Chapter 89: Thriving and Prosperous

(This chapter is on the shorter side; recent entries have leaned toward a lighter tone. However, I have no habit of padding the plot, so as the foreshadowing and revelations from earlier begin to converge, I will find ways to accelerate the pace.)

The growth of the Church of Night had exceeded Wang Yu’s expectations. This fledgling organization, lacking any real foundation, displayed extraordinary vitality within the unique, shadowy depths of the Royal City.

Its inherent inclusivity drew together those outcasts rejected by human society, and as these diverse races labored to build this territory for the Church, they found a unique sense of satisfaction and belonging.

This feeling is easy to explain: it is like buying your first home on Earth, using the salary you earned yourself to decorate and tend to it piece by piece, watching it transform into the place you envisioned.

It may not compare to a mansion, but you know this small patch of land belongs to no one else but you. Such satisfaction is difficult to put into words.

For these displaced, wandering races, this feeling was even more profound. There was no discrimination here, no prejudice, and no class structure to speak of. In reality, there were only two people at the top: Wang Yu and the Lady of the Night.

One was a benevolent, kind goddess who rarely interfered, her actions having little to do with her divine title; the other was an archbishop thrust into the role, whose daily duties consisted of little more than paying wages and hiring people for odd jobs.

In truth, the tasks on Wang Yu’s board had already been completed—those were for expanding the Night’s Edge stronghold and had nothing to do with the Church’s expansion. The bustle Wang Yu saw among the believers was entirely self-initiated.

They had no master-servant relationship; they had simply gathered together for a reason—to huddle for warmth, perhaps. There was nothing wrong with that.

The absence of conflicting interests made the Church of Night pure. Wang Yu did not know if it would change in the future, but for now, it was a nascent, vibrant, and simple faith.

"How does it feel, Lady of the Night?" Wang Yu leaned against a pillar, asking the goddess who stood beside him, watching her followers work.

"It is... quite good. I can feel the faith of these believers, and their spirits are high. In fact, their faith in me is far purer than that of the 'devout' followers from long ago."

"Far purer?" Wang Yu tilted his head.

"Yes. There are no cluttered thoughts, for they do not exist solely to worship me. Their faith is merely an expression of recognition and gratitude. They do not dwell on what I 'should' do, nor do they try to mold me into the archetype of a 'Goddess of Night'."

"Though there is no clear direction and my power recovers slowly—and my command over darkness is not as potent as it once was—I am still myself. At the very least, I am executing my own will, rather than acting like an automaton, mechanically responding to prayers and performing duties tied to a divine name."

"So, if you would, please call me Darkness instead of Lady of the Night or Eunice. I quite enjoy this relationship I have with my followers and these days we share."

"Understood. Congratulations, Lady Darkness." Wang Yu nodded, smiling as he bowed to the Lady of the Night—or rather, Darkness as she was now.

He understood why she favored the perfunctory name he had given her. Perhaps the name itself mattered little; what mattered was the significance it held for her.

"Also, this... if you have the chance, please keep an eye on the movements of Erfin, the Source of Life. His minions are in the sewers beneath the Royal City. Since the Shadow of the Royal City shares the same subterranean space, it is highly likely to be affected by him. I leave this to you."

Wang Yu took out the crystal of faith he had salvaged from the remains of Erfin and handed it to Darkness.

"No problem, my friend. I will keep a close watch on my deranged kin," Darkness promised solemnly as she accepted the crystal.

"Wang Yu! This Church of Night is too cool! I want to join, too. I can worship both the Lady of the Night and the God of Light; the old man won't mind."

Charles’s boisterous voice rang out from afar. He had quickly become familiar with the two elven brats, carrying one while the other trailed behind him as they approached.

Never mind whether the God of Light would mind—why didn't he ask if the Lady of the Night cared? Wang Yu looked back at Darkness with a wry smile.

The goddess herself wore a serene smile, her eyes still veiled by black silk. Well, she didn't seem to mind either, so he would just treat Charles’s blasphemous remark as acceptable.

"Go talk to Darkness. I’m going to check on Avia’s alchemy workshop," Wang Yu waved, leaving Charles to discuss faith with the goddess.

In the distance, Holo and Avia had been waiting for Wang Yu and Darkness to finish their conversation. Seeing that Wang Yu’s human friend was interested in joining, the old druid’s face wore the gratified smile of an elder.

"Alrighty then!" Charles ran off toward Darkness with the two dark elf children in tow. Hopefully, he wouldn't offend this very good-tempered goddess.

...

Following in Holo’s footsteps, Avia and Wang Yu walked along a path laid out over the cliffside, with the bottomless abyss yawning beneath them. Not being on the Black Street’s territory, the believers of the Church of Night had carved out a space that was not under the control of the underground city.

