Chapter 20: How Should the Internet God Be Worshipped?
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Chapter 20: How Should the Internet God Be Worshipped?
"Wheeze… wheeze…"
The rapid, labored breaths left the boy's lungs dry and burning. Each gasp of air was a searing agony.
Yet he kept running desperately, his youthful face alight with ecstasy, undeterred by the physical torment.
The slums' ground was wet and slippery. With every step, mud—mixed with who-knows-what—oozed between his toes, making it impossible to get a firm grip.
He stumbled, face-planting into the filth, his body now caked in grime.
But he didn’t hesitate. Scrambling up, he dashed forward again.
Finally, he reached his destination.
It was a narrow alley, flanked by shantytown dwellings stacked haphazardly from stone, wood, and dried grass.
The cramped space was packed with countless shacks, and every winter, the weight of snow would collapse one or two.
People bustled along the tight walkways.
"Wheeze… wheeze…"
The boy braced his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Once he caught even a sliver of strength, he screamed hysterically:
"Amazing news… wheeze… Grand Magus Xiodo said… from now on, all of us—everyone—can learn magic!"
At his frenzied shout, the shantytown fell silent.
Countless eyes turned toward him.
A breath later, uproarious laughter erupted through the alley.
"Hahaha…"
"Mud Boy, did you steal from the mercenaries again and get beaten stupid?"
"You little brat, are you messing with us? Asking for a thrashing!"
Mocking jeers and curses filled the shantytown.
"It’s true… I’m not lying!"
The boy was stunned. His face, already flushed from running, turned even redder.
"Stop running around and help your mother more."
"Yeah, all you do is steal and cause trouble."
Neighbors scolded him relentlessly.
"I didn’t! It’s real—Lord Xiodo said it himself in front of the Magic Tower!" The boy jumped in frustration, desperately explaining, but no one believed him. Not with his track record.
No—what he was saying was simply too absurd.
Magic had always been the privilege of nobles. How could commoners like them ever be allowed to learn it?
The neighbors’ laughter made his mother storm over in a rage, grabbing his ear and dragging him home.
Along the way, the boy saw Second Grandpa grinning at him with yellowed teeth; Bucktooth Uncle hurling debris his way; Pretty Auntie leaning out her window, clothes disheveled, giggling at him.
The boy panicked.
Then, in desperation, he blurted out:
"O great existence from the Azure Star, Master of Language and Script, Founder of the Internet, under Your protection, I shall connect with all living things!"
As the words left his mouth, a glowing scroll materialized before him.
At that moment, the alley’s laughter died instantly.
……
……
In a dilapidated courtyard temporarily repurposed as a school, a dense crowd had gathered.
A closer look revealed rough, sun-darkened skin and patched hemp clothes, filthy from who-knows-how-long without washing.
Clearly, they were almost all lowly commoners from the surrounding area.
At this moment, the scene was as chaotic as a vegetable market.
Children squeezed to the front, while adults stood behind, their yellowed teeth showing as they chattered away, spittle flying everywhere.
"Old Cai, you here to learn how to read too?"
"Yeah!"
"Let me tell you, at our age, learning magic ain’t easy!"
"Ah, who’s thinking about magic? I’m just wondering if I can learn some Battle Aura to strengthen my body and work better! If that doesn’t work out, at least I can check out that official website of the Empire. I heard from Chang Xiu Suan that it’s got everything—real interesting stuff."
"Yeah, I heard from the literate folks in the village too. I always thought the Empire was just the emperor, the city lords, and the mage lords. Never knew there were so many twists and turns to it."
While the adults talked about practical matters, the children were arguing fiercely over who was the strongest, their faces flushed red!
"The God of Magic is the strongest! In our Empire, the three Gods of Magic are the most powerful!"
"Bull! The Internet God is the strongest! He’s a real deity!"
"The God of Magic is a god too! He’s the most powerful among mages, even stronger than Lord Ganbilin!"
"Anyway, the Internet God is the strongest!"
