Who hid my body?

Chapter 377 The Descent of the Rhine God

Pope Rango, the forty-ninth, stood on the palace balcony, overlooking the brightly lit city of Rhine.

Rhine City is the most magnificent city in the world, just as the Rhine Church is the most powerful church in the world.

And he, Rango, is the leader of this church and this city; it is no exaggeration to say that he is "below God and above millions of people."

"I wish it could stay like this forever," Rango murmured with a sigh.

If only humans could live forever! If possible, Rango would love to stand here forever, watching this view.

Unfortunately, even as the Pope, and even with countless means to prolong life, he could not achieve true immortality.

The only things in this world that can be eternally immortal are gods, and...

Rango gently rubbed a ring on the little finger of his right hand.

This was a plain ring that clashed terribly with Rango's ornate attire. It was entirely grayish-white, with an amber-shaped ornament at the tip. In terms of design, it couldn't even be called plain; it could be described as cheap and inferior, and by all accounts, it was unworthy of Rango's status.

But it happens to be the most precious of all of Rango's ornaments.

Because it was also made from parts of Vesas's body, and embedded in that seemingly cheap amber was a small, nameless bone of Vesas.

This small bone does not carry any rules, but it possesses an equally precious power—"vitality".

It can greatly extend the wearer's lifespan and prevent the wearer from contracting any illnesses or injuries, allowing them to remain healthy until the moment of their death.

This is why, despite being established for a thousand years, the Rhine Church has only had forty-nine popes. It is this ring of life that grants each pope a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people, a feat unmatched by any other church.

While this vitality may pale in comparison to the more powerful parts of a corpse, such as Corey's left eye or Rocky's thumb, a healthy and long-lived body is more than enough for the most powerful people in the world.

Unfortunately, it still cannot live forever.

Rango sighed again, his voice full of regret.

Even with the blessing of this ring, his lifespan is nearing its end, and he now has to consider the issue of succession, which is also a source of worry for him.

Because the most suitable successor, Bishop Fig of the North, is no longer alive, and the slightly less suitable Bishop Corey of the West died the earliest, so now, in the rotation, the most qualified person is actually Loki.

To be honest, Rango really didn't want to pass the position to Rocky, because Rocky was unqualified in every way. The only reason he became bishop was because he knew him very well and was considered a close confidant.

But it is precisely because of this that Rango has a deeper understanding of Rocky than the average person. He knows clearly that apart from his rather prominent buttocks, Rocky has no other outstanding features.

Unfortunately, he no longer has enough time to cultivate a suitable successor.

In peaceful times, letting Loki take over would be fine; he'd just be a pope with little ability, and throughout Rhine's history, there have been many popes like that. But now is not a peaceful time. In just one year, Rhine has lost two bishops, and even the main knightly order of the Northern Church is gone, plunging the entire north into chaos.

It can be said that the Rhine is at its weakest point in a thousand years.

If the other churches hadn't been in even worse shape, the Rhine might very well have already relinquished its position as the First Church.

Well... thankfully the other churches are in even worse shape.

However, on the other hand, if the papacy were handed over to Loki at this time, given Loki's outrageousness and incompetence, historians a thousand years later might very well attribute the series of declines in the Rhineland during this period to him.

From this perspective, passing the position to Rocky wasn't entirely without its advantages; the more incompetent the successor, the more the wisdom of the predecessor would be highlighted.

With the Rhine God around, the Rhine can never be destroyed.

The more Rango thought about it, the more sense it made.

Just then, two clear male voices rang out behind him: "Your Majesty, please retire for the night."

Rango then turned around and looked at the two handsome young priests standing properly behind him.

Yes, it's time to take a break.

Rango nodded slightly, and the two junior priests helped him back to his room. They then properly undressed him, helped him onto the bed, and finally each of them held one of his legs in their arms, lying down opposite him.

This is also when Rango is most relaxed.

Even with the blessing of the Vitality Ring, his body was no longer able to gallop on horseback like it did in his youth, so he could only enjoy life in this way.

