From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 189: Assassinating the King?

The sun cast its intense, blistering rays down upon the city of Rome, making both tourists and residents alike jolt from the sheer impact of the heat.

Naturally, this was not because the sunlight was soothing, but because it was sweltering.

Over the past two years, the global climate had grown increasingly warmer. This caused Rome's already sweltering summers to become even more stifling and unbearable.

However, this oppressive heat did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the tourists exploring the city. After all, this was the Eternal City—the historic capital of the Roman Kingdom, the Republic, and the Roman Empire, as well as the capital of the Papal States for a staggering eleven hundred years!

Now, thanks to the frequent Divine Miracles manifested by the Holy See in America, and Bishop Angus conjuring a colossal barrier of light that shocked the entire world to hold back a monstrous Tsunami, the prestige of the Church had skyrocketed. This made Rome an absolute must-visit destination for countless people.

After all, with the radiance and Divine Miracles of The Lord shining so brightly, the Vatican—home to the Servant of the Lord, the Pope of the Catholic Church—naturally became a sacred focal point that no one could overlook.

Furthermore, to win over the hearts of the masses and reassure the Faithful that the true heart of the Church was not secretly relocating to America, Mario, alongside his two trusted cardinals, had orchestrated a genuine manifestation of divine power right there in the Vatican!

This was not like the lesser, so-called miracles of the past. There was no trickery or technological manipulation involved. Instead, under the watchful eyes of all the world's major Media outlets, they led a phenomenal Grand Mass!

To achieve this magnificent feat, Mario had even briefly managed to persuade Saintess Caroline, obtaining a short but potent Heavenly Blessing Precept!

Thus, he unfurled a brilliant light, completing a resplendent Worship service before the eyes of the entire world!The radiant light descended as a gentle rain—a rain of blessing from the Celestial Realm—bringing that Worship service to an awe-inspiring climax!

At the time, all the Believers gathered in the Vatican Square felt the comforting warmth of that light to varying degrees. Many even felt a renewed surge of vitality, thoroughly cementing the already flourishing faith in the Catholic Church.

Those who were already devout became utterly unshakable in their devotion, absolutely determined to travel to Rome to lay their eyes upon the holy land and pay their respects.

The downside to this spectacular display, of course, was that the Roman Catholic Holy See was now firmly in the crosshairs of every other Christian denomination and secular Government across the globe. This was precisely the main reason why Mario had been Extremely troubled recently.

There was no avoiding it. The historical lessons left behind by the Papal States of old, and later the Holy Roman Empire, were simply too deeply ingrained and bloody to forget.

No world leader wanted to see a brand-new Papal State rise to supremacy. They dreaded the thought of a single decree from the Pope mobilizing the entirety of Europe for massive military expeditions.

Even less did they wish to see impoverished commoners suddenly transformed into a formidable military force simply by receiving a papal charter.

The ruling powers had no desire for a resurgence of the three major Knightly Orders. Similarly, they refused to tolerate the return of a Pope who wielded supreme global authority, a man whose mere words could dictate the life or death of entire nations.

As a result, the Holy See currently found itself in a situation where its decrees barely extended past the borders of the Vatican. Every action Mario took was treated with polite reverence, but his actual commands were quietly stalled by various political maneuvers, completely preventing his influence from spreading.

Mario was perfectly aware of this silent containment. That was why he had chosen to bide his time, eagerly awaiting the return of the Precept Order. He held high Expectation that the sheer power of their Divine Faith and Precepts would effortlessly shatter this political deadlock.

But today, waiting was no longer necessary. The Lord had delivered a clear sign, serving as a beacon for their most devout faith!

No mortal force could stand in the way of The Lord's Believers. They were absolutely convinced of this!

Consequently, the city of Rome was even more clamorous than usual today. Tourists stepping out of their Hotels immediately encountered impossibly dense crowds, as well as streets that had been forcefully cordoned off by the local Police.

"What is going on? Is the Prime Minister throwing a parade?" a tourist asked, brimming with Curiosity.

A local standing nearby shook his head. "Of course not. If the Prime Minister dared to block off the streets like this, public complaints would drown the entire Piazza del Campidoglio by tomorrow morning!"

"Then who is it? What kind of VIP requires such a grand reception?" the tourist pressed.

"It is the respected Crown Mario. He is about to make an appearance!" The elderly Italian man devoutly crossed himself over his chest as he spoke. "The great Pope has graced his city of Rome. This city will forever be his loyal follower!"

Beside him, countless others erupted into cheers of pure Fanaticism!

The tourist tried to push forward to get a better look, only to realize there was nowhere left to even step. The entire street had been swallowed by a sea of humanity. Driven by Fanaticism and Expectation, the mood of the crowd reached a boiling point of fervor!

Just a few months ago, the citizens of this city would never have displayed such fervent devotion. However, following the viral spread of the Vatican video, the entire world had witnessed the awe-inspiring might of the Church. Witnessing their lifelong faith cross over into tangible reality granted these devout followers an unprecedented sense of validation and belonging.

