Necromancers are frantically stationing troops in the apocalypse.

Chapter 1109, The Triumphant Pope
Wu Heng stood aside, watching Benny stroke her cheek, tears welling in her eyes.

That kind of joy is understandable.

Ghosts, though they have died once and will no longer suffer from disease and death, have lost the bodies of living beings.

Although people always say it's good to be a ghost, it seems that I'm still very happy to have a body.

Before Benny could even react, Xiao Xiao couldn't contain herself any longer and excitedly floated forward, "Me too! Me too! Uncle, make one for me too!"

Wu Heng smiled and snapped his fingers in a cool manner.

The soil in front of them surged and coalesced as if it had a life of its own, quickly outlining the silhouette of a little girl.

The color of the soil gradually faded, revealing fair and delicate skin, with exquisite and lively features, clearly showing the appearance of 'Xiao Xiao'.

With a small cheer, the ghost possessed her.

Then, her body and eyelashes trembled slightly, and she opened her bright eyes.

"I'm alive! Yay—!"

Xiao Xiao cheered and twirled around with Benny in her hand, her laughter echoing through the silent divine realm.

Then, he took Benny's hand and they walked together outside the main hall to smell the fragrance of the flowers.

Wu Heng looked at Granda and the Empress, "Tell me, what kind of body do you want? If you do it right this time, you'll truly be 'you two,' and it will be difficult to change it later."

Granda floated forward slightly, her eyes shining with anticipation. "Hmm...you'll look younger than before, and...your figure will be even better."

As she spoke, she gave Wu Heng a meaningful glance.

Wu Heng understood immediately, concentrated his mind, and his divine power flowed once more.

Based on memory, Granda's original beautiful face was restored, but her figure was increased in size, making her more voluptuous and graceful with captivating curves.

The earthy color faded, revealing a graceful female figure.

Granda nodded in satisfaction.

Eagerly bending down to her new body, she took a few graceful steps, feeling the long-lost weight and balance. Her face lit up with uncontrollable joy as she hurried toward Xiao Xiao and Benny, who were still laughing and playing.

Finally, Wu Heng turned his gaze to the Empress who had been standing quietly to the side and teased, "So, madam, do you have any special requests?"

The empress's tone remained calm, "As long as I look like her, there's no need for those...features to please men."

"Do you still want the tail?" Wu Heng then asked.

The empress was silent for a moment, then answered decisively, "Yes!"

Wu Heng nodded, a thought flickering in his mind.

A woman with stunning beauty and a mature, elegant demeanor slowly emerged.

Immediately afterwards, a pair of fluffy white fox ears materialized on the top of its head, and nine fluffy, soft, and huge fox tails stretched out behind it.

The empress glanced at him, her tone still indifferent: "Not bad."

After saying this, he possessed the body and slowly walked towards the courtyard.

Xiao Xiao ran over, hugged her bunched-up fox tail, and giggled.

Wu Heng stood not far away, watching them with a smile.

It seems that even his own ghosts are quite happy.

After the four spirits had been outside for a while, Xiao Xiao ran back, "Uncle! When are we going back? I want Sister Benny, Auntie, and Auntie to all try my mom's cooking!"

"Okay! I'll go now."

"Can we take these bodies with us?" Granda asked.

"I'll put it in my mansion magic for now, and give it to you when we get there." Wu Heng activated the mansion magic.

The four souls walked into the body, then detached and flew back, entering Wu Heng's body.

Wu Heng then sought an anchor point to travel to Earth.

……

Xinfu City, prison base.

In a cozy room, Wu Heng was holding his daughter Wu Qin in his arms.

The baby girl giggled as he amused her, her clear laughter filling the room. Wen Mansha sat beside her, gently folding the child's clothes.

After the father and daughter played for a while, Wen Mansha smiled and stepped forward, gently taking the child from her. "Alright, if you keep playing, Qin'er will get really tired. Let her sleep for a while."

At this time, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Winmansah's butler, Hartle, came in.

She was still dressed in a sharp business suit, her long hair neatly tied back, and her gaze behind her black-rimmed glasses was calm and professional.

