Main God Creation Rules

Page 351

Praying pastor

A girl singing strange folk songs

And... a "theater troupe" whose members carry a subtle sense of familiarity.

"Perhaps I should say 'long time no see'?"

Looking from afar at those few "troupe members" who were clearly out of place with their surroundings—I learned from the town's residents that the troupe's name was "Ritsuka Troupe," and that it came from Japan.

Yes, Lin Yi was absolutely familiar with them; in fact, he was quite familiar with them to a certain extent.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, a magician who once appeared in the "Root World," is now surrounded by "troupe members"—the very same Heroic Spirits who were not long ago in Valhalla and should have been under Lin Yi's control... However, with the infiltration of the "Outer Gods," these "Heroic Spirits" appearing in Salem now are clearly slightly different from those in Lin Yi's memory.

First, there's their physical bodies. Similar to Lin Yi, who actively accepted this human body and had to be extremely careful not to damage it with the slightest force, the heroic spirits that appeared in Salem also possessed their own physical bodies—this is not a good thing. After all, Lin Yi, who has a deep understanding of them, is well aware of the difference in combat power between heroic spirits in their spirit form and those in their physical form. In their physical form, their combat power would be reduced by at least 50%.

And the second one...

As he passed by the noisy "troupe" without any attempt to conceal his presence, no heroic spirit reacted to his appearance, except for the occasional questioning glance from the magician.

The Great Old Ones: Chapter 903 Salem the Heretic (2)

"senior?"

Stopping in her tracks, a strange, unknown feeling compelled Fujimaru Ritsuka to look at the receding figure in the distance. Hesitantly, she spoke, "That person just now..."

Following Fujimaru Ritsuka's gaze, Mash saw the figure disappear around the corner. Misunderstanding, Mash instinctively explained, "Don't worry, Senpai, it's quite normal for Japanese people to appear here in this era."

"No, I mean..."

"Hey, did Qi|Lin⑻鷗（四3）⒍ Baqiqi leave?"

The accompanying Heroic Spirits urged him on from afar, but after hesitating for a moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka still didn't say anything. After all, even he himself didn't understand what he wanted to express.

Their briefly intertwined destinies parted again, each heading towards its own path.

----------segmentation----------

The general information did not yield any useful results. After separating from those "familiar strangers," Lin Yi calmed down and began to conduct a more detailed investigation of the town, since there was no clearer direction for the search.

At the end of the seventeenth century, although it had been included in the modern history of civilization, the influence of religion on people remained at a very high level, especially for the inhabitants who immigrated to the New World. They brought not only plunder and slaughter to this continent, but also civilization—neither good nor bad.

As a religious group, the Puritans from England held a high status and power here, and the magnificent churches in the town were a testament to their authority. In a sense, even the authority of the Queen of England might not be as effective as the authority of religion here. After all, the former can only be recognized in various tax laws, while the latter permeates almost every resident's life.

Because it is a trading port town, the main occupations of the residents are mainly centered around trade. Apart from that, there are fishermen, hunters, priests and the like who rely on the environment. However, during the second exploration, Lin Yi discovered a strange phenomenon.

"The population is far too small."

Although it is still some distance from modernization and it is impossible for a modern residential area to have hundreds of people crammed into a few hundred square meters (high-rise buildings), as a modern town—and a trading port town mainly engaged in trade—its population should not be only a mere thousand or so.

Putting aside everything else, considering the building area of ​​this enclosed space, it would be more than enough for each person to live in several rooms. It's unlikely that such a large number of people who "made their fortunes through real estate speculation" emerged at the end of the 17th century and had already realized the future development trend and monopolized all the land in Salem.

Is it that the "Outer Gods" could not create so many false personalities to fill this place, or is this place not actually modeled after the real "Salem"?

With these questions in mind, Lin Yi went to the town mayor's office.

From a purely human perspective, the town mayor, as the administrator, is probably the one most familiar with this area. During his journey, Lin Yi discovered a battle in the distance—the fighting style of the heroic spirits evoked a strong sense of nostalgia in him, so he simply took a detour to avoid it.

Lin Yi didn't know why the "Outer God" would pull several heroic spirits and magicians into the closed space, but that didn't stop him from ignoring these people who were likely just wasting his time.

In the current situation, contacting these obviously tampered "heroic spirits" would undoubtedly cause great trouble—he could neither explain his own existence nor theirs. It would be better not to make contact in the first place, and to deal with them only when he really discovers something or has no other choice.

……

As a government agency, the location of the town mayor was not difficult to find, but all that was found was an empty office and a message that revealed something strange.

"...The mayor? He left this morning, maybe to watch over those witches...they'll always find a way to escape, won't they?"

"Witch?"

