I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

tick-

"Ugh—Hmm..."

The sound of rain falling came from outside, and the noise of rain hitting the window woke the girl curled up in the quilt. Like a kitten, she stretched on the mattress, and then, still a little sleepy, Padofelis wrapped herself in the quilt and sat up.

Last night, in order to fulfill her boss's... ah, I should say the priest's instructions, she quickly ran through the entire Twilight Street, conveying the priest's words to the people who were supposed to be told.

And that's also her job and the reason she stays here—she exists as the priest's "messenger," and... incidentally, she also acts as a "weather forecast player," since the priest seems to have a special sense of rain and can always know when the rain will come and when it will end.

While this ability, which resembles a superpower, is quite amazing, compared to the priest's truly miraculous flames that can directly kill, the ability to "predict rain" seems less remarkable.

"Eek—"

The thought of the flames made Padoflis tremble involuntarily, and she felt a faint burning sensation all over her body, especially in her hands... The priest had disciplined her a lot because of her habits, and she had developed a considerable fear of flames, or rather, of the burning sensation.

but……

Padofelis looked around at her "little nest".

She was covered with warm blankets, and a soft bed was laid out beneath her. Clean and tidy clothes were hung side by side on a shelf. Unfinished snacks were casually placed in the corner of the small table, and crumbs of snacks remained on the open book. Her "collection" was piled up all around her, so many things that there was almost no room to put them, so they could only be piled up in the corner. The walls of the small house were draft-proof, and the windows were rainproof. The whole "little nest" felt so cozy.

"Hehehe—"

Padofelis rolled to the edge of the bed, wrapped herself in the blankets, leaned out and hugged her "collection," looking quite happily at the various strange and wonderful "trinkets" inside.

Although the priest was very strict at first, which was quite frightening, after spending more time with him, I realized that he was actually a very easy person to talk to...

While routinely browsing through her "collections," Padofelis was thinking about all sorts of random things.

She vividly remembered the time she first met the priest... At that time, the priest's "rules" had just been implemented, and the entire Twilight Street was in turmoil. Although the bigwigs of the underworld were very dissatisfied, they all eventually pushed through the priest's "rules".

The streets became clean, any trace of dirt was swept away, and the garbage was collected and disposed of.

Those belonging to the gang began to restrain themselves, forcing themselves to become more friendly... Although some madmen attempted to provoke this "rule," they were quickly approached by the priest, and then... subjected to "judgment," lost their lives, and were buried by the priest.

After this was repeated several times, no one objected anymore. Everyone started to follow the "rules," and after experiencing them for a while... they found that the "rules" were actually quite good. At least the peace during the day and the safety at home at night were very satisfying.

So everyone started to actively promote this "rule" because it did benefit most people, but... there was also a small group of people who didn't like this "rule"... such as Padoflime at that time.

Because she cannot commit crimes during the day, she cannot steal. At night, she cannot break into other people's homes, but she herself has no home (she originally built a shed in a very secluded alley as her "home"), so she cannot guarantee her own safety at night... because she has no idea whether the shed she built counts as her "home".

Those few nights were not exactly peaceful, but they were also filled with anxiety.

In addition, she lost her skills and her supplies gradually dwindled. In the last few days, she was basically in a state of going hungry nine times out of three.

As for the "minimum living allowance" issued by the gang... she didn't receive it because the gang members couldn't find her "residence" or even her... She didn't dare go there either, mainly because she had taken things from others quite a bit in the past and was afraid of being retaliated against...

In the end, she didn't know what she was thinking, but she actually came to the church to seek the priest's help.

Perhaps at that time she thought that as long as she asked the priest for help to collect the "low-income allowance," she wouldn't be given a hard time?

Or perhaps it was because the "rules" stated that anyone who came to the church would be granted seven days of protection, and since it was protection, they should be given food... or something like that? —That's probably what she was thinking at the time?

