High-Pressure Management

Watching Gao Yuan's receding figure, a hint of melancholy arose in Chen Fan's heart.

"Sigh..."

He let out a soft sigh.

[Don't dwell on these things too much.]

After detecting Chen Fan's low mood through various physiological indicators, One comforted Chen Fan:

[Such things are common in religious eras.]

[For the sake of illusory gods, these ignorant intelligent beings can do anything.]

"No, I'm just a little regretful."

[Regretful? Regretful about what?]

Chen Fan lightly smacked his lips: "Tell me, what a great source of information he was."

"One, if he stops contacting me, where will I get information so easily in the future?"

[...]

[You're truly a dog!]

Chen Fan shrugged indifferently.

Dog?

If he could survive safely in this world, what did it matter if he was a little bit of a dog?

"Let's talk about serious matters first."

Chen Fan looked up to orient himself and quickened his pace towards his home:

"What do you think the situation outside the city is like now?"

"Also..."

Chen Fan paused: "Why did Gao Yuan react so strongly when I mentioned outside the city?"

[If the disaster in Varrela Year One was caused by a large-scale nuclear war, then...]

"A radiation-filled nuclear wasteland?"

[...the environment outside the city should be quite good now.]

"...Huh?"

One's answer completely exceeded Chen Fan's imagination. He quickly pressed: "Shouldn't there be some Turbid Qi, meaning nuclear radiation, outside?"

[Don't you think about when this nuclear war happened?]

[It broke out in Old Calendar 1800, and it's already Old Calendar 2067 now.]

[A full 267 years, the outside world has long since recovered significantly.]

Chen Fan was stunned.

In his imagination, the damage caused by nuclear war should be extremely vast and long-lasting.

One's words gave him a completely new understanding.

[Don't underestimate nature's ability to recover, and don't overestimate the killing power of nuclear bombs.]

[After all, nuclear bombs are just the trump card of a Level 1 Civilization.]

[As for that kid Gao Yuan's reaction...]

One was silent for a moment: [This unit cannot make an accurate judgment.]

[But considering the history of Varrela City and its religious system, this unit believes it should be related to the Church.]

Varrela City, East District.

Standing on the slightly uneven, poor-quality road paved with cement, Chen Fan carefully examined the low-rise residential building in front of him, only three stories high – his home was here.

The dim yellow sunset shone on this low-rise residential building, highlighting a sense of desolation.

A faint smell of food drifted from inside the building.

Logically, as dinner time approached, the residential building should be quite lively.

But...

Whether it was the residential building in front of Chen Fan or the other residential buildings he passed along the way, they were all incredibly quiet.

This inexplicable quietness even carried a hint of eeriness.

On the road, expressionless pedestrians walked quickly in groups of two or three.

A woman with a little girl passed by Chen Fan, slightly hunched over.

As she passed, the little girl quietly turned her head, her large, blinking eyes showing a hint of curiosity, as if wondering why Chen Fan was standing there motionless.

Chen Fan subconsciously pulled at the corners of his mouth and gave the little girl a smile.

"Snap."

Suddenly, a crisp sound came from ahead.

Wincing in pain, the little girl quickly squinted her eyes and pulled her head back.

"What are you looking at?"

The woman cursed at the little girl in a low voice, "Be careful you offend God! The Church will send someone to arrest you!"

After speaking, the woman cautiously turned her head and glanced at Chen Fan.

Seeing that Chen Fan was not wearing the standard robes of a clergyman, the woman's tense expression relaxed slightly.

But she still didn't say much, just grabbed the little girl's hand and hurried away.

Chen Fan couldn't help but frown.

He hadn't felt anything when he followed Deacon Carlisle to the Main Church earlier.

But now he realized a problem: the city's quietness was built upon the Church's High-Pressure Management.

Under the complete surveillance of the Goddess Statue, all believers were afraid of saying the wrong thing.

After all, no one knew if they would be sent to the Church's Execution Platform for saying one wrong word.

Just as Chen Fan was gazing at the receding figures of the mother and daughter, two sets of footsteps, one heavy and one light, came from behind him.

"God Chosen Esteemed One?"

A familiar soft voice entered his ears.

Chen Fan turned around in surprise and saw the wide black hood that reached just to his chest. A slight smile appeared on his face: "Priest Isa?"

"Why are you here?"

The black hood swayed slightly: "I..."

"We are announcing the time of the Divine Descent Ceremony to the believers."

A slightly aged voice came from behind Isa.

Immediately after, Chen Fan noticed the wide white robe and the slightly yellowish skin under the hood.

This was also an old acquaintance.

"Carlisle?"

"I didn't expect God Chosen Esteemed One to still remember me." The yellowish skin under the hood twitched slightly, revealing a smile uglier than crying, "It is truly my honor."

"Of course I remember."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded: "Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for your reminder. At least Priest Quinton didn't trouble me."

Hearing this, the black hood, which only reached Chen Fan's chest, moved slightly.

Seeing the smile on Chen Fan's face, Carlisle's tense mood gradually relaxed: "It is what I should do."

"God Chosen Esteemed One, in three days, the Divine Descent Ceremony will be held at the Land of Divine Descent. Please be sure to arrive at the Church in advance."

Chen Fan naturally agreed readily.

"Oh, right."

"The news of the Divine Descent Ceremony... have you finished notifying everyone?"

As he spoke, Chen Fan glanced at the low residential building next to him.

"We have finished notifying everyone." Carlisle instantly "understood" Chen Fan's meaning. He bowed slightly, "God Chosen Esteemed One's mother was very cooperative with our work."

"She also asked about the Third Divine Decree ceremony."

"She was very happy to hear that you made it to the Divine Decree ceremony."

Chen Fan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He had to admit, he was really afraid that his cheap mother would stab him in the back!

He put his hands behind his back, nodded calmly, and said, "Then I won't disturb your work any further."

Hearing this, Carlisle also subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Esteemed Isa, we should go."

There was no reaction.

Under the white hood, Carlisle's mouth twitched slightly: "...Esteemed Isa? Esteemed Isa?!"

Chen Fan couldn't help but freeze at the scene before him.

This...

What was going on?

Did Isa have something else she wanted to tell him?

Just as Chen Fan was lost in thought, the wide black hood moved again.

"...You are right, God Chosen Esteemed One."

Chen Fan: "...???"