"Yes, it's normal that you don't know about 'witches,' since you're all 'outsiders.'"

As if he were afraid of something, the police officer stopped answering after saying that and even left the area far away as if he were fleeing a disaster.

"Witch..."

Chewing on this word, which carries different meanings in different worlds and eras, Lin Yi fell into deep thought.

In a wizarding world, the word "witch" carries far more positive connotations than negative ones, symbolizing a power that mortals cannot contend with—often signifying domination and authority. However, in Salem, a predominantly Anglo-Puritan community where religion had not yet declined, it's utterly inconceivable that believers would adoret a witch. After all, at this time, witches symbolized only "evil," the kind destined to be burned at the stake.

Lin Yi was suddenly startled when he thought of this.

"Firing at the stake?"

In the hazy vision before entering Salem, there truly existed such a scene: firewood was lit, living people were burned, and then people were calling out, screaming, crying, and pleading...

"So, the clue lies here?"

Almost at the same time Lin Yi confirmed the clue, a series of information flooded into his mind.

It must be said that he was extremely familiar with this scene as well.

Character card (Lin Yi)

Occupation: Investigator (?)

Strength: 10 (?)

Constitution: 10 (?)

Agility: 10 (?)

Reason (Mental State): 100/100 (?)

Apart from the fact that the "spirit" attribute has been changed to "reason" and the basic stats have been increased tenfold, everything else is consistent with the attribute panel that Lin Yi once created. In fact, it's possible that the "Outer God" just used the template created by Lin Yi to make these.

Along with this "character card", there is also a "mission".

Investigate Salem's underground prison.

An unknown evil has invaded this once peaceful town. You, investigating this unknown force, arrive here and discover clues about a "witch" that bear a striking resemblance to your own hazy memories. You decide to venture deeper into the town alone to find out the truth.

"……interesting."

Sixteen minutes later, after learning the location of the "underground prison" from the villagers, he didn't pay much attention to why such a town would have such a huge underground prison, nor why there were no guards around the prison, nor did he care about the actions that the heroic spirits had also begun. He stepped alone into the entrance that seemed to lead straight to the abyss.

At the same time, an additional column of information was transmitted to the mind.

Facing the unknown horrors, the young investigator did not back down, but bravely took a step forward.

The Great Old Ones: Chapter 904 Salem the Heretic (3)

You step into Salem's underground prison, where, according to legend, evil witches are imprisoned. They spread terror on the surface, but ultimately could not escape the judgment of justice. After being accused, they are locked up in this gloomy prison, waiting for the day they will be purified by fire.

But on this day, the mayor of Salem mysteriously disappears. You learn from the police that he may have gone to the prison. Realizing that this situation is unusual, you venture alone into this area filled with danger and the unknown.

Like a narration in a movie, after Lin Yi stepped into the underground prison, this information kept pouring in, and along with it, his "sanity" value began to fluctuate.

The darkness before you makes you uneasy. When you try to find a source of light, you realize you have no clue what it is. Under the cover of darkness, your mental state becomes unstable...

Faced with this situation, Lin Yi wanted to slap the so-called "investigator" to death. However, the actual situation was that the "rationality" value in his attribute panel had begun to change.

Mental (Intelligence): 90/100

"..."

This is just the beginning.

After taking less than ten steps forward, with a loud thud—Lin Yi knew very well that it was just the sound of some iron object falling to the ground, with no one approaching and nothing terrifying appearing—the "narrator's" description was completely different.

A sudden, deafening noise fills you with extreme terror. Surrounded by darkness, you have no idea what's happening around you. Perhaps a witch has broken her chains and escaped from prison, or perhaps an unknown monster is dragging a butcher's knife toward you... You feel powerless, retreating in panic, desperate to escape this terrifying place.

Mental (Intelligence): 60/100

Along with this information, the body itself also reacted.

Even though Lin Yi hadn't done anything, his body trembled as if he had been greatly frightened, and his legs were about to move backward—

"Click".

Releasing his severed left pinky finger, Lin Yi calmly awaited the "narrator's" response.

[...In an extreme state of fear, the investigator frantically broke his own finger. The intense pain helped him recover from his panic, but his mental state inevitably suffered a decline.]

Mental (Reason): 55/100 (Status: Low)

Keep going.

In the pitch-black space, almost nothing could be seen. One could only rely on sound and the surrounding air currents to sense the general direction. About three minutes later, the rotten smell in the air was suddenly replaced by a bloody stench, which became stronger as one got closer.

Suddenly, you smell a rusty odor. Fear comforts you, telling you it's just your imagination, but instinct tells you it's a scene you don't want to witness. Suppressing your fear of the unknown, you inching closer to the source.

