Chapter 172: Internet God, I Repent to You!

The prairie barbarians have invaded again.

For the Harriman lords, especially the border lords, this is not unusual.

Those prairie demons living in the northwest of the Harriman Mountains always find ways to bypass the mountains and raid for supplies and people every winter.

But this time, in the prosperous spring, the tribes should be busy herding cattle and chasing pastures. Why stage such a large-scale invasion now?

Harriman lord Moritz couldn’t figure it out.

However, it didn’t have much to do with him.

His house was in the heart of Harriman territory. Although fleeing border residents occasionally passed by in winter, the terrifying prairie barbarians could never reach them under the protection of the great God of Night.

He firmly believed this! As the sun set, smoke rose from the stacked buildings in the city, the sunset like blood.

Old hunter Moritz sat in the yard, honing his machete in the afterglow.

“Dad, pack up quickly. The prairie barbarians are coming!”

Moritz’s only son, Charlie, rushed into the yard with a face full of panic.

“What nonsense are you talking about? We’re eighty thousand miles from the Harriman Mountains. Could the barbarians grow wings?” Moritz scolded with an old stern face.

“Dad, they don’t need wings. They have a teleportation array, you know? It’s all over the web. Bronte has already fallen! If we don’t run, it’ll be our turn sooner or later,” Charlie urged, stomping his foot.

“What? The web? You brat, you’re online again? Didn’t the reverend say it’s evil, it’ll consume souls, bring death? Without a soul, how do you reach heaven?”

Old hunter Moritz was both angry and worried.

“Dad, it’s not evil. Everyone’s using it, it’s fine,” Charlie argued anxiously, helplessly.

“You brat dare to argue? Don’t think I won’t send you to the Night Temple just because you’re my son!”

Moritz exploded, pointing a finger at his son’s nose.

Mentioning this so-called Internet dark web, Moritz’s heart filled with hatred for the Underworld God and Internet God.

The reverend was right; these strange happenings this year must be caused by them!

Those paper sheets falling from the sky were like white ghosts, flying everywhere, stripping souls—terrifying!

“Dad, you’ve been deceived. The Internet doesn’t consume souls. It consumes soul power, like a magician casting spells. The soul power will gradually recover.”

“What? Consume souls? You understand consuming souls? If the soul is consumed, how can it recover?”

Charlie, looking at his father’s obstinate face, anxiously paced like an ant on a frying pan.

Despite the Underworld God and Internet casting leaflets across the multiverse, users were still relatively few compared to the vast population.

Gods take their preaching areas seriously.

The ‘penance,’ ‘afterlife in the Godly Kingdom,’ ‘doomsday’ and similar thoughts washed countless fanatics.

Most of the lords were illiterate, spiritually impoverished, with poor discernment and information conveyed solely by officials or the temple.

As long as it wasn’t too fanciful and the logic somewhat consistent with their folk thinking, they believed it.

In truth, even on information-exploding Blue Star, how rare are such things?

“Boom!”

A terrifying explosion sounded from the city, interrupting Moritz and Charlie’s debate.

Father and son exchanged looks. “Oh no, the prairie barbarians have attacked. Quickly, pack up and run!”

“Impossible! The Night Temple will protect us!” Moritz was in disbelief.

Charlie was nearly going crazy!

How did he end up with such a stubborn old man? “Screech—”

The sharp call of an eagle finally ended the father-son argument.

They looked up to see dozens of giant eagles suddenly appear in the sky above the city, circling, occasionally diving to target important figures.

As the eagles flew sideways, warriors riding them could be seen.

They were the prairie god’s eagle riders! “Run!”

The father and son exchanged a glance, no longer arguing, and rushed into the house to pack.

When they finally ran out, the entire city was in chaos!

Throughout, there were fleeing civilians in terror.

People pushed carts, rode bicycles, carried belongings, fleeing in frenzy.

In the chaos, some took advantage, especially targeting those on bicycles.

Some bikes even changed several owners in no time.

Some, in despair, did not flee but smashed, looted, even assaulted women to vent fear. Amidst the chaos, Moritz and Charlie ran desperately.

They struggled to the city gate, only to be overwhelmed by despair again.

At the chaotic gate, prairie barbarians rode unicorns, looking at them greedily, like stray lambs.

Looking up, battle raged on the walls. Magic, Battle Qi, Divine Magic—various powers surged.

But this no longer concerned Moritz and Charlie.

A blocked gate meant their escape route was utterly cut off!

At that moment, countless prairie cavalry swung scimitars, slaughtering civilians, demonstrating their might and driving the crowd toward the city’s center.

More cavalry dismounted to loot goods and people in alleys.

“Don’t panic. The Night Temple will save us. The Night Temple will save us,” Moritz mumbled, caught in the crowd.

It seemed like he was comforting his son, but it was more for himself.

Charlie staggered, full of despair.

The Internet had broadened his horizons, increased his knowledge, yet now it brought him despair.

Because he knew they were doomed.

The city’s Divine Shield wasn’t activated, indicating the church had likely been attacked, and the city’s strongest force had fallen.

When they were herded to the city’s center, the teleportation array would activate, and they’d all become slaves to the prairie barbarians. Nobody would save them, nor could they.

The North Aye Prairie was too vast. The tribes moved with water and grass, assembled into mighty forces, scattered into tribes. Only the prairie god could find them.

In truth, Charlie was right.

When they were driven to the city’s center by the terrifying prairie barbarians, a portal towered up.

Groups of civilians were pushed into the teleportation array, disappearing.

The crowd roared, screamed, panicked, with many pushing back but their peers pushing forward.

Nobody wanted to be a slave to the prairie barbarians—not even a second longer.

“No, no, no… the Night Temple will save us…” Moritz watched, terrified and collapsing, shaking his head, praying to the Night Temple.

Indeed, many did likewise.

“Shut up! The Night Temple won’t save us! The God of Night is the true evil! What besides disaster has he given us? Huh?”

“And why didn’t you listen to me? If you had, we might’ve escaped by now!”

Charlie broke down, yelling at his father.

Moritz was startled, lips trembling, uncommonly without the dignity of a father to reprimand his son.

His eyes blankly scanned around.

At the crowd’s edges, more were dragged out by the prairie barbarians and pushed into the throng.

The few magicians and fighters who emerged were quickly killed.

In the sky, eagles circled, watching every corner of the city.

His piously trusted Night Temple was nowhere in sight. Now, Moritz broke down.

The crowd shoved, moved, despair spread! “Great God of Night, save us!”

“God, save us!”

In the crowd, prayers and pleas rose and fell.

Initially, some prayed to the God of Night, but slowly, other gods’ names were murmured.

Some began using ‘god’ as a blanket term for any savior.

People whispered all gods they knew.

“God of the Internet, save us!”

Some even invoked the Internet God.

“Internet God?”

Charlie listened to the chaos, full of pain.

This was Harriman; why would the Internet God save them?

However, as long as there was the Internet, he still had a chance.

——Now, his mind had only one thought: if captured by the prairie barbarians, he would strive to stay alive, use the Internet, practice magic, and find a chance to escape.

Slowly, Moritz and Charlie were pushed to the teleportation array. Just as they were about to be swallowed…

Moritz suddenly shouted, “Internet God, save us! I repent, I shouldn’t have slandered you!”

As his voice fell.

“Plop—”

A strange sound like a stone hitting water came from underfoot.

In Moritz’s stunned face, countless people fell into the earth like dumplings.

“This is… the fourth calamity. The Internet God is saving us!”

A joyful scream erupted from the crowd.

Moritz, also plunged into the earth, was dumbfounded. The next moment, tears blurred his eyes, flowing wildly.