The accumulation of Prayer Power was much faster than imagined.
From the time Lucas Reeve woke up until now, reaching 1.8 million had only taken about a year and a half. Originally, Lucas Reeve had guessed it might take many years...
Lucas Reeve had never mentioned any of this to Jessica.
He was preparing to give Jessica a surprise when he could finally redeem this ability.
If it really succeeded,
the members of the Reunion Movement would no longer need to hide. They could return to their homes openly and live like ordinary people, without having to worry about dying inexplicably at any moment.
And...
if that were the case,
Rhodes Island's mission would seemingly end ahead of schedule. By that calculation, Kal'tsit might... be on the verge of retirement.
Inside the Rhodes Island cafeteria,
Lucas Reeve was eating lunch, his mind somewhat elsewhere. Amiya, sitting opposite him, seemed to notice that the Doctor had something on his mind. Her big, bunny-like eyes blinked a couple of times, and the long, pointed rabbit ears on her head twitched as she asked with concern.
"Doctor, is something wrong? Is something troubling you? You can tell me about it, if you'd like."
"Uh... I was just thinking about something, Amiya."
Closure, eating beside them, perked up and said indistinctly through a mouthful of food,
"Spill the details."
"Is it about romance? That's normal. After all, the Doctor is at an age where it's normal to want to be in a relationship. And with so many beautiful goddess-like sisters at home, anyone would get an itchy heart. Doctor, which one have you set your sights on? Miss Nine-Colored Deer, or Miss Dusk?"
"....."
Lucas Reeve was speechless and said nothing.
Beside him, Amiya grew anxious.
"Miss Closure! Don't talk nonsense!!"
After saying that, she looked even more anxiously at Lucas Reeve, waiting for his reply.
"I was thinking, if one day—and I'm saying *if* one day—Oripathy was completely eliminated, and Oripathy could be cured just like any other common disease, and there were no more Infected in this world, what would happen to Rhodes Island? Would we retire with honor?"
Lucas Reeve's question amused Closure.
Amiya, however, thought about it very seriously.
"Doctor, I've never thought about this question before. However, even if there was no more Oripathy in this world, I believe our Rhodes Island would still exist. After all, besides being a medical company for the Infected, our Rhodes Island has another identity and another mission waiting for us to complete."
"And, Doctor,"
"even without Oripathy, the world would definitely continue to be filled with conflict. In my view, Oripathy is just a medium. Theoretically, Oripathy should never be an excuse for persecution. Take Yan, for example. They are very tolerant of the Infected, and Yan continues to prosper. So, even without Oripathy, ambitious people would still find other points of entry. In that case, our Rhodes Island will continue to travel across this land, offering help to all the weak who are persecuted."
"Mmm~~"
Lucas Reeve nodded.
"I'm done eating. I'm going back to my room first. You guys go ahead."
Lucas Reeve got up, took his plate to the collection window, and then quickly left the cafeteria, leaving behind a puzzled Amiya and Closure.
*The Doctor... is acting so strangely today....*
Back in his room,
Lucas Reeve sat on his bed and took a deep breath, seemingly having made up his mind.
After all, it was 1.8 million Prayer Power.
Three hundred thousand Prayer Power could allow Patriot to reach the limit of his racial talent, the Royal Court level, and one of the strongest among them at that.
Using such a huge amount all at once to exchange for a method to cure Oripathy made Lucas Reeve hesitate, just a little.
*Let's just do it.*
[Redeem the ability to completely cure Oripathy.]
A cold voice echoed in Lucas Reeve's mind.
[Command received.]
[Confirm redemption? Total cost: 1.8 million.]
[Yes.]
[Due to the large amount, please confirm again to prevent accidental activation.]
[Confirm.]
[Received. The corresponding rule will now be bestowed.]
1.8 million Prayer Power instantly vanished from Lucas Reeve's soul. Although it didn't hurt, Lucas Reeve felt a pang of heartache, as if his wallet, which had just started to get a little full, had been completely emptied.
Immediately after,
a strange and unique power emerged from thin air. This energy was so intense, like the very center of a nuclear explosion at the moment of detonation, that it instantly swallowed Lucas Reeve's soul.
Lucas Reeve felt...
as if his soul were constantly leaping, and the scene before his eyes was no longer his room on Rhodes Island. He seemed to have arrived in some unfamiliar worlds, with towering buildings and highly advanced technology. However, Lucas Reeve hadn't had a chance to see clearly.
His soul plummeted downwards again. Just as it was about to hit the ground, Lucas Reeve felt himself shrinking, as if he had suddenly entered the world of molecules. As the barrier of space-time shattered like cracking glass, Lucas Reeve was forcibly taken to another place by this special power.
Most crucially,
the excruciating pain in his soul nearly made Lucas Reeve faint multiple times. But he had a premonition that he couldn't pass out. If he did, not only would all his efforts be in vain, but his soul would also suffer great damage.
This feeling of traversing through many indescribable, unknown spaces reminded Lucas Reeve of a scene from a superhero movie he had seen before, only it was even more absurd than that movie scene.
Lucas Reeve felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart.
He didn't know how many spaces he had crossed, nor how long it had been.
He saw a giant of flames wielding a massive flaming greatsword, raising his sword high into the sky, seemingly roaring.
He saw a colossal dragon, so massive its body could blot out the sky, coiling at the peak of the clouds. A single breath from it was enough to annihilate a city. Countless human experts soared into the sky. A white-robed Celestial Master formed a hand seal, and the heavens and earth changed color as thunder descended.
