Chapter 611: The Church

Corona's family managed to reach the Church of Fate in South Yarra just before the magical shield shattered. She found it already overcrowded—nearly thirty thousand people crammed into a nine-story building with a total area of less than forty-nine thousand square meters. Even the basement was packed full, raising fears that the old structure might collapse.

As a deity who had risen only within the past year, the Church of Fate could not secure land for a church in a bustling city like Melbourne, and had to purchase this dilapidated building with a history of one hundred and forty years.

“It’s way too crowded.”

Corona’s husband, Smith Holder, had arrived early. Wiping sweat from his brow beside his wife and two daughters, he complained, “I bet many in the city council are regretting it now. Three months ago, the Church of Fate wanted to acquire the neighboring Rott Building as its main cathedral, but they vetoed the deal on the grounds it might affect traffic. That place has much more space.”

Corona also noticed that many of the city’s elite were gathered here, including numerous councilors, high-ranking officials from the state government, city government, and judiciary, as well as several prominent Melbourne families.

A look of astonishment crossed her face. “Is the Lord of Fate really that reliable, dear? But He’s been a god for less than a year.”

“Everyone in this city is voting with their feet right now.”

Smith shrugged. “It’s true that this deity only ascended less than a year ago, but His power is indeed formidable. I think those rumors might be true—neither the Lord of Radiance nor any other god has dared to provoke Him or His church in the past six months. I’ve even heard that Congress and the President are considering seeking help from this deity. Right now, only He and Lady Liberty might be able to stabilize the situation in Australia.”

Corona was first incredulous, then filled with resentment. “You people are committing a crime against the citizens of this country. We have the right to know all this!”

She thought those politicians and media outlets should rot. The Church of Fate could have sheltered more believers and informed more citizens.

Just then, two female clergy approached their family. The nuns of Fate looked grim but politely ushered them into the church, asking for their identities.

Only when they learned that Rebecca was a devout follower of the Lord of Fate did their faces show a hint of a smile. They even led the family to the third floor, which was slightly less crowded, and gave them seats by the window in the prayer room.

“You came too late; only these spots are left. As you can see, the whole church is packed. The city council just approved the sale of the Rott Building to us on an emergency basis, but the renovation and installation of the holy emblem and icon will take time.”

They added solemnly, “Our Lord is merciful and will not refuse any intelligent being who seeks His help, even if they are not His followers. But this help is not free. It costs one hundred gold shields per person per hour in this church, payable after the city’s crisis ends. Believers are exempt, and their families get a thirty percent discount. Please do not wander around during the shelter period. Stay where you are, and do not cause misunderstandings with our holy warriors. There have been incidents where demons disguised as civilians sneaked into the church, causing casualties. If you must attend to personal needs, inform a nearby nun in advance, and we will make arrangements.”

Corona’s face twitched with pain at the cost. She already wished to convert to the Lord of Fate.

Seventy gold shields per person per hour was a considerable burden for a family like theirs.

Then one of the older nuns looked at Rebecca. “As a devout follower of the Lord, you may enter the underground shelter. It is more fortified and much safer than here.”

But Rebecca wanted to stay with her family and declined the nun’s offer. However, Mr. Smith Holder was very interested.

“Can our whole family convert to the Lord of Fate and go to the underground shelter?”

“That will have to wait until this state of emergency ends. The church has suspended registration of new believers.”

The older nun replied politely, though everyone could see the impatience and annoyance in her eyes. Rebecca understood—anyone would be disgusted by people like them, who had ignored her Lord all along but now shamelessly sought refuge when disaster struck.

After the two nuns left, Rebecca sat on the floor, clasped her hands, and began to pray.

In this hundred-square-meter prayer room, many others were doing the same.

The Lord of Fate is also the Lord of Equality. He imposes no requirements on prayer rituals; believers may do as they please, as long as they are devout.

As Rebecca recited various hymns, her younger sister Meryl looked at her with curiosity.

“Sister, can believing in the Lord of Fate really make you prettier and younger?”

Even their mother Corona pricked up her ears.

“Did the Venus you believe in make you prettier?”

