Chapter 248: Ten Deacons (1/2)
The walls and floor of the Holy Temple were embellished by glowing runes and ancient symbols. A hymn was playing in the distance. It was the holiest place of the human faction’s Church of Light. At the very least, the denizens of Floating Ice City saw the priests of the Holy Temple as the representatives of light and divinity.
Tap tap tap…
My Shade War Boots struck crisply and rhythmically against the floor as I walked toward the heart of the temple with steady footsteps. From another person’s standpoint, I probably looked like a murderer with the Purgatory Sword in my hand and a bloody cloak behind my back.
Xinran was holding my hand and bowing her head. She was either thinking about something or avoiding my gaze.
”Xinran?”
”Hm?”
”Are you scared?” I asked.
Xinran looked up at me with an inscrutable expression on her face. In the end, she shook her head and said, ”No, I… I’m just feeling a bit anxious, that’s all…”
”Anxious? Is it because you can finally become a priest of the light?”
”Hehe, maybe…”
……
We continued until we ran into a dozen or so templars wielding heavy swords. They were led by a templar captain called Templar Captain Buck. He raised his hand and stopped us in our traps, ”Halt! This is the temple’s sanctuary, and it is not open to the public! If you have any business with our high priests, please seek them outside the temple!”
I swallowed. Outside the temple? I don’t think I saw anyone like that outside the temple just now. I was so focused on leading Xinran into the temple that I didn’t even consider the idea.
”Xinran, would you like to acquire your class outside the temple instead?” I asked.
Xinran looked at me and implored in a pitiful manner, ”Big brother, I wish to meet the archbishop himself. He is the only one who can teach me the true essence of the light…”
I was slightly taken aback. The true essence of light? Hmph hmph, that didn’t sound like something Xinran would say.
Still, I turned around and asked Templar Captain Buck, ”My younger sister would like to meet the archbishop in person and implore him to teach her the light. Is that okay?”
I licked my lips and added before he could reply, ”I’m an acquaintance of Princess Karinshan, you know. I helped her kill Undead Magus Cardilla during the battle to retake Floating Ice City!”
”Oh?!” Templar Captain Buck looked at me with new respect. ”You are that young warrior Princess Karinshan often talks about? Haha, that is wonderful! In that case, I will speak to the archbishop about your request myself. He prefers to meditate in peace and silence, so he doesn’t normally see anyone unless it is for something important!”
I nodded at him with a smile. ”Thank you!”
”Please wait here!”
I nodded. ”No problem!”
I turned around to hold Xinran’s little hand again before saying, ”Let’s go, Xinran!”
”Mn, big brother!”
The corner of Xinran’s lips turned up a little as she nodded. It was a smile, a smirk, meaning of which eluded me.
……
There was holy light circulating inside the interior of the main hall, meaning that this place was probably very important to the Church of Light. Floating Ice City was one of the kingdoms situated near the border between the Light faction and the Dark faction. Therefore, it made sense that the power of light here was denser than in most places.
A magus whose hair had turned completely white was seated at the center of the main hall. He was holding a scepter with light circulating around it, and a glowing, azure-colored gem at the top. I could sense the immense power residing within, as if the power welling in the gem would break out at any moment.
The magus was none other than the archbishop himself, Alves Dias!
I couldn’t even see his level. This meant that he was Level 100 or higher, an NPC I couldn’t kill no matter what I did at this stage. Of course, that was a purely hypothetical comparison. He was my faction’s NPC, so why would I possibly want to kill him? In fact, I might even need him to give me a super heal if I happened to be on the verge of death one day.
Archbishop Alves was also accompanied by ten red deacons. “Deacon” was a religious occupation only a powerful worshipper could undertake. They were the messengers of the gods, and they had the ability to see through a person and declare an oracle. They were very important inside a church, and they were second only to the archbishop!
This time, I could see their stats screen. All 10 Red Deacons were Level 95 Dark Gold Rank bosses, and I had no doubt they could one-shot me if four or five of them attacked me at once.
……
I entered the main hall and faced the leaders of the Light faction fearlessly.
Archbishop Alves looked at me before asking in a trembling voice, ”Young hero, are you the man who revived Princess Karinshan and killed the evil Undead Magus Cardilla?”
I nodded. ”Yes, I am!”