Hydra's secret base.
Viper's expression was grim. A man stood respectfully at her side.
"Are you certain?" Viper asked coldly.
"Yes, Madam. It's confirmed. Our people are all dead. Exactly as the surveillance showed—each one shot cleanly through the head." The man's voice trembled.
"Damn it!" Viper clenched her fists, her face dark with anger.
"Madam, this kid is too strange. We sent so many to assassinate him, and not only did he survive, he slaughtered every one of ours. And that little girl in white stockings… she looks harmless, but her combat ability is terrifying—inhuman."
The man muttered nervously, but Viper's eyes sharpened.
"Shut up."
"Yes, Madam."
"Madam… should we still keep tailing him?"
"What do you think? Since when has Hydra ever backed down? We may not yet know exactly who this boy is, but Hydra is not so easily intimidated. If he thinks he can scare us off, he's far too naïve. Send the surveillance footage to headquarters. Have Dr. Zola analyze it. If we can study the Tesseract, a mere man is nothing."
"Yes, Madam!"
The man left to carry out her orders.
The room was silent again. Alone, Viper sank into thought. After a long pause, she murmured to herself:
"Phils… what secrets are you hiding?"
At the Roland family estate, servants bustled about, cleaning and repairing the damage. Yesterday's assassination attempt had left parts of the manor ruined and bloodstained.
Most people would have moved out after such carnage, but Jason Kin didn't care in the slightest. He was a god—why would he be concerned with petty omens? No monster or devil in the world was worth his notice.
"Now that you have become my Apostle, I shall grant you the Holy Light of Life and the Devouring of Vitality."
Before him, the head maid Effie stood in respectful silence. Jason Kin raised his hand, and two streaks of crimson light struck her.
The moment the light merged into her body, her entire presence transformed. She radiated a holy aura, her height increased, her skin grew fairer, and even her already-impressive curves became more pronounced.
Effie had been trained by the Roland family as a personal bodyguard, possessing decent combat ability. But before this, she had only been slightly stronger than a normal human. Now, with the god's blessing, her physical attributes had skyrocketed far beyond human limits.
Her status had changed:
Race: Human
Name: Effie
Rank: Tier 3 Priestess
Divine Arts: Holy Light of Life Lv.1, Devouring of Vitality Lv.1
Strength: 36
Constitution: 42
Agility: 45
Spirit: 41
A normal human's average stat was about ten. Effie now possessed triple the strength of a common person, approaching the level of a low-tier superhero.
But for Jason Kin, the real prize wasn't her power—it was her faith. One more Apostle meant an extra hundred Faith Points every day. That was the true gain.
Feeling the divine energy surging through her, Effie fell to her knees, trembling with excitement.
"Thank you for your blessing, Lord of Life! May your divine power be eternal, and your sacred flame never be extinguished!"
"You are different from my other followers. You grew up by my side. From now on, just call me 'Young Master.'"
"Yes, Young Master."
"I'm tired. Time to rest." Jason Kin lounged lazily on the soft sofa.
Laffey, meanwhile, carried a bottle of Lafite wine back into the Divine Realm, where the abundant life force benefited her greatly. Even if she did nothing, her strength would steadily grow. So whenever it was rest time, Jason Kin would send her back there.
Seeing his languid posture, Effie quickly knelt beside him.
"Young Master, allow me to serve you…" she said, her movements practiced and familiar.
After a long while, Jason Kin stood.
"Lie down."
Night fell in Virginia.
The followers of the Church of Life had grown from fifty-six to three hundred thirty-six. Most were shallow believers, unable to provide Faith Points, but it was still a good start. The stronger the foundation, the more true believers and devout worshippers would emerge.
Inside a special chapel—special because unlike most churches, it did not worship God—stood the statue of a man crowned in divine light. It was none other than Jason Kin's own likeness. To the faithful, he was the Lord of Life.
This was not a church. This was the Temple of the Lord of Life.
Within the temple, men and women knelt devoutly before the statue in prayer.
Beneath it stood Priest Vog, clad in the white robes of the Church of Life, holding a staff as he addressed the hundreds of followers.
"Once you have stepped into the Temple of the Lord of Life, you are His faithful. Whatever sins you committed outside these walls, as long as you sincerely worship Him, the Lord will bless you!
The Lord of Life—His divine might is vast, His sacred flame eternal!"
"The Lord of Life—His divine might is vast, His sacred flame eternal!" the congregation chanted fervently.
"Good. Believe in Him, and you shall have eternal life. His divine light will shine upon you. I, His humble servant Vog, shall now grant you the Holy Light of Life—to ward off disaster, turn misfortune to fortune, banish sickness, and prolong your days!
Holy Light—descend!"