Becoming God of a Dystopian World

The Puppet Lord stared at Zhao Luo.

"Clap."

The puppet lord couldn't help but admire the young man in front of him.

"There are myriad challengers out there who are not even sure of their ultimate goal. But you, young man you have a clear goal."

The Puppet Lord said to Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo could feel a coldness taking over his body as he looked at the expressionless face of the Puppet Lord who was just admiring Zhao Luo a moment ago.

"Do you think you qualify to stand at the summit of your World?"

The Puppet Lord asked in a powerful voice.

Zhao Luo was silent for a moment but then one after another, moments of the past kept on rising in his mind.

The years that he spent in his mind. Then the years with the old man. Getting the Heaven Tomb from the old man. The meeting with owners of the Heaven Tomb. Mastering the Naoli. 

'Mhmm.'

Zhao Luo mumbled as memories passed through his eyes.

Zhao Luo couldn't help but smile when he remembered the old man and blush when he remembered the Goddess with crimson eyes.

"Junior, did my question embarrass you that your face is red like a fresh tomato?"

The Puppet Lord wasn't aiming to discourage Zhao Luo but he couldn't understand the reason behind the redness that was taking over Zhao Luo's cheeks.

He just wanted to see Zhao Luo's determination but it may have backfired. Thus the puppet lord decided to take the appreciative way.

First changing the way how he addressed Zhao Luo.

"I may not qualify now but there will be a day when the summit will beg me to stand there."

Zhao Luo replied to the puppet lord showing his utmost determination.

"Haha, Good. For a moment I thought you were thinking otherwise."

After seeing Zhao Luo's conviction firsthand, the pullet lord started looking around before looking at Zhao Luo again.

"Since the challenge has ended and you have gotten your reward, it's time to send you back."

The puppet lord said as the surrounding silver space was losing its color and the destroyed puppets started to vanish.

"What about my second reward?" Zhao Luo asked hurriedly as the puppet lord grinned at his question.

"I already gave you three rewards in the form of that black sword."

The puppet lord replied as though he had been very magnanimous while rewarding Zhao Luo.

"I wish you luck. Don't let Bellum down. Especially not me."

Before sending him out of the silver space, the puppet lord gave Zhao Luo his last words as an exit opened up in the space.

Before walking out of the exit, Zhao Luo looked at the Puppet Lord with a painful face.

"Sigh. Don't worry, I won't let you nor Senior Bellum down like you have let me down with your reward."

Zhao Luo left a verbal attack as he stepped towards the door of the silver space's exit. 

'I hope so.'

The puppet lord thought with a smile while gazing at Zhao Luo's disappearing back.

Zhao Luo still had this unhappy expression on his face.

'Woosh.'

Zhao Luo's body of consciousness was drifting in some sort of whirlpool and Zhao Luo could feel a pinching feeling in his head. After spinning in that whirlpool for a while he returned to his physical body that was standing in front of the pillar.

"Ah."

Zhao Luo moaned as he opened his eyes.

His hand was still on the moonstone but the shine of the moonstone was gone.

Zhao Luo looked upwards to see the top of the pillar and he realized that instead of a number there was a letter there.

"C"

Zhao Luo looked at the 'C' and guessed that it was for 'Clear' or 'Complete'. 

'I did it.'

With a tragic face, he nodded his head confirming that he had cleared the moonstone challenge.

The reason behind the sad expression on Zhao Luo's face was indeed an extraordinary one.

'Hmm, so I got Blackey. The Puppet Lord didn't give me anything else. He didn't even sneak something inside my body.'

Zhao Luo confirmed as he couldn't feel any change in his body and peered inside his storage space. 

'Who is the miser here?'

Zhao Luo wondered as Bellum was indeed the more generous one among the two.

"He is back."

A disciple said while looking at Zhao Luo's eyes. 

Unlike before when Zhao Luo was inside the silver space and his eyes were closed then, now they were wide open.

"Zhao Luo."

Some disciples shouted at him.

This sudden shout was enough to give Zhao Luo a momentary heart attack.

'Who's attacking?'

Zhao Luo assumed as he turned around just to see thousands of disciples staring at him in awe.

"Zhao Luo."

"Zhao Luo."

"Zhao Luo."

.

.

These disciples starting cheering for him by repeating Zhao Luo's name again and again.

They kept on going till only Zhao Luo's name reverberated in the whole training area.

Zhao Luo looked stunned. He was there when Ruo Qing had reached stage 45 but there wasn't such a reaction so why was everyone so excited.

"Hmm."

Zhao Luo wondered but the feeling of happiness was overwhelming him as he walked down the stage.

He could see Feng Mei and Yan walking towards him. 

