Becoming an Evil God and Stealing His Wife - Chapter 1

When Li Jiu opened his eyes from the icy ground, half of his face was submerged in blood, and a bizarre sound echoed continuously next to his ear.

Crunch, crunch…

Dizzy and disoriented, he scrambled up from the floor. His mind could vaguely recall resting at home just moments prior.

Instead, he found himself in a dark, damp basement. The walls were covered in eerie black patterns, and the single tungsten bulb overhead cast a dim, yellow light.

Where is this?

What is that smell? It stinks.

Li Jiu covered his nose, but froze in place the next second.

Countless corpses, their limbs twisted and expressions frozen in terror, lay strewn across the floor. Above the pile of bodies, a massive, shadow-like entity covered in “eyes” writhed continuously, chewing and devouring the corpses. Severed limbs, shredded flesh, and spilled entrails littered the ground. A torrent of blood flowed like a stream right to his feet, its rich, metallic stench blending with a foul gas to create an indescribably nauseating odor.

“Blegh—”

The scene was so horrific and repulsive that Li Jiu wanted to vomit and retreat, but he discovered his body could not move an inch. Absolute terror seized his entire mind, leaving him unable to even look away. The longer he stared at the monster, the deeper his dread became, and his expression gradually twisted into a grimace looking more and more like the corpses on the ground.

…I’m going to die…

Don’t look at it…

It’s looking at him!

The terror spiked. Just as Li Jiu’s consciousness was on the brink of collapse, a cool hand covered his eyes.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Li Jiu snapped his eyes open, panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

The small, windowless room was pitched black. As he awoke and moved, the narrow, broken wooden bed beneath him let out a soft creak.

Another nightmare.

Half a month ago, he had inexplicably transmigrated into this world. The moment he opened his eyes, he was in that basement where a horrifying monster was devouring people. If a mysterious person hadn’t suddenly appeared, he would already be dead.

Even though he had escaped danger and the gang that tricked the original owner of his body into the basement had been caught, he still had frequent nightmares, re-experiencing that near-death sensation over and over. It was deeply unpleasant.

Completely unable to fall back asleep, Li Jiu sat up in bed.

To transmigrate back, he had tried countless methods over the past weeks, even doing things that might make him look insane to others. He didn’t care what people thought; he just wanted to return to his original world. Yet, all those attempts had failed.

Could it be that I really can’t go back?

At the thought of potentially being stuck forever in this strange, dangerous world with all his past hard work reduced to nothing Li Jiu felt like going mad.

No, there must be a way.

Li Jiu steadied his mind. To distract himself, he reached out to grab a book resting on a nearby stool. Halfway through the motion, he let out a bitter laugh. The room was so dark that even if he picked it up, he wouldn’t be able to read it, let alone see what it looked like.

Yet, when Li Jiu actually picked up the book and turned it over, he could see it clearly.

Old, unremarkable, thick, and very heavy.

There was a line of text on the cover. It wasn’t the common script used in this world—Li Jiu had never seen it and didn’t recognize it but he understood it instantly.

“Illustrated Handbook.”

Li Jiu flipped past the cover and saw another line of text on the title page: [If discovered, you will die.]

How strange. Where did the original owner find such a bizarre book?

Li Jiu searched through the original owner’s memories for a moment but found no trace of it. Instead, he had found it tucked in his coat while fleeing the basement. Because it was heavy and hindered his escape, Li Jiu had considered throwing it away. In the end, thinking it might have been something precious to the original owner, he kept it.

Now it seemed the handbook had nothing to do with the original owner; it had appeared only after he transmigrated.

Li Jiu’s heart suddenly hammered against his ribs. Could my transmigration be connected to this handbook? Is the way back hidden inside it?

Li Jiu quickly flipped past the title page, but found only blank pages. After turning about forty pages, he finally reached a section with content.

His pupils contracted. “This is…”

Amid a diffusing shadow, countless cold, horrifying eyes stared back. Just looking at it sent a shiver of absolute terror down one’s spine. It was the very monster he had encountered in the basement!

Name: Blood Eye Level: Level 2 (Highly Dangerous) Ability: Eye of Terror Weakness: Eyes Notes: Do not look at it unless you want to be scared to death and eaten. It can inflict terror on thousands of people simultaneously, though the intensity drops. Make no mistake, it can still scare you to death; it might just take a bit longer.

