I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 119 --This Is Your Blessing

Inside the church, shadows and light twisted together.

Led by the nun, Thomas was guided deep into the back of the church, arriving at a lounge that was clean and tidy—though it seemed no one had visited for a long time.

At her invitation, Thomas took a seat inside. The nun, with great enthusiasm, brought over a fruit platter. However, it wasn’t filled with fruit, but rather with squirming, twisted insects secreting various kinds of mucous.

"Honored guest, please enjoy our church’s local delicacies,"

the nun said sweetly, like a refined hostess, personally placing the platter before him.

Thomas remained calm and replied slowly,

"There’s no need for that. I’m just curious—since you’ve already lured me this deep into the church, why haven’t you made your move yet?"

The moment his words fell, the smile on the nun’s delicate face froze.

The platter in her hands dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

As the sound of the platter shattering rang out, numerous women—each identical to the nun—emerged from the surrounding guest rooms.

Each of them held a dagger gleaming with cold light, as if they were gripping a beam of stabbing brilliance. Their eyes locked onto Thomas, like predators about to indulge in a feast. The light in the lounge dimmed, and a suffocating aura of horror quietly filled the space.

All of the nuns had reached Tier-4 strength.

Though they were only Tier-4 beginners, their numbers and shared consciousness made them incredibly dangerous. Even a Tier-5 awakener could be eliminated under such coordinated assault.

Thomas calmly scanned the group.

According to Lord Tom’s investigations, this church was once the famed St. Peter’s Cathedral, known across the Caesar Empire as the place of the Lord’s descent.

The archbishops of the cathedral were once masters of a spell called the Doppelgänger Spell, a technique well-documented in city records.

But now, the cathedral had become an Aberration.

That renowned doppelgänger technique had become a tool of corruption.

Thomas felt a mix of regret and pity. After all, St. Peter’s Cathedral had once stood in glorious splendor. Its presence alone had brought prosperity to the surrounding cities.

But with the rise of spellbeasts and the spread of Aberrations, many cities had fallen. The cathedral’s former glory was now nothing but a memory.

"St. Peter’s Cathedral, now reduced to this... infested by Aberrations. The archbishops and devotees of old would never have imagined this,"

Thomas murmured softly, yet in the silent room, his voice carried clearly.

"Oh? After all these years, someone still remembers St. Peter’s Cathedral? How interesting."

The nun who had first greeted him sneered, her once-murderous face curling into a cold smile. Her raspy voice echoed eerily.

"But you’re wrong about one thing. Yes, the cathedral was invaded by Aberrations, but I am not one of them. I am still a devout nun."

As she spoke, the killing intent faded from her face—completely unlike the other nuns, whose expressions remained twisted and menacing. In fact, Thomas even detected a trace of pity in her eyes.

The aura surrounding her became increasingly clear, like a stream of pure water cutting through a pool of filth.

"...?"

Thomas’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he scrutinized her.

"You’re seriously saying you’re not an Aberration?"

The nun nodded. "I’m not actually a nun. I am the archbishop here—Aida. You may also address me as the Cardinal Archbishop."

Her eyes turned deep and timeless, as if she’d endured the erosion of ages, though her face remained unchanged.

"If you’re not an Aberration, then why invite me into the church?"

Thomas asked bluntly. "Don’t tell me there are no Aberrations here."

Mist began to coil around him as he spoke—he was clearly on guard, ready to strike at any moment.

"Please, honored guest, do not be alarmed. There are indeed Aberrations within these walls, but they’ve been sealed inside the ’Lord’s’ statue by other archbishops. For now, they cannot escape."

"I invited you inside because of the robust vitality in your blood. It helps suppress the Aberrations. More than that, the unique pressure you carry seems to make the Aberrations recoil. That intrigued me deeply."

"You can rest assured, I merely require a small portion of your blood. It’s nothing serious for someone like you."

Her voice was solemn, her tone sincere, as though she were speaking the plain truth.

She resembled the kind-hearted archbishops of legend.

"Using my blood to suppress the Aberrations?"

Thomas looked at her with a half-smile.

You’re making that kind of request and still claim you’re not an Aberration?

What kind of archbishop asks to harm someone for blood?

Even if it was for a noble cause—it was absurd.

He glanced at the other surrounding nuns. Though their auras were still strong, they seemed to be fading slightly. Their murderous intent also appeared to be shifting—reverent now, as if some kind of purification had taken place. It was calming, even soothing.

"If you’re really not an Aberration, wouldn’t using my blood make you feel guilty?"

Thomas asked.

The nun made the sign of the cross over her chest.

"Before the eyes of my Lord, of course I would feel guilty. But this is a necessary sacrifice."

"To protect countless human lives, sacrificing one man is worth it. As long as the Aberrations remain sealed here for one more day, that’s one more day of peace for the world."

"To make such a contribution for humanity—this is your blessing. My Lord will surely watch over you."

"I hope you’ll grant us this favor. It benefits everyone."

She spoke gently.

Thomas twitched at the corner of his mouth.

Wow. So you want me dead, and you make it sound so noble?

So other people’s lives are lives... but his own isn’t?

He chuckled. "I don’t think that kind of blessing suits me. Since you’re the archbishop, why don’t you enjoy this blessing yourself? If you’re not up to it, I’d be happy to help. That’d be a great contribution too, right?"

"You’re refusing to make a sacrifice for humanity?" the nun asked coldly.

"If that’s the case, then we’ll have to force you to make it. Don’t worry—your blessing will be remembered. We’ll sing songs in your name."

Thomas narrowed his eyes.

"How many times have you sealed Aberrations using human lives?" he asked, voice low.