This was a vast circular space.
A narrow metal walkway lined the edge, overlooking a bottomless abyss below. Darkness stretched above and in every direction, save for the thousands of screens floating in the air, arranged in irregular, nebula-like structures.
Each screen displayed a different scene: supernatural suspense dramas, detective procedurals, idol romances, and even some restricted-category films.
In the gaps between the screens, many people were scattered—some standing, some sitting, and others curled up in floating chairs.
They wore a chaotic variety of clothing: pajamas, formal suits, sportswear, cosplay outfits, and even bathrobes.
Their ages, genders, and appearances varied wildly, but they shared one commonality: each of them bore a numeric label printed on a prominent spot, such as their chest, back, or arm.
The numbers were written in fluorescent paint, varying in size but all strikingly visible.
One of the countless screens was broadcasting the Live Survival Game. The bald man was nearing the finish line, and comments drifted across the top of the display.
A young man in a yellow hoodie was watching with rapt attention, holding a cup of coffee. The number 9527 was printed on his chest. Nearby, others were engaged in heated discussions.
These were the Audience members, and at a glance, they looked like perfectly ordinary people.
Just then, the space nearby rippled slightly, and a figure appeared out of thin air.
“Finding you people was quite a hassle,” Yue Shi said, standing at the end of the walkway, his tone sinister.
The coffee cup slipped from 9527's hand. His mouth hung half-open as his gaze shifted from the screen to Yue Shi.
The people around him were equally stunned. A man in a plaid shirt stood up from his floating chair, sending the seat sliding backward until it collided with another.
A woman with pink hair yanked off her headphones. The cord tangled around her fingers, and she had to struggle for a few moments to tear it free.
A fat man in a dinosaur onesie poked his head out from behind a screen, a lollipop in his mouth.
“How is this possible?” 9527's voice was squeezed from his throat, his face flushing a deep red. He pointed a trembling finger at Yue Shi.
“How are you here? You're supposed to be...”
He turned his head toward the screen. On the display, the Yue Shi in the game had moved when the red light flickered on; he had committed a foul and was about to be punished.
9527 turned back to look at the Yue Shi standing before him, completely unable to distinguish reality from the image.
“What the hell is going on?” someone nearby shouted, their voice thick with panic.
It was clear they all recognized Yue Shi—he was the character in the Live Survival Game they had just been watching.
More people stood up, chairs sliding away and screens wobbling as they were bumped, causing the scenes on the displays to jitter.
“How did you get in here?”
“This is impossible! This place isn't open to outsiders!”
“Who are you? What kind of person are you?!”
Yue Shi frowned. “You're too loud. Shut up.”
No one shut up; instead, the noise grew even louder.
The social skills of this Audience seemed remarkably low. Faced with an emergency, they were utterly at a loss, and no leader stepped forward to take charge.
Some Audience members were paralyzed with fear, trembling uncontrollably. Others looked on with curiosity, chatting with those next to them, while a few tried to sneak away.
Of course, no one was going anywhere.
Yue Shi's shadow shifted, and countless ravens surged out from it. A black tide silently flooded the walkway and swarmed toward the floating chairs.
The sound of the ravens' wings was soft, but as they swept through the crowd, that sound was drowned out by screams.
The Audience was subjected to a brutal beating. Faces were scratched by wings, scalps were torn by claws, and eyes were pecked at by beaks.
Shouts, cries, and wails erupted all at once—a chaotic symphony of suffering. The various sounds blended together, echoing through the circular space.
After a while, the noise gradually subsided. It wasn't that they didn't want to scream; they were simply exhausted.
After the thrashing, their eyes grew remarkably clear.
The ravens perched in various spots, their pitch-black eyes fixed on the shivering Audience members.
Yue Shi stood at the end of the walkway, a malicious smile on his face. “I thought you'd be more capable. Turns out you're just embroidered pillows—all show and no substance.”
His words rang out with crystalline clarity in the now-quiet space.
9527, his face disfigured by the ravens, scrambled up from the ground. He stared at Yue Shi, his voice hoarse. “Who... who are you exactly?”
Yue Shi was speechless. “Before you cast a script on me, did you really not bother to find out who I was? You actually dared to play this kind of joke on me?”
9527 froze. He turned to look at the people around him. They looked back at him, shaking their heads and shrugging; evidently, no one had investigated Yue Shi's background beforehand.
They only knew that this long-haired man had suddenly appeared on the street, and because he was so good-looking, he had caught the Audience's attention.
Then, the Audience had collectively discussed and, following the majority vote, arranged an 'interesting' script for him.
The so-called 'interest' was strictly for the Audience's benefit; the actors who received the scripts never found them amusing.
But the Audience never cared. They only needed to sit in front of their screens, watch, send comments, and place bets—forever indulging in food, drink, and play.
From start to finish, they hadn't cared about Yue Shi's origins. They assumed that once anyone was here, they would be under their control. They never imagined someone would actually track them down to deliver a beating.
9527's voice was dry. “We didn't know... who Your Excellency was.”
Yue Shi nodded, drawing out his words. “Well, you should know now. Please call me Lord Evil God.”
Silence spread. The ravens crouched on the edges of the screens like a row of black sculptures.
“What? A god?!” The Audience members were inexplicably terrified.
They might not have had direct experience with divinity, but they certainly knew what it entailed. They had a fair idea of what kind of existence a god was.
Hearing Yue Shi claim to be an Evil God, some Audience members were nearly scared to death.
“Evil God...” someone in a corner murmured, their voice airy and faint.
“Is he for real?” 9527 took a step back, his legs shaking.
He didn't want to believe Yue Shi's words. What if he was just bragging?
However, everything happening right now was so surreal that he was forced to believe Yue Shi was telling the truth.
The fact that he could appear in this place and find the Audience proved Yue Shi's extraordinary nature.
Moreover, Yue Shi had just displayed terrifying power by summoning so many ravens. This was definitely not a normal person; he was clearly a transcendent.
Though the Audience was shocked to the core by Yue Shi's claim, they also felt a sense of sudden realization, as if they had finally found an answer.
Yet, some Audience members harbored a sliver of doubt. Would an Evil God actually call themselves an 'Evil God'?
They had never seen a real god, but they figured the difference between a 'god' and an 'evil god' was probably like the difference between a 'person' and a 'total jerk.'
When introducing themselves, no one would ever call themselves a jerk.
With that thought, the way some of the Audience members looked at Yue Shi began to change.
Rate on N.U.
