Yu Deng was slow-witted to begin with, and now that his head was spinning, it took him a long moment to realize that the Evil God was complimenting him.
"I know," Yu Deng said, slightly tilting his head, his round black eyes clear and transparent from the tears, his cheeks and the corners of his eyes tinged with a rosy hue.
He fluttered his eyelashes, speaking in a soft voice, "I know I'm very beautiful."
The Evil God simulated a human heart, which beat heavily and then became incredibly soft—It was the first time He experienced the feeling of being so utterly charmed that He felt drained of energy. (In short, he was completely smitten)
The self-praising beautiful baby was just too cute.
The Evil God straightforwardly expressed His emotions: "Yes, you are beautiful and cute."
Yu Deng was cheered up a little. After a few minutes, he inadvertently lowered his head and looked at his abdomen.
It wasn't as flat as usual. His snow-white, long legs were also covered in red marks, with warm frost slowly melting, sliding along the gaps and leaving tiny spots.
And the black tendrils continued to coil around him, occasionally pressing and rubbing against him, even attempting to explore further.
Yu Deng looked at his poor, pitiful skin and belatedly realized something wasn't right.
Wait a minute, the Evil God wasn't praising how he looked like this, was He...?
Yu Deng furrowed his brows, clumsily calling the Evil God's name, "Arnold... were you making fun of me just now...?"
The Evil God shook His head. "Of course not. I was honestly complimenting you. Everything about you is the most beautiful."
He mimicked human terms of endearment, calling softly, "Deng Deng."
Yu Deng mumbled a response and was kissed again by the Evil God, causing his lips to swell a little.
"..."
Yu Deng was continuously coaxed by the Evil God, changing positions again and again. He was even carried through the palace by the excited Evil God. Yu Deng was very tired, but he couldn't deny that he had experienced a great deal of pleasure in the Evil God's movements.
Yu Deng felt like a long time had passed. The Evil God fed him a lot of things, then finally stopped.
Yu Deng furrowed his brow, uncomfortable, and kicked his legs, wanting to rub his stomach but not daring to. He didn't know where to put his hands, so he could only curse at him. "Liar, liar! You clearly said this would be quick, and you wouldn't push me this far…"
The Evil God let Yu Deng scold Him, waiting until Yu Deng had finished angrily reprimanding Him before speaking, "Mm, I am a very bad, evil liar. But Deng Deng is a little liar too, isn't that right?"
Yu Deng was stunned for a few seconds, then realized the excuse he had made up over the past two days. He looked into the Evil God's teasing eyes and finally realized his own fibs.
Arnold started counting the nonsense Yu Deng had spoken.
"The mysterious merchant who roams the little town, the divine agent appointed by the gods, the person responsible for the bonfire ritual," the Evil God said, His smile deepening in His eyes.
Yu Deng was the cutest little liar.
Of course, He was more than happy to support Yu Deng's excuses, backing him up.
The lies Yu Deng told were now brought up, and after a few seconds of guilt, Yu Deng felt a little wronged. "Is it wrong to lie? I'm the only one who can enter the temple. You... you've been bullying me... Let me be the agent for a while, what's the problem?"
"Of course, the most mysterious merchant, Your Excellency. But you are not my agent," the Evil God corrected. "You shouldn't be."
Yu Deng was deeply confused. "Why?"
"I am evil, formed from an impossible obsession," Arnold said. "But you are not."
Yu Deng was a treasure He wanted to cherish in His heart, and should not become His agent. He shouldn't be a channel through which others look up to a god.
And, Yu Deng was just too beautiful.
The Evil God said seriously, "You are unique, Deng Deng. You are more suited to be a god than this evil guy."
Yu Deng tilted his head, as if he half-understood. "Oh…"
Having cheered up His beloved, the Evil God returned to a more important question. "But, should this... need cleaning afterward?"
Yu Deng, feeling weak, nodded lightly, grumbling from his nose, "Of course, it should be cleaned."
Otherwise, it would be sticky and uncomfortable.
"Alright, I understand."