On a boundless sea, the shadow of an indescribable ancient god appeared amidst black fog and lightning. A nation standing tall in the middle of the sea stood firm against the churning waves.
The scene changed again.
The giant of flames perished unwillingly on the land.
The dragon god was defeated and shattered into twelve pieces, falling like meteors.
The invincible golden fleet was instantly annihilated by sea monsters.
Hunters with abyssal bloodlines charged forward one after another, trying to slay the god, suffering heavy casualties. However, in the depths of the ocean, there were still many more gods of this level.
The final scene.
A strange woman with chestnut-colored hair placed herself into some unknown device. When she woke up, she was a cold-faced Feline. And when she came to her senses again, a Sarkaz girl was already dead in her arms, while her own expression remained frigid.
Then,
the images vanished.
Lucas Reeve felt his soul growing more and more tired. No matter how hard he tried to hold on, he still fell into a state of unconsciousness.
——————
"Miss Nian!!! Miss Nian!!!"
Columbia.
Jessica ran frantically back to her villa, her expression one of extreme panic and alarm. Her expression startled Little Ceobe and the other children.
"Miss Nian!!"
Nian, who was currently planning her second movie, looked at Jessica in confusion.
"What's wrong, Jessica? Don't rush, speak slowly."
Nearby, Nine-Colored Deer, who was preparing tonight's dinner, also trotted over to comfort Jessica.
"Jessica, don't worry, speak slowly."
"Mr. Reeve! Mr. Reeve's soul suddenly became extremely weak just now, it almost disappeared!!"
"!!!"
Jessica's words startled everyone.
Surtr, who was eating ice cream on the side, was so stunned that her ice cream fell to the ground.
Little Ceobe was so anxious she was on the verge of tears.
"Sister Jessica!! What happened to Brother Lucas Reeve!!"
Jessica took the necklace from her neck and placed it on the table. Nine-Colored Deer immediately pressed her finger on it. As her power flowed in, brilliant rays of light flickered around the necklace. However, Nine-Colored Deer's expression was incredibly solemn.
Sensing the commotion downstairs,
Dusk also came down immediately. After learning of the situation, she too fell silent.
Everyone looked worriedly at Nine-Colored Deer.
And their hearts grew heavier along with Nine-Colored Deer's increasingly solemn expression.
The light gradually subsided.
Nine-Colored Deer placed the necklace back on the table.
"How is it, Miss Nine-Colored Deer?"
Everyone looked anxiously at Nine-Colored Deer. Among everyone present, she was the strongest. Even Nian and Dusk were no match for her. After all, no matter how low Nine-Colored Deer's combat power was, she was still a complete deity.
"I'm sorry, I am powerless to help."
Nine-Colored Deer's expression darkened.
However,
these words nearly caused Jessica to faint.
Surtr and the other children quickly supported Jessica to prevent her from falling.
"What's going on, Miss Nine-Colored Deer?"
Nian's eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown. The usually positive and optimistic Nian almost never showed such an expression. Dusk said nothing, simply patting Nian's shoulder.
"There seems to be an unknown energy within Mr. Reeve's soul. This energy is very, very strong. Right now, the soul fragment in this necklace is growing weaker and weaker under the erosion of this power. I estimate it won't be long before it completely vanishes."
"Is there no chance of turning this around?"
Nian's voice grew deeper.
"None."
"However, we may still have a chance."
"I just used my power to locate the whereabouts of Mr. Reeve's main soul. If we go there immediately, we might still have a chance."
Jessica wiped the tears from her face, her voice choked with sobs.
Lucas Reeve was just too, too important to Jessica. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she lost him.
"Go... Let's go right now..."
Nian asked, "Where is Lucas Reeve's main soul?"
"Sargon."
———————
Lucas Reeve didn't remember how long he had slept.
When he woke up again, he only felt that the place where his consciousness resided was incredibly familiar.
Uh...
*Don't tell me I'm in a statue again?*
He tried to contact the soul fragment with Jessica, but to no avail.
At this moment,
he suddenly discovered that there seemed to be an incredibly pure energy within his soul.
This energy seemed to form runes that entwined around his soul.
*Rule...*
An instinctual memory flooded into Lucas Reeve's mind.
The term 'Rule' was not unfamiliar to Lucas Reeve. Basically, any god would have mastered some level of a Rule.
And a Rule was not a specific ability with a detailed function, but rather a profound and mysterious state of being. Under a Rule, ordinary methods could not defeat the user, and countless abilities could be derived from it.
Nian had mastered the Rule of 'Creation', and her forging ability was based on this Rule.
Dusk's Rule was 'Divine Will Manifestation', which was why any painting she made could become reality.
As for Ling, whom they had mentioned, her Rule was 'Freedom'. Lucas Reeve wasn't quite sure how it manifested, but he had heard from Nian and Dusk that it was very, very powerful.
And Lucas Reeve's current Rule was...
'Originium'.
Lucas Reeve didn't know its specific manifestation. He estimated that curing Oripathy might be one of the evolutions of this Rule.
*No wonder it cost 1.8 million Prayer Power....*
However, what concerned Lucas Reeve the most was not the ability, but the series of images he had seen while obtaining it.
Instinct told Lucas Reeve that these images were not movies or illusions, but more like... memories.
Lucas Reeve couldn't quite figure it out.
There were just too many of these memories, and they had no fixed connection, as if he were watching a movie by skipping through scenes, and understood nothing in the end.
Now he couldn't contact the soul fragment in Jessica's necklace.
He wondered if Jessica was worried.
*Sigh...*
Lucas Reeve hadn't expected the process to be so dramatic. He had initially thought it would be like the previous times he had received an ability.