Chapter 36: The Path of Faith

"You're absolutely right, but unfortunately I can't sense your faith. Otherwise, I'd definitely want to see what's inside your box." The gray-robed figure seemed quite interested in Lin Ye, but since it couldn't detect any faith from him, it was unable to take action against him.

"It might not be as interesting as you think. May I leave now?" Lin Ye didn't believe the simulation could be completed so easily, but he had to at least try to get out of here.

"Of course, take that box with you as my gift. However, even if you leave this church, unless you choose a deity to worship, you won't be able to leave this place alive." The gray-robed man was remarkably friendly toward Lin Ye. Since Lin Ye didn't worship its god, he was considered a guest of the church, and guests were always treated this way.

"Thanks." Without another word, Lin Ye stepped forward, picked up his companion's box, and left the church.

The moment he picked up the box, a notification flashed before Lin Ye's eyes:

Just outside the church, Lin Ye froze in his tracks. Instead of the prison transport and overseers, or even the suburban area before entering the church, he found himself standing on a wide white stone path flanked by various church-like buildings on both sides.

"Sigh, knew I couldn't get out that easily." Although Lin Ye had anticipated this, the situation still gave him a headache.

'So I must choose a deity to worship before I can leave.'

'Moreover, worshiping a deity likely involves spiritual connection - even returning to the shelter might not free me from so-called gods.'

'And that's not even the biggest problem.'

Lin Ye grabbed his hair, his expression troubled. He didn't believe he could truly worship any deity.

This wasn't a matter of willingness, but capability. Even if Lin Ye wanted to worship a god, he doubted he could actually do it.

Faith wasn't something you could fake with empty words - it required complete devotion. Trying to half-heartedly pay lip service to a deity would likely end worse than his teammate's box.

'Whatever, I'll figure it out as I go.'

Lin Ye walked along the stone path toward the next church. The distance between churches wasn't far, only a few hundred meters, but for some reason, their full appearance only became clear upon close approach.

The second church had a milky white dome. A pale-faced priest in black vestments stood outside, somewhat resembling a barber shop tout trying to pull in customers.

"Hello, care to come inside?" The priest seemed unable to leave the church's vicinity, dramatically stretching out his hands as if to grab Lin Ye.

"Get to the point. I'm busy." Lin Ye took a step back to avoid physical contact.

"Very well. You don't worship any deity yet, do you? Those without faith cannot leave here. Pledge yourself to our Lord, and not only will I send you safely away, but our Lord will also grant you supreme power." The priest wore an exaggerated smile, his expression eager.

He looked less like someone recruiting believers and more like a starving man presented with a feast.

"Let's talk concrete benefits. Cut the nonsense and don't treat me like a newbie. What tier is your god? Do you distribute runes? Any evolution paths? How far can your god support my advancement?" Lin Ye didn't mince words. He planned to attempt joining a church later, so he wanted to understand the market first.

"Eh? Gods have tiers? You get items for joining? Why didn't I—" The priest was clearly thrown off by Lin Ye's professional terminology. For a moment, he even felt like the newbie Lin Ye implied he was.

"Tch, just another clueless rookie. What a waste of time." Lin Ye walked past the priest toward the next church, leaving the priest standing outside in deep thought.

The third church was constructed entirely from piled bones. Long before getting close, Lin Ye felt overwhelming unease.

So he didn't approach at all, simply detouring around it.

The next several churches all looked extremely sinister, as if displaying corpses outside was some mandatory fashion trend.

After half an hour's walk, Lin Ye finally encountered a reasonably normal-looking church.

This was a pure black, steeple-style church with conservative architecture that gave off a clean, minimalist aesthetic.

This church gave Lin Ye an odd sense of familiarity, though he couldn't place why.

Upon entering and seeing the massive void at the church's center, Lin Ye instantly understood his sense of recognition.

This was a church connected to the Abyss.

Lin Ye turned to leave, only to find the void had expanded to fill everywhere behind and around him.

Except for the spot beneath his feet, there was no longer any solid ground in the church.

A nun dropped headfirst to hover upside-down before Lin Ye, silently staring at him from her inverted position.

"Do all nuns here hate talking?" Lin Ye deeply regretted his choices. Since being selected by the system, he'd never encountered anything good. The moment he felt that familiarity, he should have turned around.

"You're deeply connected to the Abyss. You'll fall into it eventually. Why not worship our Lord now and secure patronage in advance?" Like the gray-robed man, the nun was extremely friendly.

"Not necessary yet. Let's talk after I actually fall in." Lin Ye dared not further entangle himself with the Abyss. He'd prefer finding a weaker deity for nominal worship.

"What a pity. You may leave then - just jump down to exit." The nun stared at Lin Ye as if urging him to hurry up and jump.

Lin Ye gazed into the dark void below, neither jumping nor responding. He simply kept watching, letting time pass.

After five minutes, the nun finally lost patience. Maintaining this state apparently wasn't cost-free.

The ground reformed, and the church doors reappeared before Lin Ye.

Still, Lin Ye didn't move. He couldn't be sure the ground wouldn't vanish again, or even if what he saw was truly solid ground.

Fundamentally, Lin Ye couldn't determine the true method to leave this place.

Was opening the door the way out? Or was jumping down the correct exit? How should he even jump?

Moreover, even if he left here for another church, without worshipping a deity, ending the simulation seemed difficult. This might be his best opportunity.

So Lin Ye decided to take the risk.

Locking eyes with the nun, he spread his arms and leaned backward into the Abyss, falling headfirst like the nun herself.

If you won't let me leave, then I'll have to come closer.

The nun couldn't help but admire Lin Ye's courage and luck. The void below was indeed the exit - but one had to leave upside-down.

Many guests had visited this church, but few dared leap into the void, and those who left inverted could be counted on one hand.

"Truly one favored by the Abyss. May we meet again in its depths soon."