Necromancers are frantically stationing troops in the apocalypse.

Chapter 1055, Vatican Treasures

Lilith's Mansion.

After taking a bath, Lilith, with glistening water droplets in her hair, leaned lazily against the radio, holding a glass of red wine in her hand.

On the radio, the Whisperer deliberately lowered his voice as he reported, "The Sanctuary is in complete chaos."

"At that time! The entire inner city... everyone, whether civilians or guards, fell into a coma, as if some force had instantly ripped their consciousness away." The whisperer's voice trembled. "Afterwards, the temple immediately blocked the news, but some information still leaked out, including the failure of the Holy See's ascension ceremony, and how everyone in the temple, including the Pope, was affected."

Lilith's pupils suddenly contracted.

A few days ago, the association inquired about Wu Heng's movements. Given that he dared to take action against the Holy Temple, it goes without saying that this person is Wu Heng.

During the days he was missing, everything at the island lord's mansion was normal, which meant that Wu Heng was not in danger.

But I never expected him to do something so horrifying.

The sanctuary was attacked.

Everyone in the inner city fell into a coma, the Holy See's ceremonies were disrupted, and even the Pope was affected.

In the parlance commonly used by the Vatican, this is divine retribution.

"Chief?" A cautious call came from the other end of the radio, pulling her back from her thoughts.

Lilith took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Can you find out the exact extent of the temple's damage?"

"There's no definite news yet." The Whisperer hesitated for a moment before saying, "But what's strange is that this time the temple's reaction wasn't as extreme as the previous times. It even seems like they're trying to suppress it and keep a low profile."

Suppress this matter?
Low key?

Lilith frowned, but quickly realized what was happening.

This is to prevent Wu Heng from going there again.

“Keep an eye on them,” Lilith said softly. “Don’t investigate any losses or what happened. Just keep an eye on their movements. If they make any moves, let me know immediately.”

“Yes! Then I’ll head back now,” the whisperer said.

"Proceed with caution."

The radio's hum stopped abruptly, and the room fell silent once more.

Lilith leaned back in her chair, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, her eyes slightly narrowed as she fell into thought.

Wu Heng's motives are not hard to guess.

The main reason is definitely the Vatican's list of 'blasphemers'.

Lilith considered that he might try to maneuver in secret, that he might negotiate and exert pressure, and even that he might plan a localized counterattack...

But what they didn't expect was that they would storm into the sanctuary!
Not only did they destroy the hero ascension ceremony, but they also crushed the threat posed by the Papacy with an almost overwhelming force.

But what is even more alarming is the power that Wu Heng has demonstrated.

The entire city was instantly knocked unconscious...

This goes beyond the realm of heroes.

No matter how powerful a hero is, it only represents a leap in ability, not an exaggerated increase that can actually affect an entire city.

If he can easily break through the sanctuary's defenses, then where in this world is there that he can't go?

Association headquarters? Elf Royal Court?
The more she thought about it, the more chills ran down her spine. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Just how many more tricks does this guy have up his sleeve?"

But then I thought about it again and felt a little relieved.

I was right after all.

……

[Breakthrough in Faith]: Consumes faith power to forcibly allow eligible professionals to break through their limits and enter a higher rank.

[Humanoid Wear and Tear]: When a user forcibly breaks through a realm, their soul and body gradually lose their human qualities, resulting in loss of emotions, physical alienation, or cognitive distortion.

Wu Heng raised an eyebrow as he looked at the detailed explanation of the effects and side effects of the rare item.

The breaking of faith is definitely the key to the Vatican's ability to continuously create heroes.

Although breakthroughs require meeting specific conditions, the power of faith is utterly insignificant to the Church, which has accumulated faith over thousands of years.

Even if we don't take this amazing artifact, the Vatican will continue to produce heroes.

The side effect is called "human wear and tear," where the soul and body gradually lose their humanity.

This can be understood as heroes who break through using faith being influenced by strange objects, which may manifest in their emotions and cognition, or even in their physical bodies.

But what is this price compared to the power gained?
Think of the immortal emperor of the endless desert.

In order to live on as a hero, he turned himself into a ghoul.

Moreover, the Holy Sees created by the Vatican don't appear to have undergone any significant changes in appearance.

Stop talking about them.

Wu Heng's original plan was that if he didn't become a hero by the time his lifespan ended, he would most likely become a ghoul.

"Uncle, is this the thing we're looking for?" Little Xiao flew around twice but couldn't see anything special about it.

The other three ghosts also turned their gazes toward him.

Wu Heng said, "Yes, it is this strange object that can allow clergy to break through to the Hero level, but of course it consumes the faith power of the Holy See."

He paused, then added, "The side effect is... the target that is breached will gradually lose their humanity."

"What is human nature?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Wu Heng thought for a moment to choose his words, and then explained, "For example, it may lack human emotions, or its body may begin to transform into something non-human, or it may have different perceptions from humans."

"Oh!" Xiaoxiao seemed to understand, and then said, "It turned into a zombie."

