Chapter 58
A Divine Challenge Dungeon, displayed in bright letters, appeared on the game interface for all party members bound with Shen Li.
And the system, ever “considerate,” even offered them options:
[Detected player and teammates have prior contact with gods. Player may choose relevant dungeon.]
[God Option 1: God linked to [Arrival of the God of Wealth]’s cleared dungeons]
[God Option 2: God linked to [The Paladin of Discipline]’s cleared dungeons]
[God Option 3: God linked to [Walking Alone for Ten Thousand Miles]’s cleared dungeons]
[God Option 4: God linked to [Lucky Star]’s cleared dungeons]
When Edith and Shasha finally met up with Lu Chuan and Shen Li afterward, the four sat in silence, staring at one another.
Good grief—every single member of their team had prior contact with a god.
“Brother Lu, have you seriously run into a god in every dungeon?” Shasha couldn’t help asking. The system’s wording for Lu Chuan was noticeably different from theirs.
That meant Lu Chuan had encountered gods in every single dungeon.
Edith was completely shocked. If Lu Chuan had been dealing with gods since his newcomer dungeon, then ranking only second on the Newcomer list was practically an injustice.
[Host, I think the main system also counts Number 9 as a god. His strength could rival high-level gods.] #888 quickly explained. [But whatever you do, don’t pick a dungeon tied to him. We absolutely can’t beat him. We’d all die.]
“System, you can rest assured on this point—I know myself very well.” Lu Chuan spoke sincerely. If he could win fights head-on, why would he bother trying to buy Number 9 over in the first place?
To be the boss, you only need to know how to use people. Who ever said the boss himself had to be the number one fighter in the world?
[That’s good then, Host.] #888 finally relaxed.
“Ahem, so… which one of the Divine Challenge dungeons that you’ve experienced should we choose?” Shen Li had never felt so guilty in his life.
Before this divine challenge dungeon appeared, Shen Li saw himself as the “protector” of the team. He was the oldest, the most experienced, with the most developed abilities—it was only natural that he take responsibility for shielding the three younger ones.
But once the Divine Challenge dungeon appeared, Shen Li instantly wilted like an eggplant hit by frost, his whole demeanor turning meek.
“I’ll be upfront first—most of the dungeons I cleared were tied to the ‘Executor.’” Lu Chuan confessed, “Compared to gods, you’d rather not cross the Executor, right?”
All three of them nodded immediately.
Edith hadn’t experienced Lu Chuan’s dungeon style before, so he looked at him with genuine respect.
To have brushed against the Executor so many times and still be alive and kicking—that was no small feat.
“So it really is the Executor that’s after you.” Shen Li gave Lu Chuan a long look. “I’ve run the Li Family Village dungeon so many times and never once ran into him—why was it only when you went that he appeared?”
“Nothing I can do about it. My dungeon clears were too perfect—100% achievements, even triggering mutations. Being too good got me targeted by the Executor. It’s not like I wanted this.” Lu Chuan shrugged helplessly. “You guys probably won’t have this trouble.”
Such a humble-brag completely shifted the group’s attention.
From curiosity about the Executor, everyone’s focus turned squarely to Lu Chuan.
God, how they wanted to punch him!
“I haven’t seen Divine Challenge dungeons before. If there’s one, it’d only be the one I cleared with Brother Lu,” Starry Shasha added. “If we don’t pick his dungeon, then we can’t pick mine either.”
“As for me, definitely not.” Shen Li rubbed his nose. “I’ve been an S-rank player for many years. I’ve been through more Divine Challenge dungeons than I can count. Even high-level ones—I’ve broken through them too. So don’t pick me.”
That only left Edith.
Suddenly stared down by three teammates, Edith fumbled nervously. “M-me? The only Divine Challenge dungeon I’ve been through was with [Messiah]. Are you sure?”
When forced to choose between two evils, you take the lesser one.
