I Became a God in a Horror Game

Chapter 99.1: Love Welfare Institute

After little Bai Liu (6) was baptized, several more children were baptized before it was Liu Jiayi’s turn.

Liu Huai’s move to baptize Liu Jiayi was light. He wasn’t willing to let her stay in the water for a long time and soon fished her out. Liu Jiayi was also good. She took the initiative to roll up her clothes and let the man draw her blood. Liu Huai was a bit sad and finally couldn’t help it. He dropped a cherished kiss on her forehead and refused to let the man take Liu Jiayi’s blood. As Liu Jiayi looked confused, Liu Huai returned to the investor seat below.

Liu Huai sat far away from Bai Liu and them. He sat at the back and couldn’t hear Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang’s conversation. Still, he could probably guess what these two old players were saying. Liu Huai’s expression was tense as he gazed at Bai Liu in the distance.

“Today’s baptism ends here. Investors, please go to the cafeteria of the welfare home to have a meal and take a rest.” The dean smiled like it was the opening of a shopping mall. “In the afternoon, the baptized children will present you with a pure song. It is a chorus performance to celebrate our meeting. The performance place is in front of the church and the performance time is from 3 o’clock to 7 o’clock. Please come on time and listen to the singing.”

Bai Liu looked at the time. It was 11:40 a.m.

Mu Ke opened his eyes on the straw bed. Then he quickly got up and looked at the time. It was 11:40! He had been sleeping since Bai Liu left until the present!

Mu Ke gritted his teeth with a bit of annoyance. He really felt that he had wasted time. He might not be able to look through the contents of the archives in half a day and he didn’t know when Miao Feichi would come back. The sooner he entered the archives and remembered things, the better.

Still, the effect of Bai Liu making him sleep was obvious. Mu Ke’s mental state was visibly better to the naked eye.

The safe and worry-free sleep in the morning made him completely relax. Mu Ke went down to the first floor. Sure enough, most of the patients and nurses were now eating in the first floor cafeteria. The patients who weren’t dining were those who had been given medicine by the nurse in the morning. Now the door was closed. As Mu Ke passed by, he could hear the faint chewing sound coming from these patients’ rooms. It reminded Mu Ke of the sound of the monster patient who took a big bite of the blood ganoderma lucidum that night.

Mu Ke quietly kept away from the doors. He remembered the layout of the entire first floor. The medical records room was behind the nurse’s duty room and he could only go there when there was no one in the nurse’s duty room. For example, now or when the shifts were changed.

Mu Ke looked to the left and right. After confirming that there was no one, he took a deep breath and rushed into the medical records room. As a result, he gasped as soon as he entered.

“Okay…” Mu Ke looked at the dusty folders in a daze, wanting to cry. “So many! Why are there so many?! There are more books than yesterday!”

It was the long lost feeling of rushing to review his lessons and memorizing things before the exam.

Mu Ke patted himself on the face and calmed down. He pulled out a file, opened it and started to remember. “Name: Wang Guoqiang. Donated 1.7 million to the Love Welfare Institute in 200X. The child is…”

3 o’clock in the afternoon.

The children standing in front of the church pushed and shoved while the investors sat on the seats the children had placed on the grass. The dean also distributed the program to the investors. All the children in this welfare home would perform for them in groups. They were all choral programs and some children sang more than one song. In addition, a group photo would be taken after singing so it would last for four hours.

This operation of going to great lengths to please the investors wasn’t unfamiliar to Bai Liu. During the time when the leaders came to the welfare home, he would have to come out with a group of children to perform. All the teachers racked their brains to make these children act and perform, singing to these leaders from beginning to end. It was because the teachers said that singing was better than talking.

This approach wasn’t wrong. It was a means to seek more benefits for the welfare home. It was just that generally speaking, Bai Liu couldn’t enjoy these benefits. Therefore, he usually felt like a monkey in a circus led out to perform acrobatics, only to receive no money.

