[The Secret Church]

Ranen, wearing a mask, walked along the streets, experiencing firsthand the post-disaster state of Arkham City.

Although he had seen through promotional videos what the people had endured, nothing compared to the immersive feeling of seeing it with his own eyes.

The people only saw the abnormalities for a brief half hour, but the impact was devastating.

It was a completely unforeseen natural disaster; the abnormalities suddenly appeared in reality. Oh no, it should be said that due to Soren’s ritual, the entire population of Arkham City was pulled into a dimension where they could see the abnormalities, and the one-sided slaughter began.

Children lost their fathers, couples lost their lovers, and mothers lost their children.

Scenes of life and death were everywhere, and the number of casualties had yet to be counted, but it was expected to exceed thousands. The sound of fire trucks and ambulances had not stopped on the streets, and the most severely damaged neighborhood had many buildings collapse, reportedly due to a large truck that went on a rampage, crashing into buildings along the way.

Other neighborhoods also suffered considerable damage, especially residential areas. Arkham City had a long history, and many of the old residential buildings were from the last century. Once a fire started, it spread quickly.

Official firefighters were overwhelmed, and civilians had spontaneously organized to take on firefighting and rescue tasks. Volunteers in uniforms could be seen walking around on the streets.

Ranen originally thought of stepping in to help, but after touching his mask and recalling everything he had experienced in the hospital the previous night, he decided against it. Instead, he just stood at a distance, watching them work.

He still had his own tasks to handle.

Ranen’s purpose for this trip was the Kamui Tribe. Since he wanted to build a faction, consolidating the forces he currently had was an unavoidable process. The first person who came to mind was Carmen.

Carmen was the leader of the Kamui Tribe and also a true master of magical potions. Many people in the Kamui Tribe knew how to brew magical potions or identify herbs, which was a significant advantage for players. Moreover, the Kamui district was the only area with an NPC magic potion shop, and their stance would naturally influence players’ decisions.

However, when Ranen walked into the area, he realized something was off.

If he had to put it into words, it was that there wasn’t a single volunteer to be seen.

Not only that, even the vehicles distributing food and emergency medical supplies didn’t stop here.

Ranen frowned and walked deeper into the district.

As far as he could see, the streets around him showed varying degrees of damage. Possibly due to the simplicity of the buildings in this area—many of which were wooden or made of mud bricks—many buildings had collapsed or were on the verge of collapse, looking very dangerous.

When Ranen arrived, he saw several adults setting up tents in an open area for temporary shelter. Women were making fires to cook, and a few children were playing around a broken wooden board. The Kamui people had their own specific ethnic attire, with red as the base color and both adults and children wearing white tassels. However, the clothes seemed to have been worn for quite some time, with several children’s clothes and pants dusty, and the women’s garments had noticeable patches.

In every aspect, their lives didn’t seem to be going well.

As soon as Ranen entered the area, he drew numerous glances, both open and hidden. However, a grown man soon approached him, causing the others to quickly look away.

“Lord Ranen.”

When the man walked up to Ranen and spoke, Ranen realized that this was Carmen.

Huh? Wait a minute?

Ranen looked at the person in front of him in surprise. Was this how Carmen looked?

It wasn’t that Ranen was overly shocked, but Carmen’s transformation seemed a bit drastic. Ranen’s first impression of Carmen had been as a dying patient on a hospital bed. To put it bluntly, Carmen at that time had resembled a “mummy,” and Ranen had assumed that Carmen was quite old. Later, when he met Carmen again, he had recovered somewhat, but still sat in a wheelchair with sunken cheeks, looking pale and unwell, appearing to be in his thirties or forties.

But now, the man standing before Ranen was in the prime of his life, about 1.8 meters tall, neither muscular nor thin, with skin the light brown color typical of the Kamui people. His facial features were deep, with large eyes, somewhat reminiscent of Aryans from Ranen’s past life. His black pupils held a mysterious beauty.

“Carmen… You seem to be in good shape,” Ranen said.

Carmen smiled faintly. “Yes, thanks to you, Lord Ranen. Not long after you left, I took a lot of medicine to nurse my health, and I’ve basically fully recovered. I was in such a sorry state before, and appearing before you like that wasn’t presentable at all.”

As he spoke, he slightly bowed and made an inviting gesture. “This is not the place for a conversation. Please, follow me.”

Ranen nodded and, under the curious gazes of those around him, followed Carmen into a building.

This two-story, modest building was Carmen’s home, the same one Ranen had visited before. However, it seemed more disordered than last time. Carmen noticed Ranen’s gaze and his face reddened slightly. “I apologize for showing you such a shabby sight! Since the disaster, I’ve been busy brewing magical potions and haven’t had time to clean up.”