Mental (Reason): 50/100 (Status: Low)

Before long, I felt flesh and blood under my feet.

He bent down and stretched out his palm, touching a warm body—Erjiu Linqia (3) Ba Qi-Yichan

You finally realize it's a corpse. Perhaps it was a witch? Perhaps the mayor? Perhaps the jailer or some innocent person in town? Whatever the reason, he's dead, dead before your eyes in a way you can't see. The surrounding darkness amplifies your fear; you feel a chilling terror, your body stiffens—

Mental (Reason): 20/100 (Status: Fear)

"There's still a heartbeat."

As my right hand moved upward, I felt a slight rhythm, along with a soft touch.

[...The investigator suddenly realizes that what he touched was not a corpse, but a living person with a heartbeat. However, the surrounding stench of blood and darkness clouded your judgment, making you believe you were facing a corpse. Realizing the truth brings you relief, and your rationality returns.]

Mental (Reason): 60/100 (Status: Peace of Mind)

As it turns out, having another person of the same kind in the dark provides a great sense of security, even if that person is unconscious. At least it saves Lin Yi the energy of having to control the body's "trembling".

After searching the surrounding area again to make sure there were no new discoveries, Lin Yi finally carried the unconscious man away from the underground prison.

A few minutes later, a glimmer of light flooded into the pitch-black world. Then the exit gradually enlarged, and at the same time, the narrator's voice rang out.

[An exploration has come to an end. Despite enduring immense mental stress and pain, and teetering on the brink of death and despair several times, you have successfully completed the expedition. However, many questions remain unanswered. Where is the mayor? Where are the imprisoned witches? And that sudden voice, the pervasive smell of blood—these are questions you cannot answer. But you have a premonition that your questions will be answered by the girl you brought from the prison, provided you can awaken her from her coma…]

Hearing the description of "extensive mental stress, pain, and several brushes with death and despair," Lin Yi was speechless.

Essentially, it was just running to the basement to carry someone out. Not even a single mouse appeared during the entire process, and the sound was just something falling. But from the "investigator's" perspective, it turned into a rescue mission into a demon's cave... It has to be said that what people should fear more than the unknown is themselves, because you never know when you will be scared to death by your own imagination.

However, the "narration" in the second half is quite interesting.

Your questions will be answered by the girl you brought from prison, provided you can wake her from her coma.

His gaze fell upon the girl who remained unconscious even after being brought to the ground. She had long golden hair and wore strange black clothing that resembled lanterns. There were no wounds on her body, and the source of the bloody smell earlier was clearly not her. However, no other human or corpse was found nearby. Perhaps more information could be obtained through her answers, but before that, Lin Yi needed to solve the problem of how to wake her up.

Looking at the unconscious girl, you suddenly recall a beautiful fairy tale. The unconscious princess awaits her prince, who will awaken her from a deep nightmare with a loving kiss… Perhaps it's just superstition, but there's no harm in giving it a try, is there?

With this in mind, you begin to act—heading towards the "theater troupe" you recently discovered.

"If I remember correctly, there should be one of those Heroic Spirits who can resolve this situation."

The Great Old Ones: Chapter 905 Salem the Heretic (4)

To awaken the mysterious girl who has fallen into a coma, you decide to seek help from a theater troupe that has stumbled upon the town. But after stepping out of the house you've just entered, you suddenly stop.

"..."

Because Salem's population is disproportionate to the town's size, after Lin Yi brought the unconscious girl out of the underground prison, he simply moved her to a nearby deserted house. Although he didn't observe the surrounding environment in detail at the time, it certainly wouldn't be like what we see now.

Like coal after it has been burned, a thick fog with a pungent smell permeates every inch of the surrounding space. The phrase "so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face" is a perfect description of Salem today. The question is, how exactly is this fog generated?

Was it caused by my own actions, or by the actions of those "heroic spirits"?

Taking a step back, the mist that had enveloped them dissipated once more. What was clearly just an ordinary wooden bungalow seemed to be imbued with a magical power, protecting it from the encroachment of the outside mist.

Looking at the mist before him, and the mysterious house that seemed to shield him from it, the young investigator frowned, realizing that things were not as simple as they appeared.

You hesitated for a long time, unsure whether to stay in this safe place and wait for outside rescue, or to abandon the unconscious girl and continue the investigation.

Lin Yi slammed the door shut and stepped into the depths of the mist.

Ultimately, the young investigator decided to move on, hoping to find the people in the 'troupe' to help him. But would things really go as smoothly as he hoped?

[Mission: Investigate the Fog.]

A strange fog appeared in the town during the day. You had no idea where it came from or why it was happening. Faced with this unknown threat, you still refused to wait and bravely stepped into it.

……

The fog was exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of your footsteps echoing in the air.