HP - Chapter 28
HP - Chapter 28
Embedded Files
Kingdom of Gods 06
Zhong Xu ended up spending the night on the tavern’s sofa.
After turning off all the lights, she vaguely felt something crawling around in the room—rustling softly.
She rolled over without opening her eyes.
Probably just bugs or rats—common enough in food establishments.
She’d walked a long way that day and had drunk quite a bit. Even though she’d already spent a long time asleep underground, it didn’t stop her from feeling too tired to keep her eyes open now.
The next morning, she was woken by the sound of knocking.
It was nearly time for the tavern to open. She got up, glanced at the time, and wandered toward the door, thinking about how she’d explain her presence here as she opened it.
“You must be the new server?”
Before she could say anything, the tavern owner standing outside asked casually.
“...Yes.”
“Come with me. I’ll walk you through the job.”
He seemed like an NPC too.
Were these NPCs all this adaptable? He was accepting her presence far too naturally.
After giving Zhong Xu a quick tour of the tavern, the owner led her out the back door and to an outdoor staircase that led to the second floor.
“The second floor is the dormitory. You’ll be sleeping there from now on.”
Room and board included, huh.
Not a bad job.
“Don’t sleep in the tavern again.” The owner’s expression suddenly turned serious. “After 3 a.m., strange things start showing up.”
Zhong Xu immediately thought of the rustling she’d heard while half-asleep the night before.
She frowned. “What kind of strange things?”
“No one really knows.” The owner sighed, his gaze filled with worry as he looked up at the sky. “Ever since the rain started falling in this world, those terrifying creatures began to appear. No one knows if they’ll keep growing…”
His words were oddly phrased. Zhong Xu had wanted to dig deeper, but no matter how she circled the topic, he just kept repeating the same lines. It seemed that was all he knew.
Zhong Xu could only let it go for now, deciding she’d try to see the strange things with her own eyes another time.
From that day on, Zhong Xu officially began her life working as a server in the tavern.
With this role, she encountered many people each day. She hadn’t stopped evaluating potential targets—if she really could plunder and make use of other players’ Tarot cards, then that was undoubtedly her only path forward.
However, her first move had to be made with the utmost caution.
To these “gods,” killing her would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Zhong Xu hadn’t yet found the right opportunity—when one day, the tavern door was abruptly pushed open.
A group of people in uniforms strode in. Their uniforms were black, with a badge pinned to their chests—on closer inspection, it was an open eye, like the eye of a god, glaring open. The mere sight of it carried a palpable sense of pressure.
“Judgment Eye Investigation Team. We're conducting a district card inspection.”
The man at the front had slicked-back hair. He lazily lifted his eyelids and swept a glance around the tavern.
“All individuals must truthfully register the divine power cards in their possession. Concealment or false reporting will be treated as a suspected criminal offense.”
Judgment Eye?
The expressions of the tavern patrons shifted instantly—some with reverence, others brimming with discontent and anger.
One troublemaker immediately spoke up:
“Who even recognizes your mission? We’re all gods here—why should we take orders from you?”
His tablemates chimed in:
“Exactly! Gods are equal.”
The slick-haired man gave a slight nod.
The next moment, a card in his hand lit up—chains burst forth instantly, binding everyone at the table tightly.
“The Judgment Eye’s detention center was just completed. Welcome—our first guests.”
His cold gaze swept the tavern.
“Adding a new rule: anyone stirring up trouble will also be treated as a suspected criminal. Ten days to half a month in the detention center should cool them off.”
The bound troublemaker struggled to resist, but the chains only tightened around him. He could only shout furiously:
“We can’t give in! If we accept what they’re doing now, we’ll have to obey them forever! We’re supposed to be free gods—how can you still call it godhood if we’re ruled and disciplined?!”
The slick-haired man laughed, voice cold as ice:
“If you want freedom, what are you doing in the city district? This place was built by the Pantheon. What have you contributed?