“No, it’s fine,” Ranen’s gaze swept over the scattered, unfamiliar herbs on the floor. The room was filled with the strong scent of various potions, making it clear just how busy he had been. No wonder Ranen hadn’t seen many severely injured people on his way here.

The potions worked wonders, and no wonder the player forums highly recommended this place.

However, Ranen did have some questions: “Is everything okay here? Why haven’t any volunteers come to help?”

“Well, it’s fine. When the disaster occurred, I quickly organized the tribe to take shelter. Many people were injured, but no one died,” Carmen said with a bitter smile. “As for volunteers, our district generally doesn’t have government-organized volunteers come here.”

Ranen couldn’t help but frown at this.

In his previous life, he had known a little about the Kamui tribe’s situation from forums. But now it seemed to be even worse than he had imagined. Outside this district, he had seen ambulances and volunteer teams, yet here, there wasn’t a single one.

Noticing Ranen’s expression, Carmen unexpectedly comforted him instead. “You don’t have to worry about us. In the local religion, we Kamui are considered the ‘God-forsaken people.’ We’ve long grown accustomed to such things. In fact, ever since the modern era, others’ attitudes toward us have improved significantly. The fact that the local government even designated this district for us to live in—we are already very grateful.”

“God-forsaken people?” Ranen was a bit puzzled.

“Yes,” Carmen said softly. “Have you ever heard this legend…?”

According to the legends of this world, after Adam and Eve left Eden, they multiplied upon the scorching land, forming what would later become the human race. However, the land was barren and plagued with disasters, and the human race teetered on the brink of extinction multiple times. Unable to bear it any longer, God chose three individuals from among them and bestowed upon them divine wisdom.

The one granted the ability to perceive the vast lands became a prophet, guiding the people to the most fertile lands and water sources.

The one granted the power to heal diseases became a shaman, responsible for offering sacrifices to God and serving as a bridge between the divine and mankind.

The last person had his hand taken by God, who brushed over his hair and eyes, asking if he was willing to offer them to Him. Without hesitation, the man cut off his long black hair and blinded himself. Pleased with his resolve, God granted him the power to see through fate, lifted his hand, and declared to all: “This man shall be your leader. He will guide you, just as I do.”

Thus, three became the leaders of the human tribe, two under the sway of fate, and under the guidance of these three sages, humanity flourished and multiplied.

However, calamity struck one day, coinciding with an invasion by foreign enemies. The shaman betrayed the other two leaders, leading his people away from their homeland.

God was furious and declared, “They have forsaken me. From this day forward, they shall bear the name ‘Kamui’ to mark them as those who have abandoned God. I forbid them from settling permanently on any land. As the price for their departure, they shall forever wander.”

As Carmen recounted the legend, his tone remained calm, but his eyes wavered uncharacteristically, like a stone thrown into a still pond. Ranen listened in silence.

“Since then, we Kamui have been nomads. Before the advent of modern civilization, we were even hunted and driven away,” Carmen said with a bitter smile.

“Haven’t you tried selling your potions?” Ranen asked. “With their remarkable effects, surely someone would recognize their value.”

“There have been people,” Carmen admitted. “But they only recruit a select few from our tribe and require them to abandon their Kamui identity, culture, and the marks of our people before accepting them.”

“Everyone who remains here is unwilling to do that.”

“Why do they insist you abandon your identity as Kamui?” Ranen couldn’t understand.

“There’s the religious aspect,” Carmen said, pressing his lips together, “but also… because of a belief that the Kamui are a cursed people. As long as someone retains their Kamui identity, any faction that employs them will be cursed—soon going bankrupt, having their leader assassinated, or ultimately facing complete destruction.”

“Just like the legend says—wherever the Kamui settle, disaster will follow. So we can only keep wandering.”

“I see.” Ranen nodded. “Then why don’t you all join my faction?”

Carmen’s head snapped up, his lips trembling. “D-Did you not hear what I just said? The Kamui are—”

“I heard you.” Ranen’s expression remained calm. “I just don’t believe that kind of curse would work on me.”

How should he put it? It wasn’t that Ranen didn’t believe in the curse, but given his current situation, he might not even survive long enough for the Kamui’s curse to take effect.

If he couldn’t quickly establish dominance over the players and make his faction the largest in the game… his identity would be exposed, and the looming threat of being hunted down or captured by various forces would be upon him.