Bai Liu never expected that one day, he would experience the children of a welfare home singing to please him. It was a novel experience.

Bai Liu turned over the program on his lap. It was the ‘Happy Day’ song, presented by the newly baptized children.

Little Bai Liu (6) was standing in a corner. He had changed his clothes and very vulgar makeup was painted on his face. His face was red and there was a red dot on his forehead. The tips of his hair were still dripping from the baptism. He stood in the back row, casually humming the song, apparently lazy.

“Happy day, happy day, God saved me and made me happy.

Blood of atonement cleanses my sin, the living water of life quenches my thirst.

Happy day, happy day, God saved me and made me happy.”

The meaning of this song’s flattery was too obvious. It was a happy day for this group of investors, not the group of children.

After listening to the song for a while, Bai Liu soon lost interest. Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang, who were sitting in front of him, simply hugged their chests and dozed off. However, Miao Feichi was still holding the knives in his hands and Miao Gaojiang wasn’t completely asleep. Both of these old players still maintained the basic vigilance but this was undoubtedly a long and tedious performance.

The only exception was Liu Huai, who was sitting in the back row. His eyes never moved away from Liu Jiayi for a second. There was a type of sorrowful feeling in them.

It was four hours. Miao Feichi complained several times about how long it was and whether he could start killing children directly.

Yet for Liu Huai, these four hours were too short. He looked up at Liu Jiayi, who had a red dot on her forehead as she gently shook her body and sang. Suddenly, he lowered his head and wiped at his eyes. Then he soon raised them again. Liu Huai didn’t want to miss a single second to see Liu Jiayi.

Perhaps Liu Jiayi would never know that Liu Huai was looking at her like this. She still couldn’t see.

After they finished singing, there were 15 minutes until the next show started according to the program list. Bai Liu got up and walked around the seats to the church. The sleepy Miao Gaojiang instantly opened his eyes and squinted at Bai Liu. “What are you going to do? It is only the beginning of this thing.”

“I’m going to find my child and see if I can teach him to get out.” Bai Liu answered.

Miao Feichi chuckled. “Yes, you let him go. It is your only chance to clear the instance.”

Miao Gaojiang hesitated a few times before finally letting Bai Liu go. This was in front of the church. Even if Bai Liu wanted to do a sneak attack on the children they reserved in advance, this church prohibited the killing of children. This was why they hadn’t done anything yet.

Of course, Miao Feichi’s still not recovered physical strength was another reason they hadn’t acted.

Bai Liu nodded at the Miao Feichi father and son and walked into the church where the children had gone. Miao Gaojiang watched Bai Liu’s back, his eyes gloomy. “I always feel there is something wrong with this Mu Ke.”

“You are being a bit annoying, Father.” Miao Feichi sat lazily on the chat, looking sideways at Miao Gaojiang. “You have seen his system panel and also checked his phone. This Mu Ke is definitely an ordinary player. His panel doesn’t exceed the B rating and the number of games is only two. He is a pure newcomer. It was bad luck for him to come in and be controlled by Bai Liu. Once we killed Bai Liu, the control was released. What’s wrong with him?”

“He has a broken keyboard in his inventory.” Miao Gaojiang’s brow bones were low, which made his eyes and eyebrows gather together when he frowned. He looked vicious. “I remember. During the two times I inspected his system warehouse, the keycaps that had fallen from the broken keyboard were different.”

The moment Miao Feichi heard Miao Gaojiang saying this, he held his chair and sat upright. Miao Gaojiang had a very careful mind. He was good at noticing some details that ordinary people didn’t notice and at doubting details. Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang had cooperated for so long and he knew that Miao Gaojiang’s doubts generally weren’t aimless.

Miao Feichi received this reminder from Miao Gaojiang and raised his eyebrow. “Father, do you mean that someone is communicating with Mu Ke through the keyboard? Do you still remember which keycaps were removed from Mu Ke’s keyboard?”

