The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 408 The Method to Trigger a Miracle Again

Han led Wu Chang and Eileen around the center of Selina, finally stopping in front of a two-story building.

The building is very close to the temple dedicated to Irene, and according to Han, it was once a residence prepared for the clergy of the Church of Everlasting Light.

However, as time went by, the Church of Everlasting Light declined, and all the clergy who had once lived there had left, leaving the place completely empty.

Not just this building, but the entire holy city of Serina is slowly dying.

The once enormous city, capable of housing hundreds of thousands of people, now has fewer than a thousand residents.

Most of them were the caretakers of the Kingdom's Great Cemetery and their families, as well as a few pilgrims who, unwilling to give up, had spent all their money to come to Selina, but had no money to leave.

The fewest are the clergy who are immersed in the past and remain in various temples.

When Han Er heard that Wu Chang wanted to find a quiet place, he replied that it was not easy to see excitement in Selina, but there were plenty of quiet places to go.

Hanl dropped the two off at their lodgings and then turned to leave. Although he was the last clergyman of the Eternal Light Cult, he did not live nearby, but in a blue house a kilometer away.

They had passed that house while they were walking in Selina.

The house is well-maintained; the light blue color on the surface is vibrant and full, without any signs of fading, clearly indicating that it is regularly maintained.

In the dilapidated Selina, the house stood out so much that Wu Chang and Eileen noticed it immediately.

According to Han, that used to be his home, but after his wife died, he moved into the Kingdom's Great Cemetery to seek revenge. He only moved back to that house after Wu Chang dealt with the Church of Soul Light.

Wu Chang and Eileen exchanged a glance and sighed silently.

Although Wu Chang really wanted to talk to Han Er, he had come here to enhance his mystical power, and judging from Han Er's condition, he didn't seem to need his comfort.

He used his ability to create a new layer of space within the building.

Using the scene editor, he generated a layer of paper on the floor of the space. Then, he lay down on the floor and used his fingers, which were shimmering with energy, as a pen to draw the runes on Xavier's right breast occult powerhouse, based on his memory.

Eileen found a spot where she wouldn't disturb Wu Chang but could still see him and sat down to continue resonating with the Eternal Lake.

With her strength at the peak of the lower-level god realm, it shouldn't have taken her long to master a source-level holy sword.

But as she learned more about the Lake of Eternity, she increasingly sensed the extraordinary nature of this holy sword.

Olivia was able to create the Difference Engine Core before Xavier because she found a transcendent item with the Primordial Spirit in Old Anderson's collection.

The Eternal Lake, which also happens to be Old Anderson's sword.

Perhaps the Eternal Lake has been tainted by the aura of the Primordial Spiritual Pivot, causing its items and skills to contain power that surpasses the power of origin.

Especially the skill that can emit the light of a lake, the Sword of Honor and Order—Eileen actually sensed the power of life's order that she had only recently mastered from this ability.

And that's not all there is to this skill.

Three days later, Wu Chang shook his somewhat dizzy head and stood up from the ground.

He looked at the complex mystical runes covering the ground and let out a long breath.

Xavier's mystical powerhouse was small in appearance but frighteningly complex inside. It took him three days to copy all the mystical runes inside onto paper.

Fortunately, during the process of recalling, he was also understanding and analyzing. He was able to lay out the three-dimensional, layered occult runes on a piece of paper according to the original design, which shows that he has mastered 50% of the occult knowledge.

He stretched and was just about to proceed with the next step of his analysis when he suddenly sensed that Han was standing at the building's entrance.

Seeing Wu Chang's reaction, Eileen knew what he was thinking. She took out two paper packets from beside her and said:
“During the three days you were studying mystical runes, Hanl brought you food every day on time. I told him we didn’t need it for the time being, but he still insisted on bringing it.”

Wu Chang opened the paper package, which contained bread, berries, and a few carrots. The food was simple, but it was clear that it had been prepared with care; not only was the quantity generous, but the variety of foods was also well-balanced.

Inside one of the paper packages, you can also see a bird that has been roasted to a crisp.