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, what can the Internet God do? Can he control fire? Summon ice spikes? Make holes in the ground?"
"He can... he can make the Internet! If you’re so tough, don’t use the Internet then!"
"That’s right, if you’re so tough, don’t go on the Internet, don’t learn magic from it!"
"All the magic on the Internet belongs to the Internet God, so he’s definitely the strongest!"
Just as the children were arguing heatedly, someone suddenly shouted, "Silence!"
"Silence, silence! The Teacher is here!"
With that exclamation, the noisy courtyard fell completely silent in an instant.
A young man with a haughty expression stepped onto the stone podium.
He looked down disdainfully at the commoners below, their eyes filled with eagerness. Honestly, if teaching didn’t count as an official position with a subsidy and 200 monthly Points on the Internet, he wouldn’t bother instructing these lowly commoners!
But as he saw the mix of reverence and longing in their eyes, a sense of vanity suddenly swelled in his heart.
Maybe teaching here wasn’t such a bad choice—at least it was better than being treated like a dog in the city lord’s manor.
......
Under the canopy of the Silver Star Tree, an elderly couple carefully unfolded the letter brought by a passing mercenary.
It was a letter from their son.
A rare letter after two months, yet the envelope contained only a single sheet of paper.
Unlike the usual letters filled with trivial family matters, this one spoke of something called the "Internet Divine Technique."
To be honest, if it weren’t for the mage lords in the city sending people to shout about it along the streets every day, the old couple would have feared their son had been bewitched by some evil god.
"Our boy sent his Soul ID!"
The old man exclaimed excitedly to his wife.
"What? What Soul ID?"
"It’s that personal number on the Internet... Ugh, you wouldn’t understand. Just wait!"
The old man explained briefly before slowly reciting the prayer written in the letter—the same words the mage lords had been promoting these past few days.
As he chanted, the iconic Virtual Scroll of the Internet unfurled before him.
The old man followed his son's instructions in the letter and spent half an hour adding his son's account on the Internet Social Platform.
After repeatedly confirming he hadn’t entered the wrong ID and pressing the virtual confirmation button, it took only a few seconds for the platform to notify him that the other party had accepted the request.
Before the old man could even think about what to do next, a small virtual parchment suddenly appeared on the Virtual Scroll.
On the parchment was his son’s unique Soul Mark, followed by two options: [Reject] and [Answer].
The old man tapped [Answer].
Instantly, a voice filled the air, blurring his vision with tears.
"Father, is that you?"
"Ah, is that our boy?" The Old Woman, not waiting for the Old Man to speak, grabbed his arm and exclaimed in delight, raising her voice.
"Mom, it’s me."
"Oh my, where are you? Why can’t I see you?" The old woman hurriedly called out, turning her head to scan the courtyard.
"I’m at Camp Port!"
"What? You’re still there? Then... then how does your voice sound like you’re right here in the yard?"
"Hahaha, Mom, this is the voice call feature of the Internet Divine Technique! From now on, we can talk like this every day!"
"What? Internet Divine Technique? Isn’t that the thing the mage lords are always going on about?"
The old woman looked at her husband, who replied, "Isn’t this exactly that?"
The two elders and their son marveled at the wonders of the Internet Divine Technique for a while before shifting the conversation to ask about their son’s work.
Learning that their son was doing well under Old Bert’s guidance—even starting to practice magic recently, having condensed Soul Power and earned Old Bert’s praise—filled the old couple with immense joy.
"Mom, Dad, I’ve got to go now. Let’s talk again tonight. Oh, and remember to visit a magic artifacts shop and order an Internet Mithril Ring. Using a prayer to log in is too time-limited."
"Alright, alright, go on then. Take care of yourself, and don’t skimp on food—buy some meat!" The old woman craned her neck toward the call interface, afraid her son might not hear her.
"Yeah, yeah, got it, Mom."
Beep!
The call ended, and the parchment floating on the Virtual Scroll vanished. The two elders stood in place, speechless for a long while.
After a long silence, the old woman wiped the corner of her eye, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Old man, how should we worship the Internet God?"
