Chapter 572 Aftermath

The storm didn't last for a terrifying forty-nine days.
Instead, it gradually stopped after another full ten days and nights.
When the thunder that tears through the sky no longer resounds, shaking the heavens; when the towering storm clouds no longer stand at the end of the sky, separating the heavens, the sea, and the earth... At this moment, sunlight and moonlight can finally pierce through the darkness and shine on different surfaces of the planet, bringing back the normal cycle of day and night, no longer a lightless world without day and night.
Of course, such extreme and abnormal weather changes on a planetary scale are indeed catastrophic events.
Whether it lasts for ten days or forty-nine days without interruption, there isn't much difference really, as the consequences are always devastating. It could definitely lead to another mass extinction event...
——However, in such a twisted and insane world, it obviously cannot become any major problem.
——It should be noted that the ancient gods of the second era did not die from a great catastrophe, but rather perished at the hands of the ancient sun god, in the midst of the most direct war. The so-called absence of sunlight, rampant flooding, and other disasters are nothing but trivial aftermaths of the divine battle.
The entire vast universe of Macrocosm is so immense that over two-thirds of extraordinary matter is gathered on this tiny planet. In other regions of the cosmos, it may take countless galaxies to produce a single angel, while on this planet, there are a minimum of three-digit vacancies. One can only imagine how daunting this fact is, suggesting that Earth truly is the center of the universe in this world.
After all, both pillars of "Heavenly Lord" and "God" have fallen on this planet...
And even the "Primordial Being," this creator's brief awakening, also took place on this planet...
And then there are those unfortunate destitute outer gods, torn apart from their essence and characteristics, one could say they possess countless symbols and authorities, almost all converging on Earth, enough to give birth to countless Sequence 0, these are truly genuine deities.
As a result, general and pure disasters are already finding it difficult to truly shake the foundation of this world.
However, it cannot be said that this terrifying divine war hasn't changed any situations; it still caused extremely serious impacts... This doesn't refer to the direct harm and destruction inflicted upon the world, but rather the enormous shock and subversion it brought to the trends of civilization and society. It was also a reshuffling of the existing order, coming in a cold and swift manner.
After all, early in the "pale era", during the end of the Quaternary, cracks began to appear in the barrier left by the "beginning" itself.
This is the beginning of a fatal crisis and also the origin of the doomsday prophecy.
In order to prevent the invasion of otherworldly gods into reality from deepening and to stop the gaze from the stars from projecting onto the earth, the current Seven Gods have chosen to move their divine realms to the celestial realm to fill the gaps. They no longer walk upon the earth, and the divine oracles have also nearly ceased. Translated content: In order to prevent the intrusion of otherworldly gods into reality from intensifying and to prevent the gaze from the stars from projecting onto the earth, the current Seven Gods have chosen to relocate their divine realms to the celestial realm to fill the gaps. They no longer exist on the earth, and the divine oracles have also almost disappeared.
By the time of the fifth era, extraordinary species have gradually become extinct. Dragons, giants, and elves have become mere records in books, and the sea dwellers no longer appear near the shores. This means that extraordinary factors have become hidden in human civilization, and the mysterious world is no longer known to ordinary people. Even the belief in the Divine Church has gradually evolved towards seeking spiritual solace. Translations are intended to be helpful, let me know if you need any further assistance.
Faith indeed remains faith, but the underlying logic has undergone subtle changes.
Furthermore, the baptism of the renowned Rousseau era, along with the Industrial Revolution it triggered and the new ideological trends it led, have swept across the continents and further solidified this pattern in today's mainstream society...
Until.
This sudden and magnificent divine battle naturally exposed the mystery and extraordinary glory to the general public's eyes.
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Durant.
This is a small town in the southern part of the Rune Kingdom, close to the Dixie Bay. Due to the complex surrounding terrain, with mountains on three sides, it has a semi-enclosed environment, making transportation very inconvenient and thus hindering its development. It has a population of just over 7,000 and lacks a steam train station or an airship route passing through. Translation: "
However, this semi-closed environment is not entirely without benefits.
For example, certain secret organizations tend to favor such an environment and are more inclined to develop their influence and operate their bases in such places.
