Maggie walked step by step up the steps to the top of the church. The long train of her saintly dress slid down with each step, and the colorful light from the dome cascaded down onto her, scattering beautiful colors across her pure white skirt.
It was a color that shouldn't have appeared on the Holy Maiden of Light.
As dawn broke, the hymns in the church rose again, ethereal and pure, as if accompanying Maggie's steps toward the dome.
The Pope looked down at the young woman who was slowly walking towards him, his demeanor noble and majestic, as if it were a sacred blessing or a transfer of power.
Maggie's footsteps echoed through the hall until she respectfully approached the Pope, at which point the echoes in the empty hall gradually subsided.
"Your Holiness the Pope."
Maggie lowered her head and spoke meekly.
"The ceremony may begin."
The Pope exudes an aura of power that compels one to submit; his solemn and dignified demeanor prevents anyone from feeling any sense of offense.
Unlike the previous times, he didn't talk to Maggie much; instead, he went straight to the point.
There is no longer any need for either appeasement or deception.
He... was about to meet the revered god who represented eternal life.
If Maggie looked up now, she would see the fanaticism and madness in the Pope's eyes.
Of course, even without looking the Pope in the eye, she could roughly guess how excited he was.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Maggie nodded in agreement and walked past the Pope to the highest point of the entire church, where the sacred spring, representing the pinnacle of power, flowed slowly into the pool from a water bottle shaped like an angel.
She stood in front of the pool and slowly placed the sacred object in her hands into the holy spring water.
Maggie then closed her eyes and made a praying gesture.
She knelt on both knees, her expression devout, as the light elemental energy in the air surged and churned, and the water in the holy spring also boiled.
The Pope faced the angel sculpture and watched Maggie's entire performance.
Before long, a dazzling white light burst forth from the top of the entire church.
As the white light dissipated, a figure representing absolute power appeared, casually and languidly seated on the throne at the very center of the entire church roof.
With his signature attire and long golden hair, he is instantly recognizable as the God of Light himself.
He slowly opened his pale golden eyes and met the gaze of the Pope, who could not hide his ecstasy.
Meanwhile, Maggie was pretending to be praying earnestly, acting as if she were invisible, still kneeling on the ground, facing the angel sculpture.
The Pope certainly doesn't care about her, so all that's left is the afterimage of the God of Light. The only thing to do is to keep this afterimage from noticing her presence.
At that time, Maggie had already begun to mobilize the magic power in her body. Under the powerful pressure of the afterimage of the God of Light, and with the cover of the sacred object, the little bit of magic power surging around Maggie could not attract any attention at all.
"Was it you who called me?"
The God of Light's gaze swept over the Pope, his noble and domineering aura filling the air. His voice rang out in the hall, reaching Maggie's ears, and for some reason, it sounded somewhat familiar.
Of course, Maggie didn't have time to pay attention to such a small detail; she was only focused on charging up her power to unleash 'Holy Sword Judgment'.
Unnoticed by anyone, she had already gripped the sacred relic back in her hand, and her ultimate attack was already casting.
Although she didn't know when the Pope would begin to reveal his wolfish ambitions, he would definitely try to test the strength of this afterimage of the God of Light.
If you want to seize a god's divine status, you must be 100% careful.
That period of time... was the time she spent loading the bar.
Roy nestled cautiously in Maggie's arms. He had wanted to come out too, but Maggie had told him that the afterimage of the god was self-aware, and if he appeared randomly, he might be exposed.
Although the afterimage's strength is roughly zero, it was still set up by the God of Light himself, and there are no flaws to be seen from its appearance. If you underestimate it, you will definitely be in trouble.
Therefore, although Maggie brought Roy with her, she did not let Roy show himself.
Ten minutes... ten minutes, dear God of Light, you only need to buy me ten minutes.
Maggie silently chanted and prayed in her heart.
The afterimage left by the God of Light is merely a remnant of his appearance and aura, lacking his true strength. It's like a paper tiger; those who don't know it will be afraid, but once exposed, their true weakness will be revealed.
Therefore, Maggie's plan is extremely dangerous.
If the Pope discovers it within the time it takes to read the message, then she is the one who will die; if the afterimage of the God of Light confuses the Pope for ten minutes, then she wins.
Meanwhile, the Pope had tentatively entered the afterimage of the God of Light, but outwardly appeared very humble and devout.
"Almighty God, you have been away from your believers for too long, and we, as believers, are worried about you because we cannot receive your divine pronouncements."
The Pope's words sounded respectful, but in reality, they were full of probing intent.
The afterimage of the God of Light naturally understood the implication. When he was left here by his true self, the human race was at its most prosperous, and no believer dared to challenge the god's status.
But now this human, dressed in papal robes, seems to have developed ulterior motives.
His pale golden eyes narrowed slightly. Although he didn't know how many years had passed or where his true form was now, the divine might of the God of Light was absolutely not to be offended.
Moreover, his followers are no exception. This pope is truly unruly; he has overstepped his bounds.
The gods never indulge those below them, nor do they engage in the same kind of reciprocal courtesy or sarcasm as humans; instead, they are very direct.
He will get angry on the spot if he feels offended.
"Do you...want to die?"
The cold words came from the remnant of the God of Light, and a surging aura instantly swept across the entire Temple of Light. Not only the top of the church, but everyone inside the temple felt the pressure from the god.
The mages and swordsmen of lower levels were so stunned that they were unable to move and fell to the ground on the spot.
Standing before the temple gates, ready to act at any moment, Harun naturally felt this aura, but he was not greatly affected by it, and even felt a sense of familiarity with this power.
As if possessed, he took a step toward the cathedral, but then remembered his promise to Maggie and abruptly stopped.
"No, you can't."
He gripped the scabbard tightly with his white-gloved hand and whispered to himself to stop.
Maggie, who was inside the palace at that time, was also feeling unwell. She had to endure such a terrifying sense of oppression, while simultaneously activating a forbidden spell and pretending to be a statue. The pain was indescribable.
My internal organs were all squeezed together, and I still had to force myself to concentrate.
The only two people in the entire temple who were unaffected were Harun and the Pope.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com