Chapter 430: York's Return

In a broad building set with layered magic arrays, a state of full alert was currently in effect.

The clergy qualified to be present all stared intently at the world rift in front of them, which continuously emitted fluctuations and changed into various lights. The rift, broad and vast, resembled a giant dragon glowing with red light.

It was inherently a vivid red, emitting strong energy fluctuations, like a fiercely burning flame, the kind visible to the naked eye when energy reaches a certain threshold.

"The values are continuously rising," a clergy member reported solemnly from a device.

This statement made everyone's faces turn grave. The rift covered a global scale, and should it burst, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Taking the island nation as an example, the mere spiritual anomalies it caused had already brought significant casualties. If such events were to occur globally, spirits might arise everywhere, resulting in high-level paranormal incidents.

Buzz! Suddenly, a hum followed by a booming sound occurred.

The device monitoring the energy fluctuations exploded after going off the scale, alarming all present.

"What do we do? How do we handle this?" they exchanged looks, conveying this urgent question with their eyes.

Just then, a voice from behind steadied their anxious minds.

"Everyone, evacuate from inside the array."

This voice belonged to Bishop Pedrillo, who had just arrived. Under everyone's gaze, he looked toward the continuously erupting world rift, resembling a dragon, and said calmly, "I will handle the situation from here."

The clergy members looked at each other and then at the old man standing at the doorway, bowing respectfully.

"Yes, Bishop Pedrillo!"

Bishop Pedrillo waved his hand, signaling them to leave. By moving outside the layered arrays, they would be safer from the rift's eruption than facing it directly.

As for why he stayed, it was his duty as a bishop to oversee and ensure no crucial details were missed.

Ignoring the saluting clergy who passed by, Bishop Pedrillo walked forward, standing directly in the hall and looking up at the world rift, murmuring, "The suction is getting stronger; this is definitely a sign of an impending explosion. Could it actually burst?"

In his view, the edges of the world rift seemed to be torn by an invisible force, constantly emitting crimson light, wildly surging and spreading around, intersecting and flickering like burning flames, tinting everything nearby with a red halo.

Under this energy's influence, the space on either side of the rift seemed twisted and stretched, forming a red vortex that continuously spun and writhed like fragmented ice.

"This terrifying energy..."

Bishop Pedrillo's eyes narrowed, his expression turning solemn.

He had another hypothesis beyond his first guess that the rift would explode: York's return.

He knew the details of either the Pope's or York's return—they were always dramatic, never quiet.

Like the rift in Korea, when York returned, the energy released seemed to blow the entire building apart.

And similarly, in Argentina, York's return had also caused significant commotion, startling the local bishop.

"Considering the timing, it should be about right?" Bishop Pedrillo thought, looking at the world rift nearing its limit, muttering to himself, "York, you've taken so long; it's about time you came back."

Indeed, Bishop Pedrillo felt uneasy.

As a bishop overseeing a diocese, he knew the rift connected to a different world—with monsters and humans, a myriad of oddities. Except for the cleared rifts, no one knew which world each rift led to.

According to the Pope, navigating through the rift involved groping step by step to finally locate the rift's nodes, encountering many dangers, even life-threatening ones, which explained the lengthy process.

As for York's method, he was unaware, but he knew clearing a world rift was perilous.

Just as he expected, the world rift was on the brink of bursting.

Crack! This sound drew all of Bishop Pedrillo's attention. He saw the edge of the rift suddenly split a fraction, reminding him of glass slowly cracking—once it reached a certain point, the glass would shatter completely.

"I hope it's as I suspect, otherwise the world will face a different scenario."

Bishop Pedrillo exhaled, his hands, which had been behind his back all this time, began to move. He leisurely pulled out a Bible from his waist bag—the Bible that had been with him since joining the church, which could amplify his strength.

"I didn't expect to have to struggle so much in my old age." Holding the Bible in his left hand, he looked at the erupting world rift and sighed.

The Bible automatically opened to his favorite chapter.

The next second, with a loud boom, the entire space seemed to freeze.

"It's coming."

Bishop Pedrillo's eyes narrowed, and he pushed forward with his right hand, releasing a robust holy power so that his standing spot turned blindingly

 white, filled with a peaceful holy light.

To an ordinary person, it might seem like witnessing a deity.

As exaggerated as it was, Bishop Pedrillo radiated a holy light, resembling a true being of light, with the diffusing light directly affecting the surrounding space, causing the air to ripple.

At that moment, the dragon-like world rift erupted, releasing a fierce wind. The previously spreading energy suddenly gathered together, including the surface fractures, suddenly converging into a sphere of light.

This transformation happened within a second.

Bishop Pedrillo could feel the terrifying energy within the suddenly converged light sphere.

His pupils dilated, and he reached toward the direction of the light sphere.

All the holy power in the space, like a torrent, rushed toward the light sphere from all directions.

But at that moment, as the torrent surged toward it, the light sphere suddenly burst into beams.

