Chapter 687
AFK Leveling Plan
The reporters were politely asked to leave the ritual site after the results were announced.
They dared not speak or act out of turn at such a time.
Everyone knew that the next step would be a game of cat and mouse with that assassin. Although the reporters were curious about the final outcome, no one dared to stay and get in the way.
Primarily, they feared incurring the suspicion and hostility of the Church of the Holy Kingdom. They were invited here not because they had any influence, but because the Church was willing to grant them face. Similarly, if they angered anyone, that face might be withdrawn.
They were merely reporters, not newspaper owners.
If they were to anger the Church and be banned from entering the Holy Kingdom, their entire newspaper’s reporters would face repercussions. No one could bear that responsibility. They might even encounter trouble in their own localities, as local officials would certainly act to please the Church.
Therefore, the idea of an “exclusive news story” only crossed their minds briefly, and no one dared to inquire about the identity of the master assassin who would eventually be caught.
Of course, the bigger reason was that news about “who assassinated the Saintess” was no match for the headline “Human Pope at the Young Age of Nineteen.”
Often, the “exclusivity” and “authenticity” of news are not particularly important. When everyone is passionately discussing something, even a truly valuable exclusive report might go unnoticed.
In the end, only Eivass and his two companions were kept by Saintess Grey for a celebratory lunch.
The lunch was extravagant… not for humans, however.
Grey, a clergy member second only to the previous Eternal Pope, demonstrated her unique mastery of High-Tier Divine Arts to Eivass. It was a feast to celebrate Eivass’s appointment as Pope.
She pleaded with the banquet master and conjured a table full of “Hero’s Feast” out of thin air.
The banquet master himself enjoyed hosting parties for his friends, with lavish feasts almost daily. Strangers who entered his domain, expressed reverence and friendliness, and offered a “sincere gift” could be invited to the banquet until they were full.
Afterwards, if they wished to return, they could do so anytime with a gift. If they became more familiar, they wouldn’t even need a gift and could even order dishes.
Compared to the nearly endless delicacies and fine wines of the Dream Realm, Grey only requested a few dishes from that day’s banquet.
There were a total of eleven dishes, not a large number. But Eivass didn’t recognize a single one – they were all made from Phantom Demons of the Dream Realm. These were delicacies not of the Material Realm.
For instance, one dish contained small, silver fish that shimmered like moonlight. They moved freely in the cold, sweet fish soup. When eaten, aside from the icy, fresh taste, they had a texture as soft as fish belly, or perhaps like jelly.
Another dish was a thick-cut, grilled dragon tail, generously sprinkled with a thick, black, viscous sauce. Spicy aromas rose with puffs of white steam, reaching one’s nostrils from half a meter away.
The most dangerous dish looked quite normal – deep red octopus tentacles skewered on metal sticks. But the moment Eivass took a bite, it came alive in his mouth and unceremoniously punched his palate!
It was only because Eivass was stubborn and managed to chew and swallow it that it finally obediently transformed into energy.
These were still somewhat recognizable to Eivass.
There were also some dishes with very strange appearances but excellent taste – such as a bizarre “crab claw” as large as a hammer, a large piece of soft, thorny skin resembling a sea cucumber, and pink meat that was chewy like noodles…
After Eivass cautiously took a bite and found it truly delicious, he decided not to ask the smiling Pure White Saintess what they were.
It tasted good, so there was no need to add unnecessary psychological pressure.
This incredibly lavish meal took over two hours for Eivass and his companions to finish.
Including Janis, there were five of them in total. Some cardinals joined them midway, and they just managed to finish everything without wasting any.
At this point, the cardinals finally began to taste “Sacred Tree No. 1.”
They toasted each other amicably, then smiled and raised their glasses with Eivass, each respectfully addressing him as “Your Majesty the Pope.”
“You’re all just playing along, aren’t you?”
Eivass couldn’t help but complain, “Couldn’t you have told me beforehand?”
“Because it’s more convincing this way,” replied Cardinal Galatea. “This was my script. Everyone said that since I contracted the Twin Mirrors, I should be the one to write it. Since I didn’t know you well before, Eivass, the acting Pope, I could only choose the safest approach. Please forgive me.”