"Wheeze… wheeze…"
The rapid, labored breaths left the boy's lungs dry and burning. Each gasp of air was a searing agony.
Yet he kept running desperately, his youthful face alight with ecstasy, undeterred by the physical torment.
The slums' ground was wet and slippery. With every step, mud—mixed with who-knows-what—oozed between his toes, making it impossible to get a firm grip.
He stumbled, face-planting into the filth, his body now caked in grime.
But he didn’t hesitate. Scrambling up, he dashed forward again.
Finally, he reached his destination.
It was a narrow alley, flanked by shantytown dwellings stacked haphazardly from stone, wood, and dried grass.
The cramped space was packed with countless shacks, and every winter, the weight of snow would collapse one or two.
People bustled along the tight walkways.
"Wheeze… wheeze…"
The boy braced his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Once he caught even a sliver of strength, he screamed hysterically:
"Amazing news… wheeze… Grand Magus Xiodo said… from now on, all of us—everyone—can learn magic!"
At his frenzied shout, the shantytown fell silent.
Countless eyes turned toward him.
A breath later, uproarious laughter erupted through the alley.
"Hahaha…"
"Mud Boy, did you steal from the mercenaries again and get beaten stupid?"
"You little brat, are you messing with us? Asking for a thrashing!"
Mocking jeers and curses filled the shantytown.
"It’s true… I’m not lying!"
The boy was stunned. His face, already flushed from running, turned even redder.
"Stop running around and help your mother more."
"Yeah, all you do is steal and cause trouble."
Neighbors scolded him relentlessly.
"I didn’t! It’s real—Lord Xiodo said it himself in front of the Magic Tower!" The boy jumped in frustration, desperately explaining, but no one believed him. Not with his track record.
No—what he was saying was simply too absurd.
Magic had always been the privilege of nobles. How could commoners like them ever be allowed to learn it?
The neighbors’ laughter made his mother storm over in a rage, grabbing his ear and dragging him home.
Along the way, the boy saw Second Grandpa grinning at him with yellowed teeth; Bucktooth Uncle hurling debris his way; Pretty Auntie leaning out her window, clothes disheveled, giggling at him.
The boy panicked.
Then, in desperation, he blurted out:
"O great existence from the Azure Star, Master of Language and Script, Founder of the Internet, under Your protection, I shall connect with all living things!"
As the words left his mouth, a glowing scroll materialized before him.
At that moment, the alley’s laughter died instantly.
……
……
In a dilapidated courtyard temporarily repurposed as a school, a dense crowd had gathered.
A closer look revealed rough, sun-darkened skin and patched hemp clothes, filthy from who-knows-how-long without washing.
Clearly, they were almost all lowly commoners from the surrounding area.
At this moment, the scene was as chaotic as a vegetable market.
Children squeezed to the front, while adults stood behind, their yellowed teeth showing as they chattered away, spittle flying everywhere.
"Old Cai, you here to learn how to read too?"
"Yeah!"
"Let me tell you, at our age, learning magic ain’t easy!"
"Ah, who’s thinking about magic? I’m just wondering if I can learn some Battle Aura to strengthen my body and work better! If that doesn’t work out, at least I can check out that official website of the Empire. I heard from Chang Xiu Suan that it’s got everything—real interesting stuff."
"Yeah, I heard from the literate folks in the village too. I always thought the Empire was just the emperor, the city lords, and the mage lords. Never knew there were so many twists and turns to it."
While the adults talked about practical matters, the children were arguing fiercely over who was the strongest, their faces flushed red!
"The God of Magic is the strongest! In our Empire, the three Gods of Magic are the most powerful!"
"Bull! The Internet God is the strongest! He’s a real deity!"
"The God of Magic is a god too! He’s the most powerful among mages, even stronger than Lord Ganbilin!"
"Anyway, the Internet God is the strongest!"
"Oh yeah? Then tell me, what can the Internet God do? Can he control fire? Summon ice spikes? Make holes in the ground?"