“That’s not the right way to interpret it. The heroes we defeated didn’t look much different from their appearances, so this ‘loss of humanity’ shouldn’t be too serious,” Wu Heng said.

She nodded slightly. "It seems there really hasn't been any change."

The empress, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, "Is there no requirement regarding the number of times it can be used?"

Wu Heng shook his head. "I don't know. It seems there are no requirements."

"If there aren't any, why does the Papacy only maintain the Four Holy Sees?" the Queen asked, somewhat puzzled.

Granda replied, "It seems to be a tradition of the Papacy to maintain the arrangement of the Four Holy Sees."

"If that's really the case, then it is indeed somewhat outdated," the Empress concluded.

Benny chimed in, "Now that only the Pope is left as a hero, the list of blasphemers probably won't be issued anymore!"

“Even if it’s not invalidated, it won’t cause any trouble.” Granda chuckled. “The skeleton guards around Winmansa and Brittany are enough to protect them.”

Wu Heng agreed, saying, "Yes, we've solved our most important problem."

Without heroes to carry out the mission, the Papacy's threats are nothing but empty words.

Whether it's Winmansa, Brittani, or the elders of the Wood Elves, they all have the ability to stop the actions of ordinary professionals.

Even the Pope, alone, probably wouldn't dare leave the sanctuary.

Granda looked at Wu Heng and said, "It's good as it is now. The Holy See has lost the ability to mass-produce heroes, so we can take this opportunity to develop our faith."

"Yeah, I think so too." Wu Heng nodded.

Next, Wu Heng took out a magnificent crown and a scepter inlaid with holy crystals from his spatial ring.

"Wow! There are more treasures?" The little girl's eyes lit up.

Wu Heng coughed lightly and explained, "I saw that no one wanted it on the ground, so I picked it up."

A small cheer erupted: "The church is such a wonderful place!"

The other three ghosts looked at the large and small figures with some speechlessness.

This is clearly the Pope's stuff!
"This hat is so pretty! Aunt, did you have such a pretty hat when you were the Great Fox Spirit?"

"Fancy."

……

Wu Heng's gaze fell on the first strange object, a crown.

[The Imperial Decree (A Strange Object)]

[Effect: Divine intervention, eternal rule.]

[Side effect: Faith is the fuel, the unbeliever is the judge.]

(Description: When light penetrates the crown, it casts a shadow on the ground interwoven with thorns and scepter, as if silently proclaiming 'divine right'.)
[Divine Intervention]: The wearer's words will be imbued with divine authority, and believers will instinctively obey its instructions, even against their own will.

【Eternal Sustainability】: Death is not the end; the wearer's soul will be sealed within the crown for seven days, during which time it will be immune to all forms of annihilation.

【Firewood of Faith】: If the faith of the Church collapses, the crown will devour the wearer as the last 'firewood of faith'.

[Judgment of the Unbelievers]: If an unbeliever wears or uses the crown, holy flames will burst from his pores, burning the blasphemer into ashen 'dust of repentance'.

When Wu Heng saw that non-believers wore and used crowns, he felt that holy flames would burst from their pores, but he stopped himself from picking them up.

He used to have a papal emblem that could also attract flames, but he hadn't taken it out for a long time.

And now another one has arrived!
[Divine Intervention] is arguably the most terrifying tool of governance, capable of making believers instinctively obey orders; it's truly terrifying.

The [Eternal Continuation] is more like a life-saving ability; after death, the soul will be protected by a crown for 7 days.

From this perspective, the Vatican isn't so hostile to the soul after all; at least the artifact's effect protects the Pope's soul.

Why didn't the previous two popes wear this crown when they fought me? No, even if they did, it wouldn't have mattered; if it fell into my hands, they would still die in seven days.

There are two side effects.

The "Following Fire" is somewhat special; when the faith of the Vatican collapses, the wearer becomes the last remaining source of support.

This is like burning yourself out.

I once played a dark fantasy game where you collected the souls of kings to use as fuel so that the flames could continue to burn.

They seem somewhat similar.

The final "Judgment of the Unbelievers" means that anyone without faith who uses the crown will be burned at the stake.

In other words, those who are not members of the Vatican are not allowed to use it.

……

After looking at the first one, let's move on to the second scepter.

【Divine Judgment (Wonderful Item)】

[Effect: Divine judgment, miracles manifest.]

[Side effect: Devout repentance.]

(Description: You think you're in charge of judgment? You're nothing more than a prisoner wielding the whip for God.)
[Divine Judgment]: Conducts a 'soul trial' on the target, forcing them to confess their sins or suffer divine punishment commensurate with their transgressions.

[Miracle Manifestation]: The scepter is imbued with advanced abilities such as 'wound healing', 'toxin purification', and 'limb regeneration'.

【Devoted Repentance】: Each time the 'effect' is used, seven acts of devout repentance are required; otherwise, the next time the spell is cast, the user will suffer the same backlash.

Read the properties.

Wu Heng's eyes flickered.

This one seems usable.

Ignoring the four ghosts who were still discussing the hat, Wu Heng picked up his scepter and pointed it at the empty space to the side.