Miao Gaojiang frowned even deeper. “That’s the problem. I’m not familiar with the layout of a keyboard. I only noticed that the empty positions of the keyboard have changed. As for which keycaps correspond to the specific position, I just scanned it so I don’t remember it clearly.”

“Generally speaking, the system backpack can only be viewed by yourself and Mu Ke has been with us the whole time. It is impossible for him to pass the keyboard to someone and take it back. In addition, this method of communication is too risky.” Miao Gaojiang’s tone was heavy. “I think it is more likely that someone is sharing the system backpack with him. If someone’s skills allows them to share the system backpack with Mu Ke, this communication method is feasible and extremely hidden.”

Miao Feichi was quiet for a while. There was only one player on the field whose skills were uncertain.

“You mean, Bai Liu isn’t dead? His skill isn’t only control but also sharing the system backpack?” Miao Feichi’s expression also became solemn as his eyes narrowed into a thin slit. “Mu Ke is the chess piece that broke into our side? He is still using the keyboard to communicate with Bai Liu?”

“It is just my guess.” Miao Gaojiang saw the fierce and murderous look on Miao Feichi’s face. “Mu Ke is a player with a C-grade panel. You can kill him whenever you want. It is best not to act impulsively. It is currently the support season and rashly killing an ordinary player who surrendered isn’t good for your reputation. It will affect your approval rate. There is also another important point—”

“The skill of sharing a backpack is already in the category of a ‘rule skill.’ This requires violating the system’s rights.” Miao Gaojiang placed his hands on both knees as he thought about it. “At present, there are only a few people in the game whose personal skills are a rule skill. I think it is unlikely that Bai Liu’s personal skill is a rule skill. If he has such a bug-level personal skill, he can completely resemble the Queen of Hearts and use his skill to restrain us. Bai Liu doesn’t need to be so passive.”

“Still, this possibility can’t be completely ruled out. After all, Bai Liu is a newcomer. It is possible that he is using his personal skill poorly.”

Miao Gaojiang looked at the church that Bai Liu had entered with sinister eyes. “Let’s wait for you to recover and for him to show his feet. Then it isn’t too late to kill him.”

Meanwhile, Bai Liu walked backstage. Little Mu Ke and Bai Liu (6) were sitting face to face, using a paper towel dipped in water to wipe the traces of makeup off their faces. Once Bai Liu walked in, little Mu Ke took two steps back in fear and vigilance. He didn’t recognize Bai Liu as the one who baptized him before.

It was little Bai Liu (6) who glanced at him without changing expressions. He stood up and suggested softly, “This place isn’t suitable for talking. Let’s change places.”

Little Mu Ke instantly realized that this was Bai Liu (6)’s investor who baptized him. He greeted Bai Liu in a slightly embarrassed manner. Then little Bai Liu (6) took Bai Liu away.

Little Bai Liu (6) brought Bai Liu to the overgrown grove behind the church. Bai Liu leaned against the wall and looked down at little Bai Liu (6) who was still stubbornly rubbing the blush off his face. This little boy rubbed it hard and seriously. He didn’t seem to like the smell of cosmetics too much and his frown distorted his facial features.

Bai Liu naturally took the wet paper towel and crouched down to help carefully wipe it off.

“You can’t wipe it off like this.” Bai Liu used a bit of the paper towel and repeatedly pressed it at the dot on little Bai Liu (6)’s forehead. “The lipstick you rubbed off will be wiped onto your entire forehead.”

Little Bai Liu (6) was expressionless as Bai Liu held his shoulder and wiped his forehead. “You know how to use lipstick well. Do you often use it?”

Bai Liu pretended not to hear the implicit sarcasm in the child’s words. “I have also put on makeup like this before, on a similar occasion to yours. Are you angry because I didn’t baptize you and caused you to be punished by the dean?”

