Chapter 1307: Encounter Before the Ark of the Sacred Covenant
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
There was a pungent, burning smell in the air. A coat of gray had covered the crystal corridor, and the energy of darkness, as well as Chaos, gradually permeated into the sacred hallway. The ancient s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p’s defense mechanism was drawing on its remaining power to resist the intrusion, but defeat was imminent.
Crisscrossing blue-white beams had formed a crystal barrier wall in the air. However, the barrier began to shake with sparks. A tearing sound came from the other side of the wall as black crack lines began to develop all over the crystal barrier.
When the black crack lines burst with a bang, the crystal barrier shattered into millions of pieces. Three figures shrouded in dark magic broke through the defense.
Running at the front was Auguste VII who was wearing the robe of a pope. The forces of Chaos had wholly transformed him. Terrifying black lines covered his skin, his blood veins bulged, and his body had swelled to a height of nearly two meters. It was hard to believe that this monster was previously a frail, old man. The black sword, which looked like a cosmic fragment, seemed to have eroded and transformed his body. The hand in which he held the sword with had swelled so much that it was twice the size of his left arm, tearing his clothes apart.
Running behind Auguste VII was the former guardian knight, Lavinia. This former female knight had turned into a savage demon, as black lines and red eyes had totally destroyed her face. She was still holding a s.h.i.+mmering disc in her arms. The disc with divine energy seemed to be burning her because her arm was billowing in white smoke. But the former female knight appeared to be unaware of it. There was only twisted fanaticism on her face.
Running at the rear was Hao Ren’s acquaintance, Count Willie.
His level of demonization was almost on par with the other two. But the most amazing thing about him was his arm, which Hao Ren had severed earlier. It had miraculously grown back but it was not his original arm though. This new arm was deformed with many ugly sarcomas and open wounds scattered all over it. It was not so much a human limb, but rather a demon arm that was st.i.tched together with black magic.
“The gatekeeper is such a menace,” Willie mumbled in anger and hissed, as though his vocal cords had also been dehumanized. “She is weak but still able to bog us down for so long.”
Aside from the black ridges, there were many wrinkles on Willie’s skin. His hair was completely white as if he had suddenly aged and looked 30 years older than before. It was the price to pay for borrowing Lockmarton’s power.
“The gatekeeper has always been stubborn,” August VII said. His voice was equally hoa.r.s.e and low, completely unlike his avuncular image of the past. “She is a stupid artificial soul, only acting under an order, and will not understand the greatness of our cause. But do not worry, I have already used the power of the Lord to injure the artificial soul. Before she can self-reconstruct, my Lord will break free from his shackles.”
When August VII mentioned “the power of the Lord”, Willie’s gaze involuntarily fell on the sword—the cosmic fragment—in the pope’s hand. There seemed to be an eagerness in his eyes, but apparently, he did not realize it himself.
It was the power of the Lord, directly from the Great Lord Lockmarton! It was the power that could challenge the G.o.ddess, shatter divine power, and break the law of the universe into halves. The gatekeeper had used the power of the sacred mountain of Asurmen to set up layers of obstacles. Without the sword, no popes and executors would have been able to defeat the crystal barriers. Before the celestial sword, the crystal barrier appeared as fragile as gla.s.s. It was a shame that such a celestial object, which could communicate directly with the Great Lord, chose Auguste VII who had just received his enlightenment. Willie, the high-ranking cadre of the Cult of Armageddon, was getting green-eyed.
Auguste VII used to be the supreme ruler of the Theocracy. The former nemesis had now gained favor from the Great Lord, and this made Willie greatly dissatisfied.
However, Willie did not dare show his disgruntlement, for the gift of the Great Lord should not be questioned. His will, no matter how unreasonable it was, should never be challenged. Since the sword was already in Auguste VII’s hands, as a slave loyal to Lockmarton, he could only accept it without question.
Now he only hoped that Auguste VII would live up to the expectation and prove that he deserved the favor of the Great Lord. He also hoped that his disappointing sister would be able to complete the task of opening the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Only then could he readily respond to the call to go into the battlefield of eternal depravity without hesitation and fight with Lockmarton’s attestation.
The last barrier had come down.
The three of them ran down a sloping corridor and came out in a vast chamber.
This chamber was different from all other compartments of Asurmen. It was unusually large as if a cave of irregular shape. The floor was no longer of crystal but slabs of stone and steel. Druse that grew randomly in the gaps between the slabs emitted a soft glow, illuminating the place. Willie saw that the edge of this chamber was sloping upward as if a mountainside. Above the chamber was a ma.s.sive jungle of crystal.
