Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 433 The Priest Calculates Old Debts at Dusk

The morning light in the Rainbow City is always gilded with a magnificent glow. Temples, shrines, and statues, near and far, are bathed in this rainbow light, exuding a sense of peace and tranquility in addition to their solemnity.

As long as we don't expose the filth and corruption hidden beneath the surface, this is a pure land on earth.

For the bishops of Rainbow City, acquiring the [Morning Star] translation device is their top priority in negotiating with the Vast Ocean Territory.

The vast majority of the priests were fully conscious.

They love land, wealth, magnificent robes, luxurious scepters; they love vast estates and spacious palaces!

They love everything beautiful, dazzling, joyful, and exciting in this world...

They also like little girls, or maybe little boys!
However, the priests are very clear on one point: their power and might do not come from their own wisdom or strength, but from the god behind them.

There really is a God in this world, with divine grace and divine punishment.

Communication with the gods and channels for the transmission of spiritual energy are the core elements that enable the Misty Moon Divine Court to establish itself on this continent. Therefore, any "artifact" that may help the Divine Court spread its faith and collect spiritual energy more effectively and widely must receive the highest level of attention and investment from the Holy City.

Based on an analysis of the Sea Lord's style of doing things, the Crowned Bishop of the Moonlit Night of the Divine Court listened to the advice of High Priest Farrell and changed the Divine Court's usual methods of coercion, bribery, deception or indirect infiltration when dealing with various forces, choosing a relatively more direct and honest way of communication.

We should lay out our core needs and at the same time listen carefully to Lord Chen Mo's opinions and conditions.

In order to reach a consensus on this approach, Rainbow City went through countless rounds of heated arguments, compromises, and exchanges of interests before Chen Mo's visit.

Getting these old folks, each with their own agendas, greedy nature, and deep-seated suspicion, to agree on something is no less difficult than getting a group of goblins or slimes to sing a hymn together.

That's not easy.

There's a saying that's been circulating in the Qiyue Dynasty: for those old villains in the Divine Court, their only common interest is those tender "holy sons"!
High Priest Farrell played a crucial role in achieving overall consensus this time.

As the member of the Divine Court who had the longest contact with Han Hai and the deepest understanding of him, Farrell offered a very unique perspective in response to the questions from the bishops.

Why does this lord never build temples on his territory in memory of the otherworldly industrial king and cyber god behind him?

There weren't even rituals like prayer, worship, or offerings.

This is something that the Divine Court has been unable to understand for a long time, and it can be called the number one of the ten unsolved mysteries of the Vast Ocean Territory.

In his report to the temple, Farrell explained the results of his long-term observations and reflections.

“Previously, a bishop suggested that the god behind Lord Chen Mo, whose title is ‘Dongxia,’ was afraid of the glory of the Seven-Eyed God and therefore dared not build a temple in the Starry World. I think such absurd remarks need not be mentioned again.”

"The attitude of a god will inevitably be reflected in the eyes of His agents. Look at that lord, does he show even a hint of reverence or fear for the Seven-Eyed God?"

The priests exchanged glances, all agreeing wholeheartedly.

The young lord's attitude toward the Seven-Eyed God was the same as his attitude toward seeing a unicorn or a sea monster—excited and curious, but lacking in respect.

“I have observed and pondered for a long time, and I believe that the deity behind Lord Chen Mo is a… overly generous, or even overly ‘kind’ deity.”

"We can easily see the clues from Lord Chen Mo!"

The intentions and thoughts of the gods are indeed most directly manifested in their priests.

Kind?

Is Chen Mo, who is always scheming and calculating, kind?

According to observations at the temple, yes!

The simplest way to judge whether someone is kind is whether they would do something that benefits others but has nothing to do with their own interests or might even cause them slight harm.

From this perspective, Chen Mo undoubtedly inherited the kindness of the Dongxia people.

Even after the famous "to help or not to help" incident, the people of Dongxia were somewhat wary, but still kind.

On Earth, the greatest harm done to the world by Western legal systems and the so-called social elites immersed in them is that they have turned the most basic human judgment of good and evil into a purely self-serving judgment.