“I’m not angry. I just feel like I’ve been fooled.” Little Bai Liu (6) watched Bai Liu and pursed his lips. “Still, due to this, you have to give me—”

“Yes, I know. Give you more money, right? Okay, whatever you want.” Bai Liu leaned forward to wipe off the red lipstick marks that had been rubbedripped onto the end of the eyes.

Bai Liu was close and his breathing smoothly sprayed on the skin of little Bai Liu (6). The tail of his eyes drooped and there was the illusion that he was caring for someone. “Don’t move. You have a bit more here. The dean said all those words to you. Are you really not angry about being abandoned by your parents, God and me, your investor?”

Little Bai Liu (6) held his breath for a few seconds.

Then his eyes darted sideways, avoiding Bai Liu’s gaze as he answered in a calm tone, “I’m not angry. After all, the dean didn’t say anything wrong to a certain extent.”

“That’s right.” Bai Liu finished wiping and stood up. He was now an investor with a very slender body. The angle of his standing up could almost be described as him looking down at little Bai Liu (6) from a bird’s eye perspective. “God doesn’t care about you because you are a bad child who has never believed in God.”

Little Bai Liu (6) looked up at him, eyes blatantly saying, ‘So what?’

Yes, he was a naturally born bad child who didn’t believe in God. So what?

“I’m the same.” Bai Liu smiled.

He seemed casual as he rubbed Bai Liu (6)’s head and joked, “Do you want to change your name? If you change your name, perhaps God will favor you? I did have better luck after I changed my name. Of course, it is still bad.”

“Does God look at the name when caring for humans?” Bai Liu (6) complained. “Then God is stupid…”

Bai Liu untied a pendant from around his neck. It was the coin wrapped in a broken fish scale that he held together with a bandage. Bai Liu leaned over and hung the coin around Bai Liu (6)’s neck. “This contains all my possessions, my skills and everything I have. You can say that this is the product of selling my soul. It is the most expensive and cherished thing I own.”

“Now I will give it to you. From now on, you will be me. You have my skills and my money. I’m sorry that I didn’t baptize you before.”

[System warning: Does player Bai Liu want to hand over the system to his secondary identity line? After the handover, the player can no longer use any skill points from the panel and will be no different from the NPC characters in the game. The survival rate of the game will be greatly reduced.]

Bai Liu: [Yes.]

Bai Liu closed his eyes and bent down to hug little Bai Liu (6), who was a bit stunned. His slender, tall and strange body bent into an arc, like an old man hugging his relatives. He smiled. “Still, I think that from now on, you can be regarded as being favored by God.”

It was the strange investor who came out of nowhere that favored Bai Liu (6), the bad boy, rather than some god entangled in an inverted cross and unable to move.

If there was a god, it was himself.

Little Bai Liu (6) was held in Bai Liu’s arms. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent. He just quietly accepted the hug.

—Although he felt that such fleshy physical contact was a bit disgusting.

Nevertheless, his investor was giving money. Little Bai Liu (6) decided to bear with this somewhat disgusting investor.

“The coin given to you is very important and you must take good care of it.” Bai Liu released little Bai Liu (6). “If you are killed and this coin is picked up by others, it will be a very terrible thing.”

Bai Liu smiled and tapped the coin on little Bai Liu (6)’s chest with his long and thin fingers. “It is because my secrets and soul are hidden in it.”

“You just asked me if I wanted to change my name?” Little Bai Liu (6) held the coin and spoke abruptly. “Let me say it first. I don’t accept big changes but as a reward for your generous money, I’m willing to satisfy your bad taste, Mr Investor.”

[Lu Yizhan, I can change my name but I don’t like drastic changes. Do you have any recommendations?]

Bai Liu’s eyes paused and he whispered, “How about Bai Liu?”

“Bai Liu?” Bai Liu (6) asked suspiciously. “Which Bai and which Liu? It sounds the same, like it hasn’t been changed.”

