From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 126: How Could God's Children Fear Meeting God?

Three days later, at St. Mary's Cathedral.

Golden Hair, his staff, and the top officials of Florida all gathered before Angus. Naturally, the upper echelon of the Church had also arrived.

They stood by Angus's bed, listening to him recount the events of three days ago.

It was not because they wanted to be there. In fact, from Golden Hair down to the Cardinals of the Church, none of them actually wished to attend.

The only ones who genuinely wanted to come were Carolyn, the Holy Maiden candidate, and Pope Mario!

So why were they forced to come? The answer lay in the overwhelming pressure of internet sentiment and global public opinion.

Right now, netizens were hailing Angus with titles like the "New Generation Saint," "The Lord's Walker on Earth," and the "Savior of the Heavenly Kingdom." Even over in Japan, he was being lauded as the "Morning Star of Heaven."

Every detail of his past had been dug up and exposed to the public eye.

A small-town Priest who had worked diligently his entire life. When confronted with Divine Miracles and Monsters, he had shielded the entire town's population. Upon discovering a child's supernatural changes, he hadn't resorted to harsh measures, but rather offered gentle guidance...

Everything about him perfectly matched this country's idealized definition of the word "Priest"!He was the absolute paradigm of the Church, a true and genuine believer!

Furthermore, because of his status as a citizen of America, his reputation had soared to unparalleled heights. If he were to run for office right now, becoming the Governor of California would be easily within his grasp.

Meanwhile, an increasing amount of information was circulating across both the internet and print media. Carolyn held a stack of these reports in her hands, reading through them:

"Divine Power vs. State Power: The Church Forges a "Shield of Faith" During the Miami Tsunami, While Government Negligence Traps Tens of Thousands."

"Miracle at Sea! Cardinal Chants the Book of Isaiah and Summons Angelic Wings, Transforming Doomsday Beach into a Holy Land of Faith."

"Billionaire Donates 100 Million Dollars for Church VIP Status? Smith Family's Astronomical Donation Suspected to be a "Ticket of Faith"."

If the aforementioned media outlets still possessed a shred of journalistic integrity—merely discussing the facts or using hearsay to flaunt their vast information networks and stir public thought—then CNN, famously dubbed "fake news" by Golden Hair, had completely dropped the act!

"This is Not Hurricane Katrina - CNN's Sharp Critique: The Prototype of a Theocracy Emerges Amidst Disaster."

"While the FEMA logo was nowhere to be seen in the disaster zone, the Vatican's Cross hung high above the barrier of holy light. American Social Darwinism has met a crisis of faith, and the narrative that the populace is merely a "Negative Asset" has gone completely bankrupt in the wake of the Tsunami."

This sort of rhetoric was practically dragging the entire Federation's face through the mud.

Any rational person knew that this Tsunami crisis was caused by that massive black two-headed serpent. It was a catastrophe far beyond the capabilities of the Federation's emergency response agencies.

And precisely because of that, this media narrative appeared incredibly sinister and calculated.

The vast majority of the public would never know the inside truth; they would just accept the reporting as absolute reality.

If the Church could make it there, why couldn't the Government? Why not reflect on your own failures?

Furthermore, as a nation founded by Puritans, despite being globally renowned for its openness and liberation—with its LGBT culture being famous worldwide—the vast majority of the country's population was remarkably conservative!

Yes, conservative. This highly counterintuitive fact was the true underlying reality of the nation.

That so-called openness only existed in the major cities. Out in the vast rural expanses of the heartland, who would dare call themselves progressive?

Anyone bold enough to claim such a thing would be escorted by the entire town the very next day to confess to the Sheriff, and finally sent to the local church to repent.

This was the truth for the majority of the country. This reality fostered the nation's overwhelming population of Christians; whether Catholic or Protestant, they all fell into this category.

Naturally, these people were far more willing to believe such narratives. The appearance of the Cross and the formidable power displayed by the Catholic Church perfectly aligned with the believers' fantasies of divine intervention!

An increase in the Church's influence was now virtually inevitable. This was the deeper reason why so many high-ranking Government officials had come here today.

If Golden Hair and the others did not show up to stabilize the situation, given the Church's viral rate of expansion, Florida would probably turn into another Papal State within a few years. That was a scenario they absolutely could not accept.