Rebecca retorted, “Do we believe in gods just to get something in return? Then I pity the god you believe in. I believe in the Lord of Fate because I love His teachings. I believe that following His holy will—loving the Lord, loving others, fulfilling oneself, and helping others—brings joy and happiness to oneself and those around you.”

But then she changed her tone: “I’ve heard from friends that if you pray at the Atlanta Cathedral of the Church of Fate, or at a few designated central churches, you can become younger and more energetic.”

Corona seemed thoughtful. “I think I’ve heard of that. There was a lot of coverage in America.”

“So you have to let me work. Before college, I’ll save up enough money to make a pilgrimage to Atlanta.”

Rebecca’s eyes were devout, and she seemed to radiate light. “But the church recommends that believers learn the calisthenics and beauty exercises prescribed by my Lord. Through scientific exercise, you can also become younger, prettier, and fitter, and greatly improve your health. In His mortal days, the Lord of Fate was not only unmatched in combat but also an expert in these areas.”

Mr. Smith Holder raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Shouldn’t youth and beauty be gifts from the gods?”

“No! One of my Lord’s key teachings is that man can conquer fate. He does not believe there is any essential difference between Himself and mortals. If people have talent and the right training methods, they can enter the divine realm.”

Rebecca replied with a smile. “Although He is the Lord of Fate, He denies the guidance of fate. He believes that anyone’s future is uncertain and changeable. No being can determine the life of an intelligent being or decide one’s future. Only one’s strength, knowledge, wisdom, character, and a bit of luck can shape one’s life—and the latter is precisely my Lord’s domain. So as long as you work hard enough and follow His teachings, you can take control of your own destiny.”

“Hmm… interesting!”

Smith Holder stroked his chin. “I think I need to look into this deity’s teachings more closely.”

Meryl snorted. “But He’s also a war god. Anyone who promotes war is no good, like Ares.”

“Then you’re wrong. My Lord is different from other war gods.”

Rebecca proudly raised her chin again. “My Lord dislikes ‘unjust wars.’ He opposes immoral aggression and protects wars of self-defense and pioneering wars that benefit humanity as a whole. He also advocates that war should have nothing to do with ordinary people. Any action that needlessly harms innocents in war will incur His hostility, even severe punishment.”

Smith Holder’s lips twitched. He wondered what essential difference there was between ‘unjust aggression’ and ‘aggression.’ Didn’t all war initiators throughout history find a high-sounding excuse beforehand?

“I think it’s not a bad thing to believe in a war god in this day and age.”

Corona sighed. “War gods are always powerful, aren’t they? In any era, they have the strength to protect their followers.”

Just then, they heard a thunderous boom in the sky. The family looked out the window and saw a massive bolt of lightning strike the top of the nine-story building.

The church’s defensive array activated immediately, forming a magical shield a hundred meters above the roof. It failed to block the lightning, but the holy emblem of the Lord of Fate in the center of their prayer room emitted a gentle radiance filled with divine power.

At the same time, a thick, platinum-gold holy shield formed above them, successfully blocking the lightning. Dozens more lightning bolts, thick as pythons, followed, all forced to disperse above the church and strike a hundred meters away. Looking out from inside, they felt as if they were trapped in a vast lightning net.

Corona, tense with fear, breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her husband suspiciously. “Who is this? Seems like a very powerful deity. Could it be that one?”

“I don’t know, but it’s unlikely to be the King of the Gods or Thor. I’d guess it’s some angel of thunder. The world of gods is beyond our understanding anyway.”

Smith shook his head. “Don’t worry. The Church of Fate hasn’t been breached in the past six months. You saw how strong the protective power of this deity is.”

But his expression then darkened, anxiety lingering in his eyes.

Because after that, all kinds of forces struck the church from all directions—flames, lightning, wind blades, meteorites, even slashes of source energy—causing constant explosions outside. Nearby buildings began to collapse in large areas.

Then, just three minutes later, a woman’s scream rang out nearby. The family by the window turned pale. From there, they could see a church about two kilometers away shatter and collapse. It was the church of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, the Lord of Knowledge, the Protector of Civilization, the Muse of Arts, and the Goddess of Victory.

Since most buildings between the two churches had been leveled, they had a clear view of the shocking scene.

