Chapter 65: Me, the Archbishop?

Wang Yu wasn't troubled about being caught disrespecting the Lady of the Night. Instead, he quickly grasped something important: the Lady of the Night had appeared directly in the material world. Previously, all their conversations had taken place in his mindscape.

Now, however, she had managed to appear right before him. This was no small matter. He didn't know whether what stood before him was merely a projection or her true self, but either way, Wang Yu was intrigued.

"Huh, so you've managed to manifest directly in the material world? You weren't able to do that beforehand, were you?" Wang Yu asked directly.

"This environment is unique. The distinction between the void and reality is faint here. The statue you placed serves as a beacon, allowing me to project my form into the material world," the Lady of the Night replied, turning from the crooked but well-crafted statue to address Wang Yu.

"A special environment, huh? Then this place is perfect for spreading your faith. After all, it's far better for a god to interact directly with their followers than to preach endlessly about omnipotence and omnipresence. This is only a projection of yours, right?"

"Yes, this is merely a projection. While I can perceive everything within the statue's vicinity, I cannot interact with it," she explained.

Her figure flickered for a moment before she vanished and reappearedg next to Wang Yu. He watched as her veil-covered hand reached for a nearby crate of discarded potions at the door, only to phase right through it.

"Hmm, so that's the case. Otherwise, with gods freely roaming around, this place would be utter chaos," Wang Yu mused.

Indeed, if this environment allowed deities of all churches to move about unrestricted, the city would be a madhouse. For now, the city's chaos was at least under some semblance of control.

"But if you give me that item from your mindscape, I may be able to move freely in this unique domain," the Lady of the Night remarked.

"What item?" Wang Yu paused, confused, before a thought struck him. He remembered the nascent will of the abyss invading his mindscape and vanishing after being crushed. It must have left something behind.

Without any hesitation, Wang Yu turned his focus inward and entered his mindscape. He found himself on the vast, serene lake once more. In the distance, the Lady of the Night stood on the water's surface, observing something on the ground.

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes. He'd already noticed how unusual it was for the Lady of the Night to appear in his mindscape.

In theory, his mindscape could reject any intrusions. For instance, when the nascent will of the abyss entered, it was obliterated instantly.

In that case, why was the Lady of the Night able to remain here? Though previous conversations suggested she couldn't interfere with his mindscape, her mere presence was an anomaly.

Setting his doubts aside, Wang Yu approached and picked up the object the Lady had been observing—a small, glass-like bead.

In his mindscape, Wang Yu had no special sensory abilities. To him, this bead seemed unremarkable, just as mundane as the lake or sky within his mental space.

"What's this?" Wang Yu speculated that it might be a remnant of the nascent will, but he had no clue what it was or its purpose. He decided to ask her directly.

"It's an aggregate of mental energy. When a vast amount of mental energy gathers and undergoes certain processes, it can crystallize into this form. Perhaps you've heard of something similar—faith crystals," the Lady of the Night explained.

"Faith crystals?" Wang Yu held the bead up for closer inspection, struggling to reconcile this object with the legendary faith crystals described in various holy texts.

Faith crystals were said to be formed from the prayers of countless devout believers, faith condensed into physical form. Churches often relied on ancient faith crystals in emergencies to perform miracles. Their rarity and value were unparalleled.

And this small glass bead was supposed to be a faith crystal? Wang Yu found it hard to believe.

"Now that I think about it, if what you say is true, then isn't the so-called faith of countless believers just mental energy focused in one direction?"

Wang Yu scratched his head, realizing he might have stumbled upon something monumental.

If this were the case, revealing it could make him the target of every church—except perhaps the Lady of the Night's fledgling sect and the church of light. Most other faiths would likely conspire to eliminate him to protect their secrets.

"Indeed so. This abyssal will was born from an ocean of immense mental energy beneath the capital. Once it gained consciousness, it unified these stray mental energies, creating this aggregate. Thus, this is indeed a faith crystal—a versatile, unaligned faith crystal," the Lady explained.

Wang Yu's estimation of the object's value skyrocketed. If it were given to any church, it could enable them to perform one or several miracles. Its worth was immeasurable.

"So, should I give it to the Lady of the Night?" Wang Yu murmured to himself. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Take it." He didn't hesitate long before handing the crystal to the Lady.

"Are you sure you don't want to consider this further? Surely you realize its value and what it means to me," she said.

"No need to be polite. Think of it as a long-term investment."

Wang Yu saw no point in keeping something he couldn't use.

He couldn't sell it without drawing unwanted attention, nor could he explain its origins.

If discovered, it might even cost him his life. What if he were kidnapped and forced to produce more such crystals? As for his backer, the church of light, it didn't even need these faith crystals to produce miracles, and Wang Yu still wouldn't have an explanation as to how he had come across one in the first place.

Giving it to the Lady of the Night was a straightforward choice. If she used it and her sect flourished as a result, it would benefit Wang Yu down the line.

Her personality seemed more human than divine, making her easier to interact with than most gods.

Although the Lady of the Night spoke in a somewhat peculiar manner, she wasn't hard to communicate with. If this "faith crystal" enabled her to move freely in the capital's shadow, it would be akin to having a powerful ally by his side—a reassuring prospect for someone as comparatively powerless as Wang Yu.

