Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 530 The Dilemma of Eastern Xia, Belial's Plan, The Temple of Anchor City (10,000 words, please vote)
A day later, Belial finally received a meeting with the commander of the [Compassionate Voyage] command.

The meeting place was at the reception area of ​​Ziyun Mountain.

Despite having flown many times, Beria still couldn't help but let out a strange sigh every time he sped through the sky.

A world devoid of psychic powers and laws, seemingly abandoned, has progressed so far in machinery and tools, reaching the heavens and the seas, ascending to outer space, achieving feats that even advanced professionals, and some gods, might not be able to accomplish.

It's truly amazing.

Of course, the perceptive Beria was also vaguely aware of certain changes taking place on Earth, especially in the Eastern Xia region.

Although the online information that Dongxia showed to Beria was pre-filtered, some intelligent people, given a large enough amount of information, can always discover things that ordinary people cannot.

For example, within the Eastern Xia region, there must be some kind of spirit crystal or source of spiritual energy that is slowly nourishing and transforming this land.

After flying for a while, the plane began to descend, and at the same time, the blackout curtains on the windows closed automatically.

Beria knew they were almost there.

Ziyun Mountain won't let me see it, there must be a big secret behind it...

However bold he was, Belial never considered the World Tree, after all, that thing was much rarer than a god.

Before stepping off the plane, the former Lord of Twilight carefully straightened his collar and cuffs, and then smoothed out every wrinkle on his immovable trouser legs with his hands.

After checking himself in the mirror several times to make sure there were no problems with his posture, Beria's wheelchair was pushed into the tea room at the reception area with the help of the staff.

A rather simple tea room.

Commander Li Zehua of Dongxia was sitting here, chatting animatedly with several old men around him.

Upon seeing Beria appear, Commander Li Zehua's eyes lit up.

"It's only been a month or so since we last met, but you look like you've gained a lot of weight?"

A blush crept across Beria's face: "The food in the cafeteria was so good that I couldn't resist and ate a little too much."

"With my physical condition, and since I can't exercise, it all just turns into accumulated fat."

Li Zehua smiled, raised his hand and waved. Several visitors tactfully left, leaving only Beria and a translator in the room.

"It's good to gain weight. If you eat more, you'll grow better and have more energy to work."

"I heard that the prosthetic leg that was custom-made for you a while ago is working well for you. Why don't you get up and instead sit in a wheelchair?"

"Is this... a complete loss of will to walk?"

With a smile, Belial greeted each of the old leaders who were walking out. Although he didn't know any of them, the Lord of Twilight was impeccable in terms of manners.

After everyone had left and the door closed, Belial turned around and said very sincerely, "Thank you for your concern. The external prosthetic limb is indeed very useful. For the first time in many years, I was able to stand up and walk on my own, take a walk, and even try to jog a few steps."

"The feeling of walking freely is truly wonderful and indescribable."

"However, after thinking it over, I realize that I haven't received a good education in the past and I have a somewhat wild personality. It's better for me to stay in a wheelchair and be more settled."

"If there's more space to move around, even if you can rest assured, I won't be able to rest assured about myself!"

"Having someone pushing you from behind makes you feel more at ease."

That was a very meaningful statement.

Li Zehua picked up an ordinary purple clay teapot from the tea table, tested the temperature of the teapot with his finger, then steadily tilted it, poured tea into a cup, and gestured for Beria to help himself, while praising it a few more times.

As Lao Tzu once said, "Contentment prevents disgrace, and knowing when to stop prevents danger."

"Whether you genuinely have this mindset or do it intentionally, it's a good thing."

"I've read the report you submitted, and it's quite interesting."

The commander picked up the teacup in front of him, looked at it, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Then, his thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Belial and said slowly, "So, I specifically called you here to have a chat in person."

"Tell me, where did this idea come from?"

Beria bent down, took the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp. The tea was slightly bitter, but had a sweet aftertaste.

