Ocean cities in various regions.
The city administrators gathered together, watching the enormous bone colossus piercing through the celestial vault, its terrifying form like an unprecedented gigantic mountain, pressing heavily on everyone's hearts.
"It's time to begin."
"His Majesty has already ascended to godhood, we must spread his divine name across the earth and celebrate the birth of the new god!"
"Previously we avoided confrontation, allowing the Light Church to develop among the populace. It is time to strike back against the church!"
"All for His Majesty's glory!"
"Fight for His Majesty!"
A chorus of voices called out.
They gazed at the giant god in the sky, suddenly recalling the strategy meeting in the Tower of Babel from some time ago to counter the Light Church.
...
A while ago.
Within the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Hero Herodotus furiously declared:
"Your Majesty, the Light Church harbors malicious intentions, deceiving the citizens of all major cities. Now, the theory of the Despot is prevalent, more and more followers are being incited, forming rebel forces to overthrow us."
The sages of the Empire have also tried to explain but it has proven completely ineffective.
"A bunch of ignorant people!"
An Empire sage couldn't help but exclaim, "The methods of the Evil God are too ingenious! Trying to kill the spirit of our Empire, turning us into his slaves!"
On the throne, Emperor Atabia's expression remained calm, as if nothing could perturb this civilization's supreme saint:
"Don't expect too much from them, after all, we used the Tower of Babel Plan to recruit all the sages, and the remaining citizens are merely ordinary mortals with average wisdom, prone to wavering and mistakes…"
Human nature is always like this.
They forget the grace we showed them, our repeated acts of saving them, not only do they not know gratitude, they begin to believe the seductive lies of the Outer God that perpetuates extinction.
So forgetful, not remembering who brought them death.
Emperor Atabia suddenly laughed and said:
"Outer God, wanting me to wipe out seventy percent of the population, personally create a third mass extinction? This is the curse bestowed upon me by the Gods."
He appeared like a bizarre philosopher of great contemplation, eyes deep, smile gentle:
"And how to not kill them, change these followers of the Gods? Transform the outcome set for me by the celestial gods of eternal infamy as the Tyrant?"
"We must never try to speak reason to the ignorant, the only way to conquer them is to make them believe in another form of ignorance."
He turned around, looking at the sages behind him with a somewhat disdainful tone: "Gentlemen, I will don the crown of godhood, become a god, to conquer the church with the church, ignorance with ignorance, god against god."
"God?" The ministers immediately recognized the ingeniousness of this Heavenly Horse Soaring plan, "You want to cast yourself as a god to duel him?"
The Imperial Hero Herodotus said: "Then we should immediately establish a church for you, fabricate doctrines, erect a majestic statue."
"No, the statue should not be solemn." Emperor Atabia revealed a trace of sarcasm:
"Their Light Church, so angry that they want to crucify this Tyrant and hang him on a cross, offering him to the gods above! Then, my church shall be called the Suffering Church, the image of god is that of a pained sufferer, bound to a cross."
Emperor Atabia's next words made them feel profoundly wondrous:
"Announce publicly, Atabia is the Celestial Giant Membis, dissatisfied with the ideology of the Gods, reincarnated into this world to bring the spark of civilization to humanity."
In the Atabians' language, Membis means a person in extreme pain.
"But when the Gods saw he brought joy and civilization to mortals, hope and happiness, no longer reliant on the Gods, they were astonished and enraged, sent a Giant God to attack this world, seducing the Atabians on earth to crucify this reincarnated god."
This?
Everyone's spirits suddenly jolted.
This strategy, too brilliant!
This is defeating rhetoric with ignorant rhetoric!
His Majesty is the reincarnation of god, has attained godhead, his status instantly equal to the Outer God!
In this way, the common people will no longer feel his status is lower, everyone is a god from the celestial vault.
This is a war between gods, not between mortals and gods.
Now the meaning is completely different.
Meanwhile, the Suffering God Membis, with a painful image, can also garner sympathy, turning public opinion against the Light Church.
"Your Majesty, should we now establish the church?"
Imperial Hero Herodotus asked.
Emperor Atabia shook his head and said: "No, establishing the church now will not have much effect. Our church lacks miracles, instead it will be attacked by enemies, claiming we are a pseudo-god, sinful beyond measure, bearing more infamy!"
"We must begin spreading our doctrines when we have miracles."
...
Back to the present.
Now is the time for the birth of miracles.
"Let's begin!"
At this moment, the ministers who endured hardships in each of the underwater cities immediately began their actions.
One after another, the long-prepared new temples were unveiled before the people.
"Emperor Atabia! The Sufferer among mortals! Celestial God Membis! Will once again ascend to godhood on this land! Ignite the godhead!"
Shouts echoed across the earth.
A subtle song drifted widely, as if all the innocent children on earth were singing together, praying for their emperor.
"The rainstorm will collapse into a torrent~~"
"Purple Mist will cover the earth as an abyss～"
"Ruins will rise to form a tower～"
"Bones will be covered with flesh."
"And I will return to the celestial gods."
"Then meet you."
"Kill you."
The anthem of the new church reverberated, some followers of the Suffering Church showed gentle and devout smiles, loudly reciting the sacred hymn of "Membis's Crucifixion Song."
In the Imperial City, countless advancing Holy Knights suddenly stopped, dazedly listening to this voice: "A new…god??"
Meanwhile, the whole world began to hear the origin of this new god in the doctrines, he came from heaven for the sake of mortals to repel the gods, the Light Church is nothing but so-called conspiracy.
This is a grand counterattack!
A perfect strategic reversal!
Li Qing's escort spy, this Pope was instantly shocked and furious, no wonder it was silent before, plotting right here!
"Emperor Atabia, the god reincarnate from heaven, the sufferer Membis."
The Atabians across the world lifted their heads, silently feeling that towering new god connected to heaven and earth, its immense, crystalline white bone form seemed to carry a trace of pure sanctity piercing through the clouds.
...
...
"The king, among the 17 trillion peak population of Atabia, is the smartest person in history, he sees through all suffering, deliberates all world problems, driving the evolution of civilization, he...has long decided everything."
"He could have also chosen to give up."
Imperial Hero Herodotus led elite soldiers out from the Imperial City's underground chambers, revealing a smile.
"But a proud man, the god demanded him to do it, he defiantly refused."
"Impersonating a god in the guise of a mortal, conquering the church with the church, ignorance with ignorance! Using rhetoric to overcome rhetoric, pulling them back into our camp!"
"This is his choice!"
"There is no god in this world, gods are merely powerful people."
"If we Atabians must believe in the so-called gods, have the so-called spiritual support, then why should we believe in the Outer God?"
"This era-leading Saint Emperor is the true god that we Atabians on earth most deserve to believe in!"
He suddenly laughed, leading the group of knights disguised as the Suffering Church knights, their fighting spirit ablaze, loudly roaring:
"Come, join us in counterattack, reclaim the Imperial City, defeat these cultists, fight for the Suffering Church!"