Chapter 654: The War Begins

On the streets of Manhattan, the once bustling downtown area had now come to a complete standstill. The roads were pockmarked with all kinds of holes. Most of the vehicles that had not been able to drive into garages had been reduced to piles of parts.

If anyone were walking the streets at this time, they might occasionally see patches of flesh and blood paste in some places.

As for the magic tower array above the city, it had long since disintegrated beyond recognition. But at this moment, there were neither powerful magic-energy professionals causing chaos in the city nor dark creatures taking the opportunity to infiltrate.

The vast majority of people in the city were hiding in shelters, or even in the churches of various deities.

The Destiny Cathedral in the Upper West Side was now packed with people. Including the underground shelter, the total space of less than fifty thousand square meters had already accommodated no fewer than forty thousand people, and the surrounding lawns were covered with all kinds of tents.

The cathedral's bishop, Howard Kate, was now standing on the altar, leading the faithful in prayer with a solemn expression.

At that moment, a paladin came to his side and whispered, "Your Grace, Shelter No. 4 reports that a large crowd has gathered outside, seeking our protection."

Bishop Howard was taken aback: "Hasn't the source-nucleus catastrophe already ended?"

Thanks to the oracle and foresight of the Lord of Destiny, the 'Destiny Church' in Manhattan, aiming to accommodate 3.5 million people, had acquired seventeen large venues during the war-induced real estate price crash, to serve as backup churches and emergency shelters.

The Shelter No. 4 mentioned by the paladin was one of them, originally a department store that they had purchased and renovated, installing statues and emblems of the deity.

During this source-nucleus catastrophe, this shelter had accommodated 130,000 people.

But at the current stage, the catastrophe from the source nucleus had come to an end, and the web of laws in this world had gradually stabilized.

Although the battles among the god-kings continued to shake the world, with shockwaves from the center of the Atlantic Ocean constantly transmitting across the globe, it was no longer as threatening as it had been at the very beginning.

The tearing of the laws that constituted this world was something that even the highest-level magic-energy arrays could not fully defend against.

"The problem is that many shelters are severely damaged."

The paladin said helplessly, "They also fear another wave of catastrophe. In this situation, no one can guarantee anything, can they?"

"If Shelter No. 4 still has enough space, then take them in."

Bishop Howard made this decision without much hesitation, based on the teachings of the Lord of Destiny.

"Our Lord is merciful. As long as it is within our power, He will not refuse anyone's plea for help. Even if that person is not one of His followers."

In fact, he was quite displeased that Shelter No. 4 had consulted him on this matter. The person in charge of Shelter No. 4 could have made the decision independently.

"There is still some space, but that's not all. The problem is that some of these people are from Nolita."

"Nolita?"

Bishop Howard quickly understood the situation and realized why the person in charge of Shelter No. 4 had reported the matter.

"Those apostates?"

About half a year ago, nearly two thousand people in Nolita, incited by a priest of a Greek deity, had left the church and abandoned their faith in the Lord of Destiny.

"Yes, Your Grace!"

The paladin bowed slightly, his eyes showing disgust and hatred: "So they don't know how to handle it. It is said that the reaction of the faithful inside the shelter is also strong. They don't want these apostates to occupy the already limited space of the shelter. But according to our teachings—"

"Take them in. Do not go against the Lord's will. Our Lord loves and has compassion for all people. Even if you have been confused and misunderstood Him, abandoned Him, when you turn back, our Lord will still embrace you."

A strange glint flashed in Bishop Howard's eyes.

He was not a bishop cultivated by the Winsted family or the 'Sunrise-Light Demon' alliance. Six years ago, he had actually been a high priest of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

But one day, after coming into contact with the teachings of the Lord of Destiny, he had unhesitatingly abandoned his faith in Athena and defected to the church of the Lord of Destiny.

In his view, as a human deity of America, the Lord of Destiny was more worthy of his faith and reverence.

"However, the Destiny Church does not belong entirely to the 'Lord.' According to the Lord's canon, it also belongs to all the people of the church, serving the Lord's followers, and the church's own operation requires costs. You can convey this to the person in charge of Shelter No. 4 and ask him to refer to Chapter 7, Article 35 of the canon."

The paladin, who was also well-versed in the Destiny Canon, immediately understood.