He didn't know much about tea, but he could still sense good things, especially since this tea seemed to carry a trace of spiritual energy.

Taking a deep breath, Belial said with lingering interest, "These past few days, I've been studying the international situation on Earth repeatedly, and I've gradually gained some insights."

"Dongxia's adherence to rules is highly beneficial internally, but it will inevitably suffer some losses externally."

Beria held the empty teacup in his hand and slowly offered an explanation.

Why is Dongxia's kind and law-abiding style beneficial internally?

Because human nature is inherently fragile; if the top is corrupt, the bottom will be corrupt as well. This has been true throughout history.

If a country does not abide by the rules, then one cannot expect those in power within the country to do so; if leaders are unreasonable, then this will inevitably extend to the entire management structure and the entire society, where no one will be willing to reason anymore.

Opportunism, cunning, and deceitfulness lead to the loss of justice and rampant corruption, ultimately resulting in the complete collapse of the nation's credibility and organizational capacity.

"Some things are unavoidable, but they can be mitigated. In my opinion, the fact that Dongxia has been able to restrain its people to this extent is inseparable from the fact that the national level is still adhering to order!"

"But when dealing with those countries that don't follow the rules, sticking to the rules will inevitably put us at a disadvantage."

Li Zehua picked up the teapot and waited for a while before realizing that Beria was unwilling to put down the cup because he didn't dare let him pour tea for him again. He couldn't help but chuckle.

The commander shook his head, put the teapot back in its place, and leaned back in his chair.

"It's impossible for everything to go as planned; we always have to weigh the pros and cons and make choices!"

"That's right, go on!"

Beria nodded, leaned forward, dipped his finger in water on the tea table, and drew a few circles.

"Dongxia has no allies because it is clear that allies are something that needs to be maintained by interests."

“Once the transfer of benefits is cut off, allies instantly become strangers, or even turn against each other. In the end, it all comes down to losses.”

"The pressure exerted by the bald eagle on Dongxia in previous years relied on enticing it with benefits, but in recent years it has relied on coercion."

"In the past, they could offer benefits, so their allies were relatively united. Now, heh..."

"Without any benefits, isn't this the kind of person who just pays lip service but is actually abandoned by everyone?"

"However, as long as the white eagle can still wield its blade against small countries, they can hold out for a while longer."

That's very straightforward.

The Eastern Xia people are not good at killing, but the Bald Eagle is not only good at killing, but also at plotting coups, creating internal strife, cultivating villains, and overthrowing the regime.

In this way, Dongxia could easily find itself in the awkward situation where "good people should be held at gunpoint."

Because of that bad person, they dared not point it out.

From the perspective of some leaders, offending Dongxia might only result in a small financial loss, and it's the country's money that's being lost, not their own pockets.

But if you offend Bai Diao, you could really lose both your money and your life.

Since being the enemy of Dongxia, in 99.99% of cases, the outcome won't be worse than being the enemy of the bald eagle. So, what should be the choice?

The answer speaks for itself.

This is why, even though Dongxia has done better than Bald Eagle in many aspects, and Dongxia's model brings more tangible development, and even though Dongxia basically does not interfere in the politics of other countries, does not engage in regime change, and does not support proxies, the number of countries willing to openly stand with Dongxia is still a minority.

Even if there are a few leaders who are willing to work together for common development, they are often removed from their posts in an instant.

The final result is that Dongxia's response is often very passive. It is always the other side that punches or kicks it first, and it has to protest before it can retaliate. In the end, the instigator will not pay a big price.

"So, Commander, there are some things that are really inconvenient to handle under the current situation in Dongxia, but we have no choice but to deal with them."

"I believe that Dongxia needs the assistance of a third party, and that is the main point of the plan I submitted!"

Li Zehua stared intently at Belial, at this handsome old man with an exceptionally deep mind, and sighed softly.