“It’ll have to be that. But as for [Messiah] and the Noah Guild, leave that to me.” Lu Chuan smiled at Edith. “I know you probably still want to help him, but right now you’re part of the Star Guild. So if you keep quiet, that’s already the biggest help you can give him.”
—Noah Guild—
“The Star Guild says they want to solve [Messiah]’s problem to show sincerity and form an alliance. What do you all think?” The Noah Guild higher-ups gathered to discuss.
They weren’t clueless about Messiah’s situation.
That’s why earlier, they urged him to run a dungeon—because as long as he did, he’d harness divine power and surge to first place.
Even a discarded pawn, if it could give some last value, was worth it.
But now that the Star Guild volunteered to help, it felt off.
“They claim they only took Edith, and Edith begged them until they had no choice but to agree. That’s a story fit for children. Clearly, what they really want is Messiah!”
Even with [Arrival of the God of Wealth] as a banner, Star Guild’s name wasn’t big enough. But if they snagged the third place newcomer too, the hype would explode.
“Divine marriage isn’t something so easily broken.” One senior spoke coldly. “Shen Li only got on the Master Ranking by paying the price of clearing a Divine Challenge dungeon. They’re just piggybacking on Messiah’s case to kill two birds with one stone. And yet they dare demand so much—even asking for twenty billion in compensation. Outrageous.”
“But if Messiah’s case can be solved, twenty billion isn’t unreasonable. He surely holds some resentment toward us. By paying, even if his issue remains unresolved, at least we’ll have shown our stance. A player bound by divine marriage isn’t necessarily doomed—he might keep following gods into different dungeons.”
If so, the Noah Guild would need to carefully decide how to position themselves toward Messiah.
“Twenty billion isn’t a huge sum. We can agree. If they fail, we lose nothing. If they succeed, twenty billion for Messiah is a good deal.”
“And what about Mei Xue? We originally wanted her paired with Messiah.”
“She can take a safer Divine Challenge dungeon.” The senior shook his head. “One Divine Challenge dungeon is enough. Spreading the risk is smarter. Since we’re already paying twenty billion, why toss Mei Xue in too?”
—Resurrection Guild—
“Sis, Lu Chuan invited us to join the Divine Challenge dungeon?” Lilus was stunned. “At a time like this, he still has the mind to invite us?”
“He said Shen Li’s God List entry required clearing a Divine Challenge dungeon. If we join, we’ll gain experience.” Cynthia smiled. “He knows I want to rush the Master Ranking quickly, so I’ll consider it.”
“Mei Xue and Gu Quan’an are also recruiting. We don’t need to help Lu Chuan. They’re openly offering items as payment.” Lilus frowned.
“We don’t lack items. If we plan to ally with Lu Chuan later, then since he’s the one reaching out now, we shouldn’t refuse. Reciprocity builds the strongest alliances.” Cynthia shook her head. “I’ve already agreed. You go reject Mei Xue.”
Mei Xue and Gu Quan’an were also Master Ranking fillers, so they couldn’t appear in the same dungeon as Shen Li.
And player selection mattered.
If Mei Xue and Gu Quan’an picked only other Master Ranking players, the system would increase dungeon difficulty and lower their end-clear evaluations, making success nearly impossible.
If Mei Xue chose weaklings, she’d only drag herself down.
But younger players like Cynthia and Lilus—few clears, but high level—were perfect picks. Strong enough to contribute, but not enough to raise the dungeon cap.
“Noah and Abyss Guilds have their own newcomers—they won’t lack partners.” Cynthia propped her chin on her hand. “Lu Chuan interests me more.”
By the time [Messiah] heard the news, everything was already settled.
Noah Guild first wired five billion into Lu Chuan’s account as deposit, then notified Messiah to prepare to run the dungeon with Lu Chuan’s team.
Beforehand, Mei Xue came to see him. She had wanted to go with him, but orders were orders.