To be honest, at that time, although everyone understood that the priest's "rules" were true and that the priest himself should abide by them, that inexplicable power still brought immense pressure and fear to others, to the point that most people were unwilling to seek refuge in the church... even if they starved to death, they wouldn't go! Even if they had to work in a gangster's factory, even if they had to become a gangster's henchman, they wouldn't go!

Back then, Padofelis was actually the first to seek refuge with the priest, simply because she couldn't afford food and didn't dare to apply for welfare.

Even more surprisingly, the priest seemed to know she was coming, having prepared food in advance and even coming out to greet her while she was still hesitating at the gate of the courtyard... and later, during the meal, he specifically thanked her for her help...

She was stunned for a moment, and then she remembered that she had left supplies at the church... At the time, she simply felt that the kind people who had stolen from her so many times without saying anything, and even occasionally deliberately left some food in the warehouse for her to steal, as if they were worried that she would starve to death, should not have such a hard life, so she helped a little... Moreover, she dared not show her face, for fear of being caught and scolded or beaten.

But to her surprise, even though they had never met before, the priest still accurately identified her, which was frankly quite terrifying... Then the priest even offered to give her a "job" and let her follow him. At that time, she wondered if she had misheard. How could there be such a good thing in the world, with food, a job, and even a place to live, and she could also receive his protection?

She even wondered if she was about to be sold, but then she thought that with the priest's current status, it seemed that he didn't need to do such a thing... Moreover, the priest's suggestion was not without its price; the most obvious one was that she had to give up her habit of "stealing".

Honestly, she suffered a lot trying to correct this habit, and the priest's discipline was quite painful... But for a better life in the future, she endured it all and did indeed get rid of the habit of taking things without asking... However, habits are hard to break, and in the end, she still retained some "collecting tendencies," haha... But she made sure to check carefully that those were things that other people didn't want! She just picked them up!

Hmm... if I had to put it that way, she'd probably become someone who collects scrap and picks up trash? Doesn't that sound a lot strange all of a sudden?

dong dong——

"Pado?"

The priest's calm yet gentle voice came from outside the door.

"Wait a minute... Coming, coming."

Padofelis snapped out of her reverie, quickly dressed, and tidied the bed haphazardly. Just as she was about to open the door, she seemed to remember something. She hurriedly opened the cabinet next to her, revealing her "treasures" inside. She took out a wrapped book that looked like a book, then picked up the book she hadn't finished reading on her desk and opened the door.

Outside the door, the priest was waiting for her with an umbrella in hand. His gaze was fixed on the rainy sky, and he only turned to look at her after hearing the door open.

Good morning, boss.

Good day, Paddy.

They greeted each other politely, and then Padofelis gracefully approached Xiwang, stepped into the umbrella's area, and closed her own door behind her.

Xi Wang remained silent, only slightly tilting the umbrella to better cover Padofelis's body, and then the two walked side by side toward the church.

Although the distance from here to the church is short, Padofelis unconsciously moved closer to Xi Wang along the way... She didn't mean anything by it; she did have an umbrella in her house, but on rainy days, Xi Wang's presence would make her feel warm and comfortable.

After a few attempts, Padofelis realized that Xiwang didn't seem to mind her actions, so she simply stopped carrying an umbrella in the rain and snuggled up next to Xiwang, which felt rather comfortable... Hmm? Why do I feel like I'm acting a bit like a cat? But that doesn't really matter...

Back at the church, which had already been renovated, it was beautiful and clean. A warm breakfast was laid out on a small table not far away. Padrephilis walked briskly and sat down with Xiwang, enjoying the comforting breakfast on this cool, rainy day.

I really don't know how the priest did it. His cooking skills are quite good. Did he teach cooking after becoming a clergyman? —Padofelis couldn't help but think.

After breakfast, Xi Wang would perform her daily morning prayers, while Padofelis would wash the dishes and do some cleaning... However, this was usually done casually, as Xi Wang had already finished. She was just giving herself something to do, and of course, she could also use this time to read a book.

However, at this moment, Padofelis liked to stare at Xiwang in a daze... It wasn't anything in particular, she just thought Xiwang looked strangely handsome at this time, especially on rainy days. When Xiwang reached out to touch the rain, he had a strange aura about him that was quite attractive... Sometimes she herself found it quite strange, because this feeling was especially obvious on rainy days, but not usually.