Nestled in the little priest's warm embrace, Rango gradually felt drowsy, and his thoughts began to wander rapidly.

After he dies, he will go to see the Lord.

Could he still have such a life in the Lord's Kingdom?

Or should he go and serve the Lord? But would the Lord look favorably upon his aged body?
No, if it were God, He would surely transform Himself back to His youthful appearance.

I don't know when I will be able to see the Lord.

I'm really looking forward to it...

Rango's consciousness gradually sank.

Just then, a piercing scream shattered the peace of Rhine City and startled Rango, who was almost asleep.

what happened?

He didn't react at first, thinking he was dreaming, while his two sleeping priests were also completely bewildered.

It wasn't until Rango's personal knight rushed into his room in a panic that Rango belatedly realized that the shrill sound was an alarm, an alarm that would only be sounded when Rhine City was under threat.

But it's not surprising that Rango reacted so slowly, because this alarm had never sounded since the founding of Rhine City.

"What's going on?!" Rango, who had quickly regained his senses thanks to the Life Ring, stared at his knight with an air of authority. "Who sounded the alarm?"

Until this moment, Rango still thought that some clueless idiot had accidentally triggered the alarm, and that it was an accident.

Until the knight stammered, "Your Majesty, it is... the Lord!"

host?
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Rango's eyes widened instantly.

……

Half an hour later, Lango and a group of high-ranking church officials hurriedly entered the main hall of Rhine City.

There were already a large number of priests and knights kneeling here, each of them with fear on their faces, but Rango had no time to pay attention to them. Instead, he immediately turned his gaze to the Rhine statue in the main hall.

His breathing stopped abruptly.

Because the idol is watching him.

Has the Lord... descended?

In an instant, a profound sense of panic surged through Rango's heart. Before coming here, Rango had thought that the Lord had merely sent down a divine decree, never expecting that He would personally come.

But how could this be? Rango couldn't even remember the last time the Lord descended; at least not during his reign.

Even for major events like the change of popes, God would not be present in person; at most, He would only issue a divine decree. Therefore, the vast majority of popes never had the opportunity to see the true form of the Rhine God in their lifetime.

Rango saw it now, but he felt no honor, only a blankness in his mind. "Lord!" Rango led the way, kneeling before the idol. Though he tried to control his emotions, his voice trembled as he spoke, "You are faithful..."

"Vesas is back."

The God of the Rhine shut down all of Rango's polite words with a single sentence.

Visas?
It took Rango a few seconds to realize what the name meant, then he suddenly looked up and stared intently at the God of the Rhine.

“You mean…Vesas?!” Even though it was the Rhine God himself who said it, Rango’s first reaction was still absurdity. “How could this be… Ah no, Lord, I’m not questioning you, I just…”

The intense shock caused Pope Rango to forget his respect for the Lord and even question Him, which immediately made him break out in a cold sweat.

But the Rhine God did not punish him, seemingly unaware of this at all. Instead, he slowly said, "The Abyss Prison is destroyed, the Land of Contracts no longer exists, his soul has returned, and he has regained his body. He is now free."

That place of the contract... it's gone?!
Was it all destroyed by Vesas alone?!
A huge sense of panic welled up in Rango's heart.

So where will he go next? Will it be the Rhine?

Can God stop him?!

Perhaps sensing Rango's thoughts, the God of Rhine spoke again: "He has only regained his body, but not his full strength. The God of Star Remnants has restricted him, and he cannot recover in the short term."

The words of the Rhine God eased Rango's anxiety a little.

Thank goodness, Vesas won't attack right now, thanks to the God of the Stars.

That being the case...

Rango immediately asked, "Are you asking us to provide immediate support to the Star Relic?"

The God of Rhine remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "No, I don't need you. I will go myself."

Rango felt much more relaxed.

"The situation is still under control," the Rhine God said again. "But the Star God can't hold them off for long. Even with me included, it will be difficult to truly kill Vesas, let alone you. This is not a battle you can join."

