Gods (Part 2)

A cold breeze blew from a relatively quiet side of the road with fewer vehicles.

Confusion was reflected in Tang Hong's eyes. He looked as if he was struggling and resisting against something.

"Dedicate everything I have…"

"Are you crazy?!"

Trades were built on equivalent exchange. Yet, this 'something' wanted Tang Hong to dedicate everything to it after just a few sentences that made no sense?

Out of the question!

A few days ago, if someone offered him an internship with a high enough annual salary, Tang Hong would've done everything that he could to obtain it, let alone dedicating himself to it. But since he received the [Power of One].

His ambition had broadened. It was no longer limited to having a high salary, a car, nor a house.

He wanted to give it a try…

To see whether he could possess power that could transcend mortality.

His imagination had already been elevated to astonishing heights with the help of the names, [Power of All-Knowing Almighty] and [Power of the Supreme Life-Body].

Tang Hong's messy thoughts disappeared and his eyes flickered.

Bang!

He tossed away the yellow bicycle.

His expression became filled with the joy of a devout follower. It was as if an indescribable faith took root in his heart in an instant. Then, it sprouted and pervaded throughout his mind. He felt as if there was a majestic and noble existence just ahead.

Summon…

Command…

God's will was irresistible…

God's holiness…

God's kingdom…

Filled with faith, these words made Tang Hong raise his head and move forward step by step.

After taking about seven turns, he arrived at an open area inside the abandoned factory.

There was a wall around the factory, about tens of meters high.

He didn't know what purpose it served.

'Come…'

'Come…'

The noble and sacred voice seemed to have weakened, but it continued to guide Tang Hong into the entrance in the wall one step at a time.

Bang!

Tang Hong's head knocked against the iron door. He was unable to walk inside.

Bang!

He knocked on the iron door hard but to no avail.

The thick iron door was painted red. He couldn't push nor knock it open, but he could clearly hear the noises from beyond the iron door.

It was the sharp whistling noises of something cutting through the air.

People seemed to be fighting each other inside.

The red iron door had no gaps that he could fit through, and it could be considered as completely sealed. But Tang Hong took a step backward and faced the bright moonlight. He looked around and soon found a small hole.

That bit of brilliant light earlier might have leaked out from this small hole.

He leaned over…

Tiptoeing…

Leaning against the hole, his left eye widened…

If a third party was here, then they would surely be deeply shocked and spooked.

Tang Hong seemed to have changed into an entirely different person at this moment.

'Ding Dong!'

'Experience being slightly bewitched while everyone else in the area is awake. You feel a strong sense of loneliness. Individual Value has increased by 5.'

The flicker from the series of information that appeared out of nowhere instantly awakened Tang Hong.

"What the hell!?"

Tang Hong's face turned pale.

He recalled his emotional state and abnormal behavior earlier. The feeling was akin to ascending to heaven. It was bliss.

Willingly!

Dedicate everything willingly!

But these thoughts and ideas—they didn't belong to Tang Hong at all.

The murmurs and holy whispers still echoed from behind the iron door.

They were still assaulting his ears.

Tang Hong's eyes constricted.

Not only were his eyes seemed to be attached to the small gap on the door, but his body seemed to be also stuck to the iron door.

His mind was awake and conscious.

He was aware that the sudden emergence of that system prompt was the reason why he was able to wake up and ignore those strange holy whispers.

Then…

Tang Hong felt suffocated.

Inside the iron door, a colorful science-fiction device was placed in the center of the spacious open space. It emanated circles of air ripples into the air. This wasn't that impressive, however, with the current technology, it shouldn't be difficult to make such an instrument.

But the crucial detail was that large ball of light floating on the left side of that instrument!

It was like a small sun surrounded by golden flames.

It was also the source of those holy whispers

"Cultivating immortality?"

Tang Hong opened his mouth unconsciously.

Feeling the coldness of the iron door, he hurriedly closed his mouth.

But before he could even think about anything…

Swoosh!

The low sound of something tearing the air continuously echoed.

The wind howled, the silhouettes flickered, and a bunch of people rushed towards the dark golden ball of light covered in burning flames.

There was no sound…

To be precise, no one spoke…

They wore uniform clothes, dark blouses, and gloves…

The hole was too small, making Tang Hong unsure whether the thing these people were wearing was gloves or not. Furthermore, because they moved too fast akin to that of a violent wind, he couldn't clearly see their figures.

They should be humans.

But it was also possible they weren't human.

'They can run so fast, why wouldn't they go to the Olympics?' Tang Hong's mind was blank.

He could only watch in a daze as these people ran towards the dark golden ball of light.

Then, they punched and kicked it.

There were no confrontational talks, nor negotiations.

The tragic scene of how these people were fighting to the death just a few moments after he found them reflected in Tang Hong's eyes.

Cold sweat drenched his back.

