Chapter 629: The Beginning

The Grans family soon settled in East Zone 12. A plot of about twenty square meters allowed them to pitch a tent and have space for daily washing and living. The space was indeed very cramped, but this was a time of refuge; to have a place to stay here was already something to be thankful for.

There was a two-meter gap between each plot, serving as a passage, ensuring privacy, and preventing fires. Open flames were prohibited in the camp. There were public kitchens, public toilets, public baths, and designated smoking areas—everything was well-organized.

They quickly got to know their neighbors. Most were from Melbourne city, and three families were local farmers who had also come here for refuge.

They were not afraid of their houses collapsing in the earthquake, but they feared the demonic calamity that might follow.

The various demons, devils, and dark creatures that had entered this world half a year ago due to the strife among the gods were still roaming the land, causing great harm to Australian farmers.

Although the Australian government, with the help of the Radiant Old Faith and the Church of Fate, had done its utmost to eradicate them, completely eliminating their threat remained a distant prospect. And now, a demonic calamity even greater than that of half a year ago might erupt, bringing even more dark creatures into this world.

"Our church is much more reliable than the government. A while ago, a shadow cat invaded our farm. We applied to the government three times and got no response. Later, the town's Church of Fate sent two extra-legal holy warriors from the main cathedral. They brought a whole team and killed that cat, nearly leveling the entire hill. But it was a bit expensive—the farm paid 290,000 Austrian shields for it."

"That's not too expensive, is it? Better than doing nothing. Now everywhere there are demonic calamities and all kinds of supernatural disasters. It's good enough to be able to hire someone. Our Church of Fate's fees are the most reasonable. And with the church's guarantee, we don't have to worry about demon hunters or magic-energy professionals running wild or extorting us."

"The Radiant Church is also good, but they are very short-staffed."

"Our whole farm has converted to the Lord of Fate. You know? Not only has that 'God of Fertilizer and Harvest' Onassis become a subordinate god of the Lord, but there is also an Earth Angel that makes the land fertile. In the first half of this year, we were terrified every day, but in the second half, our wheat had a bumper harvest. If not for this great catastrophe, our lives would have been very good."

"A while ago, a priest of the Tarot Goddess (Olympian Spring Goddess) came to my house to preach, and I kicked him out. When we were in trouble, we didn't see any sign of them. I know about the Olympians. Half a year ago, they were partly responsible for nearly collapsing the whole country. In the following months, we didn't see any trace of their priests or holy warriors."

These families from outside the city were full of praise for the gods they believed in and deeply detested the gods of other faiths.

Dandy Grans also got to know the Holder family. The eldest daughter of this family, Rebecca Holder, was the young woman who had received them at the gate of this refuge fortress.

This family lived about a hundred meters away. The head of the Holder family, Smith Holder, had met Dandy when he served in the city government and Dandy worked as a corporate legal counsel, so the two families quickly became close.

Well-informed Smith Holder also gave him some reassurance: "Don't worry too much about the demonic calamity. Our Lord's power in the mortal world is currently the strongest among all gods, even stronger than the Radiant Lord. Otherwise, how could He have forced back Odin? Do you know how much power the Rising Sun Group and the Church of Fate have sent to Australia? According to what I've learned, at least four thousand legends. No one in Australia dares to oppose this force. That's why the Claude family recently donated thirty million gold shields to the church in the name of their second daughter. This happened early this morning. The church didn't hide it at all; they landed from Sydney and marched into the country like an armed parade. The entire upper class of Australia was stunned. No one expected the Lord of Fate to invest so much power here. And it made everyone completely unable to see the limits of our Lord."

"So, if even the Lord of Fate cannot protect His followers, then other gods are even less capable, Dandy. The only thing we need to worry about is natural disasters. But here, earthquakes cause limited damage to us, don't they?"

"If the situation changes, I'll inform you in time. At least for now, relying on the Church of Fate is a very good choice."

Mr. Holder's words did not match the piety he showed in his daily prayers. Dandy could see that this man's faith in the Lord of Fate was only superficial.

If the god they believed in had problems or could not provide them with protection, Mr. Holder would certainly change his allegiance at the first opportunity.

Perhaps because they knew each other well and were familiar, Holder did not hide this in front of Dandy: "Our Lord God still has too shallow a foundation. I estimate that He won't be able to win in the end in the future divine war. But for now, it's okay to take shelter under His church and watch how things develop. You think so too, Dandy?"

If these words had been spoken a few thousand years ago, they would have been labeled blasphemy and sent to the stake. But in this era, ordinary people could freely comment on the gods.

Of course, Dandy would not report Holder's words to the priests. It would do him no good, and the priests probably wouldn't care. There were many such people in this era. Comparatively, Dandy himself was not much different.

