Who still pretends to be a pig to eat a tiger these days

In the dilapidated factory, under the dim candlelight,

a group of black-robed figures gathered, their heads slightly bowed, eyes closed, listening to the teachings of the elderly man on the platform.

The old man's face was calm, his shadow swaying on the wall.

"…The divine being has shared knowledge with us selflessly, no one should be kept in the dark…"

His voice seemed to possess some magic, and all the listeners were quiet and focused, absorbing the old man's words. A great divine figure gradually took shape in their minds.

It was a colossal form, brimming with infinite wisdom, too powerful to descend directly.

It stretched for thousands of feet, its form as ethereal as the stars.

"…Just a glance would captivate you, but mortal bodies cannot withstand the divine might, do not look directly at the divine…"

Every breath it took caused the stars to tremble, and every time it entered a state of contemplation, it resonated with all intelligent beings. If one were fortunate enough to align with the divine frequency, the divine being would generously share knowledge and power.

Time passed minute by minute, and the candles burned down to their wicks. As the old man announced that today's session was over, the people left reluctantly.

At the door, they found their friends and relatives, discussing their experiences.

"Benson, this is a great place."

"Right?" Benson grinned widely, looking like someone who had successfully recommended a favorite item to a friend. "Don't just call it a cult or monsters when you mention faith; it's a good place for spiritual comfort."

"I'm not at the point of faith, just that the old man's words are interesting."

"You'll understand over time; the more you know, the more you revere."

Benson was confident, having once thought the same, but now he was a devout follower of the Ancient God Cult.

"Hey!" His friend laughed, shaking his head. "Don't you remember the Stolen Operators?"

With the existence of Stolen Operators and the like, even the ancient gods in the stars couldn't compare to those who could traverse worlds. If one were to believe in various deities, one could argue about different powers. But those who transcend worlds are unique in their strength.

He didn't think he would abandon the Stolen Operators to believe in a possibly non-existent deity.

Benson waved it off. "They're just wanderers. The divine can also leave worlds, but they have duties and must stay, not that they are inferior to the Stolen Operators."

"Haha!"

Benson's friend laughed heartily, masking his awkwardness. Comparing the known strongest beings to a possibly non-existent deity—how could that be a fair comparison?

It was just Benson's opinion.

However, he was in a good mood and very tolerant, not pointing out Benson's fantasies.

"Let's come again tomorrow."

Benson's friend suggested, feeling a tenfold improvement in his state, perhaps even ninefold.

"It's next week."

"Then call me next week."

The two, like others, slowly walked away.

Unknown to them, the old man inside the factory gently closed the book, sighing deeply.

Although everything was proceeding as planned, he knew things had completely gone off track. Living in the crevices of the world, he was certain he had never seen a Stolen Operator.

If the Stolen Operators and the like couldn't be defeated, how would they deal with such a colossal entity?

"Tat tat tat…"

Footsteps from different directions echoed, a group gathered before the elder, bowing in unison, "Elder."

The elder was about to speak when faint footsteps sounded again.

"Pat, pat…"

The odd sound of shoes that didn't fit or feet lifted too low.

The elder frowned, quickly scanning the number of people before him, finding it matched, and immediately became vigilant.

The newcomer was likely one of the recent converts, so the elder refrained from attacking.

"Creak—"

A gentle breeze nudged the half-open door, a shadow slipping through the crack, a small figure appearing at the doorway.

As the door slowly opened, the person outside appeared before the Ancient God Cult, a child in a cloak.

But the members of the Ancient God Cult all stood, their faces tense with imminent danger.

The elder narrowed his eyes, his gaze like a hawk's, fixed on the child at the door.

The child slowly raised his head, his eyes pitch black, like black holes, as if a glance would ensnare the soul. His childish voice echoed in the empty factory.

Just three words, and the Ancient God Cult's murderous intent was fully exposed.

"Outsider?"

The killing intent from dozens of "people" was palpable, like the strong killing intent in comics, enough to make an ordinary person lose all will to fight.

Yet the child remained unmoved, delivering a final ultimatum: "Get out, this is our world."

This statement pierced the hearts of the Ancient God Cult, who had lost their world and found no other willing to accept them.

"Kill him!"

The thought of returning to the desolate crevices of the world filled them with dread. Unable to reproduce, life neither better nor worse, like stagnant water.

Despite setting aside past grievances to form the Remnant Tribe, daily gatherings to meet companions, a world of only humans was terrifying.

In the dark, endless days, countless tribe members went mad, choosing to end their own lives.

Thus, from reflecting on the destruction they brought to the world to invading others, just one meeting passed the plan to invade other worlds.

The Remnant Tribe communicated through thoughts, sharing emotions with each exchange, and the killing intent quickly spread among them.

Scattered thoughts did not form coherent thoughts, only the killing intent stronger than any other, Qi Yuan could not discern why they invaded other worlds.

The short Qi Yuan watched the drama impassively.

True hunters often appear as hunters!

Who still plays the weak to catch the strong these days?

A flood of thoughts surged into his mind, the boiling killing intent from the other side making Qi Yuan a bit nervous.

He hadn't yet grasped their true strength, not afraid of them having brains, but afraid they'd turn into brutes and overwhelm him.

So, he turned his gaze to their leader.

"Quiet!"

The elder signaled for calm, his gaze unfriendly, "We cannot comply!"

The worst had happened; he didn't harbor any illusions of deception. The other party had "coincidentally" come when everyone was gathered, clearly having investigated for a long time.

"…It means without shedding the body and showing true strength, we are not a match."

The elder then said, "You are not my match, we only want a place to stay, why fight to the death?"