"Is this reality or fantasy?"

This silent battle… Hmmm, it was more appropriate to call it a bloody fight for that dark golden ball of light was definitely an extraordinary force beyond what was comprehensible. It continuously glowed, surrounded by its golden flames, looking extremely majestic.

In contrast, those people who besieged the blazing ball of light looked particularly plain.

They seemed weak and unremarkable.

Tang Hong couldn't find anything extraordinary about them.

His heart jumped and he sensed that the situation wasn't good.

He had seen countless IMAX blockbusters with stunning special effects. Even a child could tell as to which side was more powerful and had the better chance of winning.

Tang Hong only took a single look and he felt as if he had fallen into a deep quagmire.

"These people probably can't defeat that."

There were only flesh and blood. Carrying with them their fierce intent to battle, the blazing ball of light swept across them and its attack directly charred at least five people. Blood splashed on the floor and the smell of burnt meat pervaded the air.

Then, five more people quickly came up and replaced the fallen.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They struck the golden flames with their bodies!

The heroic actions they had displayed almost forced Tang Hong's heart to a complete stop.

The battle continued, however, and whenever five people fell, another five would replace them in fighting against the blazing ball of light. None of them spoke nor retreated.

The most puzzling detail was that these people didn't seem to have the need to breathe. Tang Hong couldn't hear any of them breathing at all even though they were participating in such an exhausting fight.

The quick movements of those on the battlefield covered the empty lot in blood. The tacit understanding between these silhouettes amidst the battle made Tang Hong reel in shock.

Ka!

The golden flames circled around and silk threads emerged.

It sharply sliced in all directions.

The sound of a muffled snort rang out and it was followed by the heavy sound of something dropping onto the ground. Tang Hong looked at it and his scalp immediately went numb.

What he saw were severed arms that had roughly crashed onto the ground!

"AH!"

"Quick! Stop the bleeding!"

The suppressed screams of pain…

The sound of heavy gasping…

The severed arms on the floor.

All of these were vividly displayed beneath the moonlight.

Tang Hong seemed to be able to see those water fountains back in Disneyland.

But instead of having water in them, it was replaced by blood.

The contrast was just too much…

Tang Hong witnessed all of these in horror.

"Are they going to die?!"

Tang Hong was violently awakened from his trance.

He gnashed his teeth and raised his arms.

Slowly, he stepped backwards until he arrived a hundred meters away from the scene. Then, he picked up that yellow bicycle from earlier, got on it, and furiously paddled away with his feet.

'Oh no…'

'What should I do?'

Having witnessed such a horrible scene, Tang Hong was worried that he would be murdered to ensure his silence.

And also…

Those people were obviously weaker than that dark golden ball of flame.

Which side would win in the end?

What's more?

What was that ball of flame? Was it some alien creature?

As he thought of all these, Tang Hong had already forgotten his original plan to test his theories regarding Individual Value as cold sweat wet his short sleeves.

The splashes of blood and the muffled screams flashed through his mind from time to time.

After seeing such a fierce life and death battle, he realized that being alone and lonely was a trifling matter.

His mind was in a mess.

Tang Hong picked up the mobile phone from his pocket with trembling hands. Not only were his fingers were trembling but his whole body was also shaking from terror. It took him at least two minutes to open the car-hailing app and place an order.

Then, he waited for seven or eight more minutes.

He stood shivering in anxiety before the car he hailed online arrived.

Swoosh!

The dark vehicle parked beside him.

Tang Hong lifted his foot and got into the car. He quickly closed the door behind him, causing the driver to size him up from the corner of his eye.

"The final digit of your phone's number is XXXX, right?"

"Yes! Yes…"

Tang Hong nodded and was about to urge the driver to hurry up and drive.

But when the words came to his lips, he felt that it was hard to explain, so he changed his voice to a trembling one and said, "It's too cold. It rained yesterday and the temperatures also dropped sharply today."

"Yeah, it truly is cold. Why didn't you wear more clothes?"

The driver smiled and released the brake.

"I just went to Disney." Tang Hong took a breath and added. "I was planning to ride my bicycle home, but I didn't expect that the suburbs of Yunhai would be this cold, if I had known, then I would've worn more clothes…"

Disney?

The driver was stunned for a moment. "Sir, you mean Disneyland, right?"

"Ah."

Tang Hong nodded, wondering why the driver was asking in such a manner.

That was the Disney that Tang Hong was talking about.

"You went there alone?"

The driver continued. "This place… You could have gone there with your classmates."

En?

With my classmates?

Tang Hong raised his eyebrows when he heard this.

Then, he asked softly. "How did you know that I am a student?"

"Hahaha, the destination in your order is the South Gate of the University of Finance and Economics. You are a student of the University of Finance and Economics, right?"

The driver said, full of envy and emotions.

"It's a good school."

"My daughter also wants to apply to this university."