Corona felt a mix of relief and lingering fear. She thought how fortunate it was that she had followed her husband’s advice; otherwise, their family would now be nothing but bones.

“Their underground shelter should still be safe.”

Smith Holder said, pale-faced. “After all, it’s Athena, one of the most powerful gods in this world.”

But before he finished speaking, a cloud of dust rose from the east.

As Smith Holder tried to identify it, someone nearby exclaimed, “It’s the Eastern Cathedral of the Church of Radiance!”

“Damn! Even that place couldn’t hold?”

“These gods and angels have gone mad. Do they want us all dead?”

“Damn it! I should have fled to the countryside half a month ago.”

“The countryside? That would only mean a faster death. Outside every major city in this country, it’s now a paradise for demons, devils, undead, and dark creatures and supernatural beings. The government and major churches used to clean them out, but now the country has completely fallen apart. People have been flooding into the cities.”

“So, this country is finished, folks. I doubt anyone can save us.”

Smith Holder grew deeply worried. Then he watched as the mysterious shield above the church was forced open by three falling meteorites. Upon landing, the meteorites swelled and transformed into massive lava giants. Their overwhelming pressure and scorching heat filled every inch of space.

Just as the Holder family trembled in fear, three azure blades flashed in front of the church, and the three lava giants were cleaved in half.

Only then did Holder see a woman in a red ritual robe.

Though her back was to them and her face was hidden, Smith, who worked for the city government, recognized the figure immediately.

“It’s Edith Wiltonstein!”

Rebecca’s eyes lit up with excitement. “She’s of my Lord’s bloodline, one of the most powerful cardinals of the Church of Fate!”

At that moment, a whirlwind formed outside the church, enveloping it like a giant wind shield.

Rebecca was even more delighted. She gazed with reverence at a woman descending from above, with three pairs of blood-red wings.

“This is my Lord’s attendant, the battle angel Robertte! In the scriptures, she is my Lord’s right hand, alongside the calamity dragon angel Hazel—”

Smith Holder was completely relieved. He had done some research on the Lord of Fate and knew that with this figure present, the church was now safe.

…

Contrary to what the Holders imagined, in the astral plane above Melbourne, a man in golden armor with a violent aura, bearing the title of war god, glared murderously at the churches of Fate in the city.

“Is it over just like that?”

“It was just a probe. What more do you want?”

The speaker was a handsome man with a warm, sunny demeanor, like the rising sun. “If there were no other developments, I wouldn’t mind going further. But just now, Hermes told me that the churches of Eris and Hecate have sent four church mages and five cardinals to reinforce Australia.”

“Eris?”

Ares’s killing intent sharpened, his aura growing more ferocious. “So those sisters are finally going to war with us Olympians?”

“Wasn’t that inevitable? Our father would never allow them to usurp the faith of this world. Besides, Heracles killed her attendant god; of course she has to respond.”

Apollo fell into thought. “I’m just surprised it’s a bit early. I thought she would definitely force Andrei to act this time. I originally thought the Lord of Fate had no choice. If he refused, Nyx and her daughter would surely join forces to send him to hell.”

“You’re right. She’s that kind of person, always hiding behind others.”

Ares also found it strange and was very unwilling, his tone irritable. “So what now? Do we just give up? Our war with the Lord of Radiance has only benefited this bastard. Damn it, in just this month, I’ve lost another three hundred thousand followers.”

Apollo understood his brother’s agitation and knew that he was not the only one in the Olympian pantheon who was restless.

In the war with the Lord of Radiance, the few followers they had left in this world were beginning to dwindle. Though the total number was small, their quality was high—including many soldiers, powerful magical professionals, and many upper-class individuals.

“Don’t be impatient, my brother. Currently, only you and Athena in Olympus are not bound by the ‘Treaty of Separation of Gods and Men’ and can fight Andrei L. Wiltonstein. But Athena has not responded to Father’s summons. And you cannot confront His power of fate alone, can you?”

Ares’s face turned ashen, but he did not deny it.

In their two previous encounters, the ‘Longinus Holy Spear’ had posed a great threat, making Ares reluctant to let his true body enter the material plane.

