143 Dekan’s Online Tormenting of the Bishops
“You guys look up to no good, lurking here in the dark! What’s wrong with me, the crusader against the shady, making a surprise inspection?”
Dekan declared with apparent righteousness.
“Can someone please escort him out?!”
The Frenzied Bishop, clutching his head, cried out in near despair.
What times were these, when someone would dare to disrupt their bishops’ meeting like this?
“Not possible. Since the Pope isn’t here, the bishops don’t have the authority to expel another bishop.”
“So, does this mean that whenever we have our meetings, this person will just be here listening in?”
“It seems so.”
“The troublesome part is that he not only listens in but even has the right to voice opinions…”
Several bishops discussed this with great indignation.
Though their expressions were unclear, one could guess their faces must have been pitch black.
“Hahahaha.”
Then there was a bishop who was laughing uncontrollably, holding his belly while sitting on his floating black pedestal.
He seemed entirely unconcerned with Dekan’s presence, finding it only amusing.
“You really do what you want, Dekan. I’m growing more fond of you.”
Moreover, every bishop present knew exactly how Dekan managed to infiltrate the meeting.
Typically, even if he had stolen Evans’ Bishop’s Certificate, he wouldn’t have been able to use it.
However, the Bishop’s Certificate had a specific characteristic.
It was designed to ensure that a bishop always remained absolutely powerful.
If a member of the church defeated a bishop, they could become the new bishop.
To officially join the church, Dekan only needed a high-ranking official to help him manipulate things in the background, bypassing other approvals to obtain the official certificate of a believer.
Once Dekan acquired the believer’s certificate and personally defeated Evans, his believer’s certificate would upgrade into a new Bishop’s Certificate!
“Dekan!! Get out immediately! Otherwise, I’ll chase you down to Norton Kingdom and reclaim your Bishop’s Certificate!”
The Frenzied Bishop pointed at Dekan and shouted angrily.
In this space, no one can cause any harm to another. All were merely projections.
For a bishop to disenfranchise another bishop, the only method was to kill them.
“Wind or rain, the Capital City awaits you; see if I don’t end you.”
Dekan simply sneered in response.
“You!”
Clearly, the Frenzied Bishop was powerless against Dekan.
No matter how powerful an eighth-tier bishop was, it wasn’t feasible to chase Dekan down to the capital city.
Were he to attempt it, he’d likely not escape.
“※Ah! The bishop’s meetings cannot be held in the future!”
“He doesn’t even need to speak; just standing here can irritate us! He’s heard all our intelligence!”
As several other bishops were covering their heads in agony and roaring,
“Hey, why don’t we add each other as friends?”
Dekan noticed a black floating stone moving closer to him. The bishop on it greeted him amicably.
“Does the Bishop’s Certificate have a private messaging function?”
Dekan asked.
“Sure, absolutely! Let me show you.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
…
“※! Why are you two chatting! Minos, you bastard! If you don’t want to attend the meeting, get out!”
The other bishops quickly realized that one of them was engaging in perplexing behavior.
Already angered, now it seemed like salt was added to their wounds, making them want to purge the heretics first.
“Do you fools understand the mutual admiration of researchers?”
After saying that, Shadow Bishop Minos stopped paying attention to the other shouting bishops and began teaching Dekan how to use the Bishop’s Certificate.
Thus, the temple now consisted of a few people yelling while two sat in the corner, exchanging details like holding cell phones.
“Well, now we are friends and can remain in contact at any time. Of course, if we were to use physical projections or voice, the mana consumption would be enormous given our vast distance—it’s better to just send messages.”
Minos explained patiently.
“Thanks… but aren’t you always this chummy with strangers?”
Dekan couldn’t help but ask.
It seemed to Dekan that this Shadow Bishop Minos was quite interesting, willing to chat without hesitation.
At least it appeared that only this bishop could have a normal conversation.
Dekan had indeed only just realized how much freedom existed within the Rebirth Church.
You could kill each other for advancement and yet also drive each other insane.
“Of course not, I only this friendly with friends.”
Minos replied.
“Don’t you think we should be enemies?”
Dekan asked again.
Minos: “Can enemies not be friends?”
“…”
Minos’ response left Dekan speechless.
Dekan: “Are you serious?”
Minos: “Yes.”
“Then let’s be friends until we meet. But if we do one day, I won’t go easy on you.”
“I feel the same.”
While the two were chatting, the other few bishops had run out of ways to scold Dekan.
They even began to berate Minos.
“After the Pope returns, we will temporarily suspend the bishops’ meeting.”
“Agreed.”
“I oppose this! You’re forming cliques and excluding me.”
Dekan suddenly interjected.
“You oppose? You what?!”
“I’m just asking: with this certificate in my hand, am I or am I not a bishop?”
Dekan held up his Bishop’s Certificate.
“You’re at best an insider and a traitor!”
Dekan: “That is a flawed statement. It’s your subjective judgment, which has failed to achieve a true unity of subjectivity and objectivity. Where exactly did I break the rules in becoming a bishop?”
“You think you can join us? With your third rank?”
Dekan: “I don’t want to. I act with integrity and maintain a clear heart. How could I collude with the likes of you?”
“So what are you trying to say?”
Dekan: “I merely suggest that you surrender. There’s still a chance, or else when I capture you one by one, you’ll regret it.”
“Damn you!”
“…”
The convenor, the Illusory Bishop, was so angry that he logged out directly.
Subsequently, the other few bishops gradually left the temple.
The bishop’s meeting of the Rebirth Church was thus forcibly terminated.
“Alas, I haven’t even gotten a clear understanding of the Tenth Level Shadow World…”
Dekan sighed as he gazed at the empty temple.
“You can ask me.”
Suddenly, a voice came from beside him.
Dekan found that Minos was still present nearby.
“Is this something you’re allowed to share?”
Dekan was somewhat surprised.
Intelligence obtained without questioning felt unreal and too easy.
“Nothing much. As long as it’s not core intel of the church, I can tell you privately. However, there are some things you shouldn’t ask, just as I wouldn’t expect to pry into the Kingdom Union’s key information from you.”
Minos shrugged.
There was a sense of strict professional and personal boundaries.