It matched what Li Jiu had experienced exactly. This was indeed information on that monster.

If everything written here was true…

He suddenly gained a deeper understanding of just what kind of world this was, and his desire to transmigrate back intensified. This is way too dangerous!

The monster he saw before was even more terrifying than he had imagined capable of terrorizing thousands at once? And with a handbook this thick, just how many monsters were there in this world?

Feeling utterly overwhelmed, Li Jiu continued to flip through the book to see if there was anything else. However, the subsequent pages were entirely blank, and the last half of the handbook seemed stuck together, impossible to turn.

Could this handbook really send him back?

Li Jiu didn’t know, but for now, he could only pin his hopes on it. Perhaps uncovering its secrets would reveal the way home. As for how to do that.

Looking at the only page with content, Li Jiu guessed it was inextricably linked to the monsters. With so many blank pages and the only entry being a monster he had personally encountered, he figured that blank pages could only be filled by encountering them. To uncover the secrets of the handbook, he might just have to complete it.

That was exceptionally dangerous. The Blood Eye he ran into before still plagued his nightmares. He had seen just how powerful it was from the entry.

But he wanted to live in a world like this even less.

Li Jiu muttered under his breath, “There have to be monsters that aren’t this dangerous, right?”

Once a decision was made, he needed to think carefully about his strategy.

First and most importantly: Stay alive! Only by staying alive is anything else possible.

Based on that, three points branch out:

1. Secure survival in this world. The original owner lost his job due to absenteeism after being tricked. He needs to find a job first to secure a stable income.
2. Secrecy. Both the handbook and the transmigration must remain a secret. If discovered, death is the most likely outcome.
3. The first two points are the prerequisites and foundation. Only then can he figure out the handbook. But this is the most troublesome and difficult task, and it will likely take a very long time. Hunting for monsters cannot be rushed; he must prepare thoroughly, or it’s just suicide.

Worse yet, there seem to be quite a few monsters in this world. If he accidentally runs into one…

[Run.]

An ice-like voice echoed in Li Jiu’s mind. Those were the words the mysterious person had spoken after saving everyone in the basement. At the time, he had run out with the crowd, barely managing not to fall behind. He saw that those who fell behind had all died.

“As expected, I should start practicing running first. If I encounter danger again, I can run faster.” Li Jiu plotted continuously.

“Cough, cough, cough.”

A girl’s muffled, suppressed coughing came from the adjacent room.

Li Jiu glanced toward the wall and prepared to put the handbook down. It couldn’t be discovered, so he needed to find a hidden, secure place to conceal it.

With that thought, the weight in his hand vanished. The handbook had disappeared. Yet, he felt a strange connection to it. With a thought, the handbook reappeared in his hand.

Convenient.

Storing the handbook away, Li Jiu left the bedroom and poured a cup of water in the cramped space that could barely be called a living room. He walked over to the adjacent door and knocked gently.

The girl’s coughing quieted down. “P-Please come in.”

Li Jiu pushed the door open and set the cup on the wooden stool beside the bed. Looking at the frail girl lying there, he said, “If you need to cough, just cough. Don’t hold it in.”

A string of continuous coughing followed. Once she finished, the girl lifted her face from the blanket, looking at Li Jiu with surprise and delight. “Brother?”

Aided by the faint morning light filtering through the window, her appearance was barely visible. First were a pair of large, timid eyes. Her features were delicate and cute; she should have been a very beautiful girl. However, the black markings covering her face made her look somewhat frightening.

Even though he had seen her a few times now, Li Jiu’s pupils still inevitably contracted.

Noticing his subtle expression, tears welled in the girl’s eyes. She buried her face back into the blanket, her body trembling slightly as she let out occasional coughs.

“I’m spiritless,” Li Jiu apologized immediately. Seeing how uncomfortable her coughing was, he added, “Why don’t you have some water first…”

The girl’s body stiffened. She lifted her head from the blanket, her eyes still red, but reached for the water cup anyway.

How obedient, Li Jiu sighed inwardly, seeing a reflection of his own childhood self. He leaned over and gently patted the top of her head. “It’s still early. Rest a bit more after drinking the water.”

