Sin Becomes a God

Chapter 8: I’m from Earth

Upon hearing Guild Master Xuan Kui Zhenren say that there could never be two Qualified Ones in the same world, Lu Renjia actually felt reassured. After all, he had nothing to his name—what could they possibly take from him? “Seniors… I’m from Earth…” When Lu Renjia uttered the words “Earth,” a wave of gasps followed. In the “Evil God System” guild options dialog box that appeared in Lu Renjia’s mind, the avatars of Xuan Kui Zhenren and the other six members floated clearly before him. The guild master, Master Xuan Kui, was an exceptionally handsome middle-aged man with a long, three-tiered beard. His hair was tied up in a high topknot, much like a Taoist priest. The figure labeled “Doomsday Maniac” was a burly man with prominent temples and a round face. “Enchanting Little Devil” lived up to her name: her eyes, as clear as autumn water, were electrifying, and her porcelain-smooth skin was enough to set one’s imagination racing. In particular, the pair of fox ears protruding from her jet-black hair were enough to make certain cross-dressing enthusiasts lose all self-control. The Dragon Warrior was clad in heavy armor, resembling a medieval knight; his fiery red hair made him look exceptionally wild against his pair of purple eyes. The Mechanical Witch, who frequently argues with him, exudes a futuristic, high-tech vibe from head to toe. Half her face is encased in white metal, and the ping-pong-ball-sized electronic eye on her left cheek emits multicolored lights as it rotates. Perhaps the one figure Lu Renjia found most unforgettable was the Eight-Faced Monster, whose enormous head bore eight distinct faces, with jagged teeth resembling the mouthparts of an insect. “Wow… Random Guy, are you sure the world you’re from is Earth? … It’s actually Earth? Hahahaha… Now our guild has an Earthling too! Cool!!! Here, take a free bottle of ‘Q-Virus Enhancement Serum’! Don’t forget me once you’ve made it big… I’m from the Post-Apocalyptic World…” the Post-Apocalyptic Maniac said eagerly. “Passersby! Don’t pay any attention to that bio-mutation freak… After taking his ‘Q-Virus Enhancement Potion,’ although it’ll boost your strength to D-rank—which is equivalent to 200 times that of you Earthlings—you’ll lose your sense of pain and smell. You’ll also end up looking hideous… and it only boosts one attribute—strength. It’s not worth the cost… I’ll give you a drop of ‘Nine-Tailed Fox Tears’ for free, guaranteed to make you a hit with both men and women! 100% charm… Remember, I’m from the ‘Divine Rune World’…” the alluring little vixen said with a coy pout. Watching his team members fawn over Lu Renjia, the Earthling, Xuan Kui Zhenren, as the guild master, stepped forward. “All right… all right… don’t scare this young man… Mr. Nobody… Are you wondering why we’re so surprised by you, an Earthling? Or rather, why we’re being so attentive?” Going from a complete novice to a rarity in the blink of an eye truly left Lu Renjia baffled. “Yeah… unemployment is high here, and finding a job is tough… After graduation, I hung around Shendu for a few years, and now I’m still considered a transient… I’m completely penniless—I’ve failed over a hundred job interviews in a row… If you think about it, back on Earth, I was the scum of the earth… the shortest, ugliest, and poorest of the short, ugly, and poor…” “Don’t judge a hero by his origins… I’ve got high hopes for you… Earthling! By the way, brother, I’m in the ‘War-Torn Universe’—I’ll be counting on your support from now on…” The Eight-Faced Demon chuckled slyly. “A real man never fears failure. Back when I was trying to tame that black dragon, I failed ninety-nine times in a row… Young man! Since you’re an Earthling, I’ll give you a dragon egg as a gift… By the way, I’m from a magical civilization!” the Dragon Warrior chimed in. “Pfft! Raising a Black Dragon? Just the meat alone would cost you by the metric ton every day! I’ll give you a super-deluxe single-soldier mech, complete with a nuclear reactor and stun grenades… Guaranteed to let you wipe out anyone you don’t like! Weapons produced by our ‘Wisdom Sage Civilization’ have the best reputation among all qualified candidates, you know…” the Mechanical Witch boasted. Watching his team members continue to fawn over Lu Renjia, Xuan Kui Zhenren, the guild master, shook his head in exasperation. “Can’t you guys show a little more restraint? After all, you’ve all passed twenty or thirty trials—you’re masters with Sin Levels reaching four or five stars!” “Boss… how can we not be excited? That’s Earth… it’s Earth… there haven’t been any Earth-born Qualifiers for two War Chronicles now… Just thinking about it gets me so excited I feel like I have to pee… With an Earthling in our guild, we