"His Crown has arrived!" someone suddenly roared. In a miraculous instant, the roaring crowd lining the entire street collectively held their breath!

Bound by a bizarre, unspoken reverence, the previously deafening street plunged into absolute silence. Not a single sound could be heard.

At the far end of the avenue, a custom-designed Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle belonging to Pope Mario slowly rolled into view.

[The Pope's Exclusive Electric Vehicle]

This pristine white vehicle had been specially commissioned for this year's jubilee. Mario, naturally, was quite fond of it. After all, a fully automated transport perfectly accommodated every need of a man his age.

Furthermore, the immense prestige born from his Divine Miracles made him appear as though he were literally radiating an ethereal glow amongst the masses.

It was no mere illusion. He was genuinely emitting a soft, luminescent halo! It was the brilliance generated by the massive convergence of Wish Force. As the paramount Servant of the Lord, he absorbed more faith than anyone else in the entire world, second only to The Lord Himself.

Therefore, upon seeing the vigorous devotion and Expectation burning in the eyes of the surrounding crowds, Mario did not hesitate to grant them his blessing in return.

Sitting comfortably in the vehicle, he began to pray in a soft, resonant voice:

"Eternal Holy Father, May the fragrance of Your holy name, Melt the bitter frost upon Mount Calvary;

May the radiant light of Your sacred kingdom, Pierce through the iron bars binding the souls in Purgatory;

May the grand loom of Your divine will, Mend the frayed tapestry of human history.

We beseech You, let Your scattered children find unity within the Holy Eucharist, Let wayward and rebellious souls find solace and conversion within the confessional, And let the fractured Church be mended by the hands of Peter's successor—

Just as the Holy Spirit first swept across the surface of the deep, Just as the Son stepped forth from the Virgin's womb to illuminate all nations."

From his outstretched hands, a warm, cascading light spilled forth. It washed over the hearts of everyone present, raining down upon them like a blessing of holy light, soothing their minds and filling them with an profound sense of peace.

This radiant energy was fully visible to the naked eye. Motes of golden light sparkled brilliantly beneath the morning Sun, prompting every Believer along the street to fall to their knees. They chanted The Lord's name in devout prayer, eagerly receiving His heavenly grace.

The sheer majesty of the display was so profound that even two assassins watching from a distant rooftop felt their resolve waver!

"Holy Shit! Why the hell did we take this job? That looks like the real deal!" the sniper hissed. "We are here to put a bullet in the Pope! If we actually pull this off, Believers around the world are going to absolutely riot!"

Beside him, the spotter stared through his binoculars with cold indifference. "What part of that looks real to you? It is nothing but cheap parlor tricks and mass hysteria. It is the modern era, yet these frauds are still manipulating people using tactics straight out of the Middle Ages!"

"That right there is exactly why we were hired to eliminate him. The world cannot afford the rise of a new Papal State, nor can we allow another bloody Crusade to sweep across the globe!"

"We are not just doing this for the payday. We are doing this to save the world!"

Following the spotter's ruthless declaration, the sniper steadied his breathing and gently squeezed the trigger. "Bang!"

The explosive crack of the rifle tore through the tranquil street, instantaneously shattering the peaceful silence of the grand procession!

Panic erupted as everyone saw a perfectly round, spider-webbed hole clearly punched into the reinforced bulletproof glass of the Pope's vehicle!

It was an assassination attempt! And the target was none other than the Pope himself!

The shadowy figures in power understood the immense threat posed by the Church's sudden resurgence. Many could no longer sit idly by. They were determined to strangle this divine threat in its cradle, even if it meant earning the eternal wrath of every Christian on the planet.

However, the crowd's horrified shrieks and panicked uproar did not last long. Almost as quickly as the chaos had started, it died away into stunned silence.

The sniper's bullet, which possessed enough kinetic force to effortlessly shatter military-grade bulletproof glass, was simply hovering in mid-air mere inches from Mario's face. With a casual flick of the Pope's wrist, the deadly projectile lost all momentum and dropped harmlessly onto the floorboards.

A thunderous gasp swept through the crowd! The shock and Panic of the Believers completely inverted in an instant. They grew even more fervently devout, staring at the Pope in absolute, awestruck silence!

This was the true Servant of the Lord. This was the infallible Pope of their unwavering faith—calm, impossibly composed in the face of death, and most importantly, shielded by undeniable supernatural power!

This overwhelming tide of reverence reached its absolute zenith when Mario casually stood up from his seat and offered a gentle, reassuring wave to the masses!

"Hmm, he truly is a natural-born Pope, Believer, and leader! After today, the meteoric rise of the Catholic Church will be completely unstoppable," Bai Yang whispered. Amidst the roaring fervor of the crowd, his quiet voice went entirely unnoticed.

However, the explosive surge of Wish Force pouring in from the scene filled him with a profound, long-lost sense of absolute joy.

It truly lived up to its reputation as the global headquarters of the Catholic Church. The faith generated here was not only staggering in sheer volume but incredibly pure in quality, gifting Bai Yang with an immense, unexpected bounty.