Chapter Fifty-Two: A Pleasure to Work Together!

"The existence of gods is for the sake of creation. As described in the Scriptures, the world was forged by the myriad gods. Of course, perhaps this is not entirely accurate, but gods survive on our faith. So long as we believers have needs or make requests, most gods will respond. In contrast, the existence of demons is for destruction. Demons draw energy from the negative emotions of mankind to evolve, so whenever demons appear upon the continent, most will strive to disrupt the peace in order to strengthen themselves—a prospect we absolutely cannot accept." The Pope of Light paused here, and then continued, "The gods dwell within the divine realm, and when demons stir trouble upon the continent, they cannot always intervene in time. Thus, to swiftly curb the destructive acts of demons, under the guidance of the gods and through the efforts of all our races, the Church was born."

Observing the earnest expression on the Pope of Light's face, Zhou Tian could not discern how much of his words were true and how much were mere pretense. Yet, judging by the present circumstances, Zhou Tian felt the Pope was not trying to deceive him.

"Perhaps all you say is true, but what help can I possibly offer your Church? And why should I help you at all?" Though Zhou Tian suspected the Pope had no need to lie to him, he felt little interest in aiding the Church. So, after listening to the Pope's words, he simply nodded, but instead of eagerly offering to help the gods combat the demons, he questioned why he should lend his assistance.

At Zhou Tian's words, the Pope's face twitched ever so slightly, though he hid it well. In truth, this was the first time the Pope of Light had encountered someone like Zhou Tian. In the past, whenever he explained these grand principles, anyone privy to such secrets would immediately express their willingness to join the Church. Yet Zhou Tian, after hearing so many fine words, merely asked why he should help, as if he felt no sense of duty as a child of this continent.

"Inhale, inhale—endure, I must endure!" After taking a few deep breaths to calm his rising temper, the Pope, mindful of Zhou Tian's potential value, nonetheless forced himself to persuade Zhou Tian.

Since reason held no sway over Zhou Tian, the Pope of Light resorted to enticement.

"As children of the gods, it is only right that we serve them. Yet the gods are just—one receives according to what one gives. If you have needs, so long as you are willing to fight for the gods, our Church will do all in its power to grant your requests!"

It must be said, reason had little effect on Zhou Tian. He was not of this world; no matter how many fine words were spoken, Zhou Tian, who did not truly identify with this world, would not be easily moved. Yet temptation did make him waver. His experiences in this world had taught him one thing: everything here was but illusion—true power was all that mattered. With strength, one could do as one pleased; without it, anyone could trample over you.

Zhou Tian yearned to grow stronger, and the simplest way to do so was through the system shop, purchasing all manner of items to increase his power. With a treasure like the Pangu Axe, even if he could not wield its full might, he could easily cut down most of his enemies.

But to buy such items, one needed spiritual energy. As far as Zhou Tian knew, the only way to obtain spiritual energy here was by absorbing demon cores. And to get demon cores, hunting them himself was the slowest method. Having lived on Earth for so long, Zhou Tian knew that collecting demon cores through purchase was likely a million times faster than hunting them alone. As for money, Zhou Tian had none—but the Church of Light certainly did. With its vast resources, if they truly wished to help him, Zhou Tian could acquire as many demon cores as he desired.

Seeing the look on Zhou Tian's face, the Pope of Light realized he was tempted and felt a surge of joy. He immediately assured Zhou Tian, "With the might of our Church, no matter what you request, so long as it is not excessive, we can fulfill it."

"What if I need demon cores?"

"This is the core of a sacred beast—let it serve as a token of our first meeting. And if you render further service, any number of demon cores shall be yours for the asking." Seeing that Zhou Tian's only request was for demon cores, the Pope's expression relaxed. With a casual flick, he drew from his spatial ring a demon core pulsing with potent magical energy and tossed it to Zhou Tian, making his promise clear.

A sacred beast's demon core—Zhou Tian had no idea how much spiritual energy it could yield, only that it would be no small sum. Such a core was something he would never have dared dream of, yet the Pope offered it as a mere greeting gift. Zhou Tian knew there was an element of displaying wealth here, but seeing the Pope's conduct, it would be impossible for Zhou Tian not to be tempted.

Given the Church of Light's resources, Zhou Tian could imagine that with a single word from the Pope, he could obtain an ocean of spiritual energy. Then, whether it was innate treasures or supreme bloodlines, as long as they could be bought with spiritual energy, Zhou Tian could acquire them all with ease.

Yet, though Zhou Tian was tempted, he was also keenly aware that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Since the Pope of Light was willing to invest so heavily in him, Zhou Tian must possess something that greatly interested the Pope. Not knowing what the Pope truly wanted from him, Zhou Tian found it hard to let down his guard.

"What is it about me that caught your eye, that you would go to such lengths?"

"You have displayed no less than three different abilities—some resembling the innate gifts of magical beasts, others unique to different races. Frankly, I am curious how you mastered such diverse powers. Still, no matter how formidable shamanic arts may be, I doubt our human race could ever surpass the orcs at their own skills. So, though I am intrigued by your mastery of other races’ talents, that is not why we value you. The real reason I wish for you to join the Church of Light is your power to summon swarms of serpents." Seeing Zhou Tian’s confusion, the Pope hesitated a moment before explaining, "Though demons are our enemies, many living beings have, for various reasons, become their followers. We call them the demonkin. While combating demons, we must also guard against demonkin stirring chaos across the continent. Though their numbers are fewer than those of the major races, the demonkin are by no means scarce. In past struggles, rooting out demonkin has come at great cost—even our Church’s holy army has been severely battered more than once. Thus, we need your power to lessen our losses in the fight against the demonkin. While your serpent swarms may not threaten the mightiest among them, they are more than enough to deal with ordinary demonkin."

"So they simply want me as their enforcer." Upon hearing the Pope's words, Zhou Tian instantly understood his intentions. Honestly, if it was merely to act as their hired hand, Zhou Tian did not mind striking such a bargain. After all, by following the Pope’s orders, he could not only level up by slaying demonkin—who were harmful to him anyway—but also receive vast numbers of demon cores as reward. This twofold benefit would greatly accelerate his path to power.

Since this worked in his favor, Zhou Tian wasted no time hesitating. He nodded and replied affirmatively to the Pope of Light, "In that case, let’s work well together!"

Seeing Zhou Tian finally nod, the Pope of Light breathed a sigh of relief and quickly echoed, "To a successful partnership!"

(Thanks to Mo Xiao Lei for the generous reward—this humble monk is deeply grateful!)