Chapter 142
Chapter 142
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Great Demon Immortality (6)
📰 Breaking News "Good evening, viewers. This is MSB News. Last night, the eastern port city of Morobria was struck head-on by the super hurricane Iota-9, which formed abruptly. The city escaped the storm's influence after just twelve hours, but the damage is catastrophic. No exact figures have been tallied yet, but property losses are estimated to exceed 70 billion credit dollars." Over the anchor's voice, footage from a helicopter's aerial view unfolded across the screen.
The harbor and its surrounding areas captured on camera were a scene of utter devastation.
The massive cranes at the port lay bent and twisted like pulled taffy, while the mountain-like stacks of containers had been hurled into the sea as if struck by an explosion.
Street trees, vehicles, buildings—nothing had been spared from the ferocious winds that uprooted everything in their path. It was a stark reminder of nature's overwhelming might, something humanity could never hope to conquer.
This was the scar left behind by the super hurricane, Iota-9.
"..."
"........."
The cluster of people gathered around, watching the screen intently, fell silent for a moment.
The refugees from the port city of Morobria had just tuned into the news on terminals connected via satellite internet.
The sight before them was heartbreaking.
The home they had lived in their entire lives—gone in an instant.
Faced with this unbelievable devastation, the people could only stare at the screen in stunned disbelief.
"No way."
"A hurricane... for real..."
Shock, confusion, worry, panic—complex emotions flickered across their faces.
But amid all those feelings, one undeniable fact overshadowed everything.
They had survived. Even after enduring that monstrous storm.
And it was all thanks to the outsiders who had set up this evacuation camp.
Strange people who had suddenly appeared in the outskirts of the port city one day.
They called themselves priests of the Radiance Church and had spent days on the streets urging residents to evacuate ahead of the impending storm.
Of course, at first, no one believed them.
"Here we go again. What the hell did they plug into their neural implants to spout that nonsense?"
"Ignore 'em. It's not like we haven't seen crazies before."
But after local gangsters, drawn by rumors of suspicious outsiders looking to scam, were beaten to a pulp in seconds and dragged away—and as residents began to feel the increasingly fierce sea winds—the attitude toward them shifted slightly.
Even so, people remained skeptical.
"An evacuation camp? Isn't that... dozens of kilometers away?"
"If I miss even a day of work, I could lose my job..."
It was only natural they'd hesitate to evacuate.
The camp they directed people to was far removed from the port city.
They claimed it was to escape the storm's reach, but who would trust total strangers and travel that far?
Many residents dismissed it as some scam or crime and ignored the warnings, staying in the city.
But a few began to consider the slim possibility.
Most had fled the outskirts in a panic just one or two days before the storm hit, finally sensing the unnatural winds.
And at the location they arrived at, grasping at straws, a shelter truly stood waiting, just as promised.
Thanks to it, they had saved their lives—and now they were witnessing the storm's aftermath on the news.
Seeing the unimaginable destruction, the same thought crossed everyone's mind.
'What if we'd still been there?'
They probably... wouldn't have made it.
In fact, contacts with friends, relatives, and neighbors who had stubbornly stayed in the city, refusing to believe in the "prophesied disaster," had gone silent.
And among them were undoubtedly someone's precious loved ones.
"Sob... sniff..."
A sob broke out from one corner of the camp.
A heavy silence weighed down on the refugees.
"......"
"........."
Then, with a creak, the door opened.
One of the priests managing the camp entered. He spoke in a gentle voice.
"Residents, it's mealtime. Once you're ready, please head to the dining hall."
The silence shattered, and the tense atmosphere eased a bit.
After all, they had survived.
Even without grabbing any belongings in their hasty escape, they hadn't gone hungry.
It was all thanks to the Radiance Church that built this camp.
They hadn't just warned about the storm—they provided shelter, meals, and supplies out of pure goodwill.
In the initial desperation to survive, no one had dwelled on it, but people were starting to question their motives.
'Why?'
Why help us strangers without asking for anything in return?
When someone finally mustered the courage to ask, the priest replied softly.
"Because God loves you all."
Not everyone was convinced.
A man spoke up in a slightly hoarse voice.
"If God really exists... was this storm His judgment? Punishment for those who didn't believe the prophecy...?"
Onlookers hurriedly tried to hush him, but his words carried a hint of resentment.
He had a relative who had stubbornly refused to leave and met a tragic end.
No matter that the priests had saved his life, the grief of losing someone dear twisted into misplaced anger.
