The Public Enemy's Three Great Guesses

The Red-robed Cult Master watched Qin Shang digest the information and then chuckled, "Don't hesitate. You just want to know why the Con artist profession is universally hated, right?"

"That's probably the biggest question on the minds of eighty percent of new Con artists!"

"In the dungeon, you must have encountered other players..."

"You survived, probably by killing them in return?"

Killed them in return?

That didn't happen...

That bastard Eagle of Justice probably left the dungeon alive.

Qin Shang thought coldly, then calmly continued, "Actually, I think I know something about that."

"Is it because killing a Con artist allows other players to complete a hidden quest?"

"For the rewards, the most primitive desires of players are awakened, leading them to push Con artists into the position of public enemy?"

Upon hearing this, the Red-robed Cult Master glanced at Qin Shang with some surprise.

"It seems you've interacted with quite a few other players."

"Most new players who figure this out would likely end up staying in the dungeon. After all, non-specialist players wouldn't willingly tell a Con artist about that hidden quest."

"I didn't expect you to make it out alive. You seem like a promising talent."

Qin Shang ignored the praise and asked with narrowed eyes, "Is there any other reason?"

The Red-robed Cult Master nodded.

"Of course, there is!"

"There are three widely circulated theories among players, summarized from the Path of the Gods game. Based on hints from background characters, other players have pieced together clues."

"They might not be entirely accurate, but they're highly plausible..."

The next moment, the Red-robed Cult Master curled her lips. "Have you noticed that many of the professions in the Path of the Gods seem to be foreign?"

"For example, Con artist, Priest, Doctor, Hypnotist, Mechanic, and so on..."

Qin Shang nodded blankly. "They do have a foreign feel to them!"

To put it bluntly, apart from 'Teacher', the other professions sounded like they were imported from abroad.

So the developers of the Path of the Gods game are foreigners!?

Qin Shang didn't voice his thoughts, suppressing the idea.

"Have you seen Leonardo da Vinci's painting, 'The Last Supper'?"

"The painting depicts the last meal shared by Jesus Christ, the savior of Christianity, and his twelve disciples."

"After that meal, Judas betrayed Jesus, the founder of Christianity."

"Each of his disciples was a member of Christianity, each with their own role, including Teachers, Priests, and Doctors."

With that, the Red-robed Cult Master's rosy lips opened and closed. Holding a cigarette between her slender fingers, she exhaled a wisp of sweet-smelling secondhand smoke and said faintly, "There's a folk theory that the reason the Path of the Gods officially set up the Con artist to be a public enemy is because the Con artist corresponds to Judas in 'The Last Supper'."

"Judas, who betrayed Jesus, the savior of Christianity, was a deceiver."

"A traitorous deceiver, thus reviled by all, despised by millions."

"So from the moment you become a Con artist, players must be wary of everyone and constantly lie to protect themselves. That's because Judas was the traitor among the disciples, and the Con artist symbolizes that traitor."

Qin Shang's mouth twitched at this. "Isn't that a bit of slander?"

I'm not a Christian.

Why do I have to be a universally hated profession like Con artist?

"Don't rush, I'm not finished. There's also a second theory, which is that the Character Cards are distributed based on a player's underlying personality. For example, the Teacher. In modern, official interpretations, the Teacher symbolizes one who imparts knowledge and teaches."

"But in the past, this profession symbolized erudition."

"Erudition, love of learning. In ancient times, the saying 'one is not ashamed to ask for advice from one's inferiors' illustrates this point."

"Many people who receive the Teacher Character Card, though they may appear unremarkable, possess a habit of lifelong learning, of being good learners and erudite. This is their inherent personality, a refusal to be content with the status quo, and a diligent pursuit of distant goals."

"Thus, they become Teachers..."

Qin Shang listened, his head spinning. He felt this explanation was no less absurd than seeing a scantily clad, alluring woman and immediately labeling her a prostitute.

