Infinite Range: The Sniper Mage

No one could stand against him.

No one could stop him.

It was a one-sided slaughter, a complete collapse of any resistance.

Orson's enormous figure blurred, the divine radiance around him fading. He returned to normal size, standing once more upon the sea. But as the power withdrew, a single silver hair appeared at his temple.

Orson scowled. "Damn life-draining skill. Trying to wring me dry already?"

This was the price of Aspect of the World's evolved form, Manifest Heaven and Earth.

It didn't consume mana anymore. Each time he activated it, it drained years off his lifespan.

The amount of power gained depended on how much life he burned.

At the lowest setting, he could burn two years for a tenfold boost to all attributes.

But after obtaining Heavenly Spirit's Heart, his stat sheet had added a line: lifespan. Before, it said he had roughly seventy years left.

After pulling a fiftyfold power boost just now? It shaved ten years away—now he was down to sixty.

A skill that literally cost years of his life.

He could even push it to burn fifty years in one shot, gaining a 250x boost for an hour—an unstoppable juggernaut that could kill anything under heaven.

That was insane power. But it was also a terrifying gamble.

Still, Orson comforted himself. As someone who never played by the rules, who'd already butchered NPC armies and wiped out over a hundred thousand coalition troops, he was amazed he'd even had ninety-plus years to begin with.

In his last life, as a so-called good man, he'd died at twenty-five.

Now, living as the villain, he was surprisingly long-lived.

Guess the old saying was right: pests really did live the longest.

Of course, he wasn't blind. The ultimate skill Manifest Heaven and Earth was monstrously costly.

There were ways to extend one's lifespan in this fused world, but such items were unimaginably rare. Hoping to fuel monthly rampages was unrealistic—unless he became one of the gods.

Then decades were meaningless. That was the only way he could keep this power going.

Meanwhile, back across the globe…

"Gods exist… they really exist!"

"US waters report a major victory—Godslayer's allied forces have crushed the multinational fleet! Praise be!"

Orson glanced toward that UJ reporter and gave her a nod. He didn't want this to be explained away as some freak supernatural anomaly.

He wanted the world to see, to tremble, to abandon all thought of defiance.

"Oh great god from the US… please, I offer everything… just don't kill me…"

The woman collapsed before him. Orson let out an exasperated sigh. Why did UJ women always seem to default to this? It made him feel like some lunatic cult leader.

"Alright, alright. Do me a favor then."

He smiled faintly, pulling her up by the arm.

"If you truly believe I am a god come to earth, then I hereby appoint you as my missionary. Go and teach your people to worship sincerely."

"I—I'm honored to serve you!" the woman—Kawashima Reiko—practically wept with joy.

The sound of countless coins clinking filled the air.

Ever since he'd paid off Chaos Sect's monstrous debts, this was the first time Orson had flexed his authority as Chaos Sect Leader.

"You spent 2 million gold to construct a Chaos Overlord Statue."

"You spent 3 million gold to build a Chaos Temple."

"You may now recruit believers, appoint Chaos Bishops to spread your faith."

"You will continuously receive Faith Points from worshipers, which can be exchanged in the Faith Store."

Messages flowed through his mind. Orson extended a hand. Kawashima Reiko clasped it reverently and pressed a trembling kiss to his knuckles.

It made his skin crawl, but if this was the price for extracting every last drop of value from UJ adventurers… he'd tolerate her drool.

"You have successfully appointed a Chaos Bishop."

"Due to the awakening of the Chaos Saintess, you have unlocked the ability to bestow blessings on followers."

"Kawashima Reiko has received the blessing of Chaos Overlord Orgod, gaining +3000 attributes, +4400 skill points, +5 talent points."

"Her fanatic devotion grants you +10 Faith Points."

"Kawashima Reiko praises you, granting you…"

Orson froze. His eyes widened in shock. So the Chaos Sect wasn't just about collecting faith.

He could actually bless non-sss adventurers, boosting their stats directly. That was high-tier NPC stuff.

"You have unlocked the special buff Guiding Light. You now possess the ability to awaken professions in others."

More alerts. Orson's face was a mix of amazement and raw excitement.

Holy hell!

So this was what Chaos Sect Leader was really meant to be. The previous leaders were just placeholders—he was a true godhead now!

He pulled up the management panel and experimentally selected Kawashima's name.

"Kawashima Reiko has awakened as an s-rank Chaos–Lord Longbowman."

"Remaining s-rank profession slots for this temple: 9/10. Remaining a-rank slots: 80/80."

"Note: each temple carries its own allotment. To expand capacity, build more temples."

"Note: as the Chaos Sect grows, your blessings, awakening tiers, and Faith Point gains will also expand."

"Holy shit!"

Orson couldn't help swearing. This was it—the real power of a god cult leader.

As long as adventurers joined his faith, he didn't even have to give them hidden quests. He could just directly awaken them under Guiding Light.

And by the rules, Sienna, as the Chaos Saintess, shared the exact same authority.

"What if… I built thousands of temples?"

Orson shivered at his own audacity.

Of course, constructing a single temple and idol wasn't cheap.

But if he imposed a tithe on the entire world? Gold wouldn't be an issue at all.

Forget trying to coax hidden professions out of NPCs. He could mass-produce elite adventurers faster than anyone dreamed.

It wouldn't be long before he had an entire army of a-rank and s-rank chaos zealots.

And then…

It wouldn't be about earth's adventurers defending their home anymore.

It would be his legions marching through the Abyss, raising the cry to slaughter gods and demons alike.

Tokyo, city center.

"Lost and bewildered masses—your god embraces all."

"Want to become children of the US's invincible deity?"

"Join the Chaos Sect now for a chance to awaken s-rank professions. Show your devotion—embrace your god!"

Before a towering new temple, Kawashima Reiko's eyes gleamed with a fanatic light. Dozens of robed followers stood behind her in solemn prayer.

"Get down here, you fraud!"

"Baka! How dare you blaspheme in our streets…"

UJ officials were livid, outraged by Reiko's shameless antics.

But then they glanced up—and saw the terrifying dragons circling the Tokyo Tower.

And every official, every policeman, promptly shut their mouths.

So they resigned themselves to it—forced to endure 24-hour shifts, digging and mining for resources, all while being indoctrinated by the Chaos Sect.

And it worked like a charm.

"Damn it, I hate to admit it, but that brainwashing actually works on these people," Bradley muttered.

"Bow before your cult leader?" Orson teased.

"Fuck you, you goddamn zealot. A disgrace to scientific materialism!" Madman rolled his eyes so hard they nearly stuck.

"Join the sect, get free stat points. Tempting, isn't it?"

Sienna giggled behind her hand, constantly trying to sweet-talk Madman into converting.

Madman slapped a hand to his forehead. "Fine! Another cultist in the family… I swear, you two are gonna be the death of me."