10 years ago, Lu Yizhan had looked at Bai Liu with curved eyebrows and suggested, “How about Bai Liu?”

Bai Liu was a bit speechless and answered, “It sounds completely unchanged. What is the point of changing it?”

Lu Yizhan said, “It is meaningful. It is a good name. Both words are very good.”

Bai Liu had wondered what was so good about it.

Lu Yizhan had touched Bai Liu’s head and smiled, brightly and innocently. “It is because Bai is the white of daytime and Liu is the willow tree that makes the shade, the light gives the flowers (idiom meaning light at the end of the tunnel). From now on, you will enter the day with willow trees. Bai Liu, you will be better in the future.”

10 years ago, Bai Liu was quiet for a moment. “You are really boring, Lu Yizhan. You still want to play this type of word game.”

Bai Liu touched the head of little Bai Liu (6) and smiled like Lu Yizhan used to smile. His eyes were filled with exuberant growth, innocence and confidence. Behind the church, there was the children’s clear chorus that combined with the summer wind blowing through the grass. Bai Liu’s strange, long and thin ghost-like face showed a sincere smile.

He whispered, “Your name is the light of the day, the willow trees that make the shade.”

Little Bai Liu (6) was quiet for a moment before he looked away. “It is a boring word game.”

“So you will change it?” Bai Liu wondered.

“I will change it. You gave me money.”

“You will be called Bai Liu from now on.” Bai Liu told him. “My deception is likely to be exposed and I will likely die tonight at the hands of my opponents. You are my only hope so I am entrusting everything to you. You must live, Bai Liu.”

Bai Liu was very clear that he was facing two old players who had participated in the league. Miao Feichi was a bit impulsive but Miao Gaojiang’s vigilance was sufficient. This was why Bai Liu did the triple layered paper cup.

Still, paper cups were just paper cups after all. They couldn’t hold against the fire.

On the premise that there would be a large-scale player conflict in the future, Mu Ke wouldn’t be able to hide all the time. Once Mu Ke appeared, Bai Liu’s plan to replace Mu Ke was likely to show flaws. It would be revealed that he and Mu Ke had a close relationship and there was a secret connection.

In addition, judging from Miao Gaojiang’s attitude toward him today, it was likely that Miao Gaojiang had discovered something wrong. For example, the keyboard in Mu Ke’s backpack.

As he made this plan, Bai Liu had expected this step. The exposure of Mu Ke’s panel was unavoidable so the communication item in the backpack would definitely be exposed to Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang’s gazes. This was why he chose the keyboard to communicate in a way that wasn’t direct nor would it attract attention.

Bai Liu and Mu Ke communicating with the keycaps was already stepping on Miao Gaojiang’s knowledge gap. He was a middle-aged man with a relatively high intelligence but not enough knowledge about digital tools. Still, Miao Gaojiang couldn’t be completely unaware.

Miao Gaojiang had inspected Mu Ke’s panel twice and the gaps in the keycaps weren’t the same those two times. It was because there was a gap when waiting for the other person’s reply. This was an unavoidable gap between two people sharing the items in the system backpack.

Miao Gaojiang had most likely realized that the keycaps kept changing. It was just that his lack of knowledge about this meant Miao Gaojiang couldn’t clearly understand what information Bai Liu and Mu Ke had exchanged. This was one of the reasons why Bai Liu had chosen the keyboard as a communication item.

Then it was obvious he was an unstable factor for Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang, who were about to engage in battle. Unstable factors were fatal in a level 2 game that ate health. In order to ensure they successfully cleared the game, it was safest to kill him directly. Bai Liu speculated that his death date should be close.

Before that, Bai Liu felt the need to hand over the most valuable things on his body to little Bai Liu (6).

It was the game manager that was hollowed out in the middle—the broken coin-like game manager.

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Proofreader: Purichan