Infinite spooky game

Chapter 359 Appetite
In the game space, Qis opened his eyes on a high-backed marble chair, and the bloody garbled code exploding on his retina fell like a rainstorm.

[The evaluation level of "Beware the Rabbit" is... Wrong! Wrong! ]

[Abnormal data detected... The player level exceeds the limit of the weird game... Will be cleared soon]

[Cannot be cleared... The intruder has higher authority than the game system... Error! ]

A series of error messages popped up for a while, and then suddenly jammed. The next second, all images and sounds disappeared along with the system interface, including the item bar and identity card.

The objects, scenes, and characters that I have seen in the past appear in the darkness deep in the palace of thought, connected by thick or thin threads, as if they are integrated into the soul and become a part of "God", an extension of that abstract and indescribable power.

Qi Si tilted his head and leaned forward slightly, like a demon that had been sealed for thousands of years and suddenly awakened, confused and curious. He slowly and patiently got used to his new abilities and a body that was no longer suitable for him.

After a long silence, he suddenly raised his eyes, and his gaze met the scarlet eyes on the ceiling mural. Colorful light suddenly burst out from the dark temple.

The scattered gravel on the ground slowly flew up and gathered into the shape of tables and chairs under the throne; the rust on the long bronze table was washed away, and the shiny surface reflected a cold green light; exquisitely carved copper candlesticks gradually appeared on both sides of the chair, and the flickering candlelight spread all the way to the bronze gate.

In the continuous orange-red light and shadow, the vermilion shrine, the black ark of the covenant and the white altar sometimes separate and sometimes overlap, mixing into a ball and then dispersing into bright spots of light.

New virtual images flashed before his eyes. The scene of Cain killing his brother was right in front of the Buddha cutting off his flesh to feed the eagle. Exhibits from different eras, races, and religions gathered together. Men, women, young and old in different clothes came and went. At a certain moment, they all turned their heads to face the direction of Qisi, or put their hands together, or knelt down and kowtowed...

They were praying, to the gods in the sky, to the bishop presiding over the mass, to the ghosts, to the evil spirits, and to all the great beings that could fulfill their wishes.

Wild ghosts in the mountains, evil spirits in the forests, wild evil gods, cardinals... Thousands of faces appeared on Qis's face, and countless shadows gathered on Qis's body. They merged into a part of him, or in other words - they were originally a part of him.

So all prayers were directed to Zis, some in a whisper, some at the top of their lungs, some with doubt, some with piety and solemnity.

"Lord God, can you cure grandma's illness? I can burn incense and pray for you every day!" A childish voice.

"Let my mother go quickly. She can't get out of bed. She suffers, and so do we..." A tired female voice.

"We're hungry... We're so hungry... We want to eat..." He moaned weakly.

"Lord, if you are truly omniscient and omnipotent, please punish those liars who distort your will and wantonly make money." A resounding male voice.

"Master God, I'm here again. If I fail the imperial examination again this time, I won't be able to come again..." an old voice.

Thoughts and sounds from all times and spaces, all regions, and all existences surge in my ears, and the details become increasingly difficult to discern, presenting a colorful stream of light before my eyes.

At first, Qis listened attentively, sounds, lights and colors dancing around him, emotions that did not belong to him rising and falling one after another, and after reaching a certain peak, they returned to indistinguishable noise.

He gradually couldn't listen any more. He felt irritated and disgusted. He looked down indifferently and saw the child in front of the sickbed, the starving people on the cracked earth, the martyrs on the stake...

They all prayed for his mercy and hoped to get his help, but why? Why did he save them just because they were pitiful, innocent and pious?

There are too many poor people. Who should he save and who should he not save? If he saves everyone from suffering, who will be the sacrifice on the altar of the world?

God does not love the world, He has no mercy, no sympathy, and no other feelings in His heart. He does not want to listen to those voices anymore because they are too noisy.

The Poseidon's scepter stood upright on the left hand side. A streak of scarlet blood was moving in the milky white halo, spreading in all directions at a speed visible to the naked eye, painting the white scepter with bright red blood.

Qis raised his hand and grasped the scepter. The power flowing in his body and the symbol of divinity seemed to resonate in a higher dimension. He began to understand how to control those powers, how to deal with the world and all living beings under the rules, and how... to be a god.

He pressed down the scepter slightly, and all the prayers were blocked out. The world became quiet, and the phantoms of people and objects in the temple disappeared, leaving only two rows of flickering candles and a long bronze table that served as a shrine and an altar.

Qis leaned against the bronze throne, quietly observing the newly renovated temple, his eyes sweeping over the tightly closed bronze door and the newly painted murals on the side.

The mottled stains were wiped away, the broken patterns were reassembled, and the blanks were filled, but the exact meaning was still unclear. The picture was hidden in the surging gray fog, like a sunken ship sealed by an invisible object on the seabed.

He supported his chin with his hand and stared at the mural silently for a long time, as if he was dozing off or in a trance.

He suddenly felt very hungry, and a painful feeling of lack arose in the bottom of his stomach, as if someone had dug out his soul with a spoon.