won’t even flinch in War Chronicle team battles! We’ve really hit the jackpot this time… Hahahaha… It won’t be long before our guild’s ranking shoots up to number one…” roared the Doomsday Maniac. “Um… Seniors… Is Earth really worth getting this excited about? And what War Chronicles did you obtain?” Lu Renjia asked timidly. “Of course… this is a cause for celebration—worthy of opening a bottle of century-old Dragon’s Blood Wine…You don’t know this, but even though we’re all Qualifiers, every Qualifier knows that those from Earth are the most special of all… Since our worlds are ranked too high, we can only complete missions—whether mandated by the ‘Evil God System’ or chosen by ourselves—within our own Great Thousand Worlds or among the countless other Great Thousand Worlds. But you’re the exception, because Earth’s world rank is the lowest of all civilizations! So the restrictions imposed by the rules are the strictest of all the Great Thousand Worlds! In theory, this unique Great Thousand World of Earth cannot produce Qualified Ones with a Sin Level exceeding three stars. To compensate for this, the ‘Evil God System’ grants Earth’s Qualified Ones a one-of-a-kind perk: every Qualified One from Earth can freely travel between the Small Thousand Worlds! Don’t you think that’s a glitch?” “As for the War Chronicles… it’s an incredibly brutal team battle. We’re currently in the 338th War Chronicle. Every thousand years, all guilds are required to participate in the War Chronicles team battle. We still have 827 years to go before our next one…” the Dragon Warrior explained. “Plus, once your Sin Level reaches five stars, you’ll unlock Guild Mode and Companion Mode… You have no idea how hard it is to raise your Sin Level…It took me thirty-seven missions assigned by the ‘Evil God System’ just to reach five stars… If you could take us into other minor thousand-world realms or bring other guild members to our world to help us complete missions, then raising your Sin Level would be a matter of minutes…” the alluring little vixen said with a mischievous smile. “That’s right… Although your Earth civilization is very primitive, and human combat prowess and overall capabilities don’t even measure up to our insectoid race’s low-level foot soldiers, you Earth-born Qualifiers voluntarily choose to complete missions in the ‘Evil God System’ after the 30-day cooldown period. This is undoubtedly a massive glitch, which is why, among all Qualified Ones, Earthlings level up the fastest and become the strongest in the early stages. It’s said that during the 236th Battle Chronicle group battle, it was a guild led by a Qualified One from Earth that secured the final victory—truly a case of ‘when one person succeeds, everyone benefits’…The entire guild entered the Magic Element Realm… and when your Sin Level reaches five stars, you can even travel in physical form to our world to help us complete missions… So now you understand just how rare Earth’s Qualified Ones are, don’t you?” Eight-Faced Ghost marveled. The fair-featured Xuan Kui Zhenren nodded. “I still remember the name of that guild… it was called ‘Money Comes Home.’ In that epic guild battle, it’s said that Earth-born Qualifier single-handedly wiped out five ten-star guilds… Random Guy, whether we all end up eating meat or just drinking soup in the future depends on you… Right now, your Sin Level is still very low—you haven’t even taken your first step yet. I’ll give you a jade slip first… These are all lessons we’ve distilled from our own experiences…Take a look first, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask any of us at any time… Every world is no walk in the park… Even the Earth civilization you come from is no exception. Although, in our eyes, anyone with a Sin Level below three stars can be instantly killed… it’s still not something you’re capable of challenging right now… Remember these two words… Keep a low profile!! Alright, everyone, you may disperse for now. Let’s let our little brother from Earth get acquainted with the ‘Evil God System’ first…” Xuan Kui Zhenren, the guild master, undoubtedly held a certain degree of authority. After he spoke, the avatars of Doomsday Man and the others dimmed one after another. Meanwhile, Lu Renjia, who had exited the “Evil God System” chat window, received a jade slip from Xuan Kui Zhenren in the “Trading Platform” section. Having grown up with next to nothing, when had Lu Renjia ever seen such a high-end item? Staring at the smooth, translucent pink jade bead in his hand, Lu Renjia swallowed hard. “A jade slip? Could Master Xuan Kui be from the Cultivation World? Holy cow… this… this must be worth a fortune, right?” A dazzling flash of pink light erupted, and a massive wave of information instantly flooded