The girl nodded blankly.

Li Jiu left the bedroom, quietly closing the door behind him. He crossed the living room and walked out into the courtyard. The moment he stepped outside and breathed the outdoor air, he began to cough as well. His eyes, nose, and lungs felt uncomfortable all over.

During the day, a faint black mist permeated the air. Even after so many days, he still hadn’t psychologically adjusted to it. The black mist blocked the sunlight; even at noon, the sun was invisible. Every day felt like an overcast, suffocatingly oppressive day.

Li Jiu began to stretch his body in the narrow courtyard.

The person he had transmigrated into was named Li Jiu, nineteen years old. His parents had gone missing half a year ago and were confirmed dead three months prior, leaving him and his eleven-year-old younger sister, Li Mengmeng, to depend on each other.

Li Mengmeng suffered from a severe case of Black Mist Disease. The illness not only affected her appearance but also left her body frail, requiring constant medication to maintain her health. Because of this, she was quite insecure and refused to go outside to see people.

Their family was already poor. Losing their parents’ income made life even harder. Li Jiu had been forced to seek out alternative sources of income, which led to him being tricked into that terrifying basement, never to return. The one who came back was the current Li Jiu.

He admitted he was selfish. Before, he had focused entirely on transmigrating back, giving no thought to Li Mengmeng. Even now, he was still contemplating how to return. But his transmigration was an anomaly, and the original Li Jiu’s death had nothing to do with him; he simply couldn’t give up his original life to stay in a world like this for a stranger.

However, since he couldn’t return for the time being, he was willing to take on the responsibility of a brother, caring for Li Mengmeng as much as possible and securing a safe path for her before he left.

After stretching, Li Jiu went out for a morning run. He returned heavily out of breath as the sky grew lighter.

“Brother, have some water.”

Li Mengmeng had already gotten out of bed. She carefully carried a cup of water out from the living room.

Li Jiu took the cup. “Thank you, Mengmeng.”

Li Mengmeng’s eyes widened, and she said rather shyly, “Y-You’re welcome.”

After drinking the water, taking a quick wash, and changing his clothes, Li Jiu walked toward the crude kitchen in a corner of the yard. Li Mengmeng was already inside, struggling to light the stove. She had accidentally smudged some black ash onto her face. The fire wasn’t lighting, but a lot of smoke was pouring out, causing her to cough repeatedly.

“Let me do it,” Li Jiu said.

Li Mengmeng stood up and moved aside bashfully.

Li Jiu skillfully lit the fire to boil water, then asked, “How about some roasted grey taro?”

The ingredients in this world were very similar to those on Earth; many things found on Earth could be found here as well. The main difference was the presence of the black mist. It blocked the sunlight and affected plant life, resulting in low yields and poor flavor for crops, vegetables, and fruits.

It wasn’t until a century ago that this issue was somewhat addressed when someone discovered a method to mitigate the black mist’s impact on plants. Over the past hundred years, the methods had improved, and the prices of these ingredients had gradually dropped. Meat prices were affected too, becoming slightly cheaper, but it was still something the current Li Jiu could not afford.

They could only afford grey taro.

Grey taro was unique; its yield was larger than other crops, but its taste had not improved—in fact, it was worse. Any family with a bit of money wouldn’t touch it. Because of this, it was cheap, and only the poor were willing to eat it. Currently, the original owner’s cellar contained nothing but this.

Li Jiu asked, “Or would you prefer it boiled?”

Li Mengmeng replied, “Whatever you prefer, Brother.”

Li Jiu nodded, retrieved four fist-sized grey taros from the cellar, and washed them clean in the kitchen. Once the water boiled, he poured it into a thermos flask and began to roast the taro over the fire.

He was an excellent cook with great control over the heat. The grey taro was roasted until the skin was slightly charred and the inside was soft and fluffy. Once cooked, it even gave off a faint aroma.

Li Mengmeng watched expectantly from the side. “It smells so good. It must be delicious.”

Li Jiu kept his expression neutral, but his heart felt bitter. He knew that no matter how good his skills were or how nice it smelled, this stuff could never taste good.

Suddenly, the sound of a man and a woman arguing fiercely drifted over from next door.

Li Mengmeng turned her head to look. “They’re fighting again.”

