As dusk approaches, the bright light of the setting sun shines through the mountains in the distance, slips from the horizon, and slowly flows into the steeple church with its open door and imitation of the elf architectural style.
The terrain around this church is empty and gentle, with cliffs to the east. The ancient reliefs on the doorposts have changed from pure white many years ago to dark gray today.
The atmosphere in the church was heavy and quiet.
It was filled with believers of all ages wearing Eternal Fire Cult uniforms.
Most of the people on the outermost side are young and middle-aged people wearing protective armor. The further in, the older the believers become.
The old man standing in the center has a shiny head now. Only the white beard on his chin is still strong and should last a few more years than his hair.
Looking at the positions of these Eternal Fire believers, it seems that this old man is probably the one with the highest status among the crowd.
In front of him was a high prismatic platform carved from white stone - with a dazzling pure white flame burning on it.
The light wrapped around the flame perfectly complemented the warmth of the setting sun. The light penetrated into the church, as if connecting the sun in the sky with the flame.
The believers of the Eternal Fire remain silent.
Until a certain moment, suddenly a middle-aged man in armor struggled and said:
"Archbishop Lowell, although you said that the divine message conveyed by His Majesty the Pope is a lie... But after all, Your Majesty holds the authority to ascend to the Kingdom of God."
"It would be fine if our trip succeeds, but if it fails, we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of God even if we die! Is it possible that our faith in this life will all be buried with your words?!"
"Our enemy is an evil god who founded a huge heretical sect!"
Listening to the words of the head of the Holy Guard behind him, Archbishop Rowell in the center remained silent and took a deep look at the blazing flames on the prism in front of him.
"Because of fear, are you going to let that traitor insult your beliefs?"
"Crick."
"I, that's not what I meant!" The middle-aged man in armor explained with a flushed face, "His Majesty the Pope, he, he may just have used the wrong words, maybe he just..."
"Your faith has been shaken."
Archbishop Rowell, who had a stooped stature and drooping facial skin and looked short and old, still turned his back to him and interrupted him while looking at the flames in front of him.
"You said he used the wrong words?"
"Do you remember what the betrayer said?"
The voice of Crick, the leader of the Holy Guards, was stagnant. The believers around him held their breath and did not dare to make a sound.
Archbishop Rowell's voice was calm, with his hands behind his back, he looked up at the flames on the prism.
"If you don't remember, then I'll repeat it for you."
"He said that our gods have encountered a strong wall, and they have mastered the eternal flame of warmth and destruction. They have suffered unprecedented setbacks in front of the heretical evil gods. Our burning hope is in conflict with the existence in time, space and thought that was born from evil and distortion.
In the middle of the battle, the final move was just one move away..."
"The flame burning with hope was defeated by twisted evil."
Listening to Archbishop Rowell's plain voice filled with bottomless anger, all the believers standing in the church could not help clenching their fists.
Their gods failed?
How is this possible?!
Even Crick, who just wanted to defend the Pope's words, couldn't help but grit his teeth.
This is an emotion that is difficult for atheists to understand.
God is faith.
The failure of the god itself represents the collapse and decline of believers' faith. For fanatical devout believers, it is an unbearable pain comparable to torture.
If measured by events and emotions, it is roughly equivalent to the destruction of the country and family of a patriot, the ruin of a stingy person, and the loyal wife of a Minotaur.
Even Crick could not accept such words from His Majesty the Pope, who was the first person under the gods and controlled the sublimation order of the Kingdom of God.
The reason why he wanted to persuade Archbishop Lowell was just to prevent the Eternal Fire from being divided.
Archbishop Lowell took a deep breath:
"That traitor is insulting our faith! Destroying our spiritual pillar! Shattering the foundation of the entire church!"
"I will never allow this to happen."
Along with his words, Archbishop Rowell's back, which had become rickety due to his old age, gradually straightened, his dry skin and muscles gradually became plump in the pale white light, his cloudy eyes were clear and translucent, and only the top of his head was already shiny.
"Even if it means risking my life!"
"I, Lowell Craster, swear by my belief in the eternal fire, and by my identity as the Holy One!"
Along with Rowell's powerful words, all the believers in the church saw this 90-year-old man regaining his vitality under the power of faith and taking back the years from time.
The originally loose priest's uniform was tightened by muscles, and his short and stooped figure became tall and strong. His shiny forehead reflected a white light, like the source of light that illuminated the entire room in the dark.
Don’t give in, don’t give up, and don’t lose your ambition over time.