Mo Lee was also there with them.

"Brother you are really the star of our trainee hall."

Mo Lee rushed ahead of Yan and Feng Mei just to grab Zhao Luo's hand and praise him.

'This guy.'

Feng Mei and Yan cursed as they saw Mo Lee taking Zhao Luo for himself.

By right it was their turn to congratulate Zhao Luo but he had to break the order.

Thud!

They pushed Mo Lee to the right and grabbed Zhao Luo's hands.

"Brother you are so amazing."

"Zhao Luo you are incredible."

Feng Mei and Yan said as Zhao Luo couldn't help but show them a sincere smile.

"They are right. You are indeed an incredible individual. I was right to barge in your room that day."

Zhao Luo heard a familiar voice as Wu Yang entered in his view from among the crowd.

Wu Yang was talking about the day before Zhao Luo challenged the Drums of Bellum otherwise known as the War Cry Challenge.

"Where were you?"

Ignoring the compliment that Wu Yang had given him, Zhao Luo questioned Wu Yang about his disappearance.

He wanted to know as Wu Yang had suddenly left them.

"That...I had something important to do."

Wu Yang said while scratching his head. 

'He's hiding something.'

Zhao Lup could easily see through the way Wu Yang answered him.

"Well, it's good that you are back now."

Zhao Luo didn't dwell on the fact that Wu Yang was hiding something but instead welcomed him wholeheartedly.

"How is it like clearing the stage 100?"

Wu Yang asked Zhao Luo.

"Hard. Hard enough to make me go at it in full-"

'Huh'

Zhao Luo who was telling Wu Yang his experience suddenly stopped.

"How did you know if I cleared stage 100 or not?"

Zhao Luo inquired as for him he had only fought till 50th stage. 

Wu Yang looked at Zhao Luo and opened his mouth.

"Brother it's because the pillar showed 100 before it turned to C."

Before Wu Yang could answer Zhao Luo, Mo Lee interjected.

"I see."

Zhao Luo mumbled as he remembered the Puppet Lord.

'He must have changed the stage number.'

Zhao Luo assumed.

While Zhao Luo was talking with them, other disciples started going up the stage.

A fierce fight broke out on the stage as the disciples aimed for the 7th pillar which was in the middle of the ring.

But that wasn't the reason they were fighting to stand in front of the pillar.

It was solely because Zhao Luo, the star and hope of the Trainee Hall had taken the moonstone challenge in front of that pillar.

After a fierce fight, a disciple finally emerged successfully and stood in front of the pillar.

Unfortunately, he couldn't even pass stage 30.

While the disciples were taking their turns, Zhao Luo was listening to how well the others did in the moonstone challenge.

"Brother I had to face these puppets. They were good at fighting. Then I pulled out my spear but in the next stage, they started using spears too. I was fighting well but then three puppets came at me, I fought them and defeated them. But the puppets never stopped coming. I tried my best but defeating so many puppets is too much for me."

First Feng Mei started telling her experience.

Nobody interrupted her or made fun of her. And how could they anyway? It was like paying attention to a cute angel in human shape.

Zhao Luo listened to her cute little sister attentively and patted her head when she ended telling them her challenging experience.

"You did well."

Zhao Luo told Feng Mei as she closed her eyes and giggled while feeling the gentle hand of Zhao Luo rubbing her head.

"How about you?"

Zhao Luo looked at Yan and asked.

"I had the same experience. It was hard but I tried my best."

Yan answered with confidence. She knew that she did as much as she could. 

'Pat.'

Zhao Luo brought his hand closer to her face and patted her head.

"Good job."

Zhao Luo encouraged her.

While the affection continued as Zhao Luo's hand was still on Yan's head, Mo Lee jumped in between them surprising Zhao Luo and the embarrassed Yan who couldn't hide her blushing face.

'Why is this guy blushing?'

Mo Lee thought after taking a glimpse at Yan and then turning away to look at Zhao Luo.

"Brother let me tell you my experience."

Mo Lee announced to Zhao Luo.

"Haha, go ahead."

Zhao Luo said after seeing how excited Mo Lee was to share his story.

"I was surrounded by multiple puppets. They all had fist knuckle in their hand. But I wasn't scared instead I jumped at them."

Mo Lee told them as he circled around Zhao Luo and the others.

"Then 'Pow', 'Pow', 'Pow', yeah just like that I destroyed them one after another."

Mo Lee started punching in the air like showing them his technique. While making the sound effect of his punches which was funny to watch.

Zhao Luo and Wu Yang were barely holding their laughter. While Yan and Feng Mei were shaking their heads at Mo Lee's dumb acting.