A dazzling holy light descended, then vanished in an instant.

The Vatican's "Scripture of the Word".

The four chattering ghosts froze instantly.

Xiao Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! The Golden Legend!"

Granda frowned. "The power of the Papacy."

The Empress said, "You've betrayed us?"

Benny said, "You haven't been possessed by some evil spirit, have you?"

"Just testing a weapon." Wu Heng rolled his eyes and continued, "Wait a minute, the weapon has side effects."

After saying this, he made the gesture of confession, as if saying, "I am guilty! I was wrong..."

The air was suddenly quiet.

Wu Heng quickly recited the mantra seven times, then stood up. "That's it! We can use this one too, it's pretty good."

Granda said irritably, "Don't you have any backbone? You're the Pope of the Church of Revelation now, and you're confessing to the Vatican."

"As long as the artifact works, why think so much?" Wu Heng explained.

"Tell me about the effects," the Empress said.

Wu Heng then quickly explained the effects of the two strange items.

Then he took out the Pope's spatial ring and arranged all the items around it.

"Did you find this too?" Xiao Xiao's eyes widened.

"I found it!" Wu Heng replied, and began to examine the spoils with the Four Souls and divide them among themselves.

After looking at them one by one for a while, there was a knock on the door.

"Master, dinner is ready," Minnie's voice came through.

"Alright, you guys choose! I'm going downstairs for dinner," Wu Heng said, standing up.

Xiao Xiao immediately said, "Uncle, can I give this big gem to Sister Lilith?"

“Okay! Pick a nice-looking package.” Wu Heng glanced back and nodded.

……

Minnie and I went downstairs to the restaurant.

The dining table was already laden with a sumptuous dinner.

As soon as Wu Heng sat down at the head of the long table, he felt several pairs of eyes staring at him.

"Let's eat first, and chat while we eat," Wu Heng said with a smile, cutting a piece of pork rib and placing it on his plate.

The others followed suit and began to enjoy a sumptuous dinner.

The skeleton waiters moved silently, continuing to serve the prepared food.

It took about five minutes to take effect after eating.

Sanera looked up at her. "Is the matter resolved?"

Wu Heng nodded. "It's resolved."

"The elders' council..."

"No need to notify them, lest they worry." Wu Heng picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "There won't be any danger."

The wood elf sisters paused slightly in their movements and looked over curiously.

Although we don't know what happened, Wu Heng personally went out to resolve it, and it involved the Wood Elves, so it must not be a small matter.

Meanwhile, the younger sister of the wood elves, 'Sylvain', immediately approached, 'Shanaira, what's wrong? Does it involve the elders?'

Sanera smiled and said mysteriously, "You don't need to know. Knowing will only affect your daily cultivation."

“You’re not even as high a level as me, and you’re not afraid, so why should I be?” Sylvain said with dissatisfaction.

Sanera glanced at Wu Heng, and seeing that he didn't stop her, she said directly, "I can tell you, but you two promise not to tell the Wood Elves."

“Yes! We promise.” Sylvain nodded.

The older sister among the wood elves nodded in agreement.

Sanella said softly, "It's nothing serious. The Vatican was just trying to purge all the elders from the council."

The two sisters' eyes widened instantly, staring at her in horror.

Sanera smiled. "Look at the expressions on your faces. Everything's alright now. Wu Heng has taken care of it."

"I must be just too tired lately, and I'm hallucinating." Sylvain pinched his thigh.

On the other side, Wu Heng, Viola, and Minnie also chatted for a while.

Wu Heng's phone rang. He glanced at it and saw a message from Lilith: "Come over tonight."

"good!"

I had just finished messaging Lilith when Xiaoxiao came bouncing back from outside.

She was also holding a very fancy-looking gift box in her arms.

"Why are you back?" Wu Heng asked curiously.

"Sister Lilith said she has something to do tonight, but she wants me to come visit her tomorrow," Xiaoxiao said, then glanced at the dining table and asked, "Sister Philippa, are we playing games later?"

Philippa thought for a moment and said, "Shall we go to the amusement park? I heard there are some dance machine pros there. Let's show them the power of our Island Lord's Mansion."

Xiao Xiao immediately agreed, "Okay, okay!"

Wu Heng then said to Shanera, "I have something to do tonight, I need to take care of some follow-up matters."

Sanella nodded, "Okay!"

Had dinner.

Philippa, Robbe, and a few others went to the entertainment center, while the rest went to the training room to train.

Wu Heng considered his words for a moment, then used the Teleportation Technique, and his figure disappeared.

……

The magic circle dissipated, and Wu Heng was already standing on the carpet in Lilith's bedroom.

A familiar, cool fragrance wafts over, mingling with the gentle breeze from the air conditioner.

In front of the dressing table, Lilith wore a silk nightgown, revealing her fair skin on her neck, arms, and thighs.

He was fiddling with his phone when he looked up in this direction.

"Missed me?" Wu Heng asked with a smile.

Lilith looked up at him and said seriously, "How did you do that?"

"What?"

(End of this chapter)