A vast power of fate had gathered there, so strong that even his father Zeus frowned at it. And now, as the number of his followers grew, that power of fate was becoming ever more dense and powerful.

"But we have not been without progress. At least this time we have clarified the attitudes of those parties. Those thunderbolts came from Gabriel, those primal force slashes from Heimdall of the Aesir, and the wind blades from 'Ameretat,' the angel under Ahura Mazda."

Apollo laughed heartily: "It seems this Lord of Fate has made them uneasy too. We have reached a consensus. Especially Odin! I think he too has grown impatient with this Lord of Fate. Those strikes from Heimdall were clearly a warning to him, but unfortunately, his 'Battle Angel' blocked them. So wait, brother Ares. I still don't think Eris is ready to fight us head-on now. Why would she have a pawn like the Lord of Fate and not use it? I guarantee, within a month at most, there will be a result. He will either choose a side to ally with, or be forced to stand against all the gods. This opportunity will unite all pantheons. We can't push him to the enemy's side now, can we?"

He patted Ares on the arm: "To eliminate this Lord of Fate, we must rely on the power of Odin and the six Norns. And this time, the Night Goddess will have no leisure to help him."

Ares pondered for a long time, then put away his war spear, calmed his anger, and a strange light flickered in his eyes: "You have convinced me! But in a month, no matter the situation, I hope the pantheon will go to war with this Lord of Fate, and I hope you will support me, Apollo. As a price, I will agree to help you once in the future."

Apollo, hearing this, could not help but look seriously at his brother, then nodded solemnly: "I agree! I guarantee that in a month, your chosen warriors will be able to storm the temple of the Lord of Fate. Destroy his statues and holy symbols, slaughter his followers and people."

… …

"Your bloodline is from the Hohenstaufen line, isn't it?"

Hyperion appeared as a middle-aged man nearing forty. He wore modern attire, a set of well-fitting designer clothes, and sunglasses, looking like a movie star.

Clearly, this ancient great god, who had vanished since before the Light Calendar era, had been watching this world all along.

But the way this one looked at Li Mochen was not very friendly: "Let me say this first: I do not regard you as my offspring. Even if part of your bloodline does come from me."

Li Mochen replied calmly: "I also do not wish to find myself an ancestor, Lord Hyperion. Our relationship is merely cooperation, isn't it?"

"Yes, cooperation!"

Hyperion scrutinized Li Mochen carefully, then admiration appeared in his eyes: "I may have spoken too soon. Your body contains very pure Titan blood, no less than Ares or Apollo. Among the Hohenstaufen, you alone can be considered a true Titan descendant. Your existence will not bring me shame."

"This is meaningless, Lord Hyperion."

Li Mochen did not want to continue this topic. He asked seriously: "Since you are here, I take it you are willing to help?"

"Yes, to help you kill Behemoth!"

Hyperion nodded: "But I want to ask you first: what is your purpose in killing him? To replicate his power? Using your Scarlet Dragon Armor?"

"Not only that. I need some top-tier materials to create a powerful mythical artifact imbued with the power of earth."

Li Mochen spoke truthfully: "My time is very tight. There are not many choices in this world that meet my requirements."

"Then why not Typhon?"

Hyperion asked with a smile: "Four thousand years ago, Typhon was stronger than Zeus. Even in his sealed state, his power has now grown close to that of a God-King. My descendant, he actually suits your needs better."

"I did consider it, but gave up."

Li Mochen said while guessing the other's intention: "One reason is karma—Typhon is deeply entangled with Zeus. Another is that he is very powerful, half a level above Behemoth. Even sealed, I am not confident I could kill him without alerting the gods. Finally, his hundred snake heads are troublesome—they connect to a hundred volcanoes, and I don't want to cause a disaster."

Typhon was the direct child born from Gaia merging the dark power from the world's deepest根源, representing all the dark aspects of the Titan race. Even Zeus, without his most powerful mythical artifact, was no match for Typhon.

Behemoth and the World Serpent Jörmungandr were certainly strong, but there was still a gap between them and Typhon.

Especially in the authority of 'Earth,' as Gaia's direct child, Typhon naturally held high-level 'Earth' divine authority. His power was also 'Ultimate,' the strongest at that time, once driving the gods below Zeus and Athena like pigs and dogs. He also possessed Ultimate 'Poison,' high-level 'Shadow,' high-level 'Darkness,' and so on.

