From God of Lies to Lord of All Worlds

Chapter 396: Even Saving the World Still Serves the Faith

"Is it over?" Caroline murmured aboard the survivors' ship.

She was the only one who still retained any power, and the sole person to feel that god-like pressure completely dissipate.

Lowering her barrier, the holy light in her hands transformed into a gentle, trickling stream that flowed into the bodies of the ship's remaining survivors.

With the crushing pressure gone, she could finally use her power to sustain their fleeting lives.

Yet... some still breathed their last before she even had the chance to raise her hands.

These were warriors who had held onto a single breath, relying on a shred of Transcendent power just to keep their heads raised to watch the battle. They had pushed themselves to their absolute limits. If they had focused entirely on preserving their lives instead of witnessing the end, they might have survived.

But not a single person chose self-preservation. Instead, they burned the very last embers of their lifeforce just to witness the death of Kuchamama and the triumph of Mario!

"We won!" The Transcendent Beings of the Church managed only that single phrase before passing away one after another.

The holy light could stabilize their minds, but their physical bodies had decayed far beyond the point of no return long ago. It was an inevitable end.

Confronting a deity required an unfathomable amount of power. Before Mario arrived, the only things they had to rely on were their burning passion and their own lifeforce!In their final moments, they chose to watch the ultimate fate of this world unfold, finally fulfilling their deepest, lingering obsessions.

"We won!" At that moment, the three Viking Warriors entirely let go of their earthly tethers, plunging into the abyss of death right alongside their fallen comrades.

These berserkers had practically bled dry in the heat of battle. Their pale, shriveled bodies now resembled nothing more than hollow husks.

As for the Native Americans, less than a fifth had survived. Carl, missing an arm; Evan, completely bedridden with his body highly crystallized; and the nearly decimated team of injured Transcendent Beings behind them—they were all that remained.

Soon, Mario arrived as well. The Pope stumbled onto the deck of the ship, carefully removing the Crown of Holy Thorns from his head and tucking it securely into his robes.

His current condition was far from ideal; in fact, it was exceptionally dire.

After all, the heavy patches of blood coating his scalp were proof of how deeply the Crown of Holy Thorns had pierced his flesh!

To command that boundless, surging power, he had paid a catastrophic price. Wielding divine strength with a mortal vessel was the ultimate taboo, let alone exchanging blows with another immensely powerful False God.

Those few seemingly effortless words he had just spoken were, in truth, the absolute limit of what his body could endure.

"His Eminence Mario!" Among the monks of the Church, there were still a few who retained their strength—namely, the group led by Angus Bennett. As the only able-bodied individuals left, they rushed forward to support the staggering Pope.

Yet the elderly Pope was still focused on his duties. Raising his head to look directly into a nearby camera, he spoke softly. "Members of the Security Council... are you still there? Stand down your nuclear missiles. The crisis has been resolved!"

He was acutely aware that, aside from the False God they had just defeated, their greatest lingering threat was the payload of missiles hovering over their heads, waiting to drop.

Hearing Mario's words, the leaders of the Major Powers exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with distinct embarrassment.

Truth be told, just moments ago, they had seriously considered pressing the button to wipe out this entire group of Transcendent Beings with a nuclear strike.

Doing so might not have solved everything, but it would have eliminated the vast majority of their problems. They might have even been able to return to the ordinary era they so deeply desired, allowing them to remain the undisputed masters of the world.

But obviously, such a notion was utterly unrealistic. To put it simply: if another entity like Kuchamama arrived in the future, who would fight for them without these Transcendent Beings?

These religious zealots would charge at a False God without a moment's hesitation, but their own secular soldiers certainly would not. In fact, their armies might just drop to their knees and surrender instantly. Wouldn't they be completely doomed then?

Therefore, it remained nothing more than a fleeting thought; they didn't dare put it into practice. "Stand down. We need to start thinking about the global landscape after this event!" Golden Hair declared first. The sheer necessity of Transcendent power in the wake of this crisis had become glaringly obvious to him.

They could no longer afford to hold back due to petty apprehensions. They desperately needed their own Transcendent Beings. Otherwise, the next time a Supernatural Crisis of this magnitude occurred, they wouldn't even earn a seat at the negotiating table!

