Beating Instances through Words Left by the Dead

Chapter 968: Chapter 407: Methods to Induce Miracles Again_3

Wu Chang recalled the conjecture he had had when he first returned to the Midnight Graveyard Plane: if all Extraordinary Power within the Plane were completely cut off, would the Plane detach itself from the Abyss?

It was already too late to develop the Midnight Cemetery into a Pillar of the Divine Kingdom, and with Han’er’s request on top of that, this was precisely the right moment to test that idea.

He raised his head to look at Han’er and asked:

”As a Transcendent, to let miracles and Transcendents vanish just like this—won’t you feel unwilling?”

Han’er shook his head and said:

”Of course not. Precisely because I once grasped Extraordinary Power, I understand all the more clearly what those Transcendents once did.”

”I’ve been a Gravekeeper my whole life. At the end of my Life, I want to be an Extraordinary Gravekeeper just once.”

Seeing Han’er’s firm attitude, Wu Chang said:

”I can promise you this: before we leave, we won’t display any miracles. As for whether the Extraordinary will truly disappear, that’s something we cannot answer for you.”

”From what we can sense, there are still quite a few believers of the Eternal Light Church in the Mikel Kingdom. They still firmly believe in the existence of miracles. As far as I know, the Extraordinary will not vanish so easily; they are all Fire Seeds of the Extraordinary.”

It was precisely because of those believers’ existence that the connection between the Midnight Graveyard Plane and the Erin Divine Kingdom could be maintained, allowing them to descend upon this Plane.

Han’er said indifferently:

”They’re just Transcendents unwilling to see Power disappear, struggling on the brink of death. If miracles never appear, sooner or later they’ll recognize reality.”

Having received the promise of Wu Chang and Erin, Han’er stood up, bowed to the two of them, and said:

”I’m very glad to see you one last time, and I’m very grateful that you agreed to this unreasonable request of mine.”

He paused for a moment, stroked the ring on his finger, and quietly asked:

”Your Grace, Goddess, I have one last question: after a person dies, can they really retain their consciousness and meet again in the heavens?”

Erin did not know how to answer and could only say, ”I don’t know.”

Han’er said regretfully, ”What a pity.”

He thanked Wu Chang and Erin once more, then turned and left.

After coming out, he stood for a moment outside the building, picked up the cane propped against the wall, set it on the ground, resumed his previous appearance of having difficulty walking, and slowly made his way toward the Divine Hall of Eternal Light.

There were not many people left in Sirena now, and everyone was very familiar with one another. His leg ailment was an old chronic disease; everyone knew of it. If it suddenly improved, it would surely arouse suspicion.

Aside from those Gravekeepers who had to remain here, everyone else had yearned for miracles to the point of madness. If they discovered anything, they would certainly interpret it as a miracle.

He had to hide the changes in his body.

Just as he was focusing all his energy on mimicking his previous Status, a carriage stopped beside him.

A hand covered in age spots pushed open the carriage door, and a voice came from within:

”Han’er, come up and sit for a bit.”

The coachman took out two detachable steps, fixed them by the carriage door, and supported Han’er as he entered the carriage.

Once Han’er was seated, the coachman closed the door for the two of them, and a moment later the carriage set off again.

Han’er looked at the old man sitting opposite him in the carriage. The other man was even older than he was, his body exuding a heavy air of dusk. His thick eyelids drooped downward; he was so old that even opening his eyes was extremely difficult.

Compared to the old man, Han’er could almost be considered a lively youth.

”Archbishop Wick, where are you planning to go?”

Wick, Archbishop of the Spirit Medicine Sect, the sect that had produced the first miracle, had once been the National Church of the Mikel Kingdom, but by now had already fallen into decline.

Though Wick held the title of Archbishop, in Sirena he had fewer than twenty believers under him.

The reason he could maintain his current pomp was not the Spirit Medicine Sect, but his other identity: Duke Wick.

Wick squeezed out a sliver of a gaze from between his eyelids, looked at Han’er, and said:

”Han’er, what have you been busy with lately, that you could even forget the United Council meeting?”

Han’er froze for a moment, then said:

”My apologies. Recently, two believers of the Eternal Light Sect came to Sirena, and I’ve been taking care of them these days.”

The United Council, fully named the Sirena Religious United Council, had been founded initially to discuss how to trigger miracles and how to deal with the loss of believers.

In the first ten years after miracles disappeared, it had indeed played a certain role.

But as time passed and Sirena was gradually forgotten, the United Council had turned into a make-believe organization.

A few old men with one foot already in the coffin gathered once a month, indulging in dreams of past glory—just thinking about it was laughable.

The reason Han’er forced himself to attend the meetings was that every time a meeting was held, Wick would reimburse their expenses for maintaining their churches.

This was extremely important to Han’er.

Ever since five years ago, when the Mikel Kingdom cut off all subsidies to every religion, and since his leg ailment had made it difficult for him to move around, the dues given by Wick had become his only source of income.

Hearing Han’er’s explanation, Wick chuckled twice and said:

”No wonder. The arrival of new believers—that is a good omen.”

The carriage traveled all the way to the Great Cathedral of the Spirit Medicine Church. The church that had once accommodated thousands of believers now felt especially empty.

Wick’s servants were already waiting in front of the church. They placed Han’er and Wick onto wheelchair-like chairs and carried them up the steps into the cathedral’s great hall.

Inside the hall, besides them, three other old men were seated.

The five of them represented the only five sects left in Sirena, and at the same time, the five of them were also the last five Survivors who had witnessed the miracle created by Wu Chang and Erin back then—the Night of the Falling Moon.

Once they all passed away, there would be no one left in the World who had personally seen miracles. Miracles and the Extraordinary would thus be completely severed.

With Han’er and Wick present, the United Council meeting began.

As usual, the proceedings started with a few complaints about recent events in Sirena, then shifted into reminiscing about the past, and finally into fantasies that if a miracle were to appear again—just once—they could make their sects great once more.

Although Han’er did not agree with them, for the sake of Wick’s dues he would still join in the discussion.

None of them had ever doubted Han’er, for Han’er’s identity was that of the Archbishop of the Eternal Light Sect.

They had all personally witnessed, on the Night of the Falling Moon, the goddess who shattered the moon. With a miracle of a True God’s descent, the Eternal Light Sect was unique; precisely because of this, now that religion was in decline, Han’er ought, in theory, to be even less able to accept it than any of them.

Just as the discussion was reaching its most fervent point, Wick took out a small hammer, tapped it a few times, and cut off their debate.

He swept his gaze around and said:

”Gentlemen, I know you long for miracles to appear again and cannot accept that the former Holy City has vanished from people’s sight.”

”Fortunately, I have received a revelation from God and have found a way to stir miracles. For the sake of Sirena, for the sake of our Churches, I hope that in what I am about to do next, you will be willing to cooperate.”