Levi’s card-playing skills might not have been top-tier, but they were more than enough to crush amateurs—a fact made obvious by the rapidly balding patch on Kemisi’s head.

He wouldn’t have gone bald so quickly, but the kid had a strong sense of responsibility and shouldered the losses for both his sister and Fatir.

“Levi, I feel like there’s some kind of commotion outside,” Fatir said, tilting her head slightly as if listening for something.

“There is a little something,” Levi said with a grin, gathering the cards. He pushed himself to his feet and headed outside. “Let’s go find out.”

Once they were outside, they realized they weren’t the only ones. Countless hooded Divine Servants, their faces hidden, were spontaneously heading toward the Dungeon.

Suddenly, the continuous, deep toll of a bell echoed from the entrance of the Dungeon not far away.

“The Mass is starting!” Kemisi exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. “Isn’t the prayer to the Son of Hope still half a new moon away? Why has it suddenly started early?”

The slumbering Dungeon was like a Giant Beast slowly awakening; for a moment, the only sound was that of countless, chaotic footsteps.

If one were to look down from above, they would see a dense mass of black shadows from the Wriggly Zone rushing toward the Dungeon, like ants swarming a drop of honey fallen on the ground.

“The Mass is a grand ceremony held every half new moon or on festival days. It includes praising the Son of Hope, praying, and thanking the Divine Lord for the food He provides.”

The group went with the flow of the crowd toward the Dungeon, with Kemisi explaining quietly beside them.

Levi observed them covertly. The seven-to-eight-meter-high city gates of the Dungeon had been opened. Blood-colored Warriors acted as Guards, maintaining order and allowing the Divine Servants from the Wriggly Zone to enter in an orderly manner.

He blended into the crowd, and his height did earn him a second glance from the other similarly imposing Warriors, but that was all.

He was just a bit more burly than most. The Blood Warriors who cultivated Combat Techniques were confident they could take this Cat-man down with one hand.

They filed in through the gate’s passage. Behind the tall city walls lay a large, open plaza. Its floor, paved with bluestone bricks, stood in stark contrast to the packed-earth ground outside.

And in the center of this massive plaza stood a towering statue carved from marble: an imposing eight-armed male figure.

This giant, twenty-meter-tall sculpture displayed a terrifying Divinity—its eight gnarled, muscular arms each held a different object: a severed head, a Longsword, a Shield… Its lower half was the powerful body of a tiger, with a long, thick, steel-whip-like tail extending from its rear. And yet, its bizarre, elongated, serpentine face wore an expression of worldly compassion.

Its bare upper torso was engraved with all sorts of intricate, blood-red patterns, like meticulously woven spiderwebs.

‘This must be the Son of Hope that Kemisi mentioned,’ Levi thought. ‘I wonder if it’s a fabricated deity like the Divine Lord, or something else entirely.’

Farther back stood magnificent castles and pavilions. Though their architectural style was somewhat crude, they possessed a unique aesthetic, nestled within the city.

At present, a group of “people” in ornate attire had gathered beneath the statue at the front of the plaza. In Levi’s eyes, these creatures looked far less human than Kemisi and his kin.

Rat faces, tiger heads, snake tails… It was as if various animal parts had been randomly stitched together. He felt as if he had blinked and been transported to some pandemonium of demons.

“May the Divine Lord bless us all!”

At the very front stood a masked figure wearing a Starry Sky Priest Robe and a crown. However, the tiger tail swaying behind its Magic Robe revealed its identity.

“May the Divine Lord bless us all!”

Whether it was the Divine Servants from the Wriggly Zone, the Blood Warriors, or the self-proclaimed direct scions of the Divine Lord known as the “Night Wanderers,” they all wore fanatical expressions as they raised their hands in unison and shouted aloud.

In such a synchronized display, anyone who didn’t cooperate would stick out like a sore thumb—or a single red bean in a pile of white rice.

Fortunately, the Lord’s faith had always been a matter of pragmatism, so he copied the actions of those around him without the slightest bit of pressure.

He even had the leisure to let his mind wander. ‘If I started jumping up and down, this pose would be perfect.’

‘May the Goddess forgive my actions.’

Only Fatir, after a long period of inner turmoil, unwillingly raised her hands.

As the Saintess of the Holy Light Church Court, she was now being forced to feign faith in an unknown Evil God. Even if it was merely for show, it was undoubtedly an act of blasphemy against her Goddess.

“The Divine Abomination robbed us of our homeland, forcing us to eke out a miserable existence underground for thousands of years, unable to touch the light! But the merciful Divine Lord has not forgotten His people!” the masked man in the crown declared, his voice ringing out like that of a clumsy Cultist. “The Son of Hope, an Apostle, has come bearing the Lord’s expectations! He will lead us to a beautiful new world, where we will no longer suffer from hunger, cold, or fear for our safety! Every one of us will live a happy life…”

It exhausted every word in its vocabulary, desperately trying to describe that wonderful and happy world to everyone in the plaza.

The Lord, however, could only purse his lips. ‘With a sales pitch like that,’ he thought, ‘if this guy got into a pyramid scheme in my past life, he would’ve starved to death. It’s just hopelessly clumsy.’

Yet, everyone present, including Kemisi and Kemini, unanimously showed expressions of longing and anticipation. They began to chant the Song of Hope in loud voices.

Hope sprouts in the Holy Egg…

The eagle, filled with anticipation, begins to thrive…

He shall resolve all suffering…

And lead us to a world of prosperity…

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