For yet another hour, the followers waited at the cathedral's entrance. Earlier, the streets had been bustling with people, but now, there was not a soul in sight. The place was completely deserted.
Finally, the head bishop could no longer sit still.
He stormed out of the church, glaring at the clergy, his voice sharp and biting, "What's going on here? We handed out so many flyers, yet even our shallow believers haven't shown up. What's the meaning of this?"
Just then, a priest finally returned, clutching a newspaper in his hands.
Over the past week, the Church of Fiction had been entirely focused on preparing for the lecture, so they hadn't kept up with the local news. As for last night's online promotion event, they hadn't even been invited.
The other major churches, though invited, hadn't bothered to inform the Church of Sacrifice about the event either.
To them, the Church of Sacrifice was too aggressive, pushing their god's doctrine to dominate the world's faith, encroaching on the basic foundations of other religions. It was irritating, to say the least.
In fact, the War God Medical Church had already warned them long ago: if the God of Sacrifice dared to set foot on their territory, the doctors would don their brass knuckles, grab their revolvers, and conduct a "large-scale critical injury gender conversion ceremony" on the Church of Sacrifice .
As for the newly arrived God of Fiction, his domain didn't conflict with any of the others.
In fact, his presence actually benefited the other gods.
That was why the gods of the Gray World held the God of Fiction in high regard—so long as he didn't interfere with their faith and power, they were practically brothers from another mother.
The Church of Sacrifice, meanwhile, had been so focused on their own promotion that they hadn't paid any attention to the Church of Fiction's tavern or arcade machines. They never expected that the tavern they'd visited earlier would actually call itself a church, or that their church event would be scheduled for the exact same day as theirs.
"We've spent a fortune on this lecture. The printing company did its job well, no doubt about that."
"Yesterday, the city was plastered with our advertisements. We even used transformation magic to turn the ads into real images. I was so sure that today, this cathedral would be packed to the rafters."
"So someone tell me—why isn't anyone interested in this lecture?"
The bishop was livid, especially as he mentioned the huge sums of money they'd spent distributing food to the poor. After taking the food, the least those people could do was show up, right? It's only polite to at least fill a seat, even if they weren't interested. How could they be so ungrateful?
And when he heard that even Mr. Litt, the printing company director, had sped past their church without even a glance, the bishop nearly had a stroke.
'Just two days ago, he was all smiles, discussing everything in good faith. But now, he ditched us for the Church of Fiction?'
'What, is that church selling succubi or something? Why is everyone rushing there?'
The bishop couldn't imagine what was about to happen.
If the god descended and no one was there to listen, with the grand hall completely empty, it would be a disaster beyond comprehension.
The God of Sacrifice would probably swallow him whole.
"Who knows the location Church of Fiction?"
"The Third District, Sixth Ward... "
"Fine! Stay here and await the god's arrival. Continue to invite the public. Forget about charging for tickets—there's no one here to buy them anyway. Free admission! Issue indulgences if you have to."
Panic-stricken, the bishop gathered a few priests and set off in the direction of the Church of Fiction.
———
At the Church of Fiction.
Maya had rented out all the nearby public spaces.
After the previous night's online event, many of the participants—especially investors—had rushed over at the crack of dawn.
The area was now teeming with people, a bustling scene that showed no sign of slowing. And there were even more on their way.
Hundreds of arcade machines were set up in batches, with the competition arena located at the back. The contestants were already taking their seats, preparing for the event.
Strange music filled the air, blending with the hum of voices.
When the bishop and his priests arrived, they found it impossible to push through the crowd. Most of the staff were temporary workers, and even after explaining who he was, the bishop was denied entry.
"You didn't register for the competition, right? If you're not registered, you can't enter."
"It's okay, though. You can still play over here." A rabbit-eared beastwoman winked at the bishop, stopping him in his tracks. The bishop scanned the crowd, utterly bewildered.
'What is this arcade thing that could make so many people queue up? It's like they are possessed.'
'Maybe I'll join the line and find out.'
The bishop spotted a shorter line and made his way over. His followers, eager to clear a path for him, moved ahead. But just as they reached a good spot, a massive force suddenly sent several of them flying.
Five of his followers were thrown ten meters away.
A stone golem had barreled through from a distance, charging at full speed. It easily took the spot they'd been standing in, and its followers cheered loudly.
"Less competition over here!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! I can't wait!"
The priests were still groaning in pain, not even having the chance to cry out when a group of red-and-white-clad doctors dragged them up. The War God Medical Church had set up a temporary medical station at the event, at the request of the War God himself.
In a place this crowded, injuries were inevitable. And when it came to being where the action was, the doctors never missed out.
"See, the god was right. Lots of people are getting hurt today."
"Five injuries here. Quick, quick, quick! If we wait any longer, they'll start healing on their own. Prep the emergency room—scalpel ready."
———
Meanwhile, the God of Sacrifice was preparing his lecture. As a god, his thoughts moved much faster than mortals', allowing him to anticipate questions and plan responses easily.
He had even considered that other gods might attend the lecture. After all, the promotional efforts had been in full swing for quite some time. He was already fantasizing about claiming a seat among the Gray World's major churches.
The fifth seat would belong to him.
The Four Heavenly Kings would now have five members, completing the world's perfect balance.
With that thought, he set his sights on the Gray World and began his descent.
But when he arrived at the cathedral in the Gray World, all he saw was an empty hall. Not a single soul. His followers, trembling and stammering, couldn't explain what had happened.
After a brief silence, the God of Sacrifice's anger flared like a wildfire, ready to burn the entire cathedral to the ground.
"Why is there no one here for the lecture?"
"Did you set the ticket prices too high? Or did you fail to advertise?"
"What exactly have you been doing? Where is the bishop?"