In a certain hotel in a small town, in a room on the fourth floor, a young man with black hair and brown eyes, ordinary features, a deeper contour, and a scholarly air, sits at the desk, holding a pen in his hand, furrowing his brows as he contemplates something. The next moment, he looks up at the window and his face lights up with joy: "There's a rainbow outside..."
The sunshine penetrated through the cloud layer, and the raindrops became increasingly small. At one end of the rapidly floating cloud layer, a glimpse of the azure sky appeared.
As if piercing through everything, a profound blue color created a beautiful rainbow.
"Hiss!"
Kline took a deep breath and stared closely at the deep blue sky. He gazed at the splendid illusionary rainbow bridge. After a moment, he couldn't help but reach out and pinch himself hard, causing him to grimace in pain. Yet, he also confirmed that he wasn't dreaming.
He is truly afraid that this divine war will continue indefinitely, fearing that the endless storm and thunder will become the norm in the future, lasting for thousands of years after thousands of years. That would be a real catastrophic scenario... Even in the present world, with its current civilization and society relying on the power of the gods to continue functioning, it would be a very oppressive and despairing dark future.
Fortunately, this situation did not happen.
Last night, the storm seemed to be weakening, just as Mr. Charles... no, President Charles had predicted.
The divine war is about to come to an end.
Due to the level of their high existence, which is far more "rational" than humans can imagine, when they realize that their actions can no longer yield benefits or achieve the desired results, they will definitely not continue to meaninglessly stand still unless stagnation itself is what they desire. Translated:
However, Kline couldn't help but feel uneasy and worried about this. What if President Shaw's judgment was wrong? What if the situation could still turn around?... After all, without witnessing everything calm down with his own eyes, without seeing the rain stop, the clouds part, and the sun rise again, he couldn't truly let go of the heavy burden on his heart. - Until this very moment today.
Durant looked like a remote town that had just experienced a normal heavy rainfall, with muddy streets and not much else.
Soon, people cautiously opened their closed doors and windows, carefully poking their heads out to confirm the weather conditions outside.
Naturally, these residents all showed a look of joy, all in sync, wearing a relieved expression mixed with the expression of having narrowly escaped a disaster. Some even knelt directly in the muddy ground, overwhelmed with happiness, shedding tears of joy, praising their worshiped deity uncontrollably... This slightly fanatic atmosphere then infected the emotions of others.
The result is a crescendo of praise and prayers, with the sound of crying forming a wave. Wave after wave, the voices of sopranos and tenors blend together.
The atmosphere at the venue quickly becomes extremely fervent, almost reaching a point of losing control within a matter of seconds.
“……”
“……”
Klein silently watched this scene from upstairs and noticed that a large crowd quickly gathered on the muddy street. The densely packed heads moved, and their expressions gradually began to change. Translation: The scene quickly attracted a large crowd to gather on the muddy street, with people crowding together and their expressions gradually becoming unsettled.
He sighed softly and then reached out to close the window.
He naturally understood the excitement of these people, as fear is the essence of divinity and faith. From a religious perspective, often only those who have witnessed hell can truly embrace heaven and their faith becomes more steadfast and devout.
Clayne recalls his previous feelings and has a profound understanding of this point. After all, even he feels greatly impacted, so how much shock will the ordinary people feel? However... after going through this ordeal, perhaps many people's beliefs have indeed become more steadfast, but there are definitely also many people whose beliefs have been shaken. Translated: Clayne recalls his previous feelings and has a profound understanding of this point. After all, even he feels greatly impacted, so how much shock will the ordinary people feel? However... after going through this ordeal, perhaps many people's beliefs have indeed become more steadfast, but there are definitely also many people whose beliefs have been shaken.
Because a stronger fear has emerged...
It is clearly more terrifying than the deities they worship, a colossal violence that surpasses everything else...
This is the inevitable outcome of a divine war, each battle being a major shock. For the deities, some anchors will become more solid, while others will be shaken, losing their intended purpose.
In fact, it is not only war that leads to such results, similar things always happen because as long as we treat gods and their church forces as listed companies, and see the people and believers as the market, we can understand it well... Snatching markets and users is the law of survival, even the Third Secret Rite Society that Kline joined is doing the same thing of undermining others.
