Magic? My Iron Torrent will sweep it all away!

The entire cathedral fell silent.

The Pope kept his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

Seeing this, Archbishop Kyle slowly and deliberately straightened his pristine white cuffs.

"turn down."

"Astral teleportation is the highest secret bestowed upon our race by the gods. Each activation consumes a massive amount of precious materials, and the risks are immeasurable."

"What if we attract another group of demons instead of allies?"

"Can your elven race shoulder this responsibility?"

He looked down at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Lin Mo, his disdain evident in his eyes.

"Moreover, is it worth paying such a price for such a weak group of allies?"

"Excuse my bluntness, but this is like drinking poison to quench thirst; it's utterly foolish!"

"We, the Holy Humans, would rather fight to the last man in the Holy Light than entrust the fate of Terra to a bunch of mortals!"

These words are tantamount to a death sentence.

Fendona's eyes instantly reddened, and her body trembled slightly.

Elder Muyu was so angry that his beard stood on end and his face turned ashen.

at this time,

"laugh."

An extremely untimely chuckle broke the silence.

Everyone turned sharply to look at the source of the laughter.

It's Lin Mo.

Archbishop Kyle's arrogance froze, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

"Stranger, are you mocking me?"

Lin Mo's lips curled up.

"No, no, no."

"How dare I mock adults who are high and mighty?"

But there was not a trace of respect on his face.

"How dare you!" Kyle roared.

"Don't be so quick to anger, sir. May I ask your name?" Lin Mo smiled slightly.

Archbishop Kyle snorted coldly.

"You may call me Archbishop Kyle."

"Yes, Your Excellency Archbishop Kyle." Lin Mo nodded.

"I respect every race in Terra, and I respect your beliefs."

"But please, make one thing clear."

Lin Mo's expression turned indifferent.

"We've come not to beg you."

"We are here to give you a chance to live."

"Sir, do you not understand the phrase 'on the verge of extinction,' or do you simply not care about the survival of the Terra continent?"

Lin Mo's voice echoed in the empty cathedral, each word like a slap in the face to the proud face of the Holy Human Race.

"presumptuous!"

Archbishop Kell was furious.

He slammed his scepter heavily on the ground, and the gem at the top of the scepter burst forth with dazzling holy light, unleashing an immense pressure upon Lin Mo.

The air grew heavy, pressing against every inch of Lin Mo's bones.

Ordinary people would probably be terrified under such pressure.

"How dare you, a barbarian, roar within the Holy Lord's temple!"

Kyle's voice was full of judgment.

"Your Excellency, please calm your anger!"

Fendona's face turned pale. She rushed to Lin Mo and spread her arms to protect him behind her.

"He meant no disrespect whatsoever!"

"He helped us defeat the demons in the city of Lostia; he is a friend of the continent of Terra!"

Elder Muyu raised his Nature Staff and gently tapped the ground.

A soft, emerald-green halo spread out, subtly counteracting the oppressive aura released by Kyle.

He stepped forward, his gaze passing over Kyle and landing directly on the Pope, who remained silent on the high platform.

"Your Majesty, just seven days before we arrived in the City of Holy Light, the Steelbeard Dwarf tribe, which was entrenched in the Blackrock Mountains, fought a bloody battle with the demons for three days and was almost wiped out."

"The orcish Howling Wind tribe was forced to migrate westward, and their territory is now a hunting ground for demons."

"The demons are growing stronger, while we are weakening. With the demons gaining strength at one end of the spectrum, how much longer do we have?"

These words caused all the clergy present to frown.

Kyle's anger subsided slightly, and his brows furrowed.

They weren't completely unaware of this information, but hearing it now brought a heavy sense of reality to the scene.

Elder Mu Yu changed the subject and looked at Lin Mo.

"However, we are not without hope."

"In the recent Battle of Lostia, it was the new weapons brought by Lord Lin Mo that gave our Elven Guard a qualitative leap in combat power, which enabled us to repel a long-planned surprise attack by the demons."

He gave the elven guards behind him a wink.

Two elven guards stepped forward and removed a strangely shaped composite bow and a compact repeating crossbow from their bodies.

They are quite different from the elegant longbows of the Elves, and are full of efficient, pure physical beauty.

A priest stepped forward, picked up the composite bow, and looked puzzled.

"What...what is this?" he asked disdainfully.

Lin Mo smiled, took the composite bow from the elven guard, and skillfully nocked an arrow.

He aimed at a stone statue that served as decoration in the corner of the cathedral.

"Buzz—"

The sound of the bowstring vibrating was deep and powerful.

A black arrow flew from the bowstring, carrying no magic, yet possessing an indomitable and sharp momentum.

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, the hard stone carving shattered, and the arrow sank deep into the wall behind it, leaving only a trembling tail feather.

The hall was deathly silent.

All eyes were fixed on the arrow's fletching.

This power... has exceeded the range of ordinary arrows!

Then, another elven guard picked up his crossbow and calmly pulled the trigger.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

A series of rapid whooshing sounds rang out as ten crossbow bolts were fired in just three seconds, accurately striking the remains of the statue and forming a dense target.

Archbishop Kyle's pupils suddenly contracted.

It's not that he can't see the value of this thing.

No magical talent is required; it's so simple that it doesn't require extensive training. With enough strength and simple operation, one can possess such terrifying destructive power and firing rate.

If an army of ten thousand were fully equipped with this weapon, and then combined with the power of magic...

He dared not think any further.

On the high platform, Pope Gregory VII, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

He stared at Lin Mo, as if trying to see through him inside and out.

Lin Mo met his gaze without flinching.

"Your Holiness the Pope."

Lin Mo's voice was clear and calm.

"It's only a matter of time before Terra falls."

"Your prized 'Astral Teleportation'—if you don't use it now to find a way to survive, then its final fate will be to be buried in this land's coffin along with your remains."

The harsh reality of Terra, coupled with the shock of the new weapons, finally persuaded the Holy See.

The Pope remained silent for a long time, his majestic voice resounding throughout the hall.

"Use of 'Astral Teleportation' is permitted."

Fendona and Elder Muyu's faces instantly lit up with ecstasy.

"But," the Pope changed his tone, "then..."

"There are conditions!"

"First, you will bear all the costs of magical materials and manpower required to open the portal."

"Your Majesty, of course." Elder Muyu immediately bowed in agreement.

"Two!" The Pope's gaze fell on Lin Mo.

"Your kingdom must sign a magical contract."

"The contract will restrict the number of Great Xia personnel, the types of weapons they can use, and the scope of their activities in Terra."

"You must promise not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Terra race, to enter as employees only, and to accept joint supervision from both my race and the elves."

"If you disobey, the portal will be permanently closed, and you will be punished!"