"He can... he can make the Internet! If you’re so tough, don’t use the Internet then!"
"That’s right, if you’re so tough, don’t go on the Internet, don’t learn magic from it!"
"All the magic on the Internet belongs to the Internet God, so he’s definitely the strongest!"
Just as the children were arguing heatedly, someone suddenly shouted, "Silence!"
"Silence, silence! The Teacher is here!"
With that exclamation, the noisy courtyard fell completely silent in an instant.
A young man with a haughty expression stepped onto the stone podium.
He looked down disdainfully at the commoners below, their eyes filled with eagerness. Honestly, if teaching didn’t count as an official position with a subsidy and 200 monthly Points on the Internet, he wouldn’t bother instructing these lowly commoners!
But as he saw the mix of reverence and longing in their eyes, a sense of vanity suddenly swelled in his heart.
Maybe teaching here wasn’t such a bad choice—at least it was better than being treated like a dog in the city lord’s manor.
......
Under the canopy of the Silver Star Tree, an elderly couple carefully unfolded the letter brought by a passing mercenary.
It was a letter from their son.
A rare letter after two months, yet the envelope contained only a single sheet of paper.
Unlike the usual letters filled with trivial family matters, this one spoke of something called the "Internet Divine Technique."
To be honest, if it weren’t for the mage lords in the city sending people to shout about it along the streets every day, the old couple would have feared their son had been bewitched by some evil god.
"Our boy sent his Soul ID!"
The old man exclaimed excitedly to his wife.
"What? What Soul ID?"
"It’s that personal number on the Internet... Ugh, you wouldn’t understand. Just wait!"
The old man explained briefly before slowly reciting the prayer written in the letter—the same words the mage lords had been promoting these past few days.
As he chanted, the iconic Virtual Scroll of the Internet unfurled before him.
The old man followed his son's instructions in the letter and spent half an hour adding his son's account on the Internet Social Platform.
After repeatedly confirming he hadn’t entered the wrong ID and pressing the virtual confirmation button, it took only a few seconds for the platform to notify him that the other party had accepted the request.
Before the old man could even think about what to do next, a small virtual parchment suddenly appeared on the Virtual Scroll.
On the parchment was his son’s unique Soul Mark, followed by two options: [Reject] and [Answer].
The old man tapped [Answer].
Instantly, a voice filled the air, blurring his vision with tears.
"Father, is that you?"
"Ah, is that our boy?" The Old Woman, not waiting for the Old Man to speak, grabbed his arm and exclaimed in delight, raising her voice.
"Mom, it’s me."
"Oh my, where are you? Why can’t I see you?" The old woman hurriedly called out, turning her head to scan the courtyard.
"I’m at Camp Port!"
"What? You’re still there? Then... then how does your voice sound like you’re right here in the yard?"
"Hahaha, Mom, this is the voice call feature of the Internet Divine Technique! From now on, we can talk like this every day!"
"What? Internet Divine Technique? Isn’t that the thing the mage lords are always going on about?"
The old woman looked at her husband, who replied, "Isn’t this exactly that?"
The two elders and their son marveled at the wonders of the Internet Divine Technique for a while before shifting the conversation to ask about their son’s work.
Learning that their son was doing well under Old Bert’s guidance—even starting to practice magic recently, having condensed Soul Power and earned Old Bert’s praise—filled the old couple with immense joy.
"Mom, Dad, I’ve got to go now. Let’s talk again tonight. Oh, and remember to visit a magic artifacts shop and order an Internet Mithril Ring. Using a prayer to log in is too time-limited."
"Alright, alright, go on then. Take care of yourself, and don’t skimp on food—buy some meat!" The old woman craned her neck toward the call interface, afraid her son might not hear her.
"Yeah, yeah, got it, Mom."
Beep!
The call ended, and the parchment floating on the Virtual Scroll vanished. The two elders stood in place, speechless for a long while.
After a long silence, the old woman wiped the corner of her eye, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Old man, how should we worship the Internet God?"
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