The Evil God's Hidden Hand, the Comeback of the Lagging Districts

"How many players in our Legion Guild are expected to reach level 60 by noon tomorrow?"

"If you need a power transfer, I can help. I just came out of the dungeon and leveled up to level 62, so I can still perform one power transfer."

In the Legion Guild meeting room in reality, "Qin Xiao Youhui" was reporting to Lu Zheng.

"Yes, most of the players who can reach level 60 right now are from your District 3; there are relatively few from other regions."

"Dragon Roams Wilds in the District 1 is almost done leveling up. Transfer your power to him later and urge him to level up quickly. He might be able to reach level 60 by tomorrow."

"Clear!"

After Qin Xiao Youhui, Lu Zheng sighed softly and initiated a remote connection.

On the other end is "Sunshine," a player currently in charge of managing the District 77 of Xuancheng.

"Sunshine, please let me know if you encounter any difficulties. I will do my best to assist the players in Xuancheng."

"Qin Xiao just reported on the matter of Chongxing teams to run level 60 dungeons in the District 3. You all need to hurry up and level up."

"Once players reach level 60, the Legion Guild will prioritize assigning players from level 77 to dungeon teams."

"Heh, boss, you know perfectly well that we're so far behind in levels. How could we possibly reach level 60 in such a short time?"

"Given Chongxing's leveling speed, by the time we reach level 60, he'll probably have already stopped doing level 60 dungeons."

"Besides, you probably wouldn't be willing to give us what we need."

"I heard that the newly acquired Shield Guard exclusive skills were given to Qin Xiao, just because he belongs to District 3?"

"Is he still ranked number one in combat power within the Legion Guild at his current level?"

"Isn't his success today a result of your full support?"

"The resources invested in him are probably hundreds of times more than ours. How can we compare?"

On the other side, "Sunshine" was the complete opposite of his name; his face was gloomy, his eyes were dim, and he exuded an air of weariness.

He reacted indifferently to Lu Zheng's suggestion.

District 77 and other regions ranked lower were penalized by the system due to repeated failures in the King of Glory Tournament.

They have long been abandoned by the authorities and sent to Xuancheng, a forgotten city.

Who truly cares whether they live or die?

Perhaps some people would love for them to disappear completely to prevent future troubles.

Don't these people realize that if they're eliminated, who will be at the bottom in the next competition?

No, they should know that, which is why they haven't completely given up.

Lu Zheng knew that the players in Xuancheng were harboring resentment, and he could understand it.

But this is because I didn't try hard enough, not because I didn't give them enough time to adapt.

People remain wary of them and can only temporarily adopt a passive attitude, hoping for a change in the future.

After the remote connection was closed, the players around Sunshine were all indignant.

"Are you just going to send us away like this? Keeping us in this remote place, do you really think we're aliens?"

"The authorities have long since given up on us, Sunshine. There's no need to maintain contact with them anymore."

"But we are outnumbered and outmatched, and our combat strength is low. What should we do if we don't rely on them?"

Sunshine reassured his companions, "Don't worry, everyone."

"As we've seen, the authorities don't care about us at all; they're just trying to appease us because they're afraid we'll do something that would be detrimental to their management."

I have found a way to quickly improve my strength, please give me a little more time.

"Really?"

"Sunshine, do you really have a solution?"

"What method is it? Will we become stronger quickly?"

Faced with the skeptical looks of the crowd, Sunshine didn't offer much explanation—even he himself found it hard to believe; could there really be such a shortcut in the world?

In the past, he would never have believed such an explanation, but could the situation be any worse now?

They had already lost everything.

To survive peacefully in this world, one must improve combat strength and prove one's worth; otherwise, one will only become a disposable sacrifice, just like now.

Xuancheng is now a gathering place for a large number of players from the ten major regions. Almost all of them who are within the Dragon Kingdom have been settled here.

Perhaps because they shared the same plight, or perhaps because their combat strength was relatively weaker than that of other regions, the group has become exceptionally united.

When they meet in cross-server battles, they often advance and retreat together, gradually building up their reputation.

However, the wilderness in these regions is never as lively as other places. On the one hand, it is sparsely populated—compared to other regions, their population is nearly half that of other regions, so the desolation is inevitable.

Sunshine I logged into the game today, I found the city deserted; most players had gone out to clear the wilderness, and there were far fewer people around.

When the natural disaster struck, some players did not choose to return to reality but remained in the game world.