Can you even hold your head high in front of them? You want freedom? Fine. I’ll send you outside the city—you can be free out there.”
“No, no, no...”
The troublemaker’s tablemates panicked, shaking their heads, apologizing and begging.
“His words have nothing to do with us. Please don’t send us outside the city. We’re willing to cooperate with the Judgment Eye.”
The troublemaker’s face darkened, but he said nothing more.
The slick-haired man chuckled:
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to cooperate from the start? Why drag everyone down and ruin the mood?”
After that display, the rest of the patrons became visibly cautious. Even those who were indignant only let the anger flash in their eyes—but when it came time to comply, they did.
They produced their Tarot cards, which were inspected by members of the Judgment Eye and recorded using wrist-worn devices resembling watch straps.
The Judgment Eye moved like a trained military unit.
Trying to slip out the back door now would never go unnoticed—it would only draw more suspicion.
Zhong Xu had no choice but to minimize her presence.
She stood behind the bar, washing dishes while keeping her ears trained on the whispers at a nearby table.
“Seems like the news was right...” they murmured.
“The Judgment Eye’s joined forces with the Pantheon.”
“Sigh, it was only a matter of time. The Pantheon’s had massive ambitions—they’ve always wanted power. The Judgment Eye has brute force, makes them the perfect lapdogs...”
“What are you chatting about?”
The slick-haired man had walked over without anyone noticing. The group immediately fell silent.
He smirked:
“Sounds like you all want to go outside the city and feed yourselves to the torrential rain.”
Hearing that, the group shivered. One whispered:
“We were just making small talk, sir. That’s not what we meant.”
“Good. Then show me your cards.”
They immediately pulled out their Tarot cards.
Watching this, Zhong Xu began seriously considering the possibility of impersonating a Judgment Eye member—to use it as a means to plunder cards.
“The rain’s been getting more frequent lately,” one person dared to ask while the official was recording.
“Do you know the reason, sir?”
The slick-haired man snapped impatiently:
“Do I look like a weather report? How would I know?”
“Then... is it true someone got caught outside during the rain and was torn to pieces?” another followed up.
“Is it true this world has monsters?”
“Why don’t you go find out for yourself?”
The man’s tone turned colder by the second.
“Go explore the outside world. Start your own Pantheon while you're at it.”
Everyone shut up.
Listening to this exchange, Zhong Xu slowly lowered her eyes and frowned.
No wonder the Pantheon was able to rise to power. No wonder most people dared to be angry but didn’t speak out.
If this is a dangerous world with monsters, then the Pantheon building the city districts and cooperating with the Judgment Eye undoubtedly allows them to become the unquestioned leaders of the gods.
Players who want safety and shelter have no choice but to rely on them.
But the torrential rain, the monsters... and the strange things in the tavern—could they be connected?
“Hey—”
A figure approached. It was the slick-haired man, having finished with that table, who turned and knocked on the bar.
Zhong Xu looked up and smiled.
“Hello, how can I help you?”
“Take out your card. What’s your name?”
“What’s a card?”
“Still playing dumb, huh? I’m already annoyed. Don’t force me to keep going—both hands and mouth.”
“Esteemed guest, what would you like to drink?”
“Card!”
“There’s no drink called ‘Card.’ Maybe choose something else? If you don’t know what you want, I can recommend something.”
“...”
After this round of nonsensical replies, the slick-haired man frowned and sized Zhong Xu up and down with eyes sharp enough to pierce right through her.
Zhong Xu maintained a polite smile.
“Team Leader Zhen, what’s wrong? Is this person not cooperating?”
Several Judgment Eye members immediately gathered around upon seeing the situation.
The slick-haired man tapped his fingers on the bar and stared at Zhong Xu for a long moment before suddenly calling out,
“Ning Zhi, come take a look.”
The girl who was recording immediately turned and walked over at the call.
“Check if this server is an NPC.”
