Chapter 26: Black Death and the Deity 08 Part 1

The players never expected the third deity to be found so quickly, let alone that the third deity would actually be “People.”

Everyone was stunned. Someone asked, his voice trembling:

“Who’s so formidable to have found it so fast…?”

“It’s Jian Bumian.”

Someone said this, and immediately everyone looked up, gazing at the youth standing on the elevated hallway.

The youth in the holy robe was surrounded by dazzling sunlight. A warm halo graced his beautiful, pale face, and his fine, soft black hair was tinged with a warm golden-brown.

If a player who didn’t know him saw such a good-looking youth, they’d only think he was a pretty, exquisite vase.

But his true strength was terrifying.

[The two-hour countdown is about to end.]

[Please choose the deity capable of eliminating the plague within one minute.]

The youth stood on the hallway, leaning against the railing, one hand propping up his cheek. He chuckled lightly, his lips parting: “I believe the third deity can eliminate the plague.”

The answer was very obvious.

[…]

[Player Jian Bumian, answer correct.]

…Was it that coincidental?

Jian Bumian hadn’t expected it; he was just guessing.

Truthfully, if he had to say, the source of his guess was quite apparent. The rules released at the very beginning of the instance clearly stated, “Putting people first.”

This was one of the lessons people learned after experiencing the Black Death, also the theme of the European Renaissance, and the key to humanity entering the modern era.

New players entering this instance had gotten confused right away, completely led by the nose.

Some veteran players were misled from the start, thinking they absolutely had to find a specific, concrete “god,” and that the clues would be as dark and hopeless as the instance’s background.

Little did they know, the clue was actually simple and quite positive.

Who said the Infinite World couldn’t have positive instances?

It just depended on how the players viewed this instance.

The viewers in his livestream room were just as shocked as the players.

[Mianmian isn’t a dumb beauty!!! Mianmian’s little brain is so smart! Kiss kiss Mianmian!]

[I always thought the third deity was Mianmian’s hubby, never expected it referred to “People” in general…]

[People are the most powerful! People are gods! Humans are invincible! Long live the human race!]

[Damn, wifey looks so dazed and easy to bully, never expected him to be so clever. But this puts me at ease, lest a silly wifey gets easily bullied into bed.]

[Upstairs, Mianmian might actually be a bit clumsy in bed. Look, Mianmian always forgets he still has to chase his target NPC.]

[…]

The viewers recalled Jian Bumian’s system mission. It had indeed been a very, very long time since there was any progress.

If there was no new progress, it might trigger another sub-task.

Jian Bumian glanced at the bullet comments. He subconsciously filtered out words like “bully” and “bed,” which he didn’t understand. He only caught “system mission.”

He only remembered that the target NPC was very tasty.

What was that system mission again…?

[This instance’s system mission is to offer a “passionate kiss” to the target NPC.]

Oh.

Passionate kiss.

Jian Bumian finally remembered slowly. His fair earlobes reddened slightly, and a strange sense of shame arose in his heart.

Actually, he didn’t quite understand these things, so naturally, he was prone to forgetting.

But he knew that for system missions, it was best to complete them as soon as possible. Otherwise, at the very last moment, it would become a stumbling block to consuming the target.

The last instance had been exactly like that.

He had almost consumed the target, yet he still had to do the mutual confession system mission, leaving him just a tiny bit short of eating him.

Such a pity.

He absolutely couldn’t let that happen in this instance. He had to complete the system mission as quickly as possible.

But this time, the system mission was different from the last one. Last time, he just had to wag his tongue.

This time it was a “passionate kiss.”

Thinking of this, Jian Bumian couldn’t help but press his lips together. His eyelashes trembled, and a light flush spread across his cheeks.

He actually didn’t know how to passionately kiss anyone. His kissing skills were practically nonexistent.

He only knew how to eat the target’s mouth.

But that definitely wouldn’t count as a passionate kiss. The system wouldn’t judge it as successful.

To prevent this system mission from hindering him from eating the target…

Jian Bumian quietly asked the system:

“Um, I don’t know the specific motions for a passionate kiss. Can you teach me?”

[………]

[That instruction is beyond the scope of the system mission.]

[However, you can consult other players, or other entities.]

At the same time, new text appeared on the church dome.

[Only the final main quest remains. Complete it to clear the instance.]

[Within twenty-four hours, perform the correct sacrificial ritual to “People.” (Note: This sacrificial ritual must be capable of completely eradicating the Black Death plague. Incorrect sacrifice will result in total erasure of all players.)]

The players couldn’t help but gasp upon seeing this new task.

The further they went, the harder the tasks became.

What exactly was the sacrificial ritual? What was the sacrificial process like?

Everyone couldn’t help but wonder. Since the object of the sacrifice was “People,” the sacrificial ritual definitely wasn’t what they’d imagined.

They couldn’t just sit around doing nothing and despairing anymore. They couldn’t keep relying on clinging to Jian Bumian’s coattails; it was embarrassing.

