Chapter 65: Me, an Archbishop?

Wang Yu was not in the least bit troubled by being caught showing disrespect to the Lady of the Night; instead, he quickly realized something of great importance.

The Lady of the Night had actually manifested in the material world. One must understand that all their previous conversations had taken place solely within the mental realm.

Now, however, the figure of the Lady of the Night stood directly before him. The implications of this monumental shift were profound. Whether she was a mere projection or her true physical form, the development commanded Wang Yu’s full attention and curiosity.

"Hmm, you’ve manifested directly into the material world. I recall you weren't capable of this before, were you?" Wang Yu asked, making no attempt to mask his inquiry.

"The environment here is quite unique. The distinction between the Void and reality is blurred for us, and the idol you placed acts as a beacon, allowing me to create a projection directly within the material world."

The Lady of the Night ceased her inspection of the crudely crafted yet surprisingly well-made sculpture and turned to answer Wang Yu’s question.

"A unique environment, you say? That certainly makes this place well-suited for proselytizing. Regardless, a god who can personally reach out to their followers is far better than one who simply prattles on about their own omnipotence and existence. So, are you merely a projection now?"

"Indeed, I am but a projection for the time being. While I can perceive everything in the material world surrounding this idol, I remain unable to touch it."

The Lady of the Night’s figure flickered, vanishing into thin air only to reappear beside Wang Yu. He watched as her hand, draped in black gauze, reached toward the crate used for storing discarded potions at the entrance of the outpost hut, passing through it without the slightest resistance.

"I see. That makes sense; otherwise, every church with a real god would be witnessing miracles every single day."

It stood to reason. If the environment here were special enough to allow the true deities of every church to roam freely, the place would be a chaotic, miasmic mess of warring powers. As it stood, while the area was chaotic, it still maintained its own peculiar order.

"However, if you were to give me that object within your mental realm, perhaps I could truly walk freely within this unique domain."

"What object?" Wang Yu was momentarily stunned.

He immediately grasped her meaning. He had ignored the remnants of the Abyss’s will after it had surged into his mind and fallen silent; perhaps something had been left behind.

Without hesitation, Wang Yu turned his gaze inward, entering the vast, boundless lake of his mind. The Lady of the Night stood in the distance above the water, leaning over to inspect something on the surface.

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes. He had noticed this before: the entity known as the "Lady of the Night" possessed the strange ability to appear within his mental space.

Logically, his mental realm should have been able to purge anything that entered it—the will of the Abyss, for instance, had been erased the moment it arrived.

Yet, why could Eunice, the Lady of the Night, move within his mind? Although their previous exchanges suggested she could not interfere with his thoughts, her very presence was anomalous.

Setting these doubts aside for the moment, Wang Yu walked forward and picked up the object the Lady of the Night had been watching—a small item that looked no different from a glass marble.

Within his mental realm, Wang Yu lacked any special perception, and the marble felt unremarkable. It even seemed to be a part of the mental space itself, much like the lake or the sky above.

"What is this?" Wang Yu suspected it was the residue of the crushed Abyssal will, but he had no idea what it was or what it was for. He decided to simply ask.

"It is a polymer of spiritual energy. When a sufficient quantity of spiritual energy gathers in one place and undergoes certain processes, such a substance may be born. Or, perhaps you have heard of it by another name: a Crystal of Faith."

"A Crystal of Faith?" Wang Yu held the glass-like sphere up to the light, unable to reconcile this object with the descriptions found in ancient texts.

Crystals of Faith were legendary treasures, formed only when the prayers of countless devout believers coalesced into a physical manifestation. Almost every church required these relics, passed down from ancient times, to perform miracles in times of crisis. The value of such a substance was immeasurable.

Could this tiny glass marble really be a Crystal of Faith? Wang Yu found it hard to believe.

"But come to think of it, if the Lady of the Night is correct, and spiritual energy can form a Crystal of Faith once it reaches a certain density, then does that mean the 'faith' of countless believers is simply the result of them directing their spiritual energy toward a single point?"

Wang Yu scratched his head. He realized that he, a low-level nobody, might have stumbled upon a truly earth-shattering discovery.

If his hypothesis were correct, and he were to reveal this finding, the followers of other churches—save perhaps for the Lady of the Night’s nascent congregation and the Church of Light—would likely unite to butcher him.

"That is indeed correct. The will of the Abyss was born from the vast ocean of spiritual energy in the Royal City. Having a core of consciousness to unify this masterless energy aligns with the characteristics of such a gathering. So, this is indeed a Crystal of Faith—a non-aligned, universal Crystal of Faith, at that."

Wang Yu suddenly realized the immense value of the object. Giving this to any church would grant them the opportunity to perform one or several miracles; its worth could hardly be measured in gold coins.

So, should he give it to the Lady of the Night? Wang Yu rubbed his chin.

"Take it." Without much deliberation, Wang Yu decisively handed the object to her.

"Do you not wish to consider this further? Surely you understand the value of this item and what it means to me."

"Don't mention it. Think of it as a long-term investment."

Wang Yu was open-minded about it. While the item was undoubtedly valuable, cashing in on it would be a massive headache.

Its origin was a major liability. How could he explain how he came to possess a non-aligned Crystal of Faith?

He couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be targeted by other churches, who might try to seize him to extract more crystals. As for his patron, the Church of Light, they didn't even need Crystals of Faith to perform miracles, and he still wouldn't be able to explain how he acquired it.