Perhaps the priest is an "angel" associated with rain? —Padofelis sometimes thinks this way.

After the morning prayers at Dawn ended, Padofelis took the opportunity to step forward and hand him the book she had prepared... mainly because if she didn't give it to him now, there wouldn't be much time left. There was a routine outing to help others in the morning, lunchtime, the priest would go to the sanatorium to meet with the nuns in the afternoon, and in the evening he would wait for people to come for confession. After nightfall, the priest would also stay at the church to wait for people who might need shelter.

"Ahem... Boss, this is for you..."

Padoflis closed the book she had laid out on the table, then handed Xiwang another wrapped book, which looked like a gift.

"I got this from somewhere else... Don't worry, boss! This stuff is legitimate! I bought it through proper channels!"

"Ok, I know."

Xi Wang nodded, unwrapped the outer packaging, and took the Bible inside. He didn't seem surprised to receive it, even though the Bible's cover was thick, the paper inside was fine, and the writing inside was somewhat obscure and difficult to understand. It was clearly a specially made Bible, but Xi Wang seemed to have known this all along.

Because he knew that such a Bible was not something that Padophilia could obtain directly, much less buy directly; rather, it was something that He had given to him through Padophilia.

However, Xi Wang still smiled and nodded to Padofelis.

"Thank you very much, Pado."

Regardless, this Bible was bought and given to him by Padofelis at the expense of her own savings, so he should express his gratitude and thanks.

"Ahaha...no, it's just that you've been so kind to me, and I happened to see something that looked like it would suit you perfectly, so I bought it...ahaha..."

Padofelis scratched her hair, her gaze wandering as she spoke casually, but her expression revealed that she was very happy.

Outside, the rain was still falling, but that was no reason for Xi Wang not to go out. He opened his umbrella and left as usual to help those in need and listen to their troubles. Padofelis would go with him.

In the afternoon, the rain had stopped. Xi Wang went to the sanatorium as usual to talk with Aponia and help her take care of the children. Padophilia, however, did not go... mainly because Aponia had taken a strange person back with her. The man named "Thousand Tribulations" frightened Padophilia.

Surprisingly, although Qianjie was a very short-tempered person, he was very gentle with the children... Although he was still short-tempered and occasionally used foul language, his actions showed that he was taking care of the children. And perhaps because he was taken in, although he didn't like Aponia and Xiwang very much, he would generally listen to them.

But Padofelis was still afraid of him, so at this time she would go out to wander around, looking for some "collectibles", and take the opportunity to help some careless people find lost items, or run errands for people.

As evening fell, the sky cleared after the rain. With the sound of slightly unsteady footsteps, another person who had come to confess left after receiving their punishment. Just then, Padofelis finished her "collection" for the day and passed by the person.

Although they didn't know each other—at least Padofelis didn't know him—they nodded to each other as a greeting, after all... [it's necessary to maintain politeness and humility].

As night falls, the order of the day begins to fade, and the evil of the night begins to spread. But for those who have already returned home, for those who are under the protection of the "rules," the noisy gunshots and cries of agony are irrelevant to them.

Having already finished cleaning, Padofelis changed into her pajamas and curled up in her "little nest," fiddling with the "collectibles" she had found that day. The renovated house had excellent soundproofing; no matter how loud the gunshots or how loud the screams were outside, they could only be heard faintly inside.

However, Padofelis did not react to these sounds, nor did she pay any attention to them.

Because this is much better than before.

After putting her "collectibles" away, Padofelis opened the book she hadn't finished reading, "A Study of Cat Behavior and How to Attract Cats," and began her "one hour of reading" for the day.

To be honest, she really wanted to have a cat, and she even had a name in mind: "Canned Food." She just didn't know if the priest would allow it...

