Chapter 293
Near Flame Dragon Fortress — Branch of the God of Commerce Church
“Priest, Flame Dragon Fortress has sent another envoy. They wish to negotiate again…”
Old Mo sat upright in his chair, eyes closed, looking deep and inscrutable.
“Let him in.”
“Yes, sir!”
The messenger quickly ran out of the room. Outside, the land belonged to the branch of the God of Commerce Church.
To facilitate the mining of the underground Flame Stones, their territory had expanded several kilometers outward—though Old Mo was careful not to expand in the direction of the Flame Dragon Fortress.
However, the local gangs living around the fortress had already been mostly absorbed into the Church.
Now, more than 20,000 believers lived here, some of whom were even refugees from the lower tiers of the fortress itself.
If it weren’t for the fire dragon entering its dormant phase and the support from the Divine Envoy and other staff in the trading zone, it would’ve been impossible to provide enough water for so many people.
Old Mo was exhausted. If not for the physical enhancement potion granted by the Divine Envoy, he would’ve collapsed long ago.
Their rapid church expansion had finally drawn the attention of the Flame Dragon Fortress.
Though 20,000 people was not much compared to the fortress’s million-strong population, the emergence of a well-organized religious group was seen as a major threat.
The fortress initially sent people intending to wipe them out directly, but the strength shown by the Church of the God of Commerce gave them pause.
These 20,000 believers may have started as a ragtag group—no one willing to sacrifice for another, only joining the church for food and water.
But when the church truly fulfilled its creed—even better and more strictly than anyone expected—its cohesion became extraordinary.
These followers might not truly believe in the God of Commerce yet, but they wholeheartedly trusted their Priest and Holy Son!
They believed only the Priest and the Holy Son could lead them to survive in the wasteland—and not just survive, but live with dignity, as real human beings.
Anyone who tried to destroy that would be their enemy. Anyone who tried to hurt the Priest or Holy Son would have to step over their dead bodies first!
So when soldiers from the fortress encountered this soul-bound army, they were utterly routed.
After all, the fortress had only sent a force of under 5,000, most of whom were powered individuals. But the church also had its share of powered people.
These were survivors of the wasteland—hardened, fearless. When they chose to fight without regard for their lives, the force they unleashed was terrifying.
In contrast, although the fortress soldiers were experienced in battling mutant beasts, they rarely fought against other humans. And they didn’t have the same suicidal resolve as the church members.
The result: total defeat.
Fortunately, Old Mo intervened and spared the soldiers. This restraint opened the door for future negotiations.
Within days, the fortress sent an envoy to negotiate.
They offered generous terms: disband the church branch, and Old Mo and Gan Lin would be welcomed into the fortress and live a comfortable life.
The 20,000 followers would be absorbed into the fortress. They promised no harm would come to them.
Honestly, this was a huge temptation for Old Mo and Gan Lin.
They had waved the banner of the God of Commerce in the first place just to survive. Now, the fire of this movement was blazing stronger than ever—but their own lives hadn’t improved much.
Aside from better meals, they lived in constant fear, always on edge, barely able to sleep.
But Old Mo remained clear-headed.
True, if they entered Flame Dragon Fortress and turned millions of people into customers, they could amass immense wealth.
But if he disbanded the church now, he’d be stripping himself of his claws and fangs, surrendering to the enemy. What awaited him and Gan Lin would not be a smooth road.
So, despite the immense pressure, Old Mo politely refused the envoy.
His decision reassured the believers, and church morale soared once again.
These mere 20,000 people were now bold enough to resist Flame Dragon Fortress…
Even Old Mo didn’t know what to say.
Truth be told, despite their first victory, he had no confidence in the next battle.
They were up against a fortress with millions of people—built in a land of active fire dragons, yet still standing strong after all these years.
Only after becoming the church leader did Old Mo truly understand how powerful the fortress was.
Millions of people needed vast amounts of supplies daily. How had the Flame Dragon Fortress managed to sustain such staggering consumption of food and water?
Was it possible that someone within the fortress had powers similar to the God of Commerce?
Just the thought of it filled Old Mo with despair. He knew they couldn’t possibly match the fortress’s strength.
So when he met the envoy, he was exceedingly polite and declined gently, expressing a desire to avoid conflict—
He wanted to lead the believers away. As long as they left the fortress’s territory, perhaps they’d be left in peace.
As for where they would flee, he already had a plan.
On the employee forum, he had met someone named “Changqing” from the Wasteland Homeland project—clearly another old-timer like him.
They became friends and often chatted in private.
He had heard about the “Wasteland–Giant’s Peak–Coastal” Homeland, and found the project awe-inspiring. It made him consider seeking refuge there.
He didn’t know exactly where the Wasteland or Giant’s Peak was, but he had heard of the Coastal Town and roughly knew its location.
Still, relocating over 20,000 people would be a massive undertaking, full of danger and hardship. That made him hesitant.
And on top of that…
“When will the Divine Envoy arrive?” Gan Lin asked anxiously inside the room.
“No rush,” Old Mo replied.
He opened his eyes. Though he was panicking inside, his years as a preacher had trained him to stay calm and unshakable in all circumstances.
No matter what, he had to maintain his composure.
“If the Divine Envoy hasn’t arrived yet, then the time simply hasn’t come,” Old Mo said calmly. “When the time is right, it will happen.”
About ten minutes later, the messenger returned with a report.
“Priest, the envoy from Flame Dragon Fortress has arrived. They’re waiting at the altar.”
“Mm.”
Last time, Old Mo hadn’t met with the envoy privately. This time was no different.
Though the rapid development of this branch often gave him headaches, his feelings toward it ran deeper than anyone else’s.
