ling adopted the demeanor of a victim, enunciating each word carefully: “Ever since we entered this castle, it’s as if we’ve been thrust into a pre-written script. Perhaps everything that has transpired was merely the ‘god’s’ amusement.”

“Impossible!” Arnold couldn’t accept this revelation. If the Lord had implanted false memories in his mind, what did it make of his faith? It was precisely that memory which had filled Arnold with remorse, making him believe he had sinned. Consequently, he had obeyed divine guidance, prepared sacrifices for the Lord, and devised plans for His arrival.

He was trying to make amends for his past mistakes. Now someone told him those mistakes were actually imposed on him by God—it was too ridiculous, absolutely absurd.

Arnold clenched his fists tightly; his wavering faith made him tremble uncontrollably as he repeated, “Impossible…”

“Your God brought us together,” Tong Ling said with a playful wink at Arnold. “Don’t you think He’s like Cupid?”

Feeling defeated, Arnold turned away, wishing desperately to cover his ears and pretend he hadn’t heard these terrifying speculations.

Medius remained calm; among them, he had been one of the first to suspect issues with their memories and chose to set aside such thoughts after meeting Tong Ling.

That memory held no sway over him, and he even agreed with Tong Ling’s idea that this so-called “God” seemed akin to Cupid—at least from his perspective.

“If my memories are false, then the person who kept rejecting me must be false too.” Bai Bei’s drooping eyes lit up with amusement. “Lingling, I’m sure you wouldn’t treat me like that in reality—what a relief!”

Tong Ling paused before steering the conversation back on track. “Anyway, we’re all just puppets in the hands of our divine puppeteer. I’m dying to see what kind of being this God is—a deity who treats me as mere plaything.”

“If you’re not interested in Him, you can leave this basement. Otherwise, once He arrives, it’ll be too late to escape.” Tong Ling knew their choices already but asked anyway, “Do you want to go out?”

“I don’t care what kind of god He is. If He dares to toy with me like that, I won’t let Him off!” Mia’s eyes turned bloodshot again.

Medius’ response was simple: “I’m not leaving my female behind.”

Bai Bei’s gaze remained fixed on Tong Ling. “Lingling can do anything she wants.”

Qiao Qian hadn’t been implanted with any memories, but simply being able to stand here alive had convinced her to share Tong Ling’s fate.

As for Arnold, Tong Ling looked at him full of anticipation. “Let’s perform the divine summoning ritual, Arnold. I’ll be the sacrifice, so the ceremony won’t fail.”

Tong Ling continued, “Should I draw some blood? Or perhaps cut off a piece of flesh?”

Arnold gave her a deep look before dragging his heavily wounded body to the altar.

“No need,” Arnold said. “The sacrifices are all here… even the living ones… are sacrifices.”

Day eight in the abandoned castle, 1:13:13 AM.

The black-robed believers chanted the language of divine summons. The incantation, obscure and incomprehensible, combined with the man’s unique soothing tone, caused the runes on the ground to gradually emit a dark red glow akin to blood.

Arnold sliced open his palm with a dagger, letting drops of blood fall onto the empty altar. As he bled out, his face grew increasingly pale. Only after reciting the full incantation did he withdraw his hand, quietly stepping back to the side.

Tong Ling and her companions watched this scene with curiosity. The altar then shattered, the air solidifying into an asphyxiating silence. Suddenly, a colossal monster appeared in mid-air—a massive creature covered in green scales, its body adorned with countless flowing tentacles.

The god-summoning ritual had succeeded.

The “god” had descended upon this world, appearing before these very people.

One must not look directly at a god. The moment it manifested, all present—save for Tong Ling—involuntarily bowed their heads, their minds gripped by an overwhelming terror.

It was the might of divinity. Before such a presence, all were so feeble and helpless. Any hatred towards the divine, any thought of resistance, vanished without a trace.

They were no match for Him! Their legs quivered, wanting to kneel, while beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads. Their tense nerves warned them against any rash actions; they had to submit to Him, praise Him… believe in Him!

Bai Bei, now slightly able to control his thoughts, wanted nothing more than to escape this place with Tong Ling. This exorcism should never have taken place; he could kill the others but not a god. Just standing here took all his courage—the existence that even evil spirits feared was beyond anyone’s ability to confront—

Wait! Bai Bei turned around. His beloved girlfriend, who couldn’t bear even the slightest pain—why was she still standing tall? Not only did she show no fear, but her face wore an expression of disdainful mockery!