Her voice was as clear and cold as frozen, cracking lake surfaces or crystal wind chimes.
She was the same snow-like girl with pure white long hair who had been divinely possessed by the Twin Mirrors earlier – the one who was kissed by Hengwo.
She was the only one at the table who hadn’t eaten anything.
Because she was a Construct. Eivass knew the term. For example, automata and rune golems were Constructs. The reputation of the Construct race wouldn’t officially appear until version 0 of the game. They were a subservient race of the “Atlanteans,” an ancient, extinct civilization, known as the “Star Crystal People.”
In essence, they were a form of intelligent machinery.
But unlike mere machines, Star Crystal People had souls and could therefore receive Path Power. These weren’t fabricated souls; rather, the souls of deceased “Atlanteans” were stored in crystals and then implanted into replaceable Constructs, achieving a form of “mechanical eternal life.”
Their most distinctive feature was a crystal on the surface of their bodies, similar to that of a Cardinal. Secondly, their limbs were always cold.
In retrospect, this also bore some connection to the “Swamp Dweller” technology.
If Eivass’s assumption was correct, Galatea was likely a Star Crystal Person.
As Eivass hesitated whether to greet Galatea and confirm, Cardinal Matilda leaned over.
“I did mention it too,” Cardinal Matilda said somewhat helplessly. “Whether I should tell you in advance… But Grey said it wasn’t necessary.”
“Because I wanted to give you a surprise,”
Grey said with a smile, reaching out to stroke Eivass’s hair. “I heard you faced some resistance in Avalon? With this identity… even if you’re only the acting Pope for six months, once you return to Avalon, no one will dare oppose you.
“This is like a thank you gift… for your ‘dates’.”
Isabel immediately looked over with suspicion, and then Grey quickly patted Isabel’s hair reassuringly.
“Resistance?”
Eivass was stunned for a moment.
Did I face resistance in Avalon?
Isn’t Avalon… already considered mine?
Then Eivass realized – that was the persona he had adopted when feigning weakness, cooperating with Isabel.
Ah, this…
…However, it wasn’t entirely bad.
Grey was right.
Even if it was just for six months as acting Pope… although everyone knew it was just a “figurehead Pope,” a “living mannequin” and “walking safe” for Grey, who couldn’t wear the “Supreme Holy Crown” due to Ning Po, as well as a “designated PPT presenter and substitute media spokesperson”…
Even so, Eivass could still access a portion of the Church’s power.
If even a king’s groom or an earl’s butler was considered high-ranking, how much more so would the substitute for the Eternal Pope be?
With this identity, the name Eivass would carry even more weight. After all, no one knew how many people Eivass could mobilize within the Church. The Eternal Holy Kingdom was a typical society based on personal connections, and even if Eivass served only temporarily, he would surely receive help from the Cardinals.
“…But this is too much of a surprise.”
Eivass was somewhat helpless. “I was completely unprepared. Sherlock thought I was just coming to attend a meeting and then leave. Who would have thought that after stepping out, I’d become Pope upon my return…”
But it was fine. He had benefited from it. Eivass was not one to complain after receiving a favor.
“Then when do I take office?”
Eivass asked directly, “And what kind of work will I need to handle?”
“You don’t need to do anything,”
Grey said decisively. “As for the specific date… you can decide. The current Pope can hold out for another half a month, but if you have nothing else, you can take over earlier. It’s best to take office within a week.”
“I don’t need to do anything?”
Eivass was somewhat confused.
Then he suddenly realized, “You mean… just like the current Eternal Pope, you’ll be going into a deep slumber?”
Isn’t that like being imprisoned?
Grey said somewhat helplessly, “Yes, that is the primary duty of the Pope – to wear the Supreme Holy Crown, and then fall into a dream. Within the dream, the Pope will merge with the entire Kingdom of Giant Trees. The Church’s energy source is inexhaustible. That’s not just because of the ‘Sap of the Great Tree’… or rather, if the Great Tree were merely a ‘corpse,’ it wouldn’t be enough to sustain so many people…”
“…I understand,”
Eivass’s eyes widened slightly. “In other words, the Pope actually has to ‘occupy the Great Tree’s body’ to keep it in a ‘living’ state?”