"Time to risk the old life!" Bishop Pedrillo's eyes reflected the exploding light sphere within the torrent, thinking bitterly.

But the Bible in his left hand rapidly flipped pages, snapping crisply.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

The old man's voice was low but powerful, each word imbued with a divine light.

As he recited, the air around him solidified, and an even more ferocious divine power radiated from him.

His eyes reflected the image of the light sphere exploding, releasing all its energy.

In a moment, Bishop Pedrillo's expression was extremely calm, his right hand sharply closing like an eagle's claw.

The holy power filling the building converged toward the exploded light sphere.

He intended to absorb this released energy alone, trying to contain it within a certain range. As for what would happen to him, the old man did not know, but he thought that if he died, heaven would probably not reject him.

But just as he was about to desperately suppress it, what froze and stiffened Bishop Pedrillo's expression was a very familiar voice that suddenly rang out, seemingly with a smile.

"Bishop Pedrillo, you recite beautifully."

Bishop Pedrillo's eyes widened, looking at the person who stepped out from the light sphere, his face filled with immense surprise.

"York?"

"It's me!"

York smiled, looking at the suddenly divine Bishop Pedrillo, who had become a being of light, supporting Arlesa, who was still asleep on his back, and extending his right hand.

The energy that was about to explode within the suppressed holy power suddenly retracted again, eventually stopping in York's palm and slowly condensing into a point before dispersing.

The energy, potentially as devastating as multiple nuclear bombs, was effortlessly resolved by York.

The holy power torrent, without the influence of the light sphere, continued its terrifying charge toward York, who was at the center.

Bishop Pedrillo quickly waved his hand, and all the holy power also dispersed, breaking into specks of light.

The building, once in crisis, was now filled with a spectacular scene.

"Damn it! You scared the hell out of me!"

Bishop Pedrillo, looking at York, who was casually dressed and carrying a sleeping little girl, laughed and scolded.

"I thought I was really going back to God's embrace this time."

...

On a bustling street corner.

As night fell, the neon lights along the street gradually lit up, coloring the entire street with a splash of vibrant hues.

The street food vendors emitted tempting aromas, with a variety of foods on display—squid skewers, fried chicken, grilled corn, takoyaki, and more, making mouths water. The vendors busily stir-fried ingredients, continuously calling to passersby to try their dishes.

However, those passing by seemed not to hear, hurrying past directly.

Among them, commuters and leisure seekers bustled about, either rushing or strolling leisurely, chatting with companions. Each person radiated different vibes.

But clearly, everyone's gaze lingered on two individuals in front of a small stand.

It was because their demeanor stood out even more among the crowd, particularly because the man was a head taller than the other pedestrians, truly standing out.

Moreover, the man's handsome face directly outshone the other passersby.

Thus, a significant portion of the gazes came from women.

"Uncle York, they keep sneaking glances at you!"

These occasional looks from the women made the slightly taller little girl, Arlesa, feel a bit annoyed.

York glanced at Arlesa and simply smiled, showing no concern

.

Shortly after coming out from the rift, Arlesa had woken up. According to her, she had digested the changes brought by the inner and outer worlds, gaining strength and abilities she hadn't had before.

If Arlesa's inner and outer worlds had previously consisted of a gray outer world and the underlying inner world, her realms had now undergone significant changes.

Most notably, the outer world, which had been entirely gray, was now beginning to display the colors of reality.

That is, it could now mirror the scale and colors of the real world, though still devoid of life, but it already resembled a real-world scenario.

"Could Arlesa really create a world? The real world above, and eighteen levels of hell below?" York muttered to himself, looking at the vendor handing him two bags filled with takoyaki, and smiling.

"Thank you!"

The vendor nodded and smiled.

With that, York, carrying Arlesa, who occasionally glared back at the women sneaking glances, left the scene.

"Here."

While walking toward their destination, York handed one of the bags to Arlesa and then took a sauce-covered ball from his bag into his mouth.

The flavor of the takoyaki combined with the sauce burst in his mouth, causing York's eyes to squint slightly.

Walking through the rift had almost made him forget the taste of food. Although his current state meant he wouldn't starve without food, life without desires would lack much of its joy.

Tasting delicious food was also about indulgence, not just satisfying hunger but fulfilling his cravings.

"Uncle York,"

Arlesa also took a ball from her bag into her mouth, speaking indistinctly as she chewed.

"Aren't you worried about Aunt Erin and the others?"

Hearing this, York looked ahead, where the space seemed slightly distorted.

"Don't worry, I can feel that Erin and the others can handle it. It's just a mere specter demon."

As if to confirm his words, a flash of flame-like red appeared at the end of his vision, fleeting.

"Mm-hmm!"

Arlesa also looked ahead, indistinctly taking another ball from her bag and stuffing her cheeks.

Thus, the duo continued down the street, eating takoyaki, step by step heading toward their destination...

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