"So you're saying it's because of my personality's foundation? Something about the MAOA gene?"

"Because deep down, I'm someone who favors violent solutions and believes in meeting force with force, I got the Con artist character card?"

The 'Red-robed Cult Master' shot him a look, a gaze so alluring it was as if a lover was playfully pouting at him.

Qin Shang's rising annoyance vanished instantly.

However, clarity soon returned, and he subtly increased the distance between himself and the 'Red-robed Cult Master'.

This woman was like a perfectly ripe peach, exuding the charm of a mature woman at all times; a gentle squeeze felt like it could drip with juice.

Yet, they had only known each other for less than half an hour, and this woman was already flirting with him. What did that imply, it was self-evident.

He wasn't so conceited to believe his handsome looks or his kingly aura had conquered this woman.

The only explanation was that she acted this way towards everyone.

Dealing with such a seductive vixen required extreme caution.

If one's soul was captured by a single glance, they might be devoured until not even a speck of bone remained, and they'd still be happily counting the money for her!

The next moment, seeing Qin Shang's expression unchanged, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' glanced at him with surprise before chuckling softly.

"Don't rush, I haven't finished. The third guess as to why the Con artist profession becomes a public enemy is based on player consensus. In many competitive dungeons, Con artists are usually traitors. You understand what a traitor means, right?"

"A traitor!"

Qin Shang nodded.

He wasn't some country bumpkin.

"In competitive dungeons, Con artists are often assigned roles that require them to betray not only enemies but also their teammates."

"One wrong move, and your Con artist teammate could stab you in the back at a crucial moment. Who could handle that?"

"This is determined by the profession's attributes."

"Con artist, Con artist..."

"As you guessed, they're essentially tricksters. How could a player deemed a trickster by the Path of the Gods system gain trust and become a teammate you can rely on?"

With that statement, Qin Shang finally understood why the Con artist was known as the public enemy of all Path of the Gods players.

In essence, the biggest reason was human nature, because the benefits ordinary players gained from killing Con artists were substantial.

Secondly, the Con artist player group often found themselves at odds with other players within dungeons...

"Do you have any other questions?"

The Red-robed Cult Master didn't rush, giving Qin Shang about three to four minutes to digest the information.

She then continued to ask with a smile.

Qin Shang grunted, "Of course."

His understanding of the Path of the Gods game was limited, and the Red-robed Cult Master was a ready-made, accelerated guide.

Qin Shang naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to cram.

"What's the point of the level system?"

"Also, what do the Order Realm, the Law Realm, and the Rule Realm you mentioned earlier mean..."

The Red-robed Cult Master lifted her red lips. "They correspond to levels!"

"As for the purpose of levels, well, increasing your level will comprehensively improve a player's physical fitness. Although the Con artist isn't a profession known for its melee combat ability, as your experience points gradually increase, you'll slowly feel the benefits of leveling up."

"For example, the most basic stamina, physique, agility, reaction time, observation skills, and damage resistance. Higher up, there's mental acuity, vitality, resistance, and recovery capabilities."

Qin Shang was slightly taken aback. It sounded quite ordinary!

"Does the basic physical fitness improve significantly?"

"So, if a high-level Path of the Gods player has superior physical fitness, could they easily defeat world-class athletes?"

At this, the 'Red-robed Cult Master' twitched her lips.

"You're dreaming."

"Do you think the physical fitness of high-level Path of the Gods players can overwhelm athletes who have trained for decades?"

"How is that possible? Many athletes have developed their cellular activity to the extreme. Their metabolic efficiency might not be inferior to high-level Path of the Gods players."

"Moreover, they've honed their bodies step by step. Their control over their own far-above-average basic attributes is much greater than that of ordinary people."

"It's like giving you a sniper rifle, but you still might not be able to beat a professional shooter with a small handgun. The same principle applies."

"They'll be superior to you in accuracy, precision, prediction, and reaction speed by several times. You think superior weaponry alone can defeat them? Life isn't that easy."