He raised his hand to check his watch. Perhaps he felt that the previous communication had taken a while, or perhaps because the preliminary communication had been thorough enough, the commander-in-chief of [Cihang] raised his palm.

Three questions!

Extend one finger first.

"First, why should I believe you?"

He put two fingers together and said, "Secondly, you have no foundation, so what makes you think you can do it?"

Three fingers: "Third, what is your ultimate goal?"

Belial straightened his body by supporting himself slightly with his hands, carefully adjusted his collar, and began to answer the questions one by one.

"Whether the commander believes me or not is not important. The great power of Dongxia has always acted with grandeur and unstoppable momentum. It will not succeed because of one thing, nor will it fail because of one person."

"I'm just a disabled person in Dongxia. But if I were put into the mud outside, I might still be able to put up some trouble. Why not give it a try?"

"Besides, if I commit crimes, Dongxia has plenty of ways to control me, so what is there to worry about?"

Belial was right. He was currently surrounded by Dongxia's equipment and instruments, as well as more than a dozen runes from the Starry World. Even though he was the Lord of Twilight, his life and death were in the hands of some people.

"As for the second thing you mentioned..."

Belial narrowed his eyes slightly, and a slight upturn appeared at the corner of his mouth—an expression only an old hunter would show when discussing his area of ​​expertise.

"In fact, this turbulent world is exactly what I excel at!"

"Over the years, I have led the Tower of Twilight step by step, transforming it from a force that was universally hated and hiding on the continent into an organization that cooperates with multiple forces and whose influence is expanding day by day. All we have relied on is our ability to manipulate people's hearts and our grasp of the current situation."

"I think it would be easier to do things for ordinary people on Blue Star than on the Starry Continent!"

"As for the goal!"

Belial placed his hand on his shoulder and performed a somewhat awkward Starry Noble gesture.

There's nothing I can do; I'm paralyzed on one side, so I can't maintain proper posture.

This guy is truly a man of many faces. Just a few days ago, he acted like someone from Dongxia who would die as a ghost of Dongxia. But now that he realizes that his identity as a Dongxia person is not suitable for him, he immediately makes a 180-degree turn.

"I hope that one day, after I have made my due contribution to Dongxia, I will be allowed to return to the Starry World and continue the unfinished work of the Twilight Tower."

"Let's hunt down a god and let the experts and researchers of Dongxia see whether gods bleed!"

Belial's attitude was quite sincere. The fact that they were able to invite him over meant that Dongxia's [Compassionate Voyage] had basically approved the specific steps of his proposed plan; the main thing was to finally confirm his stance and attitude.

In the end, it was the same phrase, "One should not succeed because of one thing, nor fail because of one person," that moved Commander Li Zehua.

That's right. There are plenty of villains in this world. Those guys have been relentlessly trying to kill Dongxia for decades, accompanying and witnessing Dongxia's transformation from weak to strong. Even if there were one more Belial, it would never be a time when Dongxia would have to live in fear.

As long as we continue to grow stronger, our enemies will inevitably become anxious, make mistakes, and fall into the abyss while constantly walking a tightrope.

Letting Beria out to add fuel to the fire might not be a bad thing.

In particular, Beria's first phase of the plan was actually quite in line with the mainstream values ​​of Dongxia, and included many rescue efforts for special groups.

"Go."

After a long silence, Li Zehua finally spoke, his voice carrying a faint sense of emotion.

"Then let's do it your way and give it a try."

"Remember, always keep some goodwill in mind!"

Beria was overjoyed.

"Please rest assured, Commander!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The lands of the three continents and five seas have always been rife with war.

Just by looking at the name, you can get a sense of the complexity of this area.

Some say that Earth is a democratic world, and the bald eagle, as a beacon of freedom, constantly radiates the light of freedom and democracy.

Bald eagles have indeed stirred up colorful revolutionary trends everywhere, repeatedly washing over this already chaotic world in the name of democracy.