"Just because we didn't believe your divine revelation... that many people died?"
Everyone held their breath at the man's aggressive tone.
Would the priest take offense at this blasphemy? They glanced nervously.
Unexpectedly, the priest responded with unwavering courtesy.
"I understand your grief, brother. But this storm was not His will."
He spoke only with sincere regret.
"The reason the Saintess sent us to warn of a disaster so far away was simply pity for those who might be caught in an unforeseen calamity. To reduce the sacrifices, even if just a little."
"..."
In truth, it was a somewhat puzzling answer for everyone.
The priest's lament over the storm implied limits even to the being they worshipped.
Wasn't God, as religion described, supposed to be omnipotent—precisely why He was revered?
As if reading their doubts, the priest continued.
"We follow Merciful Radiance not for His power. Nor for the authority to punish unbelievers in eternal hellfire. Allow me a simple example. In this world, doesn't the power wielded by a megacorp CEO seem near-omnipotent to ordinary folk? Yet how many truly revere them from the heart?"
He scanned the gathered crowd and spoke quietly.
"Merciful Radiance treats us always as His children, showering us with unconditional parental love. That's why we honor and follow Him—not out of fear of His might, but faith in His love."
"..."
The priest finished and turned to the man who had asked.
"So there's no punishment for ignoring our advice. It was simply misfortune. We offer our deepest condolences. If there's any way we can assist you, brother, please don't hesitate to ask."
With that, the exchange ended.
The camp's refugees began shuffling toward the dining hall at the mealtime announcement.
They each received a warm serving without exception.
But as they sat, their minds grew even more tangled than when watching the news.
"........."
Had the priests demanded faith in exchange for saving their lives, or forced them to become servants of God...
Those words wouldn't have touched their hearts like this.
They might have feigned belief just to appease the camp operators, solely for survival.
'But...'
Offering such generosity to desperate strangers without coercion made their sincerity feel real.
It's the warm sun, not the biting north wind, that strips the traveler of his cloak.
The priests consoling their sorrow simply because "God loves you."
And the warm bowl of soup before them.
From that very goodwill and warmth...
The port city's refugees began to truly sense God's presence.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As you can see, the areas where we dispatched priests were mainly the outskirts of port cities.
Downtown buildings, thanks to advanced near-future architecture, could withstand hurricanes to some degree.
Even if unprepared, full citizens there had the financial means to evacuate or hunker down on their own.
The outskirts were different. Illegal expansions and modifications, unregulated by building codes, left them vulnerable. Day laborers had no means or time to seek proper shelter.
Thus, the church's evacuation aid targeted outskirts residents primarily.
Even so, about half ignored our warnings and stayed, swept away by the storm... but there was nothing more we could do. When someone rejects help outright, what can outsiders like us force?
It was regrettable, nothing more.
In any case, my reason for bearing the massive costs to aid distant outsiders wasn't mere pity.
It was a new plan to gather faith.
In the future foreseen by precognition, the church faced constant scrutiny from power holders due to explosive growth. But that was when we infiltrated the city center. Back when we stuck to the outskirts, no one cared what we did.
Without full citizenship or voting rights, those people's sentiments couldn't disrupt city power or order.
That sparked the idea.
This new continent had dozens of cities—and thus dozens of outskirts.
No need to limit faith-gathering to just Omega Detroit.
'Aggressive expansion downtown would be seen as a challenge to power...'
But aiding city-fringe refugees? No reason for backlash.
To others, it'd just look like pointless money-wasting.
By helping overlooked slums worldwide, we could amass faith without clashing with elites.
Money? Substantial costs, sure—but investments based on future knowledge would cover it.
And the plan was proving effective.
"........."
The cauldron beside my heart.
The vessel, emptied by precognition use, was now nearly half-filled with faith.
Faith from residents of three port cities.
At this rate, we might reach the goal soon.
Even completing the miracle to cross dimensions and return home.
It felt so close now.
"..."
It should be joyous... so why this heaviness in my heart?
Deep down, I knew.
People only realize true value after loss, they say.
In the precognition's apocalypse, I'd already lost everyone once.
Godfather, Yoanna, Esty, Celestina... parting with them was unbearable agony.
These precious bonds had grown so close to me.
If the moment of choice came, could I abandon them all and leave?
"........."
I didn't know. No answer emerged, no matter how I pondered.
For now, I had to press toward the goal ahead.
Gather all the faith...
And trust the choice could wait until then.