Chapter 103: Chapter 102 Sword of Love

Andre turned his head to look at everyone, nodded to them, then took a deep breath and placed both hands on the iron door. His eyes closed, and a faint Holy Light emerged from his hands, imprinting itself upon the massive gate. The light followed the patterns on the door, slowly flowing around until it fully outlined the statues on either side. The statue of the girl holding a sword swung her sword-wielding hand down. The elderly woman holding the lantern slightly raised it, and a faint golden glow flickered within. Under the flow of the shining Holy Light, these two statues actually showed slight movements.

Andre opened his eyes and exerted force with both hands. With a CREAKING sound, the tightly closed door split open a crack in the middle and slowly opened to both sides as he pushed. An empty darkness unfolded before them, and a gust of cold wind, carrying a heavy, musty odor, drifted out.

“Wait, this cold wind…” As soon as Alka felt this cold wind, a familiar sensation washed over him. He turned his head to look at Gami and Jason behind him. Both couldn’t help but nod.

Andre looked at Alka and asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something about this cold wind?”

“When we obtained the Wheat Ears Crown earlier, the priest who turned into an Evil Spirit gave off this exact feeling of Coldness.”

Although the Realm of Pitch Darkness was eternally shrouded in night, it usually only felt slightly chilly, not with a Coldness as if a winter wind had blown through. This was a very obvious difference.

Hearing Alka’s words, Andre nodded, and everyone understood what he meant. Various measures to counteract the undead began to appear. The golden patterns on their Finger Tigers were already lit, and so were Chadite’s bandages. The Wheat Ears Crown worn by Jason emitted a faint golden halo, enveloping the ground beneath everyone’s feet.

Alka didn’t understand. Did the Wheat Ears Crown have such a function? Perhaps it was Jason’s own ability, merely amplified by the Wheat Ears Crown.

The Magic Lantern Alka had found earlier floated in front of them under his control. Mirrors created by Alka appeared around the lantern, their angles controlled to reflect the light, slightly conserving Alka’s Magic Power and making things more convenient.

Following Andre, they slowly walked inside.

Opposite the large door was a wide corridor. The carpet that had once covered it had long since turned black and become damaged. Its original color was no longer discernible. As the light illuminated the path, long benches on both sides were revealed. They were crafted from wood combined with some stone blocks, and carved upon them were patterns representing the Holy Mother, clearly meticulously designed. However, they were now covered with weeds that had climbed up at some unknown time. Some of the wooden seats had long rotted and emitted foul odors.

As Alka advanced, he scrutinized his surroundings. There were no cobwebs or insects, exactly like the small church they had explored earlier. Normally, such enclosed buildings would be teeming with cobwebs and various insects that thrived in darkness. Aside from various decorations and furniture deteriorating over time, the rest of the place actually appeared relatively clean.

Thus, everyone cautiously followed the wide corridor to the innermost part of the prayer hall. A statue of the Holy Mother stood before them once again. This statue was much smaller than the ones outside but was carved more finely. A divine significance seemed to emanate from beneath her. Real wheat ears were densely packed around the statue. Though these ears seemed barely alive, one might have thought they had already withered if not for a careful look.

“Can wheat ears survive in such an environment?” Alka couldn’t help but ask, looking at the golden wheat ears.

This defied common sense, defied nature! Even if these ears seemed to be dying, this place had supposedly been sealed for 400 years!

Andre looked at these wheat ears, then at the corridor they had traversed. He also detected something wrong within the church and furrowed his brow, saying, “Be cautious. Something is alive and maintaining the church.” These wheat ears were the most compelling evidence.

“The wheat ears can survive because someone is still providing faith within the Church. In every Great Cathedral, the wheat under the statue of the Holy Mother displays the citizens’ faith.” His explanation was mainly for Alka and Jason. Jason had joined the Church partway through his life, while Alka, though born into the Church, had only a superficial understanding of it.

“Alka, it’s very dangerous here. Something is watching us,” Lucilia’s voice entered Alka’s ears.

Hearing this, Alka couldn’t help but turn and look around. Just then, Andre’s voice came, “Be cautious. I sense an unknown gaze.”

Upon hearing this, everyone grew vigilant. Alka had already raised the gun in his hand. The Mirrors around the lantern, controlled by Alka, reflected light towards the surroundings, meticulously probing the area. Yet, they saw no sign of anything unusual.

Although Andre said this, he only paused briefly. After a guarded look around, he waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue forward. Following Andre, they arrived at a door on the side, from which a side passage led to the space behind.

“Let’s head to the growth hall. The Holy Artifact should be stored there,” Andre said.

