Chapter 18 Games must be playable.
At the entrance to the dilapidated village, a cold wind howled.
The old village chief knelt on the gravel ground, behind him were dozens of villagers, their clothes tattered, their eyes filled with fear yet also a glimmer of hope. They were waiting, waiting for the pronouncements of these divine messengers, and also waiting for the judgment of that terrifying god.
On the high platform, inside the temple.
Li Wei sat on the throne, his gaze passing through the temple's dome. With the help of the evil god's protective mirrors scattered among the players, he clearly saw this scene.
To be honest, he certainly wanted these natives.
While players are useful—capable of attacking, tanking, and resurrecting—they are ultimately an unstable fourth calamity, disappearing without a trace once they log off. The natives, due to their indigenous status, provide a steady stream of faith power, which, while not as explosive as the players', is extremely stable and consistent, given that their lives are tied to Li Wei.
More importantly, the operation of the temple, the cultivation of farmland, and even the issuance of trivial daily tasks to players all require these NPCs.
"However, I cannot make the decision directly."
Li Wei tapped the armrest of the throne lightly with his fingers, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"If I directly tell them to bring it back, then the players are just tools to carry out orders."
"But if they discuss, weigh the options, and ultimately make their own decisions... then they will feel a sense of mission and responsibility that we have saved these people."
"Just as cultural workers must be cultured, games must be playable."
"And nothing embodies the game more than the power to control the fate of others."
With this in mind, Li Wei mobilized the remaining deception and mental link authority within his divine essence, wrote a message, and precisely pushed it to the players present who possessed the Evil God's Heart-Protecting Mirror.
Buzz—!
What canned food, I said, Hakimi, North and South Green Beans, and others' chest protectors flashed red, projecting lines of pale red text.
[A major server-wide decision-making event has been triggered]
[Current option:]
[A. Accepting refugees: They must be escorted back to the temple and their initial food needs met.]
[Reward: Unlocks the [Territory Population] system, grants reputation, and unlocks potential NPCs for various professions.]
[B. Refuse: Let them fend for themselves, and even plunder their last possessions.]
[Reward: Obtain [Villager's Ragged Package] x1 (Contains: Broken Cane, Moldy Rye, and a Hollowed-Out Linen Robe).]
[The gods are watching you. Please make a decision through a field democratic vote within 5 minutes.]
...
At the entrance to the deserted village, the players saw this line of text.
"Brothers, what do you say?"
What canned food? I didn't act arbitrarily. Instead, I gathered the fifteen players around me together for an emergency roundtable meeting (which was actually just squatting on the ground in a circle).
"Is there even a question?"
I wasn't the first husky to speak. He glanced at the little girl shivering from the cold, then slammed the iron bar in his hand into the ground. "Of course we'll choose A! We're here to play a game, not to be murderers. Watching these old, weak, sick, and disabled people die would give me nightmares every night."
This is the emotional type.
"I also agree with choosing A, but from a perspective of self-interest."
Hakimi stroked his chin and analyzed, "Look at the background information. Although the Church of the Righteous God sounds glorious and righteous, it ran away at the crucial moment, leaving its believers here to die. On the other hand, our evil god, although it looks a bit like the underworld, actually provided equipment and resurrection."
"Moreover, this is a ready-made demographic dividend! If we bring dozens of people back, our logistics will be taken care of!"
This is the rationalist school.
Just as everyone was agreeing, "What canned food?" pointed to option B, pushed up his glasses, and revealed a knowing smile.
"Furthermore, take a close look at the comparison of these rewards."
"Option A unlocks a new system and gives it to an NPC. What does option B give? A broken cane? Moldy wheat? Ragged clothes?"
"What canned food?" I sneered. "This bastard's intention couldn't be clearer. Although he gave us the choice, he was actually implying that we should choose A."
"If he really wanted us to choose B, he could at least give us some contribution points or some freebies. Giving us a bunch of garbage is telling us: 'Choosing B has no benefits, or even negative benefits.'"
"Necessary guidance is also essential."
Shennong, who had come over from the side, added, "It's like playing an RPG. You can massacre a village, but you only lose a few coins. But you get a divine artifact by doing quests. Even a fool knows which one to choose."
"However..." Shennong, the herb taster, glanced back at the villagers whose eyes were filled with fear and helplessness, and sighed, "This is too realistic. Look at that old man, the despair in his eyes, and the frequency of that child's trembling. If this were my world, we could bully the villagers like cutting melons and vegetables, and even lock them in grids to use as breeding machines... But this damn game has done the details too well. Faced with this kind of scene, who with a little conscience could bring themselves to do nothing? This damn game planner is really infuriating, playing moral blackmail and profit-driven inducement so clearly."
