Everything You Fear Comes from Insufficient Firepower

Everything You Fear Comes from Insufficient Firepower

Lu Yuanming followed Father Edward and the others to the bank.

From the outside, the bank still looked dilapidated, but it was clear that the whole building had been fortified.

Many Metal Plates had been embedded in the damaged outer walls. Even now, several people were working on the walls, trying to cover more gaps with Metal Plates.

The bank really was an excellent base. It wasn't perfect, but it had a vault that could serve as a last refuge, and the building itself was sturdy enough. With some reinforcement and enough guns and ammunition, even the Giant Spider and Giant Man-faced Dog would probably be unable to break through the bank's outer walls.

Just then, the people keeping watch outside spotted Father Edward and the others. They shouted to alert everyone. Some ran inside the bank, while others hurried toward the group.

Before long, nearly a hundred people streamed out of the bank and ran excitedly toward Lu Yuanming and the others. Naturally, Cthulhu, Peter, Ang, and the rest who considered themselves Lu Yuanming's Disciples led the way. A few burly men followed close behind, especially the man with the gloomy expression. The rest were people they had rescued.

As soon as Peter, Ang, Martha, and the other Disciples reached Lu Yuanming, they dropped to one knee and loudly recited the words about the Lord's Mercy and how the Lord had not abandoned them. Cthulhu didn't kneel, but he, too, looked excited and respectful as he asked, "Sir, have you returned from the Mortal World?"

Lu Yuanming immediately helped Peter and the others up, then smiled and nodded at Cthulhu. "Yes. I'm back."

The gloomy-faced man stepped forward at once. "Mr. Lu, may I ask if you've obtained any Faith Power?"

Lu Yuanming looked at Father Edward, who explained, "This is Charlie Lucci, a New York Mafia boss. He wants to join our Messiah Salv—our Heaven on Earth Afterlife Team. But first, he needs to confirm the Lord's identity."

Ignoring Father Edward's pained expression, Lu Yuanming answered Charlie bluntly. "I'm not a god, and I have nothing to do with any god. I'm just an ordinary human who ended up in this afterlife. I stood up for two reasons: to protect myself and to save whoever I could, doing whatever was within my power. Don't listen to these fanatics. I'm absolutely not a god!"

Charlie's mouth twitched. In fact, during the eighteen days Lu Yuanming had been gone, he had learned a lot about him from Father Edward and the others, as well as from discreetly questioning a few female Disciples. He had heard about that astonishing declaration of the Way and how Lu Yuanming had unilaterally changed the name of the Messiah Salvation Society.

All of it was beyond Charlie's comprehension. As a New York Mafia boss, he had witnessed humanity's struggles, the darkness at the bottom of the Mortal World, and the ugliness of the powerful, whom he had to deal with as part of his job. It wasn't that there was no light or justice, but compared to the darkness of humanity as a whole, they were insignificant.

That was why Charlie knew all too well how tempting power and desire were to people. He could speak for himself: once he had gained power in the Mafia, he would never give it up. If he had a chance to rise to the top, he would do it without hesitation, through lies or murder. That was why he found Lu Yuanming's choices so hard to understand.

Even if Lu Yuanming wasn't really the Messiah, anyone who could obtain and use Faith Power, and travel between the Mortal World and the afterlife while still alive, would instinctively be taken for the Messiah. Lu Yuanming really could do whatever he wanted. Yet he had chosen to be honest and reject religious power in favor of things like communal production. Charlie simply couldn't understand it.

Lu Yuanming continued, "When I returned to the Living World this time, my Soul Body had grown stronger. I used that strengthened soul to try moving a finger. My parents, doctors, and nurses thought I might be about to wake from my Vegetative State. That act brought in thirty-one units of Faith Power. It seems Faith Power doesn't necessarily come from burning Joss Paper Money or making offerings to the dead. What matters most is intense emotion and a heartfelt wish. That really does fit the word 'faith.' Everyone, we have thirty-one units of Faith Power now. We need to make a plan for how to use it."

Father Edward immediately began reciting a passage from the Bible praising God's glory. The other Disciples joined in, praising the Lord and Jesus. The rest of the people didn't know what was happening, but when the group's main leaders began praising the Lord and Jesus, they naturally knelt and joined in.

Lu Yuanming was so exasperated that he hurriedly helped them all back up, loudly insisting that he was just an ordinary person and that having so many people kneel before him would shorten his life. Charlie and his men watched coldly, their faces twisted into strange, unsettling expressions.

