They all call me an Outer God.

Chapter 2 Incurable Diseases
"This disease is not contagious and its cause is unknown, but other people don't think so. They are hostile to those who have the disease. Although I would be hostile too if I were in their shoes, I am the one who has the disease now."

"Tsk, I just transmigrated and found out I have a terminal illness. This is terrible. I should try to go home and see my family first."

Lia carefully patted the soil off her body, then refilled the grave with soil, pretending that nothing had happened.

After doing all this, he subconsciously glanced at the sky. The red moon above was full. He didn't know when it had started, but the withered trees near him were now swarming with crows, seemingly waiting for his death so they could have a feast.

"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, there is no buffet today."

Faced with this scene, a sense of foreboding arose in Lia's heart. He knew nothing about this place, let alone this world. He didn't even know how his own eyes closed.

In such a remote place, if Ria didn't find a way to hide himself, he would undoubtedly become a sitting duck, for the jungle is never short of hunters.

Thinking this, he wrapped his coat even tighter, even turning up the collar to cover his eyes on the back of his neck.

This coat is too big and doesn't fit at all. It's obvious that the original owner of this body stole it from somewhere, or to put it more nicely, "picked it up".

Ria fastened the two intact iron buttons, touched his stomach, which was unusually hungry. No one could stop him from going home to find something to eat.

He walked quickly, and the crows watched him leave without following, their cawing rising and falling like a celebration after a dark ritual.

Two hours later, Ria, who had been hiding and deliberately taking back roads, finally found his place—he had regained the memory of where the place was. However, even so, he was still startled when he took the key from under the carpet and opened the door.

The room was pitch black, not much better than a haunted house, and all he could find were candles and a kerosene lamp that had run out of oil.

Only after all the candles were lit did the warmth and light finally arrive.

This behavior was still too extravagant, because the poor fellow's family was too poor to afford even a few candles and lamps to squander.

Ignoring his discomfort for the moment, Ria stepped onto the wooden floor and found the cupboard where the food was stored. As soon as he opened it, a starving, emaciated mouse fell to the ground with a "thud," squeaked twice, and then slowly crawled to the side.

This gave Ria a completely new understanding of the house. He held up a candle and peered into the cupboard, where he saw two incredibly hard pieces of black bread on the top shelf. Of course, they already had rat teeth marks on them, so they were normally inedible.

Lia remained silent for a few seconds, giving himself a thorough internal struggle, before taking out the bread and using his hands to break off the bitten part at the top.

Since we're already so poor, we can't waste the mouse we just caught.

So the poor mouse, which had only crawled a short distance, was grabbed by the tail by Ria, put into a container, and incidentally fed back the breadcrumbs he had just broken off.

"Eat up, don't neglect yourself. Look how thin you've become."

Once the rats are fat, then he'll have meat to eat. Although it's disgusting, Ria is good at thinking about the future. He knows that if he can't earn money, this kind of life will be what awaits him.

Just to be on the safe side, Ria also found all the knives in the house, neatly arranged them together and stored them away for self-defense. After making all the necessary preparations, he then began to examine the eyes on his body.

Their golden pupils never blinked, and they would only react if Ria poked them. This disease was completely unheard of, and Ria felt a chill run down her spine at the thought that she might die because of them in the future.

“I’m so poor and destitute, and I’ve even contracted a terminal illness. You’re the only one who’s willing to stay in this house with me.” Ria looked down at the mouse, which was almost as thin as a stick and was still struggling to gnaw on some black bread.

"Is it really that bad?" Lia took a bite, her expression contorting for a moment as she nearly vomited up the leftover food she didn't even know she had. But the mouse diligently ate the breadcrumbs one bite at a time, and when it looked at Lia again, its eyes even held a hint of gratitude.

At that moment, the eye on Ria's hand could close. He looked at the mouse with some surprise, and then immediately and without stopping, he went to find the original owner's diary. He would not let go of any opportunity to survive.

The diary was filled with nothing but a bunch of complaints about this and that. He seemed to enjoy complaining about his misfortunes. However, when he turned to the last page and flipped it backwards, he found something completely different.

"April. I can't find a calendar, so I don't know which month it is. Let's just say it's April."

I like the number four; it makes me feel at ease.

My illness is getting worse and harder to hide. I don't know when I'll be caught or suddenly die. Fortunately, my mouse can keep me going. As long as I treat it well, I feel comfortable all over... It must be my lucky star!
Maybe being nice to people would be okay? But I'm simply not likable. My landlord is always trying to get me to pay rent, banging on my broken door day and night. Nobody likes me.

The diary entries abruptly ended.

Be nicer to people?
Looking at the mouse's gaze, Ria noticed a hint of almost piety in it.

He thought it was just his imagination, so he gave the guy some more bread. Its eyes became even more eager, and it actually bowed down to Ria as if to pay its respects.

It turned out to be the case.

Lia realized that if the mouse is likened to a believer and he is God, then his act of giving it bread is undoubtedly a gift, and the mouse's response is an exchange.

In a daze, someone was transmitting this message to his mind: the power of faith exists in this world, and as long as you can find a way to make someone believe in you, you can help extend your life.

"This is the alternative way to survive that the original owner discovered!?"

Lia was somewhat surprised, but even though the original owner had found such a way to prolong his life, he still left this world in misery.

Rather, his departure was a stroke of luck.

"I must collect faith, right...?"

Lia closed his eyes, then opened them a few seconds later, his feelings unusually complicated.

He disregarded his hunger and quickly approached the mouse, saying, "Eat slowly. Tomorrow I'll go to work and buy you better bread and cheese."

The mouse's eyes shone even brighter, and one of the golden eyes on Lia's body closed again.

Now, as if he had discovered a new continent, Ria continued to explain the bright and glorious future to the mouse, but at this time, there was no more movement from his body.

It seems that the faith that one living being can provide is ultimately limited. If other patients with pollution-related diseases could discover this fact, it's unimaginable what would happen.

Just by witnessing how people treat patients, they probably won't live to see the day when people have positive feelings towards them.

Lia picked up the knife on the table, preparing to go out and find some lone wild animals to add some happiness to his life. But as soon as he opened the door, before he could even put the fruit knife in his pocket, he saw a stout old woman standing in front of his door, with a large bunch of keys hanging around her neck.

(End of this chapter)