Restarting the myth.

Chapter 379: First this, then that, and then death

Mountain forest.

The stone steps wind upwards, and there are towering ancient trees with lush branches and leaves.

The sun and the moon shone in the sky, birds were singing, insects were chirping, and the grass was fresh. If you didn't know, you would think you had arrived at the headquarters of the Church of Nature.

The style of the Dark Church Headquarters focuses on inclusiveness, which is inextricably linked to the teachings of the Dark Church. Here, one can see the sun and moonlight, as well as appreciate the natural harmony of life.

Likewise, it can easily stir up anger, and believers from other churches will have their blood pressure raised after seeing this.

Hidden in the mountains and forests, there are several trial platforms, which are used for teaching, testing, or competitive competition.

Every church has a similar venue, and the Dark Church is no exception. Learning is not the goal, and studying alone will not make you successful. Only when you can put what you have learned into practice can you become a qualified magician.

The trial venues are located in the mountains and forests. There are audience seats around each venue. The central trial platform is a flat black brick floor. It has been swept countless times and has become as smooth as a mirror. People can vaguely see their features on it.

On the left and right sides are the high-level officials of the Dark Church and the envoys of the Natural Church.

On the Dark Church side, Pope Ivan sat on a chair with an expressionless face, and the oracle high priests surrounded Anton, giving him advice and planning how to win beautifully.

"You do this first, then that, and then you'll be stable."

"That's not good. After all, he is the messenger of the Church of Nature. If he loses face right after entering the door, will our Dark Church still have any shame if this gets out?"

"How about... add some water?"

"Not right. When competing on the same stage, one should go all out. Otherwise, not only will one be disrespectful to the opponent, but there is also the risk of underestimating the opponent and losing."

"How could he lose? The referee, witnesses, organizers, and co-organizers are all our people. What can he use to fight us?"

"That's right, let's put some in."

"..."

Ivan: (_)
Do you want to listen to what you are saying? You do this and that, and then you win. Who gives you the courage?
The dark goddess?
The goddess has been standing there for a long time!

First this, then that, and then death!
Ivan didn't dare to tell the truth. Firstly, he didn't have the courage, and secondly, his status as Pope reminded him that he could not say anything that was not conducive to unity.

After much thought, I can only sacrifice Anton to make the other side happy.

When Wayne is happy, the goddess is happy. When the goddess is happy, the church will prosper, and then everyone will have a bright future.

"I found out. I found out."

A figure in a black robe came running over, and judging by his face, he was also the high priest of the oracle.

He was beaming with joy, gesticulating with his hands and feet as he said, "I just went to the other side to gather intelligence. Guess what? That pretty boy named Wayne was only a first-level priest of the Church of Nature before he was promoted to the High Priest of Oracle."

"Ah, how come it rose so fast?"

"The Church of Nature has made personnel adjustments. Pope Ludwig is about to leave for the Kingdom of God. That crazy woman Senna is managing the Church of Nature as the interim Pope. She promoted her confidants and appointed her students' students to take over her work and duties."

"Nepotism is indeed the style of the Church of Nature. With Senna's help, there is no need to worry about the Dark Church not being able to flourish!"

"Not only that, according to the gossip over there, that pretty boy is Senna's thing, he has some special skills, and he got promoted with the help of the promotion device."

"No way, that's her student's student, still a child."

"I know this. To be honest, that boy is not a simple person. He is from Windsorland. You know the Landau family. He is also a prince!"

"No wonder the old nobles rebelled and became members of the royal family. This makes sense."

"The natural church has fallen again."

"You can't say that. Respect the fate of others and put aside your desire to help others. Senna is the future Pope. It's not our turn as outsiders to point fingers at her."

"I remember that she and Her Excellency the Saint were of the same generation and were always mentioned in the same breath. I never thought, tsk tsk, she would degenerate into this state."

"Indeed, our Saint Lady would definitely not be like this."

"He's a pretty boy who relies on his family and looks to get ahead. I've got him for sure."

"..."

Ivan: ε=(′д`*)))
Life is not easy, the Pope sighed.

Hearing Ivan's sigh, Anton walked out of the Bagua formation and whispered, "Don't worry, Pope. I know all the rules. The Church of Nature only sent a pretty boy here. There is no one who can fight. They must have something to ask of us."