Lu Renjia’s mind. Amidst that overwhelming flood of information, the most dazzling sight was a majestic pyramid. At the very pinnacle of this pyramid lay the “Yuan Realm” mentioned by Master Xuan Kui and the others. However, there were a total of four worlds known as the “Primordial Realms”: the Demon Primordial Realm, the Buddhist Primordial Realm, the Immortal Primordial Realm, and the Demon Beast Primordial Realm. This mysterious and unfathomable “Evil God System” originated from the “Demon Primordial Realm,” one of the four highest realms. Beneath the “Primordial Realms” lay tens of thousands of Great Thousand Worlds, and at the very bottom—as dense as a vast sea of smoke—were the Small Thousand Worlds that Lu Renjia had traveled to via soul-travel. The seven members of the Xuan Kui Guild were all qualified candidates who had completed twenty to thirty missions, with Sin Levels reaching four or five stars—a Sin Level that could be considered a measure of a candidate’s strength. As for the Xuan Kui Guild’s overall rating, due to being one member short, it was only classified as a four-star gold-bordered guild. By comparison, the Xuan Kui Guild could only be considered a lower-middle-tier presence among all guilds. Guild rankings, like Sin Levels, are divided into ten stars and twenty tiers, with each star distinguished by a gold border. Every guild is structured to consist of seven members. Due to Lu Renjia’s加入, the Xuan Kui Guild’s original Four-Star Gold-Border status was downgraded to Four-Star. Although this lowered the guild’s ranking, none of the Xuan Kui Immortals seemed to mind in the slightest. From the information provided by Xuan Kui Zhenren, Lu Renjia discovered that every time an Envoy of Evil arrived from the “Demon Origin Realm,” they would select eligible candidates from among tens of thousands of Great Thousand Worlds to inherit the “Evil God System.” This meant that at least ten thousand eligible candidates would participate in every Battle Chronicle Group Battle. Once the thousand-year deadline for the Battle Chronicle Group Battle arrived, every guild was required to participate, regardless of the eligible candidates’ levels. Thus, the thousand-year deadline for the Battle Chronicle Group Battle was like a death warrant. As for why eligible candidates care so much about their Sin Level, it’s mainly because, in addition to reflecting the number of quests they’ve completed and their strength, a higher Sin Level also grants a certain discount when purchasing items under the “Lifestyle Services” tab. Don’t underestimate this discount—after all, every Sin Coin is earned with one’s life. Saving even a fraction inevitably translates to a corresponding increase in strength. Furthermore, for Qualified Ones like Master Xuan Kui, who reside in the Higher Great Thousand Worlds, if they encounter a mission that is impossible to complete and would result in certain death, they can pay the “Evil God System” double the mission reward in Sin Coins to avert the fate of being erased following mission failure. As for the “Trading Platform,” its primary purpose is to allow Qualified Ones with limited Sin Coins to exchange for items from other Qualified Ones’ civilizations. While these items may not match the quality of those produced by the “Evil God System,” they are significantly cheaper. The jade slip sent by Master Xuan Kui also contained descriptions and introductions to the several planes where he resided. This was intended to help Lu Renjia integrate into the guild more quickly. Based on their years of observation, the seven worlds where Master Xuan Kui resided revealed that while all Qualified Ones originate from the Great Thousand Worlds, these worlds are divided into tiers—with their rankings determined by the strength of the world’s governing rules. The weaker the constraints of a world’s governing rules, the higher its level of civilization. It is within these higher-level civilizations that the strongest individuals are most likely to emerge. The Great Thousand Worlds are divided into four tiers: Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Ultimate. Within each tier, the level of danger is further classified based on the number of powerful beings produced, represented by one to ten stars. It is said that the ultimate victor of the War Chronicles Group Battle will enter the “Demon Origin Realm,” and once one attains the status of a god or demon, one can comprehend the rules. Rules are the very foundation of a world; to comprehend them is to become an immortal and indestructible being. As the most unique existence, Earth is regarded by many Qualified Ones as a Primary-level world. In terms of danger level, however, due to its low level of civilization—which prevents the emergence