If you could say the crowd just now was like the surging waves in the sea, rushing past him,
then his current feeling was like seeing the Milky Way hanging down from the heavens.
It was not only chaotic and crowded,
...but also painfully noisy to the ears.
"— Damn, I didn’t hear that wrong, did I!"
"???"
"Did the Great God Noel just shout...Su Ming’an?"
"It’s not a common na, it’s definitely—"
"Quick! Mina-san, search the people nearby, hurry and catch him, just snap a photo and post it—"
People nearby glanced around, their gaze sweeping left and right like searchlights, looking for any suspicious individuals.
And soone wearing a cloak, not showing his face, stood out extraordinarily among a crowd of exposed faces.
He was just a bit conspicuous originally, but now, with Noel’s shout, it was as if all the spotlights were suddenly focused on him, and for a mont, he felt as bright as a lightbulb.
It was like suddenly finding himself at the scene of a celebrity chase.
Gazes instantly fixed, and he t countless eyes that seed to glow.
Although he probably knew that exposing his identity in such a place would inevitably lead to falling into a lake with piranhas, when the scene actually occurred...
"Aaaaah—Husband—I can’t believe you’re so close to ! Aaaaaah!"
Loudly beside him, the girl with hair clips let out another ear-piercing scream.
...You really have a lot of husbands!
Her figure sprang forward like a bear while at the sa ti, a sudden upsurge of screams erupted.
"— Damn, that’s him, right!"
"I got a screenshot! Posting it on the forum will definitely get a bunch of points!"
"Grab his clothes, I must at least keep a piece of clothing—"
Initially, hearing these screams, Su Ming’an didn’t feel much of a sense of crisis.
Not until he felt as if countless piranhas were preparing to devour him, did he realize sothing was amiss.
The cloak was being forcefully pulled from all directions, the fabric emitting a groan as if it might burst at any mont.
"— Sect Hierarch! Lighthouse Sect Hierarch say sothing! Su Ming’an, say sothing!" a bespectacled aging ani fan bellowed.
"It’s real, right, it’s the one from the screen, right! Ahhhh I see a living person—"
"—Offer your heart to the Number One Player!" soone shouted out of nowhere, and then, incredibly, many others started echoing it.
"Offer your heart!"
"I will always love Su Ming’an!"
"Stop shouting, stop shouting, you’re scaring the kid."
"Number One Player, you’ve got to show so spirit!"
"We unite! Damn the boss bunny! Damn Edward!"
The voices around him grew more and more noisy.
Su Ming’an clearly felt his standing space getting smaller and smaller as countless people seed to be swarming toward him.
Facing an overly enthusiastic, and even what could be described as "presumptuous," crowd, he felt sowhat at a loss.
...he rembered his experiences after the end of the First World.
Back then, the crowds weren’t as insane as they are now—most people stopped when they had enough.
When he raised his sword near the fountain, most people didn’t co closer—they just watched from a distance, screaming and continuously taking photos and screenshots.
But now...
These people were like a swarm of piranhas, full of aggressive words and actions, like crazy fans with their brains fried, almost trying to pounce on him and feeling satisfied by tearing off a piece of his clothes.
Just as that girl was about to throw herself at him, Su Ming’an instantly drew his sword. The Sword of Yarman, still sheathed, appeared in his hand, and with a thrust forward, he hit her in the chest, instantly knocking her back into the crowd.
The Main God World did not allow direct attacks. This sword strike wouldn’t cause harm, but the minor pain and knockback effect were not insignificant. The girl instantly turned into a tumbling gourd, hitting people’s legs behind her, rolling like a bowling ball, toppling a bunch of people where she struck.
Su Ming’an switched to Visible Mode, and with the 66 points of strength added by his occupation bonus, his strike was like an overwhelming force. Holding the sword hilt, his body was propelled by the system’s movent, spinning, and with a flash of the sword light within its sheath, the surrounding frenzied crowd collapsed in a ring.
"Rip—"
Dozens of black fabric pieces fell to the ground; his clothes had been torn ragged, so Su Ming’an simply removed his cloak.
He initially thought that this would calm the crowd down, that they could see his hostility, but instead, the fallen people began screaming again.
"The Sword of Yarman—it’s the real Sword of Yarman! Totally different from those replicas in the cosplay stores!"
