744 A Standard Villain (2/2)
However, the chilling feeling still terrified him. He couldn't help but step backward. Exactly at this moment, the fire on the torch that the Queen of Chaos held suddenly rose high and burnt fervently in evil laughter.
Instantly, Winchell sensed the indescribable danger that was hundreds if not thousands of times more intense than previous. Even though he had been wandering on the verge of precipices before as a night watcher, he still couldn't help but tremble. He understood that his previous intuition had obviously been affected, and that someone who could affect his intuition so effectively was absolutely not someone he could resist, just like the priest just now who could not resist him.
In his shiver, Winchell's magnificent willpower stabilized his mind, and his abundant experience allowed him to notice the anomaly. It was more than easy for such a strong being to kill him, but the being had spent a lot of time alluring him away from his team and tempting him to enter the chamber. It was obvious that there were other purposes.
”Who is it?” he asked tentatively, with dirty fluids flowing out of the eyes on his hand.
The fire rose into the shape of a human and said in a coarse voice, ”It doesn't matter who I am; it's what I can offer that matters.”
”Hehe. I am the Lord's defender in the darkness. I would rather die before I deal with demons.” Winchell ruled out the possibility that the enemy was a devil from the rational speech.
In the empty chamber, the laughter of the fire echoed. ”What if it will make you closer to your Lord so that you can contribute to Him more easily?”
”What do you mean?” Winchell felt absurdly hilarious, but he was also deeply puzzled.
The tone of the fire became grave. ”Have you never found it odd? As the devout believers and defenders of the God of Truth, reverends, bishops, ascetics, and part of the knights are granted divine powers, but most of the night watchers who were not reverends at the beginning can only fight with your blood powers. Also, most of the knights are far weaker than reverends of the same level in terms of divine powers. Why is that? Why does the fair and selfless God of Truth treat His defenders so partially?”
”Nonsense! There are original sins on our backs. We can only win the Lord's blessing through selfless devotion!” Winchell's anger was not entirely authentic.
”Is that so?” the fire mocked. ”Considering your contributions to the God of Truth, your knight level should've been increased even though you are never given divine power, right?”
Right when Winchell was about to refute in fury again, the fire continued, ”As a matter of fact, it has nothing to do with the God of Truth. His blessings to you have been intercepted by the pope and the Grand Cardinals. Since He is still asleep, He is absolutely unaware of that.”
”What?” Winchell was less angry now that the Lord was not guilty of that.
”You may take a look at this file. This is a reward from the God of Truth. You've earned it.” Words jumped out of the fire and constituted an article that was full of sophisticated symbols.
Winchell was rather wary that it might be a temptation of demons, but his confusion still prompted him to read the article. After all, he would never betray the Church! That was his stance!
The moment he saw it, he found it impossible to move his eyes away and was completely fascinated by it.
”This is…” He shook his head in both fear and excitement.
”As the Almighty God, why would the God of Truth demand the dissemination of faith? Is it necessary for Him? The power of faith is actually a reward for loyal defenders like you so that you can polish yourselves with it and be closer to Him. However, the pope and the Grand Cardinals have intercepted all of it without leaving any for you. Now, you understand why they are so strong, don't you?” The fire's voice became gentle, but Winchell was shivering under every word.
”I don't believe it.” He shook his head hard before asking in disbelief, ”You've shown me such an important method just like that?”
The way to ”steal” and make use of the power of faith had been etched in his brain.
”Now that you have sincerely asked, I'll give you a candid answer. I am the embodiment of justice, and I hate unfair things like this most.” The fire chuckled and went on despite the suspicion in Winchell's eyes. ”I'll occasionally ask for some information from you. Rest assured, nobody will suspect you. I have many other sources of intelligence, including several red robes.”
Red robes? Winchell's pupils constricted abruptly. For hundreds of years, due to the uniqueness of the heart of faith, the Church had never had spies in the level of red robes, or at the very least, no external spies, since the North Church and the South Church had sent plenty of spies of such a level to each other.
Was he from the North Church?
”Are you scared that your heart of faith will be shaken after you get this? So, don't guess who I am. You only need to remember my codename, the Red Burier.” The fire gradually died down.
Winchell stood where he was and looked at the empty room, unable to say anything for a long time. He felt that he had the most bizarre dream. Had he obtained a most precious and useful approach by paying nothing at all?
......
Inside the Land of Truth, Lucien said to Douglas with a smile, ”Viken secretly released the ways to become a demigod to let the legendary experts compete with each other, and now, we are doing exactly the same thing. We'll spread the secrets to steal and make use of the power of faith among part of the red robes, thus allowing them to steal the power of faith. In such a way, the foundation of the South Church will be messed up, too. After all, the dissemination of faith cannot be conducted alone like sorcerers' exploration of arcana and the world. A hierarchical organization is indispensable for them. Unless he can project a seed to the mind of every cleric, this is not something that Viken can avoid.
”If it weren't for the fear that Viken might discover it, I would've publicized the way to steal the power of faith through 'Arcana Voice'.”
”If Viken knows how you are using such a valuable method, his expression will certainly be very spectacular.” Douglas chuckled. After all, who could've thought that somebody would spread out the method? Were they worried that they had too few competitors? Only Lucien and the other grand arcanists who never considered the approach were determined enough to do that.
Lucien opened his hands. ”Perhaps he would curse that I am a lunatic.”