Chapter 66: Church of Nightfall

Wang Yu, who had suddenly found himself promoted to bishop for the Lady of the Night, had no other choice but to cobble together a sacred text for her church, the church of Nightfall. He borrowed liberally from Earth, making small tweaks where needed and throwing things together to compile a workable holy book. Thanks to his knightly physique, he wrote at an astonishing speed, like a human printing press.

Piece by piece, idea by idea, Wang Yu synthesized his knowledge into a sacred text suitable for the church.

For now, the text existed only in his Endless Pages, but with a deity nearby—however weak—printing physical copies wasn't a problem.

The Lady of the Night skimmed through the content on Wang Yu's Endless Pages, then activated the power of the faith crystal.

With a level of mastery in manipulating the void that far exceeded that of Wang Yu or even Avia, she materialized a small wisp of void energy into reality. Three ancient yet exquisitely crafted books slowly formed in mid-air.

"Incredible..." Wang Yu marveled sincerely as he observed the ease with which the Lady of the Night created the books. To the untrained eye, her feat might seem unremarkable, but to a wizard like Wang Yu, her skill was awe-inspiring.

Books were far more intricate than ordinary weapons and represented a true test of material creation. Wang Yu himself couldn't even form simple objects, and while Avia could manage something like a screw, it required a massive expenditure of energy. Yet the Lady of the Night seemed to do it effortlessly.

"My kinship with the void far surpasses yours," the Lady of the Night explained. "This unique environment also reduces the energy consumption needed to perform divine arts. As long as I don't exceed a certain threshold, I barely have to draw energy from the faith crystal at all."

She handed one of the books to Wang Yu, who flipped through it.

It was a remarkably fine piece of craftsmanship—among the best Wang Yu had ever seen in this world, where books were mostly unadorned parchment or simple leather bindings.

The Lady's book, however, was a hardcover adorned with metallic engravings depicting a woman lifting a crescent moon. At its center, the title "Words of the Night" was elegantly inscribed in an archaic script.

"..." Wang Yu was momentarily speechless. He had come to expect the Lady of the Night's fondness for poetic yet slightly pretentious aesthetics.

Her style hadn't changed, either—her initial cryptic appearance and this sacred text were both emblematic of her nature. Wang Yu had initially planned to name the text something straightforward like "The Holy Book of the Night," but this worked too.

Compared to the gruesome or dangerous holy texts of this world—some made of flesh, others dragging readers into the void—this book was positively high-class.

The sacred text had three key features: practicality, practicality, and practicality.

Wang Yu's goal was simple. He wanted everyone to be interested in the Lady of the Night, regardless of how faithful they intended to be. Thus, he outlined the benefits of worshiping her right at the beginning.

Wang Yu described how the Lady of the Night's followers would gain easy access to several highly practical divine arts like shadow teleportation and night stealth.

To add some allure to the entire fiction, Wang Yu fabricated an organization that didn't exist: an intelligence network supposedly run by assassins, the Assassins' Brotherhood.

Though the organization was fictional, the intelligence network was real.

As a member of the Nightblades' special ops team, Wang Yu had significant access to their intelligence resources and could freely obtain information from the network.

If the church of nightfall were to grow to a certain scale, it could seamlessly integrate with this intelligence network, and Wang Yu might even be able to serve as the middleman for recruiting suitable talent from the church to join the Nightblades.

In the sacred text, Wang Yu described several benefits of joining the Brotherhood: shared intelligence, bounties, protection, and services—features typical of guilds but rather unusual for a church.

The core of the text laid out the central tenets of the faith. Wang Yu used plain language to describe the Lady of the Night's character, embellishing and idealizing her depiction from Selwynian legends.

He portrayed her as a benevolent goddess who protected people under the veil of night. Many elements were adapted from the teachings of the church of light; Wang Yu wanted to ensure that followers of the Lady of the Night wouldn't be evildoers.

Wang Yu knew it was impossible to completely control individual behavior, but at the very least, if a believer caused trouble, the church could use the sacred text as evidence to distance itself.

"Our scripture demands goodness—this person is a heretic. Don't blame us."

The final part of the text was where Wang Yu grew truly indulgent. To elevate its status, he added an eclectic mix of Earth's philosophical musings—everything from the three fundamental questions of philosophy to the Tao Te Ching, and even some mathematical hodgepodge. He translated them into the local language and inserted them directly into the text.

While Wang Yu considered these additions to have little practical value, they were thought-provoking and could easily lead readers to a sense of epiphany. Such moments of "realization" might inspire a deeper connection to the faith, though the results were unpredictable.

At the very least, these abstract elements added an air of mystique to the text, appealing to both pragmatists and those who might truly become devout followers of the Lady of the Night.

After ensuring that the sacred text was error-free, Wang Yu placed the three holy books on a windowsill. Next, he prepared for some basic renovations.

Using the key Sieg had given him, Wang Yu unlocked the safe house. Despite its dilapidated exterior, the interior was surprisingly decent.

There were two beds, a storage cabinet, and basic furniture. The walls were adorned with weapons like shields, crossbows, swords, and axes, all well-maintained despite a layer of dust coating them. Wang Yu picked up a double-edged axe and strapped it to his back.

Inside the storage cabinet, he found tools and potions. He gathered what he needed, then went outside and began constructing a simple wooden shelter.

Thanks to his knightly strength and the power of wizardry, he made quick work of the task. Soon, a small wooden pavilion stood over the area. Wang Yu placed the sacred texts on the table.