Thus, after listening to Angus's story, Golden Hair didn't even need to speak; someone else immediately took the initiative to launch an attack.

"Bishop Angus, have you ever considered that your actions have compromised the national security of America?"

The speaker was a White House security advisor—a seemingly dispensable figure who, at certain times, was incredibly important.

The weight of that accusation was immense. If Angus answered poorly, it might be broadcasted directly to the public, damaging his current pristine image on the internet. After all, there was more than one Camera pointed at him in this room.

Angus spoke slowly, "I know nothing of national security, nor do I care about national security! I only care that people were facing mortal danger. They are followers of The Lord, they are innocent, and they should not be abandoned in the midst of a disaster!"

"Therefore, I wished to protect them, and The Lord answered my prayers!"

He turned to face the cameras with a solemn expression. "Do not thank me. Thank The Lord. Continue to pray devoutly, and walk in accordance with The Lord's teachings!"

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

He continued to echo that same sentiment: the essence of salvation was a gift given by God, received by humans through faith, rather than something achieved through any other deeds.

To him, such behavior was completely natural, but to others, it carried a distinct suspicion of pandering for public support.

Although America didn't have a specific term for it, that didn't mean these politicians didn't understand the tactic. A few figures with sharp political instincts were already beginning to suspect that this was the Church building momentum, preparing to make a move in the upcoming elections.

Hearing this, however, Golden Hair merely chuckled. "Then, Cardinal Angus, what do you plan to do once you recover? Will you return to the Vatican?"

Angus shook his head. "No, the Vatican is not where I belong. I must execute His Holiness the Pope's orders to cleanse the Church of its stains and prepare for the potential Apocalypse!"

Mario nodded in profound gratification. Looking at Angus, he said, "You have done well. You are faithfully executing The Lord's laws, spreading The Lord's Sacred Words, and sowing The Lord's radiance. This is your Mission!"

The unique thing about Pope Mario was that he was not a traditional Pope raised within the heart of the Church. Instead, he hailed from South America and was an Ascetic belonging to the Jesuits.

Rumor had it that in his youth, he had fought as a guerrilla in the South American jungles. He was a special Pope—physically robust, unwavering in his faith, and incredibly decisive in his actions.

Therefore, he could easily pick up on the subtle implications in the Government officials' words. For once, however, he took a remarkably hardline stance, using this method to help Angus answer their interrogations.

Essentially, he was telling Golden Hair and the rest that he was going to protect Angus no matter what!

Before the Mysterious Descent, Mario's words would have meant absolutely nothing in front of a powerful world leader like Golden Hair.

But now, in the eyes of those who knew of the mystical and Transcendent existences, Mario's words struck like a massive, resonant bell. The Pope's authority was now completely on par with that of the Great Leader of America!

This was the sheer deterrent power of a God!

"Then, what will you do if someone truly fails to conform to your Doctrine?" A staff member beside Golden Hair suddenly spoke up, launching a direct Attack the Heart!

If you proclaimed yourself to be God's spokesperson, your words and actions naturally had to align with God's will. What would happen if they didn't?

No matter how Angus answered, America stood to gain. If he said they wouldn't punish them, it would compromise the Church's justice and prestige, turning their so-called rise into a laughingstock.

If he said they would punish them, then given the massive number of churches and clergy in this country—at least half of whom were fundamentally corrupt—it would force the Church to cripple its own strength. The politicians would naturally welcome that with open arms.

The clash between divine authority and state power openly manifested right then and there.

Hearing this question, Angus and Mario exchanged a glance and actually laughed.

"Of course we will deal with them!" Angus declared. "Those who deserve discipline will be disciplined, those who deserve punishment will be punished, and those who deserve excommunication will be expelled. We will show absolutely no mercy!"

"If someone commits a grave sin, the Religious Tribunal will still sentence them to capital punishment!" Pope Mario added. "In this era, Unbelievers and Blasphemers shall be treated just as they were in the past!"

That past, of course, referred to the Middle Ages.

"What if someone resists?" one of the Cardinals asked.

"Then we will send them to meet God!" Mario's expression drastically shifted. The ironclad resolve of his former life as a Military Personnel surfaced, radiating an unparalleled aura of lethal intent. "How could God's children fear meeting God?"

The entire room fell into a dead silence.

Silence meant tacit approval. The fact that the Church's power was rapidly expanding across this nation was now an undeniable reality!