However, in this land rich in liquid black gold, in this region once absolutely controlled by bald eagles, the largest cluster of monarchical states on Earth has been preserved. Almost half of the countries in the region are monarchies, and not just figurehead monarchies, but absolute monarchies.

There are historical reasons for this, but more importantly, it is a strategic need for major powers outside the region to deeply control this area.

Bald eagles need to be in monarchies or quasi-monarchies.

Firstly, monarchical states are easier to control; by controlling a few leaders, one controls the upper echelons of the state.

Threatening a king is certainly easier than threatening a hundred members of parliament. The key is that the king does not need to be elected, so there is no need to care too much about the title. He just needs to stick to his position. This gives the bald eagle a lot of room to maneuver.

Secondly, monarchical states are relatively weak.

If you don't pay your people, the huge class gap means the people won't fight for you; if you spend money to buy off your people, what motivation will those who are just lying low have to fight?
It was due to the interplay of these factors that the Bald Eagle Empire and its vassal Shan tribe regimes repeatedly launched bloody invasions and massacres here.

By the way, the Shan Clan, formerly known as the Shan Clan, is a community of interests and authoritarian representatives of the Bald Eagles in this region. Now, on Earth, they are generally referred to as the Bloody Shan Clan.

How did the people of this land react to such a blatant attack?

It can only be described as a limited struggle.

Most of them placed their hopes for the hardships of life in the hands of ethereal deities.

Interestingly, the gods worshipped by the nations of the three continents and five seas, the gods worshipped by the Bloodstained Tribe, and the gods worshipped by the Bald Eagles are all the same one, known as the First Creator and the Supreme God of the world.

To summarize the current state of this land, it is this: the Western followers of the Supreme God are aiding the Sangha followers of the Supreme God in beating and massacring the local followers of this Supreme God.

The local believers of the Supreme God were being attacked and fighting amongst themselves, as they were divided into two major sects and several branches due to the different representatives of the God.

The core difference between the two sects is that one sect believes that religious leaders should be capable, prestigious, and protect the law, and should be elected through joint recommendation; this sect can be called the recommendation faction.
Another school of thought believes that new prophets must be direct descendants of the previous prophets, and that divine bloodlines should be protected by the gods to become natural leaders who never make mistakes. Therefore, this school of thought can also be called the bloodline faction.

If we go further down the line, there are also differences between countries, disputes between leaders, debates between schools of thought, and clashes between different hadiths...

Under the same deity, there are spokespeople everywhere.

In this situation, having another spokesperson doesn't seem like a big deal.

Upon careful analysis, Beria concluded that this supreme god possessed sufficient authority, a large number of followers, ample room for interpretation, and also significant flaws.

So he came here.

Wearing a long robe and with long hair and beard, Beria, sitting in a newly made wheelchair with all traces of the manufacturer's logo erased, arrived at this small border town in the land of the five seas, bathed in the slanting rays of the setting sun, from the vast expanse of yellow sand.

The robe was custom-made from coarse cloth produced locally in the Five Seas, and was sent to Dongxia for meticulous tailoring, making it look extremely exquisite. The wide robe covered half of his wheelchair and his disabled legs, revealing only a thin face and a pair of deep-set eyes.

His long hair and beard were extensions, dyed a slightly grayish color, making him look at least forty or fifty years older than he originally looked.

Beria's destination was a city called "Anchor Point".

The reason we came here is because we are very close to the Bloodstained Clan's attack line.

Planes roared, bombs flew, streets turned into battlefields, death was imminent, and the nation, as the controller of this land, dared not utter a sound.

This was a land almost abandoned, left to be ravaged by the enemy and its people to fend for themselves. The wealthy and nobles of the city had all fled, leaving behind only ordinary people who couldn't escape or wouldn't survive even if they did.

Although Belial should still be able to live for a long time, time is still very precious. If he slowly builds up his reputation and expands his influence to eventually achieve his own plans, then this major event involving both the stars and the blue planet may be delayed for who knows how long.

