A lunatic who believes himself to be a god?
If she hadn't just experienced being possessed, Sharon would absolutely have assumed so. But after that brief moment when her perspective had shifted—when it felt like she'd glimpsed the future and stared directly at fate itself—she was no longer so sure.
Maybe... maybe the man before her truly was a god, one in the process of reclaiming his power. And this so-called "Astronomy Club" was the tool he had created to aid his return to divinity.
As that thought struck her, Sharon couldn't help but mock herself for having such an imagination.
A god who was still weak... If the members of Celestial Astronomy caught wind of this, they would probably abandon their demons without hesitation just for the chance to blasphemies an actual god, wouldn't they?
"I understand your meaning. So, what you require... is the service of a nun?"
Sharon still had doubts, but she knew one thing for sure—she was valuable to Luo Shu.
And if she had value, that meant she was safe.
Having barely escaped from the clutches of that monstrous Abyssal Artifact from SDS and the government's elite task force, Sharon had no intention of dying so soon.
As for whether a nun could swear loyalty to a god other than the one she originally served... Sharon had never considered it an issue.
After all, the church she had once belonged to was in an entirely different world. There was no way her original god would suddenly descend across dimensions to smite her for apostasy, right?
And if He could... then Sharon figured even dying would be worth it. Wouldn't that be irrefutable proof of God's existence?
At that moment, facing her question about becoming his nun, Luo Shu gently shook his head.
"Not merely a nun."
If Kasumigaoka Utaha were here, she would've said, Not a nun? What, a bed companion? Luo Shu complained silently to himself, while once again affirming his decision to establish a second Astronomy Club.
Compared to Utaha and Eriri, who had grown up in peace and whose abilities leaned toward support—both perfect for spreading faith—someone like Sharon, a warrior raised in the shadows of clandestine organizations, was more suited to... covert operations.
It was like the difference between the surface church and the underground Inquisition. Utaha and Eriri were the public preachers; Sharon, meanwhile, was the executioner of divine justice in the dark. Luo Shu finalized this internal categorization before using the system to manifest a contract.
Not merely a nun? Just as Sharon was puzzling over what he meant, a roll of brownish parchment suddenly materialized in front of her.
The parchment floated in mid-air, wrapped in a soft and dense breeze. Although its surface held no recognizable letters, Sharon could instinctively read its contents.
"To become... a divine kin?"
Sharon's expression shifted with shock as she read the message on the parchment.
Because just like Luo Shu's earlier appearance, this scroll had materialized out of thin air.
Was this spatial transference? Or... creation from nothing?
Just what was this place she was in—a pocket dimension? Or a divine realm?
Carrying those doubts and unease in her heart, Sharon took a deep breath and looked at Luo Shu—who showed no concern about concealing his actions or leaking secrets. With her voice noticeably subdued, she asked:
"Isn't it a bit too generous to offer someone like me the position of divine kin?"
Yes, when she first saw the term "divine kin," Sharon's reaction wasn't one of honor or entitlement—but anxiety and apprehension.
In her original church, only someone as exalted as the Pope dared claim to be chosen by God. And even then, she never saw the Pope display any overwhelming power.
Admittedly, the offer coming from someone who claimed to be a fallen god could be a trap. He could very well be a wicked deity looking to harvest her in some sort of blood sacrifice. But Sharon also understood—having already been possessed by this god—she had likely long been chosen as a delicacy for the divine banquet.
Under such circumstances, the title of divine kin didn't bring her joy. It brought pressure.
Yet on the other side, Luo Shu looked genuinely confused. He glanced at Sharon and asked:
"Is there a lower title than kin?"
Sharon paused at the unexpected response, then began explaining the church hierarchy she had once known:
"Beneath the Pope, who is considered God's chosen, there are cardinals, archbishops, metropolitans, auxiliary bishops, bishops, and priests—a total of seven ranks. Collectively, they're referred to as the Seven Orders of Holiness."
Luo Shu gave a slight nod upon hearing this and then smiled as he said:
"The church belongs to the church; the divine belongs to the divine."
In other words, the church and the gods were not the same.
And indeed, according to the system, that was exactly how it worked.
Under the divine pantheon, beneath the gods themselves were their kin—those known as divine kin. They were the servants, helpers, and even the extensions of the gods' power.
That was their general role.
Internally, divine kin were ranked based on the level of their spiritual nature—or, put simply, their tier of life. The rankings were: Ordinary, Execellent, Elite, Hero, Demigod, and the one closest to godhood—Attendant God, or in some systems, an Angel.
These six ranks, along with the god at the top, neatly mirrored both the Seven Orders of Holiness and the Seven Days of Creation.
So, to Luo Shu, becoming a divine kin was actually a very ordinary status. As long as someone joined his kin, they were all divine kin—shepherds spreading his light.
Though, Luo Shu did admit to himself that he was kind of a lousy god right now.
"The church belongs to the church; the divine belongs to the divine, huh..."
Sharon mulled over those words, then recalled the things she had seen in this world's churches since arriving—and laughed at herself with a tinge of irony.
"That's true. After all, churches were created by humans to shepherd humans. It makes sense that a true god's chosen would follow a different hierarchy."
With that, Sharon let out a long breath, looked at the parchment symbolizing her induction as divine kin, and finally shed the illusion she had once held toward her former Pope.
She reached out, touched the parchment, and signed the contract to become a god's chosen.
The moment the contract was sealed, beneath her feet, a ritual circle bearing the symbol of the sun swiftly formed.
Upon seeing this, Luo Shu let out a subtle breath of relief—so subtle it couldn't be detected.
After a long and exhausting night, he had finally talked Sharon into signing the divine kin contract.
And once the contract was signed—even if Sharon had a change of heart and tried to betray or kill him—with the system's protection, that was never going to happen.
Sharon, you think I'm terrifying? Sorry, but I'm actually just a small god—physically weaker than you, completely reliant on unique abilities to maintain a façade of intimidation, powerless, broke, and very much in need of sleep.
Muttering inwardly, Luo Shu turned his attention to the system screen.
Now it was time to see—after becoming one of his kin—just what kind of evolution Sharon would undergo…