As for why he gave it to the Lady of the Night, the reason was simple: the item was useless to him. He couldn't utilize it, so he might as well give it to someone who could—a long-term investment, as he had said.

In Wang Yu’s view, this was a guaranteed win. Based on their interactions, the Lady of the Night possessed a personality closer to a human than a divine being.

Though she spoke in riddles, she was easy to communicate with. If giving her this item allowed her to move freely within the shadows of the Royal City, he would effectively have a powerful friend—someone who could protect a relatively weak individual like himself.

Furthermore, the development of her church would become much easier. It was rare for a god to be able to stay by their followers' side every day.

By aligning himself with the Lady of the Night’s rising church, Wang Yu might even fulfill the mission given to him by Zieg. It was a foolproof plan.

As for the risk of the Lady of the Night turning against him, he had considered it. He didn't trust her implicitly, but the potential rewards far outweighed the risks.

Besides, he had his own theories about how she managed to enter his mental realm, which made the risk seem negligible.

With that thought, Wang Yu handed over the Crystal of Faith without further hesitation.

The Lady of the Night stared at him for a moment, then bowed. "I thank you, my friend."

"So, I’ve been called a friend by a god. I’m truly flattered," Wang Yu muttered to himself. This was the kind of honor that might make some believers commit suicide on the spot, though he felt no particular awe.

"Thank you for your help. However, I cannot take objects from your mental realm. Please hand it to me in the material world."

Wang Yu nodded and withdrew from his mental space, finding that the crystal he had been holding inside was still in his hand in reality.

"Both illusory and real—how miraculous. That is indeed the nature of a Crystal of Faith." Wang Yu looked at the "glass marble" and handed it to the projection standing beside him.

The Lady of the Night, who stood a head taller than him, reached out and took the crystal. The moment it touched her, Wang Yu sensed a change.

As the marble dissipated like weathering stone, the Lady of the Night’s form shifted from an illusory projection into a solid entity.

Wang Yu’s keen senses perceived that she now possessed physical substance. Whether it was the way she blocked the light or displaced the air, the tall woman standing beside him was no longer the projection she had been moments ago.

"Thank you again for your generosity. This Crystal of Faith is of immense help to me. If you have any needs in the future, I shall not refuse."

"You're too kind. Just make sure to watch my back while I'm in this dungeon."

Feeling that the Lady of the Night had truly gained a physical form, Wang Yu felt quite satisfied. Having a real, so-called god to watch over him was actually a rather pleasant feeling.

"Hmm, I'll need to renovate this place and then start proselytizing. How should I go about that?" Now that he had a god for his own church, the question of how to spread the faith became the next hurdle. A church required an archbishop to manage affairs...

Someone like Father Fang—reliable, capable in a fight, approachable, and, most importantly, knowledgeable about all sorts of things. The problem was, where was Wang Yu supposed to find such talent?

"Avia? Would that be asking too much of her?" Wang Yu thought of the young mage first, but quickly dismissed the idea.

While the girl’s exceptional talent would make her perfect for the role, Wang Yu knew her interests and goals lay in alchemy and the pursuit of magic and sorcery. He didn't want to disturb her.

What then? Wang Yu tilted his head, pondering for a long time without a result. Could he just ask Father Fang to act as a proxy? The Church of Light probably wouldn't care.

"If you are willing, I would like you to become my bishop. Although you do not seem to worship me, our relationship is what you would call 'friends.' Moreover, now that I possess greater power, you can utilize more potent divine arts beyond those you have already used."

"Me?" Wang Yu pointed at himself. He didn't worship the Lady of the Night; a bishop who didn't believe in his own god seemed rather strange.

But considering they were friends, it felt a bit like a best friend voting for him to be a class representative.

It didn't seem so bad, did it? He was currently idle, and aside from improving his strength, his goal was to expand his influence in the dungeon. Being a bishop would also allow him to better utilize the Lady of the Night’s church.

After a moment's thought, he saw no downside. He decided to just agree.

"Fine, no problem. Let me be this bishop." Just like that, the bishop of this nascent church was confirmed with casual ease.

"Then, let's have a few holy words. I'll record them as the basis for our proselytizing and the rules of our church." Wang Yu quickly stepped into his new role, pulling the Endless Pages from the void above his head, ready to record the holy words of the deity.

"I have never had rules like 'holy words.' Those who once worshipped me simply did so out of their own volition. I seem to... lack such things."

Wang Yu actually heard a hint of embarrassment in the voice of the Lady of the Night.

"Damn it, the Blade of Night wants me to start from scratch, and you, a god, are telling me to do the same..." Wang Yu was speechless; it seemed everyone was intent on forcing him to rebuild from nothing, which was becoming quite the trial.

"Forget it, our church is already unlike those traditional ones, so we might as well be even more unorthodox. Come, let me write this; it will pique interest, spread the word more effectively, and build a decent reputation..."

"This is simple enough... How did the Church of Light become so popular? Let me think. A bit from here, yes, and those things from Earth work well too; even the wisdom of the ancients can be borrowed. 'Man proposes, the Lady of Night disposes—do more good deeds for me!'"

"Also, the core socialist values can be adapted and woven in. Yes, and those profoundly cryptic notions—'I think, therefore I am,' the three ultimate questions of life—these are essential as well. Tweak them all and stuff them into the back of the scripture."

"Well, this feels alright. Take a look and see what you think."

"I find it... quite acceptable."

(Haha, the mascot for a long time to come has finally made an entrance; I’m having quite a bit of fun writing this.)