Willie suddenly realized that he had left the main body of Asurmen—he was underground.
The sacred crystal mount of Asurmen was, in fact, planted vertically in a crater.
“This is incredible!” Willie, who had dedicated his soul to Lockmarton, was rooted to the spot upon seeing the scene.
Auguste VII, who knew the secrets of the Sanctum well, appeared composed. The former pope raised the Worldbreaker and pointed to the front. “That’s the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Humph, here they are, the prison wardens.”
Willie looked, and his pupils contracted.
There was a pyramid, about 100 meters tall that looked like it was carved out from a ma.s.sive piece of white crystal with no visible gaps or seams on the surface, in the center of the chamber. On the surface of the crystal pyramid was a large circular dent, which seemed to be a holder of some sort.
There were 21 giants of rock and steel standing around the crystal pyramid.
Each of these rock giants appeared lifelike. Those who had been to the Basilica Icon would have immediately recognized that these were the original stone statues in the basilica. The originals were more lifelike and majestic, and there was a breath of life permeating from their stone as well as steel bodies.
But these ancient guardians were not in good shape. Black energy was leaking through the base of the pyramid, hovering around and even permeating the rock giants. Each of the rock giants had an angry, or painful look on the face, but they could only stand still as if real stone statues.
“It has been 300 years. The Great Lord has held them up here for 300 years!” Auguste VII took the Worldbreaker sword and slowly moved forward. Those prison wardens, whom he once feared, became his targets of mockery. “Unfortunately, the security measures of the creator are solid. Even though the prison wardens have failed, there is still the automatic defense system of Asurmen, the Realm of Reflections, and even the gatekeepers who could keep the mortals away. But that has changed—the last defense has come down. Lavinia, go. Put the Radiant Disc into the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. The Realm of Reflections will flip over, and the Forgotten Abyss will open!”
Lavinia’s eyes burned with fanaticism as she strutted toward the crystal pyramid. Behind her, Willie was screaming, “Lavinia, hurry up! Our forerunners have already launched the last battle in the abyss! Open the door and let us connect the two worlds!”
Lavinia went straight past the motionless wardens and came before the crystal pyramid.
And then she froze.
Willie’s impatient voice came again. “Lavinia, what are you waiting for?”
“Willie, this…” Lavinia hesitatingly turned her head around. “Something’s not right.”
Willie and Auguste VII came up to the pyramid. The former pope remained vigilant, but Willie sounded angry. “Why are you still hesitating? Do you still have doubts in your faith?”
Scared, Lavinia quickly shook her head. “No, no, no, my brother. My faith in the Great Lord is unshakable, but I just… I can’t find a proper place for the disc on the Ark of the Sacred Covenant except for this huge alcove.”
Lavinia pointed to the crystal pyramid.
The three members of the Cult of Armageddon looked up at the circular recess on the pyramid wall. It was 10 m in diameter, on the pyramid wall.
Then they lowered their heads and looked at the little plastic plate that Lavinia held on her chest.
The plate was even smaller than a was.h.i.+ng basin.
Willie became a little unsure. “Probably it will get bigger once it is on it.”
“Maybe it doesn’t need to fit exactly,” Auguste VII said. Despite being a pope, Auguste VII only had a sketchy concept of the Ark of the Sacred Covenant. Coupled with the fact that the Radiant Disc had been missing for years, he could only make a wild guess now. “It may work, just snap it on.”
Unsure, Lavinia raised the disc in front of the crystal pyramid. She saw the mysterious text—the logo of the plastic factory—at the bottom of the plate. “It seems that there’s a front and a back. Which side should be facing up?”
“Just try.” Willie’s brows twitched.
Lavinia hesitated for a moment.
Right when she was about to put the disc in the recess, a voice suddenly sounded.
“If I were you, I would not play with the divine object without first reading the instructions manual.”
Willie turned his head around and saw the last face he would ever want to see.
Hao Ren, taking his thugs and dog, with a stick in his hands, looked at Willie with a wry smile.
Both sides stood their ground in a standoff and shouts and exclamations rose simultaneously.
“Why are you here?”
“You are Pope Auguste VII?”
“Where did you get the big sword?”
“That’s my plate!”
“Arf! Arf! Arf! Woof! Woof! Woof!” (It reads as “Alpha is right! Stop the nonsense!”)
It was chaotic.