The Fourth Calamity ^[1]The term “Fourth Calamity” originates from a meme in Paradox Interactive games. In the game Stellaris, there are calamities such as the Prethoryn Swarm (insectoid invasion), the Unbidden … Continue reading was like an unpredictable time bomb, but Ranen was already drowning in debt and didn’t care about one more burden. Right now, his only focus was surviving the immediate crisis. As for the so-called curse—well, he was a god, after all. It couldn’t be that serious, right?  

That was what he thought, though he obviously couldn’t say it out loud.  

To Carmen, however, Ranen’s casual words landed like a heavy stone, smashing into his heart.  

The Kamui people had endured hardship for many years. Though the Arkham government had designated a district for them under pressure from human rights organizations, no one could guarantee how long such policies would last.  

They had been through too many cycles of hope and disappointment, too many instances of being expelled and betrayed, forced to wander once again, homeless and adrift like floating weeds.  

And besides, Ranen was already Carmen’s faith—his master. The moment Ranen spoke of accepting his people, the walls around Carmen’s heart crumbled.  

Ranen watched in shock as Carmen’s eyes reddened in an instant, and the next moment, this grown man was crying right in front of him.  

Ranen: ???  

“I’m fine. I’m just… too happy.” Carmen awkwardly wiped his tears. “Sorry, I’ve been under too much pressure lately. I never even imagined…”  

His overwhelming joy left him at a loss for words, which confused Ranen even more. He didn’t even say much, did he? Clearly, having the Kamui people join his barely existent faction is a huge advantage for him—so why is Carmen this happy?  

Ranen quickly asked, “Don’t you need to discuss this with your people first?”  

“No need!” Carmen grinned, revealing white teeth. “They won’t oppose it! I’m the Kamui chief. We follow the ancient tribal system—wherever the chief goes, the Kamui follow.”  

Oh, right. Carmen is the Kamui chief. Ranen had nearly forgotten.  

He hadn’t expected this supposedly massive hurdle to be resolved so easily. At first, he’d even worried about what to do if Carmen refused.  

Now that the biggest challenge was settled, Ranen let out a breath of relief. Jokingly, he said, “You agreed so readily—aren’t you afraid I’ll sell off your entire tribe?”

“Not afraid,” Carmen said decisively. “Because the Kamui people have nothing left to lose. We’re already at the bottom—no matter which direction we go, it’s a step up.”  

“Besides,” Carmen looked at Ranen deeply, his voice low, “without you, our tribe was doomed to destruction anyway.”  

At the time, Ranen thought he was referring to how he had saved Arkham before.  

It wasn’t until much later that he realized Carmen’s words meant far more than that.  

At that moment, Carmen suddenly hesitated before asking, “My Lord, may I inquire about the name of our church?”  

Oh, great. They are already at the “our” stage.

Ranen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a cold sweat.  

Crap. He forgot to name his faction.  

When he left this morning, his mind had been entirely focused on persuading the Kamui people to join his completely empty organization. He hadn’t even considered what came next. And now—he was terrible at naming things.  

“My Lord?” Carmen looked at him in confusion.  

Ranen’s brain worked at full speed. His gaze deepened. “…The Secret Church.”  

Ogre had said that his identity must remain a secret.  

[The Unutterable Mystery]

“Secret…” Carmen murmured the word as if engraving it into his heart, then tentatively asked, “Does this mean our doctrine is absolute secrecy, that nothing can be revealed?”  

“…No.”  

‘Are you kidding? Players keeping secrets? What a joke.’

Ranen said, “The meaning of ‘Secret’ is that the entire church exists for the sake of a secret.”  

The whole thing was just a front to protect his identity as the Gatekeeper.  

Carmen only half understood, but since Ranen himself seemed uncertain about the details, he didn’t press further.  

“Carmen, you will be the first High Priest of the Secret Church.”  

Carmen’s head shot up in shock. “M-me?”  

Ranen nodded. “There’s no one more suitable than you.”  

The Kamui people excelled in gathering and crafting medicine—especially Carmen, who was practically a master alchemist that shouldn’t even exist this early in the game. His knowledge of mysticism was probably deeper than Ranen’s. There was no better choice.  

But to Carmen, this meant something entirely different.  

He had already told Ranen about the legend—the Kamui ancestors were once a bridge between gods and humans, but they betrayed the gods.  

And yet, even knowing this, Ranen still wanted him to be a priest.  

What kind of generosity and kindness was this? Not only had he accepted their people, but he was also placing such immense trust in him.  

Carmen took a deep breath, then, under Ranen’s stunned gaze, dropped to one knee. “I will not fail you.”  

Ranen: “…Get up.”  

Yeah, he still wasn’t used to this whole thing.  

He helped Carmen to his feet, and Carmen immediately asked, “Then, how should we pray to you?”  