The girl called Ning Zhi came up to Zhong Xu. She wore her hair in a short ponytail and had a delicate face. Though she looked young, her weary eyes made her appear somewhat worn.
She pushed up her black-framed glasses and asked Zhong Xu,
“What’s your card?”
Zhong Xu repeated the same answer she had given the slick-haired man.
Her heart was pounding.
After all, she had conversed with NPCs before and thought mimicking their speech patterns might allow her to bluff through.
But she hadn’t expected the slick-haired man to call this girl over.
Could Ning Zhi’s card ability be some kind of lie detector? Zhong Xu had a bad feeling about this.
But she had already committed to pretending to be an NPC and couldn’t back out now. She had to grit her teeth and keep up the act.
“So?”
Ning Zhi spoke slowly,
“It’s an NPC.”
“Alright.”
The slick-haired man clearly trusted Ning Zhi’s judgment. Upon hearing this, he immediately moved to the next table.
“There are more and more NPCs in the city district lately.”
Zhong Xu breathed a sigh of relief—but the next moment, she caught Ning Zhi’s eyes.
Ning Zhi suddenly asked,
“Your hairstyle is quite unique. Where did you get it done?”
Zhong Xu replied,
“I cut my own hair. I can’t chat during work hours. Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing else.”
Ning Zhi calmly looked away and left.
After checking all the patrons, the group left the tavern. The customers began talking freely.
“Why is the Judgment Eye investigating everyone’s cards?”
“Rumor has it the Judgment Eye has been researching the quests. They speculate that the cards held by the ‘Sinner’ identity might be completely different from those of the ‘Gods.’ So they launched this ‘Card Probe’ mission to investigate what cards all the players have.”
“Is that accurate though... We don’t even know how many players are in this game. What are they hoping to find?”
“My wife’s younger brother is a reservist in the Judgment Eye. According to him, the Judgment God of the Judgment Eye has declared: if it takes one year, fine; if not, then two years; if not two, then ten. If the sinner isn’t in the city districts, search outside them. They must find the Sinner hidden among the gods.”
“It’s clearly a non-mandatory mission... I don’t get the mindset of these mission-focused players. Does it bother them that much to leave a mission unfinished? It’s like OCD.”
Zhong Xu felt that her greatest enemies might just be these mission-focused players.
掠夺 (Lüèduó) - Plunder, a specific game mechanic where one player can steal another's Tarot card.
任务党 (Rènwù Dǎng) - "Mission-focused players," a term for players obsessed with completing in-game missions.
探牌 (Tàn Pái) - "Card Probe" / "Card Inspection" The name of the Judgment Eye's operation to investigate and register all players' cards.
Characters / (Players)
终栩 (Zhōng Xǔ)
Role: Protagonist
Game Role: Blank Card/Sinner
游戏制作人 (Game Producer)
Role: Creator of the game world; god-like figure
小蝴蝶 (Little Butterfly)
Role: Mechanical assistant
~~~
尤少非 (Yóu Shàofēi) or Tomato Head: 寸头 / 番茄头 (Cùntóu / Fānqié Tóu)
Card: “Chariot”
冉冉 (Rǎn Rǎn)
Card: “Star”
光头 (Guāngtóu / Bald Man, nicknamed Dàn Gē)
Card: Unknown
双马尾少女 / 小幻 (Shuāng Mǎwěi Shàonǚ / Xiǎo Huàn)
Card: Unknown
季舟 (Jì Zhōu)
Card: “Sun”
油头男 (Yóu Tóu Nán) / Slick-Haired Man
Role: Leader of the Judgment Eye Investigation Team
Card: Unknown
宁稚 (Níng Zhì)
Role: Member of the Judgment Eye; tasked with identifying NPCs
Card: Unknown
Sevyn here ~~~
Enjoy!
1 Ko-fi = 1 Extra Chapter
Google Sites
Report abuse