Chapter 18 | My Lady Goddess, I Swear I'm a True Believer!

Through Mikael's perspective, Iluvia also witnessed the players' outrageous behavior.

“As expected...”

She couldn't help but be rendered speechlessly exasperated. Fortunately, she had foresight and had pre-emptively applied censors of holy light mosaics over those excessively explicit areas.

As for the one attempting to take a dump in public, it was simply unbearable to watch.

“If left unchecked, this lawless group of players will probably flip the table on day one, clip it into a short video, and upload it back to Earth.”

At this thought, the corner of Iluvia's mouth twitched.

If Earth's regulatory system flagged it as a violation and took it down, the “game” she had worked so hard to build would be completely ruined.

“Since the chives... ah no, the players have arrived, it's time to have Lilith welcome them.”

Iluvia had arranged this step from the very beginning of her plan.

Only... thinking of her own pure, devout Saintess who trusted her every word implicitly, and then looking at this group of living memes in front of her, a thread of worry rose in Iluvia's heart.

“I hope those guys... at least show some restraint,” she muttered to herself. Otherwise, she would have to consider activating some necessary mandatory censoring mechanisms.

...

Inside the Temple of Light.

Lilith, who was kneeling with her eyes closed in prayer before the statue of the Goddess, suddenly had a sudden realization.

Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her clear eyes, genuine joy flowing from the depths of her gaze.

“The God-Chosen Ones have descended!”

The young girl's fair face was instantly lit up with delight. She carefully straightened her priestess gown and prepared to go out to greet them.

“West, let's go.” Lilith turned her head, her voice carrying an excitement that was hard to hide.

Hearing this, West, who had been standing silently by her side on guard, immediately straightened his posture, his azure eyes sparkling with excitement: “Yes, Your Highness!”

He pressed his right hand against his chest in a knight's salute, then quickly stepped to Lilith's side. “The God-Chosen Ones are finally here! I really can't wait to see what they're like! They will definitely help the human race achieve revival!”

Lilith replied with a gentle smile, her eyes equally full of longing and hope. “Yes, West. The arrival of the God-Chosen Ones is guided by the Goddess. They will shoulder the heavy responsibility of reviving humanity, and we will do our utmost to assist them.”

However... what exactly would the God-Chosen Ones look like?

Lilith couldn't help but begin to imagine in her mind:

They must all be radiating a holy glow, elegant in their demeanor, wise in their words, with eyes burning with a passion for justice and compassion for the weak...

Just like the angels descending to the mortal realm depicted in the murals.

Yet as she walked, a tiny doubt suddenly sprouted in her heart:

Yesterday, Mother Goddess had specifically warned her, “When you see the God-Chosen Ones, remember to keep your distance and don't get too close.”

At the time, she thought it was because the God-Chosen Ones possessed noble status and needed to maintain mystery and dignity. But the more she thought about it now, the more off it felt—why did Mother Goddess's tone carry a bit of... helplessness when she said that?

She shook her head gently, pushing down that bit of doubt.

She must be overthinking. The God-Chosen Ones were so exceptional; Mother Goddess was probably just worried she would be overly enthusiastic and lose her composure as a Saintess.

With a heart full of anticipation and respect, she walked toward the main gates of the temple, heading toward the source of the noise.

And then...

She and West saw the “God-Chosen Ones.”

The glorious image she had envisioned shattered in an instant.

The solemnly lined-up, extraordinarily imposing army of God-Chosen Ones she had imagined did not exist.

What met her eyes was a group of crudely dressed, bizarrely behaving individuals. Gathered together, they created an utterly chaotic scene.

“Looking for a game CP! Anyone want to pair up?”

“Me, me! Miss, can we get acquainted?”

“Huh? The modeling on this beetle is insane! I wonder what this thing tastes like?”

“Holy shit?! That hardcore? Bro, are you actually eating it?!”

“Where's the map? Where are the quest markers? This UI is way too minimalistic!”

“What skills did you guys roll? I got ‘Novice Taunt.’ Do I just yell ‘Get over here!’ at monsters?”

“Where are the mobs?! Where are the promised kobolds? I wanna take on ten at once!”

“Didn't they say there's a beginner guide? Why haven't they shown up yet?”

Just then, a fireball came swooping in out of nowhere, nearly hitting a few players who were chatting.

