My older sister is a villainous rich girl

However, the old man on the throne shook his head.

He stared intently at the longsword in Wayne's hand, but his thoughts seemed to wander beyond it, gazing at something else.

The river of time flows fairly past everyone, yet it leaves exceptionally deep marks on each person. At this moment, even the surrounding air seems to be filled with the scent of decay.

Wayne frowned slightly, a hint of impatience in his expression.

He had never liked these guys who talked nonsense all day long, and if the Vatican really wasn't willing to do him a favor, he wouldn't bother being polite to this old man anymore.

But what he heard next was not a rejection.

“The hero who appears guided by destiny is both His appointed messenger and the descendant of God's favor… I, and the entire Church, should offer you all our assistance.” The Pope stood up shakily, raised his scepter with heavy difficulty, and slowly recited a mumbled prayer.

Inside the temple, golden light suddenly shone brightly, and the flow of magical elements became unprecedentedly active.

Wayne raised an eyebrow and waited to see what would happen.

"...I, the current Pope Saint Az Reggiodo, hereby bless those who have received divine revelation."

After laboriously finishing the sentence, the Pope's voice suddenly increased, as if he had used all his strength, and the echo resounded throughout the entire palace: "The legendary hero who will save the world has arrived. May the light of divine revelation and the glory of mankind forever illuminate the path you take!"

The temple's dome, forged from solid ice, vanished in an instant, and a phantom remarkably similar to the Triple Ring of Light slowly appeared in mid-air. But in the center of that dazzling color was a gigantic, pitch-black, hollow, and unfathomable eye.

From the depths of the dark void, a gaze descended upon Wayne, making him feel as if he had instantly lost the body he once relied on for movement, leaving him with no escape from seeing his every thought. Immediately afterward, he sensed a fluctuation of intent.

It was like a call, or a resonance, as if a distant and faint voice wanted to tell him something.

But the very next second, as he tried to listen more closely, this strange connection abruptly broke, forcing him back to reality. All light faded, and the temple was once again shrouded in night.

As if he had stepped into a hole and fallen down the stairs, Wayne was momentarily dazed, but quickly regained his senses.

This must be some kind of secret ritual controlled by the Pope, but its specific function is still unclear.

"The blessing ceremony has been successfully completed." The Pope, whose appearance had aged slightly, gazed at the unfamiliar hero before him. "You are now a recognized chosen one of God, and the Holy See will lend you the sacred relics without reservation, in exchange..."

“Please, following His instructions, welcome His last wish... back to His kingdom.” He coughed twice more.

Wayne felt a huge question mark appear above his head.

Chapter 665 Proof of the Hero

An imperial edict? What imperial edict?

Are you referring to that remote connection that just dropped before the other person even had a chance to speak...?

Wayne wanted to ask if he could make another call, as he hadn't heard anything. But seeing the Pope's weak state, barely able to catch his breath, he felt too bad to make things worse.

"This is the Triple Ring of Light." The Pope took something out of his sleeve and handed it over with great care.

Unlike the replicas that are about the height of a person and are usually displayed in various cathedrals, this one is only the size of a palm.

Wayne took it and carefully examined its authenticity. Although he had little in-depth knowledge of the Holy See's relics, the abundant magic flowing within the ring and the peculiar energy he could vaguely sense inside reminded him that this was no ordinary item.

He weighed it in his hand and casually stuffed it into his pocket.

"And what's the story behind this sword?" he asked.

"It is proof of the hero. Legend has it that when a hero inspired by the gods appears, he will be able to lift this sword."

Wayne's lips twitched, and he unceremoniously took the rusty longsword for himself.

Does the Vatican really have a legend of a savior?

“And you are the one who has come as prophesied. In truth, I have been waiting for a long time. If you had appeared any later, I fear I would not have been able to hold on any longer.” The aged Pope revealed a sorrowful expression once more. “The god has fallen, and I can no longer contact Him.”

Wayne remained calm, showing no alarm despite the news that would cause a huge uproar.

Over time, the Church has extended its influence deep into the heart of various kingdoms in the name of God. From levying taxes on believers and crowning kings to mediating disputes among princes, the shadow of the Papacy looms behind almost every conflict in the world.

There are indeed exceptionally talented individuals in the world, and even amidst the conflicts between nations and the rise of numerous stars, the Holy See can still command the winds and rains across the entire continent, with no one able to rival it. Its greatest reliance is the immense power of the true god behind it.

Although very few people know the secret of the god's fall, judging from Mr. Homa's recent remarks, some within the Vatican have begun to doubt the Pope.

The Pope's current weakened state makes it impossible for him to continue concealing the truth, and he probably won't be able to hide it for much longer.

