The Church of Light, the most widely followed divine institution on the continent of Noah, worships a deity who truly exists—a great God of Light aligned with goodness.
Even among the lofty pantheon, He stands out as a paragon of mighty divine power.
He is benevolent, merciful, and compassionate, bringing the power of light to the world, resisting all that is evil.
Besides being the God of Light, He is also revered as the God of the Sun and Summer, the Guardian of Time, and the God of Agriculture and Harvest. His followers are predominantly humans, making Him the most widely worshiped deity. His priests are welcomed everywhere, from the poorest of the poor to the highest royal courts.
His domains include the sun, light, healing, and strength, and His holy symbol is a radiant, blazing sun.
His followers are found in every nation.
Even those humans who do not worship the God of Light respect this great and merciful deity, with only those dwelling in the shadows of evil despising Him.
For the God of Light does not hesitate to wield His wrath and power, intimidating evil beings and inspiring those who are good and just.
In the southern lands, where many countries are embroiled in war, almost every inch of the territory is touched by conflict and smoke.
Only the lands of the Church of Light remain holy and intact.
The followers of the God of Light, adhering to their virtuous ideals, have provided refuge and aid to many displaced by the war, including soldiers. Under the protection of the God of Light, no power dares harm them here.
In the grand cathedral at the heart of the Church, the walls and ceilings are adorned with frescoes depicting the God of Light teaching humanity about goodness and justice, and His triumphs over evil.
Bright sunlight streams through the windows, casting dazzling white light all around, making the surroundings seem like a dream.
The elderly, white-haired Pontiff, holding a staff, sits on his throne with a look of deep compassion and sorrow. Visions of war-torn lands and suffering people fill his mind, and he sighs deeply, praying silently for the people of the southern countries, hoping they too might receive the God of Light's protection and find respite from the war.
After a long while, the Pontiff opens his eyes.
"May the light of the God of Light shine upon the earth, cleanse the wars, and purify the people."
"May all evil, all darkness vanish from the earth, and let there be everlasting light."
The kind-faced elderly man sighs softly.
Despite his legendary powers, as a spokesperson for the God of Light, he cannot interfere in the wars between human nations unless driven by an evil force.
The Pontiff indeed senses a trace of evil emanating from the declining and fragmenting Kingdom of Dimor.
The fires of war in the south began with Dimor's downfall, leading the Pontiff to suspect that dark forces are stirring behind the scenes.
However, the evil is subtle, merely a guess and intuition on his part.
He now resides in the Grand Cathedral of Light in the capital of Dimor.
From the royal family to the Mage Academy, from noble residences to the outermost common districts, he has searched them all, yet has failed to locate the source of the evil.
Thus, he remains unable to act, continually vigilant against the spread of this unknown evil force in Dimor.
However, sensing the Pontiff's scrutiny, the trace of evil seems to have retreated deeper into the shadows, becoming inactive and even harder for him to detect.
For now, the best he can do is keep the temples open to provide healing, food, and shelter for those suffering from the war.
Now, the Pontiff prays to his god as usual, hoping for a divine response to guide him in the right direction.
But concerning human wars, especially those not affecting the entire continent and even if influenced by dark forces, the God of Light rarely responds.
It's not that He is indifferent to the plight of His suffering followers, but rather His vision encompasses more than just this world.
The Pontiff understands this, so while he prays, he doesn't truly expect a response from his god.
However, as the prayer nears its end, a sudden wave of extraordinary power descends.
The elderly man shivers, lifting his head.
In his vision, the towering statue of the God of Light radiates endless brilliance, its gemstone-crafted eyes now gleaming with divine wisdom.
The statue, which should be inanimate, comes to life, surrounded by a holy aura of light.
"God, you have finally heard the prayers of your humble follower and descended in glory."
The Pontiff is immensely moved, bowing before the statue of the God of Light, his body trembling with emotion.
In his entire career as Pontiff, this is the first time he has experienced a response from the divine, not in the form of a dream but as a solemn
and earnest miracle.
The eyes filled with infinite light look down at the prostrate believer, transmitting visions to him.
A black sun dominates the sky, its darkness shining like light.
Tentacle-like black mists emerge from the darkness, black crows flutter up, tearing the bright sky piece by piece. Below, creatures of the land suffer irrationally, monstrous black beasts slaughter the followers of the God of Light, leaving no life in their wake.
Seeing this, the elderly man's face turns pale, his heart gripped by an immense hand.
From that terrible black sun, he sees chaos and evil that terrify even a legendary being like himself, nearly choking him with fear.
Compared to the looming cataclysm spreading across the continent, the wars he worries about seem like mere child's play.
In the final vision, he sees a black sun sculpture, seemingly the origin of all disaster.
"Yelian, my faithful follower, my kind child, this world is on the brink."
"Lift your head and accept my gift."
"Then find it, destroy it, or else darkness will drown the light, and goodness and justice will cease to exist."
The divine voice, serious and earnest, falls into Pontiff Yelian's ears, dispelling his fear and bringing him peace and warmth.
Yelian, with a solemn face, slowly lifts his head, stopping his gaze at the feet of the God of Light's statue—looking any higher would be disrespectful in his heart.
At the same time, space begins to ripple gently.
Soft light descends from above, wrapping around a pure white staff, emitting a faint divine glow, hovering before the Pontiff.