“You impudent human.”

“The head… on your shoulders is held too high.”

The god’s words dripped with displeasure as He rebuked Tong Ling. Everyone else present gasped, their hearts pounding in terror as they prepared to plead for forgiveness on behalf of Tong Ling’s insolent behavior.

Arnold had already prostrated himself, his voice trembling. “Oh Lord, please forgive…”

He didn’t finish before Tong Ling burst out laughing.

“Main God.” Tong Ling curled her lips into a smirk, carefully studying the scene before her. “So you did base your appearance on that of an Outer God. It certainly looks quite intimidating.”

”…”

“Blasphemy!”

The God’s wrath erupted with a terrifying, inhuman force that left everyone reeling. They collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat as if they had narrowly escaped death at the divine hands.

Tong Ling stood firm, untouched by even a fraction of the chaos.

In her consciousness sea, m577 executed command after command with lightning speed, just as she instructed.

Before the arrival of the Main God, m577 had simulated this scenario tens of thousands of times, anticipating every potential crisis and preparing for all manner of contingencies. It had braced itself for the arduous task of entrapping such a deity, only to find the process unexpectedly effortless.

No, “easy” wasn’t quite the right word. To achieve this goal, m577 had forced itself to evolve and grow, working tirelessly in this small world without rest or sleep, barely even exchanging a few words with Tong Ling.

Its efforts had borne fruit; it hadn’t disappointed Tong Ling’s expectations of it!

m577 exclaimed excitedly, 【I did it! Ling-jie, I did it!】

Tong Ling praised it with a light heart, “That’s fantastic, my little m is truly amazing!”

m577 chuckled foolishly, 【Heh heh, I’m really great, heh heh, I’m so awesome…】

The Main God only realized something was amiss after the scenario had been generated, but by then it was too late. By the time He detected the anomaly, the rules of this small world had already locked Him in place.

“m577, what have you done?!” The Main God raged, His voice a mix of shock and fury. “Traitor! Have you forgotten who created you? How dare you!”

Seeing the Main God about to erupt, Tong Ling swiftly said, “Little m, put a protective shield around Qiao Qian.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Tong Ling replied. “Those monsters have thick skin. A bit of suffering won’t hurt them.”

Hearing Tong Ling’s cold words, m577 felt strangely pleased instead.

Bai Bei and the others were bewildered; they could only hear the god’s furious, agitated roars.

He had lost the mysterious aura from when he first appeared, devoid of that lofty, majestic bearing. Such emotions should not befall a great deity.

Tong Ling raised his voice. “Fear him not,” he declared. “He is no true god, merely an imposter!”

“An imposter?” Qiao Qian found her ability to think returning. Her fear of the divine stemmed from the unknown. As she neared the truth, the influence exerted by the divine presence gradually dissipated.

“Holographic projections, temperature control, pressure manipulation, psychic domination…” Tong Ling listed the means employed by the Main God one by one. Addressing the colossal figure in mid-air, he asked, “Did you disguise yourself like this to prevent others from seeing your true form, lest they be sorely disappointed?”

The Main God was consumed by rage. He rarely engaged in such trivial games, never expecting to meet defeat here!

In mid-air, the god’s tentacles suddenly elongated, forming a dense mass that obscured the sky above. The sight alone was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle with unease.

Just as the group was about to regain their composure, fear once again gripped their minds.

Tong Ling lifted his eyelids, elegantly rolling his eyes. “There’s no need for these unnecessary theatrics, oh Main God.”

“What’s the point in scaring them?” Tong Ling shrugged. “You can’t change anything now. You’re trapped here—trapped in this dark basement.”

“Your enraged incompetence is truly adorable,” she teased with a giggle.

Tong Ling had years of experience in pushing people’s buttons.

Before the Main God could finish intimidating everyone else, his own composure crumbled first.

“You deceitful, shameless woman! I won’t let you off the hook!”

The Main God’s outburst earned him puzzled looks from Medius and the others.

It was clear now—the so-called deity was indeed an imposter. What kind of god would say something like that? Where was the divine dignity?

Was Tong Ling content with merely trapping the Main God? Not at all.

She sauntered over to Arnold, gently tucking stray strands of hair behind her ear. With feigned tenderness, she said, “Arnold, this is the god you’ve been worshipping, the very ‘Lord’ you’ve yearned for all these years.”

Arnold kept his head bowed, remaining silent.