He would rather lead his followers far away than compromise with Flame Dragon Fortress.
And, of course— In front of so many eyes, he and Gan Lin were much safer.
Old Mo donned his cloak, held his rune-engraved Flying Scythe, and walked out of the sanctuary with Gan Lin, steady and composed.
Surrounded by believers, they arrived at the altar, where six unfamiliar men and women stood in the square with their hands bound.
They were clearly the envoys sent by Flame Dragon Fortress to negotiate.
“So, you’re the Priest of the God of Commerce Church?”
As the middle-aged man leading the group looked over, Old Mo felt a sudden sense of unease.
He didn’t take another step forward and instinctively pushed Gan Lin to the side.
The next moment—Several metallic daggers suddenly materialized in midair and shot toward Old Mo!
A wall of earth rose from the ground just in time in front of him, but it didn’t stop the daggers.
They passed straight through the wall. Old Mo managed to dodge, but one of the blades still pierced his body.
Clutching his wound, he collapsed to the ground.
“Grandpa!”
“Priest!”
Gan Lin’s eyes turned bloodshot. The surrounding guards either rushed to support Old Mo or charged at the six envoys.
“Grandpa! Are you okay?”
Gan Lin held Old Mo up and fumbled for a basic healing potion with trembling hands to feed him.
But Old Mo pushed him away and shook his head. “Run! Don’t worry about me—get as far away as you can!”
It was clear now—Flame Dragon Fortress had lost its patience.
Their previous encounter had revealed who the real leader of the Church was.
This was a decapitation strike!
Old Mo cursed himself. He shouldn’t have let down his guard and brought Gan Lin here…
He was just an old man—it didn’t matter if he died. But Gan Lin had to live.
“Get the Holy Son out of here!”
Seeing that Gan Lin refused to leave on his own, Old Mo had to give the command to the others.
The church’s guards were already locked in battle with the six envoys—but the power levels of the Flame Dragon Fortress team were clearly much higher.
Even though their weapons had been confiscated and their hands tied before arriving, it didn’t hinder their combat ability at all!
“God of Commerce? Priest? So this is all you amount to.”
Before the guards could even escort Gan Lin to safety, that mocking voice reached their ears.
Old Mo’s heart froze.
He looked up through the pain and saw a figure standing near them—when had he appeared?
None of the guards had seen him arrive.
As he stared at the powerful ability-user, a wave of despair washed over Old Mo.
The thing he feared most had still come to pass…
Were they really doomed to die here today?
Just as he was about to beg for Gan Lin’s life, a system notification suddenly popped up.
[A private message.]
[Sender: Mysterious Merchant – Silverlight]
Old Mo blinked in surprise and quickly opened the message.
[Mysterious Merchant – Silverlight: I’m here.]
[Mysterious Merchant – Silverlight: Type “1” to offer all your territories to me.]
Old Mo’s eyes instantly turned red.
And he knew—this was the chance.
So, after typing “1,” he suddenly swung his Flying Scythe at the confident ability-user. When the man frowned and retreated, Old Mo quickly downed the healing potion.
Then, enduring the searing pain, he climbed up to the top of the altar, spread his arms wide, and shouted toward the sky:
“Great God of Commerce! I offer you all my territories!”
“Please descend your miracle and protect your faithful followers—save them from death at the hands of our enemies!”
There was already a loudspeaker installed on the altar, so everyone could hear his words clearly.
Below the platform, the believers’ eyes welled with tears. They fought the enemy with renewed desperation.
Meanwhile, the six ability-users from the fortress grew visibly colder in expression.
The one who had mocked Old Mo earlier reappeared on the altar in a flash.
“So it is a cult. An organization like this should’ve been wiped out long ago.”
He said coldly, raising his firearm and pointing it at Old Mo’s head.
“No!”
Gan Lin and the believers screamed, charging toward the altar—but they were far too slow to make it in time.
And just as the man pulled the trigger—
All the ability-users from Flame Dragon Fortress vanished.
The bullet that had just been fired, meant to kill Old Mo, now floated frozen in midair under everyone’s gaze.
At the same time, two figures in black cloaks and masks appeared out of thin air on the altar.
One, wearing a black mask, reached out and casually caught the bullet in midair.
The other, wearing a silver mask, silently landed in front of Old Mo.
In Old Mo’s dazed gaze, a warm and gentle young voice rang out.
“It’s alright now.”
The speaker raised a hand toward Old Mo.
“The God of Commerce will protect you.”
A bright yet soft light emerged from his palm, enveloping Old Mo in its glow. The warmth was overwhelming, and in an instant, all his pain and exhaustion vanished.
When the light faded, Old Mo’s gaping, bleeding wound had completely healed.
He stood up from the ground, a little incredulous, reaching out to touch where the injury had been.
“I… I’m healed?”
Below the altar, Gan Lin was the first to react. He no longer tried to charge up—he dropped to his knees on the spot.
“Thank you, Divine Envoy, for gracing us with your presence! Thank you, God of Commerce, for bestowing this miracle and protecting us!”
The believers who had been fighting were momentarily confused, now that their enemies had vanished.
But when they saw Gan Lin kneel, they instinctively dropped their weapons and followed his lead, bowing to the altar and repeating his words.
Even more followers were arriving—and one by one, they too knelt down in reverence.
The figure in the silver mask slowly floated into the air, bowing his head slightly before raising his hand once more.
“Your bravery and loyalty are worthy of reward.”
“The God of Commerce will protect you.”
The light once again radiated from his palm, covering the entire altar.
Bathed in the sacred glow, the followers first just felt comfort—then quickly realized:
The wounds they had sustained while fighting the ability-users were healing.
So… had the God of Commerce truly sent a divine envoy down to the mortal realm?!