For such a large church, the front prayer hall was merely the most basic facility of any church. It was used daily to receive worshippers coming to pray and to accept their donations. Various simple daily activities were conducted here. It was also the place city residents visited most frequently. There were countless rooms at the back, used by clergy members for rest or other purposes.

As they passed through the confessional, the unknown gaze remained fixed on them, unmoving. Only Andre and Lucilia, who was also a soul, could sense it, yet no one initiated an attack. Thus, everyone remained vigilant as they arrived at the growth hall in the back.

According to Alka’s knowledge, every Great Cathedral should have such a hall. It was generally used for the baptism of newborns and as a place to pray for their blessings.

Upon arriving, they saw that all the areas illuminated by the light were filled with various murals and sculptures, seemingly narrating some history or deeds. One wall appeared to depict the history of this church’s establishment.

Alka saw a blue silhouette standing in the distance. As soon as Andre entered, he cast his gaze in that direction. Alka concentrated the light, forming a beam to illuminate it.

It was a cylindrical stone platform, perfectly preserved with no signs of damage or the passage of time. The golden edges and various decorative patterns were immaculate, exceptionally pristine. A sword blade stood firmly upon it, with no indication of how it remained upright. The hilt and blade shared the same silver color. The grip had a Spiral pattern, and the guard was styled like wheat sheaves curving outwards. The blade was slender but did not appear particularly sharp. Though it was a double-edged One-Handed Sword, it gave the impression of a rapier. A blue outline circled it, visible only in Alka’s view.

Without a doubt, this was their target for this journey: the Sword of Love.

A biting Coldness suddenly swirled through the hall, wrapping around them. A familiar sensation imprinted itself in their minds. Alka knew that the presence that had been watching them all along was about to appear.

“Leave this place, profaners!” a hoarse and chilling voice echoed. A ghostly green figure appeared not far in front of them, blocking the way to the stone platform where the Sword of Love rested.

This Evil Spirit was evidently different from the one Alka and the others had encountered before. It appeared as an elderly man with a white beard that hung to his chest. On his head was a crown made of metallic wheat ears, signifying his status, and a conical cape draped down to his hips. Being a soul, his attire’s color couldn’t be distinguished. He held a Scepter as tall as himself. This was precisely a regional Archbishop of the Holy Mother Church. Chadite conveyed this in a whisper to Alka.

Andre gazed at the form of this Evil Spirit and began, “We are not profaners. We are Church personnel, here to retrieve the Holy Artifact for the Church.”

However, the Evil Spirit merely stared at them, opened its mouth, and repeated, “Leave here, or face holy retribution!”

“Leave!” “Get out!” “Do not defile this sacred place!” Such cries echoed one after another. Numerous souls of Evil Spirits appeared around them. The group immediately stood back to back, alert to their surroundings.

It wasn’t just one. Had everyone connected to the Church turned into Evil Spirits?

There were priests in robes, but their soul forms varied. The better-preserved ones could still be identified as priests, similar to normal souls, with only somewhat tattered clothing. The worse ones were identical to the Evil Spirit Alka and the others had encountered on the previous island; their limbs were already mutated, and they could only emit hoarse roars. In addition, there were Knights in heavy Armor, who showed no significant changes. Fully clad in Knight Armor and holding Two-Handed Greatswords, they stood guard solemnly on either side.

Andre looked at the Evil Spirits emerging around them, their expressions seemingly unthinking. He couldn’t help but sigh. To retrieve the Sword of Love, there seemed to be only one path forward. Slowly clenching his fists, the golden patterns on his Finger Tiger began to emit a faint glow.

“Everyone, let these disciples of the Holy Mother return to the Soul Realm.” As his words fell, he shot forward like a cannonball, crashing towards the Archbishop ahead with a deafening CRASH.

Seeing Andre’s action, the others immediately sprang into motion. In an instant, the Evil Spirits released terrifying shrieks. Dense, ghostly green mist emanated from their bodies, even mixed with a touch of red light.

The sudden shrieks dazed Alka. The sounds were extremely piercing, carrying a hint of Magic Power that assaulted his spirit. The Locking Device he aimed at the enemy began to waver.

“Silence!” Vanessa, standing in the middle, shouted, spreading her fingers wide towards the sky. A semicircular, transparent wave swept to the side. As it passed over Alka, the outside noise instantly vanished. It was as if he had gone deaf; he couldn’t hear a single sound.

Taking the opportunity to clear his mind, Alka unhesitatingly pulled the trigger. Expanding bullets engulfed in Holy Flame shot forward. The bullets pierced through the Evil Spirits. Some Bishops contorted in pain, but Alka couldn’t hear their wails. Only those Evil Spirits resembling Knights seemed to ignore the pain, continuing to charge at them unaffected. They even disappeared midway through their attack, vanishing from sight.

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