He felt very empty, as if every inch of his bones, muscles, and blood had been corroded, and he was just a shell walking here.

He needed to eat something, and he needed to be filled with substantial food immediately, otherwise he would fall apart at the slightest breeze.

He turned his head to look at the full-length mirror on the right. The face in the mirror was breathtakingly delicate, and exactly the same as Qi's.

He smiled, naturally knowing what to do next, and stepped into the mirror.

Under the gray and purple sky of Rose Manor, the ancient castle with a pointed roof and vines twisted around it stood eerily.

A figure in red clothes and long hair was lying in a thorny rose bush, with pale ankles showing under the blood-red robe, like a vampire noble who walked out of an ancient scroll.

Qi Si walked over and smiled: "Qi, do you have anything else to tell me?"

Qi opened his eyes and said in a gentle voice: "It seems that you have successfully obtained what you wanted, and it has given rise to greater ambitions."

He raised his bony left arm slightly and made a beckoning gesture: "Now that you are hungry and want to eat me and gain full contractual authority, why don't you step forward?"

"Why should I go forward?" Qi Si pulled a stool from the vines, brushed off the dust, and sat down two steps away from Qi.

He looked Qi straight in the eye and asked in a chatty tone, "Ever since you dragged me into the game, you've been waiting for this day, right?"

Qi sighed: "This is obvious. After all, you are me and I am you. Your future is my past. I naturally know our destiny."

"I don't believe you." Qi Si smiled and said, "If you are really me, you should know that I will not believe in any existence other than myself, whether it is my past self or my future self.

"The final instance is about to be opened. Fu Jue told me this. What is this? Betting on both sides, hedging the risks?"

"There are no eternal enemies, just like there are no eternal friends. I need someone who can help me do something." Qi said calmly, paused, and then asked, "He is indeed very powerful and will be a strong opponent for you to compete for the crown. Are you afraid?"

"Don't be afraid. A game with an opponent is much more interesting than a one-man show." Qi Si stared at Qi and licked his dry lips. "From what you said, even if I become a god, Fu Jue will still be able to deal with me?"

Qi nodded: "Under the rules, gods and humans are all living beings, there is not much difference. And the rules are gradually taking back the authority. The apocalypse after the end of the world needs survivors and prophets. He needs a new god."

"I understand. The referee is unfair and the rules of the game are not in my favor." Qi Si stood up and laughed, "So I want to break the rules and break out of the old system that I can't take advantage of."

He swallowed his saliva and smelled a fresh and sweet aroma. The source of the fragrance seemed to be nectar that could satisfy any life's fantasy about food.

The shapes in front of him turned into bright blocks of color, composed of various flavors and aromas; his mind was tempted and on the verge of breaking; every inch of his soul was clamoring with hunger, wanting to drink up the wonderful food. Food is the most primitive need of almost all species and is closely related to survival. At this moment, all the cluttered external objects were swept away, and Qisi knew what he wanted more than ever before -

He wanted to eat Qi.

Qi chuckled: "I have to say, the design of the rules is very primitive in many places. It is edible in the literal sense. It is very bloody, but also very real."

The rain was pouring down. Qi Si walked over step by step, stretched out his hand to grab Qi's wrist, and the touch of the sticky liquid reminded him of the divine meat he had seen in Su's Village.

He tilted his head and said, "You seem ready to be eaten by me. I never knew you were a selfless god."

Qi grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "Because I want to eat you, too. Before the authority can be taken back, it needs to be gathered. The final copy needs the authority of the contract to be restored to its fullness."

He bit the arm that Qis stretched out, and Qis bit his neck. The flowing invisible thing poured into his mouth, without passing through his limbs and bones, and directly penetrated into the emptiness of his soul, but brought a feeling of fullness to his stomach.

Consciousnesses connect into an ocean, communicating with each other in a higher, farther, and broader realm. The soul is peeled off, extracted, and eaten away bit by bit. The missing parts are instantly filled with new materials and transformed into something unprecedented.

Qi Si held the transparent flesh in his mouth and asked with a half-smile: "You dragged me into the game just to give me the power of the contract and then eat me, from left hand to right hand?"

Qi said: "No matter what, the ending will be 'you' eating 'me', and the power of the contract is entirely in 'you' hands."

Qi Si suddenly realized: "You don't want to borrow my shell to regain your freedom, do you?"

Qi burst into laughter. "If you are afraid, then stop here. I can still send you out of the game now."

Qi Si also laughed out loud: "Your Excellency God, didn't you already know my answer? Why not make one last bet and see who will wake up in my shell, you or me?"

The meal continued, and Qi's left half of the body, starting from the left arm that had turned into white bones, along the shoulder to the waist, turned into a skeleton. Qisi's right arm was losing flesh and blood, and the white skeleton was exposed, reflecting light like glass.

The ancient dim yellow sky and golden rivers flowed before Qis' eyes. A huge skull walked on the scarred land and fell under the golden world tree, splashing golden blood.

The scene changed, and a young man in red walked among the people wearing animal skins. He taught them how to make fire and hunt with a smile, and killed the fools who could not learn.