"Therefore, the conclusion is obvious."
As for the canned goods, I concluded at the end, "Choose A. It aligns with conscience, benefits interests, and most importantly—it's the official answer."
I second that!
"Save them! We must save them!"
Within two minutes, a high degree of consensus was reached.
...
"Old man, get up."
"What canned food?" I said, turning around and striding up to the old village chief. I extended my hand, this time with much gentler movements.
"Our God is called 'Old Day'. He does not care about your past, nor whether you are old or weak."
He looked into the old village chief's cloudy yet yearning eyes, and his voice was firm:
"He only cares about the future. As long as you are willing to work hard for survival, the doors of the temple are open to you."
"Thank you... thank you, my lord! Thank you, my former master!"
The old village chief was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and the villagers behind him knelt down and kowtowed to the group of strangely shaped players.
"Alright, alright, stop stumbling and let's get going."
I'm not a husky, I can't stand this kind of sentimental scene. He picked up the little girl who had almost been bitten by the hyena and let her ride on his shoulders.
"Come on! Little sister, big brother will take you to ride the slide (pointing to the steps at the temple entrance that were covered in glue)!"
Thus, a strange group appeared in the misty forest of the land forsaken by the gods.
A group of shabby, armed followers of the evil god, acting like the most enthusiastic volunteers, carried the elderly, held children, and helped the wounded, chatting and laughing as they made their way towards the temple.
...
It was late at night when the group finally returned to the temple square.
The players who stayed behind to build the base were stunned by what they saw.
The civil engineering student put down the log he was holding, looking completely bewildered: "Holy crap? Weren't we supposed to be capturing slaves? How come we brought back a bunch of... grandpas and grandmas?"
"Stop talking nonsense! Come and lend a hand!" I shouted. "These are all going to be NPCs! Be polite!"
And on the high platform.
As the villagers stepped into the temple grounds, Li Wei, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
There were no cold system prompts, nor did the digital panel flash.
But he could clearly feel a warm throbbing coming from the depths of his divine nature. It was a long-lost, fulfilling feeling, like a long-dried riverbed finally welcoming its first trickle of water.
The moment these dozens of souls stepped into this place, due to their extreme desire for survival and their gratitude for being taken in by the gods, a faint but incredibly pure faith quickly arose within them.
The combined power of this faith even restored a trace of color to his originally pale, almost translucent fingertips.
Li Wei watched the heartwarming scene below:
The slime streetlamp, hung on the wooden frame by the reincarnation of Edison, emitted a faint green glow. To the villagers, this should have been a terrifying evil energy, but at this moment, in the cold, dark night, the green light seemed so warm, so reassuring.
Because that is the light of home.
"well done."
Li Wei once again mobilized his authority, sending a message to all players' heart-protecting mirrors (and their minds).
The event "[Choice of Faith]" has been completed.
[Decision outcome: Acceptance.]
[Alliance Shift: Chaotic Neutral -> Lawful Evil (leaning towards order-building).]
[Gained title: [Wasteland Benevolence] (Slightly increases reputation with NPCs).]
The players looked at the title, and although the name sounded a bit strange (after all, they were from the evil god faction), everyone was secretly pleased.
This sense of accomplishment—that I have truly changed the world—is something that no amount of top-tier equipment can buy.
"alright!"
I clapped my hands as I asked what kind of canned food it was, breaking the brief moment of warmth.
"The person has been brought back; the next issue is resettlement."
He pointed to several players in the crowd who looked very professional:
"Civil Engineering Dog! Edison! You two are in charge of planning. First, put the roof on the scaffolding we just erected, and set aside a few rooms for the elderly and children! From now on, you two will be our infrastructure duo!"
"Shennong!"
Shennong, who tasted hundreds of herbs, raised his hand. "Here I am!"
"Don't you know about plants? Go see if there are any seeds in the bundle the villagers brought, or ask the village chief where we can grow crops around here. Our food supply is in your hands from now on!"
"receive!"
"And Fatty... shall I teach you a lesson?"
"Coming, coming!" The fat cook ran over carrying a large black pot he'd seized from the kobolds. "I just made a soup with the leftover hyena meat and some wild vegetables Shennong found! It may not look very appetizing, but it's definitely not poisonous! Tell the NPCs to drink it while it's hot!"
The temple square erupted in excitement once again.
This time, however, there was less bloodshed and more of a down-to-earth feel.
Looking at the group of players below, who were noisy but had clear division of labor and were full of energy, Li Wei leaned back on his throne, feeling the power gradually filling his body, and smiled like an old father watching his child grow up.
Or, to put it another way, a farmer who watches his chives grow strong and healthy