Chapter 93: Creating Gods

After dinner, everyone helped clean up, and the dining area was quickly tidied. Shang Jinru then brought out sliced fruit, desserts, and snacks, determined to keep the hard-won lively gathering going.

Li Shuang turned on the TV and found a variety show. Everyone sat on the sofa, cracking sunflower seeds and watching old reruns, feeling as though a lifetime had passed.

Social progress had stagnated, let alone entertainment programs.

All former entertainers were now unemployed—or rather, they had "transitioned" from celebrities to players. Horror Variety Show had become the only form of entertainment, but no sane person was willing—or even able—to treat the livestreams as fun after escaping the instances.

Except for the obsessive players and the officials who studied the instances.

As the cheerful outdoor reality show played on TV, Chi Yi and Lian Qinglin, who had once participated in such programs, couldn’t help but sigh. It hadn’t even been half a year, yet their past lives felt like a distant memory.

While snacking, Grandma Luo came upstairs with her medical report.

After taking the medicine the day before, she had followed Li Zhi’s advice and gone to the hospital for a re-examination of her failing heart. Unsurprisingly, her heart was now healthy—the doctor said it was even stronger than those of young people who stayed up late.

The emergence of the [Ghosts and Monsters] system had not only disrupted social order but also left doctors, who had devoted their lives to medicine, deeply frustrated.

Since the livestreams began and props appeared, many patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses had recovered. While the doctors were happy for them, they also felt powerless against modern medicine’s limitations, falling into self-doubt.

No matter how hard they worked, they could never restore an aged, failing heart to its youthful state.

Yet [Ghosts and Monsters] needed only a small pill to achieve it.

This was suppression from a higher dimension.

Li Zhi had once watched a documentary where wild ants spent decades building a grand underground nest, only for humans to pour cement into the entrance—a simple act that brought ruin to their home. And it was done merely to study ant behavior and create an art piece of their nest.

Now, the [Ghosts and Monsters] system likely viewed humans the same way humans had viewed those ants.

But for now, they could at least celebrate Grandma Luo’s recovery.

The gathering lasted until the afternoon. Shang Jinru insisted everyone stay for dinner, and the lively atmosphere continued into the evening. Before leaving, Chi Yi finally took out the pre-prepared team card.

"Zhi Zhi, it’s been so long since we teamed up! Let’s do it this time—I’ll show you how much I’ve improved!"

Li Zhi smiled. "Sure."

Chi Yi then asked Lian Qinglin, "Do you want to join us?"

Lian Qinglin shook his head repeatedly. "If I go in with you two, what’s left for me? Your CP is so popular, I’d get no attention. No thanks!"

Chi Yi grinned smugly. "That’s right! Our ‘One Butterfly’ CP is super popular. But since we haven’t teamed up in a while, we’ve dropped out of the top ten!"

Since Lian Qinglin wasn’t joining, the team card wasn’t needed. Li Zhi told Chi Yi to keep it. "I’ll call you when the card arrives."

Chi Yi was curious. "Who’s bringing you a card? Who else are we taking?"

Li Zhi replied, "You’ll know in a few days."

Sure enough, a few days later, Yao Mingfeng brought over the new official player they were to guide—a young man named Qi Yongyi, who introduced himself as "Yongyi, as in ‘once and for all.’"

At first glance, Li Zhi noticed the young man seemed unusually excited, looking at her as if she weren’t a stranger. Yet she was certain they’d never met.

But Qi Yongyi carried the same disciplined air as Li Feng—the unmistakable bearing of military training. When she asked, he promptly confirmed it: he had been one of Li Feng’s soldiers.

"One year when you and your mother visited the base, I saw you from afar! Lieutenant Li often talked about his two sisters! It’s an honor to team up with you for this instance!"

Even his tone when speaking to her carried the same respect he’d shown Li Feng.

Li Zhi chuckled. "We’re about the same age—no need for formalities. Besides, you’ll need to hide your identity in the instance."

Qi Yongyi grinned, flashing white teeth. "Got it!"

Yao Mingfeng didn’t just bring the team card—he also shared good news. "The cult stronghold we dismantled this time was massive. Though half escaped, we still dealt them a heavy blow. They won’t dare act as brazenly in the country for a while."

Li Zhi was curious. "How did they escape? Your operations are usually airtight."

Yao Mingfeng sighed. "Warfare evolved from cold weapons to firearms—direct confrontations. Who’d have thought we’d now face prop battles? The system’s props are bizarre—some let them fly or tunnel underground, others walked right past us in invisibility cloaks. Felt like a fantasy movie. If not for our own official players’ props, the raid might’ve failed."

Li Zhi could imagine the scene—both frustrating and absurd.

He handed her a dossier listing over twenty cult leaders’ names and photos, seized during the raid.

"Memorize these faces and names. Be careful if you encounter them in instances."

Li Zhi nodded. Flipping through, she paused at one name and raised a brow. "Qiao Junyuan? Thirty-two years old?"

Yao Mingfeng confirmed. "Him. Xiang Ling was right—he must’ve used a shrinking prop to deceive players. He’s high-ranking, too. Members hand over some of their props, so these leaders are well-stocked."

Thankfully, she and Li Feng had left him behind in the instance, eliminating a major threat.

After Yao Mingfeng left, Li Zhi called Chi Yi over to use the team card’s third slot. Guiding an official player was a secret mission, so she simply introduced Qi Yongyi as a distant relative.

