After fleeing from the U.S. to Europe, Hanson had been living a quiet, anonymous life in the UK. Since the company was acquired, his former colleagues had scattered. Those who had once joined him on adventures had also lost touch, likely moving on to work in some research institutions.
Hanson now had a new identity and a new job. He worked as a deliveryman for a milk company. Although the pay was modest, it was enough to support him. He had not returned to the pharmaceutical company since discovering the nature of their research, which he found utterly repulsive.
One day, as usual, Hanson was walking home from work. The milk company was not far from his rented apartment—just a ten-minute walk. As he walked along the roadside, he noticed a poster fluttering in the wind. A glance made him stop; it seemed strangely familiar. He picked it up, his heart racing. The poster depicted an enormous, ferocious dragon. Hanson looked around quickly, then folded the poster and stuffed it into his pocket before hurrying away.
Once back in his humble rented room, Hanson pulled out the poster. It was a flyer for the Dragon Church.
“Do you want to possess great power? Do you want to be protected by the dragon after death? Do you want a long life? Then join us! Let us pray together! The dragon grants us strength!” The bottom of the poster listed an address and contact number, along with the time of the next meeting, which happened to be that very evening.
Hanson’s heart pounded, and his face flushed with excitement. He had never felt so thrilled, as if he were on a high. Ever since leaving the U.S. and his beloved wife and daughter, the only thing keeping him going was the thought of the great dragon. But since seeing a dragon on television five years ago, he hadn’t encountered another.
Hanson had heard of the Dragon Church, knowing it was popular in big cities and that many high-society members had joined. In recent years, its growth had been phenomenal. Hanson had often wanted to attend a service but never managed to. Now, to his surprise, the Dragon Church was expanding into small towns.
He carefully noted the meeting address, which was at the city’s sports center. After a quick dinner, he hurried out, knowing he had an hour and a half until the meeting, and it would only take 20 minutes by cab. However, he couldn’t wait any longer and was eager to see what his beloved Dragon Church looked like.
To his dismay, he couldn’t find a cab right away. Even when he saw one, it was occupied. It took him a full half-hour to finally catch a ride.
He quickly got in. The driver was a typical middle-aged Englishman, neatly dressed and well-groomed.
Ten minutes later, Hanson arrived at the sports center. With half an hour left until the meeting, the venue was already bustling. At the front of the gymnasium stood a massive dragon statue, towering over ten meters high, lifelike and menacing, exuding an aura of intimidation.
The atmosphere was quiet, lacking the usual noise of gatherings. People spoke in hushed tones, their faces solemn and expressionless. Hanson found a corner and quietly observed the dragon statue, waiting for the event to start.
As the time approached, the crowd grew larger. Soon, the sports center, which could accommodate tens of thousands, became packed.
After 8 PM, a melodious chime rang out. The surrounding lights dimmed, leaving a single, bright spotlight shining on the dragon statue. The atmosphere became mystical, as if the dragon had come to life.
A priest in a luxurious white robe, embroidered with a purple and gold dragon on the sleeves, stepped to the front of the gymnasium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Dragon Church event. Since the great dragon descended upon this world, the only true god has emerged—our great dragon. We can clearly see the dragon's power growing stronger every day, to the point where even modern weapons can hardly compete. One day, we believe that the dragon will become the new god. At that time, what rewards will the dragon's first followers, you, receive?" He shouted passionately. Pausing for a moment, he continued, "God is false; the dragon is real. I can feel the dragon's presence in my heart. The dragon is within me... May the dragon grant us strength! Let us pray together!"
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The priest's fervor was contagious. Hanson stood among the crowd, feeling a surge of excitement, a thrill of recognition. He noticed that many in the crowd were government officials, company bosses, and, of course, ordinary citizens.
