A massive leaderboard hovered above the square. Every number that flickered across it frayed the survivors' nerves a little more.
Highest: ID-734, Faith Value 67.12.
Lowest: ID-2048, Faith Value -15.33.
A negative number.
The man behind that ID had a sallow face. The instant he saw his score, his legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, his expression utterly ashen.
"Why... Why is it negative...?"
He couldn't understand. He had endured the despair of watching a god fall, just like everyone else. He had witnessed the New God's arrival. So why did the others at least have single-digit scores while his was negative?
"ID-2048, assessment report: extreme selfishness, antisocial tendencies, and a potential threat to the New Order. Overall assessment: high-risk unstable unit."
Season Star's emotionless voice rang out above the square, passing judgment on him.
The man jerked his head up, his face twisted with venom.
Before he could spit out a curse, the eyes of the two nearest engineering robots flashed red. They approached with heavy steps and seized him by both arms.
"No! You can't do this to me! Let me go!"
The man struggled wildly, but his strength was nothing against the cold Mechanical Arms.
They dragged him away, toward the city gates and exile beyond them.
The decisive, merciless sight instantly silenced everyone stirring in the square.
Fear gripped their hearts once more.
But this fear was different from what they had felt before the God of Wrath.
This was fear of a cold set of rules they could learn.
They began to understand the first rule of survival in the city called Tianshu: don't become a negative number.
"How do we raise our Faith Value?"
The question came from the survivor with ID-734, a shrewd-looking young man. His score was the highest,