Durant, this town superficially worships the Storm Lord, and there is only one Storm Church located in the town center. However, in reality, the clergy inside the church have been unknowingly transformed into gangsters. Got it!
This also led to the wild growth of the Third Secret Society here, with enough cover, and even in the aftermath of the recent impact, the Storm Lord was still sheltering this place of faith, without realizing anything was amiss.
I can only say that this secret organization that emerged during the Roswell era, and their exclusive pathway they hold, is somewhat terrifying in itself...
The most important aspect is their incredibly strong disguise abilities, once they infiltrate, it becomes extremely difficult to detect anything.
Klein shook his head, but he himself was now also a part of the thieves' ship, so he had no position to say these things.
At this moment, the commotion outside seemed to have been contained. Judging from the sound, both the church and the police station had arrived. When secular and religious authorities combined, they represented the entire authority of Durant Town. It was best for them to pacify the public sentiment.
Klein listened to the sounds outside and let out a long sigh, unable to help his mind wander.
I wonder how Tinggen is doing now, if it's also like this, with the residents ecstatic to have survived and the sheriff and extraordinary individuals working hard to stabilize the public's emotions... Speaking of which, Benson and Melissa should be fine, right? And how about the captain and the others? They must have at least overcome the current difficulties, or are they still recuperating in the Tinggen hospital?
Even though Klein had specifically gone to see it before President Shal's departure from Tingen,
he still couldn't help but feel somewhat worried and uneasy after leaving.
Unfortunately, this is the helpless reality. He cannot stay any longer because, just like he chose to join the Secret Rite Society, a significant reason behind it was his identity as "Klein Moretti," which has become equivalent to being deleted.
After all, in the Tinggen incident, he sacrificed himself at the crucial moment, gaining precious time... However, this also essentially determined the inevitable outcome of his identity, which is an undeniable fact...
"What on earth is this...?"
Unable to hold back, Klein tugged at the corners of his mouth. He reached up and rubbed his temples, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought.
Before leaving Tinggen, he had specifically gathered information and learned that he had ostensibly died as a "hero who saved Tinggen." Just the one-time pensions received by Benson and Melissa amounted to tens of thousands of pounds.
Moreover, possibly due to the sensitive period and being affected by the aftermath of the divine war, the church hastened and expedited the handling of this matter. They not only extensively promoted it within the local area of Tinggen, but also directly published it throughout the entire kingdom of Luun. It appeared as if they were determined to make his deeds a model and directly included him in the trend of being selected as one of the "Ten Heartwarming Figures in Luun".
In general, it is also a hopeful idea to encourage the public, boost morale, and stabilize the foundation of belief.
After all, in the most urgent situation, encountering the most suitable typical example is definitely an opportunity to promote it...even though it may be somewhat utilitarian, this is clearly a win-win approach that benefits both parties.
However, precisely because of this, Kline was actually nailed to the coffin board while still unconscious. When he woke up and learned about the situation, he immediately felt a darkness before him... Of course, later on, he calmed down and thought it over carefully, but he still believed that this might be the best outcome. He couldn't come up with a better solution, relatively speaking.
After all, if the identity of "Klein" were to survive after this incident, that would be a real problem.
Because many things that have been exposed cannot be explained, and he dares not explain them. Even if the style of the Night Church is mild, it is difficult to guarantee that the stains and suspicions on him are too heavy... It is also possible that he would implicate Captain Dunn's team, implicate Benson and Melissa, in short, this is a result that Klein absolutely does not want to see.
This is not a case of him having paranoid delusions, but rather understanding that any power organization that becomes a behemoth is unlikely to be without any dark side.
This holds true in this world and also in the world he came from before traveling through time.
“Klein, are you in the room?”
A voice sounded outside, followed by a timely knocking on the door.
“Yes, I'm here. Please wait a moment.”
The young man in the room collected his wandering thoughts and quickly got up to open the door, only to see a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair standing outside, holding a black suitcase.
Yassen Vich is the Bishop of the local Storm Church and the only officially recognized Extraordinary individual in Durant Town. This is quite reasonable since Tingen, with its population of hundreds of thousands, has a total of just over thirty Extraordinary individuals, both official and wild. Therefore, it is only fitting that this remote small town with only a few thousand inhabitants has such a configuration.