He needs to hurry.

Anchor City is nestled between two deserts, with a narrow river flowing through its west, bringing the desert's most precious water.

It also brought the most ferocious enemies to Anchor City.

The Bloody Sang tribe has been desperately trying to control all the waterways within their reach, ultimately gaining control of these precious water sources by massacring and driving away the indigenous people.

Their tank crews were only a few dozen kilometers away from the anchorage city, and bombing it in advance under the pretext of fighting evil elements was one of their favorite pre-meal appetizers.

Seeing those poor people, clutching their bloodied and mangled children and crying out in the ruins, a strange, indescribable, exhilarating sense of comfort and pleasure would rise in their hearts.

Most invaders in the world are like this.

When Beria arrived, he looked around the city with some curiosity, and the people in the city looked at him with curiosity as well.

The city appears to be built on a massive limestone plateau, like a flat table with its legs cut off, placed on the edge of the desert. The edge of the plateau is a naturally formed cliff, below which lies the river that the city considers its lifeline.

Beyond that, there was an endless desert, its surface ruffled by the hot wind.

Most of the buildings in the city were earthen yellow, built of rammed earth and stones, low and sturdy. There were tall buildings, but they had all been bombed, leaving only rows of dark, gaping holes with shattered windows.

There are seven streets in total in the city, which spread outwards from the old market square in the center of the city. They become narrower and narrower as they go, like the roots of a fallen tree, and finally disappear on the terraces at the edge of the city.

The street names are in the local dialect, but they have a very lofty meaning, such as "the road of mercy" and "the road of light," as if the residents are hoping that the gods will bless them in some way.

What particularly caught Beria's attention was the presence of children everywhere.

In Dongxia, children were a rarity, but here it was different; the dusty streets were filled with children.

They were like mushrooms growing from ruins, clustered together, carrying the scent of earth and gunpowder. The oldest was about thirteen or fourteen, the youngest looked only two or three, running barefoot or in worn-out, tottering shoes on the tattered stone path.

Their eyes were full of fear and wariness, yet strangely tinged with a hint of ferocity and tyranny.

As soon as Beria's wheelchair rolled over the first stone slab of the "Path of Mercy," the children surrounded him.

In that instant, Belial felt as if he had returned to the stars.

The children approached with an animalistic probing, surrounding him but not too tightly, their eyes scanning Belial's spotless robes as if trying to find out where he might have hidden money.

They were like a pack of hyena cubs on the savanna, squinting at carrion, their heads tilted, their eyes, which seemed excessively large because of their thin faces, fixed on Beria. They cautiously closed the distance, then stretched out their muddy hands, chattering in their local dialect.

The one who pushed the hardest and reached the front was a girl as thin as a bean sprout. Her hair was completely tangled, knotted into hard clumps, and covered with some kind of debris. She wore an adult blouse three times her size, tied at the waist with a rope to keep it from falling off.

The girl's sleeves were rolled up high, and her outstretched arms were covered with scabbed wounds, some of them abrasions, some of them burns, and there seemed to be many long cuts, old and new, layer upon layer.

She stubbornly stretched out her dirty hand, her fingernails filled with black mud.

"money."

She was speaking the language of the White Eagle, the language of two generations of Earth's overlords.

"Please, give me the money!"

Although she said she was begging, her eyes and actions didn't show any sign of begging. Because of her lead, and because Belial didn't immediately reprimand or disperse them, more children gathered around.

They formed a semicircle, surrounding the wheelchair and the staff pushing it.

These children emanated a rather strange smell—dust, sweat, and perhaps some indescribable sour odor.

An even smaller creature, who looked only two or three years old, with two dried snot streaks hanging from his nose, squeezed out from the crowd and grabbed the armrest of Belial's wheelchair.

The little guy was mostly naked except for a pair of open-crotch shorts. His bare belly was bulging, like a small drum that had been stretched thin, and covered with blue veins.

