Chapter 287: The Slave Owner Sherlock's Return

"Hilarious. Do you think the whole world is your father and has to coddle you? Who's going to guarantee your safety?"

"Exactly. We've been transmigrated for months now, and you still don't understand the situation? If you're still clueless, please go die right now. I'm terrified of running into you in a dungeon and being dragged down by your incompetence."

"You're misunderstanding. They mean that if the Evolvers go crazy, no matter how hard we try, we'll just be sitting ducks."

"Now that you mention it, that's true. If we aren't even safe inside our Shelters, is there anywhere safe left in this world?"

"Sigh... Life is getting harder and harder."

"Evolvers, huh. I'm so jealous I could die."

"Uh... excuse the interruption, but let me drop some knowledge. After evolution, our Titan Race directly turns into giant Titans that are ten to twenty meters tall. The 'growing large' you mentioned is actually a 'Shrink' skill from our Titan Race's racial talents."

"That's just how our Titan Race is. It's mainly so we can communicate with you little runts."

"Fuck! Arrogant giants."

"Attention everyone, a stinking Evolver has come to our World Channel to beg for attention."

"Did these giants evolve away their emotional intelligence? They're actually pulling global aggro in the World Channel?"

Because the vast majority of Blue Star Earthlings had not yet evolved, seeing the Titan Race speak so condescendingly caused them all to jump out and launch a verbal crusade against the giants.

They could not help it.

Looking at those Evolvers who possessed higher stats, greater strength, and faster leveling speeds, resentment had long since taken root in their hearts.

But because Evolution Items were so incredibly rare, no one said much about it.

Yet today, a few members of the Titan Race actually leaped out to mock everyone?

Calling them 'little runts'?

Damn it, so what if you can grow big!

Consequently, the crowd began to gang up on these few Titan Race members.

A few others from the Titan Race quickly joined the fray, hurling curses right back.

What started between the Blue Star Earthlings and the giants eventually dragged all the new races into the mud, escalating into a massive uproar.

For a time, the flames of war raged across the World Channel.

...

"Bastards!"

A man wearing a white priest's robe and a brass mask sat on a high stone throne, viciously hurling the glass orb in his hand to the ground.

Crash!

With a sharp, crisp shatter, the glass orb burst into pieces across the floor.

Beside him, several similarly white-robed figures knelt on one knee, not daring to move a muscle even as flying glass shards grazed their bodies.

"What are you all doing?! The 505 Formation's base was discovered, and you didn't even know?"

"Pope, the enemy came too fast, and their methods were exceptionally brutal. They gave the 505 Formation no time to react. Anyone who tried to flee was instantly crushed to death."

Below, one of the kneeling men trembled violently, stuttering as he reported to the Pope above.

"Enemy? Have you found out who it is yet?" asked the Pope in an icy tone.

"We have. It was done by Orff, the Titan Clan Head of Tarot Manor, codenamed The Chariot."

"Hah! To think a mere Tarot Manor dares to make a move and purge a formation of my Pure Origin Sect!"

Upon hearing it was someone from Tarot Manor, the Pope scoffed coldly and immediately issued an order.

"Leave the matter of Tarot Manor be. Have our subordinate believers continue to stir up trouble in the World Channel. Aside from pretending to be the Titan Race, they can also pose as the Witch Clan, Elves, and the like. The bigger the uproar, the better. Plant the seeds of hatred as quickly as possible."

"Understood."

The subordinate who received the Pope's order immediately answered, simultaneously letting out a long sigh of relief.

Since he had been given a task to carry out, it meant he would not be punished.

"Good, go do it at once. If it's done well, I will overlook past mistakes. If not..."

"This subordinate will definitely exhaust all efforts to accomplish this task!"

Before the Pope could even finish his warning, the subordinate quickly voiced his unwavering commitment.

"Dismissed. Go do what you must."

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinates bowed once more, then lined up and slowly backed out of the room.

Meanwhile, the Pope sitting on the high stone throne silently watched their retreating figures.

Tarot Manor was not an entity their Pure Origin Sect could afford to provoke right now. The Pope naturally understood this very well.

But in front of his subordinates, he had to maintain a strong front where necessary.

At the very least, he had to keep up appearances, or else how could he manage the people beneath him?

"Heh, you're looking more and more like a Pope every day, Steve Zachhack."

After everyone had left and the doors were shut, a figure walked out from a corner of the room.

If Lan Qingyou were here, she would likely recognize him.

This person was the fat man she had previously driven out of the Abandoned Ruins—Sherlock Claude.

"Sherlock, why are you here instead of out there issuing your usurious loans?"

The Pope known as Zachhack did not soften his tone just because Sherlock was an acquaintance.

In fact, compared to his previous iciness, he sounded even more aloof.

"Don't be like that, Zachhack. If it weren't for me, your Pure Origin Sect would never have gotten off the ground, right?"

Despite being unwelcome, Sherlock did not feel embarrassed. Instead, he simply found a spot to sit down, cheerfully looking up at the high and mighty Pope.

In the beginning, the Pure Origin Sect had relied on Sherlock's contract talent to smoothly spread its doctrines.

In a certain sense, Sherlock was more suited for the position of Pope than Zachhack.

It was just that, compared to running a pyramid-scheme-like religion, Sherlock much preferred standing in the sunlight and enslaving others.

Which was why Zachhack disliked him so much.

After all, no one wanted someone qualified to take their seat constantly wandering around right in front of them.

"Hmph. If it weren't for you, I might have already invented smartphones by now, rather than being surpassed by that guy David's Identity Cards."

Steve Zachhack snorted in dissatisfaction.

It was true.

Back when Sherlock was chased out of the Abandoned Ruins by Lan Qingyou, the mobile phone he used was developed by this very guy.

But due to Sherlock's subsequent arrival, the use of his contract talent, and the initiation of the 'Pure Origin Project', he was forced to abandon that epoch-making research and come here to be a Pope.

On top of that, he still had to read Sherlock's mood from time to time. He only got this turn because Sherlock stepped down. Who wouldn't be angry in his place?

"Enough. What are you doing here? Scamming these terrorists isn't exactly your responsibility, is it?"

Seeing Sherlock act as comfortable as if he were in his own home made Zachhack furious.

"Two things."

Knowing the other party wanted to chase him away, Sherlock curled his lips.

"First is about Tarot Manor. The club doesn't wish to clash with them right now, or rather, they don't want to be exposed to that group so quickly. So they sent me to inform you: please keep yourself and your subordinate Originalists in check."

"The second is..."