When Chi Yi learned they were guiding a first-timer, she was thrilled. "My turn to mentor a rookie! I’ll protect them! Oh, Zhi Zhi—can I post about our team-up on the forum first?"

Team-ups weren’t rare now. Several duos survived by leveraging their CP’s popularity. Whether genuine bonds or staged partnerships, audiences loved them. Chi Yi understood these rules better than Li Zhi—why not use the hype?

Li Zhi had no objections. "Go ahead."

Delighted, Chi Yi rushed home to post.

Players could register verified forum accounts, marked with a crown icon. Many shared instance strategies or bantered with fans—all to boost their following and popularity.

The old entertainment industry was dead, but the player circle wasn’t so different.

Chi Yi’s forum account was active, her unfiltered posts shattering her former "nation’s sweetheart" image.

Who knew the innocent初恋 was like this?!

Yet her popularity never waned. Her growth, especially after proving herself solo in instances, had only strengthened her fanbase.

Now, her post about teaming up with Li Zhi drew immediate attention:

#2: One Butterfly CP is back!!!
#3: The sweetheart returns—now a queen! This time, she’ll stun her partner!
#4: Saw Li Zhi team with Lian Qinglin last time—knew this day would come! Hype!
#5: Finally! Look how far One Butterfly fell on the CP charts! You’re the real deal—unlike those fake duos!
#6: Just say ‘Perfect Match’s’ ID already.
#7: This is Chi Yi’s post—why bring other CPs? No drama!
#8: One Butterfly dominates solo or together!
#9: As a neutral: How is Perfect Match fake? Duo Jia and Chen Tianran have survived so many instances together—more than One Butterfly!
#10: Sure, because they need to team up to stay relevant. Unlike One Butterfly, who’s top-tier either way~

Fan wars were inevitable, whether in entertainment or player circles. Chi Yi quickly deleted the inflammatory comments, keeping the thread focused on excitement for their reunion.

But screenshots of the spat still reached Du Jia and Chen Tianran. Chen Tianran, a former celebrity, was unfazed—she’d seen worse during her炒作 days. The "fake CP" label wasn’t wrong; their partnership was for survival and popularity.

Du Jia, however, was stung by the "needs team-ups to stay relevant" jab. After a failed solo attempt nearly got him eliminated, he’d been mocked relentlessly until Chen Tianran salvaged their image.

Now, he fumed to Chen Tianran, who coldly said, "If you’re mad, outperform them. Whining won’t help."

Du Jia’s eyes lit up. "Remember that prop my friend has? The one that forces others into the same instance as rivals?"

Chen Tianran frowned. "You want to drag them in with us? Bad idea. Li Zhi’s solo rank is top 30—higher than both of us."

Du Jia disagreed. "Their CP rank peaked at #10. Ours is always top three! We can take them!"

Chen Tianran doubted his sanity.

But Du Jia was stubborn. Since their fates were tied after he saved her in an instance, she let him have his way. At worst, they’d lose some popularity—but not enough to be eliminated. A humbling lesson might curb his arrogance.

So Du Jia traded for the prop, which forced targets into the same instance as rivals (not teammates). Most found it useless—who’d willingly invite trouble?

But the targets wouldn’t know, so Li Zhi and Chi Yi remained unaware they’d been "paired" before even entering.

As veterans, they wouldn’t be suddenly pulled into an instance—they’d sense it hours in advance.

So Li Zhi wasn’t rushed. She spent days training Meng Yuhan and Li Shuang in combat, reflexes, and critical thinking.

Meng Yuhan progressed rapidly, even holding her own against Li Shuang, who joked about "younger brains learning faster." Though Li Shuang didn’t plan to enter instances, she trained diligently as backup.

Two weeks later, during dinner, Li Zhi sensed the next instance’s approach.

She called Chi Yi. "We enter in six hours."

Chi Yi gasped. "Six hours?! The earliest I’ve ever sensed was one! Is it because you’ve entered more?"

Li Zhi pondered. "We thought sensing time depended on frequency, but now I think it’s tied to popularity. Higher popularity means longer prep time."

"Same with props," she added. "After hitting 10 million popularity, the props improved—not just in quantity, but quality. They’re stronger, more versatile. It’s an upgrade."

Chi Yi’s head spun. "So… popularity isn’t just popularity?"

Li Zhi smiled. "Exactly. It’s more than that."

It wasn’t just for points or rankings.

At its core, why did the [Ghosts and Monsters] system run these livestreams? For popularity. Li Zhi had long suspected it was elevating high-popularity players.

It was creating gods.

Of course, these "gods" weren’t divine—just vessels of immense popularity.

What sustained gods of old? Faith. Worship.

Now, "gods" thrived on popularity.

So popularity was faith.

That was what [Ghosts and Monsters] wanted—this world’s belief.

The realization made Li Zhi laugh. "Yiyi, you’re brilliant."

Chi Yi: "…?"

I’m lost, but okay. Zhi Zhi’s bias is showing. She really loves me.

After hanging up, Li Zhi shared her theory with Tan Manyu, who’d relay it to superiors.

Then, preparations began.

Qi Yongyi was ready—though all he could bring was courage.

Six hours later, the three were pulled into the same instance.

After a brief disorientation, Li Zhi opened her eyes to a nightscape ablaze with colorful lights. In the distance, a Ferris wheel turned slowly.

An amusement park.