743 Irresistible Temptation (1/2)

In San Ivansburg…

Belkovsky, the pontiff of the North Church, was walking toward the room of prayer slowly. He was tall and muscular, nothing like how Benedict III was. As a matter of fact, he was indeed a level-two knight who activated his own blood power through his own work. Even though he chose the path of divine power later, he had paid special attention to the exercise and maintenance of his body. After all, performing ”God's Grace” was a heavy burden for the body too.

He extended his right hand and pressed the door of the room of prayer with his eyes focused. He did not have the habit of considering problems while walking, like what the other high-level managers did. For him, one thing had to be done with full attention when he did it. Only if he was not distracted could he expect the best result. Therefore, when it was time for dinner, he would have dinner; when it was time to walk, he would walk; and when it was time to consider, consider. He never let go of the tiniest detail.

Suddenly, his right hand that was about to open the room of prayer stopped on the bronze doorknob. His eyes squinted, and a holy light vaguely rose around him, connecting to the barrier of the divine power of the whole cathedral.

”Who's here?” Although Belkovsky would not perceive everything in the whole Saint Ivan Church all the time, he maintained the basic alert. If a certain expert approached the cathedral without him knowing it at all, it would be too great a humiliation for the pontiff of the North Church. Also, most importantly of all, the expert just now briefly revealed himself as if he were announcing his arrival!

Belkovsky was actually more puzzled than scared about the mysterious expert. Even if Benedict III arrived in person with his ”God's Arrival” recovered, it was not entirely impossible for him to survive in the cathedral of Saint Ivan Church. ”God's Grace” plus the core of the defense that the North Church had been working on for hundreds of years was enough to offset God's Arrival, preventing it from causing fatal wounds.

It was just like why the ”previous popes” never attempted to bombard Allyn with God's Arrival. That could've knocked down the City in the Sky but wouldn't have been able to heavily wound the legends inside. Without including the attacks of other people, at least Douglas and Brook, who were at the peak of legendary, wouldn't worry about getting killed.

The legendary wave appeared and disappeared again, at exactly the same spot as just now, which slightly confused Belkovsky who was ready to attack. He smelled something unusual. Then, the holy light on his back turned from a hollow into concrete, giving birth to an angel who had six wings on the back. Then, the angel lunged into the void and disappeared before Belkovsky.

Outside of the Saint Ivan Church was a spacious square that was in the wild and primitive style that was adored in the Schachran Empire. In an alley near the square, the darkness before dawn had completely shrouded the place, making it appallingly quiet. It was a major contrast to the magnificent cathedral nearby.

Holy light arose in the alley, and the angel whose eyes were closed showed up and turned into the appearance of Belkovsky.

”Hehe.” Creepy laughter came from the darkness in the alley. It did not sound to be from a human being at all and carried the intense air of death.

There were few experts that Belkovsky was scared of, and Douglas was the only one among them who was not a demigod. Therefore, he showed no courtesy to the stranger who was pretending to be mysterious. ”If you don't have a good reason to attract me here, you'd better think of a better one after you reach hell.”

In the laughter, a little bird that was purely black flew out. There were pale and hilarious feathers above its head, and the bird's body seemed to be made of the purest death. It had come with the worst news.

Belkovsky observed it carefully, only to discover that the mysterious bird had disguised it so well that his projection could not see through it at all. He could, if he arrived in person and examined with divine power, but in such a case, the bird would probably collapse and disappear, not leaving any clues for him.

”You may call me Bird of Death, but I brought you a piece of good news this time.” The bird perched in midair as if it were on a branch.

Belkovsky snorted, not taking it seriously. ”Good news? There's little good news for me nowadays.”

”Is that so? Is the discounted bundle of the ways to transform into primeval devils through the power of feelings not good news for you?” The Bird of Death cackled creepily.

”What?” Belkovsky's eyes constricted as he stared at the weird little bird for the first time. Even his nonexistent breath seemed to become heavy now.

After a brief silence, he looked at the Bird of Death and asked, ”Do you know the ways?”

Over the past two years, many uncanny accidents had taken place in the territory of the North Church, and the results of the investigation all pointed at the primeval devils. Together with the intelligence that Belkovsky acquired from the Dark Congress and the Boundless Ocean, he had more or less guessed that somebody was trying to collect the power of feelings in order to transform into primeval devils.

Furthermore, the Congress of Magic made it clear in their broadcast that transformation into primeval devils was Thanos' creation, and that he had successfully become a demigod in such a way. Although Belkovsky was not entirely convinced by the open broadcast, he did have a theory after hearing it. The pontiffs and saints in the past could not find a way to be demigods and were only able to steal and make use of the power of faith because they were missing a critical procedure. Therefore, he was quite tempted by the method as described by the Bird of Death.

”Do you not know that Viken secretly announced the way to become a demigod?” said the Bird of Death in mockery.

”What?” Belkovsky exclaimed again. He was surprised more times today than he was many years before. It was not because he was not calm and focused enough but because the Bird of Death's message was too shocking!