Chapter 1318 - The Pope? (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“We found this while investigating the camp.” Verrol produced a large black book and handed it to Hao Ren as he noticed his audience’s surprise and bafflement. “It was the key to solving the mystery behind the troops.”
Hao Ren took the thick dilapidated book from him. “This is…”
“It’s an old log book. It was once a sacred item, belonging to some powerful religious leader or friar. I think it’s a prayer book. The Scripture of Origins written inside protected the book from the ravages of time in the Nightmare Realm. The owner of the book must have understood the power of these scriptures and decided to use the book to record highly important information… Don’t bother. Most of the scripture inside is already unrecognizable… You can maybe make out a third of what’s written inside towards the end of the book.”
Hao Ren carefully flipped through the prayer book until he found something readable.
“…’s power is leaving. The storm in the evening… cut off… connection. The situation is worsening. Bishop Aaron tried to contact… but received no response. We may have… I worry that people’s supplies will soon be contaminated by the power of… Everything of importance that happened after today will be recorded in this prayer book…
“The 76th day. We have been stuck here for over two months. Only two members of the scouting troops came back. They said… confirmed that the Warden’s Army has been defeated. The powerful war statues and magic weapons seemed to have lost control. Looking at where they were destroyed, there were signs of… All was dark in Eventide Fortress and Mithril Bastion. They have lost the blessing of God’s light. So far, everything suggests that something happened to the Warden’s Army. Perhaps…
“… Supplies are almost gone, but there is still no sign of our luck turning… The path to the real world is barred to us. Spirit Braves soldiers do not need food and water, but we have no way of replenishing Holy Water and incense. Even Spirit Braves… corrupt and twisted. During our meeting, we discussed the possibility of substitutes, but here in the Nightmare Realm, there may not be anything that can defend against Lockmarton’s…
“The passage of time has become odd. We never notice when it is nighttime or daytime. Perhaps time really has stopped in this world. When the wardens left… Nevertheless, we should be able to defend this place with our soldiers. How long will this last, though? The demigod has left, and his soldiers have already been beaten. The only ones left are we, the Spirit Braves Army, metamorphosed from human beings. Continuing our defensive position here in the empty Nightmare Realm seems pointless now…
“…survived a ghastly battle. Many died, but we managed to beat Lockmarton’s minions. Our base is still secure under the force of the knights. Perhaps Lockmarton found our stubbornness pointless, but what’s wrong with that? At least this fight is meaningful to us. On a side note, I was injured from battle. However, healing magic seems to be working very slowly. This is unusual and requires…
“… two months, my wound has finally healed. It looks odd. There seems to be some growth around the scar… found other soldiers who were wounded before to have similar growths around their scars. The bishops have started an investigation and found… more oddities. Some soldiers show signs of deformity or shriveling in their bodies. The effects are slight, but not a good sign…
“… more and more oddities. It’s strange. Ever since the last battle, all healing magic has stopped working, but our self-healing power has become stronger to the point of replacing the healing magic itself. However, the wounds that heal in this way often show unusual growths that cannot be explained. Removing them cause even more growths…
“I feel down, and a little lost. I’m always trying to remember if I’ve forgotten something, but my busy life continues as usual. It is… prayer day already?
“… saw a reflection of myself in a shield, and noticed a new tentacle that I didn’t know I had… Bishop Aaron is already completely unrecognizable, but he still has the same aura… My two attendants have also changed tremendously in their looks. I can’t even tell them apart because they look so similar. I had to ask them to wear different colored…
“Writing is becoming difficult… I don’t even know what to write. I feel like mind is slipping away. It has become too hard to remember things… The bishops seem to have forgotten a very important ceremony. I can still recall bits and pieces of it, but what is the ceremony about…
“…battle ended. Many were wounded and waiting to recuperate. I remember there is a way to accelerate the healing process, but… what is it?
“Writing is… Recording… Don’t understand… I’m a… a…”
The contents of the book after that were mostly nonsensical symbols and abstract scribblings.
“He was probably;y the last one standing,” Verrol said slowly. “His diary is very precious intel to us, allowing us to figure out what happened after the Warden’s Army left this place. Lockmarton’s power will continue to corrupt lives in the Nightmare Realm, be it human, god or spirit. As long as they lose the support of sacred replicas, they will slowly become a part of the Nightmare.”