On my second playthrough, they were full of malice towards me.

[Experience gain efficiency increased by 15%]

This means that Liao Ji can create a max-level two-star "normal" character with fewer resources in the early stages.

However, as the difficulty increased, regular characters struggled more and more, especially the incredibly "tough" [Guard] class, and Pires was quickly eliminated.

Liao Ji used his [Reset] ability to reclaim the resources that had been invested in Pires.

At the time, Liao Ji in the game didn't feel anything was wrong, and didn't even hesitate. After all, this was a common practice for many players, especially in the early stages when resources were extremely scarce.

But at this moment, Liao Ji, through the images that St. Siuthia was showing him, fell silent.

He watched Pires weep, he watched the longing in Pires' eyes to continue fighting, he watched Pires plead desperately, even kneeling before Sthiuthia, begging the nun to speak well of him.

Liao Ji then realized that, to him, it was just a virtual game, but to the characters in the game, his casual action might determine their entire lives.

For that wasteland era, where monsters roamed everywhere and dangers lurked all around, "resetting" was tantamount to a death sentence, bringing an end to one's life.

In the scene, the young nun Sthiuthia wants to comfort Pires and wants to say something encouraging to him.

Kossitea found she couldn't do it, because she knew that although Lord Ash doted on her, he wouldn't listen to any of her suggestions.

She could only watch helplessly as the Ash Lord, completely shrouded in a cloak and trench coat, walked in. Rather than being expressionless, it would be more accurate to say that his face was entirely hidden. Then, amidst Pire's cries, he took away the contract without uttering a single extra word before turning and leaving.

The scene shifts again to the murky red mist.

This time, the protagonist in the painting is a young girl in the throes of first love, and Liao Ji's memory is no longer so hazy, because he still has a deep impression of this girl.

Hina.

Why is she described as a girl in the throes of first love? Because it was nighttime, and the girl and Styutia were sleeping under the same wooden hut. Unfortunately, even the darkest night couldn't lull the girl into sleep. Sheena was pestering Styutia, asking the nun to tell her more stories about Lord Ash.

"Hey, Tia, what does Lord Ash like to eat?"

"Hey, Tia, do you think Lord Ash will wear the necklace I gave him?"

"Hey! Sister Tia, what kind of new abilities do you think I'll gain after my awakening tomorrow, when I advance to the 'Dangerous' level? I can't wait!"

"Hey, Tia-neechan, what do you think about me... I confessing to Lord Ash at the promotion ceremony tomorrow... is it... is it okay?"

Yes.

Sheena, initially three stars, is a psychic class with a very good skill set. At least for Liao Ji, who was still in the early stages at the time, she was someone he had high hopes for. He used all his precious [Calamity Essence] to upgrade Sheena's star level, allowing her to advance further.

This night is clearly the eve of a character's promotion in the game.

however

Soon the scene of turbid red mist changed.

Last night, she was all flushed, dreaming of the future, of becoming Lord Ash's right-hand woman, of receiving Lord Ash's favor like Styutia. But now...

He knelt on the ground, his face ashen and lifeless, his eyes devoid of any light.

really

Liao Ji sighed.

The reason he still remembered Sheena was because he clearly remembered that this [superpowered] character, whom he had placed high hopes on, awakened an incredibly useless and trashy skill after being promoted to "dangerous level".

It is obvious to the naked eye that continuing to train them will only be a waste of resources, and their future is bleak.

Enraged, he immediately used the [Reset] ability on Hina.

Liao Ji still remembers his complaints in front of the screen at that time.

"That's it? I give up! This idiot—is the game warehouse inspector messing with people's mentality?! Get out of here! Spit out all the resources and go eat dust in the sewers! Bastard!"

That's what I was like back then—a gloomy, shut-in recluse who stayed home all the time.

Looking back now, I realize that I used to complain that the outside world was dark and malicious, but wasn't I the same? I just vented all those negative emotions in games.

Even if this is one of the original purposes for which "games" were invented.

In the scene depicted by the red mist, the kind-hearted nun Sciutia couldn't bear to see Sheena fall from heaven to hell in just one day, becoming a completely "broken" girl.

She tried to comfort her, but this time, Sthiuthia received a more cruel response from the little boy than in the previous scene.

Are you here to laugh at me?

"Yes...why...why is only Sister Tia so talented? Why is only Sister Tia able to receive Lord Ash's favor? Why wasn't it Tia whose contract was taken away? Why wasn't it you?! Ahhhhh!"

"Waaaaaah! Waaaaaah!"

Sheena berated Styutia, denouncing the nun's hypocrisy. Styutia became the outlet for the girl's emotional breakdown, and Styutia did not retaliate. She simply silently endured the malice being transferred to her, rather than to Lord Ash.

There are many, many more scenes like this.

This is a microcosm of the other "contractors" under Liao Ji's command, besides those five, and a microcosm of the others who were eliminated.

Liao Ji's principle is to concentrate all resources. He doesn't seek breadth, but only quality. All other three-star, four-star, and even five-star contracted calamities are merely nourishment.

It was the nourishment he used to cultivate those five top-notch "six-star" Evil Beings.

The murky red mist finally dissipated, and no more images appeared.

Through Styutia's perspective, and through the perspective of the characters in the game, Liao Ji finally understood why the nun went mad, why she was afraid of being abandoned by him because she had messed up the Holy Kingdom, and why no matter how he explained, it was useless.