He looked up at Beria, making "ah ah ah" sounds, as if he hadn't learned to speak yet, but was just instinctively begging along with the other children.

Beria had no doubt that if it weren't for the several burly men pushing his wheelchair behind him, these children might have tried to snatch him, a cripple.

The translator bent down and explained in a low voice, "They want money, they want food..."

Beria nodded, whispered a word of instruction, and then the guard straightened up and shouted in the local language, "We need someone to lead the way to the Abolim Scripture Hall."

"Two large flatbreads, or a fifty-dollar shamdinar."

The children's eyes lit up immediately, but at the same time, they were clearly afraid.

The children shoved each other for a while, and then a boy who looked about eleven or twelve years old stepped forward.

His shirt was an adult T-shirt that he had picked up from somewhere, the hem of which dragged down to his knees, and the collar hung crookedly on one shoulder, revealing his bony collarbone and ribs.

The pants were mostly intact, but they looked like women's pants, with two holes at the knees, revealing equally bony knees.

Two bare feet shifted their weight restlessly on the dusty ground, toes spread wide apart like the claws of a small animal.

"It's far and dangerous there, sir. Two pancakes aren't enough; you'll need ten!"

The guard waved his hand dismissively: "Then get out of the way, we'll go ourselves!"

"Eight... six... five!"

"You need at least five tickets. Give them to me first, then I'll take you there. It's really hard to find; the roads have been bombed. You won't find it unless you know the area well!"

The boy spoke loudly, but his tone lacked confidence. As he mumbled to himself, he didn't even dare to look at Belial, instead glancing at his companions beside him, as if trying to find some courage from them.

Beria noticed that his hands were trembling slightly.

"Give!"

A burly, dark-skinned, muscular guard stepped forward, pulled a bag of flatbread from his backpack—there were probably more than five—but he didn't argue and handed the bag over as well.

Instantly, screams erupted from the children, and more than a dozen hands reached out frantically. The baby in open-crotch pants was knocked down, but instead of crying, it forcefully pushed aside the older children who were crowding in and let out even louder babbling cries.

A pair of large hands stopped the foot that was about to step on the little guy.

This is Belial's personal guard captain. He looks like an Asian and is dressed in a camouflage Western-style military uniform. The most eye-catching thing is the tattoo pattern that runs from his bare neck all the way to his forehead, which looks quite ferocious.

He picked up the little guy with one hand, placed him aside like a kitten, and then turned sideways to block the children surging forward.

Beria brought three Eastern Xia guards with different appearances with him on this trip, and also hired a team of mercenaries with mixed white and black skin. With these fierce-looking guys around, the local adults didn't dare to approach, and those who came around were all such ignorant children.

Or perhaps they deliberately sent these children over to test the waters. After all, in a city that has been repeatedly bombed and could be occupied at any time, such a group of outsiders would be too conspicuous.

The burly guards brought order to the scene. The big boy who was supposed to lead the way distributed half of the pancake and gave the remaining pieces to another big boy, seemingly to take them home. Then, amidst the bewildered looks of the little ones, he led Belial toward the west of the city.

After walking a short distance, Beria couldn't help but turn back, his gaze lingering on the dolls licking their fingers.

“Mr. Lu, the ancient texts of the Tower of Twilight say that all the suffering in the world comes from unjust gods and unjust professionals.”

"In this world without gods or professionals, what is the source of their suffering?"

The Mr. Lu mentioned by Belial is Lu Kai, the captain of this team. He was once the Vajra in the Buddha Kingdom of Udon and was promoted to the rank of Mingwang in the Lotus Land. He is the number one rune shaman warrior in Dongxia.

Now, he's switching to another sect.

The guard captain took off his military cap, wiped his bald, sweaty head with his hand, and replied in fluent Lianhua local dialect:
"So, the problem lies with the records of your Twilight Tower!"

