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*****
When it comes to handling extraordinary incidents, the distinct characteristics of the two Churches become very apparent.
For instance, if an unknown extraordinary event occurred in a certain village:
If the Nighthawks took over, it would generally involve a secret investigation to find the source, resolving the matter while ensuring the safety of ordinary people as much as possible. Ideally, the commoners wouldn't even realize they had experienced an extraordinary event, believing it to be just an ordinary murder case or something similar. In the worst-case scenario, they would rather let the Beyonder responsible for the incident escape than compromise the safety of the civilians.
But if the Mandated Punishers took over, things would be different.
The Mandated Punishers didn't care about such nuances. They would basically charge straight in, preferring to kill by mistake rather than let a target escape, even if it meant sacrificing some ordinary people. They might even level the entire village just to thoroughly solve the problem.
One could guess as much from the names of the two Churches' Beyonder teams.
One was called "Nighthawks," focusing primarily on guardianship.
The other was called "Mandated Punishers," focusing primarily on punishment.
As for whose method of handling things was right or wrong, that was a matter of opinion. To George, from the perspective of an individual commoner, the Nighthawks were better; however, from a holistic perspective, the Mandated Punishers held the upper hand.
The Nighthawks' approach protected ordinary people to the greatest extent, but increased the chances of a Beyonder escaping, which could lead to greater disasters later on. Furthermore, protecting civilians often led to the injury or death of the Nighthawks themselves, weakening their own strength.
Meanwhile, the Mandated Punishers' approach, though it might cost a few lives, could eliminate the enemy to the greatest extent and prevent secondary harm. It also served as a massive deterrent to wild Beyonders and troublemaking cultists. Simultaneously, because they didn't have to worry too much about ordinary people, the Mandated Punishers themselves were less prone to injury and death.
Of course, as a wild Beyonder himself now, he certainly preferred the Nighthawks.
He could clearly feel that the attitude of the High Deacon of the Church of Evernight was much better than that of the High Deacon of the Lord of Storms. If he hadn't saved a sailor from the Lord of Storms, the latter's attitude would likely have been even worse—he might not have even granted an interview. It was quite possible they would have just forcibly arrested him from the start and subjected him to various inspections, tests, and interrogations.
"May I ask what you two want with me?"
George didn't waste time on pleasantries and went straight to the point.
Crestet Cesim, the High Deacon of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, replied with a smile:
"Don't misunderstand, we mean no harm. It is simply a routine inspection; after all, your situation is quite special."
"In a situation like yours, we usually arrest first and inspect later. We are only giving you this chance because you helped a Mandated Punisher," Randal Valentine, the High Deacon of the Church of the Lord of Storms, added with an overbearing tone.
The two spoke one after the other, giving George the impression of a "good cop, bad cop" routine. However, this likely wasn't a deliberate, well-rehearsed act, but rather a natural result of their individual personalities.
George didn't mind. "It's fine. Check however you like."
Seeing George being so straightforward, the two didn't waste any more words and began to use their respective methods.
Crestet took down the silver-white box from his back and quickly opened it, revealing a meter-long, pure white bone sword. The bone sword was clearly no ordinary item; the moment it appeared, it felt as if all the surrounding light was being sucked into it.
"Sword of the Goddess!"
Standing nearby, Randal couldn't help but let out a gasp of admiration.
Though both were High Deacons, he was a Sequence 4 Catastrophe Manipulator, a true demigod-level powerhouse who possessed his own Mythical Creature form. Crestet, however, was only a Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock, a full rank lower than him. This was no ordinary gap in level; Sequence 4 represented a qualitative change, possessing true divinity—a half-man, half-god.
Yet, in actual combat, it was hard to say who would win. The reason was the Sword of the Goddess in Crestet's hand. It was a holy artifact bestowed by the Evernight Goddess, capable of vastly strengthening Crestet's power and even allowing a certain degree of communication with the Goddess.
With lightning flickering in his eyes, Randal also deployed his own divinity to inspect George.
"No other powers. He is indeed a Sequence 7 Magician."
After a moment, Randal dispersed the thunderous light in his eyes, a look of confusion surfacing on his face.
In truth, the Church didn't believe George's previous claims. After receiving the telegram from the Mandated Punishers in Tingen City, the higher-ups of the Church believed George was highly likely to be the offspring or power projection of some evil god. He could also be a soul parasite of some Angel or demigod left over from previous centuries.
That was why they had dispatched him—a Deep Blue Celebrant with Sequence 4 strength—carrying Sealed Artifact 0-82 to come in person. However, he hadn't found any abnormalities in George.
He turned his gaze toward Crestet. Although Crestet was a lower sequence, the Sword of the Goddess was a holy artifact. Using it for an inspection was equivalent to the Goddess herself performing the check. Not to mention an evil god's offspring, power projection, or a lingering Angelic soul—even the descent of an evil god's true body would not escape this detection.
To his surprise, when Crestet opened his eyes, he shook his head at him.
"He really is only Sequence 7!"
An expression of disbelief appeared on Randal's face.
If even the Goddess couldn't see any other power within George, it meant that what George said was true—he really was a Sequence 7 Magician. His ability to restore those who had lost control was truly because he had modified the Magician's "Damage Transfer" ability.
But this still couldn't explain why he possessed wisdom no less than an adult's when he was only six months old. Nor could it explain how a six-month-old could reach Sequence 7.
If George were an adult, or even a teenager, they might have been able to accept it. Geniuses existed in every era, and it wasn't unheard of for a teenager to reach Sequence 7. But reaching Sequence 7 at six months old was pure nonsense.
"Lord Deacon, is there a problem?"
At this moment, the retired Swain spoke up, asking Randal nervously. Although he was retired, he had only stepped back from the front lines; he was still a member of the Church, and since this matter involved him, he had to be present. Regarding George, who had saved his team member, he sincerely hoped there were no issues.
Randal remained silent for a moment before nodding:
"After inspection, George Patton has no issues."
His answer immediately made Klein, of the Nighthawk team, breathe a sigh of relief. Klein didn't want his newly recognized fellow countryman to be taken out by the two Great Churches just like that. At the same time, he felt lucky—it was a good thing they were checking George. If they had checked him, he was truly afraid his Gray Fog space would be exposed. He wouldn't have known how to explain it then.
(End of Chapter)