Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Advent of God Cult

"4-1209 Slacking Off: @2-1908 Coco @6-702 The Lover I just searched for it but couldn’t find anything. Was the topic taken down?"

"4-1009 Lowell On Deadline: I couldn’t find it either. It was taken down really fast... For those of you who saw it, give us the details. @2-1908 Coco @6-702 The Lover."

"2-1908 Coco: The post said that The Advent Sect was founded after the cataclysms. Its founder claims a new god will soon descend upon the world, and the current disasters are all tests from this new god for humanity."

"2-1908 Coco: The founder of The Advent Sect calls himself an apostle of the new god. They’ve established their own system with a strict, clear hierarchy. All followers must surrender all their assets, which are then distributed by the sect."

"4-1209 Slacking Off: Are you serious? A new god? People actually believe that stupid line? They might as well believe I’m Julius Caesar!"

"3-805 Fruit Gummy: A new god? So powerful? I’m just a little girl, don’t scare me. What’s this new god got, an army? Does he have nukes? Tell me something that might actually convince me."

"6-702 The Lover: But the post said people from this organization really do seem to be able to predict the future... During the middle of the heatwave, they predicted the volcanic eruption that would happen months later, even getting the approximate time and location right. They used this to attract a large following."

"6-702 The Lover: After the organization grew, they started carrying out terrorist attacks. They claimed it was all the will of their god and that it was the only way for humanity to be freed from the current cataclysms."

"6-702 The Lover: Their attack methods are terrifying, too—all desperate, suicide attacks. Their followers include men and women, old and young. The ones with no combat ability, like the elderly and children, attack by strapping explosives to themselves and then running to military camps pretending to be victims seeking help..."

"2-1408 Bella Grant: That’s horrifying! What do these people even want?"

"2-1908 Coco: The post didn’t say what they want, but I think this is just how cults work, right? They mentally control their followers and have them create chaos. The more chaotic the situation, the more opportunities they have to recruit new members."

"2-1408 Bella Grant: It’s disgusting. They’re our own people, killing each other. Is that supposed to be something glorious? And they have the nerve to call themselves a god. Even if a god like that really showed up, we should blast it away with a cannon! We Cathaysians don’t welcome that kind of god!"

"4-1209 Slacking Off: It’s complicated. To be honest, I was feeling like life wasn’t worth living and was thinking of jumping off a building. But if there are terrorists out there trying to take my life, then I guess I have to keep on living."

"4-1209 Slacking Off: After all, my life is mine to give. No one else gets to take it from me (points accusingly at the cultists)."

"3-904 Leopard of Felinae: @4-1209 Slacking Off Don’t give up on life! Everyone, if you feel like you’re having mental health issues, remember to seek counseling. The emergency management office will also be arranging home visits in a few days. Life is precious, everyone must keep holding on!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"..."

Melody Summers frowned and read through the discussion about "The Advent Sect" again, her heart filled with shock and uncertainty.

The Advent Sect?

She searched for it online, and sure enough, the topic had been censored. Nothing came up.

Melody couldn’t help but wonder, ’Did this organization exist in my past life?’

’Or did it exist, but it was also censored, so I just never noticed?’

’And how could they predict a volcanic eruption? Could this person be a staff member from the volcano monitoring department? Or could it be...’

’...that they were reborn, just like me?’

Melody’s eyelids twitched, and a cold sweat broke out across her back at the thought.

’If there really are other reborn individuals, why aren’t they stocking up on supplies and trying to live a good life? Why would they do something like this?’

’If, as the netizen said, The Advent Sect is a cult from the neighboring province, then after they fled here, did they have any contact with the local gang leaders?’

’Is yesterday’s terrorist attack connected to the Adler Family and the Hayes Family?’

The more Melody thought about it, the more her mind spun into a tangled mess.

Right now, she could only hope that this group called The Advent Sect had been completely wiped out. An organization so utterly depraved would only be a scourge if it remained in the country.

After resting for a while, Melody’s thoughts calmed down. She locked her door and slipped into her space.

The moment her feet touched the grass in the space, Leopard flashed forward and pounced on her.

Caught off guard, Melody was knocked to the ground by Leopard.

She sighed helplessly and stroked Leopard’s head. The big cat acted just like a housecat, nuzzling against her and letting out a deep purr from its throat.

After petting the big cat for a while, Melody pushed him off, stood up, and went to the warehouse to get some beef offal to feed him.

Upon seeing the beef offal, Leopard began to eat with great relish.

Watching him eat so heartily made Melody realize she was a bit hungry herself. She ran to the fields, picked a tomato, gave it a quick wipe, and popped it into her mouth.

The sweet and sour juice, bursting with a rich, fruity aroma, spread across her tongue. Melody closed her eyes in contentment.

After finishing the tomato, Melody listed some more vegetables in The Arcadia Store.

The listings were sold out almost the instant she posted them. The speed was so incredible that Melody suspected her customers were using bots.

After having Albus help with shipping the orders, Melody casually browsed through her shop’s reviews and messages.

The beef she had sold a few days ago was receiving rave reviews.

"User xxx: This beef is too good! The meat is so incredibly tender. If I didn’t already trust the seller’s character and Arcadia’s quality, I would have thought it was processed meat."

"User xxx: Delicious! It has such a rich, buttery flavor. Please list more, seller!"

"User xxx: I got so lucky! I ordered two portions and received shank and brisket, which are perfect for stewing. My kid has been depressed because of the darkness and was refusing to eat, but once the beef stew was ready, he wolfed down three bowls of rice!"

"User xxx: The little master of the house absolutely loved it and even ate his rice mixed with the stew broth. He keeps pestering me to buy more. Can you restock it?"

"..."

Although customer demand was high, Melody had no plans to slaughter another cow for now. Their gestation period was simply too long, and it took a long time for a calf to mature. The small profit from selling beef... just wasn’t worth it.

Besides, she still had a lot of beef offal left. She would think about it again after Leopard finished the current stock.

After reading the reviews, Melody scrolled through her messages.

Aside from customers asking for restocks, there were also many companies hoping to partner with The Arcadia Shop.

To Melody’s surprise, a user named "Paige Walsh" had sent her many messages.

Paige Walsh had likely registered this account just to contact Melody.

In her messages, she said that the special medicine they had collaborated on for treating volcanic ash exposure had successfully saved many patients, pulling them back from the brink of suffering.

She also said that the loquat paste Melody provided was a core ingredient in the newly developed medicine, and that the credit for its success was all Melody’s.

Even though Melody had refused before, she still hoped Melody would leave her personal information so she could reserve this honor for her.

Perhaps because she hadn’t received a reply, Paige Walsh went on to explain the many benefits these honors could bring Melody.

Melody thought about it but still didn’t reply.

She felt it was just a small effort, and besides, she didn’t want to blow her cover right now.

With people like Austin Hale and Hector Hayes still at large, and now with this Advent Sect organization popping up, the situation was even more chaotic than in her previous life. It was better for her to just lie low at home.

In these times of cataclysm, things like claiming honors and taking credit were, in Melody’s eyes, nowhere near as important as living a peaceful life with her family.

Closing the shop’s page, Melody stepped out of her space, grabbed a few items of clothing from the closet, and prepared to head back to Sophie Thorne’s house.