https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-410-New-Server-Realm-of-the-Gods/12851148/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-412-The-World-of-Fame-and-Fortune-the-Gods-Fattened-Lambs/12851152/
Chapter 411: A 5th-Rank Lord Trapped in the Nobility Quagmire
Chapter 411: A 5th-Rank Lord Trapped in the Nobility Quagmire
"Have other lords arrived? Are they 6th-Rank Legendaries? I just don’t know where they have descended." Chen Mo’s expression was serious.
From the name of the other lord’s territory, it was clear that this was not a benevolent individual. He had been surviving cautiously in this 7th-Rank Divine Nation for over a year, barely establishing a foothold.
Back when the server he was on initiated the server-wide battle for advancement, it was a fierce struggle among six servers. Unfortunately, his server was not the ultimate victor but the first to be annihilated. Thankfully, he had a server transfer voucher, which allowed him to survive by a stroke of luck.
At that time, his overall strength was only 4th-Rank Elite, which was average. However, his luck was quite good, and he received substantial rewards in several events, especially in the Angel Investor event where he made a good bet and earned nearly two million points.
Despite his usual caution, he did not spend all his points, which allowed him to have enough points to exchange for a server transfer voucher during the server wars, saving his life.
As for his initial talent, it was quite unique, named "Money Can Reach the Gods." It allowed him to spend resources to make wishes to a certain extent. Initially, it wasn’t very useful, but as he ascended, its effects became stronger, though the costs also increased significantly.
"I need to find a way to gather information. The sudden arrival of the other lord must have been noticed by the various churches." Chen Mo had been in this world for over a year and understood the mainstream of this world.
It was the churches under the divine beings.
Whether it was the appointment of nobles or the coronation of kings, none could bypass the divine beings.
Everything about the divine beings was deeply ingrained in every aspect of the world. Initially, he had resisted, but after dozens of Legendary warriors from the church came, he understood his position.
The world’s occupational ranks naturally had their own classifications: 1st-Rank was Apprentice, 2nd-Rank was Junior, 3rd-Rank was Intermediate, 4th-Rank was Senior, 5th-Rank was Legendary, and 6th-Rank was Divine Servant.
7th-Rank was the true divine beings.
Each divine being possessed immense power and divine roles akin to rules. Therefore, he had given up on activities and focused on developing his territory.
He integrated into the world and became a noble priest who worshipped the God of Holy Light.
The God of Holy Light was the most powerful of all divine beings and the one with the widest spread of faith. To become a noble, the first step was not to have a noble birth but to be favored by the Holy Light. For this, he specifically took on the rare profession of Holy Light Priest.
Only then did he plot to gain a noble status and, through various exchanges of interests, establish himself firmly.
For this, he had paid a significant price. Before he successfully took on his profession, he lived in constant fear of being labeled a heretic.
"The territory advancement task is too difficult, especially the prestige task, which requires positive emotions like reverence and gratitude to reach 5% of the entire server. Sigh."
If he could advance both his territory and himself to 6th-Rank, he would be at the Divine Servant level in this server. Then, he would no longer be a small fry and might even be able to directly connect with the God of Holy Light, thereby ensuring his safety.
A 5th-Rank Legendary might already be a significant figure among the nobility, as those nobles spent their days eating, drinking, playing, and plotting against each other. However, among extraordinary beings like adventurers, mercenaries, mages, and priests, he would only be considered high-ranking, not top-tier, as there was still the 6th-Rank Divine Servant level above him.
Although the nobles lacked power, they were protected by the divine beings. Besides the God of Holy Light, there were other divine beings like the God of Power and the God of Nobility, who also provided protection centered around these nobles.
For divine beings to spread their faith smoothly, they needed the help of the nobility. Therefore, the nobility were the second most prestigious existence, just below the priests. Kings were also nobles, so even the most mediocre of them would serve as a priest of some divine being.
Just like Chen Mo himself, being both a noble and a priest, these two identities combined reduced his troubles by ninety-nine percent.
Even a 6th-Rank Divine Servant would treat him with respect according to the protocols of priests or nobles. If he were to fail in political struggles or be captured, the other party would not kill him, nor would they dare to harm him. Instead, they would have to treat him well and then seek compensation through negotiations.
This was the new rule: absolutely no harm could come to clergy or nobility, or all factions and extraordinary beings would unite to punish the rule-breaker.
If Chen Mo were to be killed by someone who broke the rules, the noble families and divine churches would step in to apprehend and execute the perpetrator. The Holy Light Church would even dispatch divine servants, or even form a legion of 6th-Rank Divine Servants to carry out the punishment, which was the bare minimum.
After all, being both a priest and a noble, the combined benefits of these roles were quite formidable.
However, this also meant he was drawn into a much larger whirlpool of intrigue and competition. The political machinations among the nobles and the various pointless formalities, the competition among priests, and the intricate web of interests—all of these were challenges he had to face. Initially, it was difficult, but with the help of the heroes and troops he had brought from his territory, he gradually adapted.
Of course, there were also many benefits. For instance, his noble status attracted many people to join his ranks, and these were at least hero units.
Since nobles in this world were generally wealthy, those extraordinary beings who lacked funds would become his subordinates.
The structure of this world was unique, and there were no rules forcing extraordinary beings to be stronger than their peers, avoiding a dog-eat-dog environment.
On the contrary, a count with no more than apprentice-level strength could command a 6th-Rank Divine Servant if they offered enough compensation.
Thus, Chen Mo's status was highly valued. However, obtaining a noble title and status was not easy. He faced many difficulties, but his talent "Money Can Reach the Gods" often allowed him to solve problems by spending money.
Therefore, he was particularly mindful of resources.
"Lord, High Priest Colson has come to visit," a maid rushed into the study, her tone urgent.
"Entertain him well, I will go and bathe and change," Chen Mo replied with a show of respect.
After the maid left, his entire face darkened.
"I never expected my territory to have become such a situation, truly..."
The maid was from his lord's manor, yet her behavior just now was not that of a loyal servant but someone who put the church and faith first.
Under normal circumstances, a maid would never dare to enter a noble's study without permission, let alone skip the formalities of knocking and asking.
As a noble, these were basic etiquettes that were strictly taught; otherwise, he would be ridiculed in noble circles. Chen Mo, though an outsider, had adapted to the local customs to avoid standing out.
"The heroes and troops recruited from this server cannot be trusted. If the church issues an order, they will likely betray me first."
A single example revealed the whole picture. If a maid was like this, how much more so would the other heroes and troops be? The loyalty of locally recruited heroes to him never exceeded 50 points, a truly sad state.
But whose fault was it for his bad luck, landing in such a server, and one that was 7th-Rank at that?
Life must go on, and since he could not resist, he had to accept his fate.
After a quick change into his elaborate and ornate noble attire, he left the study.
He knew that the so-called high priest was just there to sponge off him. A little gift would suffice; after all, this was the norm. The combination of nobility and clergy had led to severe corruption at all levels.
However, Chen Mo had no intention of changing the system, as he was a beneficiary. If he were to change it, he would lose his noble status and even his position as a priest in the Holy Light Church.
That would make his life extremely difficult.
Unable to take care of himself, how could he help others? If he truly did so, the oppressed peasants and serfs would likely blame him for being disrespectful to the gods.
The entire world was now rigid and unchangeable. With the existence of extraordinary powers, the lower classes had no opportunity to rise.
Without the strength to resist, how could they change the existing distribution of power?
The church and nobility had not had their fill, so how could they let the lower classes have their fill? Besides, the lower classes were not considered people but merely lambs of the gods.
(End of Chapter)
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