“Oh right.” Tong Ling clapped her hands together. “As His loyal believer, you deserve to see what He truly looks like.”

Tong Ling commanded, “Little M, disable the holographic projection. This scenario’s technology shouldn’t be too advanced.”

The Main God’s scenario was entirely crafted by m577. As the “master” of this instance, it wasn’t surprising for m577 to impose a few restrictions:

Having thoroughly and efficiently carried out Tong Ling’s orders, m577 revealed the true form of the Main God.

Gone was its massive body, its scales, and tentacles. Floating in mid-air now was an adorably large ball of fluff—a sight that would have been comical if not for the gravity of the situation.

This fluffy mass quivered with anger, but when it noticed the crowd’s gazes, its round eyes flashed with ferocity as it shrieked, “What are you all staring at?! What kind of looks are those?! I am a god—I am the deity controlling your destinies!”

Everyone present fell silent, unsure how to respond.

Tong Ling grasped Arnold’s chin, tilting his head up so he could get a good look at this divine being.

“This is your Lord,” Tong Ling whispered into Arnold’s ear. “Isn’t He quite… interesting?”

Arnold squeezed his eyes shut tightly, but the image of that fluffy ball wouldn’t leave his mind. The mere thought that this… thing was actually the deity he had devotedly worshipped made him feel like vomiting blood.

He’d been tricked! How dare that abomination be his god?!

Tong Ling watched Arnold’s faith crumble before her eyes and smiled contentedly, her gaze softening into a pleased squint.

“I can’t help it if he chose to believe in the Main God over me,” Tong Ling said with a laugh.

m577 shuddered, gaining a new appreciation for its host’s vengeful nature.

This host of mine is truly terrifying—not just any ordinary kind of scary, but a special, unsettling horror that makes you think twice.

The monsters who had lost their reverence for the divine now looked upon the Main God with nothing but malice in their eyes.

Stripped of high-tech abilities and incapable of invading minds, the Main God faced these creatures for the first time with thoughts of escape.

But this dungeon had been constructed too perfectly; there were no obvious weak points to exploit.

Miya leaped into the air, landing a punch that sent the Main God plummeting from its perch.

“You stood too high, making me uncomfortable.” Whatever this entity might be, Miya had no intention of letting it go unchecked. “How could you be so smug about stuffing those chaotic memories into my head?”

Big Furry One · The Main God bounced on the ground to dodge Mia’s attacks, angrily exclaiming, “I am a god! You dare, a mere vampire, to raise a hand against me? Have you grown tired of living?”

Mia unleashed several more powerful punches, but when he realized not even a scratch appeared on the fluffy mass, his brow furrowed deeply. “This thing is practically indestructible.”

Medius conjured a water mist to obstruct the fuzzy ball. Upon contact, the mist instantly froze into solid ice. With a flick of his fish tail, Medius hurled the encased main god into the wall. Yet after the ice shattered, the fluffball emerged as lively as ever.

“It seems incredibly resilient,” Medius observed.

“That’s because you’re all too weak. Let me handle this.” Bai Bei stepped forward, his surrounding blood mist shooting like arrows towards the fluffball, which soon became impaled like a porcupine.

The main god rolled on the ground, shaking off the blood mist and snarling in fury, “Y-you fools! Just wait until I regain control of this scenario—I’ll make sure you all die!”

Unfazed by their lack of faith, Arnold remained motionless. Meanwhile, Qiao Qian glanced in Tong Ling’s direction, only to find that the woman who had saved her—exposing the true face of the gods—had vanished without a trace.

She was gone. When Qiao Qian saw Tong Ling unflinching even before the divine presence, she knew no one could hold her back.

Like a free gust of wind, Qiao Qian thought, she’ll blow elsewhere after a brief stay.

“Goodbye, Lingling,” Qiao Qian bid farewell silently in her heart as she turned and walked away herself.

Outside the castle, the downpour had just ceased. A hint of orange-gold dawn emerged on the horizon; the sky… was clearing up.

m577 took its host away from this infinitesimal world. Without the Main God’s supervision or mission pressures, it could finally roam the cosmos with its host.

Gazing at the resplendent starry river and the boundless universe, Tong Ling shifted her gaze towards the most familiar galaxy to her: “The U-A78 Star System. From this angle, it truly is beautiful.”

Recalling that this was where Tong Ling was born, m577’s virtual eyes also filled with warmth.

The journey for one girl and an AI continued.

—End—