From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 202: The Approaching Crisis of Death

With the official debut of two Transcendent Beings and the rampant spread of news, almost everyone around the world knew what had happened on Sicily Island.

They did not know about Gabriel, as that had been a Secret conversation.

However, everything concerning Leon had been fully exposed to the public eye, with every detail clearly visible.

The reactions of governments worldwide were largely irrelevant. Given their inefficient bureaucratic mobility, even if they knew, they could only dispatch agents to tail the targets and see if they could grab a slice of the pie.

On the diplomatic front, however, the response was anything but slow.

Almost immediately after the Italian Government obtained the four Corpses, several major NATO powers issued diplomatic notes and forcefully requisitioned two of them.

If the country's prime minister had not been clever enough to publicly announce that the remaining bodies would be gifted to the Vatican free of charge, with a joint research team deployed by both nations, they likely would not have been able to keep the last two either.

Although Italy was considered a prominent and respectable nation on Earth, in the eyes of the true top-tier global players, it was merely a slightly larger annoyance.

They could only rely on leveraging the Vatican's prestige to intimidate the greedy.

Because of this, Prime Minister Lomeni was currently flashing an accommodating smile in front of Mario. "Your Holiness, thank you for your assistance. Otherwise, who knows how many problems would have arisen!""Italy is, after all, no longer the Rome of the past," she said slowly, a hint of regret in her voice.

The prime minister gazed out at the space beyond St. Peter's Basilica with lingering trepidation. She felt as though she could almost see certain agents peering toward them through the walls.

The current situation was just that insane. Faced with the allure of Transcendent Power, certain elderly Politicians were already nearing madness!

The major powers could still remain composed, as they possessed strategic steadfastness. However, for those smaller nations, such restraint did not necessarily exist.

This was especially true for those decrepit, dying influential figures. Their first reaction upon hearing the word "Vampire" was the prospect of extending their lifespan!

Thus, they had chased all the way to Rome, desperate to claim a share of these Corpses.

Mario's expression remained unchanged as he spoke with perfect calm. "Do not worry, Prime Minister Lomeni. This is the Vatican, The Lord's Promised Land. They cannot enter!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, casting a ray of Light that washed over the woman in a soothing embrace, melting away much of the anxiety etched on her face.

As the Pope, Mario was already highly proficient in using these most basic Holy Light precepts. In the outside News, these precepts were even uniformly referred to as Church Divine Magic.

People confidently asserted that the elderly Pope had always known such Divine Magic, only choosing not to use it often. Now that Transcendent beings had descended upon the world, he was "forced" to utilize these powers to maintain global stability and reassure The Faithful.

Although anyone with a discerning eye knew this was utter nonsense, many still took it as gospel truth, further strengthening the Vatican's international standing.

At this moment, Prime Minister Lomeni also looked somewhat surprised. She was naturally aware of the situation in the Vatican; after all, it was territory nestled right within her country's capital. Right now, there were still dozens of agents surrounding this tiny nation, filming daily with high-definition cameras. She had an exceptionally clear understanding of everything happening here.

However, personally experiencing the power of the Holy Light was indeed a first for her. This Transcendent comfort slowly dissolved some of the ulterior motives she had initially harbored.

Only by truly coming into contact with a Transcendent force did she realize just how immense the confidence radiating from this elderly Pope was.

"Thank you very much for your help. Do you require these two Corpses..." Lomeni asked, but Mario raised a hand to interrupt her. "In truth, madam, the Vatican does not need such things. We did not help you because we wanted them!"

His aged face remained perfectly serene. "We simply do not wish for so many observers to appear in this city. It has already disrupted our normal lives, work, and training!"

"Aside from that, Madam Prime Minister, we can have another discussion regarding the matter of regional leasing..."

Hearing this, Prime Minister Lomeni froze for a moment, her immediate instinct being to object.

After all, she was a Politician of the Right-Wing Alliance. The foundation of her rise to power was built on Nationalism and Anti-Immigration Measures, which was where she differed from the current crop of European politicians.

Although Pope Mario phrased it as a so-called "regional lease," everyone knew this was merely an excuse for the Vatican to expand!

Now that the Holy See possessed Transcendent Power, they clearly no longer wished to confine their activities to this tiny plot of land. They wanted a larger territory, more Rights, and a larger Population.

