Chapter 155: Rodney: Aren't I One Too?

Lin Jie encouraged, “Don’t be so hung up on hatred. This is merely something that needs to be done and not your everything. Life isn't just about the present. There's much more to discover in life than only what’s ahead of you. Your life will become more wonderful if you broaden your horizons…”

He paused, then chuckled, “Of course, before then, we’d have to settle that bunch from Church of the Dome and let those dead rest in peace."

Vincent nodded. Having made up his mind, he took a deep breath and slowly flipped open the book.

Vincent's body trembled slightly as the book filled with taboo and cryptic characters opened slowly.

At that moment, an ominous sensation erupted and he was immediately besieged by indescribable hallucination and was struck with fear. Darkness covered everything before him, and it was as if he had fallen off a chair and plunged into the cosmic abyss as a rapid sense of weightlessness came over him.

Vincent’s field of vision was spinning.

He opened his eyes wider and his senses were assaulted by tremendous heat.

Flaming crimson burned his eyes, and a giant, formless plume of flame was stirred by an invisible force as though it was alive.

In the center of the dispersing plume of flame was an indescribably huge ball of fire surrounded by countless spots of light!

The mottled, dull orange surface was covered in ugly black spots, as well as fierce storm swirls spewing spiraling arcs of flame which rose into the sky like monstrous pillars.

Those black spots were moving constantly and erratically. Some were getting bigger, colliding with the storm and devouring each other to become a huge, blazing chasm, while others got smaller and eventually turned to nothingness.

The entire ball of fire was filled with an air of destruction and its core was constantly collapsing. The plume of heated mist and flame expanded and contracted continuously as if it were brewing a monstrous fury and emitting a silent roar into the eternal universe.

This was a sun heading towards its destruction!

Silently and sorrowfully, Vincent was deeply shaken. In his shock, he was drawn towards that huge ball of fire. His body had also been ignited, making him continuously absorb the power from the flames and establishing a barely discernible connection.

He suddenly came to a realization. This was the end of the Sun’s path. Its collapse, its destruction… This was its end.

But the sun would not die out. Once a sun heads towards destruction, it represents the new birth of another sun, which would emanate an eternal and indestructible light in the universe!

Is this 'Eternal Doom'?...

Vincent was thoroughly shaken. With just his current level of mastery over his new powers, he was more than capable of killing a Destructive-rank, let alone when he fully mastered them.

It could be said that if he completely mastered the Sun's Core and Sun Scripture, it would be equivalent to ascending to Supreme-rank, which would already be the pinnacle of the known power hierarchy.

However, the bookstore owner had opened the doors to show Vincent a whole new world that made Vincent realize he had a narrow view of the world now that broader paths were presented before him.

The path would only continue to extend as long as he didn't stop. He could feel the weak will of the sun before him, but that Sun didn'tpossess intellect and its stream of consciousness was chaotic, with only bits and pieces of fragmented thoughts.

Vincent’s heart skipped a beat. If I can really establish a connection with the sun, would something different happen? Would I become… the real sun god?

Is… is this what the bookstore owner meant by “More things I can find support in for my future life”?! 

Vincent felt that he now understood what the bookstore owner meant.

At the same time, a deep sense of fearwashed over him.

It turns out that Supreme-rank isn't the limit but merely the extremes that small, insignificant humans can imagine. Yet in the vast cosmos, there seems to be no end to the powerful.

And what level was this bookstore owner at to be capable of handing out this degree of knowledge so casually?

Could he be one of those others?

Vincent felt that there was a terrifying entity lying behind the human form of the bookstore owner.

Lin Jie saw Vincent’s face turn grave as he 'read' the book.

Now that Vincent seemed to have calmed down slightly, Lin Jie cleared his throat and said, “I spoke to you about seizing an opportunity because in truth, you wouldn't be able to do anything with your own power.

“Even if I'm exaggerating slightly and you were to go head on against the church and start fighting back, you could maybe beat ten of them, but only ten of them. The Church of Dome has countless followers and clergy.