Their situation has not improved.

The real body falls into hibernation, while the character in the game transforms into a monster, frantically attacking all living things inside and outside the city.

Therefore, they were not spared either; the power of natural disasters eroded their existence in the game.

Only a few players survived by sheer luck; the majority were Demon Transformation and eliminated by players who entered the game later.

Just when Sunshine was almost in despair about the 77th District, Dong Fangming, the city lord of Fragrant Leaf City, contacted him.

This city lord also could not escape the natural disaster. After Demon Transformation, he miraculously maintained his sanity—he did not attack any living beings and remained as clear-headed as ever.

It was after the players returned to the game that he took the initiative to find Sunshine, the person in charge of the area, and subtly revealed some conditions for avoiding natural disasters and quickly leveling up, and issued him the hidden quest "The Clan of the Evil God".

Hidden Quest: Seek out the Evil God and become his servant.

"Mission Reward: Status as a follower of Evil God."

Upon first glance at the task title, Sunshine's immediate reaction was to refuse.

The Evil God is obviously not a good person, and becoming its follower is even less likely to be a good thing.

However, after they were forced to relocate from their original city and were effectively exiled to Xuancheng, their desire to become stronger burned even more intensely.

Influenced by other players around him, he now felt that the idea of Evil God might not be so bad after all.

Besides, even Evil God is still a god.

Dongluo is also Luo.

Whatever it is, as long as it makes them stronger, what does it matter if they become followers of Evil God?

After logging back in, Sunshine found Dong Fangming and accepted the mission.

After all, players had previously triggered hidden quests in the God's Domain, and the rewards were quite generous.

"You made a wise choice."

Dong Fangming led him to Teleportation Array hidden in the foothills deep within the city lord's mansion. Stepping into the array, he felt dizzy, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a mysterious space.

At this very moment.

Gao Linzhi is observing these abandoned people.

They were summoned by Evil God.

These Evil God were clearly not randomly set up by the system.

In his view, this was likely the Skyfall Game system, which had copied some local BOSS templates from previous game intrusion experiences and placed them in this game.

This is also a form of training and selection.

Whoever can better adapt to and utilize the Evil God will be qualified to survive.

Or is it a direct connection to the real world where those bosses reside?

At this time.

The surroundings were pitch black, with no end in sight, only a swirling mist and darkness, making it difficult to discern directions.

The Sunshine dared not move rashly, but stood still and waited.

The system map indicates that this is an alternate dimension, but no specific coordinates are provided.

Dong Fangming has disappeared without a trace.

A moment later, a shadow vaguely appeared ahead—the shadow was very small, like a ghostly flame, but without light, more like an ethereal spirit.

Dong Fangming stood respectfully beside the hazy soul.

Is this what they call Evil God?

"So you are a being of this world? How far has the game progressed?"

The voice of the Evil God resounded directly in his mind, indiscriminate in gender.

Does it even know what a game is?

Shouldn't it be a monster?

They should never have known about the existence of the "game" system.

"You... know about games?"

The Sunshine cautiously probed.

"I am naturally aware of what you call the God's Domain."

"I am a god, I know everything."

"What level are you at now? What's the highest level a player like you has ever reached?"

Sunshine felt a jolt in his heart.

It actually knows about the God's Domain!

Does it know my origins? What is it, or something else entirely? What are its intentions?

A series of questions flooded his mind, leaving him momentarily at a loss.

"You must not disobey the Evil God," Dong Fangming whispered a reminder, "Tell me everything you know."

"I just reached level 52, and the highest level on the entire server is now level 72."

The Evil God seemed quite satisfied with his answer.

"Very good, I understand your situation."

"Now that natural disasters have befallen this world, you are all doomed to perish."

"Right now, the most pressing thing is probably leveling up—and I can help you with that."

These words carried an irresistible allure.

If it were just an ordinary Game Character, Sunshine would probably have already agreed.

But this Evil God not only knew of the existence of the "God's Domain," but also seemed to know the inside story of the natural disaster, and even why it came about, which made him wary.

What price do I need to pay?

"Become my servant."

What obligations do dependents have? For example... tasks they are required to complete?

"If you become my followers, I can make you catch up at lightning speed, until you surpass the current strongest and reach the pinnacle of your level."

"And all you need in return is permission to leave my divine mark on you," the Evil God said coldly. "More details cannot be revealed now."

The choice is yours.

