The world has turned into Hell's Game, why should I stay human?
Chapter 261 - 257: To Deceive a God, One Must Be Dedicated to Their Acting

Chapter 261: Chapter 257: To Deceive a God, One Must Be Dedicated to Their Acting

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When everyone looks at you with puzzlement, it generally means there’s a problem with you.

Of course, Liu Zheng didn’t feel this way.

Enduring a few more needles for some believers’ benefits seemed perfectly reasonable, didn’t it?

When he was in the Metropolis, even buying a coffee would involve getting eyeballed, ear picked, or face kneaded.

"If you can get through the Great Baptism, my Lord will naturally bestow a reward."

The old woman said, steadying herself.

"Alright."

Liu Zheng agreed without hesitation.

"Mr. Liu Zheng, you must be cautious."

Anke hurriedly reminded him.

"What’s wrong?"

He asked.

"The Great Baptism is the Suffering Church’s highest ceremony. Everyone who passes the Great Baptism eventually becomes a Saint,"

Anke said.

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

Speaking of which, the Circle of God even considered making him their Saint Heir—being a Saint sounded much more prestigious.

"One can only be called a Saint after death."

Anke said helplessly.

"That’s so thrilling; I want to try it even more now."

Liu Zheng seemed quite excited.

"I hope you won’t regret it."

In the old woman’s meaningful gaze, everyone began to take turns receiving the baptism.

Marian was okay, but the three little girls couldn’t stop crying the moment the needle went in.

Nina and her sisters, as well as Flora, had been pampered from a young age at home—nobody would even think of spanking them, let alone sticking them with needles.

When the old woman heard their sharp cries, her expression became even more excited.

It had been so many years since children had come to the Suffering Church; the Lord of Suffering must be very pleased this time.

Not just the three little girls, but the Hunter who had fainted and San Huamao all received the needle without escaping it.

However, the helmet man seemed to have a special technique for needlework; even after five needles, the Hunter still hadn’t woken up.

Liu Zheng was the last one.

The helmet man glanced at him and then pulled a long nail from his shoulder, at least twice as long as the ones used on the others.

The helmet man didn’t immediately proceed but stood silently, watching Liu Zheng.

"Come on!"

Liu Zheng said cheerfully.

As soon as he finished speaking, the helmet man slammed the nail into his shoulder.

The one-inch-long nail was hammered right into Liu Zheng’s shoulder, sinking in to the hilt.

"Ah!"

A scream rang out suddenly.

But the ones who cried out were not him but the three little girls, especially Flora, who screamed the loudest, as if the nail had been driven into her own body.

"Why aren’t you screaming?"

The old woman asked discontentedly.

"I feel that if I screamed at this level, the Lord of Suffering might find it embarrassing."

Liu Zheng said nonchalantly.

To say it hurt, it certainly did.

But to cry out, that seemed a bit false, like the female lead in a movie that two people could finish watching.

This Lord of Suffering might actually exist; tricking a truly existing God requires a bit more dedication to the performance.

"My Lord is tolerant and will gladly accept any level of suffering."

The old woman countered his statement.

"However, your endurance will indeed bring joy to my Lord."

Then immediately, she put on a smiling face.

"Come in, the Suffering Church welcomes your arrival."

As everyone entered the Church, the helmet man pulled the doors shut and then locked them.

Liu Zheng noted that the church’s doors were actually made of solid metal.

No wonder Anke was so keen to take refuge here. Given the strength the Beasts had shown so far, it was indeed impossible to break into this church.

Moreover, the helmet man acting as the doorman seemed no ordinary figure.

He looked at the helmet man’s arms, where the pins sunk deeper due to muscle contraction, blood soaking the robe nearly through, yet the helmet man appeared to feel nothing.

It seemed that helmet man noticed Liu Zheng’s gaze and turned his head back.

As their eyes met, there appeared to be a spark of electricity in the air.

However, there was no hostility in the helmet man’s gaze, mainly curiosity and inquiry.

Liu Zheng shifted his attention, surveying the interior of the church.

The church lacked many lavish decorations, including the colorful stained glass windows commonly seen in Yate City, and instead, there were numerous murals.

The content of these murals revolved almost entirely around suffering.

The majority depicted scenes of people executing themselves or being executed by others, while a minority portrayed individuals or groups in states of grief or fear.

Some raised their hands high amidst flames, some curled up in water, some pierced their own flesh with spears, and others held lifeless children and wailed silently.

It was clear that these murals were not the work of a single artist, but their style was highly uniform, likely the result of successive generations of painters.

In the center of the church stood a wooden statue.

A naked young man, twisted into a contorted pose fixed to a piece of wood, had hands and feet that took the shape of vines,

and his expression was bizarre, a visage of both agony and bliss.

"This is the Twisted Saint, he is both a prophet of our Lord and the founder of the Suffering Church,"

the old woman explained with reverence in her voice.

"Did his hands and feet really turn into vines, or is it merely an artistic representation?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"..."

The old woman looked at him, speechless.

I tell you I often kill people, and you ask me if Changsha has a lot of people?

"It’s true, the Twisted Saint transformed into this form while he was still alive, with people gathering around him to hear his sermons, until he returned to the embrace of our Lord."

Out of a desire to spread the doctrine, she still took the question seriously and explained.

"Is the statue then the actual body of the Twisted Saint?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"No, it is but a statue. The sacred body of the Twisted Saint is not here,"

the old woman shook her head.

"Then where is it?"

"You ask too many questions, foreigner. Wait until you have undergone the Great Baptism before asking,"

the old woman said, showing a hint of impatience.

"Okay, but can I specify my reward?"

Liu Zheng asked.

"What reward do you want?"

the old woman inquired.

"I think that would be nice,"

he said, pointing to the foot of the statue.

There lay a wide-mouthed wooden chalice holding a viscous golden liquid.

"You want the Twisted Holy Grail?"

The old woman’s gaze became wary.

"Is that not allowed?"

Liu Zheng countered.

So this thing is called the Twisted Holy Grail?

The City Hall’s mission catalog is after the golden ointment of Suffering Church’s miracles.

It was precisely because he felt that what the City Hall wanted had something to do with the Suffering Church that he had volunteered to undergo the Great Baptism.

The contents of the Holy Grail looked indeed like ointment, and it was likely that the City Hall wanted not the Grail itself but what was inside it.

The old woman stared at Liu Zheng for a while, then walked over to the statue of the Twisted Saint.

She knelt down, then began to repeatedly bang her forehead against the legs of the Twisted Saint.

Once, twice, three times, until her forehead was bloodied, she stood up.

"Yes, if you pass through the Great Baptism, I will give you the Twisted Holy Grail,"

the old woman said, turning around.

Blood streamed over her face, giving her a terrifying appearance.

"Dang dang dang!"

The helmet man knocked three hurried times with a key.

"This is a revelation from our Lord,"

the old woman stated sternly.

Clutching the key, the helmet man reluctantly lowered his head.

"Then let’s begin."

Liu Zheng said calmly.

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