Being sidelined was certainly not the style of the Major Powers. As global superpowers, they needed absolute control over the situation. Drifting helplessly with the wind was hardly something to boast about.

The feeds of the four leaders vanished from the monitors in the conference room, and the nuclear missiles locked onto the Caribbean Sea were promptly deactivated.

They all knew exactly what was coming: in the aftermath of this crisis, the prestige of these three Supernatural Factions would skyrocket to terrifying heights!

In the next instant, Mario went entirely limp, collapsing into the arms of the monks behind him. The sheer willpower that had kept him upright finally evaporated. "I think... I will need to sleep for a very, very long time. Cardinal Angus Bennett, I hereby appoint you as Special Cardinal of the Vatican. Manage the affairs of the Church in my absence!"

His eyes were perfectly tranquil as he muttered, "Those three years... I don't have three years left..."

Hearing this, Angus froze. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Before he could utter a sound, Mario had already fallen into a deep, heavy unconsciousness.

Forcing an eighty-year-old man to travel thousands of miles just to burn through his life, blood, and soul in a war against a deity... even with Transcendent powers, it was simply asking too much.

He had fulfilled his mission. Now, it was time for others to pave the path forward!

Angus quickly composed himself. "Caroline, go tend to the wounded. We cannot afford to lose anyone else!"

"Cardinal Nikki, a moment please!" Behind him, Nikki, who was already on standby, nodded grimly. "Cardinal Angus, His Holiness the Pope had already briefed me prior to this. From this moment onward, you are the Acting Bishop of the Vatican!"

Angus nodded, speaking without hesitation. "Then, in accordance with the Church's traditions, we will arrange a funeral for all of our fallen martyrs. It doesn't need to be grand, nor does it need to be a lengthy affair. We just need to ensure they ascend peacefully to the Heavenly Kingdom!"

"We must show all our Clergy and believers that within the Church, death has never been the end. It is merely a new beginning!"

He needed to steady the wavering hearts of their followers, and there was no better anchor for their faith right now than a hero's funeral!

Overhearing his words, Carl slowly raised his head. "Then, Mr. Angus, would you permit us to join you? My warriors have also perished in this battle, and we must hold a proper funeral for them as well! The promise of the Deities shall be realized here, and we must show every believer that the Gods have never forsaken them!"

Angus nodded gently in agreement. "Very well. Contact Āsathrú as well. They, too, sacrificed their strength for this cause!"

Had it been the Angus of the past, he would have vehemently refused. Sharing the stage like this would inevitably dilute the Church's authority and hinder the spread of their faith.

At least, that was certainly the case in Latin America. After all, the polytheistic beliefs of the Native Americans and Christianity were still vying for dominance over this land. An act like this was essentially no different from funding the enemy.

But things were different now. He had effectively become the ultimate arbiter of the entire Christian world. Until Mario awoke, he had to shoulder the immense weight of the Church's image and ensure the whole world understood exactly what they had sacrificed!

The Church could save the world without asking for anything in return, but their followers needed to know the truth. From a strategic standpoint, uniting with two other powerful Supernatural Factions for a joint ceremony was incredibly necessary!

Only by doing so could they properly display the sheer magnitude of their struggle, and only then could they show those who had not yet accepted The Lord just how mighty and glorious the Church truly was!

After all, at the end of the day, it was the Church's overwhelming power that had truly secured the salvation of the world. There was no better opportunity than this to expand the Church's reach!

Utilizing two other Supernatural Factions as supporting acts to amplify the Church's influence—it was a masterclass in unparalleled propaganda. Angus swiftly issued the orders!

"Death is never the end. Every single person who laid down their life for the safety of this planet is a hero, and they deserve this utmost honor!"

Carl stood tall as well. "The believers of the Deities laid down their lives for our world. This naturally demands a grand Sacrifice. We will proudly declare to the Gods that, even in their absence, we will fight tooth and nail to protect this world!"

Their motives were actually quite simple. As a budding religion with a meager few million followers, tying themselves to the prestige of the Church brought only benefits. After all, their core was inherently that of an ethnic religion, entirely distinct from an expansionist, faith-based religion like the Church!

All they needed was to solidify their Core Support; everything else was completely secondary!

And so, with the tacit approval of all the surviving factions, the epic tale of this tragic, apocalyptic battle began to broadcast across the entire world!