of Qualified Ones with a Sin Level exceeding three stars—the Qualified Ones classify it as “0.” The Great Thousand Worlds where Master Xuan Kui resides is known as the “Cultivation World.” Based on the images appearing in his mind, the Cultivation Plane spans an area at least a hundred times that of Earth. It qualifies as a high-level, five-star Great Thousand World. The sect to which he belongs is called the “Ghost-Riding Sect,” a faction that straddles the line between good and evil; within the Cultivation Plane, it is considered a sect of moderate size. Xuan Kui Zhenren inherited the Xuan Kui zombie bloodline, granting him the ability to command zombies. He is also an elder of the “Ghost-Riding Sect.” As the guild master, Xuan Kui Zhenren’s strength is beyond question, yet he was rated as a C-class Ghost Rider by the “Evil God System.” His sin level reached five stars with a gold border. The “Apocalypse World,” where the Apocalypse Man resides, is a world where bio-chemical civilization has reached its pinnacle; it qualifies as a mid-tier Nine-Star Great Thousand World. Due to the harsh living conditions, the people of the Apocalypse World have created various enhancement potions to modify their bodies and adapt to the environment. The Apocalypse World is also home to countless massive, ferocious bio-chemical beasts. Moreover, the Doomsday Man himself serves as the commander of a fortress defending against these bio-beasts. His strength has been rated by the “Evil God System” as a D+ level bio-warrior. His Sin Level has reached four stars with a gold border—just one step away from five stars. The alluring little demoness hails from the “Divine Rune World.” When Lu Renjia saw the rank designation for the “Divine Rune World,” he couldn’t help but be startled—the “Divine Rune World” is a high-level Great Thousand World with an eight-star danger rating. Moreover, the alluring little demoness possesses the bloodline of a nine-tailed fox. She is also a Hall Master within a place called the “Divine Creation Hall.” Her strength had even been rated by the “Evil God System” as a C-level Divine Craftsman. Her Sin Level was the same as that of Xuan Kui Zhenren—both had reached a five-star, gold-bordered level. As for the “War-Torn Universe,” the world where the Eight-Faced Demon resides, it is a medium-sized Great Thousand World with a danger rating of five stars. Within the “War-Torn Universe,” the Zerg, the Divine Race, and mechanical lifeforms coexist. The Eight-Faced Demon is an eight-faced demon insect from the Insectoid star system. It commands hundreds of millions of Insectoid soldiers. Its inherent strength has been rated by the “Evil God System” as a D+ level Eight-Faced Mother Insect, with a sin level of four stars with a gold border. The “Magic World,” from which the Dragon Warrior hails, also belongs to the High Great Thousand Worlds, though its danger level is only three stars. This world is home to over a hundred races, including powerful mages, dragon riders, warriors, and dwarves. The Dragon Warrior himself serves as the leader of a mercenary group. The Dragon Warrior’s strength is also considerable; he is rated as a D-level Dragon Knight by the “Evil God System,” with a Sin Level of four stars. The “Wisdom Saint Civilization,” home to the Mechanical Witch, is also a Higher Great Thousand World, with a danger rating of four stars. The reason it is referred to as a “civilization” is that, within the “Wisdom Saint Civilization,” a planet is merely equivalent to a city, and various advanced aerial warships are capable of planetary jumps. Technology and mechs have reached their pinnacle. The “Wisdom Sage Civilization” is divided into four great empires, and the Mechanical Witch serves as a Brigadier General in the Sacred Kao Federation. Furthermore, according to the “Evil God System’s” strength evaluation, the Mechanical Witch’s power level reached that of a D+ rank mecha warrior. Her sin level had reached the four-star gold-bordered tier. Comparing the gap in strength between himself and the seven disciples of Master Xuan Kui, Lu Renjia couldn’t help but be secretly astounded. “Damn… According to the ‘Evil God System’s’ strength evaluation, I’m currently just an F-rank martial artist. Compared to Xuan Kui Zhenren and the others, it’s like night and day… According to what that seductive little vixen said, a qualified candidate with a three-star Sin Level has physical stats a hundred times greater than those of an Earthling…So doesn’t that make Master Xuan Kui and his group gods capable of flying through the skies and traversing the earth?” Lu Renjia thought to himself. After issuing a mission, the “Evil God System” enters a thirty-day cooldown period; after thirty days, a new mission will be issued.