Creating Olden Gods

Diamond Plaza was a famous scenic area in Kyoto, covering tens of thousands of mu near an artificial river. It drew more than twenty thousand visitors a day, and many events were held there, including comic conventions, auto shows, and circus performances...

There were way too many people here. Don't push, don't push! Keep shoving and you'll get me pregnant.

Damn it, who spat? You got spit all over my face.

You bastard!

Yang Qizhou had never expected Diamond Plaza to be so crowded today. As far as he could see, there were at least tens of thousands of people, many of them with children.

Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem. But he had activated the Garment of the Hidden World, making himself impossible to see. The people around him couldn't spot him, so they naturally didn't avoid him. And Little Bean always liked to push her way into crowds. The result was only to be expected.

By two or three in the afternoon, the Animation Expo had begun.

The event was being held by a major company, which had rented an entire floor of the Diamond Building. The space covered more than three thousand square meters and could accommodate over ten thousand people. Zhao Xin had brought Ding Xiaolan there, too.

Yang Qizhou followed close behind, afraid that something might happen and he wouldn't have time to react. Fortunately, he was currently invisible. Otherwise, someone would surely have spotted him and taken him for a pervert.

"I haven't found anyone suspicious yet, but I can't let my guard down."

"The Bureau of Occult Investigation has even gotten involved, which proves that a player from the World of Weirdness is active here and caused Sister Xin and Little Bean's deaths."

"At least until today is over, the mother and daughter are still in danger."

Yang Qizhou soon reached the venue where the Animation Expo was being held.

Little Bean was excited, looking here and there, while Zhao Xin followed behind her daughter with an indulgent smile.

Watching the mother and daughter interact, Yang Qizhou found it rather heartwarming.

But just then, a familiar figure appeared. He vanished around a corner almost immediately, but Yang Qizhou had still managed to get a clear look at his face.

Wang Chuang?

What was he doing here?

It was no wonder Yang Qizhou was surprised. Wang Chuang was the culprit behind the Purple Flower Residential District massacre and the owner of the ordinary-grade Old Day Item, the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God.

When members of the Bureau of Occult Investigation had gone to arrest him, they had run into serious trouble and nearly been wiped out. Yang Qizhou had used the Ancient God Fire Lamp to dispel the illusory falsehood and rescue the Bureau members, then given Wang Chuang a thorough beating for good measure.

Under normal circumstances, Wang Chuang should have been secretly detained by the Bureau of Occult Investigation, or even executed in secret. How could he be at the Animation Expo?

"Could this Wang Chuang be the one who killed Sister Xin and Little Bean?"

A cold killing intent flashed in Yang Qizhou's eyes.

But he didn't go after the owner of the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God. The reason was simple: that Wang Chuang was the culprit who had killed Sister Xin and Little Bean. But that was only a guess. If the Animation Expo came under attack from another World of Weirdness player while he was away, he might not make it back in time to protect the mother and daughter.

"Whatever happens, I'll stake my life on it today. I absolutely won't let Sister Xin and Little Bean get hurt."

Elsewhere.

Inside a motorhome not far from Diamond Plaza, Zhou Xu sat before an array of sophisticated equipment monitoring every corner of the building. His expression was grave.

"Chief Zhou, we still haven't found Wang Chuang. No idea where that bastard's hiding," Zhao Keke said as she entered, looking deeply troubled.

Zhou Xu nodded without speaking. His sharp gaze remained fixed on the various corners shown on the monitors.

Soon, another person opened the door and came in. It was Old Chen, a member of the Bureau of Occult Investigation. His face was full of concern. "Chief Zhou, there are a lot of people in the Diamond Building today, and the layout is complicated. A thorough search is out of the question, let alone finding that bastard Wang Chuang. For the public's safety, I suggest we ask our superiors for permission to evacuate the crowds as soon as possible."

Zhou Xu shook his head, rejecting Old Chen's suggestion.

"Why do you think Wang Chuang went to Diamond Plaza? He's using the people here as hostages. If we evacuate the crowds or do anything that makes him feel threatened, he might go on a killing spree."

Their expressions grew even grimmer.

They had taken part in the operation to capture Wang Chuang and knew exactly how terrifying the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God was. If he used it without restraint in a crowded place, it would be a massacre.

Zhao Keke had always been hot-tempered, and now she couldn't help slamming her fist down on the sophisticated equipment.

"Damn it... I just don't understand. Wang Chuang was locked up in Occult Prison, and the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God had been sealed away. How the hell did he escape?"

Old Chen was just as baffled.

Occult Prison wasn't an ordinary prison. It had sealing powers capable of blocking supernatural abilities. Wang Chuang no longer had his phone, so there was no way he could get anything more from the World of Weirdness game. And the Broken Statue of the Abyss Old God was no longer in his possession.

By all rights, Wang Chuang had become no different from an ordinary person. He shouldn't have been able to escape Occult Prison.

"Maybe someone behind Wang Chuang helped him escape..."

Zhou Xu narrowed his eyes, his gaze full of hostility and wariness. Clearly, he already had a theory about Wang Chuang's escape.

"Since the World of Weirdness appeared, more and more people have gained supernatural powers beyond the ordinary. Most of them have been registered with the Bureau of Occult Investigation, so we don't have to worry about them acting recklessly. But don't forget that there are still plenty of players we haven't found. They're active in the shadows, gradually joining forces and forming organizations, taking action to further their own plans."

"Among the secret organizations we currently know about are the Hermit Society, the Secret Cultivator Society, the Death Cult, and so on..."

"Who can guarantee that one of them wasn't behind Wang Chuang's sudden escape?"

Secret organizations?

Zhao Keke and Old Chen looked even more troubled. They might not have access to certain high-level classified information, but they had heard plenty of rumors, including some about these secret organizations.

"If a secret organization really was involved in Wang Chuang's escape, I think the Hermit Society is the most likely."

"I agree," Old Chen said.

Zhou Xu nodded. "I also think the Hermit Society is the most likely suspect... Because according to the information we've gathered so far, the purpose of this secret organization is to..."

"Cre...ate...Old...Day...Gods."

The atmosphere inside the motorhome turned heavy.

Every player from the World of Weirdness knew how twisted and terrifying the gods of the Ancient Earth were. If the Hermit Society succeeded, it would bring an unimaginable catastrophe upon the world.

"Huh? Why is there smoke..."

A scene on one of the monitors caught Zhao Keke's attention. She quickly realized what was happening and shouted in alarm, "Fire! This is bad, Chief Zhou! There's a fire on the thirteenth floor of the Diamond Building!"