"Actually, Belial testifies that the answer is already in your heart, isn't it?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Abolimu Temple was once a large temple, and at its peak, its spire was filled with believers from all over.

According to legend, a prophet under the throne of the supreme God once passed through this place and stayed briefly, leaving behind a line of revelatory text. Later believers followed in the prophet's footsteps and built the first memorial hall here, which was gradually expanded into the famous Abolimu Scripture Hall.

However, this place is now a ruin.

The Chaos leader of the Bloodstained Swarm claimed that the place was being used for military purposes by resistance forces unfriendly to the Swarm, and thus launched a "defensive offensive" ahead of schedule, destroying the place directly with several aerial bombs.

The people and buildings here are so fragile. Thousands of miles away, some guy in a suit draws a circle on a map and says, "There are terrorists here."

Then aerial bombs rained down from the sky.

Many people here don't even know what the word "terrorist" means; their level of education is too low.

They could only tell the children that water came from the river, bread from the wheat, and children from the womb of a woman, while death... could fall from the sky at any moment.

This is their fate!
When Belial arrived here, what he saw was the carcass of a giant beast that looked like it had been gutted.

The dome of the main hall has completely collapsed, as if it had been smashed down from the very center by a giant hammer. The dozens of pieces of the dome's remains are stuck crookedly in the ruins, with the broken steel bars twisting and stretching towards the sky.

Craters were everywhere, some over ten meters in diameter, others densely packed, like the face of a teenager with hormonal imbalances.

The wind whistled through the bullet holes, producing a mournful sound like bagpipes.

Among those broken walls and ruins, one can still vaguely see clumps of red blood, most of which have turned black and seeped into the texture of the stone, as if they were the original birthmarks of this land.

On the day the Abolimu Confucian Temple was bombed, at least eighty believers died there, and all the clergy of the temple were wiped out. Later, the team searching for bodies and rescuing the wounded in the ruins was bombed again, and civilians, medical staff, and reporters were left lying dead everywhere.

This place has finally become a complete and utter dead end.

The wheelchair rolled over the gravel and broken glass on the ground, making a soft crackling sound.

Belial was pushed to a raised spot in the ruins, slowly turned around, and said something to the child who was standing at the edge of the Hall of Scriptures, too afraid to approach.

“Go and tell them that a humble servant of God, a prophet, a sent witness, will spread the glory of the Most High God here.”

"May the gods grant you the goodness of this life and the goodness of the hereafter, and protect you from all kinds of suffering!"

Soon, news that a self-proclaimed "sent witness" had arrived at the temple spread like wildfire throughout Anchor Point City.

Of course, people don't really believe it, but it doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. Whoever wants to go to that bombed-out ruin can go.

To say that everyone deeply believes in religious faith would be to underestimate human nature. Often, it is merely a form of solace in times of desperation.

After all, facts have proven countless times that gods cannot fight against bombs and missiles. Blood has flowed across the entire Five Seas, and the dead are all believers of the gods.

They continue to believe because they each have their own desires.

Some people hope for divine protection to escape the suffering of reality and look forward to a better afterlife; some people use the name of the gods to seize the money, resources and benefits offered; some people commit numerous evil deeds and use piety as an excuse to find some relief and compensation for their inner turmoil; of course, there are also people who seek inner peace and tranquility that they cannot obtain in reality.

Therefore, Beria, as a "witness," cannot just hold the title; he must do some real work.

For example, the most practical way is to distribute porridge.

Even in peacetime, there are many people here who don't have enough to eat, and the people can ruthlessly abandon their cowardly leader just because the price of bread is going up.

Therefore, when Beria set up a large cauldron on the site of the Temple of Apollym and cooked porridge with grain purchased from the Ganges Lotus Federation, he quickly attracted many "believers".

Before one is full, food is more powerful than scripture.

During this time, Beria began his sermons.

Witnesses say that the reason the gods cannot protect His people is because this era is an era of Ragnarok.