More than an hour later, the gunshots outside became sporadic, and the screams gradually faded away. Feeling sleepy, Padofelis yawned, moved to the edge of the bed, rolled over, wrapped herself in the blankets, adjusted herself to make herself more comfortable, reached out to turn off the light, and then curled up like a kitten, slowly closing her eyes.

It's another beautiful day—Padofelis thought to herself.

I hope tomorrow will be the same.

Chapter Eleven: The Inevitable Calamity Is Coming (4449)

Two days passed quickly, and the "leaders" who had been away all returned. No matter how urgent their matters were, they would come back because it was you who summoned them.

Inside the church, they sat in their places with slight unease and tension, for they all knew very well why you had gathered them here… “Judgment,” the same “judgment” that had been used to demonstrate power and proclaim “rules” to them, was about to begin.

Although they had experienced several such "trials" during this period, and had gleaned some information about your abilities from various events,

The simplest explanation is that the "burning punishment" you inflict doesn't directly kill; it focuses on pain, or rather, "punishment." And unless the limb causing the burning sensation is directly severed, this pain cannot be relieved in any other way.

This pain can severely impact a person's life, but importantly, it is not directly fatal. As long as the will to live is strong enough to endure until the "punishment" ends, then it is entirely possible to survive.

This relieved many people slightly, at least letting them know that your "punishment" wasn't limited to "death." Those who died in the past... in retrospect, were clearly not strong enough in their will to live, and ultimately succumbed to the pain of this "punishment." Many felt they could definitely endure it, after all, they hadn't lived enough yet.

The fact that many people survived the "punishment" further solidified this idea in others, who believed it was truly just "punishment" and that as long as they were determined enough, they could definitely get through it and survive... Of course, if it wasn't necessary, they wouldn't deliberately endure the "punishment," as they had no intention of enjoying pain.

But... only those who have truly experienced "punishment" understand that it's not something you can just tough out; the pain can be excruciating.

However, most people don't break the "rules" anymore, so there's no need to remind them. After all... under the protection of the "rules," Twilight Street has become more peaceful and harmonious than ever before. Everyone is living well, so who would cause trouble?

As for those who were killed while wandering around outside at night? That's their problem. They could have avoided it simply by finding a place to stay. There was absolutely no need for them to wander around outside.

Of course, although the truth of the "punishment" was discovered, the real "judgment" also occurred, and you carried it out... All the "leaders" remember how astonishing the raging flames were when you brought down the "judgment" on that leader who was recklessly selling "addictive drugs" to the outside world... or rather, the former leader.

[It truly appeared out of thin air, suddenly engulfing the entire person in flames. The person's terrified screams echoed through the sky almost instantly, the tremendous sound nearly tearing the church ceiling off.]

In the end, everyone watched helplessly as the person turned to ashes in the flames—true ashes—and you, unusually, did not give him a proper burial.

[You should know that no matter how terrible a person's mistake is, as long as they are still subjected to your "punishment" and die as a result of that "punishment," you will find them, bring their body back, and bury them. But those who are subjected to "judgment"... truly leave not even a trace behind.]

[Thanks to this, most of the clever "leaders" realized your strong aversion to that kind of "black industry," at least to the "sell addictive drugs" industry, and therefore began to quickly transform. This is why, even after the outside areas were controlled by the "leaders" of Twilight Street, the people inside were still able to live relatively well. Some powerful "leaders" even simply took over the functions of the government and began to truly manage the people there.]

This has led many "leaders" to thank you... Although your methods are very tough, and your current power firmly surpasses theirs, your "rules" have indeed brought them benefits.

The daily reading time broadened their horizons, at least making them aware of the role of advisors. The politeness and etiquette they maintained during the day taught them how to deal with politicians, while the indulgence at night allowed them to revert to the "violence" they were most familiar with, recklessly using the "methods" they used most often before, and which are now rapidly evolving.

More importantly, their broadened horizons have made them realize that... how much money can be made from the "black market"? The real money is in necessities and "security"!

[For example, one of the "leaders" noticed something—because of your presence, the security and environment of Twilight Street are now very well maintained by the "leaders." Although people are still being chased at night, most of them are "smugglers" who sneak in.]