“Your Holiness!”
“Your Holiness!”
In Caspar City, headquarters of the Church of Redemption, many high-ranking church officials gathered, their faces showing obvious anxiety.
“The war has truly arrived.”
Kart looked terrified: “Last night, the shockwaves from the explosion of the Sword of Thor were visible in many parts of the Pandorn Empire, and even the border of the Kingdom of Golden Oak…”
“They’ve gone mad! The Pandorn Empire and the Free Alliance Army have both gone completely insane!”
Lina sighed deeply.
All eyes immediately turned to Wu Ming.
At this moment, Wu Ming, as the Pope and divine representative, played a stabilizing role.
“The revelation given to me by our Lord must now be used!”
Wu Ming stood up and solemnly announced, “Our Lord holds the authority of redemption; as long as one prays with sincerity, he will surely receive His salvation!”
“Those who believe in our Lord shall have their souls granted eternal life!”
…
Many priests joined in praising, a routine for these holy men, but it carried a different flavor this time.
“It’s your responsibility to comfort the believers.”
Wu Ming issued orders: “Also, gather those believers who are panicking or preparing to flee. We can now begin to use the shelters we’ve prepared in those cities!”
“At once!”
Kart answered loudly, his heart filled with a tinge of worry.
This was practically a last resort, and he knew from this that even the Pope himself was not very optimistic about the future.
…
Soon, the explosive news spread throughout the world.
Although the Pandorn Empire primarily targeted the Kingdom of Golden Oak, this time it had wider repercussions. Coupled with the Hidden Society’s sneak attacks and psychological warfare, the Kingdom of Golden Oak and the Ceanothus Federation issued emergency declarations of war the next day, announcing the country’s entry into a wartime state.
After the news spread, not only did the stock market immediately plummet, but it also caused a massive refugee crisis.
Many citizens aimlessly flooded into the countryside or rushed to buy all available supplies, causing great unrest.
Amid this chaos, Vidi, Philip, and Navi finally made their arduous way to Caspar City.
“Phew… I never knew traveling could be this exhausting!”
Vidi clutched his bag, which contained a few loaves of bread and some wine.
As for the share certificates and bonds he originally carried, he had no idea where he had thrown them. He now looked like nothing more than a refugee.
After all, airships were being requisitioned by the kingdom, and even several key railway lines were being used for military purposes. They had no choice but to drive to Caspar City, only to encounter traffic jams along the way, with countless outbreaks of violent chaos.
If it hadn’t been for the firearms provided by Philip and his own formidable combat skills, their small group might have been overwhelmed by the endless troubles along the way.
“Everyone, you have now entered the territory of Caspar City. Please register in an orderly manner and receive relief!”
“Here, you can get a tent, daily hot soup, and bread, but you must contribute through labor!”
“If you are a member of the Church of Redemption, please come this way!”
…
Unlike the chaotic cities they had seen along the way, the relief efforts in Caspar City were remarkably effective, with people in uniform maintaining order everywhere.
“These patrol officers are quite efficient. I wonder why they specifically distinguish Redemption Church believers?”
Philip rubbed his chin.
“You think these are people deployed by the city hall? You’re wrong. These are relief efforts organized directly by the Church of Redemption!”
A man nearby, seemingly a scavenger, grinned: “Look, that shining church emblem!”
Philip looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw the prominent emblem of the Church of Redemption.
“Because this is the headquarters of the Church of Redemption, when the disaster occurred, many believers fled here, so the Pope specially joined forces with the city’s wealthy to organize these relief efforts!”
This scavenger seemed to be a local, knowing everything clearly.
“Ordinary people who come here can only receive the most basic relief, and must also contribute through labor, but it’s different for the original believers. They can receive better treatment along with their families! Of course, ordinary people can also choose to be baptized immediately, but their treatment won’t be as good as that of long-time believers…”
His voice became somewhat mysterious: “I’ve heard that the Church of Redemption has built an enormous underground shelter, unaffected by even the Sword of Thor. The wealthy have practically gone mad fighting for spots there, but for the Church of Redemption’s believers, this is just the most basic benefit…”
Seeing a group of paladins approaching from afar, the scavenger immediately shut up and slipped into a nearby tent.
The holy men, however, seemed to have specifically targeted Philip and his companions, directly blocking their path: “Are you Mr. Vidi, Mr. Philip, and Mr. Navi?”
Their leader was a stern-faced paladin: “I am Bob. The Pope has already been informed of your arrival and regrets that he cannot personally come to greet you!”