“Sir.” Hartel bowed slightly.

Wu Heng smiled and said, "It's been a while since I've seen you, Hartel."

"Thank you for your concern, sir. Everything is fine," Hartel replied politely, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Wenmansha handed the sleeping child to her and whispered, "Put the child to sleep first. Later, you will help me serve the master."

“Yes, Madam.” Hartel replied respectfully, and quietly withdrew with the child in her arms.

Wu Heng and Wen Mansha walked into the living room together.

In the living room, all the women of the family were present, as was Lady Leidi from the Serpent Emblem Corporation.

Previously, because the people in the island lord's mansion were unaware of her relationship with Wu Heng, they did not take her with them when they went to the volcano camp.

Now, it's finally a reunion in the true sense of the word.

Wu Heng sat down in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over every face present, and said directly, "From today onwards, Lilith will be responsible for formulating your training plan. Everyone must aim to become a god."

The group looked at each other, their eyes filled with excitement and unprecedented solemnity.

……

Central area, conference room.

Li Yahong, Zhao Yanqiu, and others were sitting around a table discussing base affairs.

Dong Dong~!

After two light knocks, the conference room door was pushed open a crack.

Immediately afterward, a small head peeked in from under the door, its big, dark eyes scanning the room before finally settling on Zhao Yanqiu. A bright smile immediately appeared on its face: "Mom! If you're not too busy, could you give me some money? I want to buy some good food."

Zhao Yanqiu looked up at the sound, and when she saw that incredibly familiar face that should never have appeared in this way, the pen in her hand fell to the table with a 'clatter'.

Her eyes widened suddenly, her pupils filled with disbelief and shock.

He stared intently at his daughter, who had 'come back to life', standing by the door.

……

Wu Heng returned to the Divine Realm alone, without bringing the ghosts back with him.

Now that he has become a god, the ghosts no longer need to follow him around to gather information. Moreover, with a new body, it's not bad to enjoy a long-lost life.

Wu Heng sat on the throne, deep in thought, and began to plan his next move.

Immediately, he took out the perfect twelve-sided cube obtained from the Antarctic research site.

This item was also the culprit behind the global virus outbreak.

This twelve-sided object serves more like a 'vessel for the organs of the gods'.

Of course, the body of a god has long been energized, so calling it internal organs is not entirely accurate. It could also be said that it contains a portion of the core energy of a fallen god.

As my fingertips traced the cold and strange geometric surface, an indescribable tremor, a mixture of decay and grandeur, was transmitted through the touch.

Without any hesitation, he channeled his divine power and pressed it directly onto the surface.

Buzz~!

The dodecahedron suddenly emitted a deep, resonant sound, its perfectly sealed structure unfolding layer by layer like a Rubik's Cube manipulated by an invisible hand.

In an instant, the sealed energy core inside was exposed, and terrifying energy fluctuations spread out like a real shock wave.

"If it were released on Earth, it might really trigger a second global infection," Wu Heng muttered to himself, his eyes grave.

The next moment, his figure suddenly dissipated, transforming into a pure and blazing ball of radiant energy, which actively faced the gray-black, decaying core.

Two energies of completely opposite nature collided violently, tearing and eroding each other.

Although the gray-black energy had no independent consciousness, it retained the original owner's strong destructive instinct, resisting frantically and even attempting to devour the approaching ball of light.

Just like a drop of thick ink falling into clear water, it stubbornly resists being purified and diluted, instead trying to turn the entire clear water black.

The divine power transformed by Wu Heng was as stable as a rock, advancing step by step, continuously eroding and transforming with absolute advantage.

The decaying energy struggled violently, but ultimately could not shake Wu Heng's power.

Soon, the last trace of gray-black was completely absorbed.

[Unlock Divine Role: Plague.]

Indeed, as the 'Chessboard of Fate' suggests, it is a legacy from a fallen plague god.

Wu Heng's figure re-condensed, feeling the vast concepts brought by the new divine office flooding into his sea of ​​consciousness: corruption, spread, pain, imbalance, radiation... all kinds of related powers and knowledge surged up like a tide.