“Clues about the sacrifice might be inside the church. Some friends and I will split up and search,” a veteran player said.

“Some of my items might help. Count me in.”

“I’ll go too. Let’s split up and search the church and the town more thoroughly.”

“Count me in…”

There weren’t many people in this instance, and some were already part of the same team. The dozen or so people in the instance quickly divided the tasks and began their respective searches.

Jian Bumian didn’t focus his thoughts on the instance mission anymore. Compared to the instance mission, he felt figuring out how to handle the system mission and then eat the target NPC faster and better was more important.

He saw the system’s hint, and his eyes brightened slightly. Right, why hadn’t he thought of asking someone else?

A candidate instantly came to mind for Jian Bumian.

He stood up and quickly walked deeper into the hallway. The hem of his long robe fluttered, mingling with the sunlight, and the bells on his ankle rings chimed all along the way.

He arrived at the end of the gallery.

The enormous oil painting at the end of the gallery seemed to be welcoming him specifically. The figure slowly materialized within the painting—to be precise, it was the God of Darkness.

The God of Darkness in the painting still wore his military dress uniform, his cape hanging down, black military boots polished shiny. His eyes were slightly closed as he leaned against a Roman column, seeming to rest.

His handsome features weren’t overwhelmed by the darkness; instead, it added a ghostly, mysterious allure.

Jian Bumian stood before the painting and said seriously, “Mister God of Darkness, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“…”

No one responded to Jian Bumian.

Jian Bumian continued, “If you help me with this, I will help put you together.”

He’d clearly said he wanted to eat the other party, but the other had only given him a little blood to drink. If that wasn’t stringing him along, what was?

He wouldn’t be wrong to be a little shameless with the God of Darkness just this once.

And the name “God of Darkness” sounded like an adult male who’d lived a very long time. He must have plenty of kissing experience.

The man in the painting opened his eyes. His tall figure emerged from the canvas.

He looked down, his cold golden eyes fixed on Jian Bumian:

“What is it?”

Jian Bumian’s face was red. He found it somewhat difficult to speak, hesitating, stopping and starting.

Even though he’d rehearsed it many times in his head just now…

Finally, Jian Bumian clutched the hem of his robe, stammering, “Excuse me, could you possibly… tell me what a passionate kiss is like?”

The man narrowed his eyes dangerously.

Jian Bumian shook his head quickly: “No, no, don’t misunderstand. You don’t need to teach me hands-on. Just tell me verbally.”

Otherwise, he was afraid he might not be able to resist eating the God of Darkness’s mouth, then swallowing the whole God of Darkness, and then he wouldn’t be able to eat the even more delicious target NPC…

The man was silent for a long time. His expression didn’t change at all, his handsome features cold to an extreme.

“Mister? It’s okay if you don’t agree. I can ask someone else.”

Seeing no reaction from the man, Jian Bumian blinked and asked, his face full of innocence.

After a long while, the man spoke, his voice icy cold: “Who do you want to passionately kiss?”

His memories were currently very chaotic, as if split into fragments, disconnected.

He only knew he was an NPC in a painting.

No past, no future, knowing no one at all.

He even wanted to kill every person who tried to approach him.

Except for this beautiful, black-haired youth before him.

It felt as if he and this youth had known each other for years. Whatever request the youth made, he couldn’t help but comply.

The youth wanted him to appear, so he appeared. The youth wanted to eat him, so he let the youth eat.

Although he didn’t quite grasp what the youth meant by “eat.”

Eat in what way?

He could only follow his intuition and let the youth eat.

But no matter what, this request the youth was making now stirred a strange dissatisfaction within him.

— Asking about passionate kissing?

Who did the youth want to passionately kiss?!

The dissatisfaction morphed into anger, surging violently within his heart like ocean waves.

Just as he was about to lose his sanity, he heard Jian Bumian’s reply.

Jian Bumian answered subconsciously: “It’s for kissing food, not a human. If you don’t believe me, you can follow me then.”

This answer genuinely didn’t seem wrong to him. He also had confidence that what he intended to kiss was merely his food.

“………”

The man’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. His thin lips parted as if to say something, but no words came out.

In Jian Bumian’s livestream room, several bullet comments popped up.

[Why do I feel like the God of Darkness doesn’t know how to kiss either? Just a poor student meeting another poor student.]

[Hahaha, I bet the God of Darkness is as innocent as Mianmian. Innocent old man (?)]

[The God of Darkness wanted to speak but stopped. I think he doesn’t know how to teach Mianmian a passionate kiss.]

[Wait, do you guys really think the God of Darkness would believe Mianmian’s weird excuse?]

[I don’t think so. That excuse is way too strange. I think the God of Darkness wants to teach Mianmian first, and then follow him, taking the chance to kill that dog of a man who wants to kiss Mianmian. Wait, the dog man is the target NPC… Isn’t this a love triangle standoff?!]

Jian Bumian glanced at the bullet comments, then at the tall, handsome man before him.

No way, no way.

Could it be that the God of Darkness really had no experience, just like him?