Wizard: I Can Refine Everything
Chapter 555 - 19: The Great War

On the railway, the pitch-black train quietly stood by the desolate platform, waiting for the giant python prey.

This was a station sign built in the suburbs; in the past, there was a small town that thrived due to mineral veins corresponding to this station sign. However, as the veins depleted, the town gradually fell into decline.

This station sign was also on the verge of abandonment.

In the past thirty years, not a single train had stopped at this platform.

But today, the platform welcomed its most distinguished guest since its establishment—a special train for the Red Cardinal.

"Milord, all is well; the rebel Victor has been captured."

Inside the train, Tai'er sat in a carriage at the center of the train, quietly listening to the report from the front lines of the battlefield.

"Good, bring him over. Additionally, what is the extent of your personnel losses? How many severely wounded need treatment?"

Tai'er's voice carried an expected affirmation, as it was normal for Miracle Monks, a group of warriors executing their mission for the first time and even taking lives for the first time, to sustain injuries after taking over a heavily defended fortress estate.

At least that was how Tai'er saw it.

"Milord, you might not believe this," a voice of awe came from the Crystal Stone Communicator, "but none of the warriors you brought had any casualties; the only few injuries were caused by them deliberately facing the high-pressure steam gun. This operation was like a picnic. Our biggest difficulty turned out to be finding that Victor."

Listening to his subordinate's report, Tai'er fell into silence. After a moment, he spoke, "Since the mission objective has been achieved, retreat. I am waiting for you at the suburban platform."

After finishing, the communication was cut off. Tai'er looked at his left hand and sighed lightly.

"To have suffered so much and exerted such effort to obtain this fine artificial body. To think it was all a mistake is simply laughable."

Rumble rumble rumble...

Suddenly, a dull sound came from outside the train.

Upon hearing this sound, a hint of doubt and suspicion arose in Tai'er's heart.

The railways of the Kingdom were managed by the Master of All Machines Church and the Royal Court, but compared to the personnel of the Master of All Machines Church, the number of Nobles from the Royal Court was too few, making it hard for them to even perform supervisory roles.

Thus, the railways of the Kingdom could almost be said to be the private property of the Master of All Machines Church.

Now that the Master of All Machines Church was in civil war, the railway naturally became one of the contested infrastructures.

However, unlike the treatment of Priests, both factions were relatively gentle in their approach to those who did the actual work. The importance of the railway to the Kingdom was comparable to veins within a body; without the people doing the actual work, the entire railway system of the Kingdom could potentially fall into paralysis.

As a Red Cardinal, Tai'er naturally had his own subordinates within the railway system.

The scheduling of this railway was temporarily changed half an hour ago, and all trains that needed to pass through this railway were either altered or suspended. Additionally, to be safe, the scheduling of the two nearby railways was also changed.

But now, a train unexpectedly arrived.

Woo!

The train suddenly blew its whistle, and immediately after, Tai'er's Crystal Stone Communicator vibrated.

Tai'er answered the call, and an elderly voice came from the Crystal Stone Communicator.

"Tai'er, it has been a long time."

...

Dunling City.

A streak of thunder slashed across the dark sky, and soon, accompanied by a series of muffled booms, large raindrops began to fall from the heavens.

Watching the heavy rain outside the window, Ben casually closed the window.

Although his body no longer caught colds from getting wet, and his bed was no longer beside the window, years of habit still compelled him to instinctively close windows when he saw heavy rain.

Inside the room, Ben sat next to the desk, silently practicing the modified Faceless Holy Scripture given to him by Richard.

After sufficient study of Martial Arts, the Faceless Holy Scripture, the Sect Martial Arts of Wuxiang Valley, had been modified by Richard. Compared to the original, the modified Faceless Holy Scripture was weaker in power. However, the fatal side effect of depleting the soul when fully activated had been removed, which was a mix of advantages and disadvantages.

True Qi flowed through the meridians, passing through Ben's internal organs, even including the auxiliary organs implanted by Richard, which were within the True Qi route. Warmed by the True Qi, Ben felt a warm sensation throughout his body.

The Faceless Holy Scripture was a Martial Arts that integrated three paths, but the one it used to circulate True Qi was not the Qi Path, but the Essence Dao. Instead of being enhanced during circulation, the True Qi was consumed due to nurturing the body.

Under the nurturing of True Qi, Ben's cells began to grow more active, and even the Life Core was stimulated by this activity, undergoing extremely subtle changes.

These changes were very insignificant, but accumulated over days and months, even the smallest changes could turn into observable significant alterations.

In the Void, Ulysses quietly observed Ben.

As Pope, Ben's strength was nothing more than that of Level 1 Creatures. Even though his combat ability far surpassed that of ordinary Level 1 Goblins, Ulysses still chose to protect him secretly for safety.

Ulysses could feel the soul tiredness emanating from his soul becoming more and more pronounced. He estimated that in just a few years, he would fall into slumber.

He had to ensure that the Church would be able to develop in a healthy manner long after he fell asleep.