“Oh, thank you! How did Steven know we were here?”
Vidi asked with a puzzled expression: “I haven’t even had time to contact him yet.”
“The Pope knows all!”
Bob replied in a tone of devout certainty.
“Alright then!”
Vidi rolled his eyes: “So what is Steven doing now?”
“The Pope is presiding over a miracle! Perhaps you can also go and witness it!”
Bob’s lips curved into a slight smile.
…
At the same time, inside the grand cathedral.
Many believers knelt devoutly, chanting hymns praising the God of Redemption.
Wu Ming, wearing the papal robes, looked upon several families kneeling before him.
“Niccolo, Hustle, Valon…”
“You and your families are devout believers of the God of Redemption, integrating the divine path into your daily lives. Now, are you willing to go to the divine realm with your physical bodies and begin a new life?”
“We are willing!”
The families immediately answered loudly, their eyes shining with the fervor of true believers.
“The Lord said, ‘Those who believe in me shall be saved into the Ark and the Elysium even at the end of the world!'”
Wu Ming declared loudly.
Boom!
At the moment his words fell, a beam of golden light descended.
Before the eyes of many believers, the figures of these families suddenly vanished, completely disappearing from the world.
“A miracle!”
“They have ascended to the divine realm with their physical bodies!”
…
Even though many believers had seen this before, they still shouted in joy, their faith surging into a holy tide.
“Good, with this help, the upgrade of the Master Deity Space will soon be completed!”
Wu Ming looked at this scene, his heart filled with joy.
Fanatical and true believers were the most precious treasure of the Master Deity Space. His current approach was to carve out a real area within the space and transfer believers from the real world into it.
Externally, it was announced as the final refuge granted by the God of Redemption out of compassion for humanity—the divine realm, the Ark of Salvation.
The shelters in the real world were used to protect most believers, while the true essence was naturally safest within the Master Deity Space.
[Ding!]
[The reserve of faith power has reached the critical point. The Master Deity Space is upgrading!]
After an unknown period of time, the AI butler sent a message.
Although it was still the same Master Deity Space as before, Wu Ming’s approach preserved its core structure. Even if the entire church in the outside world were destroyed, the stored faithful believers would be sufficient to sustain the consumption of the Master Deity Space.
After this upgrade, things would be even more different.
In Wu Ming’s consciousness, the pearl representing the Master Deity Space suddenly exploded, merging completely with his entire consciousness.
At the same time, a certain bottleneck that had long hindered Wu Ming began to break through, allowing him to clearly sense the pulse of the world’s primal forces.
“After the space upgrade, it can directly draw power from the world. Faith power is merely supplementary and no longer essential!”
At this point, Wu Ming could truly be said to have broken free from dependence on the world and transcended it. No matter how the world evolved, it could no longer shake his foundation.
His gaze pierced through space, and he could already see on a specially designated land within the Master Deity Space, where devout believers began their new lives.
“Hmm, I can soon bring over my family, and as for Vidi and the others, since they remembered to come find me, I naturally will fulfill my promise!”
When one attains the Dao, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Wu Ming was not a cold-hearted person.
…
[Ding! Initiator 2471!]
In the real world, Charles, who had recently exchanged for a few more days of free time, suddenly heard the cold mechanical voice of the Master Deity Space in his ears.
[You have received a new benefit: by consuming 1000 contribution points, you can designate one human from the real world to enter the Cycle Space!]
[Note: Once the selected individual enters the space, they can only remain within your private space.]
…
“This isn’t just… a shelter?”
Charles smiled: “I never thought the Master Deity Space would have such a humane side!”
The reason he had rushed out this time was because he heard his subordinates’ reports that the entire world was no longer safe. He had come out specifically to find a way to secure his family’s future. But now, he was no longer worried at all.
A Cycle Initiator’s private space was an absolutely safe place!
Moreover, any comfort could be purchased there, as long as one had enough contribution points!
“This must be the ticket to the end of the world?”
Charles quickly recognized the value of this new ability: “I suppose the already scarce Cycle Initiators will soon become the target of a frenzy?”
Under the premise of an uncertain future for the world, there would certainly be many people preparing multiple escape routes.
Moreover, even just for the opportunity to personally visit the Master Deity Space, there would be plenty of people eager to try.
“But what does that have to do with me?”
Charles smiled indifferently: “The feeling of having no worries about the future… is truly wonderful!”
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