Chapter 1638: Chapter 1638

On the distant outskirts of Nolan, the people gathered outside the estate realized the battle was over.

First, the Cursed Item's power waned dramatically. Then, the Night Estate itself began to fade away. The celestial light that had descended from the heavens also vanished, a clear sign that the deity had returned to a higher dimension.

While the others hesitated, debating whether to rush into the Lawrence estate to investigate, an impatient Chocolate had already bolted for the gates. Seeing the cat take off, Miss Bevanna followed close behind. The Sage's Church combat squads advanced as planned, and even the heretics drawn by the divine manifestation trailed after them into the estate grounds.

Jenkins was the only soul left alive within the estate's walls. The battle with the Undying Abyss had been devastatingly widespread; any who might have miraculously survived the initial chaos were tragically swept away in the ensuing conflict.

As the group entered the grounds, they saw the cat leap onto the man's shoulder. The young writer stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the main building, his own back turned to them. The twin moons remained hidden behind a menacing bank of dark clouds, leaving Jenkins shrouded in shadow—a silhouette as still and unnerving as some strange statue.

"Jenkins, are you alright?"

asked Miss Bevanna, the resident demigod of the Sage's Church in the Nolan diocese. Jenkins shook his head and turned to face them, noticing the sizable crowd that had gathered:

"I'm alright. Just... overwhelmed. The sheer power of a god is staggering. I don't think I'll ever forget what I just saw. It might haunt my nightmares for years to come."

"That being just now was..."

"I have no idea. I've never heard of a being like that."

Jenkins slowly shook his head, his expression unutterably grave, as though he dreaded some unspoken truth.

Of course, this was an act.

"It's good that you're alright. But that was incredibly reckless."

Papa Oliver chided him with the authority of an elder, though he knew this was simply Jenkins's nature. Having just seen Hathaway and Briny fleeing the estate, he'd already guessed why Jenkins had charged in so recklessly.

"I'm fine, really. I just never imagined the estate would harbor something so horrifying..."

Noticing the demigods from other churches among the crowd, Jenkins spoke freely:

"A Beast of Calamity." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novelꞁire.net

At the sound of that specific term, most of the onlookers' faces paled. The demigod from the Church of Death and End seemed about to speak—the surge of deathly energy he'd felt moments ago wasn't quite like the power of sin—but he held his tongue. He reasoned that mortals couldn't possibly comprehend the power of such a terrifying entity, and what he'd sensed was likely just a trick of his mind under immense pressure.

"The world grows more dangerous by the day. To think a being like that has surfaced."

Miss Bevanna declared, her expression somber. She then instructed the Church's Enchanters to sweep the grounds for survivors and to secure any Extraordinary items left in the wake of the Night Estate's departure.

The demigods from the other churches followed her lead wordlessly, dispatching their own people. In an instant, the remaining group was reduced to twenty-eight demigods, one Saint, and a single cat—a truly formidable assembly.

"I trust you all see the state Nolan is in. If we can, we should convene the joint council as soon as possible. Then, we need to find the Believers of Lies and negotiate an alliance."

Miss Bevanna proposed.

Nolan was the vortex of fate at the end of this Epoch, a city where the karma of an entire age had coalesced. They were here not just to negotiate, but to witness, confront, and combat the final cataclysm. Following the tradition of every Epoch, the Twelve Orthodox Churches would dispatch the bulk of their power to this very place.

"Of course. We've been in Nolan less than two weeks, and already we've witnessed something of this magnitude. A Beast of Calamity and an unknown, magnificent being..."

Mr. Nelfonse of the Church of All Things and Nature remarked. The other demigods nodded in agreement, marveling at the sheer difficulty the Nolan diocese faced. Nearly a year had passed since the Star of Destiny first appeared, yet the local church had somehow managed to maintain a semblance of peace and order.

But of course, the demigods hadn't gathered here merely to witness a divine descent. As an expectant silence fell over the group, the oldest among them—an old gravedigger from the Church of Death and End—finally spoke up. He seemed to weigh his words carefully, hesitating for a long moment before he began:

"There is something I believe must be made clear right now."

He glanced again at the young Saint, who had remained silent throughout. The Saint of the Sage had just stood at the epicenter of a clash between a god and a Beast of Calamity, yet he appeared utterly unfazed. He was currently preoccupied with his cat, seemingly detached from the gravity of the situation:

"Do you know of the World Tree Seedling?"

He addressed the question to Miss Bevanna; the old gravedigger knew it would be a grave breach of etiquette to interrogate the Saint of another deity directly. Unsurprised, Miss Bevanna met his gaze and gave a steady nod:

"And do you know who possesses it?"

It was practically an open secret. The celestial phenomenon that had occurred when Jenkins swallowed the World Tree seed was impossible to conceal.

Miss Bevanna didn't answer. Instead, she simply turned her head toward Jenkins, who was still fussing over his cat. Taking the cue, Jenkins gave Chocolate one last scratch under the chin, then raised his head to meet their gazes.

With the Night Estate gone, the clouds began to part. Moonlight spilled down, illuminating his form but leaving his shoulders cloaked in shadow, which lent the Saint of the Sage an ineffably fearsome air. Few among them dared to meet his gaze.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I will represent the Sage's Church in the contest for the title of Savior at the end of this Eighteenth Epoch. As things stand, this is our only chance to stand against the Believers of Lies."

It was impossible to tell how many lies were woven into that statement, yet despite its aggressive tone, no one took offense. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Miss Bevanna's lips as she watched the members of the other faiths.

"The Sage's Church will contribute its full strength to save this world. We are duty-bound to safeguard it in the name of our gods. I trust no one disagrees?"

Regardless, though they had shown their hand early, the Sage's Church still held the strongest cards at the table, second only to the Believers of Lies.

Feeling Miss Bevanna's words were a little too brazen, Jenkins raised a fist to his mouth and gave a pointed cough. As he did, he felt something sizable pop out—it was the remaining two-thirds of the World Tree seed.

"Just as I thought. My body can't quite digest something yet."

He nonchalantly pocketed the seed before asking about the young women who had escaped the estate ahead of everyone else.