He placed the paper package aside, stepped out of the inner world, and beckoned Hanl into the house.

This time, he took Hanl directly into the inner world. To receive Hanl, he opened a new small living room next to the space where he had previously copied runes.

Upon entering the room, Han was speechless with astonishment at the scene within the Otherworld. Spatial magic was far beyond the capabilities of the Midnight Graveyard dimension.

Wu Chang pointed to the runes all over the ground and said, "I'm sorry, I've been so busy drawing those things lately that I haven't been paying attention to what's going on outside."

Hanl looked around. The style of the decoration, the texture of the furniture, and even the texture of the paper covered with runes on the ground did not seem to be anything that could exist in the Midnight Graveyard plane.

In front of Han'er, Wu Chang used the scene editor to create a kitchen and reprocessed the food Han'er had brought.

Han'er watched Wu Chang bustling about in the kitchen, sniffed, savoring the aroma of food filling his nostrils, and recalled Wu Chang's ability to create a kitchen out of thin air. He asked in a daze:

"Is this a miracle?"

Wu Chang waved his hand dismissively, saying:
"It's not a miracle, just some minor spatial magic. I used this ability before at the gravedigger's hut, but you didn't notice it then."

Hanl shook his head and murmured, "If this were outside, it would be a miracle to others."

Wu Chang prepared the food simply and then invited Han Er to eat with him. Han Er wanted to refuse, but compared to the terrible food he made, Wu Chang's food was just too delicious.

He couldn't resist and sat down as well.

The moment he took a bite, Hanl, whose appetite had been gradually decreasing in recent years, seemed to rediscover his former self.

Wu Chang wanted to remind Han Er that overeating was bad for his health, but considering that the other man didn't have much time left, he remained silent.

After eating and drinking his fill, Han Er remembered the purpose of his visit and asked, his face slightly flushed:
"Sean, is there anything you need to do now that you're back?"

Wu Chang pointed to the runes on the ground and said, "We don't have anything to do, we just need to find a quiet place to study these runes."

Hanl looked at the mystical runes, but after only a couple of glances, he felt dizzy and quickly looked away.

"Aren't you going to revitalize the Everlasting Light Church?"

Wu Chang said, "We had planned to come back, but we didn't expect that Serina would fall into such a state."

Although the Midnight Graveyard plane is the only remaining faith instance, before coming here, Wu Changzhen considered whether to cultivate a Pillar of the Present World and incorporate this place into the divine kingdom.

But after he actually arrived, he changed his mind.

Unlike Briff Island, Serena is not the center of the plane, and its population of less than a thousand is simply not enough to support a pillar of the mortal world.

Performing miracles, spreading the message, and then waiting for believers to arrive—given the efficiency of the Midnight Graveyard plane, it would take at least a year or two to gather enough believers.

He didn't have that much time to waste here, but since Hanl had asked, he still said:

Do you think we should revitalize the Everlasting Light Church?

Hanl glanced at Wu Chang, then his gaze shifted to Eileen beside Wu Chang. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head and said:

"If possible, I hope you will not perform miracles, and let Serina and miracles disappear quietly in the Kingdom of Mikel."

Wu Chang asked in surprise, "Why?"

Why would Hanl think this way, being a Selina?

After saying this, Hanl showed a relieved expression and said:
"If it were a few years after you left, or even a decade later, perhaps I would ask you to leave behind a miracle before you go."

"At that time, not only Serina, but the entire kingdom of Mikel was in a daze. The dying were suffering from illness and could not find relief, wailing all day long; believers felt abandoned by the gods, lost and without direction."

"At that time, the entire Kingdom of Mikel was in an atmosphere of impending doom, and despair caused a great deal of chaos."

When tackling the Midnight Graveyard instance, Wu Chang had already witnessed the Mikel people's fanaticism for their faith, and he could imagine the scene.

Hanl recalled the scene and couldn't help but sigh, but there was no sorrow in his voice; he said lightly:

"However, it was precisely because of the experience of more than ten years without miracles that the Kingdom of Mikel was given a new life."