“Holy shit?! Who was that?! Almost hit me!”

“Which dumbass is slinging skills randomly?! It singed my gear!”

“What a genius! Doesn't even know how to use his skills properly.”

The player who threw the fireball: “...”

And further off, several players who had gotten into an argument over who knows what were already brawling wildly, rolling on the ground in clouds of dust. Mouths spewing battle cries like, “Take my Angry Crow Fly!”, “Watch my sliding tackle!”, “What're you lookin' at?”, and “Lookin' at you, so what!”

Lilith: “...”

Seeing the chaotic mess before her, the expectant smile on Lilith's face instantly froze.

As for West, he was completely stunned.

Were these really the God-Chosen Ones? Are they sure this isn't a gang of bandits or hooligans?

From the players' perspective, it was understandable. A game with maximum realism was simply too thrilling.

However, from a native's perspective, it was entirely different.

Were... were these really the God-Chosen Ones?

But... if they weren't the God-Chosen Ones, what on earth was going on with them?

Just as Lilith's worldview was teetering on the brink of collapse and West was tensing his muscles, ready to draw his sword and clear the area the moment these “suspected dangerous elements” approached the Saintess—

Iluvia could finally watch no longer. A golden, glowing system announcement, bearing an unquestionable sense of majesty, forcefully popped up in front of every player's eyes at once:

【Announcement: All players are advised to watch their speech and behavior and maintain basic order. The beginner guide has arrived; please interact with her immediately to accept quests. Disrupting order, attacking the guide, or similar actions will result in severe penalties (including but not limited to: permanent mute, forced disconnect, account suspension, etc.).】

At the same time, Iluvia's ethereal and calm divine oracle echoed in Lilith's mind: “Have no doubt, Lilith. They are indeed the God-Chosen Ones. Guide them according to plan. Just remember... keep an observational distance.”

Hearing this, Lilith took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if attempting to purge the clump of frustration named “shattered illusions” from her chest.

She seemed to, roughly, maybe... understand a bit of the deeper meaning behind Mother Goddess's phrase “keep your distance.”

This wasn't out of dignity at all; it was very likely out of... safety considerations.

“Mother Goddess, I understand,” she responded devoutly in her heart, her gaze becoming steadfast once more.

Regardless, this was the Goddess's decree, and the Goddess surely had her profound reasons.

Perhaps the God-Chosen Ones simply... had a rather unique way of expressing enthusiasm?

“Your Highness Lilith...” West frowned tightly, leaning close to Lilith's ear and whispering, “Are these people really the God-Chosen Ones? They look...” Saying this, he hesitated briefly before choosing a polite phrasing: “A bit chaotic. However, I will protect you.”

“Mother Goddess has explicitly indicated that they are indeed the God-Chosen Ones,” Lilith spoke softly yet firmly, raising her hand to gently press down on West's arm, which was clutching his sword hilt tightly. “West, put away your weapon. You must not be disrespectful to the God-Chosen Ones. Perhaps this is... a unique etiquette or trial of the God-Chosen Ones.”

The corner of West's mouth twitched. Watching a player attempting to balance a pebble on his nose, he ultimately loosened his grip on his sword hilt with great difficulty.

Lilith stepped forward a few paces, standing on the slightly elevated steps, and cleared her throat.

Although inner waves surged within her, her long-standing upbringing as a Saintess allowed her to maintain an outward appearance of composure and gentleness.

Her voice was clear and pleasant to the ear. Not loud, it miraculously suppressed the noise of the scene and reached every player's ears clearly:

“In the name of Light and Life, welcome, noble God-Chosen Ones. I am Lilith, the Saintess serving Lady Goddess, and I welcome you all to this realm.”

Her words fell.

In an instant, those two hundred pairs of eyes—which had been busy with their own things, flashing with curiosity, excitement, confusion, or troublemaking intentions—all focused squarely on her in unison.

The air suddenly fell silent.

All the players saw the young girl on the steps: an exquisitely flawless face, a pure white, holy priestess gown, long golden hair gently fluttering in the breeze, and emerald-blue eyes like a clear sky after rain, her entire body seemingly shrouded in a layer of soft light.

Standing there, she was completely out of place with the surrounding ruins.

Lilith felt a bit flustered being stared at by those two hundred pairs of burning, direct gazes, but she still maintained her graceful posture, her fingertips merely curling inward slightly.