Witnesses say that God is always watching over this land that has suffered so much, and watching over His believers and His people.

Witnesses say that the gods sent the messenger of twilight here to rebuild the Tower of Twilight and listen to the earth's weeping.

Witnesses say he will dispel suffering wherever he sees it and bring warmth and peace to believers, especially young and naive ones.

Beria's preaching ceremony was simple, but his demeanor was extremely mysterious and elegant.

As he spoke, he would tilt his head slightly back, gazing into the distance as if he were receiving divine revelation from the distant heavens. Sunlight shone on his long, gray hair and beard, casting a soft glow over him.

Beria's voice was not loud, and he did not use any amplification equipment, but every word was clearly heard by everyone.

He spoke fluent local language, his words carrying a strange rhythm, as if he were reciting an ancient poem.

As a seasoned con artist and the authentic master of the Twilight Tower, Belial exudes a compassionate and charlatan-like aura in his speech, demeanor, and bearing.

The calming spells he casts at each sermon quickly convinced many that he was a true messenger of the gods.

The feeling was hard to describe; it wasn't dizziness or fatigue, but a kind of tranquility emanating from within the body, enough to soothe the mind.

It's like snuggling in your mother's warm embrace on a stormy night, listening to the faint sound of her heartbeat as you drift off to sleep.

In this city where bombs could fall at any moment and death could strike, this feeling has led more and more people to believe that this is truly divine guidance.

Thanks to the development of social media, the news spread in a short period of time.

Unsurprisingly, this attracted the attention of many religious figures and—

Extremely dissatisfied!!!

Where did this witness come from, a sent witness? Second only to the prophet, right? Isn't this trying to seize our right to interpret scripture?
Besides, this guy just stayed on the ruins of the Huijing Temple, preaching in a makeshift tent, and you didn't rebuild the temple?
How can we receive offerings if we don't rebuild the temple?

If they do not accept offerings, how do clergy members make offerings?

If clergy are not supported, are we expected to generate electricity for love?

Of course, that's the gist of the matter, but it's not quite like that. The main point of criticism from various clergy members was to use their doctrines to refute Beria's absurd teachings.

A crippled madman spouting nonsense about Ragnarok – isn't that clearly a cult?

Although the miracles performed by Beria during his sermons became more and more numerous and their influence grew, it was precisely these priests who were the least skeptical of miracles.

What exactly is God? Others may not know, but how could we, who are "closest to God," not know?

Amidst this chaos, as the influence of the so-called Twilight Tower grew and began to spread from Anchor City to the surrounding areas, some people could no longer sit still.

There were those who tried to cause trouble and sabotage, but the mixed mercenary group hired by Belial was no pushover.

As for whether these mercenaries are loyal?

Belial is the true Lord of Twilight. Apart from his father, Dongxia, who could be disloyal to him?
After several failed conspiracies, some of the clergy of the Supreme God chose the most vicious tactic: inciting the Bloodthirsty Instigator to take action.

The reason...

The Shan tribe doesn't need a reason to attack; they'll kill anyone who isn't one of their own.

Religion has always been an excuse used by tribes to plunder and slaughter.

I took you because you are a promise given to me by the gods.

I killed you because the gods commanded me to punish you.

The gods revealed that, apart from the great Shan race, all others were not human, but rather beasts, and that killing them was without sin.

How could such a powerful deity possibly have any "witnesses"?

And so, during yet another bombing raid on neighboring countries, a plane casually made a turn and flew over the ruins of the temple.

The moment the plane turned, the electronic reconnaissance ship of Dongxia, patrolling the nearby waters and equipped with a row of large shields on its head, immediately detected the anomaly.

Belial breathed a long sigh of relief when he heard the alarm sound in his headphones.

The Lord of Twilight gently stroked his white beard, raised his head, and looked up at the sky.

Finally, you've arrived!
(End of this chapter)