Chapter 140: Now, the Gods Don't Love Humans

"A big figure?"

Ye Lin's heart suddenly sank, and the ominous premonition drenched her body like icy water.

Someone who could be called a "big figure" by the Heresy Tribunal....

In the life-support cabin, Lin Hao, who had just struggled out of a nightmare, also heard the words. He strained to say something, but due to weakness and throat discomfort, only managed a hoarse, garbled breath, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry.

Qi Junyi paid no attention to Lin Hao's reaction; his gaze remained fixed on Ye Lin, as if she were the only one worth noticing here.

"You just need to speak the truth, and don't upset that person any further."

He ended with a cold warning, turned, and left the isolation room; the heavy metal door shut silently behind him, sealing the fear of the unknown firmly within the windowless chamber.

Ye Lin stood where she was, her body trembling slightly; she glanced at the anxious Lin Hao in the life-support cabin looking toward her, then lowered her head to examine the files in her hands that recorded the players' fates.

She forced herself to calm down, walked to the crude washbasin in the corner of the room, looked at her gaunt reflection in the mirror, and began using cold water to try to wash away the fatigue and fear from her face.

She knew that some things cannot be washed away.

But she knew even more that this concerned their future destiny.

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That "big figure" arrived faster than expected.

When the isolation room's metal door slid open again, Qi Junyi entered first, his demeanor showing a respect Ye Lin had never seen, even a near‑devout slight bow.

He stepped aside to clear the passage, assuming a welcoming posture.

A figure then stepped in.

The newcomer wore a seemingly simple yet subtly authoritative dark formal attire, its material and cut exuding an invisible majesty, starkly out of place in the cold, oppressive isolation room.

He had deep blue short hair, and most striking was the silver mask covering the upper half of his face; the mask's design was sleek and smooth, revealing only a gracefully contoured jaw.

His ice‑blue eyes swept over calmly, causing her body to shiver instinctively.

From the corner of her eye, Ye Lin saw Chi Jinan, the red‑haired madman, standing outside the door; he did not enter, merely leaning quietly against the outer wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, recuperating his spirit.

Qi Junyi slightly lowered his head, addressing the man in a clear and respectful tone.

"Your Majesty."

Your Majesty?!

Those two words thundered in Ye Lin's mind like a sudden bolt.

In Tianmian City, only one person could be addressed that way.

The Pope perched atop the Pale Throne!

But, according to rumor, doesn't the Pope never leave the Pale Throne?

How could he personally come to a place like this? To stand before her, an Old World Undead?

The overwhelming shock made her nearly forget to breathe, and she stared blankly at the blue‑haired masked figure.

He appeared very young, perhaps only twenty‑six or twenty‑seven; of course, with Aberrant Arts—an unscientific phenomenon—existing, it wasn't impossible that he was some ancient monster.

Yet he exuded an invisible pressure that made Ye Lin's heart instinctively tighten, her muscles tensing throughout.

However, in the next second, the Pope's mouth curled into a genuinely kind and gentle smile, dispelling the previously tense atmosphere.

"No need to be nervous, please sit."

His voice also carried a relaxing calm; he casually pointed at the sole iron chair in the room, while he stood beside the life-support cabin, his gaze lightly sweeping over the newly awakened Lin Hao.

Ye Lin, almost guided by that invisible aura, sat down somewhat stiffly, her heart still pounding wildly.

"Regarding your situation, we already have a basic understanding."

The Pope offered no excessive pleasantries, getting straight to the point; his tone remained relaxed, as if discussing an ordinary matter.

"We know you did not intend to occupy the bodies of this world's people; from a certain perspective, you are also victims, thrown into this vortex by an invisible fate."

His words struck Ye Lin's heart like a heavy hammer.

They... really know everything?

"Therefore," the Pope continued, his gaze beneath the mask seeming to pierce all her thoughts; though his smile was gentle, Ye Lin felt her limbs grow cold.

"The Church hopes to reach a deal with you."

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The Pale Royal Court, the most central Prayer Hall.

He still wore that holy white divine robe, his deep blue hair shimmering under the light from the glass window above, as if flowing with a faint glow.

He stood quietly beneath the statue, yet held in his hand an ordinary small mirror edged with silver thread.

He gazed at his own reflection in the mirror, murmuring as if in a dreamlike mutter.

"The gods have been cut into dust, scattered through the cracks of time; thus, the three calamities are complete."

"The gears of the cycle have already meshed; has our mission... already been completed?"

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Inside the isolation room, the Pope's mouth still wore that kind smile, and he concluded in a relaxed tone.

"... so, I am pleased that we can reach a consensus here."

Ye Lin sat on the chair, her fingertips icy, her back already soaked with cold sweat.

She dared not relax at all because of his gentle demeanor.

Just now, the Pope before her, in an even tone, presented a deal that involved everyone's fate.

It concerned not only her and Lin Hao's life and death, but also all the "players" drawn into this world.

The amount of information was so massive that her brain could barely process it; fear and faint hope intertwined, making her body tremble uncontrollably.

The Pope seemed not to expect her response; after speaking, he gracefully turned and prepared to leave.

"Clack..."

"Huh... wait, wait!"

The hatch of the life support cabin was forced open a crack from inside; Lin Hao exerted all his strength, struggling to thrust his upper body out, weak yet urgent, he shouted.

His face was deathly pale, the tubes attached to his body pulled taut, as if they would snap in the next second.

Ye Lin jumped in fright, lunging forward to press him back into the life support cabin, which besides nutrient solution had been filled with a large amount of holy water to suppress Lin Hao's mutation.

"Lin Hao! Get back in! You need to stay inside!"

But Lin Hao stubbornly gripped the edge of the hatch, ignoring the intense pain and weakness, his scorching gaze fixed on the Pope's retreating back, he hoarsely roared with all his might.

"Does the god believed in by the Church really exist?"

The Pope's footsteps halted abruptly at the door.

The smile on his face vanished like an ebbing tide, instantly leaving no trace, replaced by a profound, unfathomable calm.

He did not turn his head, merely tilting it slightly to glance back at Lin Hao.

Silence spread through the isolation chamber, broken only by the faint hum of the life support cabin and Lin Hao's ragged breaths.

After a few seconds, the Pope responded lightly, his voice calm and unperturbed.

"There is a god in this world."

He pushed open the door and walked out.

Outside the door, Qi Junyi immediately bowed, and even Chi Jinan, who was leaning against the wall, opened his eyes.

The Pope's silhouette vanished at the end of the corridor, but his last words came back clearly, echoing in the dead‑silent isolation chamber.

"It's a pity that now God does not love humanity."