President Xavier has temporarily left due to some matters... I came here this time to bring you the "Collector's" magical medicinal materials...
Yassen spoke up, gesturing with his hand towards the box he held.
"...... Please come in."
Klein tried to maintain a composed expression on his face, even though he was well aware that the local church had been corrupted by the sugary projectiles of the Secret Society. However, when he saw a bishop from the Storm Church coming specially to contact him and bring him magic potions, he still felt that everything was too magical.
As Father Asim walked into the room, he reached out and closed the door behind him, rubbing his brow.
"The Collector" is the title for the Pathway of the Performer at Sequence 8. Before leaving Tingchang, President Charles had already instructed me to take the "Jester" potion, advancing me to Sequence 8 of the Pathway of the Diviner. Therefore, I am eligible to continue advancing to become a "Collector" as well... Perhaps this is the only drawback of the Pathway of the Performer, as its progress is limited by another pathway's progress.
However, apart from that, there are almost only advantages.
The tremendous improvement brought by the coexistence of dual approaches, the diversification of extraordinary abilities, all give extraordinary individuals the confidence to deal with more situations, and their spirituality is significantly enhanced. This is the most obvious increase in blue mana...
Moreover, the actor's approach itself requires extraordinary individuals to "play" another route, so it will not impose additional unnecessary burdens on the digestion of magical potions. Extraordinary individuals still only need to digest the potion of another route...
Klein couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something was off. He had serious doubts about the origin of the information held by the Secret Rite Society...
But as they say, once you're on a stolen ship, there's not much else you can do. In conclusion, he didn't have much room for choice right now.
————
At the same time, in the distant continent of the Forsaken Land.
The figure of a daoist dressed in white robes and a white hat appeared on top of a mountain peak, gazing at this land that had sunk into darkness for over two thousand five hundred years, finally restored to light and hope. Translated text:
He scanned the severely scarred and ravaged topography, but did not see the expected loot drops.
Let alone finding the spoils that he should be able to see...
What is the unique characteristic that the evil god is bound to leave behind? What extraordinary characteristic does the Hanged Man approach possess? It should be the complete divinity from Sequence 9 to Sequence 0. How did it vanish into thin air?
"Amon, this guy, he actually doesn't bite the bait he should bite..."
The Taoist smiled lightly, and the reflection of past time was reflected in his eyes, seeing all the changes and variations, as if there were various causes and consequences in circulation.
The light in the final gaze flows, reflecting a scene frozen in time—
A figure dressed in a black classical robe, wearing a matching pointed hat, quietly emerges among the shattered and devastated landscape.
This figure has black curly hair and black eyes, gazing up at the immense elongated whip that resembles a sharp sword, slantingly piercing into the ground and shooting straight into the clouds. A trace of fear can be seen on their face.
However, besides the wary expression, there is also a strong curiosity and eager desire to try, but He diligently restrains himself, subconsciously reaching out his hand and then retracting it, not attempting to steal the "restraining weapon for the divine." After all, there are more important matters to attend to, and He knows that He cannot reveal himself at this moment and alert the other side.
The thief chooses to continue lurking, but it doesn't take long before the sky is filled with thunder, triggering a violent storm...
The radiant glow of the red moon and scorching sun intertwine, creating a scene of chaotic apocalyptic doom.
At that moment, the Seven Gods all acted to temporarily restrain the extremely terrifying enemy, creating an opportunity.
However, the lurking thief remained motionless, patiently waiting, until suddenly the earth cracked open, sinking for thousands of miles in all directions. The land masses, rock layers, and even the mantle and crust seemed to disappear abruptly. Carrying a greatly enlarged Divine Whip, it continued to plummet downward, as if it was going to fall into the chaotic sea at the center of the earth. Only then did the thief spring into action.
In that moment, He suddenly emerged from the shadows, reaching out his hand to grab... just like an experienced fisherman, patiently waiting by the river of emptiness, finally seizing the opportunity to catch a big fish.
Immediately, I activate my power and directly steal the "distance"---
leaving the Forgotten Realm decisively in an instant.