Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Hill was dazzled: It had been many years since he'd seen such an entertaining drama! The player's world truly aimed to infuriate the enemy, and those who watched on the side enjoyed it the most.

Hill had already seen some people chuckling and talking about how the forum was on fire; it seemed they were able to access the forum on their tablets.

He really wanted a tablet! Hill scratched his head, wanting one badly.

Unfortunately, Hill was too timid, and even if he got hold of the device, he wouldn't dare to use it. After all, once used, he would be completely exposed under the watchful eyes of the God of Time and Space. Hill murmured quietly, "Think about William, poor William!" and finally controlled himself.

Hill changed his squatting position; he spotted a player browsing through a collection of alchemy recipes. Although it was just basic-level potions, the recipes provided by the deities were certainly much more comprehensive than what Hill had.

The player was flipping through them quickly, and Hill almost exhausted all his willpower to memorize them.

Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder and asked, "What are you looking at?"

The extensive use of spiritual power left Hill somewhat dazed, so much so that he didn't react immediately to use a spell to escape.

A cold sweat broke out on Hill as he turned to see a reproachful Fran: "Grand... Grandfather, how did you get here?"

"If someone wanted to kill you, could I only collect your corpse?" Fran spoke coldly, "Don't you know how many people are watching you around here? Just because you have some talent, you dare to be reckless?"

"Yes, yes, Grandfather, I'm sorry! I won't dare to do it again!" Hill pleaded repeatedly.

"What are you doing here?" Fran questioned, "I asked you to stay put in the Mage Tower and not to get involved in these matters! How dare a junior mage get involved in a God War?"

Hill was surprised, "A God War? It just started?"

"In the Divine Realm?" Fran said, "Come back with me quickly!"

Hill sadly said, "That tablet is very useful! I've only watched a little and it has supplemented a lot of recipes."

Fran replied to him, "There will be other opportunities. News of the God War will soon return, and some of those from the Undead Tribe will always flee. When the time comes, capturing a few will be fine."

Hill could only respond affirmatively, but he knew that players feared nothing to do, how could they fear warfare, nor did the deities.

In their games, no matter how powerful the gods and demons were, they were always just bosses they could handle. Using lives to pile up, they were all too familiar with it.

The ambition of the God of Time and Space had already been revealed. His divine power, once almost entirely handed over to the system, could make the players summoned flood the entire Human Continent.

The Human Continent had dozens of kingdoms, with a combined population of only about 200 to 300 million. Hill did not doubt the population numbers of a technological society.

Hill looked up at Fran and said, "I want to find an excuse to tell the Undead Tribe my address. Welcome them to visit me in the Western Border when they come."

Fran raised an eyebrow, "It seems you've seen quite a bit of information these days. After we get back, we need to have a good talk!"

Hill knew Fran had agreed. He quickly turned around and searched.

The Junior Mage who was looking at basic alchemy had walked to a corner and tried brewing a potion by the stove.

Hill gently sat on a branch above his head: "Wrong, that's the seed of Multiflavor Herb, you need to put Water Thistle."

The chattering Junior Mage shrieked, fumbling to throw away the Multiflavor Herb seed and placing a handful of Water Thistle seeds. Then he abruptly looked up at Hill: "Who?"

Hill looked down at him with a slight smile: "Hello, I'm Hill. Hill Polanio."

Chattering nervously said, "Hello, I'm Chattering. Please, is there something I can help you with?"

Hearing this mission-specific language, Hill laughed, "I'm quite curious about the legendary Undead Tribe, so I came to see. Among so many, only you are seriously identifying herbs. Do the Undead Tribe not use potions?"

"No, it's just that our herbs are different from those here, so we can't recognize them," Chattering said. "Those who arrived first prefer to fight; there will be more researchers later."

"Really?" Hill replied, "Actually I wanted to stay for a few more days. But the elder came to fetch me back, I admire your effort."

Hill laughed as Chattering nearly jumped: "You are currently just outside Saral's Northern Border, and I live just outside the Western Border in the Barony of Polanio. If one day, you come to the Western Border, feel welcome to visit my home."

Hill handed Chattering a set of junior-level Mana Potions: "I see you want to make these, these are some I made before, take them."

Watching the thankful Chattering, Hill said, "Although we are both at Junior Professional Rank, it seems you are still not quite adept at using magical powers, read the basic texts more. Math is the foundation of magic."

Hill slowly rose, just about to make a grand exit, when Fran grabbed his collar and they entered high-speed flight mode.

Archmage truly is high-level! Hill felt like they flew back to the Mage Tower in about two hours, albeit a bit like being in a tornado.

Seeing Adrian already back, Hill knew why Fran knew he had run off.

