The Evil God stared at the scene before him, completely dumbfounded.
Before he could recover, he discovered that his body was rapidly turning to metal.
At the same time, he felt an invisible force eating away at his mind. His memories and will felt as though they were rusting.
The obstruction was so pronounced that even controlling his body came with a delay.
"Holy shit! Why is there Steel Virus here too?"
With the Mist on the ground gone, several Players had assumed they were safe and taken off their protective gear. None had expected this.
Just as the Evil God found himself at a loss, a feeble voice sounded beside him.
"Don't bother struggling. Sit here with me and wait to die."
The Evil God turned toward the voice and saw a tall young man slumped in a corner, his entire body already transformed into metal.
His eyes drooped, and his lips barely moved. "This is where we end."
"Our souls and wills will become fuel for the Furnace, and our bodies will become part of it."
"We'll feed that emperor's ascension to godhood."
The Evil God checked him through Player View, but apart from his name, Dutch, he couldn't see any information.
"Come on, man. Don't be so gloomy. So what if you're turning to metal?"
The Evil God casually sat beside him, paying no mind to his own rapidly metalizing body, and pulled a booklet from his coat.
"Interested in learning about the Zeroing Society?"
"I think you're in this state because you don't have a powerful Deity protecting you."
"How about worshipping our Supreme Radiant Judgment Emperor of the Void?"
"The Profound Emperor commands the power of four gods. He could cure you with a wave of his hand."
"His incarnation in the mortal world is