"Bishop..."
Silence followed, merging into a resonant thought within his mind.
Even from over a hundred meters high, on the thirtieth floor, where the wind howled past his ears, York could still distinctly hear all the voices of the faithful and sense every movement they made.
It was an odd sensation.
It felt like a king, revered by his people, watching over his subjects.
It also resembled the way one might watch ants from above.
York looked downward, observing the citizens as they emerged from their homes to gaze up at him. A quick glance was all it took.
The city of Belst was lit solely by firelight, with darkness encroaching like a curtain of night.
It was an oppressive sight, weighing heavily on the heart.
"Darkness will eventually be driven away."
York stood aloft, his expression serene as he stared into the darkness outside, seemingly able to see the restricted and uninhabited areas.
"Light will inevitably arrive."
From the nearest Belst Cathedral, eight hundred points of sanctity were instantly transferred into York.
Although this did not alter his essence or provoke a transformation like the one at Saint Cata's Monastery, which had made him appear saintly, having such an abundance of holy power within him emitted a distinctly bright holy light from his person.
Then, at will.
Pluto Church, a third-level church, three hundred points.
Belo Bello Church, a fourth-level church, four hundred points.
Statt Church, a fourth-level church, four hundred points.
Colmar Church, a fourth-level church, four hundred points.
The newly upgraded Bambelon Church, a sixth-level church, six hundred points of sanctity.
In a moment, York's control over sanctity surged to four thousand points.
This was still him deliberately holding back.
"There are several churches I haven't tapped into yet; this should suffice."
York extended his right hand, which shimmered with holy light under his perception.
The sanctity that had accumulated within him now manifested on the surface, breaking through his physical confines.
"After all, this power isn't truly mine..."
York shook his head, his gaze returning to the void.
There lay the direction of Blagrade City.
Daily, he received the latest news.
Just a day had passed, and three more townships had fallen, reducing the distance the demonic infection needed to travel to reach Blagrade City, heading straight for its core.
Therefore...
His actions tonight weren't solely about witnessing the true nature of this otherworldly realm,
Not just about presenting a gift to the populace,
Nor merely about showing the clergy at various churches what the old city looked like before they moved on.
Another reason was his desire to let the demons outside know that humanity still had protectors, that there were still people on their side.
"Let's see whether you stop, let's see what you truly wish to do..."
York narrowed his eyes, now confident in his power.
This was also the first time he had publicly acted on behalf of humanity, albeit in a different world.
But it didn't matter!
He too was human, and with the capability came the responsibility.
With great power comes great responsibility. York unexpectedly recalled this phrase.
Below, in the witness of the densely packed populace, he smiled, somewhat triumphantly and boldly.
"The Lord says, I am the good shepherd; I lay down my life for my sheep."
His right hand began to turn.
"The Lord says, I am the light of the world; those who follow me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
He pressed down, and a massive, surging divine force began to gather, emanating from his fingertips.
As York made eye contact with each person looking up at him, he spoke softly.
"The Lord says, I leave you peace; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. My peace is unique."
His voice was soft, drifting with the wind.
Yet it reached the ears of everyone looking up.
The priests on top of the church.
The people who had come out of their homes to the ground.
The priests gathered at the city gate, the obligatory path.
The officials stationed and patrolling various areas in the night.
The civil servants in office buildings, now standing by the windows.
Including those outside the city.
All of them, without exception, were looking up at him.
Then, the entire world seemed to brighten.
The person in the air shone like the true sun, spreading warm sunlight across the land.
Blinding holy light converged on him, forming a colossal pillar of light that radiated out from him, enveloping the entire city and everyone within it.
Screams of agony echoed through the void.
"How warm..."
In Laurie Belank's arms, Nina murmured softly,
The little one clutched her mother's collar, looking up with wide eyes in awe.
Silence.
Not just her, everyone murmured invol
untarily.
"It's dawn..."
Someone stretched out their hand, basking in the light that felt like sunshine.
"Though it's night, it feels like day."
"Bishop..."
Someone whispered softly.
"Heaven, what am I witnessing?"
Some felt an inexplicable sourness in their noses.
Tears had already filled some eyes, brimming and spilling over.
They didn't understand why they felt like crying.
It was like a child, who had been enduring alone for a long time, seeing their parents return home after a lengthy absence, those capable of bearing all burdens.
"This is our bishop!"
The priests on the church, including those stationed at the city gate with tasks, clenched their fists.
"This is our God!"
Everyone had an expression and a mood to match.
The light illuminated every corner of Belst City.
The shadows of darkness were gradually obliterated by the holy light, shattered like dispersing smoke, cleansed thoroughly by the divine force.
A total of two hundred thousand points of sanctity spread in all directions, permeating every nook and cranny, unstoppable.
Even the darkness that tried to resist was like a mantis blocking a chariot, instantly defeated.
Belst City was purified in an instant, and the lingering sanctity continued to shine brightly, as bright as day.
And the man in the air, having completed this step, stared into the distance, muttering.
"I've only used two hundred thousand points; I still have half left. This power, the effect is greater than I imagined..."
Even though he had braced himself, York was still surprised.
The range was now roughly the size of a province in his former homeland.
Korea's area is also about the size of a province.
Importantly, this range was still expanding, currently heading directly outside the city.
This indicated that the two hundred thousand points of sanctity had not yet been fully utilized.
"I still have two hundred thousand points left..."
Below, the populace was ecstatic, while York pondered.
He considered whether to continue releasing it, but felt it might be wasteful.
His own expenditure was only a hundred points of magic power, leaving him with a hundred and one.
This meant that he could perform this action four more times.
York looked towards Blagrade City, considering his next move.
But he suddenly realized that after purifying the entire range of Belst City, he couldn't really do much more.
