Storm of Gods

Chapter 1 Night Watchman

The dim underground city never sees the sun all year round, with sewage flowing everywhere. Next to the rusty pipes is a simple house. In a small compartment of the house, a seventeen-year-old young man is sleeping soundly with his butt sticking up. I don’t know if he is dreaming about something, but his saliva is flowing out.

"Li Xin, Li~~~ Xin~~~ I'll count to three, get out of here right now!" A sharp soprano voice seemed to want to lift up the roof, which was not very strong to begin with. The room was full of buzzing echoes, and dust fell down. In this dim underground city, the simple houses were built relying on various pipes on the walls. Most of the houses were patched together with various discarded wooden boards and construction waste. However, it was obvious that the owner was very careful to make the patches as beautiful as possible.

"Three~~~"

The young man of about sixteen or seventeen years old in the room rushed out, crawling and looking at the angry woman with her hands on her hips with a flattering face.

"Aunt Fei, Sister Fei, don't be angry, talk slowly, or you will get wrinkles." Li Xin spread out his hands, fearing that the woman would suddenly explode.

"Did you steal my sister's fruit candy?" The woman called Aunt Fei looked to be in her thirties, with a typical fluffy old lady's hair. Her skin was a little gray and had pockmarks. She was not ugly, but she was not beautiful either. Her face showed a fierce and unyielding look. Next to her stood a charming little girl with big watery eyes. Her simple and slightly dirty clothes could not hide her natural beauty. Sister Fei said that she was her biological daughter, but no one believed it.

Li Xin looked at the little girl in surprise, "What candy?"

"It was given to me by little Kato next door. My brother said he would perform a wonderful disappearing magic trick for me, and then he stuffed it into his mouth in one gulp. Woo woo woo, actually, if my brother wants to eat it, I can give it to him." The little girl looked aggrieved. She rubbed the corners of her eyes with her little hands wet with saliva, and observed the battle through the gap.

Cato is the little bootlicker next door, and he is fooled around by this girl all day long.

"Aunt Fei, you scared me to death. It's not good for children to eat too much candy, especially the ones from unknown sources. I'll take her to the city to buy good ones, right, Xueyin?" Li Xin said with a smile. He would use this trick every time Xueyin wanted to go out and play, and a few small pots were no problem.

"Great~~~" Lin Xueyin immediately jumped up happily and dragged Li Xin out the door. The security in the dungeon was not very good, and only when Li Xin brought Aunt Fei with him would she feel at ease to let Xueyin go out to play.

"You can have fun, but be careful in the city and don't get into conflict with the people there. Come back early at night." Aunt Fei called out from behind, shook her head at the brother and sister, and began to clean up the room. The one who should be going out to explore the world liked to stay at home, while the one who should be staying at home was thinking about going out to have fun all day long.

Tianjing City of the Lilong United Kingdom is a powerful kingdom in the eastern part of the Daoyuan Continent. It is a multi-ethnic kingdom composed of more than ten federations. Tianjing is a relatively famous city in the kingdom and is a coastal city.

Li Xin felt that he was an orphan. After leaving a strange place, he had been wandering around Tianjing. However, his serious injuries and hunger made him lose consciousness. When he woke up again, he came to Aunt Fei's house. Fortunately, he was adopted. Lin Xueyin was seven years younger than him and was Aunt Xue's daughter.

They lived in the underground city area of ​​Tianjing, called "Black Water". This area also had a population of nearly 10,000. Most of the buildings were built on underground walls and pipes. Later, as the population increased, large slums gradually formed, and various simple living facilities that met the minimum needs also began to appear. Because of several large-scale epidemics and riots, it also attracted the attention of the city hall. In order to maintain stability, some necessary survival facilities were built, such as drinking water, and gradually a stable social structure of the underground city was formed.

There are many similar residential areas scattered around Tianjing City. Many business failures, poor people, criminals who have been expelled, and some poor outsiders have gathered here and found a place to survive. The pollution brought by Hextech and the garbage in the city are discharged all around, which also makes the environment here very poor. Of course, these are also one of the resources for survival in the slums. Some materials can be used or recycled, and some can be refined into gold and mithril, but the process is very dirty and inefficient, and is often accompanied by toxicity and pollution. People in the city are not interested, but people in the dungeon are flocking to it. This job is considered high-level in the dungeon.

In the dungeon, not to mention resources, even garbage is managed by someone. Various gangs are everywhere and control the order of the dungeon. This is also what people in the city are happy to see, as long as it does not cause chaos and does not affect the city.

Li Xin didn't need to pick up trash, not because he was reserved, but because he was not good at it. He usually went to the forest outside Tianjing to hunt to supplement his family income. The game was bought by butchers, but of course he could not survive on this alone. The main thing was that the pets that the nobles liked could be sold at a good price, such as some wild beasts, falcons or some ornamental birds, and rabbits with good fur. It was said that after the pets were bought by the nobles, they lived better than humans.