From this moment on, with a single thought, he could cause the plague to spread across the land, bringing a prolonged and terrifying disaster. At the same time, he clearly sensed that, at the instant he inherited this divine office, dozens of faint yet steadfast 'anchor points' appeared in the void.

That was a channel of faith created by believers who originally worshipped the god of plague.

Although few in number and seemingly from distant dimensions beyond Earth and other worlds, they remained radiant and carried on this faith to him, the new god.

"The god of plague has been dead for so long, and people still believe in him?"

"You have a good affinity with the divine forces!"

Wu Heng waved his hand slightly, and those anchors of faith gathered like starlight.

After a brief investigation, he decided to contact those believers from other dimensions right then and there.

The threat from the Vatican hasn't been resolved yet, so let's not create trouble for ourselves.

Wu Heng sat back on his divine throne and began to quietly process the new power and information he had gained.

I do not know how long it has been.

We've moved to an anchor point and are heading to another world.

……

Deepforge, within the Dwarven territory.

This once bustling city, filled with the aroma of wine and the sound of hammers, is now shrouded in a somber and oppressive silence.

Most of the dwarven residents who came and went walked in a hurry, with solemn expressions, while the patrols were all made up of squads of Papal knights dressed in gleaming silver armor and marching in unison.

Wu Heng transformed into a dwarf with a receding hairline and a fiery red beard, and slowly walked forward with the crowd.

The strange street in the West District was shut down, and the direction leading to the heart of the volcano, the Molten Core, was heavily guarded by the Vatican.

It seems the Papacy has seized control of the Heart of Molten Core.

With a slight thought, Wu Heng's figure disappeared from the street and appeared in the depths of a mountain cave where the heat was scorching and the firelight flickered.

Inside the cave, two papal priests stood with their backs to him, intently throwing various strange objects into the lava.

The leaping firelight stretched their shadows, casting them in a distorted manner onto the rock face.

Suddenly, a third shadow, which shouldn't have been there, quietly joined the fray.

The two seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around, only to be surprised to see a strange dwarf standing silently behind them.

They were about to speak when their bodies went limp and they collapsed to the ground, their lives ending instantly.

Wu Heng stepped over the corpse and walked to the front of the Molten Core.

Molten Core (Rare Item)

【Effect: Smelting (7.8%).】

【Side effects: Irreversible damage.】

(Description: A natural creation born from the lava at the center of the earth, capable of breaking through the limits of conventional forging.)
There were also many other artifacts piled up nearby that hadn't been put into use yet. Clearly, the Vatican was using this natural gas to create even more effective artifacts.

Wu Heng reached out and grabbed, and the Heart of Molten Fire rose up in response, detaching from the magma. The scorching heat wave caused the air to distort slightly.

He casually activated the mansion spell, taking in the pile of strange objects on the ground.

Then, he crouched down and deftly removed the spatial rings from the two priests.

He probed into it with his divine sense and, after a brief scan, discovered several secret letters in addition to some rare and valuable materials of good quality.

After quickly finishing browsing, Wu Heng raised an eyebrow slightly.

A letter ordered them to occupy the place and devote all their efforts to the smelting of the strange artifacts.

The other letter was a series of instructions issued to the local association in the name of the association's ruling leader, Claudio.

"Claudio has taken over? And he's already issuing orders directly?" Wu Heng muttered to himself. "Looks like I'll have to go check out the association headquarters."

He looted everything of value, and with a wave of his hand, the two corpses on the ground disintegrated and vanished like dust.

The next second, the figure disappeared again.

……

The association headquarters was completely silent in the leader's study.

Claudio, dressed in a white robe with silver trim in the style of the Papacy, was intently reviewing the documents piled up on his desk.

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, and his movements abruptly froze!
Before I knew it, a figure had appeared in the chair next to me that should have been empty.

The man was casually flipping through another stack of secret letters on the table, his demeanor so composed that it seemed as if he were the master of the place.

Claudio shuddered and abruptly looked up.

When he saw the other person's face clearly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he almost cried out in shock, "Wu...Wu Heng?!"