"I will always love The Number One Player—"
"So this is what being slashed feels like. What a pity it barely hurts; if only this were in a ga instance..."
"The real person—it’s really Ming’an; Mom loves you—"
The girl with the hairpin made a third attempt, almost stepping over others as she lunged forward again.
Su Ming’an lowered his eyelids.
At that mont, he saw many people.
The girl with the hairpin, a handso youth in casual clothing, a muscular man in a white sweatshirt, a stylish girl in a pink dress...children, youths, middle-aged people...Their gazes towards him, fiery and almost swallowing him whole.
They were infected by an extre surge of emotion, willingly blending into the crowd.
He stood amidst the crowd, sword in hand, watching them get up again, watching another wave of people surge towards him like a tide.
The scene was entirely unlike the aftermath of the First World. It was as if the air were lit afla, and he could sll gunpowder coming from all around.
He sighed, then used Spatial Displacent.
The place where Noel was located was very high; Su Ming’an teleported twice to barely reach the back of the black crow.
He had still managed to escape from the sea of people and ascended into the sky.
"—Why is he running away, damn it..."
"Take pictures, take pictures, I see soone on the forum has already gotten ahead..."
"Ming’an! You must keep going, don’t listen to what others say; Mom will always love you—"
The swelling shouts ca from below, n and won, old and young, a split second reminded Su Ming’an of the speech he had made at the opening of the world ga. Back then, those staring at him also had endless eyes.
Noel sat next to him, propping his cheek with his hand, watching him while twirling a round block in his other hand.
Upon seeing him climb up, Noel laughed, patted the back of the black crow, and the black crow began to fly.
The fierce wind scraped Su Ming’an’s cheeks, he quickly grabbed the bird feathers below, barely sitting on the back of the black crow. Voices of regret ca from below, and people started to fight over the black fabric on the ground.
The scene was like piranhas devouring flesh, with human figures swirling like a stream, and the black fabric being the remnants left.
The world chat was exploding at this mont, and many people ca to "witness the Holy Land" as teleportation formations continuously manifested their white light.
Su Ming’an turned his head away, no longer watching the scene.
"How does it feel?" Noel asked him with a smile.
"Not too good."
"Not too good? But those are all people who love you."
Su Ming’an sighed and remained silent.
"Strange," Noel said, "I thought you would be pleased to see this scene. Those flatteries on the world forum, those words... it even makes my skin crawl. If those people view rely as an idol, a star, their admiration for you... feels almost like worship of a deity."
"..."
"Unhappy?"
"Watching ordinary things about oneself being exaggerated and turned into lauded videos, and seeing those viewers indulge in emotional resonance—it’s really not a pleasant experience," Su Ming’an said.
Noel said, "I heard that so people have already ford a church about you."
Su Ming’an shook his head.
"People’s so-called faith is a kind of quid pro quo. When the worshipped cannot fulfill their expectations, the balance of this faith-coated quid pro quo tilts. People feel cheated and disappointed, like a failed transaction. They turn their anger into harm, whether it’s dismantling shrines, destroying statues, persecuting other believers, propagating anti-deity rhetoric... or striking at the deity themselves. All these are quite normal because people are accustod to reaping rewards. Once their efforts are not reciprocated, their psychological balance is easily disturbed," he said. "That’s why I prefer that their affection for stays within reasonable bounds."
"What they want is unity of interest—they can accept you ascending to divinity, but not your losing control. So can beco their gods, but only if shackled by their chains," Noel said.
Su Ming’an smiled at that.
"A god, am I eligible?"
He looked down at the back of his hand.
Two curved lines cradled a central line encircled by a water droplet pattern, resembling a half-blood flower.
And representing the fifth perfect pass, a new line ran straight along the stalk of the flower, extending from the center of the back of his hand to just above his wrist.
This was the new change on the back of his hand after the system broadcast ended.
He saw the scene below.
As the black crow flew, the crowd below also surged, as if trying to reach their destination just as eagerly. But soon, he saw a series of bizarre structures—it was actually a long chain of walls.
"Where are we headed?"
"To the New World Guild headquarters. I spent so points to enclose the headquarters with walls to prevent anyone from bombing in," Noel smiled.