The neighboring cities were still too far away.
And since churches were only established within Belst City's range for now, he couldn't use the voices of the faithful to manifest his divine descent in the other two cities.
Looking into the distant void, York knew he could only go this far.
One must take one step at a time; one cannot reach the heavens in a single bound.
"Anyway, such a big commotion should be enough. There are no tougher enemies appearing,
Enough, let's see what happens tomorrow, next is..."
York casually flipped his hand, inputting the remaining two hundred thousand points of sanctity into the divine protection array he had envisioned.
Invisible to all but the clergy like Marcos, a vast array formed in the air.
The majesty of the array made Marcos and the priests gathered at the city gate instinctively hold their breath.
The array seemed larger than the sky itself.
They dared not breathe.
In their eyes, the bishop's figure in the high sky emitted a dazzling light, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth.
They could see compassion and power radiating from the bishop's eyes, as if a deity had descended among men, evoking a sense of awe and solemnity.
"Go down."
Instantly after the transfer was completed, York pressed down, and the super-sized divine protection array instantly pressed towards the entire city of Belst.
With a snap.
The protective array for Belst City was established, with hidden array points connected like a glowing shield that enveloped the entire vast city, safeguarding it like the headquarters of a church in the real world, no longer fearing demonic attacks.
"Done!"
Having completed this step, York quickly pushed the drawer back, blocking the voices of the faithful.
Some of their words were too sappy, especially the flattery from priests like Marcos, which he couldn't stand.
Mentions of God overwhelmed him.
After all, his strength was still too weak.
If God were to act, perhaps just a thought would purify the entire world.
Unlike him, his range was currently only about the size of a province, perhaps a province and a half.
And it wasn't even his own power.
"No, it's more like a trump card."
York stood in the high sky, thinking messily, and coming back to his senses, realized there was no continuous output. The surroundings gradually darkened, eventually turning black, as if the daylight-like brightness had been an illusion.
Subconsciously looking downward, he saw the people below, all still standing in place, looking up at him.
Even though he had blocked his presence and wouldn't
appear in their eyes or minds as before, in the darkness at such a distance, the naked eye couldn't see him, but these people were still looking up.
York sighed internally, showcasing his presence:
"Tonight, you can turn on the lights. No, from now on, you can always turn on the lights. Don't fear demons, don't dread them, I'm always here."
This statement landed directly in everyone's minds.
Thus, the entire city of Belst instantly erupted into wild celebration.
Below, the densely packed populace began to cheer loudly, freely releasing years of accumulated pressure and fear.
"Mama."
Surrounded by cheers, her husband had already run off to embrace and shout with the neighbors, unashamed of making a spectacle.
"Mama!"
As Laurie Belank was caught up in the fervor, she suddenly heard her daughter's voice and quickly wiped away her tears to look down.
Her daughter's eyes sparkled alarmingly, still somewhat bright.
"I now have a big dream!"
Laurie Belank was momentarily stunned, staring at her daughter.
"What is it?"
"I want to!"
Nina suddenly looked up, stretching out her hand, and Laurie Belank instinctively followed her gaze.
She knew that was where the bishop had been, now empty.
However, her daughter's next words made Laurie Belank break into a smile.
"To become a clergy member!"
Laurie Belank hugged her daughter tightly and hummed softly.
"If you still feel the same when you grow up, then Mama will support you."
The little one floundered, hugging back fiercely:
"Then you'll have to deal with Dad..."
Her childlike voice drifted further away, blending with the cheers into York's ears.
"Hehe."
York chuckled softly, holding the bishop's staff for show, and stepping through the void, he returned to Belst Cathedral.
Along the way, he glanced at the priests gathered at the city gate.
The city gate had checkpoints.
Now, one priest after another stood there.
These clergy were about to embark on missions to the remaining two cities.
In the name of the church, they would establish new churches, using themselves as sources to provide conditions for his divine descent, meanwhile consecrating the churches.
This way, he could bridge vast distances, directly manifesting in restricted areas to ensure safety; even if they failed, with him at the rear, they could continue to establish new churches and gradually increase their strength.
It also saved the effort of a long journey.
"Go! Set off!"
Seeing the lights of ten thousand homes, the priests at the city gate had no regrets. Despite the long and potentially dangerous road ahead, they showed no fear.
"Godspeed."
A gentle voice resonated in their minds, and the priests smiled at each other, one by one getting into the vehicles.
Silently watching these priests depart, York stood in the high air for a moment before resuming his walk.
Below him, one building after another turned on lights that had been off for years.
Some were old and malfunctioning, flickering intermittently, but it didn't hinder the entire city from lighting up as it should.
Perhaps Marcos had given a heads-up.
Even public areas and facilities had their lights turned on.
One after another, lights brighter than the fire shone, eventually converging to form a true city that never sleeps.
This allowed York, a visitor from another world, to see what Belst City looked like over a decade ago.
"Indeed not bad, it has the vibe of cyberpunk, as mentioned in my previous life."
York scanned the area, continuing forward until he reached his original spot.
"Bishop!"
Marcos and other priests were already kneeling on one knee.
Their voices were even more respectful than before.
York nodded, stepping down from the railing to the ground.
"You go out and have fun too, relax a bit. Don't be tense all day; it will break."
After speaking, ignoring the expressions of Marcos and other priests, without waiting for any response, York waved his sleeve without taking a cloud with him and left the spot...
1352, the year of dark secrets.
The church's thirteenth day of establishment.
April 13th was named the Day of Opening.
Recorded: The Lord of the Church, the savior York John, incarnated as the sun, dispelling the darkness for the people of the Holy City of Belst...
Data plummeted, truly a bit torturous, really makes you doubt yourself. Now I understand why so many big names say the end is the most torturous part, the real test of an online writer's perseverance...
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