
Kate was the only doctor in the town, at least the only one after the Black Death.
Pale-faced, Kate stood behind the heavy curtains, his gloomy eyes fixed on everything outside the window.
The sky was so overcast it seemed as if it would rain for months on end, with not a ray of sunlight in sight. Crows cawed from the withered branches, their harsh voices echoing across the sky. Fallen leaves were blown about by the wind, and a few thin townsfolk walked along the roadside. They wore uniforms and were heading to the factory on the other side of town. Every face was so calm and friendly, as if this world was a wonderful place.
The humble town had always been so peaceful and harmonious. After that disastrous plague, people seemed to have come to terms with life, enjoying themselves and treating others with more kindness.
After all, life was short. Rather than dying a senseless death like in the plague, it was better to enjoy life.
But the townsfolk had forgotten that some people would never enjoy life again; they could only sleep eternally beneath the earth, perhaps still suffering the immense pain they endured before death.
Kate’s pale hand gripped the curtain tightly, as if it were the neck of an enemy, with such force that the black eyes, lifeless and full of hatred, were veined with blood, nearly turning his white eyes red.
His poor, yet-to-grow-up sister, Mary, had died in the blazing heat of a midsummer's day, while those who had caused her death could still live through the coming autumn and winter.
To Kate, who had grown up depending on his sister, every person in this town was a sinner, their hands stained with Mary’s blood.
“It’s alright... It’s alright, as long as I succeed, Mary will come back...”
Kate bit nervously at his uneven nails, his slender fingers taut, his wandering gaze landing on the dark walnut table not far away.
On the table lay a book bound in sheepskin. The thick pages were wrapped in yellowed sheepskin, and the cover was adorned with strange, twisted lines, resembling a giant eye watching the world.
This was a forbidden book Kate had stumbled upon by chance, said to contain the method of summoning an evil god.
For people of this era, who generally worshiped the Sun God, this was considered heretical. The book should have been handed over to the church, where the priest would purify the sins it contained.
But Kate had not done so.
Originally a believer in the Sun God, Kate’s faith wavered after Mary’s death. He questioned why a god meant to save the world did not save his innocent sister.
Especially after the Black Death, as he watched the wicked townsfolk live happily, the last straw broke. Kate completely abandoned the Sun God.
He began to loathe all false gods. In comparison, the evil god, who could be summoned and would fulfill believers' wishes for a clear price, seemed more just.
Thus, Kate began frantically collecting information, intending to summon the terrifying evil god who was said to grant the wishes of believers.
For someone like Kate, born with a gift for languages and an extraordinary memory, this should have been a simple task. However, deciphering the summoning ritual recorded in this book was not as easy as he had imagined.
Each page of the book emanated an aura of evil. Staring at it too long would make Kate dizzy and weak. The language was an unfamiliar ancient script that required careful study, but with his mind unable to endure, even Kate’s brilliance was of no use.
It took Kate half a year of research to grasp the summoning process, giving him enough confidence to attempt to summon a god to revive his sister.
Although he still did not know what kind of god this book would summon.
He only knew that he was being lured to the abyss by a devil. He would personally release a terrifying evil god, but... for Mary, it was all worth it.
Kate picked up the book from the table, coughing weakly. His cheeks flushed with a sickly red as he let out a raspy laugh of excitement.
“Mary, wait for me, brother will bring you home soon...”
And once his sister returned, he would begin his revenge. The entire town would pay for their sins!
Kate's frail body, wrapped in a black coat, looked even thinner, but his eyes shone with a startling intensity. He pulled the curtains tighter, ensuring no light could penetrate the room, before feeling relieved.
The summoning ritual he was about to perform today was crucial and could not afford any mistakes.
He closed the door tightly, opened a hidden door, and descended into the basement, which he had already prepared as the summoning site. Everything was ready.
After taking a few deep breaths, Kate opened his eyes, placed the sheepskin book in the safe, and then picked up a paint bucket, beginning to draw on the floor.
Following the instructions in the book, he mixed blood from the necks of calves and lambs with bat blood in a one-third ratio, then added mercury, lead, and gold powder, mixing it all together to use as paint for the summoning circle.
The summoning circle was placed in the center of the summoning site, a five-foot radius circle drawn on the floor. At two-thirds of the circle, he used the heads and blood of wolves and bears to complete the rest, then drew a pentagram.
Finally, he stood before the summoning circle and recited the name of the god. The believer would then receive the god’s attention.
“Lord of Endless Chaos, the Incarnation of Nameless Mist, may you hear the plea of your humble follower. May the stars be aligned, and you return to this place, mastering all laws. Where you tread, sorrow and pain shall follow, and mankind shall once again be in your grasp...”
The ancient incantation echoed in the basement as Kate repeatedly recited the well-memorized prayer, his eyes fixed on the summoning circle before him. His expression was tense, the madness in his eyes becoming more pronounced.