I think you don’t understand it at all!
"I will win by a narrow margin, which will ensure that the church has an advantage at the negotiation table, while also preventing the other side from losing too badly."

Just don’t die too ugly!

Ivan waved his hand and told Anton to go with peace of mind.

On the other side, the delegation from the Church of Nature was in a gloomy mood.

Only a few high-ranking church officials knew Wayne's identity as a natural knight. The elemental mantra killed people without blinking an eye, and the insects were too strong to talk about it outside. The people below didn't know much about Wayne, and their impression of him was that he participated in the selection of the Saint last year.

As a result, Wayne's triple jump in career became shrouded in mystery, and several versions of the story emerged overnight.

And because Wayne often hangs around Senna, many people see that the two have an ambiguous relationship, a set up of a strong woman and a little bottom. With the update of the version, the news that the Pope has a gigolo spread to the Dark Church.

No one dared to speak, no one dared to ask, the members of the delegation looked at Wayne's back helplessly, praying that the other party would be gentler, especially not hit him in the face.

Our high priest of oracle makes a living by his looks!

Wayne was resting his eyes when he heard the referee's call and stepped onto the trial platform with a smile on his face.

This was the first time he had heard of a fight during a diplomatic mission. He respected the process and decisively accepted the challenge, and took the initiative to request to move forward the competition that was scheduled to take place three days later.

I just got off the plane and I'm full of energy. I don't have to wait until three days later. I'd like to get things done now.

Ivan didn't say anything, and the Dark Church naturally had no objection. A group of people came to the trial platform in a crowd, and the current scene occurred.

On the opposite side, Anton made his debut amid warm applause, and everyone was excited except Ivan.

Wherever the high priest of the oracle went, the referees, witnesses, organizers and co-organizers warmly welcomed him. It can be said that he had the best timing. The scene of thriving vitality and flourishing of all things is still before our eyes.

Will win.JPG
Different from the lively Dark Church, the Natural Church delegation was in mourning. Sparse applause could be heard and everyone looked sad and listless.

Wayne glanced at the Dark Church's team. They were united and harmonious. They were all high-ranking members of the church. Naturally, the Dark Church was too weak. Except for Gavin, there was no one else who could be considered outstanding.

"Mr. Wayne, I was a little rude just now. I hope you don't mind." Anton was wearing a black robe and had one hand behind his back, looking like a master.

"If you show some mercy, Mr. Anton, I won't mind."

"Peace is the most precious thing. It's what we should do."

The two chatted briefly, and the referee activated a forbidden barrier to prevent the fight from affecting the audience seats.

The moment the barrier was opened, the trial stage became a space of its own, and water curtain projections were pulled open on each side of the barrier to ensure that the audience could see everything in the field from a 360-degree angle.

"Mr. Wayne, please go first." Anton said politely.

"Then I won't be polite."

Wayne narrowed his eyes slightly, put his five fingers together to form a sword and raised it up. A rich breath of life emanated from his fingertips, and a five-meter-long white sword was projected in the air.

The appearance is identical to the Elemental Mantra.

A powerful magical power surged outward with Wayne as the center like a raging sea wave. His figure became increasingly blurred and impossible to see with the naked eye.

On the contrary, the projected white sword became clearer and more realistic, and the blade flickered like real metal.

With the clanging sound of a sword, invisible pressure fluctuated and vibrated within the self-contained space of the trial platform. The heavy feeling of oppression made everyone in the audience feel suffocated, and they could faintly smell the scent of death.

Damn, you're not a pretty boy?
"What kind of magic is this?"

Anton's expression changed from surprise to shock. He felt a chill in his heart and sensed the tremendous pressure coming. He waved his hand to open his life field.

No!

Anton did not deploy the life field at the first moment. He was the host and there was no reason for him to lose momentum in the first round.

Although Wayne's magic is powerful, it is not completely impossible to take it on.

Anton took a deep breath, pushed open his robe with both hands, mobilized the dark light, and arranged three dark portals in succession, and a thick dark triangular shield appeared at his side.

On the portal and shield, there is a faint outline of the dark goddess.

Faced with a powerful blow, he chose to stack the thickest armor.

Hiss!

A sound like paper being ripped was heard, and everyone saw a flash before their eyes, and the three dark portals disappeared into thin air.

