The Drawn Curtain

(PS: This is a sci-fi novel, a sci-fi novel, a sci-fi novel. Important things must be said three times. So... I'm going to draw back a corner of this vast curtain. Everyone, come with me into this world.)

Lu Yuanming looked at the men and women before him. Most had bruised and swollen faces, and some had suffered severe injuries, even losing limbs. A few were missing only their noses or ears, which was relatively minor; others had lost arms or legs.

On the way back, some of the rescued civilians had described what they'd endured after falling into the hands of the MXG Gang. They'd been beaten, abused, and raped. During explorations, they'd been used as bait. Even worse, they'd been kept as emergency food supplies...

Their stories only strengthened Lu Yuanming's conviction that he'd done the right thing. Those MXG Gang members were no longer human. They were monsters wearing human skin. There was no need for a reason to kill monsters!

All of these people were injured, and several were in very serious condition. Lu Yuanming had considered using Colorless Light Particles to heal them right away, but in the end, reason made him stop.

It wouldn't be appropriate.

Call it selfishness or the conclusion of careful consideration.

Lu Yuanming was now a member of the Heaven on Earth Afterlife Team—and not just a member, but the organization's central figure and leader.

Lu Yuanming didn't have much experience with society, but that was precisely why he still held on to the simplest, most earnest beliefs of youth. For example, that you would always get back what you put in; that hard work could bring wealth and happiness; that power and responsibility went hand in hand... These things seemed right and beautiful, but in the adult world, they were nothing more than fairy tales.

At least for now, Lu Yuanming still believed in them. Since he'd become the organization's leader, and the organization had helped him, killed many monsters, and given him a safe place to shelter, he believed it was his duty to contribute his strength to the organization and its members. That was what it meant for power and responsibility to go hand in hand.

His Colorless Light Particles had many uses, and he had only nineteen left. He couldn't afford to waste even one. These civilians weren't members of the organization yet. Though they were pitiful, Lu Yuanming didn't feel he had the right to use at least four or five Colorless Light Particles to heal them—not unless they joined the organization and received the approval and consent of most of its members.

And so Lu Yuanming and the others led the refugees toward the bank. Most walked along in a daze, their eyes vacant. A few watched Lu Yuanming's group closely, carefully evaluating this heavily armed team, which even had heavy weapons.

Leaving that aside, Lu Yuanming and the others escorted the refugees from the warehouse district to the bank area. The journey took nearly eight hours. The refugees were painfully slow: their physical weakness was one reason, but another was that they had no desire to keep going. Who knew whether they were leaving one den of wolves only to enter another?

When the group reached the main road outside the bank, cheers rang out from inside. Father Edward ran out at the head of the welcoming party, moving with a vigor that would have put many young people to shame. The other Disciples followed close behind, then came the civilians who had already joined the organization.

After that, there wasn't much more to say. Everyone cheered Lu Yuanming's victory and began caring for the refugees. Once they'd received help, the newcomers—who had been frightened and uneasy—gradually began to relax. Only then did some of them burst into tears, loudly recounting their tragic experiences.

Lu Yuanming then put his plan into action. In front of all the Disciples and organization members, he asked whether they would allow the refugees to join the organization.

Almost everyone agreed. Only Charlie and his men, along with a few others, didn't raise their hands. Everyone else held both hands high in support of letting the poor refugees join.

Lu Yuanming had expected this decision. Everyone had compassion, after all, so letting them join was only right.

The real test, in fact, was the question that came next...

"I want to use Faith Power to help them."

Lu Yuanming continued, addressing all the organization members. "I have nineteen portions of Faith Power left. You should all know that it can be turned into bullets, food, and fresh water, and it can also be used to save lives. It's precious."

The members of the organization listened in silence. The newcomers, meanwhile, were baffled. They'd also heard many people call this Asian young man Lord, which made the civilians who had just begun to feel safe grow anxious again. Their minds conjured images of cults and human sacrifices.

Lu Yuanming continued, "A conservative estimate is that healing them will take five or six portions of Faith Power. It could also take seven or eight, or even ten... So now, all of you who call yourselves my Disciples and followers, as members of this organization, are you willing to let me use this Faith Power to help them?"

Father Edward was the first to kneel. He cried out in praise, "The Lord's glory and mercy must extend throughout the universe, and all living things shall bask in them. These people, too, are the Lord's lambs. Why should the Lord hesitate? Forgive my presumption, but please bless them!"

The other Disciples immediately knelt as well. They weren't fanatics like Father Edward, but they'd been present at Lu Yuanming's first sermon and had already come to see themselves as Disciples. So, of course, they followed the lead of Edward, the man who understood the Messiah best.

Most of the other followers hesitated. They had more complicated thoughts. After witnessing the wonders of Lu Yuanming's Faith Power, they naturally wanted to keep this miracle for themselves—or, at the very least, for the organization. If they used so much of it on people who had only just joined, what would happen if another emergency arose and they ran out? What if they themselves suffered fatal injuries at that very moment?

Quite a few people had such thoughts, but they couldn't say something so selfish out loud. Besides, all the Disciples had agreed, and as later converts, their own opinions carried little weight. Gradually, almost every member of the organization knelt.

Lu Yuanming nodded. He pinched off five Colorless Light Particles, then walked toward the newcomers.

The newcomers erupted in confusion. They had no idea what was happening or what would come next. The situation was beyond anything they could imagine, and they were so nervous that they wanted to run. Lu Yuanming had already brought his hand down toward them. "Don't be afraid. It's all right."

Before the newcomers could react, dazzling light burst from Lu Yuanming's hand. It lasted for at least ten seconds. When it finally dimmed, an earthshaking commotion erupted among the newcomers.

Those who had lost limbs discovered that their arms and legs had grown back. Those covered in wounds found that their injuries had vanished. Those with bruised and swollen faces felt their pain disappear. For a moment, they could hardly believe what they were seeing.

One man reacted more strongly than the rest and jumped to his feet.

He was an unremarkable-looking white man in his fifties. Staring at Lu Yuanming, he cried, "Impossible! This isn't scientific! What did you do? What was that just now? Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

As he spoke, the white-haired man even ran toward Lu Yuanming. The people around him immediately grabbed hold of him. Charlie and his men went so far as to form a barrier in front of Lu Yuanming, raising their guns in unison.

The white-haired man seemed not to notice the guns. Even as people held him back, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "What did you do? Tell me right now! What did you do!? Why have we healed? It's impossible! This isn't scientific!"

Father Edward stared at the old man in surprise, then suddenly called out, "Mr. Alfred?"

The white-haired man froze and hurriedly looked toward Edward. After studying his face for a moment, he cried, "Edward? You're Father Edward!? Quick, tell me who he is! What did he do? Why have my injuries healed? And what was that white light just now?"

Father Edward didn't answer the old man's questions right away. He hurried over to Lu Yuanming and said, "Lord, his name is Alfred Alston. He's the current U.S. president's Secretary of Homeland Security, a gentleman of great intellect."

Then Father Edward immediately turned to Alfred. "Mr. Alfred, be humble before the Lord. This is our Lord, the Son of the Holy Trinity, the Messiah who came when the end times began. What the Messiah just used was Faith Power, a power unique to the divine. In this Afterlife World..."

"This isn't the Afterlife World!"

Alfred immediately shouted, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Lu Yuanming. "This isn't the Afterlife World at all. It's the Dark Matter World! Our world is falling out of the Material World and descending into the Dark Matter World! All known human science and technology will be useless in this Dark Matter World. We can't stop this dimensional fall—not even slow it down. So, sir, please tell me: what power did you just use!?"