Ranen, who had just barely managed to come up with a church name: …Here we go again.

Fortunately, this time, Ranen had thought ahead about the prayer chant. Thanks to the various grandstanding figures from his past life’s media, he was quite familiar with this kind of directional invocation. He chuckled softly and said, “You may call me:  

The Overturner of Fate

The Unspeakable Mystery  

The New Lord of Nature and the Forest”

The titles subtly hinted at Ranen’s origins (the dice and the player), his current identity, and the authority he wielded.  

There was actually another line—The Gatekeeper of Dream World—but since his goal was to keep that secret, there was no way he was going to say it out loud.  

The moment he uttered this prayer, the three points of light in the Dream Rift suddenly froze in midair.  

Karens, Archie, and Edmund all heard the voice.  

Karens had been listening to a subordinate’s report, Archie had been pulled into overtime by the bureau chief and was too busy to stop for a breath, and Edmund had been in a deep sleep.  

But the moment they heard the voice, all three instinctively repeated the words in their hearts.  

A faint sense of connection seemed to grow deeper, as if his presence was being imprinted onto their very souls.  

Karens waved a hand, signaling for the report to continue. Archie, despite his colleague’s curious glance, nonchalantly kept signing documents.  

Meanwhile, Carmen solemnly stated that he had memorized the prayer and would ensure that all Kamui people joined the Secret Church as soon as possible. Ranen nodded. “I’ll leave it to you, then.”  

“No, no! This is my greatest honor!” Carmen looked absolutely radiant, his eyes practically shining. “I will dedicate all my efforts to spreading the faith! And from now on, our Kamui tribe’s potions will only be available to those who have joined the Secret Church!”  

Ranen nearly jumped. “That’s not necessary… at least not for now.”  

While it was true that he had recruited the Kamui people for their potions, he had never intended to restrict their trade solely to church members. Sure, that might attract more players, but in these early stages—when the player base was still small—he didn’t want to disrupt the Kamui people’s cash flow.  

They were already struggling enough as it was. Having them join his faction was already benefiting him—how could he make their lives even harder?  

“But if our enemies buy our potions, our people will definitely feel uneasy,” Carmen said.  

Ranen replied coolly, “I think you’re misunderstanding something, Carmen. Did you think I recruited the Kamui people just for your potions?”  

Carmen froze, his expression practically screaming, Wait, wasn’t that the reason?

Ranen nearly choked. Ahem, well, that was part of it, but—  

That wasn’t the main reason.  

Shaking his head, he said, “You yourselves are the greatest treasure. More than one-time-use potions, I want you to understand that you are what I truly value.”  

So many skilled and knowledgeable NPCs—isn’t this the perfect place to pick up daily faction quests?

Carmen slightly parted his lips, and Ranen’s casual words struck his heart like a heavy hammer.  

No one had ever told them they were treasures.  

The Kamui people, who had been ostracized and despised, had never been referred to with such a word.  

“If possible, I would prefer for your Kamui people to live in harmony with my followers… You can make use of them, have them gather herbs, or help with other tasks in exchange for discounts on the potions. I hope you can become friends, brothers.”  

Carmen was starting to feel dizzy.  

Seeing his state, Ranen couldn’t help but stop, waiting for Carmen to process the words before continuing, “I won’t force the Kamui people to worship me, nor will I make you change your culture. Just be yourselves. Live as you always have, and if you can teach some of your skills or knowledge, that would be even better.”  

“…Lord Ranen,” Carmen said, tears welling up in his eyes, “I won’t betray your trust. May I hang our church’s symbol at the door?”  

The church symbol…?  

Ranen froze.  

“And your doctrine, I want to use it for the preaching.”  

Ah.  

Ranen fell silent for a moment before answering gravely, “No need to rush, Carmen.”  

‘I’ll think about it when I get back.’

#A designer’s nightmare#

Ranen quickly left the Kamui district in a hurry. He needed to go back and properly refine his faction.  

Meanwhile, Carmen stood there, staring at Ranen’s retreating figure in confusion.  

‘Strange, why didn’t the Lord tell him the church’s symbol and doctrine?’

He thought, ‘could it be…’

‘A test?’  

A lightbulb lit up in Carmen’s head. Of course, he is now the priest of the Secret Church. How could he ask their savior for everything? Isn’t it his responsibility to write the doctrine and design the symbol?  

When He said, “No need to rush, Carmen,” He wasn’t saying He would tell him later, but rather subtly reminding him that it was his job!  

He understands, completely understands. This is the first test Ranen has given him. The doctrine and symbol of the Secret Church should be written by him!