HP: The Arcane Thief - Chapter 1: Caught in Act

Johnathan, an old man with an extraordinary past but an ordinary end, gets reincarnated in a dark fantasy world full of magic, darkness, and mysteries furled.

However, he committed a grave blunder by taking the fiction he had read as a reference. Reborn as a baby, he hoped to be deemed gifted by speaking early.

One thing led to another, and tragedy struck. The villagers declared him a demon-possessed and called the church. Johnathan, now known as Sylvester Maximilian, realized that he had messed up.

When the church's inquisitors came to judge him and burn him on a pyre. As a last resort and to welcome his soon to arrive second death, he started chanting holy hymns as his last breath.

Overwhelmed, they kneeled, thinking he was a messenger of Solis.

From there, the story of how Sylvester Maximilian rose through the ranks to sit at the top began.

But his life won't be ordinary, as he uses his cunning and the tag of 'God's favored' to his advantage. Fighting treachery, unearthing secret plots and world mysteries, facing the darkness around him and creating his place in history, engraving his name in the annals to be forever remembered as the—Immortal Pope, The Young.

[A/N: To not mislead you, the novel's name does not mean he instantly becomes the Pope from the start. The story will follow the life of MC. Though he will become the Pope at a pretty young age. 40% of the novel will be based around MC fighting to sit on the supreme throne.

If you enjoy world building and lore building, then you will like this story.]
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***Main Tags: FANTASY, ADVENTURE, MAGIC, DARK, STRONG MC(Weak at the start because he's a baby. Not an instant OP though.), WHOLESOME, COMEDY, KINGDOM BUILDING. MENTALLY OLD MC, Politics, Backstabbing, World Building.***

[WARNING: MC will not go around saving everyone. Absolutely not if it puts him in danger. But if he can save someone using his status or position in the church, he will. He will kill innocent people if he has to. MC is not crazy, cynical, or unsociable. The world at some times may seem very DARK.]
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[DISCLAIMER]
The religion will be fake. I won't make it similar to those existing in our world not to trigger anyone. However, the Church terminologies and designations may feel identical as they are simple vocabulary words.

Again, everything you read in this novel is fictional and has no relation to our world.

I hope you enjoy my work. Stay safe and eat healthy bananas.
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After rebirth, Long Xiaoyuan went into raptures because he was in poor health in his previous life. However, he suddenly found that his soul was in the body of a fatuous and self-indulgent emperor.

This fatuous emperor put sycophants in important positions while executed the faithful and the upright!

This merciless emperor married the son of a general and kept torturing him!

How could he be reborn as such a person?

The empress was pretty handsome and smart. Since the former soul of the emperor didn’t cherish such an excellent man, Long Xiaoyuan would love the guy and save himself by the way!

- Description from Novelupdates

A major event happened recently to the demonic sect – their powerful sect master suddenly went missing.

Everyone comforted each other: “Don’t worry, the sect master must be out pursuing fun, and so on.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

They waited.

Waited and waited.

Waited and waited.

Waited and… Everyone slammed the table: “We’ve waited so long! The sect master must have met with a mishap! Look for him!!” Numerous disciples therefore ran rumbling down the mountain.

On a certain day of the month, a certain sect master opened his eyes and thought in confusion: Hey, who am I?

- Description from Novelupdates

When she was rejected by her fiance, everyone laughed at her. Little did they know, she actually loved her fiance's uncle, a trillionaire tycoon, for a long time.Later, she had four doting brothers, numerous secret identities, and a husband who was madly doting on her.Fu Shiyan smirked, pulling her into his embrace, “Dear, when shall we have our third baby?”