This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 302 Drowning Man
Nie Weiyang's voice was clear and powerful. Centered on the point where the longsword pierced, a complex magic circle composed of soft white light instantly unfolded and rapidly expanded, forming a semi-circular barrier with a diameter of nearly 100 meters, enveloping a large area of ​​the ruins.

This is one of the Paladin's intermediate skills—Sanctuary.

Within its barrier's range, the Paladin's support and healing effects will be greatly enhanced, and some effects will be amplified to a wider area!

Immediately afterwards, the radiance of the healing spirit rippled outwards from Nie Weiyang like waves, quickly filling the entire area of ​​the Holy Quiet Place. This radiance was more intense and gentler than usual, completely different from the scorching but merciless white light of Administrator Number Two before. It carried the warmth of life, a power of soothing and restoration.

Warm light, like invisible dew, seeped into the severely injured bodies of the survivors within the ruins. The burning pain began to subside rapidly, replaced by a cool and tingling healing sensation. The excruciating pain of displaced internal organs was relieved, broken bones seemed to be gently straightened and reconnected, breathing returned, and depleted life force began to flow anew, as if infused with a clear spring.

In this sudden burst of healing light, those on the verge of death were saved, their injuries stabilized at a visible speed, and they began to recover.

Gloria's eyes widened suddenly. After coughing up a few mouthfuls of blood, her breathing became much easier. She felt the life force returning to her body in disbelief, and looked up at the figure standing in the center of the golden light, his robes fluttering slightly in the flow of energy.

In her arms, the two children also struggled to lift their heads, and through their gradually clearing vision, they saw the unfamiliar, yet blurred, figure appear before them.

The gods descended to purify, and mortals brought healing. The former departed indifferently, while the latter stood in the radiance, reaching out to them with a sword in hand.

The child instinctively raised his hand and reached for the large hand.

Won't God care?

But there have never been any gods in heaven.

Only us—

Only 'humans'.

“You are…” Marai murmured, “…a messenger of God?”

"?" Nie Weiyang's smile almost crumbled.

……

In short, the incident ended there. The idol was destroyed in one blow, Life Manor was completely destroyed, and some of the refugees stayed in the shack area, while others went to Bitterwater Town.

Albert was somewhat dazed after achieving his long-cherished wish. When faced with Nie Weiyang's invitation again, he did not refuse immediately, but instead inquired about the Second Administrator.

“I don’t know much either,” Nie Weiyang said calmly, “but I’ve been investigating him.”

Listening to Albert's inner thoughts, Nie Weiyang smiled.

Teammate +1.

Lin Shouheng wanted to start a school again, but the priority now was to feed the people. Russell was constantly worried about food; even though this land was originally fertile, it was no longer thriving because of the Life God Church's actions.

The good news is that people from China have arrived, bringing with them several young officials with considerable experience in grassroots management.

After explaining... no, handing over the current information to them, Nie Weiyang clapped his hands: "Alright, leave the professional matters to the professionals."

He dashed out of the shed first, running as if a tunnel boring machine were chasing him. The equally experienced Russell followed without a word, running as if Jin Huang were chasing him.

Albert and Lin Shouheng: "?"

The two were then conscripted and forced to work in local administration.

Leaving the noisy shack area, Nie Weiyang was about to set off to find Bai Yu and investigate the movements of the Returning Sect when he encountered several familiar figures at the edge of the camp—Gloria, Marley, and Gomao, as well as several other former Life God Cult members who had survived the manor tragedy.

Their injuries had stabilized under the healing spells, but several days later, their eyes still held a lingering sense of shock and bewilderment.

What brought Nie Weiyang some comfort was that he could no longer sense any lingering attachment to the Church of Life from them; their distorted beliefs had been completely shattered by the cruelty of reality.

However, what made him less happy was that a new 'belief' was sprouting in their hearts.

“…It was His will that guided the cycle of life and death, cleansing away the filth.” Gloria’s voice carried a pious reverence born of relief. She gazed towards the ruins of the manor, her eyes empty yet burning with desire. “The Lord of the Heart is the true deity. And the cycle of life and death is governed by His subordinate gods who control the rotation of life…”

Marai and Gomao nodded vigorously, their eyes filled with awe and worship for the black figure.

Even though 'He' almost crushed them.

The gentle expression on Nie Weiyang's face faded slightly. He walked up to them, his voice steady: "Why do you think that?"

