Zero to Peak: Ascension Online

Meanwhile, Roger was streaming live, answering eager questions from his fans who were excited over the Pope's monumental announcement.

He gazed at the digital clock on the wall before him. It was 1:30 a.m. He took a deep breath and clasped his hands together. "Guys, I think we have to end it here. I'm sorry I couldn't entertain you longer. You know I need rest to be at my best tomorrow. I may fly out tomorrow to meet the Pope, so I have to get some rest. I'm so grateful for all your love and support; I really appreciate it. See you guys soon."

He cut off the feed. He sighed in relief. He didn't go to his bed immediately. He sat for a while, ruminating over the recent, mind-blowing events. "Mind-blowing" were the very words he used to qualify the sheer significance of everything that had recently transpired.

Roger soon fell asleep. Then, his consciousness awoke in a vivid dream. He saw himself seated on a vast, grassy plain at night. The night itself had an abnormal, oppressive weight of darkness attached to it. However, the sky above was studded with the brightest, most breathtaking stars that Roger had ever witnessed in his life. There was no moon in sight.

As he awoke in the grassy plain, he discovered that he was lying down on the soft, soothing grass. He sat up and observed the barely visible, sprawling plain. He heard the grass rustle nearby; someone was approaching. He turned to his right and saw a small figure approach him from behind. Up close, he saw that this little person was a dark-skinned boy with long, unkempt hair. The boy was draped in a tattered t-shirt and black jean trousers, without any footwear. The child was barefoot.

Roger wanted to ask the child why he was dressed like this and where his parents were. But he couldn't; his lips seemed to have a mind of their own. He could feel the will of his lips; they wanted to rest, as if the serene powers of the night beckoned them to do so.

Roger could only stare at the tattered-dressed boy. The scrawny-looking boy appeared to be around seven years old.

The boy briefly met Roger's gaze before he lifted his own to gaze at the star-studded sky. His lips moved, uttering: "The night is serene. The night is for rest. Energy becomes abundant when all are resting; the night holds secrets that we cannot fathom. Blessed be the divine Goddess."

Instinctively, as if prompted by a priest's prayer, Roger replied, "May the blessings of the Goddess be abundant in our lives."

Suddenly, Roger fell backwards, hitting the grassy ground at a breakneck pace. He found his consciousness plunged into a deep, dark void. However, he didn't struggle. It felt profoundly peaceful in this void. Then he blanked out, returning to normal sleep.

He wasn't the only person having this kind of dream. Priest Rio also dreamt this very dream, exactly in the format that Roger had just experienced. He found himself in the grassy plain, covered by a thick blanket of darkness, illuminated by a very bright, star-studded sky. The scrawny, tattered-dressed boy approached him, and he was unable to speak to the boy. The boy spoke to Clergyman Rio the same words he had said to Roger. Rio replied with the same words as Roger and suddenly found himself plunged into a dark, formless void.

Two other priests in the priestly quarters at the Church of Serenity had a similar dream. They were Priest Makelele and Priest Edwin. This trio of Priest Edwin, Makelele, and Rio were the only priests out of the thrity two priests at the church of serenity who were yet to be snatched by the Unds faction.

The next day, Sunday, Ivan started his daily routine at 5 a.m. sharp. He quickly freshened up, had breakfast, before driving down to Escady Gym to commence his daily workout. He went from the gym to Greg's Martial Art Centre later in the day.

While he was catching his breath after an intense sparring session with Greg, he heard his phone ring in his kit bag. He retrieved his phone from the bag, discovering he was receiving a video call from Roger.

In the video feed, Roger was walking to board a plane. He was all smiles and jovial.

"Ivan, my man, I'm on my way to the Church of Serenity. The Pope arranged a private flight for me, and guess what?"

Ivan shrugged, hopeless on getting the right guess.

Roger continued, "The aircraft wasn't a small private jet. He got me a big plane!" He turned the camera to show the sheer size of the plane in question. The aircraft was almost the size of an Airbus A380.

"What in the world!" Ivan exclaimed. "Mr. Pontiff is doing extra. He must have broken the church's account doing this. Is he sure he is going to get a healthy ROI after this stunt…"

Roger interjected, his expression turning serious. "I don't like that joke. The Pope is a faithful and loving man. He wouldn't do this for the hope of reaping massive gains. All this effort is to help grow the faith of believers. It's a shame you don't want to convert."

Ivan maintained a genuine grin throughout the conversation. "I'm sorry for the joke. I'm partially not sorry that I don't want to be a believer. And lastly, safe journey, man. Go show those believers the crazy devotion that flows in your heart.

"Aye, don't forget to get me something nice, especially food, from there when you return."

"Alright, man. See you soon, bro. Treat Daiyu with love. Don't lie to her." The video call was abruptly cut.

"Tsk tsk!" Ivan expressed his slight annoyance at Roger's last words. The Pillar was obviously throwing a jab at Ivan, although it was honest advice.

He bent down, about to return his phone into the bag, when it buzzed because of an incoming notification. Ivan checked the notification; it was a message from Bangyu Restaurant:

"This is a notification from the manager about a scheduled team meeting at the restaurant on Tuesday. The manager wants to introduce three new team members to the team. The manager hopes that everyone can make it to the meeting, and if one couldn't make it, there should be a worthwhile excuse for doing so."

Ivan contemplated the notification of the meeting. He felt that it was not strictly necessary for the team to meet the new members outside of the day the team was to go on a raid. But he soon came to see the flaws in this thinking. Perhaps one of the new members, or all of them, possessed a unique ability or character that might not be compatible with the team's current dynamics.