He preemptively complained, "Why did you come back so early, Uncle Adrian?"

Adrian was almost amused: "Do you know what it felt like to rush back and see you weren't there?"

Hill replied, "I'm just going to take a look."

Adrian said, "You told me not to contact them! Then what are you doing yourself?"

Hill diverted his attention, "They said that in one month, at least 50,000 people will come."

Fran, who had been listening all along, couldn't help but say, "A month?"

"Yes, they said it themselves," Hill answered. "The Undead Tribe has been discussing it. They feel that the little valley won't hold them, William should give the newcomers new territory. I was curious, so I listened carefully, and they said that in a month, there would be at least 50,000 people coming."

Fran said, "So, it's at least 50,000 people?"

"Yeah, that person must have been hiding for a long time, possessing great Divine Power!" Hill said. "But I don't know how He accumulated such faith."

Fran answered, "Not from this world. But His foundation is here, so He must return here to ascend."

Hill felt that if He were in another world, He might be titled the God of Gaming.

He asked Fran, puzzled, "If it's another world, then why would He be involved in a God War? Which one descended so early?"

Fran scoffed, "Other than His own realm of time and space, His hand also extended to entertainment and education, and even includes justice and fairness!"

Hill was startled, "Justice?"

Fran said, "Are you daft? Are justice and fairness the same thing?"

He continued, "Even His Majesty dares only to claim justice."

In Hill's eyes, justice and fairness were always paired together, but not here; this continent has never pursued fairness. The God of Justice seemed more like the God of Contract.

True Gods always declare justice, but who did entertainment and education offend?

Fran, looking at the puzzled Hill, said, "Love and Arts, Knowledge."

Adrian was astonished, "Knowledge?"

Fran said, "His Majesty seems to want to first define education."

Suddenly, Hill understood; in this world, Professionals always taught individually. There was no such thing as basic education, and ordinary commoners found it hard even to learn to write. People like Boen, who served as personal servants to nobles, had to strive over several generations, and Lina's father was formerly a follower of Fran.

What education meant, even the gods of this world didn't understand: for them, knowledge was costly and needed to be cherished.

Hill didn't want to say anything; even if the God of Knowledge understood the meaning of education, He might not advocate for it.

He was shocked to hear Fran say, "The main ones descending this time are those of the Rose and the Scepter." Hill knew this referred to the Gods of Nobility and Monarchy. It seemed that this deity clearly understood that fairness was the biggest threat to the foundation of nobility.

So the Goddess of Love and Arts, who was always supportive of the God of Nobility, would definitely descend, since these two were taking action, the Gods of Justice and Knowledge would only watch.

Hill thought silently, "Nobility and Monarchy? No player would genuinely believe in these notions. Those who do, wouldn't bother playing the game."

Fran said to him, "Do you really think He has a chance? Why did you suddenly engage with the Undead Tribe?"

Adrian was astonished, "Hill, haven't you always wanted us not to engage with the Undead Tribe?"

Fran continued, "And that was after I mentioned the God War, and yet you still emphasized that when people come to the Western Border, they should look for you. It seems you think William could win?"

Hill said, "They have many people. 50,000 people is just their first step in their own words."

Fran expressed surprise, "Do you think His Majesty's Divine Power is enough to summon even more of the Undead Tribe?"

"Their bodies, although made of Divine Power, are very weak." Hill didn't want to say that a tablet was actually the basis of Divine Power, and those bodies were indeed dependent on the tablet's creation.

Divine Power was just a tiny fraction, forming the chips inside the tablet, which was also hidden away.

The players' bodies, were created by linking Magic Power with the chips. Hill had noticed that the Mages who were spying were all focused on the bodies of the Undead, exploring the ratio of Magic Power to Divine Power in their composition. In reality, there was no Divine Power in those bodies at all.

When players used the tablet, they always took it out from their backpack. Hill had carefully observed, the small bag that existed in the form of a waist pack was actually the tablet's motherboard, with the Divine Power consistently hidden inside. The tablets in the players' hands were essentially computer screens.

Such a genius creation. He is the God of Time and Space, and every one of His clan carried a space bag, making it appear unexceptionable. This standardized waist pack could be made by any Archmage. And the players used it every day, perfectly causing all those who spied to overlook it.

Even if he guessed, Hill didn't want to tell anyone.

He looked up and said, "I can feel His power. And the Undead are very sure that their Main God can summon even more people!"

Adrian breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good as well, as long as it doesn't affect our main professions, His Majesty from my house won't make a move rashly."

Fran said, "Let's not mention that, the God War doesn't concern Mages." He turned to Hill, "Where was the place you mentioned last time? I'll go and see if it's suitable for building a tower."