Rebirth of the Interstellar Pope <Mecha>

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

[Rufeite: Before I found Anno's body, I knew that I had been obsessively in love for many years. But when I discovered him, I suddenly felt relieved. I realized then-it wasn't an illness; it was love.]

Cadilla clapped his hands, laughing. "Haha, seeing the legendary living Heavenly Cultist in the flesh-shouldn't you all be showing more shock? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

Daniel swallowed hard, his lips twitching, but said nothing.

Gu Xiaobei took another cautious step back.

Anno, on the other hand, was internally chanting Hallelujah, God bless, completely missing whatever Cadilla had just said.

In the end, it was Kane who managed to stammer out something: "Oh, it's... the Heavenly Cult..." The last word barely audible as his voice trailed off.

The silence that followed was absolute.

The disparity between Rufeite's current appearance and his sacred image from the screen was staggering. Clad in a bright red Heavenly Cult robe with a vibrant yellow jacket, his aura felt nothing short of divine on the screen-but here, it was entirely different.

Cadilla, seemingly unbothered, let out a dramatic sigh and turned to Rufeite. "See? I told you. You belong on the light screen. Everywhere else, the crowd is dull. Remember the last theological debate?"

Rufeite smiled faintly. "Keep rambling, and I'll have H9 rip that teaching robe off you."

There was no mistaking Rufeite's seriousness, and Cadilla wisely zipped his mouth shut.

Rufeite wore leather gloves, buckled tightly at the wrists. With a deliberate motion, he unfastened the buckle on his right hand and cast a slow, assessing glance at the four people in the library. His voice was calm but firm. "Who was it just now?"

No one spoke. Finally, Daniel took a hesitant step forward, lacking his usual bravado. "It... it was me."

Rufeite squinted at him, continuing to remove his gloves. "Ah, Daniel. I remember your father-he was a Blue Cardinal, wasn't he?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes."

Rufeite's gaze drifted away. "Then you should uphold your family's honor. The Blue Cardinals have been declining, and the Church of Anno is stretched thin. While your father and uncles are on the frontlines, you're here stealing data from the system? I'll forgive you this time, but do it again, and you'll be the disgrace of your lineage."

Daniel's posture shrank, confidence visibly crumbling. The pressure emanating from Rufeite was palpable-a dominance forged through years of leadership and trial, shaped by his ascent within the Heavenly Sect. Daniel had no delusions; he couldn't compete with someone like Rufeite.

Rufeite resumed his slow process of removing the leather glove. Though the buckle was undone, the glove seemed stuck to his skin, and he carefully peeled it away.

The others watched in tense silence.

Gu Xiaobei broke it first. "Master Heavenly Cultist, do you need help?"

Rufeite's gaze flicked between him, Kane, and finally settled on Anno. After a brief pause, he said, "You, come here."

Kane, still dazed by the whole situation, automatically stepped forward at Rufeite's command, muttering, "Huh?"

Anno sensed that Rufeite had meant him and quickly shoved Kane aside. "I'll do it."

Rufeite held out his gloved hand to Anno. "It's either acidic or alkaline. Be careful."