At this point, the Evil God was still deeply inside him. When they moved, Yu Deng was in great discomfort, with subtle stimulation constantly occurring.
The Evil God carried Yu Deng to the temple's water basin and clumsily cleaned up what He had left inside Yu Deng. Afterward, He took him back to His bedroom to rest.
The large palace, once empty, now had a soft bed, and Yu Deng lay under the cloud-like blanket, feeling like he was going to fall asleep any second.
"I really like you," the Evil God whispered.
Yu Deng's back ached, and he mumbled, "I think you just want to bully me…"
"No." The Evil God's expression became more serious as He clarified for Himself, "It's because I like you so much that I want to do things like that."
Yu Deng blinked, responding dully with an "Oh." He was so tired that he quickly drifted into a daze. Before closing his eyes, he felt like he had forgotten something important.
Forget it… never mind, let him rest for now.
Yu Deng fell into a deep sleep. Compared to the tired Yu Deng, the Evil God was still energetic. He held his beloved tightly, gently stroking the corners of Yu Deng's eyes, and His tendrils tenderly massaged him.
…
After a few hours of muddled sleep, Yu Deng suddenly remembered what he had forgotten in his dreams and woke up with a start, "The treasure!"
His black hair was a tousled mess as he tried to get up in a flurry, but his waist and legs were far too sore and weak. In the end, it was the Evil God who lifted him up.
"What treasure?" the Evil God asked.
Yu Deng was a little anxious, waving his hands around: "The treasure inside your temple! Everyone says there's a treasure here—don't tell me that was a lie…"
"Don't worry." Arnold gently rubbed the top of Yu Deng's head. "I haven't heard of any treasure, but… there probably is something… Mm, I think I understand now."
Clumsily helping the human in his arms get dressed, the Evil God brought him to the center of the temple.
The space was vast and empty, with towering columns carved with abstract illustrations, seemingly depicting the peaceful life of the small town. The temple's dome was transparent, and sunlight streamed through it.
Yu Deng waited, puzzled, for a moment—and then a light ignited at the temple's center. The brilliant light slowly solidified, eventually forming into a scepter.
The scepter stood as tall as over half of Yu Deng's own height. Its surface was a pale, gleaming gold that gave off a luxurious feel, and at its top was an iridescent gemstone that shimmered with light.
Instinctively, Yu Deng reached out, and the scepter floated gently into his hand. He examined it closely. "Is this the treasure? It's beautiful."
"Yes, it should be."
The Evil God placed his fingertips lightly on the scepter and, after a moment of sensing, said slowly, "It was forged from burning desires. It is reversal, it is descent and rebirth, it is eternity."
Yu Deng didn't quite understand but made an effort to memorize what the Evil God had said.
[Ding. Congratulations to player Yu Deng for obtaining the Temple Treasure. This treasure is not exclusive to the instance and can be taken outside. Specific effects will be revealed upon instance completion.]
Yu Deng hugged the scepter, studying it with fascination and an almost possessive fondness.
The Evil God watched him with soft eyes. "Do you really like things like this?"
Yu Deng nodded. "I do. And they're useful too."
The Evil God hesitated for a moment. "Even though I wasn't fully awakened before, parts of me were able to leave the temple. I collected a number of strange and interesting things around the town during that time."
"Eh? You mean the things from the outsiders?"
The Evil God took Yu Deng's hand. "Some of them, yes. Want to go take a look?"
So Yu Deng followed him to a new space. Unlike the rest of the empty temple, this place was cluttered with an assortment of bizarre items. Upon closer inspection, Yu Deng realized it was a mix of broken trinkets and shiny gems.
Suddenly, something caught Yu Deng's eye—a seemingly insignificant bracelet. It was tied in a strange way, with pale blue beads strung together. He couldn't tell what kind of mineral they were, but the sizes of the beads followed a distinct pattern.
It felt familiar—back when he was younger and often sick, his older and younger brothers used to make prayer bracelets for him under the advice of spiritual masters. The ones they made looked just like this.
