Chapter 1319 - The Truth behind Fidelinopolis (2/2)
The pope multiform nodded in acknowledgment at the Lord and continued, “When the Warden’s Army was corrupted, we realized something was wrong and considered the worst possible outcome. We started planning back then, but no one expected Lockmarton to regain freedom so quickly and continue to spread its influence in the Forgotten Abyss. It was also extending its reach to the real world through the Warden’s Army — by invading their bodies first, and then their souls…
“We realized that this contamination was irreversible. If it was trapped in the real world, and only cleansed through the War Against Chaos that happened once every century, then the mortals would never be able to overcome the threat from the Nightmare Realm. Our existing defense strategy was simply useless.
“However, the path to the Forgotten Abyss was barred to us. If we wanted to reach the other side, we will need divine intervention or the all-important key, both of which we did not have…
“Our opportunity arrived when we least expected it. It was not just an opportunity for us, but also for Lockmarton. A few months ago, a powerful fragment plowed through spacetime and landed on Asurmen.”
Hao Ren could not help but interrupted at this point. “Wait, do you mean you used energy from that crystal to transport Fidelinopolis here?!”
The pope shook his head. “We could not harvest energy from the crystal, but we made use of the ‘disturbances’ it caused. When the collision disrupted Asurmen’s functions, it created a weakness in our seal on Lockmarton, but it also opened a pathway to us, one that only the dead can see. Our millennia-old plan was finally possible to execute. When Lockmarton’s power finally took over Auguste VII, we were ready to initiate our plan. Auguste VII sacrificed his body to become the last member of ‘us’. When Lockmarton thought it had succeeded in corrupting and taking over the pope, its connection to the Basilica Icon became a beacon for us to track it down. While it was careful enough to quickly severe its connection to the real world, we had come after it regardless… to exact revenge!”
The old pope narrowed his eyes, his emotionless face finally betraying traces of pride and determination.
Lord of the Mountains was shocked by the grandeur and conviction required to carry out the plan. He stared at the pope and studied him for a long moment. “You people are always full of surprises… To think that mortals can do something like this…”
The pope returned his gaze. “We are mortals, but mortals have a backbone too.”
“I’ll admit that I never thought you have this kind of power.” Geddon shook his head. The massive church had enough room for his huge stature, but it was nevertheless, a little too narrow for comfort. “However, you should know that Lockmarton is an evil god, not one easily defeated. Even if you have gathered the most powerful weapons from the Sanctum and souls accumulated since tens of thousands of years ago in this dimension, it may not be enough to destroy Lockmarton.”
“At least we can deliver a heavy blow, strong enough to maintain peace in the real world for a few thousand years.” The old pope said. “We have no other choice. Instead of waiting idly for our defeat, dying this way is the more noble thing to do.”
The old man’s declaration touched the hearts of his audience. Lily stood forward and offered, “Well said! Don’t you worry, old man, we’re here to help!”
The pope nodded. “I know—it seems that the goddess is still protecting us by sending over a powerful army of reinforcement in our darkest hour. If I may ask, do you have a plan?”
Hao Ren said, “I have the strongest offensive attacks. If I’m right, I’m the only here who can destroy Lockmarton.”
Y’zaks added, “But first, we must find Lockmarton’s true body and understand its properties—under what conditions will it be vulnerable, whether it could hide or revive itself in some way, what kind of backup it has, and so on.”
“There’s more!” Lily joined the conversation. All this talk of beating other people up made her excited. “If Lockmarton’s dead, how will it affect the Nightmare Realm? We gotta have a Plan B…”
“That Lock-something, does it have any secret power moves? Will it drop any goodies once it’s dead?” Y’lisabet contributed her part, making it obvious that she was gaming heavily during her month-long stay on Petrachelys.
“One question at a time, people.” Hao Ren waved for them to be quiet, and turned to the pope once more. “Let’s begin with where to go, and how many to kill.”
The pope nodded and replied, “Travel past the Scorched Plains, and you will the Spiral Hill at the edge of the Sea of Turmoil. This was once a node that was part of Lockmarton’s seal, and the first node to collapse. Lockmarton is currently residing there.”