Aunt Fei is very good at needlework, and her enthusiasm is mixed with a bit of boldness. Although the family of three lives a tight but stable life, Xueyin is the happy pill of the family, and everyone around them likes this mischievous little girl.

"Oshin, you're so talented, why don't you take the entrance exam for the Imperial Court? I heard that anyone can take the exam, regardless of whether they're commoners or nobles. It's a gift from the Grand Archon to everyone." Xueyin tilted her head and said, in her eyes, her brother was the best person in the world, and Grand Archon Luther was the person she admired the most. "Is it true what he said about all men being created equal?"

"I don't know. Your question is too big." Li Xin untied Xueyin's slightly messy braid, and then tied it into a cute pigtail again. He had practiced this for a long time. Well, it makes her eyes look bigger.

Seeing that Li Xin ignored him, Xue Yin pouted and said, "Xin, you have to believe in yourself. They all say that entering the Ordination Academy can change your destiny."

Li Xin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and knocked Lin Xueyin's head. "There are still many people who don't understand much. It's not that easy to get into the Teaching Academy."

"How can you know it won't work if you don't try? Mom has been asking you to go for the past two years, why don't you go?"

Li Xin smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll try it when I get a chance."

You can't just go to that kind of place if you want to. Civilians can go there, but are the people in the dungeon considered civilians? There's no need to explain so much to Yukine.

The underground city of Tianjing has rules, but the public security is definitely not good. Human society has always been a place where the minority oppresses the majority, and this is especially obvious in the barren underground city. However, the area near Li Xin's home has always been harmonious, mainly because Li Xin once educated the gangsters who caused trouble and collected protection fees, and everyone also knows that he has awakened his psychic powers and is very powerful.

Once psychic powers are awakened, they are no longer ordinary people, and most people dare not provoke them. In order to ensure that everything is safe, after all, Li Xin often goes out hunting and cannot be at home all the time, he specially found a dark and windy night to have a heart-to-heart talk with the boss of the Spade Group, the largest gang leader in the vicinity. It was a very detailed one, and he finally "touched" the other party with his sincerity. The other party was also a sensible person, and Li Xin's request was also very "reasonable", so the two sides formed a tacit understanding, and the area near Li Xin's home became particularly harmonious. Although the environment was a little worse, it was also a paradise, and everyone would get something for their work, and everyone would also ask Aunt Fei to do some work. The people here are poor, but not stupid.

Although the life of a family of three is not rich, it is enough.

In addition to hunting, Li Xin also works part-time delivering letters or items around here. He is considered a well-known courier in Heishui. He focuses on safety and sometimes handles minor disputes.

Li Xin touched Lin Xueyin's head. The full name of the Order Academy is Tianwu Shenji Order Academy. Its original body was a knight academy. Later, it was reformed and expanded with joint funding from the city hall and the church. It mainly recruited young people with awakened psychic powers, and also covered Hextech, art, history and other aspects. It changed from being only for nobles and wealthy people to being open to all citizens of Tianjing.

In fact, it is not impossible to find a way out given Li Xin's identity, but the current situation at home can only be considered makeshift. This stability is because he is there. Once he goes, Aunt Fei and Xue Yin's life will not be so good. There will still be problems after a long time, and the tuition is too expensive.

You can go directly to Heishui through the sewers from Tianjing City. The two of them easily lifted the manhole cover. Xiao Xueyin jumped very agilely, but fortunately Li Xin below caught her steadily. The little girl giggled happily. At her age, everything became a game.

The underground pipeline was designed to be very complicated. Later, after various expansions and renovations by the residents of the underground city, it was beyond recognition. In a way, it was also to fight against the people in the city. It takes a skill to not get lost in such a winding place. After taking Xue Yin for a walk in the city, the sky gradually darkened. On the way back, the excited little girl was so tired that she fell asleep on Li Xin. It can be seen that she likes the city very much. Every time she enters the city, her eyes are shining, but she just doesn't say it. The little girl is very sensible. At this age, she already knows that people are different. She has also seen the disgust in the eyes of children of the same age in the city.

Li Xin had considered moving to the city, but the prices in the city were simply beyond their reach, and there were also some other issues that had not been resolved.

After finding a suitable pipe, Li Xin took Xue Yin back to the dungeon with ease. The light of the red moon was very strong, which could bring a lot of light to the city, but very little was distributed to the dungeon. The smell in the sewer was very unpleasant, and it also emitted a strange light under the moonlight. This was the characteristic of Hextech sewage. This water was poisonous even if it was boiled and drunk, but people drank this kind of water during the early formation of the dungeon. They could only filter it with primitive methods, and the humble people did not think too much about it.