You cheated a patient out of their life-saving money, and you beat up a capitalist who refused to pay his debts. If you insist that beating someone is more heinous and serious, then you can't blame this cannibalistic world for ultimately reaping the consequences of the evil thoughts amplified by these "laws."

Dongxia has not yet reached the point of no return. To a certain extent, social media has assumed the function of a moral judge, applying a layer of moral judgment in addition to legal judgment.

Although social media is extremely easy to deceive, mislead, and exploit, it does not prevent it from becoming the last line of defense for society, causing all shameless individuals to instinctively cover their faces when faced with a raised camera.

From this perspective, Farrell put forward a deduction that the priests found incredible, yet inexplicably reasonable.

"The gods need the spiritual energy of the Starry World, so they use various methods to control and distribute this world. However, the god behind Lord Chen Mo does not need spiritual energy, so he has no need for this world."

"He simply projected His power onto the world out of a little goodwill or a bit of curiosity."

"He doesn't care about whether people have faith or not, so there's no need for Him to build temples or appoint priests!"

Farrell specifically showcased his records and summaries of the mission system of the Vast Ocean Mercenary Guild over the past few years.

Among the resources that Lord Chen Mo collected, which were clearly intended to be sent to the other world as sacrifices, the most obvious characteristic was that he wanted everything: flowers, trees, soil, stones, insects, and beasts—he accepted everything.

But he doesn't want much of anything, which seems to be purely out of curiosity.

The primordial power that the gods of the starry world craved was of no concern to that god.

What's particularly remarkable is that He actually allowed various deities to build temples, spread their faith, and collect spiritual energy on the land He directly controlled...

Can you imagine an altar of another god appearing within the control of the divine court?
"He doesn't seem like a powerful god, but more like a worldly king!"

Based on the above analysis, Farrell gradually depicted the image of a powerful, benevolent deity who had no conflict of interest with the native gods.

There's no conflict of interest! How is this any different from having close family and friends?
"In conclusion, we may be facing an otherworldly deity who is powerful, has no conflict with the Seven-Eyed God, and may even have some basic goodwill. Isn't this the best partner for us?"

"Gentlemen, in the past, before the rise of the Vast Sea, we could only spread our faith secretly through underground merchants in the White Deer Plain, where orcs were entrenched. But now, in the Eastern White Deer alone, we have already built eight great temples, and five more are rising from the ground, and there are more than a hundred temples in total!"

"And in the West White Deer, which this lord has just seized, it is a brand new land. In the struggle for believers here, those small temples cannot pose any threat to us!"

"Helping this lord is helping ourselves!"

Farrell successfully persuaded the bishops of Rainbow City, and as a result, these old guys displayed an unprecedentedly frank style of communication.

Faced with Rainbow City's demands, Chen Mo seemed to have been prepared for this. In the transaction of [Morning Star], Chen Mo did not make things difficult for Rainbow City, but instead offered a fairly fair price.

At the same time, a prerequisite is given.

"I need an explanation from the Divine Court regarding the 'Twilight Tower'!"

Ryan Tsukuyomi, wearing a crown, raised his somewhat cloudy eyes.

"The Tower of Twilight..."

The Tower of Twilight was an organization that once dedicated itself to achieving "peace" on the Starry Continent.

However, their means of achieving peace is through violence.

In the earth-shattering Battle of Crackclaw Canyon on the Eastern White Deer Plains, the group of people who advised the orcs and provided magical support came from this "Twilight Tower".

As part of the final deal between Han Hai and the Crack Claw tribe, Chen Mo spared the last cubs of the Crack Claw tribe in exchange for these prisoners who had been tortured to the point of death by the orcs, as well as some of their already ruined corpses.

The interrogation did not yield ideal results. In the end, it was the necromancer who "returned to the cemetery" who stepped forward and finally uncovered the identities of the masterminds behind the scenes.

The results of the investigation almost caused Chen Mo to break down his defenses.