“Moreover, this is too dangerous, exchanging your precious life for a few scumbags is simply unnecessary…”

Vincent had been stunned and merely sitting on his seat listening in a daze.

Now, a shiver made him snap him back to his reality and his face was covered in cold sweat and he looked terrified.

Still dazed, he nodded nervously. "Yes, you're right."

Lin Jie took a glance at the ex-priest and knew that he had been enlightened. He then continued, "Obviously this line of thinking wouldn't work, but don't you already have the biggest trump card against the Church of Dome?"

Vincent responded at once. “Holy Moon Essence!”

Boss Lin was right, it was impossible for him to overthrow the Church of Dome all by himself. What’s more important now was to turn the tables and destroy the Church of Dome’s false faith.

Unfortunately, all of his Holy Moon Essence had been destroyed in the massive explosion and fire, without leaving behind even one bit...

He told this to Lin Jie, but the latter just shook his head and said, "Just one portion doesn't matter. What matters is its source, composition, and evidence.

“And even all of this isn't important either. What's crucial is to make the masses believe you."

Lin Jie folded his arms and struck his usual pose. “There must be special channels for them to get the raw materials for such stuff.

“If that is, the Ash Chamber of Commerce and Rolle Resource Development will surely have something to do with it. I'll get them to help investigate… As for the kind of publicity that can shake the Church of the Dome, I think a priest like you would know better than I.

"Ah that's right, speaking of it, the Church of the Dome must be thinking about how to silence you… They might be reaching soon.”

Lin Jie palmed his own forehead and dialed Claude’s number. "Hello, police? There’s going to be a problem with the Church of the Dome.”

——

“Vincent has indeed returned to the bookstore. That Supreme-rank who appeared out of nowhere seems to be the true mastermind.”

After all, how could an ordinary priest suddenly gain such strong and properly channeled direction while also developing suspicions about the Holy Moon Essence?

“All of this was mentioned in Vanessa’s report before she died. This bookstore owner must be the lackey of an evil god!”

“If their aim is to shake up and take over the Church of the Dome, this wouldn't be the last of it!”

So what if he is a Supreme-rank?

Aren't I one too?

Pope Rodney squinted and eyed the top of his staff. The part that had originally melted had reappeared again, just that it was slightly duller than before.

He had no choice but to use the Sacred Artifact, ‘Sleeping Moon Child’, which was akin to the moon's progeny and possessed a portion of its power.

He made a gesture to dismiss the one reporting and muttered, “Sheryl.”

“Here.”

The beautiful lady wearing white nun robes answered. There was an incomparably sacred and noble aura about her. But at this moment, she was with a child and the gentle expression on her face was the radiance of a mother.

Rodney asked, “How is Buck’s conception?”

Sheryl caressed her stomach and said with a smile, “It’s going really well, I will bring him out from the darkness.”

As she spoke, her expression changed. She held her stomach as a large amount of blood gushed out through her fingers. Cold sweat covered her forehead, yet her painful expression was also mixed with gratification. “Life… and death… recurs… and the dead… receive… Ah!”

Sheryl fell to the ground. Her bulging stomach was being torn open by a hand from the inside. It was clearly the hand of a grown man.

Following that, the resurrected Buck clambered out from Sheryl’s stomach. Then, Sheryl, whose body was practically torn in two, reached out her two pale womanly hands.

The two hands propped on the ground, supporting the rest of the body as though it was a person standing up. Starting from the torn belly, Sheryl's skin started to 'flip itself' from the insides, forming the appearance of another woman.

The Saintess of the Dark, Angelina.

As with the words of baptism—We are one with the Moon. Birth under the bright, death under the dark. Each time, the Moon completes a cycle between light and darkness, the cycle of life and death recurs, and the dead receive new life.

Buck knelt before Rodney with a maniacal glaze in his eyes and declared, “I won’t fail again this time!”