One can imagine that, both inside and outside the Vatican, a series of open and covert struggles will erupt over the power vacuum created by the Pope. No matter where one is, people always chase after such mundane things.

"Please forgive my bluntness, but I think Your Holiness you must be aware of the undercurrents within the Papacy and have prepared some contingency plans so that your successor can control the situation after your death."

From Wayne's perspective, the chaos within the Papacy might be considered good news for the Kingdom of Lornes or even for himself. However, for Tasia, the situation suddenly became much more complicated.

He was confident he could handle external threats, but Tasia, who was not yet fully developed, desperately needed room to grow.

“Successor…” His Holiness the Pope paused, then looked at the man before him whose face was hidden behind a black robe.

“I can no longer choose a successor who truly satisfies me,” he said softly. “After my death, the Papacy will inevitably fall into a long period of chaos, which I have long anticipated.”

Wayne: ? ? ?

Since you anticipated this but didn't take action, are you just going to watch the chaos unfold?

Perhaps sensing the dissatisfaction and doubt in his eyes, the Pope sighed.

“I… Az Reggiodo was born in a small fishing village in the eastern Papal Mountains. Back then, as a young boy, I had to go out to sea with my parents every morning to fish, and even now, looking back, it seems like a very poor and arduous life. But whenever I looked back, I could see the sunlight shining on the towering peaks, gleaming with a dazzling golden light.”

People tend to reminisce about the past as they get older. The elderly man in his twilight years has no trace of the imposing presence one would expect from someone in a high position; his cloudy eyes hold only the recollection of the fleeting years.

“My parents told me that on that mountaintop lies the abode of the gods. They silently and compassionately watch over all things in the world, and will protect us fishermen who battle the waves, ensuring our safe return—”

"Back then, I never imagined that I would possess what could be considered a remarkable magical talent."

The Pope was actually a magician who awakened from being a commoner!?

For the first time, Wayne showed obvious surprise.

"But then, they both perished at sea in a sudden storm." He gave a bitter smile. "I was lucky enough to grab onto a plank and drift on the sea. I was later rescued by my mentor who discovered and nurtured me, and brought back to the Papacy."

"It was only much later that I learned that the great storm that took away my parents was merely a battle fought by the magicians of the Holy See's Inquisition. They had no room for mercy in the face of such a formidable enemy."

"..." Wayne could only remain silent.

"I don't know if it was divine protection or a cruel joke. Since then, my fate has been completely changed... right up to this day."

If outsiders were to hear that even the Pope had such doubts about God, it might lead to disillusionment with the faith of the Papacy.

But the current pope clearly no longer cares about so many restrictions.

“I have no resentment toward God, nor toward the judgment committee,” he said. “Tribulations will not let any test pass by. Just as He originally decided to become the God of the world in order to save mankind, when I was unexpectedly chosen by His oracle to be the new Pope, I shared the same determination to save mankind.”

"However……"

Just as the Pope was about to continue speaking, Wayne reached out to stop him.

He understood why the Pope had suddenly pulled him aside to say these random things. With the gods unable to intervene and the Pope himself powerless and nearing death, he most likely wanted him, the "Hero," to join the game as a chosen one, serving as a bargaining chip to balance the various factions. After all, the situation couldn't get much worse than it seemed.

“Your Holiness, I must emphasize a fact to you,” Wayne said in a deep voice.

"The so-called trials, the so-called salvation, are all just self-deception. I am here only to fulfill a promise, nothing more. In exchange, I will keep an eye out for the 'Remnant Wish of God' for you, but that is not my duty as a hero. Know that I have already paid enough for this, which is what you are about to witness."

As his words fell, the light in the temple, sustained by magic, suddenly flickered violently. The world before them seemed to be instantly shattered into pieces of broken glass. The Pope's chair was also twisted and displaced as if by a powerful external force. The walls made of solid ice slowly burst open from the inside, and a dense rustling sound rang in their ears, as if the seeds of flowers and plants were about to sprout from the soil.

Wayne frowned, unsure how this scene would appear in the Pope's eyes. After all, every time he dealt with problems arising from collisions from another dimension, he always ended up with a sudden dream.

But he knew he was probably in big trouble now.

Chapter 666 Step back, let me handle this.

The howling wind violently rushed into the temple from all directions, sweeping away all the debris inside.

Within sight, tables, chairs, carpets, platforms, sculptures... were all reduced to fragments, filled with anger or perhaps longing, surging toward Wayne.

"The Shield of Sighs!"

As the Pope shouted, a transparent wall instantly appeared, attempting to block the mingled debris, whose original form was now indistinguishable.

Wayne could sense that this spell contained extremely high magical power, probably beyond what the Pope could possibly draw upon in his weakened state.

But in such a critical moment, what he was thinking was: Could it be that the old Pope had a backup plan and was just feigning weakness?