Gloria and the others were taken aback, instinctively looking over. They also held Nie Weiyang in high esteem, so when they saw it was him, they quickly stood up. "What you saw was merely... a powerful force," Nie Weiyang continued, his gaze sweeping over each bewildered face: "a force derived from magical skills, or some kind of technology we haven't yet understood. It may be more powerful than we can imagine, but it is not what we call 'divine power'."

“But He…He possesses such power, such a form…” Gloria argued, her voice urgent, “He judges sin and purifies defilement…”

She couldn't speak anymore.

"The law will judge, and bullets will be purified. Are judges gods? Are lawyers demons?" Nie Weiyang's tone remained calm, yet it was like a cold spring, extinguishing the fervent flames that had just ignited in their eyes: "It is not wrong to respect power. But to worship power as a god, to pray to it, and to expect it to bestow grace or salvation... that is meaningless."

"Power neither listens nor responds."

He paused, looking at the growing pain and wavering in Gloria's eyes, and said in a simpler analogy: "Just like you don't worship rain or call rain clouds gods."

Humans use water and understand water, but they don't pray to water molecules for favorable weather. Because we know it's useless.

"The second administrator is essentially no different from sunlight, rain, an earthquake, or a tsunami. He is just... more complex. But he will not stop for your life or death."

This is a lie.

The power of the second administrator won't linger, but Nie Weiyang will. However, he doesn't need to say it aloud.

It must be said that Nie Weiyang has always felt that the word 'god' is deceptive. Is a god necessarily enlightened? And those who are enlightened are not necessarily gods. Humanity created this word to define a power that transcends nature, yet it has deceived itself... How pathetic, yet it's not something to laugh about.

Gloria opened her mouth, wanting to say that it was different, that the figure possessed will, possessed principles... but she found herself unable to refute it.

She recalled that cold gaze, that departure without a backward glance—it certainly didn't seem like the behavior of a 'god' who would answer prayers.

It's more like... a natural law, relentlessly in operation.

Her gaze fell on Nie Weiyang. He stood there, tall and straight, his face clear and handsome in the light of the campfire, even exuding a reassuring gentleness.

He saved their lives; his radiance was warm and healing.

But for some reason, even without looking into those astonishing red eyes, a chill crept up her spine without warning and swept through her entire body.

No... this chill didn't just appear now.

A chill had been there for countless moments before, when she first encountered this seemingly gentle paladin amidst the chaos. But back then, his undeniable brilliance was too dazzling, his coordination of the camp's actions too pragmatic, causing her to overlook… overlook something hidden beneath that gentleness…

It was a calmness that defied common sense.

Gloria realized that the paladins who denied the existence of gods seemed to be standing at a height far removed from mortals.

But on the ruins of faith, even the last vestige of hope was utterly crushed by this cruel truth.

Gloria could no longer hold on, and tears streamed down her face. She wasn't crying for herself, but for this future that had completely lost its direction and was exposed nakedly to the cold wind.

"How can I believe you? How can we believe you?" she choked, almost questioning, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. "If we believe you, believe that there are no gods in this world, no supreme being to rely on, to pray to... how... can we still live in this dark world?"

“We can no longer see the real sun! We have lost our homeland! I can never return to the place where I was born, the bushes where I played, by my grandmother’s grave, by the fireplace where I rest in peace. I need a reason—O paladin! I need a reason to live on in peace, to believe that we will eventually find rest!”

Nie Weiyang fell silent.

His mind-reading ability allowed him to clearly hear the despair and emptiness in the hearts of the survivors around him.

They had just experienced the collapse of their faith and were stripped of their newly established, fragile anchor. They needed a pillar, something to grasp in their despair, even if it was just a phantom, a merciless lash.

He should say something. For example, “There is nothing wrong with faith, but do not place your faith in any particular individual, and do not use it to negate others,” or “Rely on yourselves, rely on us, and rely on each other.”

But at this moment, seeing Gloria's broken tears and hearing the confusion in the hearts of the others...

...the bewilderment of a drowning person...

Nie Weiyang found that he couldn't bring himself to utter those 'rational' and 'correct' teachings.

For these souls struggling on the edge of the abyss, empty slogans are far less likely to give them the courage to live than a concrete, powerful 'idol'.

Even that idol, whom they see as a lifeline, is actually just a light... meant to burn away the enemy.

(End of this chapter)