412: Abyss Mission

Shang Wan Ning swiped across an image-recording jade slip.

The light screen clearly displayed newly established Abyss churches across the Ativi Continent.

In just three short months, relying on the constraints of the "Abyss Contract" and the Underworld's mature "Mercury experience," the Abyss Church's expansion speed was astonishingly fast.

"Your Majesty, the first batch of 'Divine Grace Coupons' has been distributed through the churches in various city-states." Ling Qi stood to the side, holding the latest report in her hands. "The response has been unexpectedly positive."

The corners of Shang Wan Ning's lips curled up slightly, revealing a look that suggested this was exactly as expected. "The pressure of survival, the fear of disease, the confusion about the afterlife... these are the best soils. The Church has merely provided the 'salvation' that all races long for at the right time."

...Ativi Continent, Oak Valley, a small town square where an Abyss holy emblem had just been hung.

A crowd gathered around a newly built, simple preaching platform; most of them looked sickly and were dressed in rags. They were farmers, miners, and vendors—the most inconspicuous dust upon this land.

On the platform, a middle-aged man wearing a washed-out, slightly white Abyss priest's robe was preaching with great emotion.

His name was Rhode. He had once been a low-level acolyte in a small temple of the Human Race, but after offending his superiors and being marginalized, he eventually joined the Abyss Church, which offered better treatment and faster promotion.

"Brothers and sisters." Rhode spread his arms, his voice loud and carrying a strange charisma.

"Look around us. Plagues are spreading, the noble lords hide in their castles, and wars send our sons to their deaths just to fight over a tiny, pathetic piece of land."

The people below the platform remained silent, their eyes a mix of numbness and a touch of stirred-up indignation.

"What did we do wrong to suffer these hardships?" Rhode shifted his tone, pointing to the twisted yet strangely peaceful Abyss holy emblem behind him.

"No, we are not wrong. What is wrong is this filthy world and those nobles who disregard our lives and deaths."

"But today, hope has arrived." His voice suddenly rose in pitch. "The great Abyssal Sovereign pities the suffering of the world. He has sent messengers to establish this church."

"He does not need your expensive offerings; He only needs your devout faith."

The crowd began to stir, and whispers broke out.

"No offerings needed?"

"Is that for real?"

"I heard that Old Bork from the next town over was dying of fever, but after praying at the church once, he could get out of bed the next day."

"I heard that too. They say he drank holy water blessed by the Bishop."

Rhode was very satisfied with the reaction below.

He picked up a stack of rough paper slips from the table next to him, printed with simple Abyss runes and serial numbers.

"Look, this is the Sovereign's grace—the 'Divine Grace Coupon'."

Rhode held the paper slip high. "For just one copper coin, just one copper coin, you can take home this grace infused with the Sovereign's divine power."

"Paste it on your door to dispel the filth of the plague; carry it on your person to protect you from wild beasts and bandits. More importantly!" He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces below.

"By devoutly purchasing 'Divine Grace Coupons' and accumulating the Sovereign's favor, your soul will be able to enter the eternal, peaceful Divine Kingdom in the future, where there is no more pain."

An emaciated old woman tremblingly squeezed through the crowd, clutching a polished copper coin tightly in her hand. "Priest, sir, is it... is it really useful?"

"My son, he's coughing up blood."

Rhode stepped down from the platform, gently accepted the copper coin, and solemnly placed a "Divine Grace Coupon" into the old woman's hand.

"With devotion, you shall receive protection. The Sovereign watches over every citizen of Eternal Rest."

The old woman held the piece of paper as if it were a life-saving straw, tears welling in her cloudy eyes as she muttered repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you, Priest, sir."

With someone taking the lead, the scene instantly became heated.

"Give me one."

"I want three, get one for my children too."

"Here is my copper coin..."

Copper coins clinked as they fell into the donation box, and the "Divine Grace Coupons" were quickly sold out.

The faces of those who bought them overflowed with hope, as if their suffering were truly about to depart.

Rhode watched this scene with little emotion in his heart.

He had undergone strict training by the "Shadow of the Deep Dwellers" and knew that these "Divine Grace Coupons" had no divine power themselves; they were just ordinary slips of paper mass-printed by the Church.

What truly worked were the trace amounts of sedative medication and broad-spectrum antibiotic powder mixed into the "holy water" distributed for free later, as well as the powerful placebo effect brought by such psychological suggestion.

But the results were real. After curing a few patients who happened to recover on their own, the reputation spread like wildfire.

Coupled with the basic medical services provided by the Church—which were far cheaper than those of the noble temples—and the ultimate care promised in the form of eternal peace after death, it was difficult for the common people to resist... Just then, inside the largest tavern in the Stonehammer Dwarf City-State.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Several missionaries dressed in black tight-fitting clothes, with sleeves embroidered with the Abyss emblem and chain patterns representing the deacons of the "Guixu Walkers," were surrounded by a group of red-faced, bearded Dwarf warriors.

"Get out, you black rats playing god!" a leading Dwarf captain roared, reeking of alcohol.

"Stonehammer City-State only believes in Kazgoroth. Don't even think about your evil god gaining a foothold here."

The leading deacon was a cold-faced young man codenamed "Greystone."

He faced the Dwarves' anger with an unchanged expression. "We are not here to challenge the faith of the Lord of Forging."

"The Abyssal Sovereign embraces all."

"What we bring is new technology that can improve ore refining efficiency and medicine that can treat 'Stone Lung Disease' deep in the mines."

"Bullshit!"

The Dwarf captain slammed his battle-axe onto the table with a clang. "Who knows what you're up to? Dwarves don't need charity from outsiders."

"Is that so?" Greystone slowly took out a small, precision-engineered metal component from the leather pouch he carried and placed it on the table.

"This is a 'Blast Valve' improved using knowledge bestowed by the Abyssal Sovereign. It can increase furnace temperatures by ten percent while reducing fuel stone consumption by thirty percent."

The noisy tavern fell silent instantly.

Dwarves had a natural sensitivity to anything related to forging.

Several old Dwarf master craftsmen leaned in, picking up the component to examine it closely, their eyes showing amazement.

Greystone continued, "We also noticed that the miners of your city-state suffer greatly from 'Stone Lung Disease,' making their later years agonizing."

"We have a 'Lung-Cleansing Potion' that is low-cost and highly effective. If your Clan Leader is willing, the Church can provide the first batch of medicine and the formula for free."

The Dwarf captain opened his mouth, momentarily unsure of what to say. The technology was real, and the disease was a problem that had plagued the Dwarves for years.

Pure religious fanaticism began to waver in the face of tangible benefits and solutions to suffering.