Lord of Prayer

·

The Abyssalized North Carolina Capital.

In the dim, deathly silent operating room, the Poison Master watched the subject on the surgical table, his hands trembling.

The young man’s body was covered in precise, symmetrical dissection marks. His heart, exposed to the air, beat powerfully. He looked like a slaughtered pig or sheep, cut open from navel to neck, yet no blood flowed from his wounds. Most bizarre of all, his flesh was healing at a visible rate.

A few seconds later, the man’s body had completely healed. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a flash of light shone forth. His eyeballs were perfect crystal orbs, translucent and radiant, emitting a holy glow.

The surgical instruments in the Poison Master’s hands clattered to the floor. His body couldn’t help but tremble with excitement.

"Ha... hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA..."

He broke into a choked laugh, tears streaming down his face.

His life’s ambition was realized at this very moment.

A glorious future, forever free from the Abyss; the one and only path to eternity—

—was right before his eyes!

Using data from specimens collected over a long period, he had successfully achieved a perfect fusion of the Apostle Factor and the Crystal Virus, creating the first true Apostle!

Ageless, undying, eternally healthy, forever at the peak of physical function, and forever possessing limitless imagination and creativity...

"Peter."

The Poison Master looked at the young man on the surgical table, a fanatical flame burning in his eyes.

"From now on, your name is ’Peter.’"

The leader of the twelve apostles recorded in the Holy Bible, the one sent to spread the gospel to the world, the Lord’s most devout believer, the saint who would lead humanity to Heaven, and also the first Apostle in the "Rebuilding Eden" project.

"Peter? Alright, I am Peter," the young man said. His voice was incredibly gentle, like a refreshing spring breeze that put people at ease, making them want to get closer and spend time with him. Such an ability would make it easy for him to become a cult leader.

CLAP, CLAP, CLAP... The crisp sound of applause rang out.

A man wearing a papal tiara and magnificent robes appeared in the operating room, offering his sincere congratulations. "Mister Poison Master, congratulations on fulfilling your life’s ambition. The emergence of the Apostle Factor is like Neil Alden Armstrong’s first moon landing in the old era—it will surely be a great leap for mankind into a new century."

"When can we leave?" the Poison Master asked. He was anxious to return to his lab and begin mass-producing the Apostle Factor.

The "Pope" from Fallen Paradise shook his head. "Regrettably, we cannot leave just yet. Once the Gate of Heaven opens, the Star Association will be able to use the fluctuations to pinpoint our location and open an Any Door into this Abyss. At that point, all the interference measures we’ve painstakingly put in place will be rendered useless. So, please, wait a little longer."

The Poison Master pondered this, then looked at the translucent projection of the "Pope" and said slowly,

"The Apostle Factor has been successfully fused, and the others should have completed their Advancements by now. Why aren’t we retreating immediately?"

"Completed their Advancements? No, no, no. While you were performing your surgery, a lot happened in the outside world."

The Pope sighed softly. "The Merchant is dead."

"What?" The Poison Master was stunned. ’The Merchant is dead?’

He found it hard to believe. That guy had countless treasures on him. He could have escaped even if besieged by several Tier Five Ascenders. How could he have died?

"The Godslaying Weapon did it. Human ingenuity is truly terrifying, to have created such a horrific killing machine. The Merchant was completely helpless against the Godslaying Weapon. We didn’t even have time to send reinforcements. This time, the Godslaying Weapon learned every single one of the Extraordinary Abilities and Rules the Merchant had mastered. Given enough time, it might truly become capable of slaying a God."

"The Merchant is dead..." the Poison Master whispered in disbelief. "...Then what about the Godslaying Weapon?"

"The ’Hermit’ is holding it back, but I’m afraid it won’t be for long."

"Then what are we waiting for? Or... do you have another plan?"

"Of course. Mister Poison Master, I apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long—the truth is, the Apostle Factor is just one part of the current plan."

The Pope looked at him with a half-smile. "Don’t forget, the nation of North Carolina was once a ’Restricted Area’!"

’A Restricted Area...’

The Poison Master frowned at his words. ’So what if it’s a Restricted Area? Countless Restricted Areas have been unsealed all over the world. What’s so special about North Carolina?’

The Pope didn’t explain, only offering a mysterious smile.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

"Compared to ’that place,’ nothing else matters."

Just as the Poison Master was about to ask what "that place" was, the Pope’s projection’s expression changed.

"What’s wrong?"

"Someone activated the ’Any Door’s’ positioning device. Damn it, how could anyone have broken through the blockade..." The Pope’s expression darkened, and his translucent projection quickly vanished.

...

Faced with a corruption legion several hundred thousand strong, along with the Tier Four powerhouses from Fallen Paradise and the Ten Thousand Evils Court Meeting, it should indeed be impossible for anyone to break through the blockade. Ascenders below Tier Three would find it difficult to cross the sea of Corrupters, while those above Tier Three would be specifically targeted. For a short time, the situation should remain a stalemate.

But who said it had to be a "person" breaking through?

「A few minutes earlier.」

After turning on and killing the Corrupters that had survived Li Xiye’s attack, devouring them all, Zhou Chen headed toward the interior of the Barrier. The dense aura of Abyssal Calamity he exuded was so authentic—purer even than that of the local Corrupters—that he effortlessly blended into the Corruption Legion.

Beating his dark-red, steel-sharp wings, Zhou Chen flew at high speed and looked up. The massive gold labyrinth was constantly shaking, emitting loud, concussive rumbles. It was as if a defiant, ferocious beast was trapped inside, continuously battering the cage that confined it. Ripples spread out from it through the air. They seemed gentle, but they carried immense destructive power, shearing off the tops of several skyscrapers. The buildings collapsed, crushing thousands of Corrupters to death.