[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-becoming-a-god-through-horror":3,"chapter-becoming-a-god-through-horror-becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-239":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Becoming a God Through Horror",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273782,4441,"Chapter 239: The Fish Has Taken the Bait","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-239",239,"\u003Cp>I’m Mina, a girl from an ordinary family in Texas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If nothing unusual happened, I’d probably finish high school, enter society, find a job to support myself—something like a waitress or dishwasher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after a few years, marry some average guy, worry together about insurance and loans, maybe one day expenses outstrip income, leaving us broke, forced to sell blood just to make ends meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just barely scraping by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life stretched out ahead, utterly predictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But maybe I was just a little luckier—I discovered my special ability in a nightmare, and met someone—yes, my boss, a mysterious, powerful man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He signed a contract with me; it might’ve looked like a soul-selling deal, but the pay was truly generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, to change my fate, I signed this “devil’s” contract and was sent to live with an old woman as an undercover agent, learning her skills and experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stayed like that for years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She transformed from an eighteen-year-old high school graduate into a mature adult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, my boss—who had seemed to forget her—finally remembered her and issued a summons; unable to refuse, she had to go, bound by her voluntary contract and the “Loyalty Assurance Pill” she’d taken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She arrived at a place called the Sanitation Company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, she met another old woman, whose aura resembled her master Elise—her name was Alma, and she became Mina’s new partner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boss assigned a mission: Mina and Alma would form a team to exorcise demons for the elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exorcism?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That should be easy enough—demons aren’t that common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, I realized I was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A request has come from the Hall family in the Boston district of Cambridge City. Based on the scout’s survey, it’s preliminarily identified as a medium-level demon. Mr. Fu has issued the order—both of you depart immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white woman with round glasses spoke in a sweet, high-pitched voice, but to Mina, it sounded grating, not charming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaahhhhh, got it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mina grabbed her tool box and headed out, meeting her partner Alma—the old woman polishing her gold-rimmed glasses—right in front of the Hummer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They got into the car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mina, you seem in a bad mood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, Ms. Alma, don’t you find this annoying? How many times is this this week? Back when I did exorcisms alone, it was never this insane.” Mina complained, yet kept rifling through her tool box, checking every item was present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are there so many damn demons now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alma smiled mysteriously; through divination, she’d uncovered a small secret, and with life experience, she’d already guessed why demons kept appearing in the homes of the elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no need to say it—better to avoid trouble. Don’t forget who you are now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mina, you forgot one thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alma pulled out a small peachwood cross pendant and a peachwood pendant of the Kitchen God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Every exorcism pays us, and selling these items earns us commissions—even regular intervals grant us points.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve seen what those points can be exchanged for, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, in essence, this is just a regular job—and compared to people who sell their time and labor for pennies, this is an incredibly generous deal. Why are you so annoyed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mina froze, fell silent for a moment, then sighed. “Alright, Ms. Alma, you’re right. I just haven’t adjusted yet—I’ll correct myself from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good girl. Now, let’s get to work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two walked toward a villa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of it, a man surrounded by servants looked panicked; a woman clutched a child, quietly weeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief exchange of words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mina and Alma entered, accompanied by a man holding a camera.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a shrill wail, a black, smoke-like entity vanished into nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether intentional or not, the demon was finally cornered by the window—Mina held two talismans, her expression stern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scene was witnessed by the villa’s owner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, Mina and Alma stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alma bowed slightly. “Ladies and gentlemen, the demon inside has been completely eradicated. If you would be so kind, please leave a good review.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, these talismans have exorcising power… this one? This is the Kitchen God, a deity who protects households…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. and Mrs., the Sanitation Company serves you with utmost dedication.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent. If we keep this up, their reputation will rise quickly—soon, they won’t even need to put on this show to earn the elite’s trust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s also polish up our soldiers, start taking jobs, and begin containment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sanitation Company’s initial strategy was to build a duo, gain the wealthy’s trust, and use that to infiltrate their circles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What came next was a different strategy entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, none of this currently concerned Louis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dividing departments, assigning leaders, and outlining next steps, Louis handed the company over to Fu Bo and went to MIT.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the bald director’s helpless stare, he finally enrolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, MIT’s coursework was surprisingly light—management was relaxed, most classes weren’t mandatory, heavily dependent on self-discipline; yet exams were brutally strict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t a problem for Louis—not because he was a genius, but because he hadn’t come here just to study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Connections, certificates, three girls—those were his real reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for classes? Just pay someone to do them. Every school has students like that—gold-plating, everyone understands, everyone’s done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Louis lived a leisurely life: occasional classes, most days spent lounging in his villa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Boston, in a location neither remote nor central—quiet but not isolated—stood a luxurious villa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis slumped in his chair, basking in the sun, holding a fishing rod lightly, the line floating in the pond before him. A breeze stirred the blue surface, rippling gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Louis,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yulenc dressed in a white suit, smiling confidently as he practiced his speech in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked every bit the polished elite—yet his smile radiated warmth, almost like a promising politician.