nycdaug Chapter 20 The Emergence of Various Forces
Chapter 20 The Emergence of Various Forces
As night fell, many people joined Margaret in prayer, lighting candles and performing some kind of ritual they did not understand.
It seems that this can give them a little comfort.
What truly broke people's hearts were those few people who were bitten by spiders.
At night, they had a persistent high fever, and the bite wounds swelled and oozed pus, with the skin bulging as if something was crawling inside.
A man let out a wail and stopped breathing. People thought he was dead. Before they could even mourn, the man they thought was dead suddenly got up, his mouth split open, as if a large worm had parasitized his head, because limbs that looked like worms pierced through his skin and came out.
He started attacking other people like a madman.
Most of the people who witnessed this scene were stunned. Even Joseph, who wore a baseball cap and seemed like a tough guy, was so frightened that he cried and began to pray with wide eyes.
Ultimately, after losing several more lives, the survivors in the supermarket killed the person parasitized by the insects, and the others who were bitten were thrown out of the supermarket at Margaret's suggestion.
"It's the god of death!" Margaret stared out through the glass window, as if she had seen something.
This time, however, no one objected.
Even the few who remained rational remained silent at this point.
Because most people here no longer laugh at Margaret; she is no longer the "clown" in everyone's eyes. On the contrary, many people believe in her theories and have even become her followers.
Margaret's views then became increasingly extreme.
Besides the bizarre rituals, she also said she heard the voice of "God" instructing her to perform a blood sacrifice and kill "sinners" to appease God's anger.
"Only in this way can we survive," Margaret said with great certainty.
When reason is overwhelmed by fear, people will do crazy things that would be absolutely impossible under normal circumstances.
A young man was chosen by Margaret.
The reason is simple: the other party had previously insulted her, but Margaret packaged this personal grudge as a high-sounding "sacrifice," claiming it was for everyone else.
People started cursing and hurling insults, and it escalated from the first person to the last, until it was completely out of control.
The young man was beaten and then thrown out of the supermarket.
Soon, the poor fellow was enveloped by a huge figure.
A colossal flying creature stretched out its thick neck and head, bit the young man, and then flapped its wings and flew away.
Margaret cried out excitedly, "God has accepted our sacrifice!"
Then the others cheered.
It looks absolutely insane.
"Now, come with me, everyone!" Margaret truly believed that all of this was God's will. Unfortunately, no one dared to defy her now; the young people who had been sacrificed before were a cautionary tale.
Margaret held up a candle and asked the others to do the same, and together they opened the door and went outside.
Outside, the damp air, mixed with the putrid stench of a swamp, hit you in the face.
In the surrounding fog, there were too many huge and strange plants, and some trees that blocked out the sun.
If Lin Mo were here, he would know that Margaret was just lucky; the huge creature that carried away the young man was a level six creature, a flying dragon.
Because of the territorial instincts of level six creatures, other monsters will instinctively flee when a dragon appears.
Therefore, their group was not attacked when they came out.
These people naturally attributed this miracle to Margaret.
But this "good luck" did not end.
Soon, after walking a hundred meters, Margaret saw that the fog had thinned and a white building had appeared.
It looks like a church.
Margaret became excited and quickened her pace. Just then, she heard rustling sounds all around her.
After the dragon left, the other monsters returned and discovered this group of delicious "food".
Some people in the crowd noticed the strangeness around them, and some even saw lizards as big as small cars, as well as various spiders.
"Don't be afraid, the church that God gave us is just ahead. Once we're inside, we'll be safe," Margaret said triumphantly. She led the way, quickly walking over and reciting hymns of praise to God from the Bible. The others could only follow along.
The monsters around them were getting closer and closer, some only four or five meters away.
However, something shocking happened.
The moment they stepped into the church, the monsters stopped and dispersed.
"See that? That's a miracle!" Margaret exclaimed, her voice hoarse with excitement.
As a result, everyone else became complete followers of this crazy woman.
In fact, if Lin Mo were here, he would definitely sneer and curse: "What a load of bull! This is a neutral shelter; as long as you escape inside, you can avoid attacks."
But it must be said that luck sometimes really does play a big role.
Especially after Margaret believed that this was a gift from "God," including the discovery of several treasure chests in the vicinity and even the fortunate occupation of an unguarded tower, this belief that "I am God's chosen one" became deeply ingrained.
In just a few days, she had recruited 23 first-class riflemen from the guard post.
These spearmen obeyed her orders completely.
Of these, five were lost in battles with other forces and creatures; otherwise, the number would have been much higher.
Those who were once her followers have now become her devoted fans, obeying her every command.
And that is why Margaret's power is growing every day.
"Godmother Margaret, some people are trying to hide in the church again." As Joseph spoke, he even knelt down in front of Margaret, showing extreme respect.
Just a few days earlier, he had thought she was a crazy woman.
At this moment, Margaret is guarded by at least six spearmen around the clock.
In her own words, these soldiers wielding long spears were sent by "God," which was undoubtedly another incredible "miracle" in the eyes of ordinary people.
It was also because Margaret kept information about "units" secret, as she wouldn't allow anyone to possess the ability to threaten her authority.
Even her most devoted followers couldn't do that.
"Take me to see this." Margaret led six spearmen out, three in front and three behind, surrounding her.
Wherever she went, everyone had to bow their heads in respect.
She reveled in the flattery and adulation, as if she were truly a messenger of God.
Outside the shelter was a large group of survivors.
There were about thirty people, both men and women, and a few children.
"Welcome. Here, you can receive God's protection, but before that, you must demonstrate your loyalty to God," Margaret said with a 'kind' expression.
To put it more simply, this means that you can move in if you want, but this place doesn't cater to idlers.
Soon, a dozen or so strong men and women were selected from among the newcomers and asked to go to a nearby supermarket to carry survival supplies.
Food, water, medicine, and even toilet paper are all needed.
In addition, if a mysterious cube is found floating in the air, it must not be moved and must be reported to Godmother Margaret immediately.
Concealing information or touching the object without permission will be considered a violation of the rules, and the person involved will be immediately used as a sacrifice, along with their relatives, who will also be subject to the most severe punishment.
Some intelligent people saw that Margaret was actually a hysterical madwoman, a complete charlatan.
However, it must be said that the "shelter" is indeed real, and absolute safety is guaranteed inside. Many people have experienced it; when those terrifying monsters chased after it, they all chose to avoid it, and none of them were able to enter.
Perhaps, this really is a miracle.
Even the "hints" they saw upon entering the building were packaged by Margaret as divine guidance.
So even if some people are dissatisfied, they can only swallow their anger for the sake of safety.
Some people discovered the "new world," which is the rule after the game merged, and, unwilling to be oppressed by Margaret, this crazy woman, chose to leave.
However, Margaret had zero tolerance for this situation.
Once discovered, they are immediately sacrificed without any leniency.