These guys actually claimed that Han Hai's attack on Bailu Plain was an invasion, a disruption of peace, and an attempt to create racial conflict!
Is that right? It seems there's nothing wrong with it on the surface!
But where were these guys when the orcs marched south every year to plunder and slaughter human territories?
"Investigate! Investigate this thoroughly!"

Behind every high-sounding excuse lies a calculation of interests, but these followers of the "Twilight Tower" are truly special; they are a bit neurotic.

In the hundreds of years since the organization was founded, they have participated in many major historical processes. It can be said that wherever there is a large-scale war, they are likely to appear.

They helped the elves and fought the elves, rescued the orcs and killed the orcs, and the various human nations received their help and attacks in every way imaginable!
Unsurprisingly, this organization was subjected to a collective attack by all the forces of the stars. About 120 years ago, the "Twilight Tower" suffered a devastating blow from a multi-pronged attack. Since then, they have disappeared from public view.

Why did they come out to mess with me this time?
Are you tired of living?
However, the results of Han Hai's investigation were far from ideal. Ever since the high tower of their headquarters in the Silver Duchy was destroyed, no one knew where they had hidden themselves.

Although Han Hai has strong intelligence capabilities, the deployment time was too short and the channel resources were limited. In the past six months, they have gained nothing.

During his journey through West White Deer, Chen Mo learned of an old story from the old priest with white teeth.

The "Twilight Tower" was originally established with the sponsorship of the Mist Moon Divine Court, which provided personnel training and financial support to create chaos on the mainland.

Regarding this cause and effect, Bishop Ryan Tsukuyomi did not hide anything, but he did provide clear supplementary information.

"It's a great pity that we had no idea that these blasphemers would get involved in the White Deer Plain incident!"

"Since you have done so much research, you must know that more than 120 years ago, my Misty Moon Divine Court clearly designated the 'Twilight Tower' as an enemy force and led that massive siege operation, personally destroying the enemy's headquarters."

Chen Mo nodded, "I know!"

"I understand, but some people below might not understand!"

"That's right!"

It was Xia Yuanfeng, that stubborn kid, who stepped forward again.

"The lord understands, but the soldiers and civilians of the Vast Ocean Territory cannot understand!"

"We used a lot of resources and sacrificed many intelligence personnel to finally pinpoint the mastermind behind 'Twilight Tower'. We also know that your side claimed to have severed ties with them more than a hundred years ago."

"But it is, after all, a vicious dog raised by your Divine Court. You can't just shrug it off and say it ran away on its own and that it's none of your business."

"After all, when the 'Twilight Tower' first appeared, your country also said that it had nothing to do with these guys!"

Well, back then, the Divine Court supported the "Twilight Tower" to do evil things, so of course we can't admit it!
But since he lied the first time to distance himself from the situation, it's understandable that others wouldn't believe him when he tried to make a second attempt to sever ties.

Seeing that no one from the Divine Court responded, Xia Yuanfeng continued to press on:
"In the Battle of Cracked Claw Canyon, our army suffered heavy casualties. The intervention of the 'Twilight Tower' turned a battle that could have ended much earlier into a brutal meat grinder! This blood debt is etched in the hearts of everyone in the vast sea, from generals to soldiers, from officials to civilians, and they will never forget it for a moment!"

"We cannot let this go unpunished!"

The losses are huge, if you calculate it, they are definitely enormous.

Strictly speaking, what began as a siege battle for the Dongbailu Army turned into a total war involving the Hanhai Army, Air Force, and Jiuquan troops. Leaving aside the manpower and resources consumed, the sheer "high-risk" situation—with Lord Chen Mo personally leading the campaign and Princess Liushuang engaging in battlefield duels—was far beyond what money could assess.

Xia Yuanfeng laid this fact out on the table, and then made his demands in a firm and resounding tone.

"Therefore, we hope that the Divine Court will first and foremost disclose to us all information and data regarding the 'Twilight Tower' without any concealment!"

"After all, this can also help you completely dispel some...unfriendly speculations from the outside world."

The young adjutant still wore a smile, but there was no trace of joy in his voice.

A long silence fell over the field.