The gods were still naive at the time, just bad kids who treated the world as an aperitif. When people collapsed to the ground in fear and hit their heads, the gods would chuckle, making them think they had pleased the gods, and from then on they would weave sacrifices and rituals based on this.

The boy grew into a young man, still wearing the blood-red dress, and appeared in every corner of the world, talking to all kinds of people with a deceptive smile, satisfying their desires, but the ending was often terrible...

Qis realized that he was accepting Qi's memories, or rather, Qi's memories were polluting his mind palace.

Millions of years of information poured into his mind, which was too complicated compared to the twenty-two years of memory. He saw his twelve-year-old self standing next to a bloody corpse and smiling, and drawing blood-red talismans on the palace walls of the Tang Dynasty; when he was sixteen, he was buried in the ground, and recited the funeral eulogy in a Victorian church.

The chirping of insects in the countryside, the people living in the market, the smoke of war... countless scenes and characters from different eras are performed at the same time. Qis sees the conspiracy of the gods and the construction of a strange game.

Qi sat on the main seat, half-turned his body and raised his left hand, countless fine threads bloomed from his palm; the gods traveled between various worlds, and golden leaves hung in the sky, gradually growing luxuriant branches and leaves, and taking deep roots...

Qi Si suddenly felt very cold, so cold that his thoughts were stagnant and his heart was empty. He looked down and found that the right half of his body below the shoulders had become bone-bone-destroying.

A voice told him to eat more so that he wouldn't be cold.

He continued to eat.

The flesh and blood disappeared faster and faster, and the red leaves on the trees at the bottom of the Hall of Thought switched between scarlet and gilded.

The left half of Qi's body had disappeared, just like the right half of Qis's body. He suddenly let go of Qis's hand, and half of his flesh and blood instantly turned into a point of light and flew towards Qis.

Brilliant specks of light surrounded his body, and the parts of him that Qis had lost grew flesh and blood again, while more extensive information and more trivial thoughts came crashing down.

He saw Qi who descended in front of the two armies, Qi who sat high in the dilapidated temple in the mountain village, Qi who was enshrined in the shrine's shrine, and... himself who was surrounded by monsters.

He heard the voices of the believers again, but this time they were sharp and resentful.

"Is this god blind? Why does he let good people die in such a painful way?"

"It's fake, all fake! What's the point of having a god made of clay or stone?"

“God does not love the world…”

The black smoke was woven among the crowd and then dispersed into every corner, making it difficult to find. The sins of the believers who did not receive any reward were never attributed to God.

Qis found that his body had recovered. He lowered his eyes and saw Qi's face in the reflection of the table. Then he looked away again and it was clearly himself.

He still remembered that he was the second generation god created by the rules, who was indulged and acquiesced by the rules, and obtained the bloody authority from the bones of the ancestor gods. From then on, he served as a bridge connecting the rules and all living beings, trading with the world, making contracts, and bringing down disasters or blessings.

He walked in the human world, accumulating sins aimlessly. He once played the role of god in countless tribes. He was the most noble narrator under the rules and above all gods. However, after tens of thousands of years, he found that the rules wanted to eat him, just like they had done to the ancestor god.

Billions of years ago, the first generation of gods turned to dry bones, and now the new world is about to usher in the second reset. That is the doomsday accompanied by floods and plagues in religious mythology, the awakening of Brahma's dream, the creation of the world by Pangu, the annihilation of old gods, and the birth of new gods.

Unwilling to perish, he worked with the gods to create a strange game, sending players to the table of rules. While delaying their death, they also sought ways to fight against the rules.

In his first attempt twenty-two years ago, he failed and was punished and confined by the rules. Fortunately, he projected his avatar into reality in time and was able to start the second round of the game.

Not long ago, he entered the strange game as a newcomer named Qis, starting from the "Rose Manor" copy and going all the way to the "Beware of the Rabbit" copy, grabbing the reserved divine power and ascending to the throne of God again.

Then... who is Qi?
Qi Si leaned down, looked at the skeleton in front of him, and said with a smile: "I am very curious whether I won the bet, but unfortunately I can't tell it clearly at the moment. You may know the answer, can you tell me?"

Qi had a smile on his face. He didn't answer, but picked up a rose and put it in his hand: "Your Excellency God, I heard that God will fulfill the wishes of the most devout believers. My wish is to plant roses all over the world. Can you fulfill my wish?"

Outside the castle, the wind was even stronger, blowing in through the doorway, blowing away the last bit of flesh and blood on the head. The dead bones were scattered among the vines, and the roses were in full bloom, bright and dazzling.

Qi Si walked out of the castle carrying the rose. The rain automatically changed direction, the sky and the earth turned upside down, and the water droplets rose from the ground and flew to the upside-down lake high in the sky.

He returned to the temple, sat on the throne, and waved the scepter of Poseidon.

Golden specks of light fluttered up and flew across every inch of the wall, devouring the gray fog that obscured the murals and revealing the images of the creation myth.

Amid the recurring mythological illusions, a cold electronic voice recites in my ears:

[Dear Lord, welcome back to the weird game]

(End of this chapter)