The words of the Rhine God filled Rango with a sense of desolation. Just half an hour ago, he had boasted that he was "below the gods and above millions of people" in this world, and that there was nothing he could not do.

In just half an hour, everything changed.

It's just because that guy came back.

“But there are some things that need to be done by you.” The Rhine God looked at Rango. “Ranggo, I need you to mobilize all the paladins immediately.”

Should we still go and attack Vessas?

"Recover all the Visas body parts that have been scattered outside."

Rango was taken aback.

Retrieve Vesas's body parts? Why would it be this order?
“But we don’t know where the remains of Vesas are,” Rango said cautiously.

“I will give you the list and the locations,” said the God of Rhine. “Go find them.”

There's even a list and locations? Does that mean the Lord always knew who had Vesas's remains?

Rango was even more surprised, but he dared not ask, and simply bowed his head again: "Please rest assured, as long as it is within the Rhineland..."

“Not just within the Rhine,” the God of the Rhine interrupted, “I want the whole world.”

Rango was stunned again.

The whole world? Are we to send the Rhine Paladins to the whole world?
This……

"Is there a problem?" asked the God of Rhine.

“No…” Rango took a deep breath, “There’s no problem.”

At this moment, Rango dared not disobey in the slightest, even though the God of Rhine appeared completely at ease, both in his current state and in his tone of voice.

But Rango knew that was the biggest problem.

Before this, the Rhine God had never issued such clear instructions; His oracles were mostly vague and required interpretation and speculation. But no one thought there was anything wrong with this, because that's how gods are supposed to be.

But right now, the Rhine God is exhibiting the state of an ordinary person.

He was no longer mysterious or aloof; his demeanor was like that of a superior assigning tasks to subordinates, even using rhetorical questions.

These elements are perfectly fine in a powerful boss, but in a god... no, they shouldn't be in a god.

Rango also knew that the Rhine God couldn't possibly be unaware of this; He was a deity who had held power for thousands of years and absolutely shouldn't make a mistake in such a place.

But He did it anyway, so there can only be one reason.

The threat from Vessas is definitely greater than the Lord described; at least the situation on the side of the Star God is not as optimistic as the Lord said.

Rango lowered his head, not daring to reveal these disrespectful thoughts.

"I want you to retrieve these body parts at all costs, regardless of who possesses them," the Rhine God continued, issuing the order. "This is the only way to stop Vessas. We cannot allow him to retrieve any more body parts. Do you understand, Rango?"

“I understand.” Rango knew the key point of the Rhine God’s words was “at all costs.” “I will do it.”

“I hope so. This is a fight for yourselves,” the Rhine God said calmly. “When Vessas returns in full force, he will kill everyone. And we can only stop him this last time. The future is in your own hands.”

Everyone present immediately bowed their heads and thanked the Lord for His grace.

The Rhine God did not reply. When everyone looked up, they found that He had left, and only the lifeless statue remained in the main hall, as if He had never been there.

"Your Majesty!" Rhine's high-ranking officials immediately surrounded him, their faces filled with panic.

Rango struggled to remain calm, and with the help of his personal priest, he slowly rose to his feet. Then, he said unhurriedly, "Don't panic. Everything is still under the Lord's control. The Lord is helping us resist Vessas. We just need to act according to the Lord's will."

After hearing Rango's words, the Rhine executives calmed down considerably, and Rango reverted to his papal demeanor, quickly making arrangements for everything.

There will be no sleep tonight.

After the high-ranking officials left one by one to receive their orders, Rango summoned his trusted confidants and subtly issued his final command.

They immediately began to investigate the whereabouts of the Star Remnant at all costs.

After finishing everything, Rango sat alone under the statue and waited until dawn.

As the dawn's sunlight tore through the darkness, he received Xingyi's reply.

He glanced at it once and then clenched his fist.

Because it says on it,

The God of Stars is dead.

(End of this chapter)