Becoming a member of a player's guild allows one to surpass that player named "Chongxing"? To surpass the server-wide recognized peak in level and combat power?

The Sunshine is hard to believe.

Everyone knows that Chongxing is a legendary figure in "God's Domain," far surpassing all other players. Even military teams need his leadership to run dungeons.

Is it really that easy to surpass someone simply by becoming a follower of Evil God?

He dared not believe it rashly.

"You don't believe me? Perhaps you should see the results for yourself."

The wisp of spiritual fire representing the existence of the Evil God suddenly flickered, and Sunshine felt as if something had been added to his body.

A new description appeared in the status bar. "Triple experience boost, lasts for 24 hours."

He actually gained three times the experience points for an entire day!

"You... who exactly are you? How could you do something like this? Are you a game developer or operator?"

The Sunshine trembled slightly.

No need to ask any more questions.

"You only need to decide whether you accept becoming my dependent."

Sunshine recalled his situation in the game and with other players, as well as his circumstances in the real world, and didn't hesitate any longer.

What truly shook him was the triple experience points casually bestowed upon him by the Evil God.

This convinced him that even if the other party wasn't the game developer, they must have a very deep connection with him.

It's worth the gamble.

"I agree! I'm willing to become your spouse!"

A system prompt immediately appeared. "Confirm as a follower of the 'Evil God'? Yes/No?"

"Yes!"

The moment he confirmed it, Sunshine felt a momentary lapse in consciousness. A new, hideable title, "Family of the Evil God," appeared in his character panel, and he was immediately teleported out of the city lord's mansion.

If it weren't for the 24-hour triple experience buff still flashing on his body, he would have almost thought that everything just now was an illusion.

A new quest prompt appears. "Develop as many followers as possible; bonus experience time will be awarded based on the number recruited."

As long as I keep recruiting new allies, not only will the level of all players in the 77th District increase, but I might even surpass Chongxing and reach the top of the server's level rankings.

After all, it's already three times, so it could be ten times.

By then, everything will be different.

Thinking of this, he couldn't wait to contact his friends on the same server...

Sunshine that its previous caution and vigilance were quietly dissipating.

From the moment he became a follower of the Evil God, he developed an unwavering trust in the Evil God and became increasingly eager to complete the tasks entrusted to him by the Evil God.

This influence is seeping in silently and gradually deepening.

"Master, is it worth wasting so much energy on him...?"

After the Sunshine faded, Dong Fangming, who had been silent for a long time, finally asked the question that had been bothering him.

Whether it's granting triple experience or issuing a quest, it requires consuming a large amount of the owner's accumulated energy—energy that has been gathered through years of cultivation.

"Upfront investment is always necessary; it's all for a faster recovery later."

"I hope he can be more proactive and advance in rank soon... I've waited too long for this day."

"I want everyone to know that the Yaksha Clan... is not dead."

And at this time...

A server-wide announcement has appeared.

"Major progress has been made in the main storyline; the following content is now available:"

The cross-server leaderboard comprises seven main lists: Level Ranking, Combat Power Ranking, Achievement Ranking, Equipment Ranking, Pet Ranking, Home Ranking, and Guild Ranking.

The regions where the top ten players on each leaderboard are located will receive special buffs.

"Top 10 players on the weekly ranking leaderboard: +3% experience gain in the wild on their server (cannot be stacked)"

"Top 10 players on the weekly power ranking: Players on their respective servers receive a +3% damage bonus (not stackable)"

"Top 10 on the Weekly Achievement Ranking: Players whose region's achievement shop items are priced at 9.9."

"Top ten players on the weekly gear leaderboard: their server's chance of obtaining outdoor gear will increase by 0.5%;"

"Top 10 Pet Ranking: All pets in the region will receive a 3% increase in experience gain."

"Top 10 in the Homestead Ranking: Increases the stamina recovery efficiency of the Home System in that region by 3%;"

"Top 10 Guilds: Grant all guilds in the region a 5% buff to their blessing effect."

The sudden server-wide announcement caught all players off guard.

This update not only introduces cross-server interaction and a leaderboard system, but also adds ranking rewards that apply to the entire server.

Although it may seem like a trivial matter with limited impact, it benefits all players on the server, making this move quite generous.

With more people, the overall savings become significant.

When the regional competition comes down, this small difference could very well be enough to crush the opponent.

"They've released so many lists all at once! The competition is going to be even fiercer!"