However, Mr. Holder's two daughters and his wife Colonna had joined the volunteers, helping the church maintain order and hygiene in the camp.

Dandy could see that they truly revered and respected their god and the Church of Fate from the bottom of their hearts. There were many such people; the camp never lacked volunteers.

But their days in the shelter were not peaceful and smooth. Many people worried about their future lives, and Dandy was no exception.

Would he survive the great catastrophe five days later? Would his home in Melbourne still be intact? What would he do about his job? All these things troubled Dandy.

He was anxious about the disaster, but what he feared most was unemployment. Given the current situation, this was very likely. Australia's economy, which had just begun to recover, might soon face a second collapse.

And it wasn't just him; many people around were worried about the future. This made the atmosphere in East Zone 12 camp gloomy. Even on sunny days, the camp seemed shrouded in a haze.

Moreover, there were dangers and hidden threats in the camp beyond Dandy's expectations.

On the second night after Dandy Grans' family arrived, someone deliberately set a fire in the camp. Although it was quickly extinguished, it burned over thirty tents and severely injured seven people.

Then, in the early morning, three people were killed, their bodies covered in scratches, all in a gruesome state. These two incidents chilled everyone nearby. Some speculated that dark creatures were lurking, others thought it was demons or devils.

But the Holder family's eldest daughter, Rebecca Holder, returned very angry: "There are no dark creatures or demonic beings. The church has thoroughly cleansed this place; those evil things can't get in. They were actually suicides, disguised as murders. I don't know why they did it, but it's really evil. They don't value human life."

Her mother Colonna was also troubled. She agreed with Rebecca: "They were indeed suicides. Real dark creatures or demons wouldn't leave marks like that. I've seen scenes of real demon killings, and I know they're not the same. They made it look realistic, but fake is fake."

However, few people present truly believed their words. Even Dandy Grans, who had no doubt about Colonna and Rebecca's character, still had doubts, thinking it might be the church's way of calming people. And Colonna and Rebecca probably believed what the priests said.

That night, similar murders occurred again. In the neighboring Zone 11, there was an explosion that killed over two hundred people.

Dandy Grans' face turned pale, and his spirits sank to the bottom.

He didn't know how the explosion happened. The entry checks at this refuge fortress were strict; when he entered, all his luggage was scanned by magic and divine spells.

Would there be another such explosion? Would it happen near him?

But this time, the Church of Fate quickly found the culprits. A squad of armed holy warriors and battle priests suddenly surrounded a tent only a hundred meters away. After a brief fight, they forcibly dragged out four middle-aged men and women covered in blood.

But these people showed no fear; instead, they laughed loudly.

"Kill us! Our Lord will take us back to His divine kingdom, where we will be with Him forever. There are countless delicacies and fine wines, countless beauties, and we will live in eternal joy."

"Just a reminder: we have over three hundred companions in this camp. You'll have to catch them. Otherwise, such explosions will happen again. We brought nearly five tons of explosives and many explosive beast crystals. Your magic-energy array can't stop us."

"Wait and see, you wretches! The great catastrophe is coming, destroying this filthy world. The false god you believe in will lose all his glory, fall to the ground covered in blood, and you will go to hell with him. No! There won't even be a place for you in hell; you will all be destroyed. This is the prophecy of the Goddess Loren; no one can defy it—"

"Actually, you should feel honored! Your deaths will make the people of this world remember the majesty of our Lord and the gods!"

Their mouths were quickly gagged by the holy warriors, but Dandy Grans was already chilled to the bone. His wife, Eunice Grans, also trembled, her eyes filled with fear and worry.

After this explosion, the entire refuge fortress tightened security on top of the existing curfew. All camp areas were put on high alert. The Church of Fate again mobilized volunteers and gathered high-level magic-energy professionals to patrol the camp.

However, the next morning, when Dandy Grans came out of his tent, he noticed that some nearby tents had been taken down. Some people seemed to have lost confidence in this refuge fortress and were preparing to leave. His wife Eunice looked at him with a hint of hesitation and uncertainty.

"If we leave now, where else can we take refuge, Eunice?"

Dandy was helpless: "Go home, or rely on the government? Or other gods? You know, even the sun god Heider, the most friendly to humans among the Aesir, charges his believers a thousand Austrian shields for a redemption ticket to enter his temple. For non-believers, it's ten thousand shields. We can't afford that. Besides—"

He looked at the camp before him, a flash of anger in his eyes: "Our Lord is dealing with the problem. And these so-called old gods, whose glory has been stolen, are desperately creating panic. I would rather die with my Lord, fall into hell together, than humbly believe in them and beg for their mercy. So, Eunice, from now on, stay away from Mrs. Natalie's tent, OK? I know that woman is actually a priestess of some god. She's been preaching to you, right? You can ask her, what has her god ever done for us? Why should we humans believe in Him? Why must we remember His name and not forget His glory?"