Li Jiu didn’t even lift his eyes. That couple argued constantly. As long as they didn’t do it during resting hours at night, he had no complaints.

Li Jiu placed two of the roasted grey taros onto a plate, brought it to the small table in the yard, carried the thermos over, and poured a bowl of hot water for each of them. One grey taro and one bowl of hot water each that was breakfast.

“Let’s eat.”

The two sat down at the table.

Li Jiu broke open the grey taro and took a bite, skin included. A fishy, unpleasant taste spread through his mouth. His face twisted slightly in discomfort; it was almost impossible to swallow, and he managed it only by washing it down with water.

Terrible.

For someone who had lived in a world with a rich culinary culture, eating this stuff for half a month straight was pure torture. He sighed, silently thinking that let alone meat, even a single potato would be a luxury. A simple roast potato would taste great, and even boiled it wouldn’t be bad. If it could be paired with some chili powder.

Li Jiu’s mouth watered at the thought. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even afford potatoes right now.

“Mengmeng.”

“What is it, Brother?”

“I’m going out to look for a job in a bit. Once I earn money, I’ll roast potatoes for you. No, bah, how unambitious. Once I earn money, I’ll roast meat for you, how about that?”

“Brother, are you going to go out and do strange things again?”

Li Jiu felt a bit awkward. “Probably… not anymore.”

“Then will you run into danger like before?”

Li Jiu froze. Only now did he realize that what lay in Li Mengmeng’s eyes was worry and fear. But if he wanted to uncover the secrets of the handbook, running into danger or even actively seeking it out was inevitable.

Li Jiu remained silent for a moment before saying seriously, “I will be careful.”

Li Mengmeng smiled sweetly, revealing two small dimples. “Okay.”

Li Jiu smiled back. “So, do you want to eat roasted meat?”

Meat. He heard it was a food far more delicious than grey taro. If his brother roasted it, it would surely taste amazing. But meat was very expensive.

A look of longing flashed through Li Mengmeng’s eyes, and she couldn’t help swallowing her saliva. Yet, she sensibly said, “Brother, Mengmeng doesn’t want to eat it. If you earn money, save it. Mom said you’ll need a lot of money to marry a sister-in-law in the future.”

The image of the silver-haired mysterious person from the basement flashed through Li Jiu’s mind. He blurted out, “No need, I don’t like gir—”

Li Mengmeng blinked her innocent, large eyes.

Li Jiu coughed. “Uh, it’s nothing. How much medicine do you have left? Is it running out?”

Li Mengmeng replied, “There’s still quite a bit. It can last for a while. If it’s running low, I’ll tell you.”

Li Jiu nodded. “Good girl.”

After finishing the meal, he packed his things, slung a cloth bag sewn by the original owner’s mother over his shoulder, took a cup of water, and packed the remaining roasted grey taro for lunch.

As he headed out the door, Li Jiu instructed, “Mengmeng, I’m leaving. Remember not to open the door for strangers. If I return late tonight and you’re hungry, boil some grey taro for yourself first.”

Li Mengmeng obeyed softly. “Understood.”

Li Jiu closed the door and said, “Lock it from the inside.”

A soft click sounded. Only then did he turn to leave. As he walked down the narrow alley, he spotted a young boy around ten years old sitting by the neighbor’s doorstep, hugging his knees. This was the child of the couple who had just been fighting.

Because of her illness and their poverty, Li Mengmeng was already skinny enough. This boy was even smaller and thinner than her.

Li Jiu looked up at the neighbor’s courtyard; the shouting had stopped. Yet, the boy remained seated there, motionless, his head lowered.

Li Jiu initially intended to walk right past. After all, his and Li Mengmeng’s current situation wasn’t any better. But in the end, he stopped in front of the young boy.

The boy lifted his head, revealing a pair of indifferent, unblinking black eyes.

Li Jiu handed over half of his grey taro. “Have you eaten?”

After Li Jiu left, the boy devoured the grey taro ravenously, tears streaming down his face as he ate. Once he finished, he wiped his tears and looked at the tightly shut door of the house next door.

He had heard Li Jiu talking to himself just now, and he had heard Li Jiu call out a name.

Mengmeng.

That was the name of Li Jiu’s younger sister.

But… wasn’t his sister already dead?