“The Mikkels realized that miracles would not happen again, and they stopped encountering any difficulties and placed their hopes on prayer and miracles.”

"Without the first miracle, Serena could not alleviate the suffering of the dying. People could only try to alleviate the symptoms and reduce the pain by studying medicine."

"Without miracles, people no longer fantasize about the resurrection of the dead, nor about being favored by the gods."

"People used their long hours of prayer for work and farming, and the money meant for building temples was used to build cities. While Serina fell into ruin, the Kingdom of Mikel prospered." At this point, Hanl said sarcastically:

"Before your arrival, Serina had gathered almost all the extraordinary individuals in the kingdom. They used their extraordinary powers to claim that they were favored by the gods and could easily become clergy. The powerful extraordinary individuals could even communicate with the gods and create a sect."

“People used to believe this wholeheartedly, but after you shattered the first miracle and left, they realized that the gods they spoke of were all fake.”

"When the angry believers settled accounts with these guys, they also uncovered the evil deeds of the Soul Light Church in the process."

"The Kingdom of Mikel no longer needs miracles, nor does it need those extraordinary individuals who claim to possess miracles."

After listening to Han'er's words, Wu Chang frowned slightly and began to think.

Throughout history, in every dimension, transcendence has always been regarded as a form of evolution.

When the Abyss game recruits players, it is said that Blue Star joining the Abyss game is a great opportunity for evolution.

Even though Wu Chang discovered that the root of the extraordinary was actually the erosion of the abyss, he was only worried about whether this kind of evolution would come at a price and whether it would bring disaster. He never doubted that obtaining the extraordinary was evolution.

But now it seems that what extraordinary abilities bring is not necessarily all evolution.

The Kingdom of Mikel is a prime example of how supernatural abilities can hinder progress. Instead of relying on supernatural powers, people have come to believe in themselves and are creating a better future.

Being extraordinary is not necessarily the right thing to do. When the obstacles brought by being extraordinary outweigh the progress it brings, perhaps abandoning being extraordinary is also a path.

Wu Chang recalled his initial conjecture upon returning to the Midnight Graveyard plane: if the extraordinary power within the plane were completely severed, would the plane escape the abyss?

It's too late to develop Midnight Graveyard into a pillar of the divine kingdom, but with Hanl's request, now is the time to test this idea.

He looked up at Han and asked:

"As an extraordinary being, wouldn't you be unwilling to let miracles and extraordinary beings disappear?"

Hanl shook his head and said:
"Of course not. It is precisely because I have mastered extraordinary power that I am even more aware of what those extraordinary individuals have done."

"I've been a gravedigger my whole life, and in the end, I want to be an extraordinary gravedigger."

Seeing Han'er's resolute attitude, Wu said:

"I can promise you that we will not perform any miracles before we leave. As for whether the supernatural will disappear, we cannot give you an answer."

"In our perception, there are still many believers of the Church of Eternal Light in the Kingdom of Mikel, who still firmly believe in the existence of miracles. As far as I know, the extraordinary will not disappear easily; they are all the seeds of the extraordinary."

It is because of the existence of those believers that the connection between the Midnight Graveyard plane and the Kingdom of Erin is maintained, allowing them to descend into this plane.

Han said indifferently:

"They are just superhumans who are unwilling to lose their power and are struggling to survive. If a miracle does not occur, they will eventually face reality."

Having received promises from Wu Chang and Eileen, Han stood up, bowed to them, and said:

"I'm glad to see you all one last time, and I'm very grateful that you agreed to my unreasonable request."

He paused for a moment, stroked the ring on his finger, and asked softly:
"Your Majesty, I have one last question: After a person dies, can they truly retain their consciousness and meet in heaven?"

Eileen didn't know how to answer, so she could only say, "I don't know."

Han said regretfully, "What a pity."

He thanked Wu Chang and Eileen again and turned to leave.

After coming out, he paused for a moment outside the building, picked up the cane that was propped against the wall, leaned on the ground, and resumed his previous unsteady posture, slowly moving towards the Temple of Eternal Light.