However, the Pope's efforts were destined to be in vain.

The seemingly solid wall, upon first contact with the oncoming "flow," was like ice crystals melting in a raging fire, silently swallowed by the chaotic flow of information and merged into the debris.

Witnessing this dramatic turn of events, the Pope's already ashen face turned even paler, his gaze filled with shock and despair.

"What...what is this thing?!"

What he saw before him was beyond his comprehension.

Wayne didn't know whether he felt relaxed or disappointed at this moment. It seemed that even the Pope, as one of the world's top beings, had never dealt with such a problem before.

"You can think of it as... um... an intruder from another world?"

No, please! I would never let anyone know a name as embarrassing as "witch transformation"!

Wayne's expression tightened, and he resolutely said, "Step back and let me handle this!"

He held the sword of the hero, which had no scabbard, and made a standard drawing motion, saying slowly, "This is what I must fight against, and what I am trying to save this world from."

A dark light flashed as he raised his sword, and time seemed to stand still for a moment.

Suddenly, centered on him, the surrounding magic surged violently like boiling oil in a raging fire, completely destroying the already shattered spatial structure and turning the scattered fragments into invisible dust.

Immediately afterwards, the water seemed to merge again as if it had split apart, and the hollow space created by the magical explosion was squeezed by the surrounding normal space, and then returned to stability.

But the information flow that was disrupted did not completely disappear.

As the space returned to normal, they instantly reassembled with incredible speed. Countless transparent tentacles grew out of the air and intertwined with each other, while a sharp buzzing sound exploded deep within Wayne's mind.

"Om-"

Wayne clutched his head in pain as a flood of meaningless fragments of information poured into his mind.

[……，…………，……]

The feeling was like stirring your brain with chopsticks. Even the intangible thing called thought became extremely clear. Every thought felt like a blade scraping through your brain. Your limbs began to stiffen and go numb, and your body felt like it was about to lose control.

But just before he had a bad feeling that he was about to crash and burn, a warm current suddenly came from the Triple Ring of Light in his pocket, which immediately relieved the pain in Wayne's mind. The tentacles that were constantly sending him spam messages not far away also stopped.

Wien keenly seized the opportunity, took out the sacred object, held it out to the front with one hand, and silently murmured as he moved his lips:

[In truth, reaching the Dharma is without error... erroneous and absurd experiences are far inferior.]

With his improved magical skills, he could handle most situations with ease and hadn't uttered that strange incantation for a long time. But reassuringly, the power contained within it remained reliable.

The magic power within Wayne was completely drawn away, rapidly consumed as if a colossal beast from the void were feasting on it, and the triple rings in his hands shone brightly. Within the rings, some strange energy also seeped in.

Only now did Wayne understand why it had the prefix "light".

Under the unhindered light, the world seemed to finally remember its original form. The ice shards that had not yet been completely destroyed by the battle began to grow slowly again, gradually covering the edges of the broken buildings, as if trying to restore the majestic temple to its usual state.

It felt like time had reversed.

The information flow aggregate, wildly waving its tentacles, disintegrated under the light until it completely disappeared, and the world returned to tranquility.

But the moment the monster completely disappeared, the process of the ice regrowth also came to an abrupt halt.

In the blink of an eye, the once magnificent and sacred High Hall was reduced to a few pitiful icicles, barely supporting the huge hole that pierced through one corner of the temple. The solemn furnishings looked as if they had been ravaged and looted by a great thief, and the ground was a mess. Only the Pope, still in shock, stood dumbfounded in the wind and snow on the mountaintop.

"Level 1 Intrusion Alert - Level 1 Intrusion Alert —"

Suddenly, frantic shouts came from the foot of the mountain, accompanied by the deafening sound of an alarm bell.

……

"I'm doomed. I've really messed up this time. Half of the temple has been blown up... Luckily I ran fast, otherwise I would have had to pay compensation."

Wayne tossed the slightly dimmed Triple Ring of Light to Little White, then quickly changed back into his pajamas and scrambled around in bed, pretending he had been soundly asleep and had never left the room.

He discarded the sword of the hero that he had taken from the Pope in an inconspicuous pond on the way, as he would never carry such a dangerous item that could expose his identity at any moment.

Xiao Bai weighed it in his hand twice, then swallowed the palm-sized sacred object in one gulp right in front of him.

Wayne: ?

He desperately wanted to rush over and shake its neck to force it to vomit.

"You...you ate it?! You're not going to wait until you poop out in a couple of days and then make me return it, are you?!"

The dog glanced at him and sneered, "If you really want it, I can have it right now—"

“I said stop.” Wayne flopped down and went to sleep. “I slept like a log tonight and didn’t hear a thing.”

But just as he closed his eyes, a light knock sounded at the door.