The Sower of Fear

Bishop Kaili stood beside the roaring fire, his expression solemn. He stared at the densely packed intelligence records in his hands, his heart heavy.

Just now, that wretched undead creature finally couldn't bear the holy light any longer and revealed some information. She truly didn't know how she had become this way, but according to her words, it seemed a powerful necromancer was manipulating everything behind the scenes. Moreover, this undead creature was indeed strange; aside from being detectable by holy light, there was almost no other way to sense its presence. Furthermore, according to this undead creature, that terrifying and evil necromancer seemed to be planning to gather an army to sabotage and infiltrate the Church!

The situation had escalated to such a point that it was imperative to report to the Archbishop. Although Kaili, as a clergyman, had encountered many undead creatures, this was the first time he had ever seen such a species. If it truly began to wreak havoc, what methods would the Church and the Temple use to stop it? How would they detect its presence?

The situation is urgent and must be reported to the archbishop immediately. No, merely reporting is not enough. Those old fogies above are always hesitant when it comes to making decisions. If we just report, who knows when we'll get a reply?

Thinking of this, Kaili gently tapped the bell on the table, and soon a knight wearing holy knight armor walked in.

"Sir Knight Yuegeer, I need you to do something for me."

Kaili, looking somewhat weary, handed over the letter she had just written.

"This matter is very important; believe me, it could even affect the peace of the entire continent."

Looking at the bishop before him, Knight Commander Yuegeer was surprised to find that his eyes were filled with an unprecedented seriousness and heaviness.

Standing atop a distant tower, Li Lin watched the fully armed knights speed away from the church, a cold smile creeping onto his lips.

"It's about time to start. Everything should be going smoothly with Angela... Hopefully, we can also proceed very smoothly."

Mina didn't speak, but gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. After hesitating for a moment, she finally asked.

"Master, there's something I... I've never understood."

"What's up?"

Li Lin wasn't like Angela; he wasn't as harsh on the sisters.

Why did you target the Temple?

Mina frowned, mustered her courage, and asked.

"Although you once spoke of revenge... but... this is a matter of the gods, after all..."

I understand what you want to ask.

Although Mina struggled to articulate her meaning precisely, Li Lin understood her thoughts. After all, she was a former servant of the God of Justice and Divine Chosen. Mina's faith was far more steadfast Fina's, which explained why Fina was quickly brainwashed by Angela, while Mina maintained her stance. As someone who had once been possessed by a god, Mina was even less likely to abandon her faith so easily. She couldn't be as open-minded as Fina, and besides, fighting against the gods was indeed an unimaginable act for humanity in the present world. Therefore, Li Lin's current plan to oppose the Temple always made Mina somewhat uneasy and opposed.

"I understand what you're trying to say, but for the sake of revenge and national restoration, our opposition to the God of Justice is only a matter of time. Ruining their reputation among the people now will only benefit us. Besides, the God of Justice isn't truly God of Justice right now, so it doesn't really matter if we smear their name."

"What?!"

Hearing Li Lin casually recount such explosive news, even Mina couldn't hide her surprise and shock.

"Not the true God of Justice? What do you mean by that?"

"Mina, what do you think gods are?"

Looking at the sky, Li Lin realized that there was still some time before he could carry out his plan, so he decided to give Mina a lesson in religious studies.

What did you learn in church?

"Gods are... the eternal, the unique, the everlasting creation."

Mina was a little taken aback by Li Lin's sudden question, but she quickly answered. After all, as Divine Chosen, she had put a lot of effort into religious studies.

"He created the world, created everything, and looks upon us with kindness and fairness, giving to us..."

"Okay, okay."

Li Lin waved his hand with a wry smile.

"I can tell you with absolute certainty that it's all wrong."

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, Mina's eyes widened in surprise.

"You mean, those were all fake?"

"Of course, if gods truly created everything, how can we Arcane Mage stand on equal footing with them and reach an equal deal?"

Li Lin chuckled softly at Mina's question.

