Foolish play of the gods

Chapter 2: I am a believer in [Order] · A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying the silvery glow of the full moon. · On the rooftop of an ultra-high-rise building, Cheng Shi sat perched on the edge, legs dangling over the dizzying height. He swayed them back and forth, enjoying the day’s spoils. · He was currently chewing on a piece of "Blood Finger Bread," the most common reward from a [Food Trial]. The bread was shaped exactly like a human finger, even mimicking the texture to a disturbing degree. · Only when the tart cranberry jam burst in his mouth could he confirm it was indeed food and not a severed digit. · Unfortunately, the bread tasted like wax and the jam was overly sour; C-grade food was never a culinary delight. · But none of that mattered as long as it provided energy. In this world, energy meant survival. · And right now, staying alive was the only thing that mattered. · Ever since the "Gods" descended six months ago, the real world had been transformed into an absurd [Faith Game]. · Everyone on Earth was forced to choose a [Destiny Path] and pledge their faith to a specific [Deity], scavenging for a living in this shattered, surreal reality with whatever divine blessings they were granted. · The world was "shattered" because the Gods had divided it into countless fragments. · Every person—now referred to as [Players] or [Believers]—was randomly assigned to one of these fragments. · Cheng Shi, for instance, had been dropped onto the roof of an unidentified skyscraper. · The rooftop spanned about two hundred square meters. It was spacious but completely exposed to the elements, offering no shelter from the wind or sun—not even a scrap of cloth to wrap himself in. · The hardest part was the invisible air walls surrounding the perimeter. Even though the door leading downstairs was right there, he couldn't pass through the barrier to leave the roof. · The only way to break through was to initiate an "Expansion Trial" and successfully clear it, which would dissolve the air walls and grant him more living space. · This was the "surreal" part of it all. · With the physical world partitioned and society at a total standstill, players stripped of all resources had only managed to survive the past six months because the game provided everything they needed. · In this game, all "resources" were obtained through [Prayer Trials]. From basic necessities like food and clothing to "Divine Powers," as long as you dared to make a wish, the Gods would manifest a [Divine Trial Ground] and match you with teammates. · If you and your teammates cleared the trial, whatever you prayed for would be granted by the [Gods], appearing out of thin air. · The more outrageous the prayer, the higher the difficulty. · Furthermore, every trial awarded points, allowing players to progress further on their path. · Of course, if you were socially anxious, you could opt for Solo Trials. However, these awarded no points, and the rewards were barely enough to scrape by. · The players who had survived this long were well-adjusted to the game's mechanics; many had already become experts. · Cheng Shi sat on the ledge, forcing the last of the food down his throat, and glanced at the game interface floating in his field of vision. · [Current Global Believer Count: 8,478,114,678] · In just six months, only two-thirds of the world's twelve billion people remained. · The [Faith Game] was not safe. Dying in the game meant dying in reality. · Yet, if you didn't accept the trials, you wouldn't get the resources needed to survive. · The objective was clear: keep getting stronger, or die. · "One day left..." · Cheng Shi sighed, looking at the bold red text in the center of his vision. · The [Faith Game] didn't allow players to just hide away. Every seven days, it automatically matched players for a [Special Divine Trial]. · These trials were notoriously difficult. If a player failed to clear them—even if they survived—they would be stripped of the ability to perform [Prayer Trials] for the next cycle. · In other words, failure meant an entire week without new supplies, forced to survive solely on existing stock. · To be fair, Cheng Shi had a decent stockpile. After six months of management, he had built two small warehouses on his rooftop. · Though the materials were low-quality, they provided a safety net. · "I hope the teammates I get matched with this time are actually competent. Two weeks ago I got screwed over, and last week I had to waste a lot of food. The inventory is hitting the warning line..." · Just as he was pondering tomorrow's challenge, a voice called out from the distance. · "Hey, Buddy! How was the haul today?" · Cheng Shi looked across the gap. The voice belonged to his "neighbor" on the adjacent rooftop—a trendy young man with long hair. · He was dressed in a bizarre, multicolored outfit, likely the "latest" drop from a trial. · Even though the air walls separated them physically, they didn't block light or sound. They didn't even stop people from throwing things at each other. · Because of this, most neighborly relations were hostile. You never knew when a neighbor might pull out a submachine gun and gun you down. · The game didn't forbid players from killing one another. · Cheng Shi had a few neighbors, and the guy on the opposite