It is a flame that symbolizes light and hope.
Just like the eternal fire burning on the prism, it is their faith that is burning with life.
Seeing this great scene, all the believers who had been a little disappointed in God because of the Pope's words couldn't help but feel guilty in their hearts, including Crick, the head of the Holy Guard.
But what was immediately recast was a pure faith that was even firmer and stronger than before.
That is the embodiment of eternal fire.
That is the guiding light that represents pure hope in the hearts of these believers.
Archbishop Lowell turned his back to the believers, looking up at the eternal fire on the prism, with a low voice:
"From today on, I, Lowell Craster, am the leader of the Eternal Fire Heretic Trial."
He slowly turned around, facing away from the eternal fire that shone brightly on the prism, spreading his full and slender arms like wings, with a serious face.
"We still believe in hope and the fire that brings warmth and destruction to people."
"It's just that we need to make the flame burn even more fiercely and crush all the darkness hidden in front of the gods."
Listening to his words, every believer below was attracted by the light behind him and the words that represented hope. Their moods rose and fell with his tone. They clenched their fists tightly and looked up at the eternal fire that represented hope.
.
Archbishop Lowell used the unique belief perception of the Holy Beloved to experience the agitated emotions of the believers. When he adjusted his thoughts to the climax of resonance, he shouted loudly:
"Are you willing to sacrifice for your beliefs?"
"willing!"
Everyone shouted in unison, and their thoughts further resonated in the collision of beliefs.
"Are you willing to wash away the humiliation for the gods?"
"willing!"
The pale white light behind Rowell's head became more and more brilliant, and the devout faith of the believers dramatically converged on the prism behind him that represented faith.
"Are you willing to work with me to eliminate the heresy that represents darkness and evil in this world?"
"willing!!!"
At this time, the believers below were speaking in unison, their thoughts were highly synchronized, and everyone's eyes were shining brightly because of their faith.
Archbishop Lowell faced the believers, raised his hands high, and used the authority of the Holy Beloved to gather the pure and dazzling faith of the believers onto the prism of faith behind him.
The eternal fire on the prism is extremely brilliant.
The red light is almost pure white.
Rowell could feel the joy of the gods and gain the satisfaction of pure faith. He couldn't help but feel excited, and shouted to the believers in front of him:
"We are pure by faith."
The believers below were highly unified in their thoughts and responded in unison like a resonance:
"Faith blooms because of us."
Seeing the believers who had experienced slight cracks in their faith due to the decline of gods in the past few days, under his leadership, they once again became pure and pious, Archbishop Rowell couldn't help but reveal a happy smile on his face.
He turned his head and looked at the prism of faith emitting pure white light behind him.
A few days ago, when he heard the Pope's words, he couldn't help but feel a trace of gloom in his heart.
However, as a beloved one, he immediately thought of a way - to use a pillar of divine power filled with pure pious faith to smash into the city of Vizima that harbored evil and distortion.
In this way, even if the other party is an evil god that even the Lord would shy away from, they will definitely be purified by their pure and pious faith.
However, in this way, he and the believers who have dedicated their faith and spirit will also be reduced to ashes as the divine power blooms.
But, it's all worth it.
Archbishop Lowell looked at the believers in front of him, then turned to look at the prism of faith behind him and the spirit of faith wrapped in it.
'Sorry, devout believers.'
'Let us sacrifice everything for the great eternal fire.'
With guilt and relief, Archbishop Rowell turned around suddenly, and his pure white robe drew an elegant arc in the air, with the sound of hunting wind.
"boom---"
The believers who were immersed in the resonance were suddenly awakened by a dull loud noise. The ear-piercing explosion and the shock wave spread in an instant, blowing away the many believers stacked in the church step by step.
Because of his strong body and high professional level, Crick, the leader of the Guards, was the first among the believers to wake up from the resonance of faith and looked at the high platform with a puzzled look on his face.
Then, Archbishop Rowell was seen standing there motionless.
Where the Prism of Faith had just been placed, there was suddenly a bottomless pit.
The entire prism is missing.
Archbishop Lowell was stunned on the spot.
'What's going on?'
'I haven't started it yet!'
'What just happened?'
I kept asking questions with doubts in my heart.
When Zhengzhang Ergang was confused, he was suddenly tapped twice on the shoulder.
Turning around, he saw a man with black hair and black eyes standing next to him, followed by a woman and a strange man with a goat's head.
The leading man asked him with an embarrassed look:
"Sorry, we got lost. We dug up from underneath..."