“It’s fine.” Messiah knew his position. “Honestly, I don’t want you tangled in my dungeon. But maybe it’s unavoidable. I’ll do my best to get everyone out safe.”
His divine card “spoke” nonstop, and his spirit was already at the breaking point.
If he could resolve it once and for all, that would be best.
Messiah soon called Lu Chuan.
“Mr. Lu Chuan? Yes, I’ll join your run. But before that, I should tell you about the god—so you won’t enter blind.” Messiah offered.
…
Lu Chuan looked at the extra five billion in his account and finally felt relieved.
The 1,000 grams of gold he lost last dungeon had been made up.
His OCD couldn’t stand losses.
Whenever there was a chance to earn it back, he wouldn’t miss it.
[Player [Walking Alone for Ten Thousand Miles] applies to enter Divine Challenge: God-related dungeon for [The Paladin of Discipline].]
[Party members: [Arrival of the God of Wealth], [Lucky Star], [The Paladin of Discipline], [Messiah], [Eye of Rebirth], [Hand of Rebirth].]
—
[Dungeon Name: Divine Resurrection (S-rank / Divine Challenge). Players: 7 (max 30, 23 slots remaining).]
[Dungeon Info: An ancient god is about to resurrect for the one He loves, and in the presence of His believers, He will give His beloved an eternal wedding ceremony.]
[Dungeon Requirements: Clear Condition 1—Join the Pro-God faction, help complete the resurrection and divine marriage, and gain the god’s recognition. Clear Condition 2—Join the Anti-God faction, sabotage the resurrection and marriage. Either condition suffices. Once a faction is chosen, it cannot be changed.]
[Dungeon Prompt: 1. After entering the dungeon, players will be assigned an appropriate identity role based on their own conditions. Each time the player performs an action that violates the role and is discovered by an NPC, their mission evaluation will be downgraded once. After three downgrades, the system will determine the clearance as failed. 2. Players may choose their faction after the dungeon opens. Items below grade A are prohibited. 3. Because this is a Divine Challenge dungeon, escape items cannot be used to forcibly exit.]
[Please choose your faction.]
The system’s prompt kept ringing in Lu Chuan’s ears.
He glanced at the two factions and smiled.
Red represented the Pro-God faction, helping the god. White represented the Anti-God faction, working to destroy the god.
To be fair, the system had some taste—red and white, like a wedding. The color pairing was neat.
There were 30 player slots in total. If nothing unexpected happened, once the other 23 summoned players saw this dungeon info, over 80% of them would probably pick the red faction.
After all, “helping the god” sounded much easier than “destroying the god.”
But when has any dungeon ever been easy?
Without hesitation, Lu Chuan chose the white faction.
Come on, the whole reason he came here was to stock up bullets for his gun.
If, along the way, he could also solve [Messiah]’s problem, collect the remaining billions payout, earn Edith’s gratitude, Messiah’s friendship, and a handful of other benefits—why wouldn’t he choose Anti-God?
[Player “Arrival of the God of Wealth” has confirmed faction. Current count: Pro-God 21 players, Anti-God 9 players.]
Hmm? Aside from his own group, there were two more who chose Anti-God?
[Dungeon opening. Wishing players an enjoyable game.]
…
Lu Chuan quickly opened his eyes.
He was alone in a rather luxurious room. Just from the decorations, it was obvious the role assigned to him wasn’t some pauper.
Nice—this main system finally had some style.
He stood up immediately, surveyed the room, and began looking for clues about his new identity.
Soon, he found them.
In a drawer lay some journals and identification papers. Reading them, he roughly understood his assigned character.
His role was named Lu Chuan (auto-renamed by the system), a minor noble with his own fief. His entire family was dead—he was the only one left.
The world background resembled medieval Europe: divine authority outweighed military power, and in each noble’s territory, the church’s influence was stronger than the army’s. The only difference was that there wasn’t just one church—on the contrary, because of freedom of belief, different regions had different faiths.