The cliff face itself, which no one else utilized, was the best possible plot of land. By building walkways and excavating the rock wall, the Church of Night would expand in this seemingly cramped yet infinitely developable space.

Looking into the lightless abyss, Wang Yu’s gaze seemed to pierce the darkness, catching a glimpse of the Abyss Will deep within. This chaotic sea of spirit projected endless madness outward; to walk upon these cliffs and wander through this darkness was to be inevitably eroded by insanity.

This was why, despite the cliff’s development potential, it had never been incorporated into the map of this city, which was so obsessively driven by profit.

Away from the three lighthouses of Night’s Edge, their sanity was like a boat without sails entering an endless sea. Beneath the surging waves, the only outcome was to fall into the abyss—or to worship the abyss itself, becoming one of the madmen of the Abyssal Cult.

Why were the believers of the Church of Night unaffected? Wang Yu’s ripples had already told him the answer.

A faint, flowing layer of "darkness" enveloped the territory, absorbing the madness projected by the Abyss Will and blocking the factors that drove men to insanity.

Wang Yu shook his head and handed a lantern to Holo. "Holo, take this lantern to Lady Darkness later. It is a token of my regard."

"Understood, Bishop Wang Yu." Holo nodded, neither questioning nor feigning modesty; he simply executed the order.

This lantern was the one Night’s Edge had given Wang Yu to absorb the madness of the Abyss. Through the lighthouse, it could clear a large area of madness, though it could only lower the concentration rather than eliminate it entirely.

The lighthouse itself was merely an amplifier for the lantern’s range. Thus, Wang Yu’s lantern was more than enough to protect the Church of Night.

The Lady of the Night was using her own power to shield these followers, leaving her constantly exposed to the erosion of the abyss.

Wang Yu did not want such a caring goddess to suffer any harm. With this lantern, at least she wouldn't have to absorb the madness herself.

As for the tasks of the lighthouse and Night’s Edge, Wang Yu himself was there. By touching the Abyssal Will through the lighthouse and shattering the madness, he could complete those tasks without the lantern.

Walking along the cliff path, various non-humans saluted Wang Yu. They were of all sorts, with accents as strange as their appearances.

Wang Yu’s Earth-style name was already difficult to pronounce in the common tongue, and with the various races greeting him—kobolds, orcs, and the like—the pronunciations were even more bizarre, making Wang Yu’s brow twitch as he struggled to suppress a laugh.

Beside him, Avia was already covering her mouth, giggling quietly, having forgotten the blunder of engraving his name incorrectly on the magic device she had gifted him.

"Greetings, Bishop Wang Yu!"

"Thank you for the work, Bishop Wang Yu."

"Hey, show some respect! That is our Bishop, sir."

"Oh, thank you for the work, Lord Bishop Wang Yu!"

"Adding 'Lord' doesn't make it respectful!"

"Then how should I say it!"

"I don't know!"

"Then why are you shouting so loud!"

"I don't know!"

The dialogue between the two creatures—who looked like kobolds but were actually lizardmen—nearly made Wang Yu lose his composure.

He had been somewhat at a loss for how to respond, having no experience with being treated as a leader, neither on Earth nor in this world.

But after hearing the two kobolds, Wang Yu felt completely at ease. These non-humans had gathered here for reasons that had nothing to do with him personally; they were drawn by simple, practical factors.

A protected territory, guaranteed work, and an environment free of discrimination—that was enough. The two kobolds’ conversation might have seemed foolish, but it reflected the essence of their respect for him.

Was it respect for him as an individual? No. It was simply the gratitude and reverence they felt toward their nominal Bishop, born naturally from the prosperity of the Church of Night.

Rather than worshiping him, it was more like they were paying homage to the miracle that had come into being by pure coincidence.

"Okay, keep it up," Wang Yu waved casually. He had no intention of maintaining a lofty image for the Church, nor did he have any interest in playing the role of a mysterious powerhouse.

The Church of Night was just this kind of grounded organization. Wang Yu figured it would never become one of those mysterious and powerful groups found in the novels he read on Earth—no "Tarot Club," no "Knights of the Round Table," no "Council of Elders."

The foundation of this organization was not Wang Yu, nor was it some mysterious, powerful entity. So, he would just be himself. There was no need to craft a persona or act mysterious.

"We have arrived, Lady Avia. This is the alchemy workshop built for you by the master goblin, Mr. Elliot," Holo stopped and gestured ahead.

"Damn it, you swamp monster, can you stop getting sludge all over my tools? I don't need your help, get out!"

However, before he could continue, a familiar, irritable goblin roar erupted. A wrench covered in muck flew out from the iron door in the cliff wall.

"Clang!" Wang Yu’s gauntlet collided with the wrench with a crisp sound, and he caught it steadily.

"Uh, Lord Wang Yu?" The embarrassed goblin stared at the expressionless Wang Yu...