Kate's entire soul was praying for the summoning to succeed.
He had waited too long for this day, and he could wait no longer. Hatred and guilt had filled his ugly, hypocritical soul, like a mess of straw poking out from his body, giving him excruciating pain every day.
Only if the summoning succeeded would he have the right to avenge his sister, to atone for his sins. He would no longer be the coward who helplessly watched his sister burn to death, only knowing how to cry.
He had to succeed, even if it meant falling into hell. If the evil god could bring back his sister, he would not hesitate to give his life and soul.
Kate vowed this in his heart, his eyes bloodshot, his expression twisted, resembling a madman out of touch with reality.
In the next moment, as if by the grace of a god, the summoning circle before Kate lit up with a bright light. Kate stared unblinkingly at the dazzling light, refusing to look away even as tears streamed down his eyes from the brightness.
"Merciful god... thank you, thank you for your..." response.
Kate's choked voice came to an abrupt stop. His pupils froze in place, fixed on a terrifying shadow that left a faint mark deep in his pupils.
The bright light quickly faded, and the offerings on the ground vanished, replaced by a vast, shapeless mass of flesh-colored matter.
The once spacious room was now covered by this fleshy substance, which pulsated rhythmically like a mass of minced meat. The walls softened, taking on a shape reminiscent of primordial life. Just looking at it caused one's mind to descend into chaos.
Tentacles extended from the massive flesh mass, making the room feel like the inside of a giant, grotesque creature's body, filled with flesh, blood vessels, and the stench of blood permeating the air.
Kate's face turned deathly pale as he stared at the tentacles spreading across the floor and the fleshy substance covering the walls. His mind was assaulted by an unprecedented shock, his brain feeling like it was about to split open. Yet, even so, he couldn't move an inch, only staring blankly at the other end of the summoning circle, at the god he had summoned. Tears of stress-induced reaction fell from his bloodshot eyes, leaving streaks on his pale face.
Kate couldn't help but move his eyes, slowly shifting his gaze from the tentacles writhing on the floor to the massive, pure evil-feeling mass of flesh.
——The sound of slimy flesh wriggling echoed in his ears.
A huge eyeball slowly opened within the flesh, its deep, intelligent pupil reflecting a vast universe. Countless stars and celestial bodies moved within the universe, which seemed to be trapped inside this strange eyeball.
Kate could no longer support his body, collapsing to the ground, drenched in sweat. His face was as white as if covered in lead powder, devoid of any color. His pale lips trembled, and strange buzzing sounds echoed in his ears, over and over, nearly shattering his fragile sanity.
"#%¥……*)%&"
The huge eye in the room moved for a while, and after a moment, an ancient, unfamiliar language echoed in his ears. Kate lifted his heavy eyelids, seeing the room spinning around him, and noticed that the god he had summoned was looking at him with that mysterious, wise eye. The murmuring voice seemed to come from within his skull, reverberating repeatedly in his brain.
Kate couldn't understand the meaning of the language, only able to lie on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, on the brink of madness.
Suddenly, an explosion of pain tore through Kate's mind, as countless fragments of information flooded in. Clutching his head, he wailed in agony, but somehow, he inexplicably understood the words that the god had whispered to him.
"What is your wish?"
After grasping the meaning, Kate struggled to get up from the ground, kneeling on the soft, blood-red floor. His lips and tongue still trembled with lingering fear, but he nevertheless voiced his desire.
"I want to... resurrect my sister Mary!!!" Kate mustered all his strength to speak out his wish.
The room fell silent in the wake of Kate's shout. The previously shifting eye stopped moving and fixated on Kate.
Kate's neurotic gaze met the god's, and in that instant, his body shuddered. It was the thrill and ecstasy of a believer being gazed upon by their deity.
"You will resurrect your sister. The price you must pay is..."
The massive eye, gentle and kind like the most benevolent deity, gazed upon its devout follower. The room's aimlessly writhing tendrils of flesh slowly wrapped around the believer's body until he was completely covered.
Kate was enveloped by the flesh, as if he had returned to the amniotic fluid of his distant memories. His weak body was healed, and an unprecedented sense of peace allowed his taut nerves to completely relax. Countless pieces of information flowed into his mind along with the flesh.
He now understood how to resurrect his sister, and he knew what his mission was.
[Sanity: 5]
[Status: Fanatic]
[Resurrection Method: Boil the prayers of the faithful and the hatred of enemies into dye, smear it on the corpse, spin thread from thorny branches, stitch the body with the thread, then call upon the name of the Lord in the place of the dead's despair to awaken them.]
After clicking on the chibi character in the game, the character's wish was displayed.
[I want to... resurrect my sister Mary!!!]
[Agree/Reject]
Ke Su, seeing the chibi character's precariously low sanity, quickly clicked "Agree," fearing that any further delay would drive the believer insane.
After agreeing, everything in the room was covered by a large mass of flesh, enveloping the chibi character as well. Ke Su clicked randomly, and a message popped up.