"In fact, the gods did not create us, nor do they have the ability to do so. We are all beings living in this world... Of course, from a certain perspective, the gods can no longer be considered beings. However, unlike humans, they were created by the rules of the entire world... It's that simple. That's why I say that the current God of Justice is not a true God of Justice, but merely a clown trying to take his place."

"I still don't understand, Master."

Mina shook her head.

"As a Divine Chosen, I can sense that that god truly possesses divine power; he couldn't possibly..."

"Divine power is just divine power. As long as one possesses the characteristics of a god, then one can possess divine power. The Goddess of Secrets you saw before also possessed divine power."

With a slightly helpless expression, Li Lin couldn't help but find it amusing when he thought of the woman's swollen cheek. After all, the Goddess of Secrets was an ancient deity, yet she had been defeated by a human (though not quite human). Even during his time Arcane Mage, he had never witnessed such a scene. "You must understand," he said, "A god is a god not simply because he possesses divinity. Without divine authority, a god is ultimately just a powerful being with divine qualities..."

It's like a driver without a license; they can't complain whenever their license is confiscated.

"Only deities who possess divine authority can be considered worthy gods."

"Clergy?"

"Like the God of Justice... justice is its divine office. Once a god is given a divine office, it must act in accordance with this characteristic. It can only draw energy from actions that represent this meaning. The God of Justice does not necessarily require others to be devout to him, because only by exercising justice can the God of Justice possess power, rather than by praying devoutly in the Temple all day long, as you used to do."

As Li Lin explained, he pointed to the house in front of him.

"Mina, I ask you, if I were to cast a spell now and kill everyone there, would my actions be evil?"

"This... is evil, of course."

"But what if I told you that it's filled with a group of ruthless killers with blood on their hands?"

"..."

Mina fell silent.

"Justice must be highlighted by evil; only in this way can the true nature of justice be revealed."

Li Lin stopped there, not intending to continue. He withdrew his gaze, leaving Mina to interpret the meaning of his words on her own.

"Alright, Nia has sent word that their mission is complete. Now it's time for us to move in and rescue Fina as soon as possible to avoid any trouble."

Following Li Lin's orders, Nia had already cast a subtle spell there. It wouldn't harm the people, but it would cause them to fiercely resist the intense light. This was the information Li Lin had asked Angela to convey through Fina. As Li Lin expected, upon learning of Fina's information, the Temple immediately dispatched many knights to investigate the town Fina mentioned. After all, the stealthy nature of these undead creatures was extremely alarming to the Temple, as it meant that these evil and terrifying beings could appear in any human city at any time. Currently, besides using holy light, there was no other way to determine the identity of these dark and evil beings. Therefore, from the Temple's perspective, they naturally hoped to obtain more clues and completely eradicate them to prevent future troubles. In the eyes of the clergy, these terrifying undead were far more likely to cause destruction and panic than liches or other undead creatures.

This was precisely Li Lin's plan: to spread terror.

Even without taking action against external forces, the Temple would naturally become more sensitive than ever after learning of the existence of this "new type of undead creature." This would also divert the attention of the God of Justice, as a Temple system filled with tension is certainly not something the gods want to see. Taking action against external forces, while beneficial for appeasing the Temple, would be detrimental to the common people. As Angela said, one of the biggest reasons people are willing to see liches and undead creatures perish is their hideous and terrifying appearance. These inhuman beings naturally cannot garner human sympathy. However, Vampire Species are different. Furthermore, they are almost indistinguishable from humans; they cry, laugh, and possess their own emotions and cognitive abilities. Given this, how many people would question the act of killing these creatures who appear just like ordinary humans? If the Temple were to actually do so, its prestige would undoubtedly suffer a blow in the eyes of the people. After all, this is not about punishing sinners or eliminating evil. Anyone who sees the Temple binding someone who looks exactly like a human to the stake, their only charge being "an undead creature," would surely worry about facing the same fate.

This antagonism can also incite conflict between the Five-Nation Alliance and the Temple.

This is exactly what Li Lin hoped to see.