And after thousands of years, Typhon would only have grown more terrifying.

This giant could be said to be Gaia's 'weapon' to counterbalance Zeus, so in creating Typhon, Mother Gaia, representing the根源, spared no effort.

"It is indeed difficult, but with your current abilities, it's not impossible. He is sealed, isn't he? But those hundred volcanoes are indeed troublesome. I think you still need a helper."

Hyperion waved his hand, and a large amount of seawater surged up nearby, almost flooding this demiplane. One mass of water rose like a fountain and transformed into a charming, graceful humanoid figure—the sea goddess Thetis.

Li Mochen's lips twitched involuntarily. Were the two he had rejected before returning to his sight? In the end, he could not escape the fate of opposing the gods?

"She, working with Hela, can help you temporarily freeze all the volcanoes and also temporarily cut off his connection to the earth."

Hyperion looked at Hela: "Can you do it, ruler of the Norse underworld?"

"If it's Thetis, then we can."

After answering, Hela bowed politely to him: "Long time no see, Lord Hyperion. I still remember the help you gave me four thousand years ago, and I am deeply grateful."

Li Mochen was not surprised at their familiarity. The mighty Olympus fell under the combined assault of the pantheons of the Radiant Lord, Norse, Slavic, and Celtic.

With Zeus's cunning, he naturally would not sit idly by. Hela and her siblings, as enemies of the Aesir and possessing great power, were naturally among Olympus's allies.

"You are much stronger than four thousand years ago, little girl. Your ice has reached the threshold of truth; perhaps soon you will become one of the quasi-God-Kings."

Hyperion praised Hela, then turned to Li Mochen: "As for Gaia, don't worry too much. Her power in this world has been severely wounded by the Radiant Lord. Lord Horus spent nearly two thousand years eroding Gaia's imprint in the根源. Though he never succeeded, and Gaia has always blocked Horus's path to becoming a true God above Gods in this world, Gaia can no longer fully seal the根源. So, have you made up your mind, Lord of Fate? Besides, how do you know Mother Gaia still favors Typhon?"

Li Mochen still preferred 'Behemoth,' but he could see that Hyperion's preference for Typhon had its own purpose.

After careful consideration, he gave a cautious answer: "If it's Typhon, I'm afraid I can't offer you much reward."

"Clever boy!"

Hyperion laughed softly: "My demands are simple, only two. In this world, help me contain Horus and Zeus, keeping them occupied for at least a hundred years. Of course, if you can defeat them, even better. Then help Thetis hold the scepter of the sea, ensuring her safety. That's simple, and it doesn't cost you anything, does it?"

Li Mochen frowned, thinking that these conditions, though seemingly requiring nothing now, were actually quite harsh.

He couldn't help but glance at Thetis, his expression hesitant.

He knew the sea goddess's situation was dire. Her authority was being steadily defeated under the joint assault of the Vanir and Olympian pantheons, while local gods like the Magic Goddess could only offer limited support. This had led to 32% of Thetis's temples and churches worldwide being destroyed in the past six months.

Li Mochen knew that agreeing to provide refuge to Thetis would inevitably lead to full-scale confrontation with these two pantheons. And Hyperion's price was merely helping him kill 'Typhon.'

Though the latter might bring him great merit in addition to the power of earth.

Thetis's expression was calm, neither humble nor arrogant: "Mr. Wiltonshire, I can hold out for another two months until you are fully prepared for battle."

"She is the most beloved child of my brother Nereus. Among the first-generation Titans, I had the best relationship with Nereus alone. He was the most trustworthy, kindest, fairest, and gentlest of our brothers. But he died at the hands of the Norse gods—isn't that ridiculous? Zeus and Poseidon had already stripped him of his authority over the sea. Yet for Thetis and his daughters, he had no choice."

Hyperion sighed: "Let me reveal two more pieces of news. The artifact sealing Typhon will benefit you. Also, he has been plotting to forge a replica of Zeus's 'Thunderfire Spear' for four thousand years, using his bizarre monster offspring to gather materials. Though he is far from success, I believe you will find something worthwhile there."