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside him, Haley was buried in studying the earth vein node survey method Louis had taught her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d already memorized the formulas, but as a true learner, she kept trying to dig deeper—yet this chess-like system was beyond her grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d already smashed her third sand table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Mary—absolute genius—had nearly mastered the earth vein node survey method, so now she was relaxed: she braided Louis’s hair with her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis slept with half-closed eyes, completely unaware of what Mary was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mary giggled silently, weaving his hair into tiny braids, then shaping them into little figures—trying to build a “doll kingdom” atop his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the current state of everyone in the villa. As for the maids Fu Bo had arranged, they hadn’t arrived yet—still being organized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, for Louis, this was perfect—peaceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ding-dong…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phone rang abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mary flinched, darting behind Haley like a startled rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis opened his eyes; the phone floated up and answered itself. “Boss, the Warrens have moved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call ended. Louis pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warrens had arrived in Rhode Island—a small state south of Massachusetts, near New York, and close to Massachusetts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warrens came here because they received an exorcism request, and according to our intelligence, this one might actually be a real demon incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, a real demon incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the couple had resolved many demon cases over the years, those spanned decades—most “demon incidents” were fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either murders, mass hysteria, or mental illness—each case had different causes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only rarely were they real; only in recent years had the number of genuine cases begun to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warrens were someone Louis had been watching closely. This case was nearby and highly likely to be real—perhaps worth a trip?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, when will the nun-demon storyline begin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad this is a hybrid world—if it weren’t, I might’ve actively hunted them down instead of waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and decided to go—after all, it was close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The phone rang again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the fishing hook twitched—fish had bitten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call connected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, the company has made a major move—both arrays have been fully repaired. The chairman has personally ordered their activation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The timing is half a month from now—in Rhode Island…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The scale will be massive—heavy armed forces deployed, and the number of sacrifices is enormous. I can tell the chairman and the upper echelons are taking this offering very seriously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all, Master. Please be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The call ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The caller was Shi Misi, a survivor of Company W whom Louis had recruited during the unnamed female corpse case, and who had been turned into a spy under the idea of wiping them all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even been credited with a meritorious achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the man had called, reporting Company W’s upcoming actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Gluttony Array, the Sin-Eater Array—combine the two, and you get the complete Gluttony Array, which can resurrect a person and turn them into a Gluttony Follower...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also in Rhode Island. Quite a coincidence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like we have no choice but to go to Rhode Island this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope it’s not all show and no substance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Louis suddenly lifted his fishing rod; a large fish thrashed in the sunlight, shimmering with golden light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rhode Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A certain city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of capital is immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just an excuse, they had local officials cooperate, approved the land, and sent several construction teams overnight to begin work on the site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For days on end, the area roared nonstop, day and night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding residents grew weary of the noise, but with the compensation offered, no one caused trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the strict lockdown posture was so intimidating that few dared to approach and demand answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a building covered entirely in black cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Misi stood at the front, fully armed, facing his soldiers; farther off, more soldiers stood fully equipped, on guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their previous total annihilation, though he had failed, he had also succeeded—he had retrieved the Gluttony Array, so he remained one of the Chairman’s direct units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this short time, he had reorganized his team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, for this core mission, he had been called upon again, tasked with guarding and protecting this place, ensuring no one interfered with the sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engineer in charge here was a senior executive of the company; if successful, even top company executives would come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, resurrection was too tempting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not arriving immediately was already their way of preserving their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, this time… it’s really dangerous… Please don’t come, don’t come, don’t take risks—I don’t want my life to be on the line...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the black cloth-covered structure, at the five-pointed star array spanning over a hundred meters, built from blocks of black stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the various bloody offerings placed atop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, homeless men slaughtered like pigs, their bodies dismembered, blood pooling across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the deep trenches carved into the earth, severed limbs and blood had filled them completely, reeking of foul stench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked exactly like a slaughterhouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down from above, it was a bloody pentagram, surrounded by intricate crosses and circles—all filled to the brim with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terror, dread, and bloodshed defined the atmosphere here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Misi’s gaze never wavered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As captain, he must fulfill his duty!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He silently prayed inside: please, let nothing go wrong this time. Let the Master not come. Let the ritual fail—that would be best!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Warrens had already purchased tickets to Rhode Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This case involved a family who claimed a haunted house still affected them even after they had left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had contacted the Warrens through certain channels and provided evidence, which, though lacking credibility, prompted the Warrens to go due to their sense of responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1940,"2026-06-19T23:34:31.517Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3447bc59eaae287b1d9a0bb2ea784d5cca8ed5a1503ba7ab81f418b0767e6813","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-240","becoming-a-god-through-horror-chapter-238",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecoming-a-god-through-horror-cover.jpg"]