“Chief Claudio!” Wu Heng looked up with a smile. “Congratulations on your promotion.”

Claudio's Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed the shock in his heart, his eyes remaining sharp and wary. "You dare to come here...aren't you afraid?!"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Wu Heng interrupted with a light laugh, his tone as casual as if he were chatting with someone. "If the gods come, I will naturally turn around and leave. If they don't come, other heroes will only be throwing their lives away if they see me."

Claudio took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his wildly beating heart.

He pointed to his papal robes, his voice hoarse, "So...you're here to kill me?"

“That’s too formal,” Wu Heng shook his head, his gaze frank. “We’re old friends. You’re wearing these clothes simply to protect yourself. I understand, and I certainly won’t hold it against you.”

Claudio's tense shoulders relaxed imperceptibly a little, but the seriousness in his eyes did not dissipate.

Wu Heng continued, "How's the association doing these days? A while ago, a dwarf hero was chasing my maid, but I took care of him. I heard he was also a member of the association?"

"He...died at your hands?" Claudio looked astonished, then let out a complex sigh. "He was indeed one of the Association's heroes, but...now we are all at the command of the Pope."

"So, the Pope now controls everything, big and small?" Wu Heng raised an eyebrow.

"The Pope has full authority over all political affairs," Claudio said in a low voice.

"Where is that 'deity'?" Wu Heng pressed.

Claudio's body trembled violently. He glanced around warily and said in a low voice, "You're not afraid of death, but I want to live. The elves... cannot be without heroes."

"Relax, as long as you don't call him by his full name, he won't sense it," Wu Heng said in a relaxed tone.

Claudio then spoke with difficulty, "He... is still in charge of Treasure Island."

Wu Heng nodded.

Sure enough, that god remained guarding the gate, waiting for his prey to come to him.

"What about Hadarai and Bruno?" Wu Heng's voice deepened. "Were they also sent out to hunt me down?"

Claudio's face suddenly darkened, and the air in the study seemed to freeze instantly.

After a long silence, he finally managed to squeeze out the words from between his teeth, “They…are dead! Because you did not clearly express your support for the Vatican, you were executed by that…personally.”

"Both...are dead?"

“They’re all dead.” Claudio’s voice was hoarse. He raised his head, a last glimmer of hope in his eyes. “What about Lilith? She’s still…”

“She’s fine, she’s safe with me,” Wu Heng replied.

"That's good...that's good..." Claudio murmured repeatedly, tears streaming down his wrinkled face.

Of the original five, only two remain.

Wu Heng stood up and pressed his hand heavily on Wu Heng's shoulder. "I will avenge them. Just live well."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished like smoke.

Claudio was left alone in the study, staring blankly at the empty chair, tears streaming down his face.

……

New Church!
The construction site was bustling with noise, a cacophony of voices and the clanging of metal.

The towering stone wall is taking shape, pointing straight to the sky, as if to build faith and authority into the clouds.

Countless craftsmen and laborers bustled about like ants, slowly lifting the massive stone with ropes and levers.

Sunlight poured down, gilding the bustling scene with a dazzling golden glow, further highlighting the Vatican's zenith.

The Pope, dressed in a magnificent robe embroidered with golden holy symbols, sat languidly on the white jade viewing balcony.

He held a sparkling crystal glass in his hand, filled with a rich, crimson wine.

His gaze drifted leisurely over the bustling construction project below, a hint of undisguised satisfaction and pride playing on his lips.

During his time in power, the prestige and power of the Papacy reached an unprecedented peak.

Dissidents were eliminated, beliefs were unified, and even the once arrogant association bowed down in submission.

This 'new sanctuary' that is rising from the ground is the most magnificent symbol of his achievements, and will replace all the old temples to become the world's only center of faith.

Take a sip of the wine, and its mellow sweetness spreads across your tongue, as intoxicating as the taste of power.

He could almost picture how the Father would praise him when the church was finally completed, and the magnificent sight of all people prostrating themselves and the bells ringing throughout the world.

However, at this moment of triumph...

A figure suddenly appeared beside him without warning.

(End of this chapter)