Li Mochen thought, did he have any room to refuse? He couldn't find another helper of Hyperion's caliber.

The Magic Goddess could, but this new God-King was digesting and stabilizing her newly gained power within her divine realm. She was also the focus of everyone's attention; any move she made would be hard to hide from the gods' surveillance.

"Alright, if none of you have any objections, let's start now."

He had just received a response from the Liberty Goddess, agreeing to his request but giving him only fifteen days.

"The sooner the better. I can't stay long in this world anyway."

Hyperion looked south with some emotion: "Though born here, I feel I no longer belong to this world."

… …

After being defeated by Zeus, Typhon was sealed by the gods under Mount Etna in Sicily. Of course, normal scientific detection of the volcano would never find Typhon. He was sealed in a gap between time and space, somewhat different from a demiplane, more like a temporal fault—similar to the state of time when Li Mochen fought the Time Lady Mithras, a segment cut from the river of time to contain Typhon.

But the latter's power could still seep out from the seal. Hence, Mount Etna often erupted, and it is said that up to ten million Sicilians have died from its eruptions.

"Can we begin?"

Outside Mount Etna, after Li Mochen observed for a while, Thetis asked: "This is the best time. At ten o'clock at night, the sea level near Sicily is at its highest. I also need time to seep seawater into the other volcanoes."

Hyperion followed: "Though it's night, I guarantee his dark power and poison won't seep beyond Mount Etna."

Hela also agreed: "Loki says night favors his illusions and deceptions."

Li Mochen took a deep breath, calming his mind: "Then let's begin."

Facing a quasi-God-King alone and killing him in the shortest possible time was a huge psychological burden.

Even though this one was effectively sealed and might not be able to use even a tenth of his full strength.

Thetis said no more. She summoned a bone scepter, and countless seawater rose from the sea, forming several huge water tornadoes that crashed onto the summit of Mount Etna.

The volume of water was immense, instantly filling the summit and breaking through the volcanic dome's sedimentary rock, pouring downward.

This continued for about half an hour, with Thetis pouring in an unknown amount of seawater.

Just as Li Mochen felt the underground pressure nearing a critical point, Hela acted in time. She took some ice crystals in her hand and blew gently, completely freezing the water inside the volcano.

The timing was perfect. Any more water from Thetis would have increased the underground pressure, raising the risk of eruption.

Now, the ice layer Hela solidified below not only suppressed the magma but also isolated this stretch of earth.

"I will work with Hela to handle the other volcanoes—"

Thetis had only gotten this far when a roar came from inside Mount Etna: "Who! Who has sealed the volcano and disturbed Typhon's slumber?"

Along with the voice, large amounts of black mist and toxic gas emerged. But these were completely dissolved by the light Hyperion summoned.

Li Mochen did not answer. He simply stepped forward, directly entering the temporal fault, and then he saw 'Typhon.'

He was a giant of immense stature, at least three thousand meters tall, with bulging muscles all over. Flames spewed from his nostrils, his body was covered in feathers, and he had enormous wings that could span twenty kilometers when spread. His shoulders were covered with densely packed snake heads, also spewing flames from their mouths and noses. His eyes were one silver-white like the bright moon and one crimson like the noonday sun.

His lower body was bound with chains, made of special mythical materials, forged with the power of time and fate, firmly binding 'Typhon' in the river of time and fate.

Li Mochen's eyes lit up, thinking Hyperion had not deceived him. Then he looked around and saw, not far away, on the summit of Mount Etna within this temporal fault, many spear blanks stuck in the ground, totaling thirty to fifty.

Though unfinished, even abandoned, they contained powerful forces, connected to the根源, filled with the aura of thunder and flame.

This sight made Li Mochen's heart pound violently. For the first time, he felt that this deal with Hyperion might be worthwhile.

Then Li Mochen's spiritual sense was startled by Typhon. The giant's hundred snake heads simultaneously spewed a hundred beams of light mixed with thunder, bombarding him from all directions.

"Half-breed! I sense the blood of Titans and Blue Dragons in you. You insignificant little god, you came here to kill me, didn't you? To kill the great Typhon? I can feel your murderous intent."