Seeing Tang Xiaoling sob so pitifully brought tears to the eyes of countless viewers.
Some even felt the urge to enter the instance in the little girl's place.
Unfortunately, those selected could not be replaced. It was a rule no one could overturn.
"Lingling, don't cry. Listen to Daddy..."
Just as the viewers were grieving, a voice came from the other end of the phone.
They knew her father was about to comfort her.
Although he had acted irresponsibly earlier, at least he was finally showing some sign of being a father.
Besides, anyone faced with this situation would have been helpless.
There was no reversing the child's entry into the Evil Spirit Instance. Surely her father must have been in terrible pain, too.
For a moment, the viewers had forgiven this unreliable father.
Then Tang Xiaoling's father continued:
"Take Tiantian with you when you enter the instance. Your cat will protect you for Daddy."
"Haven't you always wanted to go out and play? This instance happens to be an amusement park, so you can play as much as you like."
"Daddy's very busy here, so I won't be coming to see you."
There was even a hint of urgency in his voice. As soon as he finished, he hung up.
The viewers froze, their faces filled with shock.
They had expected a final farewell, a display of profound fatherly love.
Instead, what the hell had he just said?!
Telling the child to take a cat into the instance was bad enough, but he had even told her to play freely in the amusement park.
Were you afraid she wouldn't die fast enough?
That place was full of evil spirits! Even nine lives wouldn't be enough if she played with them!
Seriously, was this child really yours?
How could such cold words come out of your warm, living mouth?
Not only did you fail to comfort her, you even sounded impatient!
You didn't deserve to be a father!!!
By now, the viewers were utterly furious, and condemnation flooded the chat.
"Is this how a fucking father should act? Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs! How can he be so cold?"
"Looks like he's completely given up on his daughter."
"What an animal! Is that cat some god descended from heaven? It can't protect shit! Doesn't his heart ache for such an adorable child?"
"His heart ache? Just listen to what he said. He's heartless. He doesn't care at all."
"Poor little girl. Her parents abandoned her before she's even old enough to understand. Maybe that's for the best, though. At least she won't be heartbroken."
"Well, he's still got a tiny shred of conscience. He knew to drag a kitten along to die with his daughter, but that's about it."
Tang Xiaoling had no idea that her father's words had sparked a torrent of abuse online.
She had stopped crying and, following her father's instructions, picked Tiantian up from the bed and held the cat in her arms.
Gently stroking the cat's head with one hand, she said in her sweet little voice:
"Tiantian, Daddy said you should come into the instance with me. He said you'd protect me, too."
"You can do that, right?"
In response to the little girl's question, Tiantian gave a gentle meow, as though answering her.
Then the cat closed those eyes and lay contentedly in Tang Xiaoling's arms.
The sight left the viewers heartsick. They wished they could track down Tang Xiaoling's father immediately and beat him senseless.
Such a sweet, well-behaved child. How had she ended up with a father like that?
Even a little ginger cat, a mere animal, knew to stand by its owner through life and death.
You were her own father, yet you couldn't care less!
How could someone like you exist? You were worse than an animal!
It was hardly surprising that the viewers were so angry.
After all, the evil spirits inside the instances took pleasure in devouring humans.
As long as the game rules allowed it, they would eat adults and children alike without hesitation, leaving not even a bone behind.
To these evil spirits, humans were delicious feasts.
Humans appeared in the instances for no other reason than to serve as their food!
"Kid, put that cat down. It can't protect you. Your daddy's lying to you."
"That's too cruel. That cat is all the little girl has left to cling to, and you want to take even that away?"
"Actually, I think they're right. If she learns she's been lied to now, she'll be much more cautious inside the instance. Maybe she'll have a tiny chance of surviving."
"Bullshit! She probably won't last even a minute once she enters. Better to let her live in a dream!"
"What's the point of saying all this? If you really feel sorry for her, help her. Let's pool some Evil Spirit Coins and buy her some protective items."
Evil Spirit Coins were the standard currency used in the instances.
They could be used to purchase goods within an instance or buy items from special shops.
Most of those items only provided assistance, however. Even those capable of saving a life could only do so temporarily.
And since Evil Spirit Coins were extremely difficult to obtain, even the richest person in the world probably couldn't buy their way to clearing an instance.
In the real world, the exchange rate between Evil Spirit Coins and money was one to ten thousand!
"Easy for you to say. Any of us could be selected next. Who would willingly donate their Evil Spirit Coins?"
"Exactly. I've worked myself to the bone saving for fifteen years, and I've only got ten Evil Spirit Coins. That's not even enough for one protective item."
"That really won't buy much. Even the cheapest Soul-Returning Incense costs thirty Evil Spirit Coins."
Although the viewers felt sorry for Tang Xiaoling and thought the child was pitiful, they still had their reservations.
When it came to donating Evil Spirit Coins, they simply couldn't bear to part with them.
After all, if they were selected one day, they would be counting on those coins to keep them alive.
Just then, however, an exceptionally eye-catching comment scrolled across the screen.
"I'm willing to give this child an Exorcism Talisman as a small gesture. Seeing what she's going through, I just can't stand by."
The livestream erupted at the sight of this comment, which cost one Evil Spirit Coin just to post.
The viewers were especially astonished by the sender's offer to donate an Exorcism Talisman.
"Holy shit! A big shot actually stepped in!"
"An Exorcism Talisman... isn't that worth eighty Evil Spirit Coins? Rich and compassionate!"
"What a kind soul. That Exorcism Talisman won't change the outcome, but it can help her hold on a little longer."
"Everyone, this big shot has already stepped up. Let's do our part, too. I'll donate two Evil Spirit Coins!"
"Count me in. These ten Evil Spirit Coins won't do much anyway, so I'll give the kid two."
"I'll donate one!"
"I'll donate three!"
"..."
With someone taking the lead, some of the viewers were inspired to join in.
In just a short while, they raised a hundred Evil Spirit Coins for Tang Xiaoling.
Converted into money, that was a full million!
But even more people chose to watch coldly from the sidelines, unmoved.
In their eyes, this was nothing but a waste of money.
Tang Xiaoling was a four-year-old child. No matter how much they gave her, she had no chance of surviving the instance.
Compassion was one thing, but they still needed to be rational.
There was no reason to squander resources on someone doomed to die, even if she was an innocent, adorable little girl!
Before you continue