Su Ming’an glanced at the walls shimring like glaze under the daylight, "It must have cost quite a few points."
"Yes, indeed, to fully build up the New World Guild, I spent nearly a quarter of my points on it."
"Compared to you, I am more like a hands-off boss."
Su Ming’an had forgotten how long it had been since he last checked on his own guild.
Sotis he even doubted if he had been dismissed unknowingly, but a glance at the interface showed that everything was still in order.
[Guild Na: Lighthouse]
[Guild Level: Golden Level (Total world ranking of the guild: 1/249807) (Evaluated based on the comprehensive strength of the mbers)]
[mber count: 39809/40000]
[Managent: (President) Su Ming’an
(Vice Presidents) Eni, Mizushima Kawa Sora
(Ministers) Hubert, Avril, Alauddin, Gad, Boris...]
[Average combat power of the guild (excluding casual players): 598]
[Average secondary occupation level of casual players: Fourth Level]
[Guild Headquarters:
Trade Departnt (2/2), Minister: Jin Minhao
Finance Departnt (3/3), Ministers: Bra, Nata, Nickel]
Administrative Departnt (1/1), Minister: Grett
Resource Area (3/3), Minister: Kore
Military Zone (3/3), Minister: Liu Jiahe
Foreign Affairs Departnt (1/1), Minister: Ma Qiaoli
Information Departnt (1/1), Minister: Hubert
...
[Personnel Information: ...]
[Resource Distribution: (coordinates), (coordinates)...]
[Guild Alliance: Kunpeng Comrce, Alliance Watch, Dragon Country Yangtze System, Ancient Martial Families, New World Guild, World Tree Guild...]
...
Su Ming’an just glanced over it briefly and saw a heap of things he didn’t understand, as well as a series of familiar nas.
Although guilds didn’t play any substantive role, they served as platforms for extensive interaction and cooperation among players, and many casual players depended on them for survival.
As ti passed, many departnts had been established to maintain the order of players in the Main God World.
Ever since he beca the president, he knew he had no ti to manage these matters, and was just a na holder. As long as his na was there, this place would serve as the best promotion point. Sure enough, even though he did nothing, it seed the guild was running well.
"You’re right not to manage," said Noel. "I need to manage... only because I have a group of capable and trustworthy friends behind . Your goals should be more far-reaching, and these people’s united struggle... should not affect you."
Standing against the wind, Su Ming’an listened to Noel’s words, seeing the black crow gradually enter the territory of the New World Guild.
At the onset of the World Ga, an energy problem had erged.
The oil, electricity, coal, and gas from Zhai Xing were not brought here. Due to the scarcity of resources and lack of experintal equipnt, it was difficult to produce new energy. The energy currently used, similar to electricity, was supplied by sothing called a Resource Stone.
In this situation, the production of cars was successful; they could be powered by Resource Stones, although their energy consumption was much higher than usual, but they could still be operated with effort.
However, the production of airplanes was hindered.
Perhaps bound by so rule, these large-scale transport vehicles could not be powered by Resource Stones. Even the cars, which could barely operate, required a vast amount of energy.
Thus, what was now more commonly seen on the streets were people riding bicycles. Cars were only visible in controlled service areas of large organizations, and nowhere else. Even the United Group, when initially hosting the Human Self-Rescue Conference, had used it briefly just for display.
Humans seed as if they had been thrown back to the century before last.
What replaced cars and airplanes were various oddly shaped pets. Many who were originally proficient in riding horses showcased their skills prominently, and sotis you could see those galloping down the streets.
Those riding giant earth dogs or unicorns were all influencers. At this stage, very few people owned riding pets, let alone flying ones.
As Su Ming’an was pondering, a panel was turned towards him.
"Seventh World information," Noel said. "Take a look."
Su Ming’an’s gaze montarily faltered.
...
[Seventh World·Mariti Banquet]
[World Type: Specified Coordinates Open World, Large-scale Multiplayer Instance Type.]
[Key Props: None]
[Completion Points: Open-type]
[World Elents: Ideals, Tribes, Justice, Survival, Death, Divinity, Purification, Restful Sleep, Worldly Shackles]
["The old, the past, it can be reshaped by struggle."
"——In the cycle of the present world, death will restore our dignity."]
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