“That’s right,”
Grey nodded. “Your consciousness will permeate every corner of the Holy Kingdom. Of course, you can also condense the power of the Great Tree’s Sap to shape an avatar. However, this avatar cannot leave the Holy Kingdom… but you can do other things with it.
“During this process, due to the intense devotion, your abilities in the Path of Devotion will be raised to the maximum. The purer your Path and the more focused you are on the affairs of the Great Tree, the greater the benefits you will receive in the end… If nothing unexpected happens, you will soon be preparing for the Ascension to the Fifth Tier. If necessary, I will find someone to accompany you through the advancement.
“As for the lifespan consumed by driving the Supreme Holy Crown, I will also compensate you as soon as possible. All these matters will be settled before I enter my slumber.”
Grey’s explanation was clear and precise, indicating that she had already anticipated Eivass’s questions.
Ah, no wonder…
Eivass suddenly understood why the Pope was so powerful yet couldn’t leave the Holy Kingdom.
The “Pope” that people usually saw was actually an avatar created by the Pope using the power of the Great Tree. It was essentially a Phantom Demon, not a living being. The real Pope was generally in a deep slumber and could barely wake for a few hours.
In that case, it was much better than being imprisoned…
It wasn’t just lying there doing nothing, but a passive advancement, gaining experience!
It could be considered a form of cultivation retreat!
Alas, but…
Eivass suddenly remembered that he still had one chance for self-division!
The current Eivass was not particularly “pure” because he still possessed some power from the Transcendent Path.
But if Eivass used the Twin Void, splitting himself in two… he would gain an “absolutely pure” Devoted avatar!
He could leave this Devoted avatar in the Holy Kingdom to passively level up. Meanwhile, the other Transcendent avatar, mixed with Child of the Moon and Sin Scholar, could take the opportunity to sneak to Star Antinomy.
Coincidentally, he had something to do in Star Antinomy – he had to find a way to save Lily. He also needed to visit all the necessary places and rescue everyone he could before the Fall of the Heavenly Envoy.
This way, he could accomplish both without delay!
Perfect!
Eivass nodded with satisfaction.
“…But now that I’ve become acting Pope,” Eivass said seriously, “I believe the ‘war’ with Star Antinomy can also be halted.
” after all, this war was somewhat initiated by me. If I, as acting Pope, continue to support this ‘war of revenge,’ I believe the Holy Kingdom’s stance would appear biased.”
At least before the Fall of the Heavenly Envoy. Eivass had calculated this long ago.
Otherwise, after the Fall of the Heavenly Envoy descended, they might slap Avalon once they gained a foothold.
“…If you can think this way, then that is naturally very good!”
Grey was also somewhat surprised.
She clearly thought similarly, but she didn’t dare to bring it up with Eivass.
“However…”
She glanced at Isabel hesitantly. “Don’t you need to discuss this matter with Isabel?”
“On all matters concerning the stance of Avalon and the Holy Kingdom, Eivass can represent my attitude and views,” Isabel replied decisively.
Eivass added, “In fact, I was originally planning to hold the wedding with Isabel at the end of May.”
“…Ah, congratulations then.”
This news made Grey hesitant.
She frowned and asked, “Will Her Majesty Isabel be able to come to the Holy Kingdom then? It’s unlikely the acting Pope Eivass can go to Avalon…”
“It’s likely not possible,” Eivass shook his head. “Because that will also be the coronation ceremony for the new Queen of Avalon…”
“—I think it’s possible,”
Isabel, however, stated.
She looked up at Grey and said seriously, “Rather than being crowned in Avalon… I believe being crowned in the Holy Kingdom, at the wedding ceremony with the acting Pope, would be more sacred and have a higher status. This way, it can also convey a message to people…
“—We Avalon and the Holy Kingdom are inherently one close family.”
(End of this chapter)