Ulysses fundamentally distrusted the idea of having Richard, the Wizard, manage the Church. Even though Richard was now trying his best to play the charlatan, that distinct cold rationality belonging only to a Wizard made it necessary for him to have layers upon layers of buffs to avoid breaking character in his role as a Priest.

After all, Richard was a nonbeliever. He had no idea what a believer should be like, nor what state they should be in after receiving divine revelations.

To him, the Gods Civilization system was merely a tool to get home. His roots still lay in being a Wizard.

Suddenly, Ulysses's lazy gaze sharpened.

As a Divine second only to Richard within the Miracle Sect's Divine System, he could feel that the number of his Fanatics had abruptly decreased.

As a seasoned God, he instantly sensed something amiss—someone was slaughtering his Believers.

"The Bishop of this city is from Tai'er's rank, isn't he? Could a force from the Church Faction have broken through?"

The Holy Light gleamed in Ulysses's eyes. As a God, he could project his gaze through his Divine Statues. As he activated his power, at this moment, all the Miracle Sect's Divine Statues became his eyes and ears.

Under the watch of his Divine Statues, Ulysses saw a host of Artificial Knights besieging the Miracle Sect's Priests.

These Artificial Knights, whose bodies had been transformed into mechanical suits, acted like true robots. Even as their comrades melted under the luminous aura of Divine Arts beside them, they did not miss a beat in firing their Steam Arrows.

"Artificial Knights? Hah, Tai'er, after such a long search, I never expected you to attack the least likely and should-not-be attacked individuals."

A trace of cold light flickered in Ulysses's eyes, and in the next instant, all the attacked Miracle Sect Churches blazed with Holy Light.

The Priests saw the Divine Crow from the Miracle Monks perched on the left shoulder of the Miracle Sect's master alight, its body burning with a gentle yet savage Holy Light.

A voice emanated from the beak of the Divine Crow,

"God declares, all nonbelievers shall die!"

...

"Lord Belte, long time no see," said Tai'er calmly to the Crystal Stone Communicator.

Belte Garrett, the current Pope of the Master of All Machines Church. By rights, he should be in the palace of the Church Court at this moment, devotedly studying the secrets of machinery or negotiating with some Nobles about the offerings for the next decade. At worst, he should be indulging in nocturnal pleasures in his manor, wearing the Flesh body created by the Church.

He certainly should not be here.

A bad premonition flickered in Tai'er's mind.

As expected, Pope Belte's first words struck Tai'er like thunder.

"Lord Tai'er, give it up."

Tai'er remained silent for a while. Logically, the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church should have been the staunchest supporter of the Church Faction, since no one liked having a group of overlords looking down on them.

But now, Pope Belte was telling him to give up.

Had the world gone mad?

"Lord Belte, may I know why?" Tai'er tried to keep his voice steady. This situation, where he was fighting on the frontline only to have his chief commander suddenly surrender, left his mind in turmoil.

"Because of an oracle," replied Belte, "The great Master of All Machines has bestowed upon me an oracle, declaring that a great war is imminent. We must unite to defeat those of our kin corrupted by Evil Demons."

"Just because of a single sentence?"

Tai'er felt on the verge of breaking. When pushed to utter exasperation, people often laugh. The nominal leader of the Church Faction, the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, was surrendering because of just one sentence.

"That's an oracle!" Belte's voice suddenly grew stern, "Tai'er, you have strayed onto the Evil Path. The study of machinery is to bring us closer to the Divine, not to go against them!"

Hearing this, Tai'er was stunned, and then he could no longer contain himself.

"Haha, very well! My dear Lord Belte, my exalted Pope! How did I never notice just how devout a Believer you were before?"

But amid his laughter, a deep sorrow welled up in Tai'er's heart.

He knew that Pope Belte was dead, and the one talking to him was nothing but a body controlled by the Royal Court Faction.

As the Pope of the Master of All Machines Church, Belte was the least devout. He'd always used the church's scriptures as nothing more than padding to level out table legs.

He would never say such a thing.

"To think that the Royal Court would even resort to using an ancient legacy," Tai'er thought bitterly to himself.

The Royal Court had many ancient legacies at its disposal, and the current Crystal Stone Technology was born from those ancient legacies.

Brainwashing a Goblin with a legacy was not an inconceivable act.

At that moment, Tai'er suddenly felt that having his entire body turned into an Artificial form wasn't so great, to the extent that he couldn't even cry if he wanted to.

"Lord Tai'er, give it up; you're a talented young man. If you return to God's embrace, He will forgive you."

Hearing this voice, Tai'er felt only disgust; wearing the body of his friend, his elder, his guide, and speaking such revolting words, had the Royal Court's Nobles also fallen so far?

"Give up? Give up your mother's head!" Tai'er, holding the Crystal Stone Communicator, roared, "You bastards from the Royal Court Faction! In the name of the Miracle Sect's master, I swear. I will pull each and every one of you out of your fortresses, cast you into the Melter to become statues, and make you eternally kneel and repent before Lord Belte's grave!"

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