"Although most university students from random schools aren't that valuable due to how common they were, the students of the Yunhai University of Finance and Economics cannot be compared to them. After all, this university is highly esteemed and regarded."

Tang Hong calmed down and asked with a smile, "How high?"

"Very… very… high."

The driver replied.

Tang Hong's mouth moved but he fell silent.

It was not so much of a rare sight to see a hard-working person unable to sit in a lofty position in the company he was working for.

College students working for a below-average salary was not a rare sight either. Even the average income of students, five years after graduation was rarely more than 10,000 per month.

Tang Hong thought of his internship. Then, he thought of the bloody scene just now.

Being broke didn't seem to be that scary compared to that scene he had witnessed earlier.

Right now, the system interface was still floating in front of Tang Hong. He didn't dismiss it earlier for he was afraid that the sacred whispers might resound in his ears once more.

The [Power of One] support system might have made him immune to the scared whispers, Tang Hong still thought that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Mortal: Extremely small and weak creature.

Willpower: 33%

Strength: 29%

Realm: 0.00

Individual Value: 9

When the car was driving on the overpass in the middle-ring road of Yunhai, Tang Hong opened a gap in the car's window beside him. The cool night breeze that blew inside seemed to be able to soothe his mind as his confused and flustered psyche gradually calmed down.

He looked out the window of the car, the brightly lit high-rise buildings told a thousand words in regards to the prosperity of Yunhai. Amidst the lights of the tall buildings, Tang Hong even saw a helicopter passing through the clouds and disappearing into the night sky.

Withdrawing his gaze, Tang Hong looked down.

'Let's try and see what will happen if I increased my Willpower.'

He stared hard at the system interface and prepared his heart. In an instant, his Individual Value plummeted to zero. Then, the percentage value of the Willpower column flickered several times before it increased from 33% to 42%.

Suddenly, a splitting headache descended upon Tang Hong. He tightly gnashed his teeth.

Fortunately, this sharp pain disappeared as fast as it appeared.

It faded in the blink of an eye.

Pinching his eyebrows, Tang Hong started to examine himself and look for any changes.

Big increase in his IQ?

Clear mind?

Mind-boggling intellect?

It was as if nothing had happened, the sound of the driving car entered his ears.

Tang Hong opened his eyes. Then, he felt as if his inner thoughts were now firmer and refined.

The panic he had in his heart earlier seemed to have completely disappeared.

'Let's look in the mirror.'

'The selfie isn't very clear, but why does it look like my eyes are brighter?'

…

It was already 9:20 PM when Tang Hong got back to school. There were only a few people loitering around, but the place didn't look that empty nor was it quiet.

Tang Hong entered through the south gate and walked straight all the way.

As he passed by the buildings that were about to turn off their lights—for some unknown reason—his heart sank.

His body turned numb.

The hairs on his body stood on end!

Unspeakable panic filled him!

He looked up and saw a cold and harsh-looking middle-aged man with chiseled features standing about three meters away from him.

"You saw everything.

The middle-aged man spoke with a low voice while staring at Tang Hong.

Killing intent seemed to have manifested as it cut through the air and instantly awakened Tang Hong from his trance. In an instant, he recalled everything that he had said to the middle-aged man back in that car.

He was ready to speak.

"…"

Tang Hong wanted to say that he didn't see anything.

But he felt as if a verbal debate was useless in front of this person. It felt as if he was facing a battle-hardened general on the battlefield.

Tang Hong felt an unspeakable pressure and nervousness while facing him.

"Don't kill me."

Tang Hong's tone was unexpectedly calm.

Like talking to an acquaintance.

He expected his voice to be filled with fear and panic by now, but at this moment, his taut nerves seemed to have transformed into an ocean of calmness.

Although his heart was still beating furiously, there was no expression on Tang Hong's face.

'Could this be the effect of the increase in Willpower?'

Tang Hong's expression remained languid.

The middle-aged man walked two steps forward and stopped a meter away from Tang Hong.

Then, he proceeded to stare directly into Tang Hong's eyes.

The more silent the scene was, the more depressing it was for Tang Hong.

It felt as if this was the calm before the storm.

"If you don't want to talk, then I shall."

Tang Hong looked back at him.

He gnashed his teeth and avoided his sharp gaze.

Putting his left hand into his pocket and rubbing the back of his mobile phone, Tang Hong spoke, "This is the University of Finance, Yunhai University of Finance and Economics."

The middle-aged man frowned. He said nothing.

Whoosh~

A breeze blew past.

The sounds of distant whispers could be heard.

Students were walking nearby.

Tang Hong's eyes moved ever so slightly. Then, he lowered them.

He suddenly had a thought that this man could be a government official.

If that was the case, then his life wouldn't be in danger.

Pausing between each word, Tang Hong said in a low voice. "I can join your organization."

"Okay."

The middle-aged man beamed with delight.