CH 35

The great demon, engulfed in black smoke, flew to the edge of the cliff. Finally, it sighed in relief and cursed angrily, "Keep your body safe, human. Otherwise, the contract that you and I signed will be void!"

As soon as it said that, the great demon’s body shrank rapidly. The horns on its head, the scales on its body, its tail, and its huge wings disappeared. Only a long-haired man who collapsed powerlessly in the jungle remained. Taking a closer look, the man looked absolutely stunning, complete with a bit of heroic feeling. He would be considered a handsome man if it weren't for the bloody eyes that made his face look a little hideous. It was hard to imagine that for such a cold-blooded masked man, Crimson Blade's real face was so handsome!

Barely able to sit on the ground, Crimson Blade opened the hole in the tree next to him, which safely held a black stone plate the size of a dinner plate inside. If Morris was here, he would know at a glance what that was. That was an heretical evil thing that could communicate with the abyss and summon demons, the Black Gate! The very exhausted Crimson Blade picked up the Black Gate and stuffed it into his chest. He threw a complicated glance back at the branch of the Freemasons’ Association before grunting and walking away with difficulty.

Right now, at the association, Morris stared blankly at the executive officers who had collapsed in front of him. The bodies of these executive officers had shrunk, like mummified corpses dried by the scorching sun. Not even a trace of blood remained. Morris looked around, dazed, at the three remaining executive officers. He sighed helplessly. He understood, understood very well. The price for summoning Divine Punishment was the flesh and blood of all those who participated in the prayer. The more lives, the greater the Divine Punishment’s power.

Some of Morris' faith were shaken for a brief moment.

"The Divine Punishment is called one of the Holy See's most important divine arts. The price is the living’s flesh and blood. What is the difference between such divine art and evil, dark, undead magic?"

He wavered for a short time. Morris quickly dismissed those thoughts.

"How can the dirty and evil necromancy magic be compared with the divine magic of the Holy See? They differ by bounds and leaps from necromancy. Those who sacrifice themselves are able to gain salvation and return to God's embrace. It should be a good thing." Devoutly, Morris smiled.

The Holy See's doctrine prohibited suicide as a means of returning to God's embrace. Sacrificing oneself for the sake of others was an exception. They were bestowed with the highest honor.

Morris was about to pray for his fallen subordinates with a smile on his face when his ears picked up on a small movement. With a stern expression, he turned his head and shouted towards the castle. "Who is it?! Come out!"

The door was pushed open. Three groups of people emerged, each holding a different weapon. It included some trembling students from the Freemasons’ Association. Morris saw a mage wearing a cloak and holding a wand with sharp and cold eyes. The ring on his hand clearly indicated that he was from Hellitt, a wizard from the Forest of Towers.

There were also others who were dressed in leather armor made of magical beasts’ skin and light iron. Their hands were holding thin, rune-carved swords. The group used magic and swords, thus was between mages and swordsmen, The Brotherhood of Magic Swordsmen! Among them, the most conspicuous ones were a group of huge, bulky, savage men wearing tattered and hideous leather armor, wielding giant axes and hammers. Such a special body shape. Morris immediately knew that this group were barbarians who fought with the Black Orcs in the north all year round. Belonging to the current Rurukh dynasty of the barbarians. Awakened with formidable physical strength passed down by bloodline to serve as a foundation for traversing the continent.

These three groups of people purposefully avoided the two men who were standing in the middle, walking leisurely in the courtyard. One of them was wearing a gorgeous robe, his every move was elegant. His shawl and long black hair added to his eccentric appearance. He should be a big noble, but Morris had no idea to whom he belonged or what power he possessed.

When compared to the other person, he made people feel as if he wasn’t human. A dazzling blond hair, plain robes, and no weapons on his body. Just like a regular person. This one, on the other hand, was the one Morris was most concerned about. A person who could make him unable to see their origin in the slightest was obviously beyond his own knowledge. Humans had always been innately afraid of the unknown.

Morris looked at the two men in the middle with caution and said, "Hellite from the Forest of Towers, the Brotherhood of Magic Swordsmen, the guards of the Rurukh Dynasty. What are you people doing here?!"

The tall barbarian leader shook his huge armor and dangled the huge ax in his hand. He stared right into Morris' eyes before shouting loudly, "Does it need to be said?! You fanatics must have come here for that scroll. That’s right. We, the Rurukh Dynasty, will not give up the treasure to you!"

Morris stood up cautiously and stepped back slightly. The situation was now unfavorable to him. Not only was he injured, but most of his executive officers were also killed or injured. They would not be able to avoid death if they really wanted to fight. So, in a deliberate tone, he said, "There is no reason. Although you all know of the mystery from ten thousand years ago, after so many years, there is no doubt that the scroll is not here. Despite the fact that this branch has been respected for some time, you have all rummaged through it inside and out numerous times. Still, you haven't even found the shadow of the scroll. What brought you here now, after thousands of years?"

As soon Morris said that, a magic swordsman who was holding a glowing thin sword slightly adjusted his crooked enchanted armor. He looked at Morris with gloomy and sharp eyes . Sarcastically, he said, "Crazy believer. You Holy See don't play dumb. Don't think you're the only one who has a copy of the Prophet's Letter. Every major force has one.”

"The Prophet’s Letter? Where did you get it from?!" Morris' pupils immediately contracted. It felt somewhat incredulous. He clearly remembered that written in the archives of the Holy See, all of the people involved in the Prophet's Letter had been burned at the stake on the charge of heresy. None of them had survived.

The black-robed mage who had been silent suddenly stood up. Slightly raising the top-level magic wand blessed with forty sequences of runes, he sarcastically said, "The Dark Sky, the Eye of the Night will close its eyes. Heaven and earth will be completely dark.The blasphemy would happen once more. The legendary treasure would be bathed in morning sunlight once more, but would be silent in flames."

The shock in Morris' eyes vanished as soon as these words were spoken. It was replaced by an icy expression. The passage spoken by the mage from the Forest of Towers was precisely the prophecy recorded in the Prophet’s Letter. Obviously, that prophet had duped the entire Holy See. The precious Prophet's Letter had been leaked and was taken by the major forces for themselves. All was secretly waiting for the coming of the Eye of Night, the lunar eclipse.

"Then, how can you confirm the facts? It may not necessarily refer to the lunar eclipse last month, but rather in the future! If not, isn't this a waste of your time?" Morris immediately questioned, but was countered by the magic swordsman.

"That’s why it's just us minions who came here. The real boss didn't even move. That's why the Holy See only sent you, the chief executive officer of the court."

Editor’s note: What’s with the author. These handsome guys keep on appearing :’D Not complaining, tho. But it feels so unnecessary to put an emphasis on how handsome they are, kek.