In this territory, people worshiped a god called [Omniscience]. Allegedly, through faith in Him one could receive “oracles” and “revelations,” gain knowledge without a teacher, become wealthy, powerful, good-looking, and healthy—thus hugely popular. Some even claimed the god could reveal ways to bring the dead back to life.
By now, it was clear:
Lu Chuan’s role was one of Omniscience’s believers.
After losing all his relatives and friends, the original noble lord believed himself cursed and unlucky. He was then targeted by the church, pulled into the faith, and quickly became a loyal believer. Naturally, if the fief’s lord was devout, the subjects followed.
As one of the dungeon’s conditions, Lu Chuan now had to properly play the part of a faithful devotee.
“The requirement is interesting. It doesn’t forbid me from going OOC entirely—it only penalizes me if I’m caught acting out of character. If discovered, evaluation drops. But as long as I don’t get caught, I can do whatever I want.”
Still, just showing any professional ability would instantly count as “out of role.”
In other words, the dungeon’s setup was a disguised way of restricting players from brute-forcing their way with abilities.
Lu Chuan stroked his chin. “System, can you locate where the others are?”
[Host, no.] #888 sounded dejected. [This dungeon is too restrictive. Most of my functions are limited.]
“Forget it then. We’ll probably have to find them ourselves. Since it’s a team dungeon, they won’t scatter us across the whole world—that would make it unplayable.”
Besides documents, the room and its hidden compartments were filled with church-related items: doctrines, blessed trinkets, and even a small idol.
Lu Chuan squeezed the idol, displeased.
Tsk, not gold—iron?
What a poor god.
He’d originally planned to bash someone’s head with it, but suddenly lost interest.
A golden idol would’ve been far more effective.
He carefully read through the journals and identity papers, studied the room to gauge the personality of the original character, then rang the bell to summon the maids.
The maids quickly entered.
“I want to prepare for my meal,” Lu Chuan ordered coldly. “And unless summoned, do not disturb me. I’ll go out myself.”
The maids silently obeyed.
They were long accustomed to their lord’s aloofness. Ever since his family died, he had been reclusive. As mere servants, they weren’t in a position to interfere.
Lu Chuan wandered the fief. The small castle wasn’t large or luxurious. A minor noble’s room was about all it had to offer. The maid staff was limited to just those few. After a ten-minute walk around, he’d basically seen it all—nothing impressive.
This lord really was poor. And any god who could only develop a church in such a backwater was probably weak as well.
When he’d contacted [Messiah] earlier to ask about the god, Messiah had confirmed that this god wasn’t called Omniscience. He knew the true name but couldn’t say it aloud because of divine power constraints. Lu Chuan hadn’t pressed him.
It didn’t matter. As long as he knew Omniscience wasn’t the real one, he’d avoid a mix-up later.
Which meant—this dungeon might involve war between gods.
The description said “a god is about to resurrect.” That meant the god of his current identity wasn’t the one being resurrected.
Knowing how dungeons worked, Omniscience was probably just an appetizer for the real god.
Lu Chuan decided to start by renovating his living space.
That night, he took maids to inspect his barren, neglected garden.
While directing them to dig, they uncovered a huge chunk of “gold.”
A divine blessing!
The lord was ecstatic. On the spot, he gave the maids a month’s extra wages. He decided to use some of the fortune to expand his castle and build a dedicated prayer chamber. Once complete, he would invite church officials to visit.
The news spread across the fief overnight.
The people were thrilled, eager to help.
This was a [miracle]. Clearly their lord’s devotion had moved the god, who had blessed him with wealth to improve his home.
Within two days, members of the Omniscience Church arrived to pay a visit.
Of course—any church developing in a small fief would jump at a chance like this. Cloak a stash of gold as “god’s blessing,” then show up to claim some for themselves while promoting their deity’s glory.
Can’t catch wolves without sacrificing lambs.
Lu Chuan was also quite interested in the church’s wealth.