This was practically glaringly obvious. The historical Roman Catholic Holy See had followed this exact developmental trajectory—from wielding religious authority, to becoming landowners, to gaining the right to form military factions, and ultimately becoming a nation that commanded a Trinity of military, political, and religious power! The most exaggerated period, of course, was when a single piece of propaganda from them mobilized half of Europe for the Crusades. That was the absolute peak of the Papal States. That legacy allowed them to occupy the entire city of Rome for over a millennium, right up until 1871, when it became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

Therefore, the religious footprints in this city were no fewer than the traces of ancient Rome, which also pushed the Italian Government's wariness toward the Holy See to its absolute peak!

Mario, of course, knew exactly what the other party was apprehensive about, so he immediately stated, "We can promise you that the Vatican will never infringe upon the Political Rights of other nations, nor will we ever interfere with your Internal Political Power. The only reason I want land is for the future of this world!"

"The Vampire crisis has already arrived, and Demons will inevitably follow closely behind. We must possess sufficient strength to counter the World-Ending Crisis that may be approaching!"

"Prime Minister Lomeni, surely you do not wish for this world to be reduced to a battlefield for Demons and Vampires?"

Hearing this, Lomeni knew she had to give an answer. Thus, she slowly replied, "Your Holiness, this is a highly serious issue. I need to return and discuss this with the parliament!"

She stared fixedly at Mario and continued, "However, I need the Holy See to guarantee that your forces will not cause any disruption to the Rule of the Italian Republic!"

The woman had no intention of beating around the bush, stating very directly, "Our nation will never again allow the emergence of an authoritative ecclesiastical state!"

"Of course, Madam Prime Minister!" Mario said with utmost composure. "The Church has no intention of seizing your Rights. We will wholeheartedly serve The Lord and dedicate every ounce of our effort for the sake of this world!"

His words were genuinely sincere. Now that Transcendent beings had appeared, everyone in the Holy See who followed him was wholly committed to ascending to Heaven!

Since they were all destined for Heaven, who would bother fighting over a meager amount of worldly gains?

A Holy See armed with Divine Faith and a true future was fundamentally a completely different organization from the historical one that had scrambled for power, stopping at nothing to secure Interests and authority.

They now harbored far grander and more sublime ideals!

Right at that moment, Cardinal Rasinger rushed over, handing a Cell Phone to Mario. "Your Holiness, a call from Sir Leon! The situation is critical!"

Mario's expression instantly turned solemn as he took the phone. "This is Pope Mario. Knight Leon, are you still in Sicily?"

"Yes, Your Holiness. We are still in Sicily, and we have already found traces of Vampires here!" On the other end of the line, Leon took a deep breath, seemingly staring at something, before another voice echoed from the side.

"My God, this damned place... it is a hatchery!"

Upon hearing this, a chaotic commotion erupted over the line before the phone was properly held again.

"Your Holiness, please notify the Roman Government immediately to evacuate everyone in Milan! Please issue an immediate evacuation!" Leon's voice carried a desperate urgency as he shouted.

"Evacuate?" Mario's face drastically changed. "What did you see in Sicily? And what is a hatchery?"

"We... we saw the aftermath of a massacre..." Leon said. "Gabriel found some additional information—oh, he is a member of the Brotherhood I located. Once our mission is over, I will explain this matter to you clearly!"

"But right now, you need to do exactly as we say. You have my Credibility on this!"

Hearing this phrase, Mario finally realized just how terrifying the situation truly was. After all, in their minds, a Paladin's Credibility was something more trustworthy than anything else in existence!

For a Paladin to guarantee something with their Credibility was essentially their highest pledge of trust. Yet, Mario still needed to take responsibility for the Holy See's reputation:

"Give me a brief rundown of what you discovered so that I can make such a demand. Madam Lomeni is right beside me. I believe you have the ability to handle this!"

"Understood!" On the other end of the line, Leon took a deep breath and immediately reported, "A Mafia gang here was slaughtered by Vampires. According to Gabriel's findings, hidden amidst this massacre are more than twelve Blood Cocoons. This is the method by which the Vampire Race cultivates their offspring!"

"And this group of Vampires hails from the Tzimisce Clan. They are heading to Milan to enact vengeance upon the Toreador Clan!"

"Both of these clans belong to the Thirteen Clans of Vampires. The conflict between them is massive, irreconcilable, and unstoppable!"

"They want to replicate their Thousand-Year Holy War in this modern era! And in this kind of war, ordinary humans are nothing more than their Nutrient Pumps!"

The phone was on speaker, so Mario, Rasinger, and Lomeni heard every single word clearly!

The three exchanged glances, each seeing the palpable Panic mirrored in the others' eyes!

"Prime Minister Lomeni, you heard all of that, did you not?" Mario asked in a low voice, before shifting his gaze to Rasinger. "Notify the Papal Guard and the Discipline Group to prepare for boarding! We are going to Milan!"