After a moment's thought, he added a wooden signboard, painting on it in bold letters, "The church of the Lady of the Night is recruiting followers."

"Shouldn't we give our church a proper name?" Wang Yu asked the Lady of the Night, who stood nearby. "Calling it the Church of the Lady of the Night feels clunky. Naming it just the Church of the Eternal Night might cause confusion with the existing church of the same name."

"Indeed," she replied. "Let's call it the Church of Night's Song."

Wang Yu facepalmed. The Lady of the Night's taste remained as unusual as ever. Acting on his own accord, he changed the name to "Church of Nightfall."

"This feels more concise and may be more appealing to potential followers," Wang Yu explained.

"Very well," she agreed without argument.

Underneath these bold letters, Wang Yu provided additional details about work benefits. He would need manpower for the tasks he had to carry out, so he approached the recruitment as he would a job listing: five-day work weeks, meals provided during workdays, optional shifts on rest days with additional pay, and monthly wages.

Considering the harsh conditions of the capital's shadow, where hunger was common, these terms were especially generous.

Looking at the ramshackle pavilion and the three holy books that had been placed there, Wang Yu sighed. Without the clear recruitment message on his signboard, it was likely that no one would have given the strange construction a second glance.

He shook his head with some exasperation, only to notice that a rocking chair had appeared next to the sacred texts. The Lady of the Night was perched gracefully on it, gently rocking herself back and forth.

"What are you doing?" Wang Yu asked, puzzled. He suddenly realized that he had no clue what the Lady of the Night intended to do with her newfound material body—but he supposed it was none of his business.

"As the goddess of this church, I should personally oversee its growth. I will recruit followers myself," she declared.

Her devotion to her role was admirable, albeit unconventional. Still, Wang Yu figured that having the goddess herself managing recruitment wasn't the strangest aspect of this church.

With the Lady of the Night present, Wang Yu didn't have to be concerned at all. He wasn't sure just how strong she was, but her presence alone likely made her invincible to anything this underground city could muster.

"Got it. I'll return to the surface. You handle recruitment here. I can spread the faith aboveground, and I'll try to see if I can get some Nightblades to join you. May your followers grow in number."

"My friend, thank you again. Take this." She handed Wang Yu a small wooden sculpture of herself. "Summon me in your mindscape if you need help. While the faith crystal limits my strength, I can still assist you in an emergency."

Wang Yu was just about to leave when he found an object in his hand. The Lady of the Night's words echoed in his ears.

Wang Yu glanced at the gift, a finely crafted statue of the Lady of the Night. She had likely made it herself, and it was far better than the one that Sieg had commissioned. This was a marker that would allow the Lady of the Night to exert her power in a local area, and was a very practical gift.

"Thank you. I'll accept it gratefully," Wang Yu said. He placed the statue in his pocket and prepared to leave once more.

"Hmm?" Before he could go, however, he noticed a group of armed men approaching the safe house.

Their uncovered faces and aggressive demeanor made their intentions clear—they were trouble.

They were likely a local gang, Wang Yu guessed. They must have noticed the changes around the safe house. He frowned. He hadn't yet managed to contact the Nightblades' informant in the area, and picking a fight out of nowhere wasn't a good idea. Given their appearance, though, it was unlikely he would be able to leave peacefully.

He tightening his grip on the axe to his back, ready to negotiate. He would fight if necessary, but it would be troublesome.

There were surely some skilled fighters within the group. If he were forced out of the capital's shadow entirely, he would have to start from scratch—a real hassle.

As the gang members drew closer, Wang Yu braced himself for negotiations or combat—but before he could do anything, the Lady of the Night spoke up in his mind.

"Leave now. With the support of the Faith Crystal, I can now wield much more power. Just walk away. They won't see you. Leave the rest to me."

As the Lady of the Night spoke, the void in the surrounding space suddenly trembled. Darkness began to writhe like flowing water, transforming into a thick, heavy black mist that enveloped Wang Yu entirely. It was clear this was the Lady of the Night's doing.

Wang Yu looked at the fluid darkness surrounding him in astonishment. This was an incredibly advanced form of wizardry. Darkness had materialized around him, providing extraordinary concealment.

"Instantly casting fifth-tier wizardry—is this a deity's true strength?"

Fifth-tier wizardry would be an overwhelming force against these gang members, who were far from being truly powerful. Without hesitation, Wang Yu stepped into the shadows of the dimly lit underground city. Liquid-like darkness gently wrapped around him, erasing all traces of his presence.

The gang members had clearly noticed Wang Yu's sudden disappearance and hastened their steps toward the area. However, upon reaching the safe house, they stopped in confusion.

What they had seen earlier was now gone. All that remained was the same rundown hut their boss had told them not to dismantle. Most of the space near the entrance was taken up by the broken crates from the neighboring apothecary.

"Damn it! Am I seeing things? I'm not going to become one of those guys who jump into the ‘Great Abyss', am I?" one of them said irritably, rubbing his eyes hard.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Damn it, I saw it too. Could it be those things showing up again? Stay alert. Maybe we've been too tense these past few days. Wouldn't want to jump off a cliff in my sleep..."

"Forget it, let's just go. Damn it, what a lousy day!"

The others echoed their agreement, muttering to each other as they left.

What their mist-shrouded eyes failed to see was the elegant figure of a woman, entirely draped in black veils, gently rocking in a chair under the simple wooden awning by the safe house's entrance.

By then, Wang Yu had already left the underground city. He stepped into the Root Network nad prepared to return to his residence on Redmaple Street through the Gap.