A flash of light appeared in the dark shadows, followed by a series of giggling and squeaking sounds. The mice ran for a distance and then returned to look at the humans. They were not afraid, because some humans lived worse than them.

Some people in the city would rather live in the city's sewers than leave after they fall into poverty. A few boards and newspapers are their home. When one person leaves, someone else will take his place, and it usually won't be for too long. Even so, they are unwilling to go to the underground city, as if they have not left the city.

Xueyin was sleeping soundly, her little mouth smacking, and it was obvious that she was still a little reluctant to eat the little sugar man. She knew that her family situation was not good, so she would only ask to go to the city to eat candy once a month, and she would act out a scene before each time so that she would not be sad even if she was rejected.

Li Xin snapped his fingers, and the two starving rats that had attacked them fell silently. Although Li Xin walked steadily, his speed was so fast that sometimes the homeless man felt only a gust of wind passing by. It had been over six years since he left that strange space and castle—let's call it a castle. The thing inside Li Xin was restless, but fortunately, he had found a way to balance it.

The Daoyuan Continent is a world that believes in gods, where royal power and divine power coexist. There are things called divine relics, which are said to be items left by the gods. If people who have awakened their psychic powers can resonate with the divine relics, they can accommodate the divine relics in their bodies. The divine relics can bestow corresponding blessings. The divine relics of righteous gods are more controllable and have fewer side effects, while the negative effects of evil gods are often great, such as killing characteristics. Perhaps this is why they are called evil gods.

Both good and evil gods have ranks. High-ranking gods hold powerful authority, have their own churches and a wide range of believers in Daoyuan Continent, and are backed by the state.

In addition, there are wild gods and wandering gods. These gods do not have their own church or system, but they have some fanatical fans. The gods are not of high status and are wild forces. They also have divine relics, many of which are very mixed. These divine relics are very dangerous and have strong uncertainty.

For example, the rich and powerful main god will look down on the trivial things of his believers, but the same cannot be said for wild gods and wandering gods. In many cases, those who are hungry and indiscriminate are more dangerous than evil gods. After all, good and evil are relative in many cases. Evil gods are not inferior in status, but they represent different authority.

Li Xin's divine relic is a dice. According to the skeleton in the castle, this is not a divine relic of the righteous god, but only this dice responded to Li Xin. He had no choice. This was not a choice from heaven, because this dice was not picky and had killed five hosts in the year before him.

This was also the first time he felt a complex taste from the smooth bone face of the skeleton.

The dice is placed in the heart and has nine sides, from one to nine. After six years of use, Li Xin has gradually figured out its function, which is that once it is thrown, there is a certain probability of immediately predicting the success rate of the event that he is thinking about and is about to face.

Known side effects are severe headaches, feeling lost, or a delayed, intense urge to seek excitement, one or all of which may occur.

Once a divine relic is contained, even if it is not used, it will have an impact on the host's personality. No matter what ability it is, if left unattended, the host will lose his normal sanity.

I think the church and secret organizations have already mastered a mature set of control methods.

Li Xin, who left the castle, obviously didn't have any of this, but he did find a stupid way to eliminate the influence of emotions. Dice usually accumulate the impulse of risky games, so he uses rock-paper-scissors with his left and right hands to balance the idea of ​​always wanting to guess the number. The losing hand does push-ups until it is exhausted. The method is a bit straightforward, but it is still effective at present. Aunt Fei mistakenly thinks that he is training hard.

In fact, he is not a person who likes to work hard.

If the dice are used and a successful prediction is made, relying solely on rock-paper-scissors will be useless. There will be a severe headache, which may be immediate or delayed, but it will not be absent. There is a certain probability of losing sense of direction and urge to take risks that will last for several hours or even days. Basically, in the face of this situation, Li Xin can basically eliminate it by going hunting in the forest for a few days.

Li Xin also tried to be serious about it to see if he could counter the side effects of the divine relic. For example, he drew a map and was very familiar with the road, but then he walked past the door three times without entering.

Hunting is Li Xin's main source of income. There are many kinds of ferocious beasts in the forest outside Tianjing City. Humans can awaken psychic powers, and so can wild beasts. The awakened beasts have psychic powers in their bodies, which can be used in refining Hextech and alchemy. Of course, the price is low. Some species have good skin. After awakening, they can understand human nature with a little training. They are the favorites of the nobles. They are used for daily showing off and comparison, and can also be used as messengers. This is the bulk of Li Xin's income. Of course, the beasts must be intact. The nobles will not want injured or damaged ones, which also increases the difficulty of capturing them.

