(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(Father Han's Church)
A few hundred meters away from the northernmost part of a large lake was a magnificent two-story building made from concrete.
A large symbol of a star had been painted on the door.
All the windows were made from stained glass which gleamed and sparkled under the light.
The building had clearly been well maintained since the paint covering its exterior had not flaked off or been damaged.
A few men dressed in simple outfits held farm equipment in their hands and were guarding the perimeter from any zombies that wandered over.
When a zombie got too close, the men would attack the monster and defeat it in under two minutes at most.
What was truly shocking was the fact that every single person appeared to posses an ability.
Some could control the elements such as the earth, water, fire or wind, others had enhanced strength or senses and the rest had other supernatural abilities.
After using their gifts, the men would turn towards the building and bow respectfully with grateful expressions on their faces.
Father Han… he was the one who gave them a new life.
The lord had chosen him as a vessel to tell the masses about his divine will.
This new world… it was merely a test for his believers. The wicked would perish while the chosen ones would inherit the earth.
Father Han stood in the middle of an empty hall with his eyes on focused on a painting hanging on the wall.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe painting showed a woman lovingly embracing a formless cloud of black smoke while a beam of light fell across her face.
Father Han was a middle-aged man dressed in a plain black priest attire with a single iron chain that hung around his neck.
There was something sharp and hawkish about his facial features that would strike fear into anyone who met his cold gaze.
Rows upon rows of empty wooden benches filled the hall and Father Han knew that for now he was completely alone.
"Damn it… damn it… DAMN IT!" Father Han quietly cursed as he rubbed his eyes with a tired expression on his face.
He was barely holding it together.
Using his ability so many times in a row had left him exhausted and he did not know how to improve his gift.
It was a small mercy that he managed to convince those simpletons outside that the blessed ones had to be chosen by God and the process could not be rushed.
Now he would have some time to recover before he used his ability on the next batch of new believers.
Father Han sat down on a nearby chair and slowly placed his head in his palms.
He let out a heavy sigh and stared aimlessly out of the window.
What a useless ability…
He could somehow grant other people gifts, but he got nothing in return.
Well… those who received his ability seemed unnaturally loyal, but Father Han wasn't sure if that was because of his ability or his natural charisma.
A gift that gave others strength…
Father Han sighed again as he rubbed his temples and tried to think about his next goal.
Some of the sharper minds in the congregation had already figured out that those with gifts were aging much faster than normal.
What to do? What to do?
Knock! Knock!
A soft noise came from the other side of the heavy wooden door at the back of the hall which interrupted Father Han from his musings.
He stood up from the chair and took a moment to adjust his appearance before speaking in a powerful tone,
"Enter my child."
The door slowly opened to reveal a young woman dressed in black robes who nervously fidgeted as she walked inside.
"Sister Guan… I am pleased to see that you have returned safely," Father Han warmly spoke as he stepped down from the pulpit.
"Father… I have returned…" Sister Guan whispered reverently as she dropped to her knees and clasped her hands together.
"I saw a blessed one… and some potential converts…"
"A blessed one? Curious… tell me more about them…" Father Han casually spoke as he struggled not to yawn.
"She… she was powerful… she did not seem threatened by my ability and was able to take down a large wolf without using her gift," Sister Guan spoke solemnly.
Father Han's eyes widened in shock, and he stared in disbelief as the nun told the story of her encounter with Qin Lan.
It should be noted that Sister Guan was one of the most powerful ability users in the church so for her to feel threatened… this was something that he had to take very seriously.
Father Han was under no illusions about his current position in the world.
He may be able to convince these simple folk that he was some divine messenger from God but not everyone would be fooled.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe last thing that he needed was a powerful ability user who could threaten his whole operation.
No… she needed to be dealt with.
The safety of his paradise would be at risk if he allowed her to continue to roam around the province.
But…
Caution had to be taken.
Father Han was a smart man and always believed in taking careful steps and planning ahead to deal with pressing issues.
The priests thought about what to do next when his eyes wandered over to Sister Guan's still kneeling body.
Wait… that was it!
Father Han closed his eyes, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. Sister Guan hurriedly rushed over and grabbed the shivering priests before as his body fell over.
Father Han continued to shake for several minutes until his eyes finally reopened and shone with a religious fervor.
"I… I have received a message from God…" Father Han hoarsely spoke.
His voice was like a poisonous serpent that entered Sister Guan's mind and caused her to focus all her attention on the man in her arms.
"That girl… she is not a blessed one… her powers… they come from the dark lord… she is a trial that our people must pass…" Father Han whispered with great difficulty.
"Sister Guan… you must lead a team of at least twenty people… I want you to save us from this dire threat…"
"You are our only hope."
Sister Guan's body trembled as she felt a surge of happiness flow into her heart. She could not believe that Father Han had entrusted her with such an important mission.
Although she had hidden it well…
Qin Lan's refusal to meet with their spiritual leader had caused a seed of hatred to be buried deep inside in the nun's heart.
And that seed was about to sprout…