Because indeed

In the eyes of the characters in the game, he, as "Lord Ash," is someone who prioritizes strength above all else, someone who is always expressionless and shows no mercy.

If even Styutia has become like this under such pressure, Liao Ji cannot imagine what the remaining four are like.

Only then did Liao Jicai finally understand.

The second playthrough is no longer a simulation game.

Is an

Horror game.

Chapter 59 An Old Antique!

On the other side, slightly backwards in time.

Black hole, shantytown.

A sudden burst of holy light flashed in Irene's living room. When the light and shadow dissipated, it revealed the mother and daughter who had been teleported back from the church's sewers.

Looking at the familiar surroundings, the girl could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She hugged her mother and ran to the inner room, carefully placing Nolan on the bed.

Afterwards, Irene went to the kitchen, wanting to cook something for her mother. Unfortunately, when she opened the refrigerator, she found it completely empty, which made the girl realize that she had been through so much these past few days that she hadn't had time to take care of her family.

Left with no other option, the girl called Brian for help, partly to reassure him of her safety.

From receiving Irene's call to rushing over at breakneck speed, it probably only took less than ten minutes? Brian, carrying large bags of gifts and supplies, appeared before Irene, panting heavily.

He glanced at the girl briefly, and seeing that she wasn't missing any limbs, he rushed into the inner room. When he saw Nolan lying on the bed, looking haggard and weak, but at least breathing steadily and seemingly unharmed, Brian's anxious expression eased.

When he came out of the inner room, he saw Irene sitting blankly on the sofa in the living room. Even though Nolan had been rescued, she was still lost in thought and didn't know what she was thinking. Brian then realized that someone was missing.

Where is Liao Ji?

"what!?"

“Oh, he said he had something to do. So we parted ways.” Irene’s voice trailed off, and she lowered her gaze, her expression turning somber.

Seeing the girl's expression, Brian understood a lot in an instant. He sighed inwardly, didn't ask any more questions, walked over, patted Irene on the shoulder, and changed the subject to comfort her:

"Alright, you must be starving. This time, I'll show you my cooking skills!"

Before long, the aroma of porridge filled the room.

Perhaps influenced by the aroma of the food, some rustling sounds came from the inner room. Irene immediately ran over and found Nolan, who had already woken up, trying to sit up in bed.

"Mom!" After quickly helping to support her, Irene couldn't stop the tears from welling up again, and she kept snuggling into Nolan's arms.

At first, the young woman on the bed was stunned by her daughter's changed hairstyle and the long hair that had been let down. But soon Nolan touched her and gently patted Irene's back to indicate that she was alright.

After the mother and daughter comforted each other, Nolan seemed unable to hold back and asked the girl:

"Eileen, I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but there were two other people present besides you, right?"

Seeing the girl nod, Nolan's face suddenly lit up with excitement, even overshadowing her previous weakness and exhaustion. She turned to look out the window and murmured:

"I knew it. The Goddess never abandoned us, never abandoned us believers."

Nolan's words only made Irene, who was standing next to him, a little angry. What did this have to do with the goddess? It was clearly their doing! It was Liao Ji and Maria's credit!

She hated her mother's "stubborn" faith. Six years ago, they had already been betrayed by the church, but her mother still believed in the goddess. Now, six years later, a similar scene was playing out again, and it was even worse and frightening!

The church is completely finished! The goddess is long gone! Irene, unusually, lost her temper with her mother, hoping she would stop being so stubborn! She didn't want to see her mother harmed by the church again!

“No, Irene. I can mistake everything else, but not the light of the Goddess. That light is the same as the light of the past six years. I will never mistake it.” Nolan shook his head.

"For six years?"

"Well, actually, I had a premonition about my illness a long time ago. But every night when I pray to the goddess, I feel a holy light cleansing my body in my dreams. Although it is very weak, it is still helping to alleviate the pollution in my body. I think, if it weren't for that weak light, I probably wouldn't have been able to hold on until now before it flared up?"

"I know you'll say that these are just my imagination. I thought so too, which is why I never told you. But last night, in that dark sewer, I really saw... the Goddess."

"Wait a minute! Mom, what are you talking about? Last night, the goddess??"

Irene became more and more confused as she listened.

Or perhaps, from her mother's words, the unease Irene felt about parting with Liao Ji intensified.

"Yes, back then, my mother dreamed that she had become a monster like those around her, wandering in the sewers. A nun appeared in front of her and used holy light to reverse the pollution in my body, restoring me to human form after I had already mutated. Now that I think about it, that must have been Lady Sthitia's messenger, right?"

Looking at her mother on the bed, nodding and with a look of reminiscence, if her mother really wasn't lying, and it wasn't a hallucination...

So

Actually, long before they arrived today, a nun had found the mother in the sewer and helped her suppress the evil influence. It was because of the nun's help that the mother was able to hold on until they arrived.

"Mom! Tell me quickly, is the nun who saved you last night the same person as the one who's with me today?!"

A very bad thought popped into Irene's mind, making her feel terrified. She anxiously asked Nolan about it, and although Nolan was not sure, he told Irene that their "holy light" abilities gave her the same feeling.

the same

Yes, it's the same person.

Upon reaching this conclusion, Irene's hair stood on end.