Wayne raised his hand and raised his sword, clearing the obstacles in front of him with the materialized sword pressure alone, facing the black triangular shield with the strongest defense. He pressed down with five fingers, and the white sword shadow instantly split the shield and Anton in half.

Everyone was shocked and their faces turned pale. They didn't expect that the one-sided battle would become a one-sided battle.

And someone was killed.

Before the Dark Church could get angry and rush forward to avenge Anton, they saw the white sword fade into nothingness and the sword body disappeared without a trace.

The black shield was split in half, but Anton was not. Wayne lowered his five fingers, patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "It's just a sparring match, stop when it's over. Okay, it's your turn."

"Ah! Ah? Ah..."

Anton cried out "baba" twice, then looked out the gate of the Kingdom of Death. His robe was soaked with cold sweat, and he almost thought he was really dead.

"Mr. Anton, it's your turn. Play your cards."

"It's my turn?"

Anton took a deep breath and suppressed his heart that was about to jump out of his chest. Facing an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, he felt only a fog and could not see anything clearly.

It's a lie, all the rumors are lies, I fell into the trap of the Church of Nature.

The pretty boy got to the top through his own ability, not his special talents. He has nothing of his own, and he has never slept with his own female pope.

The powerful enemy is almost invincible. Behind Anton is the Dark Church. He has no way to retreat. He explodes all the magic power in his body, drags the void projection with his mind, and spreads out the most powerful life field.

The endless darkness spread out, and the momentum was as swift as a tsunami. The heavy pressure acted on the material world, stirring the space to the point of distortion. It also acted on the mental world, causing the onlookers' heartbeats to speed up, cold sweats to flow, and even breathing to become difficult.

Anton raised his hands, and darkness spread out from under his feet, rushing towards Wayne with the force of thunder and lightning. There were overlapping dark spaces inside, filled with chaotic information and a dilapidated, rotten and dead aura, but not pure darkness.

The overlapping and intertwined dark space swept over, Wayne took a step forward, and a pale light flashed under his feet.

After being promoted to a legendary wizard, he also gained his own life domain, and could drag the void and project an illusory world that belonged only to him on the Chosen Continent.

Different from other legendary wizards, his world is in chaos, with too many mixed information laws, making it impossible to form a stable and realistic world.

Helpless, I have to settle for the next best thing.

A layer of false skin was put on the pale essence, copying Senna's life field and transforming it into an endless wild forest.

The paleness flashed away, and the green vitality swept down.

The moment darkness and green came into contact, the green light expanded infinitely, overwhelming the darkness with overwhelming force, expelling the dead air, and shattering the overlapping space...

Countless changes happened in the blink of an eye, and the darkness was defeated so quickly that Anton had no time to react.

The life field clashed head-on. He attacked with all his might, but was hit lightly by the opponent and returned to the void.

Anton's eyes went dark, his head felt heavy and his feet were dizzy, and he couldn't maintain his balance.

Wayne stepped forward to help the staggering Anton and exclaimed, "Mr. Anton, you are too modest. Although friendship comes first and winning or losing is not important, you can't make it so obvious!"

I gave in, how come I didn’t know?
"Forget it today, but not next time." Do you want there to be a next time?

Anton looked as if he had seen a ghost and kept backing away. He couldn't understand why the pretty boy, who was so powerful, didn't become the Pope of the Church of Nature.

Oh, the natural church, that's all right.

clap clap clap!
The barrier dissipated, and the members of the Natural Church delegation clapped their hands desperately. Although they didn't understand what was happening, it was obvious that Anton was not acting and that the Pope's pretty boy was really good at fighting.

"This, this..."

The referee stared at the trial stage, wanting to say that the game was a 50-50 draw, but he was too embarrassed to lie with his eyes open.

The referee hesitated for a while, unwilling to judge his own church as the loser, and turned to look at Ivan.

Ivan: ()
Look at me, what am I doing? I act like I can handle him.

Ivan closed his eyes and waved his hand to let the referee make a fair judgment. Losing is losing. It is not shameful for the church's high priest of oracle to lose to the goddess's mistress. This is called inspection by the superior leaders and it is an honor for all church members.

"In my opinion, this was a evenly matched battle. Mr. Anton is not dead and I am still alive. It is a standard draw," Wayne said.

"The Church of Nature wins this game!" The referee waved his hand and pointed at the winner.

