Alter was taken aback.
If this is true, then the Son of God of the Second Holy See... might not be just boasting.
"As for the second destination, it is the ' Dungeon,' which is prepared for those deeply Stained Ones by sin. They will gain endless life and become immortal beings, but at the cost of enduring the pain of being torn to pieces every day, becoming nourishment for our growth— the Soul Returner from ancient times."
Deprive the Symbiotic Tree, grant endless life...
This must be something only a god could achieve, right?
Alter swallowed hard and asked hesitantly:
"And the third place?"
"The third location is called ' Wild Hunt.' It's not usually set up specifically, but when the Second Holy See is in danger, both the Stained Ones from the High-Quality Charcoal Processing Plant and Stained Ones from Dungeon will be drawn out to form the Wild Hunt Legion, using their immortality to protect everything related to the Second Holy See."
Hearing this, Alter was completely convinced.
From the gaze he had previously felt from the void, to the power and Authority he had heard about that Son of God, he could now conclude that even if that Son of God wasn't the real deal, he must be a powerful High Tier.
Moreover, his policies toward civilians were very friendly, yet he was ruthless toward enemies, which perfectly matched the descriptions of God in the Holy Scripture.
He felt a burning sensation in his throat and wanted nothing more than to prostrate himself in worship.
But he still had one last question:
"May I ask where this Son of God comes from?"
The Soul Returner were prepared for this question, as the number of players had increased, and the number of views for the Ed Origins Investigation (Unboxing) video by veteran players had also risen accordingly.
Ed's identity is no longer a secret; at least in the eyes of the players, he is simply an experimental subject from the underground prison of White Wax Town, possessing extraordinary experiences, strength, and charisma.
So he patted his chest confidently and said:
"Our Son of God is none other than the children you just sent away, from the underground prison of the church in White Wax Town, Aduolin Province."
"This, this???"
Upon hearing the words of the Soul Returner, Alter didn't even show a surprised expression; he simply stood there, dumbfounded.
"How... how is this possible?"
After a long silence, he asked himself in a low voice, and before the knight and the Soul Returner could answer, he voiced his doubts:
"The children imprisoned in the underground area mainly come from two sources. One is school-age children from various towns who are tricked into going to churches under the guise of being trained to become priests or nuns. To cover their tracks, they are sometimes sent to the provincial capital and then reassigned. These children may appear more lively, but in terms of their understanding, they are no different from ordinary townspeople and villagers."
"Another source is the ' Base Body ' sent directly from the Holy City through the Stained Ones's private channels. These children are usually only named by numbers. They seem to be better test subjects, able to adapt to more types of Symbiotic Tree, but they are fewer in number and more precious. They have almost no knowledge of the world, like a blank sheet of paper."
Alter looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression:
"Regardless of their origins, they shouldn't possess such abilities and shrewdness. Does your Son of God have someone else assisting him behind the scenes?"
Others?
Do you?
[Kunjinkao Tangtangtang] Stroking his chin, lost in thought.
Does Seraphina count?
Does Noya count?
Does Duma count?
Does Willow count?
I guess it includes all of them, but...
"Yes, there are, but they're probably not human."
"Not human?"
Alter looked suspicious, wondering if he had misheard.
"Yes, literally, not human. The Son of God said that the glory of the Tree God is not exclusively for humans; all races are his creations, and as long as one sincerely submits, one will be treated equally."
Hearing the Soul Returner praise Ed, the Son of God, in such a fantastical way, Alter felt even more awe towards this young man he had never met.
At the same time, he finally understood something—
No wonder these two people didn't realize from beginning to end that their actions had offended the Son of God.
In their eyes, the Son of God was an experimental subject who had escaped from another province. Furthermore, their description of him as kind and benevolent made him naturally sympathetic to the experimental subjects in the Yiluo'en Province, who shared his plight, and utterly despised the Stained Ones priests.
So he thought for a moment and said:
"Since you two say so, then I don't need to wait for the archbishop's reply."
As he spoke, he reached out and took the wooden staff from Xilǐ'er's hand, as if to express his sincerity and loyalty:
"In the name of the Bishop of Hibiscus Town, I declare that from this moment forward, Hibiscus Town has officially joined the Second Holy See and become a member of the Second Holy See."
"Whether I am transferred or not is of no concern to me. Please, Son of God Highness, treat the townspeople and children of Hibiscus Town well. If necessary, I will personally lead the two envoys to their camp in the mountains."
As Alter spoke, the wooden staff he held in his hand suddenly began to flash, and the flow of Psionic Energy accelerated dramatically, turning the original "breathing light" into a complete flashing light.
At the same time, Xilǐ'er suddenly sensed a familiar feeling again, a feeling similar to the connection between himself and the King of Domination and the Immortal King, but the composition of the Psionic Energy was clearly different.
Although it was his first time, he easily guessed who was connecting with his consciousness.
"My lord."
Xilǐ'er suddenly knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and waited Descent Ed's voice, which startled Alter beside him.
The Soul Returner quickly pulled the fat bishop aside and whispered an explanation of Xilǐ'er's current condition.
The wooden staff that Ed gave to Xilǐ'er not only represented the power he bestowed upon Xilǐ'er, but it was also something similar to a signal amplification antenna, capable of expanding Ed's perception range on Psionic Energy level.
From the moment Alter gripped the wooden staff, his gaze had been fixed in this direction.
Having learned the whole story and witnessed the scene in the basement, he had made arrangements and was just waiting for Xilǐ'er to carry out the plan.
The first thing Xilǐ'er heard Ed say while on the communication line was:
"Get up. From now on, we can just talk when we connect; there's no need for all this trouble."
"Yes."
Xilǐ'er stood up, gently tapping the area between his temple and ear with his left hand, nodding repeatedly in agreement as he listened.
About a minute later, the connection was completely severed, and the knight's gaze returned to the two figures ahead.
"Gentlemen, there are results regarding these matters in Hibiscus Town."