Was this prayer tradition really so widespread, or…
Yu Deng didn't dare continue that train of thought. He bit his lip and asked, "Where did this bracelet come from?"
"It was left behind by an outsider during one of the bonfire rituals," the Evil God recalled. "He said he liked to make them in his spare time."
"Oh…" Yu Deng's heart began to race. He looked up slightly and said, "Arnold, I want this bracelet."
"Of course," the Evil God said generously. "Don't you want anything else? You can have all of it."
"I only want this." Yu Deng shook his head and tucked the bracelet into his pocket, falling silent for a moment.
He had already become the top player in this multiplayer instance. He had completed the special mission involving the Evil God and obtained the temple's treasure. So logically, he should be able to leave the instance soon.
But there was still something he wanted to do.
"Arnold," Yu Deng said, holding the bracelet in his pocket. "I… I think I'll have to leave soon."
The Evil God's smile froze. His true form—the massive, strange black entity—started to emerge in agitation, writhing uneasily before forcefully restraining itself back.
"You don't like it here?"
Yu Deng neither nodded nor shook his head. "It's just… I have other things I need to do."
The Evil God fell silent, his eyes growing dark and deep.
He hadn't told Yu Deng yet. He had been born from the obsessions of humanity, becoming an evil god and trapping the small town in a strange eternal cycle. This was both a form of shelter and a kind of prison for him.
He had only just come to know warmth and happiness—was he now about to lose it all again and be left with nothing but longing for the days to come? He wouldn't allow it.
The temple began to tremble faintly. A sinister miasma began to seep through the air.
Yu Deng didn't notice the shift. He mustered his courage and said, "Arnold, do you want to… change the town?"
The Evil God froze. "Hm?"
Yu Deng lowered his eyes, as if seeing the fanatical townsfolk through the temple floor.
They didn't seem to find this way of life painful, and Yu Deng didn't really want to forcibly change their perspective. But in this small town, players constantly entered the instance, fighting and plundering. Many became specks of dust in the mist and were eventually forgotten.
Yu Deng didn't want to destroy the town, nor did he want to make decisions for its people, but he wanted to give them another choice.
After listening to Yu Deng's explanation, Arnold was stunned for a long while. Then his true form appeared again — this time, excited and eager, even impatient.
"I understand. Go and make the change."
He didn't need to be a so-called god. He didn't need faith. He wanted to give all his glory to Yu Deng, and then follow Yu Deng away from here.
The evil god bowed his head to Yu Deng. "You shall become a true god."
...
In the town square.
After the ceremony, the townsfolk didn't leave. After all, they didn't need to eat or rest. Waiting was a normal thing for them. The tiger-leopard beast Xiao Huang was still guarding the square.
Xiao Huang craned its neck, eagerly waiting until Yu Deng appeared again, letting out excited howls.
Yu Deng was still wearing the same cloak, but this time without the mask. Everyone saw his exquisitely beautiful face.
He held the scepter and walked out from the temple, step by step toward the townsfolk.
Arnold stood in the shadow behind Yu Deng, giving him all his power without reservation.
Most of the townsfolk had strange appearances. Their gazes were fanatical and confused, fixed tightly on Yu Deng.
"You are... the executor, no, you are the divine one...?"
Yu Deng held the scepter, facing the large crowd, his mind going blank.
What now, give a new god inauguration speech?
Yu Deng struggled to think about what to say and opened his mouth nervously: "Here, everyone... everyone can obtain eternity."
The townsfolk fell completely silent, listening to Yu Deng speak.
"There will be no hunger or pain here, no death. But eternity also means endless repetition. So... if you grow tired of it, you can leave the town at any time."
"Outside is not eternal. You might go hungry, you might even face death, but you'll see a different world."
—To become a strange being and attain eternity, or to walk toward death with human consciousness? This was the new choice Yu Deng gave the townsfolk.
He stumbled a little at first, speaking slowly to avoid mistakes, but as he went on, his words grew clearer.
He said softly, "Don't be afraid. I will... watch over you always."