----

The farce was over. The guests who came from afar were smiling from ear to ear, while the organizers were covered in dust and looked listless like eggplants hit by frost.

Sports competition is cruel, the winner takes all and the loser eats dust.

Everyone returned to the banquet hall and began a cordial and friendly meeting, chatting about random things but never getting to the point.

There are too many people, so we can’t hold a small meeting.

After having a good meal and a few drinks, the Natural Church group was led to a rest area, where Wayne met Ivan alone in an office.

"Yes, your desk is quite big."

Wayne sat on the chair and patted the table with his hands. Opposite him stood Ivan, who looked like a minion. He forced a smile, and his straight back was now hunched a little.

Wayne felt like something was missing in the room.

Yes, he lacks a saint in his arms.

"Ivan, what did the referee mean just now? I said it was a draw, but he insisted on ruling me the winner. How do you, the Pope, do you do things? Do you have to rely on the goddess to speak personally before you will behave?" Wayne came up and started scolding.

It was a very unreasonable scolding, the main point of which was to emphasize the identity and to skip the subsequent Tai Chi practice.

Ivan didn't dare to refute. He just took Wayne's words at face value and said, "You're right. I'll transfer that referee to the branch to dig potatoes right now."

"Forget about digging potatoes. Who is he to take the blame? You are more likely to be the one in his place."

Wayne snorted, "But never mind. You are Anna's father after all. Given my relationship with Anna, I will put in a good word for you with the goddess."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and rubbed his fingertips.

Ivan's face turned black. Their Dark Church didn't do that. He hoped Wayne wouldn't bring the evil spirits of the Natural Church here.

Wayne nodded secretly. The gap between the two churches was really huge. He appreciated it in his heart, but his face was full of dissatisfaction. "Congratulations on passing the test. I didn't ask for hush money, let alone a beautiful woman to warm your bed. I was testing your character. If you had given it to me, you would have been miserable today."

"..."

"At the very least, it's bribery, and at the most, it's blasphemy. Do you understand?"

"clear."

"Since this is your first offense, I'll let it go today."

After showing off his authority and confirming that it worked, Wayne got to the point: "The headquarters of the Dark Church is a philosopher's stone. You are the Pope, and the stone is in your hand. Give it to me for a look. I'll return it to you after I'm done."

Ivan's scalp tingled, and he said dryly, "Mr. Wayne, is this inappropriate?"

"Why, will I harm you?"

"The Philosopher's Stone manages the entire Dark Church headquarters. If we're not careful, everyone will..." Ivan showed bitterness and stopped talking halfway.

There is an illusion that the goddess chose such a pretty boy in order to force the entire Dark Church to rebel.

"Steamed buns, are you not convinced?"

"Don't dare."

"Now I'm the one asking you for it. If the goddess offers her hand, she won't be as easy to talk to as me."

"..."

Ivan reluctantly took out the Philosopher's Stone, gritted his teeth, stomped his feet, and placed it on the desk.

"Why do you put it so far away? Who are you defending against? The entire Dark Church, including you, belongs to the Dark Goddess. I have invested in it, so I have a share even if it's rounded off."

Bring it to you!

Wayne snatched the Philosopher's Stone and put it in his pocket under Ivan's desperate gaze.

There was no mention of when or whether it would be repaid.

"Okay, enough of the nonsense, straighten your attitude, and let's talk business." Wayne crossed his fingers and rested his chin.

"You give instructions."

"Anna will return to the Roshi Federation from Windsor at the end of the year. Do you know her itinerary?"

"We met once. She said she had something very important to investigate, and then she left."

"Where did you go? You didn't ask?"

I can not.

"The Pope has no right to comment on the Saint's affairs. Besides, her identity is very special, so it is not easy for me to ask." Ivan sighed repeatedly. He wanted to ask, but he couldn't tell whether his daughter was a daughter or not, and he was afraid that he was concerned about the wrong person.

The relationship between father and daughter is quite complicated.

"Okay, I'll take care of Anna. There's one more thing that requires the Dark Church's help."

Wayne cut out some details and simply explained Prussia's situation: "Prussia wants to tie the Natural Church to the chariot and provoke a war of faith between churches. The Natural Church will definitely be retaliated if it is separated from it, and the Dark Church needs support."

"Why not the Churches of the Sun and Moonlight? They are the allies of the Church of Nature." Ivan frowned.