Moreover, this newfound mobility would make it much easier for the Lady of the Night's church to develop. After all, how many deities could claim to accompany their followers personally?

By aligning himself with her church, which clearly had the potential to flourish in the future, Wang Yu could even see a path to completing the mission Sieg had assigned him. It was a win-win situation.

As for whether the Lady of the Night might harm him in return, Wang Yu had considered the possibility. While he didn't completely trust her, the potential benefits outweighed the risks.

Besides, he had his own theories about why she could appear in his mental space. The risk was negligible.

Having weighed his options, Wang Yu didn't hesitate any longer. He handed the faith crystal to the Lady of the Night.

The Lady of the Night gazed at Wang Yu for a moment before bowing slightly and offering her thanks. "My friend, I am deeply grateful for your generosity."

"A god calling me a friend? That's something I never thought I'd hear." Wang Yu chuckled inwardly, aware of how some devout believers might collapse in sheer ecstasy at such an honor. Yet, for him, it didn't elicit much of a reaction.

"My gratitude is profound. However, I cannot retrieve anything from your mindscape. Please hand over this item to me in the material world."

Wang Yu nodded and exited his mindscape. The faith crystal, which had been in his hand moments ago, was somehow still there.

"Both illusory and real—this must be a hallmark of a faith crystal," Wang Yu muttered, examining the "glass bead" in his hand before passing it to the Lady of the Night's projection beside him.

The towering Lady of the Night bent down to accept the faith crystal. The moment it touched her hands, Wang Yu noticed a transformation.

As the "glass bead" disintegrated into fine dust and vanished, the Lady of the Night's ethereal form gained a physical presence.

Wang Yu's keen senses detected the change—her body now obstructed light, diverted airflow, and had all the characteristics of a material entity. The figure beside him was no longer just a projection.

"Once again, I must thank you for your generosity. This faith crystal has greatly strengthened me. Should you ever need anything, I will not refuse."

"You're too kind. I'll be relying on you to protect me in this underground city."

Now that the Lady of the Night had gained a tangible form, Wang Yu felt an unexpected sense of security. Having a literal deity by his side? That wasn't bad at all.

"Hmm, next, we should renovate the area and start spreading the faith. But how should I go about it?" Wang Yu pondered aloud. He realized that establishing a new church required a competent overseer—someone akin to Fang, reliable, capable, approachable, and most importantly, knowledgeable about various matters. But where could he find such a person?

"Avia? No, that's asking too much of her." Wang Yu immediately thought of the young mage but quickly dismissed the idea.

While her extraordinary talents made her more than capable, her passions lay in alchemy and advancing her magical and void studies. Wang Yu didn't want to disrupt her focus.

Who, then? Wang Yu scratched his head. Perhaps he could ask Fang to temporarily oversee things? The church of light probably wouldn't mind.

"If it's acceptable," the Lady of the Night said, "I would like you to become my bishop. While I sense you do not believe in me, we share a connection that I consider akin to friendship. Furthermore, with my newfound strength, you will not only retain your previous abilities but also gain access to even greater divine spells."

"Me?" Wang Yu pointed to himself, slightly startled. He wasn't a believer, let alone someone fit to serve as a bishop. The idea of a nonbeliever like him leading a church seemed bizarre.

It seemed strange, but not necessarily bad—it reminded him of being nominated as class representative by his best friend.

Maybe... it wasn't such a bad idea? After all, he had time on his hands. Aside from strengthening his own abilities, his main goal was to expand his influence within the underground city. Becoming a bishop would only help him leverage the resources of the Lady of the Night's church.

After a moment's thought, Wang Yu realized there wasn't much of a problem.

He shrugged and agreed. "Alright, no problem. I'll be your bishop."

Just like that, the bishop of this fledgling church was casually decided.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Now then, let's establish some holy doctrines. I'll record them as the foundation for our teachings and church rules," Wang Yu said, pulling out his Endless Pages from the void above him. He looked at the Lady of the Night expectantly, ready to transcribe her divine words.

"I have never had any such doctrines," the Lady of the Night admitted. "Those who once believed in me did so of their own accord, worshiping and venerating me as they pleased. It seems... I lack what you would call a divine creed."

Wang Yu could detect a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

"You've got to be kidding me," he groaned inwardly. "The Nightblades made me start from scratch, and now you, a literal god, want me to do the same? This is just cruel."

"Fine," Wang Yu sighed. "Since our church is already unconventional, let's lean into it. I'll write the doctrines myself. They need to be engaging, easy to spread, and leave a good impression...

"This shouldn't be too hard. Let's see, how did the church of light become so popular? I'll borrow some of their principles. And perhaps Earth's philosophies? Definitely useful. The wisdom of the ancients? That too. Stuff like 'The Lady of the Night sees all; do naught but good in her sight.' Yes, let's promote good deeds!

"Also, we can adapt the values of socialism, and those deep, thought-provoking ideas—‘I think, therefore I am,' or the classic three great questions of life. Let's throw those in at the end of the holy text for good measure.

"Hmm, this seems solid. What do you think?" Wang Yu asked, showing his draft to the Lady of the Night.

"I find it... rather excellent," she replied approvingly.