roof was one of them. · They were about twenty to thirty meters apart, so communication required shouting. · The guy claimed to be from Jiang Province, a senior civil engineering student named Xie. · He was a bit eccentric, but not a bad person. · Before the Gods descended, he was stressing about finding a job. Now, he considered himself fully employed. · Since the job market had effectively ceased to exist, being a [Professional Player] was a legitimate career path in his eyes. · He was one of the few "Adventists"—those who believed the Gods had saved the world, or at least saved the world's unemployment rate. · Cheng Shi shook the can of "Tentacle Mucus Drink" in his hand, smiling to show it was his prize. · "Holy shit, snot water?" Xie looked horrified, his face paling as he recognized the drink. "Buddy, I don't respect many people, but I sure as hell respect you. How the fuck do you get that stuff down?" · "Snot water" was the nickname for the drink. The tentacle mucus was a vivid green and incredibly viscous, looking exactly like phlegm from a bad cold. · Despite the appearance, it was great for thirst, and its thickness actually helped curb hunger. · Cheng Shi chuckled. "How do I drink it? You just put it in your mouth, and since you can't bite through it, it just slides right down. Gulp, gulp." · "..." · Xie’s face turned even whiter. He gagged slightly. "You don't have to live like that, Buddy. Your expression is always so calm whenever you come out of a trial; your ladder score can't be low. Why suffer every day with solo instances?" · Because solo trials were easier and less stressful. · Everyone knew that, so Cheng Shi just smiled and stayed silent. · "Oh, right. We've been neighbors for a while, and I still don't know which God you follow," Xie shouted again. "Spill it. Who knows, maybe we'll get matched together next time and we can coordinate." · "What about you?" Cheng Shi countered. · "Me? Didn't I tell you? I follow [Order]. Don't I look the part? Civilizations rise, and Order endures!" · As he spoke, Xie snapped to attention, tapping his right fist against his left shoulder. It was the signature salute of an [Order] believer. · His form was perfect and practiced, but Cheng Shi knew he was lying. · It wasn't a conclusion drawn from micro-expressions or body language—it was impossible to see those details from thirty meters away. · It was Cheng Shi's ability. · Or rather, a [Faith Talent] bestowed by his God. · Ever since he began following That One, he had become exceptionally sensitive to lies. · He could sense whenever someone was being untruthful. While he couldn't always pinpoint exactly which sentence was the lie, he could usually piece it together through context. · But even though he knew Xie was lying, he didn't call him out. · Neighbors were good for a chat to kill the boredom; there was no need to turn the relationship sour. · Besides, even if Xie wanted to invade his space, he couldn't start an Expansion Trial without Cheng Shi's consent. · If a space was unclaimed, anyone could take it. But if it belonged to someone, the owner had to agree to either a Competitive or Cooperative trial. · Cheng Shi was never going to agree to either. · "Come on, Buddy, don't be a buzzkill," Xie prodded. "What's the harm in saying it? It's not like we're competitors." · He was fishing. · Cheng Shi curled his lips into a smile and fired back. · "What's your score on the [Ladder of Audience]? What's your ID? I'll check where you're ranked." · Xie froze. He looked at Cheng Shi with a mix of shock and suspicion. "You're actually an [Order] follower?" · Cheng Shi shook his head, his smile turning playful. · "No. I'm a follower of [Chaos]." · "..." · Xie was visibly stunned. His pupils contracted sharply, and his brow furrowed. · Cheng Shi had spoken with such casual confidence, as if he truly had the power to browse the [Order] rankings. · This caught the young man off guard. He had assumed Cheng Shi, who spent his time chatting idly, was a player with a more "righteous" faith. · He never expected a follower of [Chaos]. · In the [Faith Game], Destiny Paths had opposites. · Just as [Civilization] and [Entropy] were opposing paths, certain Gods within those paths shared a [Faith Conflict]. · For example, the primary deity of the Civilization path—the Prologue of Order, [Order]—and the primary deity of the Entropy path—the Prologue of Confusion, [Chaos]—were direct antagonists. · Their fundamental philosophies were worlds apart, and their wills were diametrically opposed. Consequently, their followers were encouraged by their patrons to despise one another. · However, these opposing sides shared the same [Ladder of Audience] rankings. They could see each other on the leaderboard. · Ranking on the [Ladder of Audience] determined the chance to "Face the True God and receive Divine Favor." If the top spots were held by enemies, the weaker side would have a miserable time until the next [Audience] session. · Xie's expression shifted through several emotions. He didn't offer his score, nor did he ask any more questions. · Because he truly wasn't a follower of [Order]. · The moonlight washed over him, but it couldn't dispel the gloom on his face. He couldn't tell if Cheng Shi was bluffing or not. · "You're not lying to me?" · Cheng Shi smiled. "I never lie." · [END]