When Dandy Grans finished speaking, his family looked at him in surprise.

Dandy calmly pointed ahead: "Look in front of you. The holy warriors, priests, hired professionals, public baths, kitchens, water and electricity connected to every tent. The church's investment is real, isn't it?"

His son Loya's eyes flickered, and he said thoughtfully: "Father is right. Although I don't plan to change my faith, the Lord you believe in is indeed much better than those gods who only fan the flames and make alarming statements. What's the difference between their methods and terrorist organizations? If we leave because of their words, I think we'd be foolish. I don't like being coerced either. Besides, the priests of the Lord of Fate are already searching very carefully."

Mrs. Grans calmed down. After a moment of thought, she smiled bitterly: "Then let's stay. Dandy is right. Our family has no money left and nowhere else to go. Only the merciful Lord of Fate is willing to take us in."

In the following days, the situation in the refuge fortress remained dangerous. Almost every night, 'murders' occurred, and explosions happened frequently. Although not as large as the one in East Zone 11, each blast claimed dozens of lives, making Dandy Grans' heart race.

But very few people left. Instead, people kept pouring in, gradually filling the camp. There was even a shortage of land, forcing the use of walkways. This somewhat reassured Dandy's family.

People are herd animals. Before this, they had been somewhat uncertain about their choice. Now, the family felt only relief.

Soon it was June 27, 3999 of the Light Calendar, the rumored day of the great catastrophe.

Everyone felt the changes in the world. Some people's mirrors and tents cracked for no reason; others suddenly had wounds appear on their bodies, or even lost gravity, with everything around them floating. The ground began to tremble intermittently. Dandy estimated the magnitude to be between three and five. Rumbling sounds came from all directions. Looking into the distance from the camp, they could see several mountain peaks to the north spewing large amounts of flame.

—Those were all dormant volcanoes that had stopped erupting for thousands of years, but today they had 'revived.' Fortunately, the Church of Fate had chosen to build the refuge fortress far enough away that it would not be affected by the volcanic eruptions.

That day, no one in the camp could focus on anything else. They stayed in their tents, unable to eat or drink, just waiting.

Then, at night, Dandy saw a dozen huge cracks appear in the sky, as if a mirror had been shattered. Meteor showers fell from the sky, accompanied by lightning and thunder, and gale-force winds.

At this moment, it was clear that the camp's magic-energy array had been prepared for this. Although the wind was already above force twelve, the tens of thousands of tents in the refuge fortress remained intact, not blown away.

Dandy's family involuntarily walked to the front of their tent, their faces pale as they watched everything.

Dandy Grans clenched his fists tightly, digging his nails into his flesh. He knew that the collision of worlds was about to begin, that the great catastrophe prophesied by many gods was imminent. The world would face a hellish scene. The war of the gods would kill most of humanity and destroy modern civilization.

Even the priests and bishops of the Radiant Old Faith remained silent about this doomsday prophecy that had spread worldwide, neither denying nor defending it.

The only ones in this world who did not accept this prophecy were the Church of Fate and its many subordinate gods. They believed that the great catastrophe would occur, but the Lord of Fate would not allow the realms under His protection to be destroyed by the disaster.

But it all depended on today. Whether the seismic waves reaching Australia were magnitude seven or above nine would determine the future course.

Just at that moment, several beams of light suddenly projected down from the sky above them, then rapidly coalesced into an image like a mirage.

Dandy recognized it as what seemed to be a vast ocean, and on its surface, hundreds of transport ships bearing the Rising Sun Group logo rose and fell amidst giant waves.

At the same time, a burst of 'cackling' laughter traveled from afar, reaching Dandy's ears.

'Watch, all of you! You lowly worms, your god, the Lord of Fate, He will meet His end today before your very eyes!'

The man screamed and laughed hoarsely, his voice spreading to every corner of this refuge fortress.

After this, a humming sound arose from all directions. Dandy Granger was also stunned for a moment; he saw a figure standing in the void within the image.

Although the clarity of the picture was low and the observation distance was far, Dandy still recognized that it was the Lord of Fate they worshipped, the powerful deity named 'Andre Lee Wiltonstein.' His appearance was no different from when He was mortal.

'That's the Lord of Fate, right?'

'Father, Andre—what is our God doing?'

The first sentence came from Mrs. Granger, the second from the Grangers' youngest daughter, Clemmie, who was more accustomed to calling her idol by name and had yet to treat the 'Lord of Fate' as a deity.

Dandy let out a light sigh: 'I think He is trying to save this world, as He promised His followers.'

At that moment, the laughing voice rang in their ears again.

'The Great Cataclysm is unstoppable! Your god dares to try and block this destined calamity. But He will surely be shattered to pieces before the might of heaven!'