In the holy city of Vanderbilt, deep within the radiant cathedral, in the council chamber of the cardinals.
The heavy, sacred scent of ancient texts mingled with the aroma of sandalwood, yet it couldn't suppress the somber atmosphere and a hint of indescribable anxiety that permeated the air.
Several urgent reports lay spread out on the huge, round council table, engraved with holy symbols. The ink was still wet, yet the words seemed to exude a chilling aura seeping from the ground.
"Similar creatures were discovered near the entrance to the East District sewers. They were purified by the patrolling Holy Punishment Squad, but the residual energy was confirmed to be of the same origin as the previous incident."
"A large amount of sticky black residue and scratch marks were found in the basement of the abandoned St. Andrew's Monastery in the old town, suspected to be one of its dens, and it has been sealed off."
"A tiny crack has been discovered at the foundation of the western city wall, with a faint leak of unidentified energy. A sealing master has been dispatched to handle it..."
The speaker was a middle-aged cardinal named Helios, with a stern face and sharp, hawk-like eyes. He was in charge of the Holy Crusade and some of the Inquisition's affairs and was known for his iron fist and caution.
His fingertip tapped heavily on the report. "In just three days, similar reports have surged! From the initial sporadic cases, they have now spread to almost every corner of the Holy City! These things... these 'Shadow Abyss Splits,' although individually weak, their very appearance is an extremely dangerous signal!"
Another older cardinal, with a furrowed brow, Auguste, who was in charge of internal affairs and the management of the faithful, spoke slowly, his voice weary:
"Rumors spread faster than a plague. Although the witnesses to the incident in the artisan district have been reassured, fear has been sown."
The believers began to question why such a blasphemous object could appear in the holy city, where the light of the Holy Spirit shines most brightly. We claim that a few latent ancient impurities were forced out by the Holy Light, but… how long can this lie last?
His gaze swept across the round table, finally settling on one of the empty high-backed chairs, engraved with the emblem of scales and swords—the seat of Judge Price, which had been vacant for a long time.
"Still no news from Pris?" August asked in a deep voice.
Bishop Helios shook his head with a grim expression:
"No. His last report was several months ago, a follow-up observation on that 'oracle' Priest Lind in Blackrock Territory, and there has been no news since. His deputy is temporarily in charge of the inquisition, but it is leaderless and inefficient. Our routine inquiry letters sent to Blackrock Territory have also disappeared without a trace."
The atmosphere in the council chamber became even more subtle when the name "Linde" was mentioned.
That distant border lord, possessing a disturbing power similar to yet entirely different from the Holy Light, was once highly regarded by Pris, but has now lost contact at this sensitive time, making him a huge uncertainty in himself.
"Forget about Lind for now. The most urgent task is to eliminate the threat at hand!"
Bishop Helios slammed his fist on the table and declared resolutely, “We cannot allow these filthy things to defile the Holy City any longer! I propose that we immediately activate the highest-level purification plan! Send out all available Holy Knights of Punishment, Inquisitors, and ascetics skilled in purification magic to thoroughly search every inch of the Holy City’s underground! From the sewers to ancient tombs, from abandoned facilities to the foundations of the city walls, leave no suspicious corner unchecked! We must uproot these evils before the situation escalates!”
"I agree."
Bishop Augustus sighed. “We must act immediately to restore the faith of the believers. However, Helios, we must not make too much noise, lest we cause greater panic. Let it be done under the guise of ‘routine reinforcement of the holy city’s defenses’ and ‘investigating ancient threats’.”
“Alright,” Helios nodded. “I will personally oversee the battle.”
The order was issued swiftly.
Soon, squads of well-equipped, solemn-faced Holy Punishment Knights set off for various areas of the Holy City. Heavy footsteps echoed through the streets, and a holy light emanated from their armor and weapons, dispelling the slight unease in people's hearts, yet also bringing a sense of impending doom.
Priests chanted prayers to strengthen their faith, while ascetics held holy symbols and sensed the evil fluctuations from the ground.
The underground network of the Holy City, the "back side" of this massive sealed system, is facing the largest purge in centuries.
However, in the very heart of the Great Cathedral of Radiance, in a secluded chamber isolated from all else, the dark cloud hanging over the faces of several true rulers did not dissipate despite the unfolding of the large-scale operation.
Helios and Augustus dismissed their attendants, leaving only the two of them in the secret chamber, along with... a body suspended in the center of the chamber, enveloped in soft holy light.
The body lay on the light-cast platform, its face serene as if asleep, dressed in a magnificent papal robe and holding a scepter. It was none other than Pope Innocent III, who had publicly declared that he was in "seclusion and asceticism."
But he was not asleep.
His vital signs were stable, but his soul was as if locked in an invisible amber, unresponsive to the outside world, relying only on the vast holy light energy around him to maintain a minimal amount of life.
This is an extremely bizarre state, neither death nor normal life.
What's even more unsettling is that on the Pope's aged brow, there is an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible dark line, like a lurking black snake, which occasionally twitches very slightly, emanating an unsettling, chilling aura that originates from the fissures beneath the Holy City.
"His Majesty's condition... is still deteriorating."
August's voice was hoarse and filled with helplessness. "'It' is still slowly eroding us, albeit at an extremely slow pace, but the purifying effect of the Holy Light is becoming weaker and weaker. We have tried all known methods, and even some... forbidden secret arts, but we still cannot remove this 'Shadow Abyss Mark'."
Bishop Helios clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms:
"His Holiness the Pope suddenly became like this a year ago when he tried to communicate with the Holy Spirit and find out why the oracle had become unclear. We don't even know where the attack came from or what force was behind it! We only know that it is related to the suddenly active underground shadows!"
He abruptly looked up at August, his eyes bloodshot:
"August, tell me! Has the Holy Spirit truly abandoned us? Otherwise, why would such an evil force be allowed to corrupt the Holy See?! Why has His Holiness the Pope suffered such misfortune?!"
August closed his eyes, his facial muscles twitching, unable to answer.
The Pope's slumber, the mysterious disappearance of the Inquisitor, the turmoil in the Shadow Abyss beneath the Holy See, and the increasingly faint response from the Holy Spirit... all of these are like a giant net that is constantly tightening, tightly binding the upper echelons of the Holy Spirit Church, almost suffocating them.
At this moment, the order for a large-scale crackdown on the underground has been issued.
They didn't know whether this was the beginning of breaking free from misfortune, or... being guided by some unseen will, gradually approaching a deeper trap that had already been set.
The mopping-up operation surged into the underground darkness like a torrent of light.
Deeper underground, behind those tiny cracks, it seemed as if countless eyes were coldly watching everything.
Linde stood by the hotel window, feeling the sudden tension in the Holy City and the increasingly clear fluctuations of holy light colliding with the Shadow Abyss from underground. A subtle, unnoticed smile appeared on his lips.
The game of chess has unfolded as he had anticipated.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com