At this moment, Archbishop Ryan felt a pang of envy for the young lord opposite him.

Many things that the lord couldn't say, his men would rush to the front lines to say, while on the other hand, these old foxes on his side were even more silent than he was when he remained silent.

Those with brains lack courage, those with courage lack brains, and those with both brains and courage are most likely scions of powerful families from the Divine Court. How could Rui'an Guanmian dare to easily let them wade into this muddy water and take the blame for anything?
It is still necessary for His Holiness the Bishop to personally handle this matter.

"I can confirm that my Divine Court has never used those Twilight Believers to attack the Vast Ocean in such a despicable manner."

"As for providing the information, it's a very important matter. We need to discuss it internally, which will take some time. What do you think?"

Chen Mo nodded in understanding, while Xia Yuanfeng raised the watch on his wrist.

"I urge the bishops of the Holy City to hurry up, as the other countries to be visited are asking about our chairman's itinerary every day, they're very anxious!"

……

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After some discussion, Rainbow City opted for a limited compromise.

The information provided is partial, but only a portion of it.

Chen Mo could understand them.

How could someone be so candid about secrets spanning hundreds of years, involving countless internal matters of the Divine Court?

To some extent, the other party also has to keep some things from them.

This is a big deal.

Under duress, the old high priest of White Fang revealed many sordid things about the Divine Court to Chen Mo. Although he only had a rough idea of ​​what was going on regarding the "Twilight Tower," it was enough for Chen Mo to get a glimpse of the whole picture.

The "Twilight Tower" has never been a group of peace-loving believers; they are a group of terrorists trained by the divine court to create more chaos on the continent and allow the power of the "gods" to better penetrate every piece of land.

To realize an ideal earthly divine kingdom.

During this process, the "Twilight Tower" had a deep connection with the Divine Court, and some of its members even became high-ranking priests. Gradually, they became restless and refused to be used as cannon fodder or pawns.

This is human nature; it's all about a little bit of profit, and the Divine Court can still handle it at this point.

Later, a genius appeared in the "Tower of Twilight".

After becoming a follower of the gods, this guy delved into the deconstruction of divine scriptures, miracles, and gods, and discovered a side path outside the main road connecting the gods to the Misty Moon Divine Court.

When High Priest White Fang got to this point, a hint of admiration appeared on his face.

"A true genius, a madman who is arrogant to the extreme."

"We still don't know what he actually possessed; all we know is that he tried to intercept the spiritual source and make himself a god!"

In the system of the Divine Court, spiritual energy cannot be absorbed and used by the people of the Starry World. Even the God Emperor of the Divine Court can only hand over spiritual energy to the gods and receive divine grace from them.

It's like you found a nuclear bomb and handed it over to the country. The country will reward you with money, a house, a position, honors... but it must never allow the nuclear bomb to remain in your own hands.

Divine punishment arrived as scheduled!

The Divine Court mobilized a massive force to launch a frenzied encirclement and suppression!
Soon, only a few remnants of the "Twilight Tower" remained, barely clinging to life on the continent.

According to the normal script, under the dual suppression of the gods and the divine court, this already despised force should soon be wiped out.

However, an accident occurred.

The Divine Court was still relentlessly pursuing them, but the Seven-Eyed God stopped.

According to the divine court, the gods have already given these blasphemers sufficient punishment, and the remaining ignorant will only be able to eke out a living in the shadows and atone for their sins.

High Priest White Fang gave Chen Mo a guess.

“I suspect… that madman may not have completely failed. He may have actually figured out a little bit of the ‘way’ and left something behind.”

"Those remaining members of the 'Twilight Tower' may possess some extremely special and secret channel that allows them to bypass the Divine Court and communicate directly with the gods."

"They paid a price that we cannot yet comprehend in exchange for divine forgiveness, or tacit approval!"

In plain language, you bought indulgences.

As time passed and things changed, the "Twilight Tower" would occasionally reappear on the continent, but like the gentle ripples in the ocean, it would disappear without a trace.

This time, however, they were outmaneuvered by Han Hai.

(End of this chapter)