"The New God Ranking?" The Guardian God casually flipped through the list, assuming this was the main point Lilith wanted him to see. He frowned. "The new gods born in the last few hundred years have been getting worse and worse. In your time, any one of the top 100 would easily make the top ten now."
He leaned closer to inspect the top ten of this issue. "Only the number one ranked [Dream Weaver] is somewhat interesting. Can her work Silk Threads of Sweet Dreams really influence the dreams of sleeping people? I imagine [Lady of the Night] would be interested in her."
"No, no, no," Lilith said, scrolling down the rankings. "I wanted you to see this."
"101st place, Lord of Pleasure?" The Guardian God curled his lip. What's so noteworthy about a new god who hasn't even cracked the top 100? But then he examined the portrait.
He stroked his chin. Although he had never seen this style before, it was surprisingly pleasing to the eye. Could this be a new god aspiring to join the "God of Painting" ranks?
Lilith continued, "While playing his work, I unexpectedly discovered that it could enhance my control over my own authority."
The Guardian God's expression immediately turned serious. He closed his eyes, sent a wisp of divine sense into the game, and opened them a few seconds later.
"Indeed… it's a very interesting work," he said. "Have you extended an invitation to him?"
Lilith nodded. "I invited him to join the God of War faction—but he refused."
"Oh?" The Guardian God leaned forward, intrigued. "A new god actually refused our pantheon outright? Has the God of War faction fallen so low that we can't even look down on a new god?"
Lilith shook her head. "Judging from his words, he doesn't want to be bound by a pantheon. Once he reaches demigod status, he could establish his own."
Another new god unaware of his own limitations.
"Even so, we don't need to make things difficult for him. We can simply befriend him. The God of War faction is part of the main god system; we're not petty."
After returning to his desk, the Guardian God dismissed the matter. Though Lilith's message was interesting, a new god was still insignificant compared to the work at hand.
"You can offer him some help first, to show goodwill. It's always good to make more friends," he instructed, then threw himself back into his work.
Lilith nodded. She had done her part; the rest was up to the Lord of Pleasure. Pleased with herself, she glanced around, casually pocketed a golden flower used as decoration, and quickly covered her head. She felt no pain—only the Guardian God's helpless sigh echoing from inside.
"There's a box of golden apples the goddess left me next door. I can't eat them all by myself. Why don't you take a few?"
"Hehe, thanks, boss."
…
Meanwhile, Zhang Tai, having just finished work, collapsed into a chair and casually opened the forum.
Suddenly, the backend, which usually received no spam, flashed red with 99+ notifications. Curious, he clicked in and discovered that his post from yesterday had become a trending topic.
The comment section was flooded with opinions:
[I'm Really Not a Rabbit: Isn't this game way too difficult? Can anyone even beat it?]
[Ceramic Knife: The atmosphere feels oppressive. Hardly a relaxing, stress-relieving game.]
[Blue Sky, White Clouds, Little Cow: The work is rubbish. Is the poster a masochist? I don't get it.]
Anger surged through Zhang Tai. He blushed as he typed a response at the bottom:
[Super Zhang: The game is challenging, yes, but not as bad as you say. The music and immersive visuals alone make it excellent.]
Still unsatisfied, he added another:
[Super Zhang: And the original artwork for Lady Pleasure is top-notch! After you die twice, she specially made another illustration to encourage players—not like some new gods who treat their followers like 韭菜 (chives—i.e., exploit them).]
He sent the comments with trembling hands, expecting no immediate replies. Just as he went for a sip of water, the instruments beside him started beeping wildly.
He picked up the device and saw that his comments had triggered dozens of replies. Most were mixed with negative opinions, but some were gentler:
[Eat a Grape: I think the game is very well made. I died a lot, but I improved every time.]
[Combat Pants: Same here. Learned some combat skills in school, but they were rusty. Dark Souls made me faster and more confident. Thank you, Lord of Pleasure!]
[Kobold Doesn't Shed Hair: I'm the dog of the Lord of Pleasure!]
[Still Water: I am the dog of the Lord of Pleasure!]
[Wind Howls: I am the dog of the Lord of Pleasure!]
+1
+1
Contrary to expectations, the heated debate slowly morphed into a bizarre echo chamber. Soon, nearly every comment simply read: "I am the dog of the Lord of Pleasure."
Even casual observers copied it, spreading the phrase among friends and family. The divine name "Lord of Pleasure" broke into wider awareness in a strange, viral way.
Curious newcomers flocked to the Lord of Pleasure's homepage. There, Lin Xuan's original 2D character artwork struck them like a hammer. People copied, shared, and tried out Dark Souls for themselves, eager to understand the hype.
Like every first-time player, they underestimated the tutorial monsters, feeling smug and making abstract predictions. But when they boldly pushed through the sacrificial site gates, the slowly awakening Guda taught them a lesson they would never forget.
In the distance, the God of Pain, idly reclining on his throne, head in hand, suddenly twitched.
"Holy crap… who's bumping into me?!"