I am a necromancer, and I absolutely love America.

The Mass is over.

The believers chatted with Father Calvin in twos and threes, while a few left in the rain.

Calvin paused for a moment when he saw Richard.

Richard's eyes held a strange light he had never seen before.

For some reason, he felt that Richard's eyes were exceptionally bright, as if they possessed a magical power that drew people in involuntarily.

Calvin walked over and asked curiously:

"When I look into your eyes, I feel a sense of peace. It didn't seem like that before the Mass began."

Could it be a spillover effect of heightened mental state? Richard asked, feigning seriousness:

"I walked around the yard and felt very peaceful and comfortable. Perhaps it was God's calling. I plan to donate some bread and medicine next time I come. There are many homeless people in the neighborhood, and I hope they can get through this winter."

The church's basement was filled with dead bodies; it was so quiet.

Calvin was very pleased:

"I am delighted to meet a noble-minded seeker from the University of Tokyo."

Diversity in skin color can help the church attract more believers and may also mitigate attacks from some exclusive groups.

While the Catholic Church is anxious about the hostility of the LGBTQ community—which is indeed a hellish joke—times are changing, and God's shepherds must also be more flexible... no, more adaptable.

Although the church leadership remains conservative and still explicitly opposes same-sex marriage, lower-level clergy members like Calvin have felt the tide of the times and have had to make certain compromises.

Richard said:

"I want to attend Mass more often and learn more about the faith."

Calvin smiled:

"The church welcomes every lost sheep. You can start by attending more Masses to gain a deeper understanding of our faith."

Richard was "sincere" and genuine:

"I'd love to try, but I'm still in high school and preparing for AP exams, so time is tight."

Calvin's understanding is authentic:

"No need to rush, you can come to me anytime. I look forward to the day you join the Inquirer's Class."

The catechumen class is a preparatory stage for unbaptized people to become Catholics.

During Mass, one publicly expresses their willingness to become a seeker of the Word, thus entering the catechumenate period, also known as the rite of acceptance, followed by the study of the Word.

The formal process of joining the Catholic Church is actually very complicated, but the requirements are not as strict now, especially for someone like Richard, who is not easy to recruit a young believer from the University of Tokyo.

Calvin didn't ask Richard to come every day or every week; he simply introduced him to a few books and even gave him a few free textbooks.

Richard didn't actually intend to join, but that didn't stop him from pretending to want to, so that his frequent appearances there wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"I will try my best." Richard solemnly accepted the book.

Most believers remained calm and welcomed Richard.

Some of the white believers were probably unhappy, but Calvin was there and didn't say anything.

The rain gradually stopped.

Richard and Calvin walked out of the church side by side.

Calvin bid farewell, saying:

"May the Lord be with you."

Richard bowed in return, like a true believer.

The moment he lowered his head, the sky suddenly brightened.

The dark clouds seemed to be parted by a giant hand, and sunlight slanted down from the sky, forming a huge pillar of light that shone on the cathedral, like a miracle.

At that moment, the beam of light enveloped Richard and Calvin, as if God were welcoming a new subject.

The surrounding believers gasped in surprise.

"OMG!"

"My God!"

......

Everyone held their breath, not daring to speak loudly.

Those who brave the rain to attend Mass are the most devout believers.

Faced with this scene, they were so moved that their eyes reddened, and they were deeply shocked, repeatedly making the sign of the cross on their chests.

Several believers even knelt down involuntarily and whispered prayers.

Richard stood at the church entrance, gazing at the sky.

The sunlight fell on him, refracting a peculiar light.

Calvin was also somewhat moved.

At this moment, he began to believe what Richard had said last time. Perhaps this boy really was God's favorite.

Richard calmly looked up at the sky, the aura of death emanating from his body, representing a necromancer, rising and shining black.

The earth beneath my feet was shrouded in deathly stillness, and even the brightest sunlight could not dispel the resentment from a hundred years ago.

However, only he himself could see all of this.

Calvin removed his clerical hat, bowed deeply, and then slowly knelt down, solemnly bowing his head in prayer.

Everyone joined in the prayer, with utmost devotion.

Richard simply stood there, watching quietly.

Suddenly, he sensed a strange energy around him, extremely faint and mysterious, floating and swirling upwards in the air.

"Is it just my imagination?" Richard wondered.

Or has your spirit been elevated, allowing you to perceive things you couldn't perceive before?

Richard tried hard to discern the difference.

However, this energy is too elusive, and most of it dissipates into the air as soon as it appears.

Unable to capture, and unable to hold on.

At that moment, Richard heard a series of system notifications:

"Ding! Absorbed the power of unclaimed faith, mana restored by 1 point."

"Ding! Absorbed the power of unclaimed faith, mana restored by 1 point."

"Ding! Absorbed the power of unclaimed faith, mana restored by 1 point."

......

Richard was taken aback.

Is there really such a thing as the power of faith?

There is no God in the world, at least not now.

These beliefs became ownerless and adrift, wasted in vain.

Now Richard has arrived; he is the only one who can discover and utilize these beliefs.

In just a few seconds, Richard's magic power was restored to full!

In an instant, Richard's gaze towards the church changed.

This isn't a church, it's a spring!

"I've decided to become a seeker of the Way!" Richard said sincerely to Calvin.

Calvin said excitedly:

May the Lord be with you!

The dark clouds dispersed, and the sun shone brightly on the earth.

The rainstorm stopped, and light returned to New York.

……

Antonio Bernard, dressed in a well-tailored blue suit, red bow tie, and a napkin tucked into his collar, was patiently sitting at the table eating breakfast.

The gleaming knife grazed lightly across the pristine white bone china without making a sound.

He cut a piece of meat from the juicy steak, forked it, put it in his mouth, and chewed it gently.

Marcus was tied to a chair, staring at the man with a look of terror on his face, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

Four burly men stood behind Antonio with their hands behind their backs, staring coldly at Marcus.

"Marcus," Antonio said, taking a bite. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Marcus also had a plate of exquisite steak in front of him.

"I, I, I'm not hungry, boss! I didn't know she was Mike's daughter, I really didn't know!"

Marcus was almost in tears, so frightened that his stomach was churning with acid and he was about to vomit; he couldn't eat anything at all.

"Oh, Marcus, Marcus..." Antonio shook his head, repeating Marcus's name twice in a low voice, as if he were murmuring. In the end, he said nothing and continued eating.

Antonio hummed a light tune, his expression peaceful, and it took him a full twenty minutes to finish his meal.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin, folded it, and placed it on the table, while the cutlery was put back in a row.

After the meal, the table was spotless and clean, without a single stain or mess.

A bodyguard immediately took away the cutlery and food scraps.

Antonio looked up at Marcus and sighed.

"Marcus, you know you've gotten me into big trouble."