Chapter 154: Walk The World!

The spear Novak held in his hand was no more than 1.56 meters long. On his journey toward Vienna, he studied the weapon intently.

It didn't seem particularly sharp, and Novak could sense that if he unleashed even a fraction of his power—or applied a bit of force, this so-called "divine weapon" would easily shatter to pieces.

Still, he had decided to keep it.

The reason was simple: in his previous life, decades after the apocalypse, there had been a powerful Emperor-tier evolutionary in the West. This figure wielded a weapon bearing the same name—the Spear of Longinus.

But unlike the lackluster spear he now held, the weapon from his past life was no mere hunk of metal; it was an SS-tier weapon.

Known by many names—the Spear of Light, the Spear of Judgment—it was said to shine with such brilliance that even the Demon Kings of Hell and the Abyss couldn't gaze directly upon it.

Now, however, this "Spear of Longinus" in his hand was little more than junk, a relic without any discernible power or attributes.

Novak had no idea how the legendary weapon of his previous life came to be, but now that this version had fallen into his hands, he figured it might make for an authentic collection piece someday.

After all, this was merely a replica.

In a dungeon as strange as this one, expecting to find an S-tier or higher artifact seemed unrealistic.

Secret Realms, like De-Manila University's Cooled Incinerator, were extremely rare.

Tossing the spear into his backpack, Novak glanced down at his palm.

His hand was pitch black, coated in the seeds of the Plague, making it look as though someone had spilled thick ink over it.

But clearly, this was still not enough.

Regaining his composure, Novak pressed onward on his journey.

He was heading to Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

Despite his remarkable speed, word of his arrival seemed to spread even faster.

Passing through small towns along the way, he gathered more plague seeds, and when he finally reached Vienna, he noticed the atmosphere had already changed. His figure, draped in dark green robes, caused a stir as soon as he appeared in the city.

To his surprise, countless residents defied the Empire's isolation orders. Leaving their homes, they came out to the streets in droves.

They knelt along the endless road, praying with unwavering devotion. In less than half a month, the prayer rituals of the Plague Sect had spread far and wide, and now, those gathered in Vienna prayed in hopes that the true god before them would sense their devotion.

In truth, he could.

As the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, Vienna had become a nexus of information, and news had spread rapidly. The city was now home to hundreds of thousands of western residents.

In the southern part of the Empire, on the Italian Peninsula, stories of the Plague Sect had long been known. Travelers passing through spoke of the miracles performed by this god who walked the earth.

On an island to the south, millions of plague victims had been saved, plucked from the brink of hell itself.

Now, that same great savior had arrived from the south to Vienna, ready to save even more.

To rescue more from the sea of suffering.

Such greatness demanded the most devout of welcomes from the people who had been ravaged by the plague.

Faith is like a single drop of water falling into a bowl of clear liquid.

One drop may spread slowly, but when several drops fall together, and when even more water is eager to follow, there's only one way to describe the outcome.

Unstoppable.

Vienna, Prague, Munich, Dresden, Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt—city after city.

Wherever Novak arrived, alongside the newly erected cathedrals of the Plague Church, there were endless praises and acts of devotion.

Even the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire himself, the Frankish ruler, knelt at Novak's feet. With lips that once commanded an empire, he kissed the ground walked by the god who now walked among mortals.

Such was the honor of touching the divine.

Even the most devout believers seldom earned the privilege of such glory. To His Majesty the Emperor, this act was not merely an expression of reverence—it was the ultimate proof of divine favor, a testament to the stability of his reign and the will of the gods.

This moment, however, did more than just bolster the emperor's authority. It also marked the beginning of the Holy See's gradual separation from the ruling core—a shift in power as the Church, which once wielded equal authority to the throne, began to lose its grip.

But Novak remained indifferent to all of this.

Even a catastrophic event like the Black Death couldn't shift the core dynamics of political influence or the nature of human conflict. The struggle for dominance was an intrinsic part of human society. As long as humanity continued as social beings, reliant on hierarchies and networks to survive, the ruling class would remain unchanged.

Only two things could disrupt this status quo: 

One was the rise of Extraordinary forces, where individual strength became the determining factor for power. 

The other was humanity's extinction.

As for the endless honors and the allure of power—Novak had no interest.

In this particular period of history, all of it was essentially meaningless.

Novak had only one goal: the seeds of the plague.

For over six months, throughout the devastation caused by the Black Death, Novak had traversed the West. Not just the western continent, but also the southern lands of Africa and the far north—his footprints covered every corner of the world.

The true god had left his mark on the entire continent.

Countless scriptures now sang praises of him:

The savior of the world,

The god of plague and life,

The Father of the Harvest.

Even the Holy See, despite once opposing him, had begun to acknowledge his impact. As the plague gradually subsided and life began to return, the Church left a vivid and enduring mention of him in its sacred texts, recording his deeds in the Bible and other religious works.

It was said that when the Great Plague ravaged the continent, the almighty Lord sent down his plague angel to deliver the world from fire and destruction.

Of course, this version of the story was confined to the inner sanctums of the church, hidden from public view. If it were to surface now, while the Plague Sect's influence was still strong, the Holy See would face yet another blow.

But none of this concerned Novak.

Over the past six months, nearing a year, he had harvested countless seeds of the plague.

The evidence was clear—his left hand, now entirely black, stained with dark ink-like veins streaked with green.

Novak knew that his task was nearing completion.