[Praise be to the Eternal Lord. You have bestowed divine favor upon your believer. He will resurrect his sister Mary. As the price, the believer Kate will spread the glory of the Lord across the world.]
[Congratulations, Lord, you have gained +1 fanatic.]
[Congratulations, Lord, you have gained +1000 faith points in this world.]
Ke Su looked at these numbers, not knowing what they were for. He went to check the game explanation, which was complex. Lacking the patience to read it all, he skimmed through, noticing that it was related to the awakening level of the ancient god, and then paid it no further mind. It was probably just another experience point system designed to enhance gameplay. All he had to do was keep leveling it up.
Ke Su waited for a while, but the chibi character still didn't appear. The game interface now showed two progress bars: one for the increase in faith and the other for the completion of the wish.
The speed of progress was still slow.
Sighing, Ke Su exited this quest, ready to start another.
As expected, this game was annoyingly slow, like a casual idle game. Ke Su didn't have the time to grind until the progress bars were full.
Might as well check out the Zerg quest. Ke Su moved the mouse to the small square below the Zerg world.
[Insect World: Manor’s Old Tales]
Before Ke Su could click on it, a ringing sound came from nearby.
His phone was ringing.
Ke Su picked up the phone and saw that the caller ID was noted as "Lu Ren."
Lu Ren?
He seemed to be the class monitor from the original owner's class.
After thinking for a moment, Ke Su decided to answer the call.
It had been a year since any of the original owner's classmates had contacted him. This call might be important, so it was better to take it.
"Hello?" Ke Su's voice was lazy.
"Ke Su? What’s going on with you! You were supposed to pick up all your personal belongings today. Why didn’t you come?" The class monitor, Lu Ren, sounded angry and impatient.
"My personal belongings?" Ke Su asked in confusion.
Hadn't the original owner been expelled long ago? How could there still be personal belongings... Oh, right, there were some.
Ke Su thought back and dredged up memories of the original owner’s miserable school life.
The original owner’s background was actually quite pitiful. Although born into a middle-class family, his parents, who were national researchers, had died in a lab accident more than ten years ago. The only compensation he received was a government pension, and from then on, he lived a miserable life as an orphan, becoming increasingly withdrawn.
After graduating from high school, he managed to get into the City of Li University through his own efforts, only to be ostracized by his classmates for his unkempt appearance and gloomy demeanor.
He finally mustered up the courage to confess to a senior, only to be publicly humiliated.
Yes, he confessed to a senior.
The utterly straight-laced Ke Su shuddered.
Later, the original owner was effectively expelled from school due to depression, and in his despair, he tried to summon a demon to punish those who had hurt him.
A bunch of white candles and a bathtub full of blood were the scene that greeted Ke Su when he woke up.
His OCD was almost cured on the spot.
Returning to the present, Ke Su felt a pang of regret for the original owner, who had died so young. It was the cold, indifferent atmosphere of this world that had driven him to despair, placing all his hopes on the illusory and the divine.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t some dark god, just an ordinary person. He couldn’t grant the boy’s wish.
So, Ke Su furrowed his brow, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling, listening to the increasingly impatient voice on the other end of the phone.
"You have until today to pick up your documents and other personal belongings, or they’ll be thrown out as garbage!"
Lu Ren hung up.
This class monitor wasn’t a good person. He was one of the main reasons the original owner had spiraled into depression and ultimately took his own life.
In this world, the wicked often live better lives.
Ke Su thought this as he leaned back in his computer chair, placing his phone on the desk and exhaling a breath.
"Well, I’m a bit hungry, so I might as well grab something to eat while I pick up my stuff."
Some documents needed to be retrieved sooner rather than later.
Oh, right. It seemed that this month’s living expenses had already been cut off.
As if remembering something, Ke Su picked up his phone again to check for text notifications.
Sure enough, this month's government survivor's benefit had not been issued.
It seemed the rumors were true that the government was cutting expenses and would no longer be providing living allowances for survivors. Although this news had been on the headlines for a while, Ke Su had held out a glimmer of hope. Now, that hope was gone.
When it rains, it pours.
"I need to find a job..."
Looking at the three-digit balance on his phone, Ke Su felt that starvation might not be far off. If he couldn’t find a job soon, he'd be living off air.
How tragic. Even more so than in his past life.
At least in his previous life, he had a stable "996(1)" job, as awful as it was. Now, he didn’t even have that.
With a heavy heart, Ke Su slouched in his chair, losing the desire to continue playing the game. It wasn’t until his stomach growled that he reluctantly got up and prepared to go out.
He couldn’t afford anything fancy anymore; even ordering takeout was out of the question. All he could do was head to the nearby street market and grab a bun.
With a blank expression, Ke Su tidied up briefly before leaving the room. The computer on his desk remained in standby mode, its screen showing an unopened manor slowly fading into darkness.
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