Enforcer Manual
Chapter 1019 - 909: The Demon

Chapter 1019: Chapter 909: The Demon

Years ago, Song Lan had realized the drawbacks of the patterns created by the higher world, and this trip to the Oasis only helped him to clarify his thoughts.

As people often say, where there are people, there is conflict.

Even for the most steadfast believers, they could not achieve true peace of mind.

"Suppose worshipping the God of Life really could revive the dead and heal the disabled, what kind of price do you think one would have to pay to gain the favor of the God of Life?"

"Nothingness" rarely heard Song Lan discuss matters related to faith because, as far as he knew, Song Lan never appreciated the patterns created by the higher world, and he had become a thorn in the side of many because of it.

If it were not for this young man’s powerful abilities and strong Spiritual Energy, "Nothingness" did not doubt that those "conservative" colleagues would try everything to eliminate him.

Snatching believers was a gray area and could still be tolerated, but if it touched on the belief system, it was no different from shaking the foundations of the upper world.

Looking back now, perhaps the seeds of war were sown the moment he took Song Lan to the upper world.

He pondered the question posed by Song Lan carefully and tried as best as he could to return to the past, to that glorious era when the Church was flourishing in this land and still controlled the lifeblood of the world.

Fame, power, wealth?

These might be what most people strive for all their lives, but for the residents of the upper world, these external possessions were meaningless. The channels for ascension transformed them completely, but also meant that they had to abandon everything external.

This was the price paid to ascend to higher levels.

"The degree of steadfastness in faith."

After a long time, "Nothingness" gave what he believed to be a coherent response.

Every year, the Church commended those most steadfast believers, and, as he knew, to increase the connection between believers and themselves, their Whispers often descended upon the devout more frequently.

"Nothingness" had to admit that all this had a captivating magic.

A single word from them could sway a person’s thoughts, change his life, and even affect the future of a city or a country.

The closer this connection, the more addictive it became.

"Right, but what kind of faith is considered steadfast?"

Song Lan then asked.

This was a question that lingered in the hearts of all believers at the time, with many spending their entire lives trying to prove that their faith was the firmest of all.

This time, "Nothingness" couldn’t find an answer.

Seeing his old friend silent for a long time, Song Lan then asked, "If someone willingly gives up external possessions, follows strict disciplines, and prays to the Deity at all times, do you think his faith can be considered firm?"

"It can be."

"Thus, the Church established the disciplines."

When Song Lan arrived in the Fourth District, the Church’s numerous disciplines were already in place, meticulously detailed into hundreds of rules that touched upon every aspect of life. The creators of these disciplines believed that only those believers who followed all the rules could be considered steadfast.

This was a screening channel created by humans, used to assess who was more likely to hear the Whispers from the upper world.

However, the effectiveness of the disciplines did not last long.

When everyone followed the disciplines, the screening mechanism failed, so to prove themselves, believers had to find other methods.

"If someone willingly endures hunger and suffers pain without faltering, is he more deserving of the Deity’s favor than the others?"

"He is."

"Nothingness" knew why Song Lan asked this.

This was the origin of the Church’s Ascetics. Since observing disciplines could no longer prove their faith to be stronger than others, someone suggested that suffering was an important criterion for establishing faith. Ascetics would sever all personal desires, even enduring hunger and pain to prove their unwavering belief.

In the eyes of the Ascetics, all these hardships were tests bestowed upon them by the Deity.

As long as they endured these tests, they could eliminate those competitors who were merely superficial.

"But this is still not the limit. Among the Ascetics, there are hierarchies of severity. Some believe that the deepest bonds are family ties. If one can also sever these, that is a sign of great resolve, and he will become a model praised by everyone."

"Nothingness" did not respond.

Indeed, such stories existed within the Church.

This originated from a small joke by the upper world, with some Ascetics betting to see how much trauma it would take to shake their faith.

The bettors then chose from among the Ascetics those they believed to be the most upright and devout believers.

Then, misfortune followed one after another.

A sudden epidemic took the lives of his wife and children.

But the pain did not take away the Ascetic’s faith; he still traveled to the Church every day, staying in the prayer room until late at night. However, his devout prayers did not bring good luck, as a fire took away his sight and, surviving by chance, his face became hideously disfigured from the burns.

The Ascetic did not waver; they believed all the hardships stemmed from the Deity’s tests.

At this moment, the Deity was watching him.

Disfigured and blind, the Ascetic finally heard the Whispers from the upper world, but these Whispers were not holy; instead, they were like the devil, constantly tempting him to betray the Church and faith, even telling the Ascetic that all his suffering was meaningless, just a way for the "Deities" to amuse themselves during their leisure time.