Awakened creatures are extremely dangerous and difficult to capture, let alone keep them intact. Most people can't do it, and people with status and ability disdain to do it. It is also more suitable for Li Xin. Since reaching a consensus with the Spade boss, Li Xin can go directly to the city to sell goods. The price has increased, but it cannot change the nature of poverty.

There are rules everywhere, especially in the city. Some people have monopolized the channels. Once they see that someone is from the underground city, they will lower the price even more. But the bulk of the money is still taken by others. The underground city can use some tricks, but in the city, Li Xin doesn't want to cause trouble for Aunt Fei.

Li Xin walked very fast while holding Xue Yin. His ears twitched, and then he felt a chaotic breath. Someone was chasing him, and they were all awakened ones. Without stopping, he immediately quickened his pace and disappeared quickly. If you want to live long in the underground city, it is best to control your curiosity.

At this time, in the maze-like underground passage, a group of people were chasing a person wearing women's clothes... a human-shaped person, let's say, with four limbs hanging upside down in the sewer, seven or eight eyes on his face, and a low rattling sound coming from his mouth. He was full of hostility towards the people behind him, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.

A few minutes later, more than a dozen people appeared, wearing black robes with red moons embroidered on their chests. They were from the Moon Goddess Church. The leading man was in his forties, with a solemn expression and focused eyes. Immediately afterwards, a red light appeared, and in his field of vision, the dim corridor immediately flickered. Then he saw a series of light and shadow residues on the top of the passage, but they disappeared at the fork.

The dungeon is well-connected and is like a maze for outsiders. Luo Jin is an old man in Tianjing and is a little troubled by the complex terrain of the dungeon, but this monster cannot be left alone. It actually dares to hunt night patrolmen and can deliberately create confusion when facing pursuit. This shows that this licker is constantly evolving. Once he advances, the situation will be serious.

"Captain, further ahead is Blackwater's living area. Once they blend in, it will be difficult to find them."

The man called the captain was silent for a moment, "Divide into groups of three, and kill them at all costs if you find them!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The group quickly dispersed. The Night Watch was an organization established by the church to deal with supernatural events. They were responsible for supervising the awakened ones, punishing the awakened ones who broke the law, and humans and animals parasitized by abyss creatures.

The target of this mission is more serious. They are awakened people who are parasitized by abyss worms. Ordinary humans will only become brainless monsters with limited destructive power and will die soon, but once an awakened person is parasitized, he will directly become a "licker", which is bloodthirsty. At the beginning, he still has human thinking. As his strength increases, he will eventually become a monster with a strong hunting instinct. This licker is already capable of hunting and killing night patrolmen and has escaped during the encirclement. If he is allowed to grow, he will become a big trouble.

Luo Jin lit a cigarette and took a deep breath. The timing of this incident was really weird. If he couldn't handle it properly, his "promotion" would be ruined.

The figure disappeared in the passage directly in front. After Luo Jin walked for a while, a fat rat came out cautiously with its green eyes. It came to the ditch, rustling, and stopped a little confused. Suddenly, a black shadow flashed, and a tongue directly rolled the rat in. A figure slowly emerged from the dark and dirty waterway. The eyes on its face opened one after another, and the rat was crunching in its mouth. Although it was injured, its body was still full of pleasure and satisfaction. The things that used to disgust it didn't feel anything now, but it couldn't fill the hunger in its heart at all. Ever since it ate an awakened person, it was difficult for ordinary life forms to satisfy that strong desire.

Although his psychic powers were powerful when he first awakened, every time he used them he would suffer from a splitting headache and his whole body would feel as if it was torn apart. However, ever since he had the little baby, even the pain was extremely pleasurable, whether he was killing or being killed.

The licker tore off the woman's clothes, revealing the uneven body of a prey. He needed more blood to help his body recover. He first absorbed energy from ordinary people to restore his body, and then looked for awakened people. There must be wild awakened people in the dungeon, so the hunting difficulty would be low. He would return to the city to hunt when he became strong. When he thought of the awakened beauties in the city, his saliva flowed down.

?

Suddenly, he felt that standing was a bit strange, so he turned his head 360 degrees and lay on the ground with all four limbs. The licker squinted his eyes comfortably, and his field of view became convenient and wide. His eight eyes could observe the surroundings without blind spots.

Comfortable.

A dark shadow rustled along the sewer towards the Blackwater Underground City.

quack quack...

After the licker disappeared, a figure slowly walked out with an extinguished cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth.

Dear brothers and sisters, the new book Storm of Gods has been released. Influenced by the Souls series and Cthulhu, it tries a new style. Different from the previous hot-blooded fast-fighting games, this time the pace will be slower, and the characters and clues will be laid out well. I want to tell an interesting story as much as possible and give everyone some different reading experiences. As an old newbie, I am a little nervous but also looking forward to it. I hope you all like it.

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(End of this chapter)