"This is what the Dark Goddess meant. Any questions?"

"Have."

"Um?!"

"Well, it's useless. Well, there are also."

Ivan said with a straight face: "When it comes to the strategic layout of the church, I can't make the final decision alone. Supporting the church will inevitably lead to bad relations with Prussia and cause a series of problems. The possibility of bloodshed and sacrifice cannot be ruled out..."

"Excuse me, if this is what the goddess wants, I am willing to follow her arrangement. If it's just you..."

"The Philosopher's Stone is the limit!"

"..."

As expected of Bai Yueguang's father, he always sticks to his principles and bottom line, which is very much like his daughter.

Wayne did not threaten or oppress her anymore, but nodded and said, "Okay, I'll let the goddess talk to you."

"Mr. Wayne!"

Ivan took a step forward and said with a stiff upper lip: "The Dark Church has its own interests. I hope you won't use your sweet words to deceive the goddess. We are loyal to the goddess, not to you. Do you understand?"

Wayne's face straightened: "Please rest assured, I am not a person who abuses my power for personal gain. I will not threaten the Dark Church for personal gain just because of my relationship with the goddess..."

"The Philosopher's Stone?"

"The main purpose of having the Dark Church support the Natural Church is to prevent the Church from getting involved in the war. Once the conflict escalates, the consequences will be disastrous."

Wayne said seriously, "You don't have to worry that the goddess will believe me. She is crazy, but not stupid. She won't do anything that has no benefit."

"Well, the Sage's..."

"Shut up, I'm the only one who can interrupt here!"

Wayne glared at Ivan and continued, "I only asked the Dark Church to show support. I didn't ask you to form an alliance with the Natural Church. The real main force is the Heavenly Father Church. Heaven is the mortal enemy of Hell."

Ivan blinked. So, what does the Philosopher's Stone say? Why hasn't it been returned yet?

"That's all for today. I'm saying hello to you in advance. Be prepared. I can definitely sleep with the goddess." Wayne stood up and pushed the door open and left under Ivan's speechless gaze.

Two seconds later, Wayne returned the same way: "I like quietness and don't like crowded places. For the reputation of the Dark Church, I will arrange my residence next to the Saint's Hall. The more remote the better."

"..."

----

Ivan fully adheres to the principles and is very responsible as a pope.

Wayne admired such people, but he couldn't talk to them, just like Gavin, Mura, Leo, and even Anastasia before, he couldn't find any common topics at all.

Delain was an exception. When the gambler was losing money, he dared to bet himself on the table. Wayne beat her dozens of nights, but she never cashed in once.

It would be a shame if we weren't brothers given this shamelessness.

After leaving the office building, Wayne walked around the headquarters of the Dark Church. Since he was an outsider, he could not visit many places. He tried to contact Anastasia through his mind, but due to space limitations, he could not get in touch with her.

Wayne tried it when he got off the plane.

Perhaps because of the long distance, or perhaps for some other reason, Wayne was unable to get in touch with Bai Yueguang, and the same went for his loyal dog Saloxia.

Only Idnes...

This was more troublesome, so Wayne did not try to contact her.

"It can only be her."

Wayne stepped into the dark forest, holding the Philosopher's Stone in his hand, and his figure disappeared on the spot.

The Philosopher's Stone has many uses. Holding this stone means you have the power over life and death over the Dark Church headquarters. Freely traveling through space is just the most common way to use it.

Ludwig once used the Philosopher's Stone to teleport in the Natural Church headquarters and go wherever he wanted. He instinctively saved his life and believed the lies of the Devil of Hell, that only angels could enter and exit the Heaven's Seal freely. He was sure that Senna could not kill him, so he did not escape from the church headquarters in the first place.

Almost at the same time, in a hall at the headquarters of the Dark Church, a burly man in a black robe sat cross-legged in front of a complex sacrificial stone platform.

The man's aura was ethereal, mysterious and unpredictable.

A crystal ball as tall as a person flashed the scene of Wayne walking in the woods. The last scene was Wayne disappearing with the Philosopher's Stone in his hand.

"The Philosopher's Stone, which only the Pope can hold, was actually given to an outsider..."

The man was surprised: "Ivan, what are you doing? Is this something you can just hand over?"

"Oh, betraying the church and surrendering to the goddess of nature..."

"You hypocrite, I finally caught you!"

(End of this chapter)