Free Web NovelChapter 333: Conquering Earth
The Sunday service was held exactly one week after Victor Hale’s conviction. Long before sunrise, every road leading toward Chicago’s largest football stadium had already become hopelessly congested.
Cars stretched for miles, yet people abandoned their vehicles without hesitation and continued the journey on foot. Entire families carried folding chairs and bottles of water while others arrived wrapped in blankets after spending the night outside the stadium just to secure a seat. Volunteers dressed in pristine white jackets bearing the emblem of the Ministry of Love guided the endless crowds through security checkpoints while police officers struggled to control the relentless tide of humanity pouring into the area.
By eight o’clock, every one of the eighty thousand seats inside the stadium had been occupied.
Thousands more remained outside.
Massive LED screens had been erected around the stadium to accommodate those unable to enter, yet even the surrounding streets had become standing rooms packed shoulder to shoulder with people. Helicopters hovered overhead while news stations from across America broadcast the gathering live. Several international networks interrupted their regular programming entirely. Nobody wanted to miss what many had already begun calling the most important religious gathering in modern history.
Everyone waited for one man.
At exactly nine o’clock, the lights dimmed and the enormous stadium fell into an almost unnatural silence.
A lone figure calmly walked onto the stage, dressed in immaculate white robes that fluttered gently beneath the morning breeze. The applause began almost immediately. It spread like wildfire as people rose from their seats, cheering with unrestrained excitement.
Damian waited patiently.
He neither waved nor acknowledged the thunderous ovation.
Nearly two full minutes passed before the deafening applause finally subsided. Only after silence reclaimed the stadium did he slowly raise his gaze and look across the endless sea of faces before speaking into the microphone.
"The world has convinced you that love is a reward. That it must be earned. That kindness belongs only to the deserving. But tell me... when did the sun begin asking permission before giving warmth?"
His calm voice echoed effortlessly throughout the colossal stadium.
"When did the rain choose only the righteous? Nature gives because giving is its nature. Yet mankind, the creature that proudly calls itself civilized, bargains over compassion as though mercy were a currency."
His eyes slowly swept across the audience.
"That is why the strong look down upon the weak and the wealthy look down upon the poor."
The crowd that had come expecting only to witness a miracle found themselves captivated by something else entirely. The stadium became so quiet that every word settled heavily upon their hearts.
"Here in the Ministry of Love, there is no such hierarchy. God loves you all equally and will protect the poor just as faithfully as He protects the rich. That is why today I have decided to reach out to a family deserving of that love."
Damian stepped away from the podium.
"I would now like to invite two people onto this stage."
Sophia Morales appeared from backstage and beside her walked Emily.
The stadium erupted into thunderous applause. The little girl carefully made her way across the stage with the aid of her prosthetic leg while millions watching around the world immediately recognized the mother and daughter.
Gradually, the applause faded once more.
Damian looked toward Emily and smiled warmly.
"Emily."
The little girl nodded nervously.
"May I?"
Emily instinctively turned toward her mother. Sophia’s eyes had already filled with tears.
"Yes."
She nodded.
Damian slowly knelt before the little girl. Without another word, he carefully unfastened the prosthetic from her leg.
An audible gasp swept across the entire stadium.
Television cameras immediately zoomed closer while millions around the world unconsciously leaned toward their screens. Emily now stood supported by her mother, her leg ending just below the knee where the missing limb had once been.
Damian gently placed one hand upon the healed stump.
The entire stadium suddenly became unnaturally silent.
Not a single bird sang.
Even the wind itself seemed to vanish.
A soft black mist seeped from Damian’s fingertips. Though clearly visible to him, the world could not perceive it.
It flowed downward like liquid darkness, wrapping itself around Emily’s missing limb.
The temperature throughout the stadium suddenly dropped several degrees.
People instinctively wrapped their arms around themselves while several young children began crying without understanding why. Television cameras briefly flickered and the live broadcasts distorted for a split second before stabilizing once more.
The darkness gradually thickened. Within it something moved. His leg began reforming before the eyes of the entire world.
Millions watched as flesh slowly emerged where none had existed only moments earlier.
It did not happen instantly.
The leg rebuilt itself piece by piece before everyone’s eyes. A pristine white bone stretched downward while countless muscle fibers rapidly wrapped themselves around it. Blood vessels branched outward like living roots as nerves intertwined beneath newly formed flesh. Finally, smooth skin spread across the entire limb before delicate toes slowly formed one after another.
Every single stage of creation unfolded openly before humanity.
Several doctors seated near the front involuntarily rose to their feet. One dropped his notebook while another covered his mouth in complete disbelief, unable to look away.
Gradually, the black mist dispersed. Emily stood there upon two perfectly healthy legs. For several long seconds, she simply stared downward before cautiously flexing her toes.
Everyone watched her bend her knee. Then she slowly placed both feet flat against the stage.
Nothing hurt or felt artificial.
It felt normal.
"M... Mom..."
Sophia collapsed to her knees before wrapping both arms tightly around her daughter.
She cried uncontrollably while watching Emily cautiously walk forward. One step became two. Two became five.
Then Emily began running across the stage.
The entire stadium exploded. People screamed while many collapsed to their knees. Others openly sobbed as prayers escaped their trembling lips. They all silently thanked the God of Love who cared enough for ordinary people to restore what the world believed could never return.
Doctors stood frozen in utter disbelief while reporters completely forgot they were broadcasting live. Several cameramen slowly lowered their cameras, choosing instead to witness the impossible with their own eyes.
Sophia embraced Damian’s legs, struggling to speak through uncontrollable tears.
"Thank you..."
She repeated those words again and again. Damian simply rested one hand gently upon her shoulder.
"Don’t thank me."
He slowly lifted his gaze toward the countless faces staring back at him.
"If humanity truly wishes to move forward, then let today remind you that miracles should never belong only to the powerful."
His voice carried effortlessly throughout the roaring stadium.
"The weak, the crippled, the poor, the hopeless, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what your background may be, I need you to know that as long as you pray and serve Faceless earnestly, you too can experience His unbiased love and care."
The crowd erupted with overwhelming force.
Their deafening cheers shook the very stadium as the world trembled beneath the voices of countless people celebrating what they believed to be the dawn of a new era.
Ding!
[Congratulations. Your Faction has become the dominant faction on earth]