Charlie suddenly spoke. "Mr. Lu, could you use the Faith Power to make something right now? There's something I'd like to confirm... Actually, you needn't be so angry. Faith and religion are part of our culture. I've learned about China. Thousands of years ago, you abandoned religion and faith. You still have sacrifices and so-called righteous gods, but you put more faith in your clan leaders—oh, you call them the Son of Heaven. But that's your culture. God and Jesus Christ are part of ours. They've long been woven into our flesh and souls. You really don't need to mock us."

After hearing Charlie out, Lu Yuanming stared at him in surprise for a moment. Then he had to admit that Charlie was right.

It was a cultural difference. When Lu Yuanming was still in university, he had seen people argue on online platforms. Some believed that every country apart from Z Country was terrible. Even in the twenty-first century, people were still obsessed with religion. When trouble came, they only knew how to pray to God. Didn't they have the determination and perseverance to solve their problems with their own hands and strength?

Others believed that Z Country was terrible because it had no faith, and that without faith, people had no moral boundaries. It was an argument where neither side could convince the other—a matter of cultural difference.

Lu Yuanming immediately apologized sincerely to everyone. "You're right. It's a cultural difference. I'm sorry. I was making assumptions."

Cthulhu smiled beside him. "You don't need to apologize. We all know you want us to take control of our own destinies instead of turning our attention to intangible gods. You mean well, and that's the best way for us to survive this apocalypse. But you may not realize that when faith is something we can see and verify, it gives us far more courage. We become unafraid of sacrifice, able to set aside all our grudges and past differences, and unite loyally around the one we believe in. And that... is what you've brought us. Whether the organization is called the Messiah Salvation Society or the Heaven on Earth Afterlife Team, the name is different, but its purpose is the same: to save us all."

Father Edward added, "It's because of this miracle of the five loaves and two fish, and because the Lord walks between the afterlife and the Living World, that I believe you are the Lord's Son—the Son in the Holy Trinity—and the Messiah who will save us during the apocalypse. That belief doesn't depend on your will. It's the only thing that can unite us. Otherwise... no one here would obey anyone else. Our only other option would be to force everyone into line through violence, followed by murder and depravity. That would be the end of us."

(As expected, they just haven't done enough hard labor. They all need a thorough reeducation through intense physical work.)

Lu Yuanming sighed and didn't pursue the matter. He turned to Charlie. "I can use the Faith Power right now, but I can't waste it. What does the base need? What are we short on? Food? Fresh Water? Or ammunition?"

"Of course it's ammunition!" Charlie answered before anyone else could speak. "We have only eleven Pistol Bullets left. During these eighteen days, we found six more weapons, but we had no ammunition for them. The people who murdered John were MXG Gang members. They've threatened us several times, relying on the power of their shotguns. So what we need most isn't food or Fresh Water. It's weapons—enough to protect everyone."

Lu Yuanming looked at Father Edward, Cthulhu, Peter, and the others. They all nodded slightly, and only then did he answer Charlie. "Understood. Bring me the other six guns so I can check their ammunition types. I'll make bullets with the Faith Power right away."

Soon, the six weapons were brought out of the bank. The first five were two pistols, two Semi-automatic Rifles, and a short-range shotgun—all fairly ordinary. But when Lu Yuanming saw the final weapon, he looked from it to the others again and again, his expression practically asking if they were messing with him.

The final weapon was a shoulder-fired rocket launcher. Lu Yuanming's limited military knowledge couldn't tell him exactly what kind it was.

One of Charlie's men saw Lu Yuanming staring at the rocket launcher in thought and immediately said excitedly, "Sir, this is an FGM-148 Anti-tank Missile, the famous Javelin Anti-tank Missile. It's incredibly powerful. We're so lucky to have found it. Of course, it'd be even better if you could make ammunition for it."

Lu Yuanming didn't hesitate. He pinched six Colorless Light Particles into existence, then checked the ammunition in the weapons' magazines. He focused on making as much ammunition as possible while matching the weapons' original firepower.

He made fifty-six bullets for one pistol and forty-one for the other. The two Semi-automatic Rifles were the same model, and he made twenty-nine bullets for each. He made seventeen shells for the shotgun, and just one missile for the FGM-148 Anti-tank Missile.

The people around him stared as translucent white bullets appeared out of thin air on the ground. First they gaped, then they all cheered. Some shouted "God!" and others cried out "Jesus Christ!" Only Charlie kept his eyes fixed on Lu Yuanming. Then, as the others cheered, he, too, slowly dropped to one knee.

Lu Yuanming didn't notice. He looked at the FGM-148 Anti-tank Missile, then at the single missile it had produced. He pinched five more Colorless Light Particles and made another five missiles.

Only after finishing did Lu Yuanming turn to the others and speak earnestly. "I once heard someone say that everything you fear comes from insufficient firepower. Well, now we have enough firepower. Come on. We're going to settle the score with the MXG People and avenge John!"