The townsfolk looked up at Yu Deng in a daze. Their faith seemed to collapse, yet a newfound clarity emerged. Led by Mara, they all showed Yu Deng their warmest, most sincere smiles of gratitude.
Specks of fluorescent light appeared around Yu Deng, signifying he had been recognized as the new god.
[Beep, beep... Instance parameter error...]
After days of silence, the main system finally reappeared:
[Player Yu Deng, what are you doing?!]
Yu Deng jumped in surprise and tried to explain, "I'm... uh... I'm teaching them a new outlook on life."
[...] said the system.
Yu Deng emphasized, "I didn't do anything destructive!"
[...] But these townsfolk have all been brainwashed! And the evil god no longer has power or believers.
Without an evil god or a cycle of sin, can this place even still count as an instance?!
No matter how much the main system was falling apart, Yu Deng had already become the new god who would protect this town.
His words had become the new rules, guiding the townsfolk toward a new path.
...
[Ding. Player Yu Deng has completed the multiplayer competitive instance "Hidden Temple." Beginning transmission.]
Yu Deng had gotten used to the dizziness of being teleported. After a moment, he opened his eyes.
But instead of the player center residence, he saw a stretch of dry yellow land. The broken-down houses were scattered, some already in ruins. In the distance, the mountains were barren, the ground covered in withered grass and dead trees.
Yu Deng turned around in confusion.
Wait? Why was he here? Shouldn't he have gone back to the player center to happily fall asleep?!
[Huh?? Baby's livestream just came back on?]
[No way, wait — many players are staring wide-eyed — isn't this the competition map of the Special-Class Arena?!]
[Ah?? Why is baby here?]
[I just want to know what happened during those 14 hours of black screen after he ascended the temple (smile).]
[But god Yu Deng is seriously amazing. I'm totally his loyal dog now!]
Yu Deng had no idea how he ended up here. Looking at the eerie, chaotic, and ruined village, he couldn't help but shiver.
"System... why am I here...?"
Ugh, this place totally looks haunted...
[Beep, beep—Data analysis in progress—Data corrupted, adjusting parameters...]
Yu Deng held his breath as his system gave an explanation.
[Don't be afraid, host, I'm here.] System 01 soothed.
[Initial assessment: Multiple instances experienced massive energy fluctuations simultaneously, causing overlap and a teleportation error.]
So basically, there was a bug and he ended up in another instance?
[Current location detected: S-Class Special Arena Instance "Yin Mountain Village." Host, your items and skills are temporarily frozen. Please be careful.]
Special-Class Arena?? Isn't that where all the top-tier players go?! Wait — his items and skills are disabled??
Yu Deng scanned the surroundings anxiously.
This place... it looked like it was either nearing the end of the instance or already cleared, right?
Suddenly, a villager with a stiff, zombie-like movement appeared. His face was gray-blue, covered in corpse spots.
Yu Deng's face turned pale in an instant, and he backed up several steps.
The villager noticed Yu Deng and stumbled toward him. But before Yu Deng could react, a tall figure appeared nearby.
The figure simply raised a hand, and the villager turned to dust.
As the figure turned, Yu Deng finally saw his face.
The man in the distance was handsome but expressionless. His pupils were pitch black, and his gaze icy.
Yu Deng immediately sensed danger and didn't dare speak. He turned and fled. But after just a few steps, he looked up—and found the man had teleported right in front of him.
Yu Deng: "??!" How do you even run from that?!
The man said nothing, only continued approaching Yu Deng step by step.
Yu Deng's eyes welled up with tears.
Ugh, this Special-Class player looks totally deranged, and he has no usable items... what now...
Knowing escape was pointless, Yu Deng collapsed in fear and hid behind a nearby pile of ruins, watching helplessly as the top-tier player closed in on him.
Trying to save himself, Yu Deng decided to show his peaceful intentions to the seemingly unstable player.
He looked around and saw broken tree branches, tiles, and a white cloth on the ground.
After thinking for a few seconds, Yu Deng used a tree branch to lift the cloth.
Squatting behind the ruins, he poked out just his head and very subtly waved the white cloth.