There aren't many people left in Selina right now, and they all know each other very well. His leg ailment is a chronic condition, and everyone knows that. If it suddenly improves, it will definitely arouse suspicion.

Apart from the tomb keepers who have to stay here, everyone else is obsessed with miracles, and if they find out, they will definitely think of miracles.

He had to hide the changes in his body.

Just as he was concentrating all his energy to imitate his previous state, a carriage stopped beside him.

A hand covered in age spots pushed open the car door, and a voice came from inside:
"Han'er, come up and have a seat."

The driver took out two detachable steps, placed them by the door, and helped Hanl into the carriage.

Once Hanl was settled, the coachman closed the doors for the two of them, and a moment later, the carriage set off again.

Hanl looked at the old man across the carriage. The man was much older than him, exuding a heavy sense of age. His heavy eyelids drooped down, and he was so old that it was difficult for him to even open his eyes.

Compared to the old man, Hanl could be considered a spirited young man.

"Archbishop Wick, where are you headed?"

Wick, the archbishop of the Elixir Cult, the cult that created the first miracle. The Elixir Cult was once the state religion of the Kingdom of Mikel, but it has now declined.

Although Wick was the archbishop, he had only a dozen or so followers left in Serena.

He is able to maintain his current status not because of the Alchemy Cult, but because of his other identity: Duke Wick.

Wick forced a glint of light from his eyes, looked at Han, and said:

"Han, what have you been busy with lately? You even forgot about the joint meeting."

Han paused for a moment, then said:
“I’m sorry, two members of the Eternal Light Cult have recently come to Serina, and I’ve been taking care of them.”

The Joint Council, officially known as the Serina Religious Joint Council, was initially established to discuss how to induce miracles and address the loss of believers.

It did play a role in the first decade after the miracles disappeared.

But as time went by, Serina was gradually forgotten, and the Joint Council became a childish organization.

A group of old men, each with one foot in the grave, gather together every month to reminisce about their past glories—it's laughable just thinking about it.

The reason Hanl could attend the meetings was that Wick would reimburse them for the cost of maintaining the church every time a meeting was held.

This is very important for Han.

Since the Kingdom of Mikel cut off all religious funding five years ago, and since he has been unable to move around due to a leg ailment, the membership fees given by Wick have become his only source of income.

Upon hearing Han's reason, Wick chuckled twice and said:
"No wonder, the arrival of new believers is a good omen."

The carriage arrived at the cathedral of the Church of the Spiritual Medicine. The cathedral, which could usually accommodate thousands of believers, was unusually empty at this moment.

Wick's servants were already waiting in front of the church. They placed Hanl and Wick in chairs that resembled wheelchairs, carried them up the steps, and into the church sanctuary.

Besides them, three elderly men were also seated in the main hall.

These five people represent the five remaining sects of Serina. They are also the last five survivors who witnessed the miracle created by Wu Chang and Eileen—the Night of the Falling Moon.

When they all die of old age, no one in the world will have ever witnessed a miracle again, and miracles and the extraordinary will be lost forever.

The joint meeting began with the arrival of Hanl and Wick.

As usual, the group first complained about what had happened in Serena, then reminisced about the past, fantasizing that if another miracle were to occur, even just once, they could make the sect great again.

Although Hanl disagreed with the others, he would still join the discussion for the sake of Wick's membership fees.

No one ever doubted Hanl, after all, Hanl was the archbishop of the Eternal Light Cult.

They had all witnessed the goddess who shattered the moon on the night of the moon's fall, a miracle of a true god descending. The Eternal Light Cult was unique in this regard, and for that reason, Hanl should be even more unable to accept the decline of the religion than any of them.

Just as the discussion was reaching its peak, Wick took out a small hammer, tapped it a few times, and interrupted the conversation.

He glanced around and said:

"Gentlemen, I know you yearn for miracles to happen again and are unwilling to let the once holy city disappear from people's sight."

"Fortunately, I received divine revelation and found a way to invoke miracles. For the sake of Serena and our church, I hope you will all cooperate with what I am about to do."

(End of this chapter)