Here, everyone was humble and equal, sincerely praying. The entire venue was solemn. Everyone, whether a dragon devotee or merely curious, was swept up in the unique atmosphere, beginning to pray earnestly. Many felt an almost tangible presence of the dragon, envisioning a radiant dragon in their minds. Tears of emotion flowed freely.
Scenes like this were happening in many places. The Dragon Church had moved from the shadows into the public eye, expanding from large cities to small towns. Its influence was growing rapidly. In some smaller countries, the Dragon Church had almost become the national religion.
However, the Dragon Church had a major flaw: it lacked a cohesive organization, deep foundations, and unified leadership, with each congregation acting independently. This fragmentation was hindering its development.
…
Vatican City, the headquarters of the Church.
It was already noon. Despite the Dragon Church's rapid growth, it hadn't significantly impacted the Vatican. As the dominant force in global religion, the Vatican had deep roots and a well-organized structure with a large base of devout followers, far beyond the reach of the Dragon Church. However, the dragon's emergence had caused some effect, particularly seen in the declining number of followers and donations to the Church.
As the world's largest real estate mogul, the Vatican was financially powerful and not overly concerned about the money. Yet, there was a sense of crisis. The Dragon Church was clearly a potential adversary. In this era where miracles were scarce, faith was largely a matter of spiritual comfort, and most people didn't truly believe in the existence of deities.
The presence of a dragon in the Dragon Church spoke volumes. The dragon, capable of contending with deities, held a revered status in European mythology, comparable to the gods themselves. Seeing the dragon as a deity was hardly a stretch.
This was why the Vatican was eager to ally with the dragon. A Vatican with a dragon was vastly different from one without.
Ultimately, the Vatican is nothing more than a false church without a deity. Even the Pope harbors doubts about the existence of God.
At this moment, the Pope was sitting in an empty room, eyes closed in contemplation.
Five years ago, the opportunity for collaboration had ripened. The dragon had grown powerful enough to rival modern technology. Even the mighty United States had to compromise with the dragon, not daring to push it too far. However, before the Church could establish contact with the dragon, it vanished without a trace.
For five years, the dragon seemed to have disappeared, leaving no information behind. It was as if the dragon had vanished from the face of the Earth. Despite this, over those five years, the Dragon Church had rapidly expanded, even exerting some pressure on the Vatican. The situation now was entirely different from five years ago; time slowly changed everything.
If five years ago the Pope was confident about bringing the dragon into the Church, that confidence had waned with each passing year.
The Vatican's protection had become almost irrelevant to the increasingly powerful dragon. Its immense strength could disregard any threat. Moreover, even if the dragon did come over, it would only be as a subordinate, which the proud dragon would never allow.
Conversely, the more the Vatican needed the dragon, the stronger the dragon became, and the more the Dragon Church flourished, the deeper the Pope’s sense of crisis grew. Although the Dragon Church was not yet very powerful and its followers not widespread, over time, the dragon would become even stronger. As its majesty enveloped the Earth, the Dragon Church's influence would become more profound.
If this trend continued, the Pope feared that in a hundred years, the Vatican might cease to exist. The entire Church would end under his watch, and he would be the last Pope. Though this seemed bleak, it was a very real possibility.
This was an absolutely unacceptable outcome, the Vatican thought in anguish.
There might still be a turning point, an opportunity to grow and become the most powerful Pope in history, with influence covering the globe. A sudden flash of inspiration revitalized the Pope.
The Dragon Church’s rapid growth relied heavily on the dragon’s influence and its increasing power. However, its organizational structure was a mess, lacking unified leadership. Its promotional methods were crude and unsophisticated, almost laughable compared to the Vatican’s. This realization made him frown slightly; the Dragon Church seemed like an upstart in comparison.
Despite its crudeness, the Dragon Church had something worth learning: leveraging the dragon's influence. The Pope looked up at the ceiling, covered in vibrant murals, his eyes fixed on the image of Jesus on the cross.
Perhaps the Church needed another deity—namely, the dragon.