### Chapter 147: Under the Tower
Boom, boom, boom, boom—
Dark clouds churned in the sky, occasionally letting out a series of piercing thunderclaps. The further we ventured north, the more I could feel the restless Dead Smoke simmering above our heads.
“Hey, look.”
Amid the crumbled ruins and the eerie silence of desolation, Carlos and Anna Celis—three glimmers of light traveling rapidly—were suddenly interrupted by a man’s voice calling out to me from within the thunder. He pointed down not far from us. “The bones of a giant dragon.”
Following his gaze, I spotted the scattered remains of a white giant dragon amidst the devastation. The dragon’s head, a fearsome apparition, was about the size of a house, its hollow eye sockets seemingly gazing directly at us.
“An adult giant dragon that perished at the hands of the church’s saints a thousand years ago. Unlike the white dragon from Woodward Forest, these fellows actually possessed the power to rival deities. Alas… even after a millennium, they can’t rest in peace. Instead, they’re displayed here as objects of vanity and spectacle.”
Carlos continued as he turned to me, “And those deities, the Gidales, aren’t they also like them, falling victim to ceaseless malice, ending up in an even worse fate? When you think about it, what has our race truly done to this world?”
“……”
I stayed silent, though I felt a flicker of white light on my chest. It was Big White letting out a faint whimper. I quickly patted my mouth, a sort of reassurance for it.
“By the way, Anna.”
After a moment, I turned to the silent Sword Demon accompanying us and spoke softly, “There’s something I need to tell you…”
With the lightning flashing around us, the Sword Demon looked at me with curiosity.
“Earlier, I learned from Ramiel that the person who might have killed your mother… I encountered him when I was in Royal City and had a showdown with him.”
“…Hmm.” The Sword Demon looked at me, patiently waiting for my elaboration.
I pondered for a moment. “That person likely escaped before the Holy City was sealed, but he has already been corrupted by the Abyss… He probably wanted to harness the power of the Ancient Deity to extend his life. After failing, he seemed a bit disheartened… I intended to squeeze some information out of him, but… he died too quickly, and I couldn’t ask anything. I’m sorry.”
I sincerely apologized. After all, it was something I had promised her, and although the Sword Demon wasn’t fond of words, it was clear she was someone who valued promises deeply.
“…Hmm.”
The Sword Demon nodded again, a hint of disappointment in her brow, but she quickly added, “It’s alright; there are still others who know.”
…And I was the one who ended up being comforted by her.
Sigh…
Not long after, the Tower of Divine Grace loomed before us.
The towering ivory-white tower appeared to rise at least two or three hundred meters high. From below, it seemed to pierce the sky, its summit almost brushing against the roiling Dead Smoke overhead, separated only by a thin line.
The black-grey ash falling from the sky was thicker here, the stench of burning more pungent, almost reminiscent of gunpowder or the scent of battle. This odor even masked the stench of decay, although the sight was still desperate—numerous rotting corpses lay around in despair.
In a massive impact crater, the ash was deep, and charred ball-like remnants—some intact, others cleaved in half, or even thirds and fourths—lay scattered among the shattered homes and streets, silently narrating the intensity of the previous “strongest” contest.
Carlos stared at it all, speechless for a long while, his expression grave.
“Many people died near the tower.” I pointed toward a distant area, “Looks like Magipanny knew Mr. Ryan would be here; she brought the Star Association to k*ll, and these meteorite fragments are clearly aimed at the tower or the skybridge, but they were blocked.”
We all knew who had intercepted those meteorites.
“Teacher…”
Carlos murmured, taking the lead toward the tower, his pace quickening before he darted off like lightning. The Sword Demon and I immediately followed him.
Among the fallen near the tower, most were clad in church robes, including bishops, while others wore various armors and civilian clothing. Some bore the capes of Church Knights, while many lacked capes, presumably members of the Star Association that Magipanny brought along.
“How tragic.”
I murmured. I had intended to look around, but seeing Carlos enter the tower without hesitation, I shrugged and followed suit.
The tower doors were wide open. Inside, the lighting was dim, but the space was sizeable. A few corpses lay within, and as soon as I entered, I spotted Carlos with his back turned between those bodies, his head lowered in thought. I approached and patted him, “What’s wrong?”
After a moment of silence, the man pointed, “This is Cardinal Elena.”
Cardinal Elena?
I turned to where he was pointing.
The corpse leaned against the wall’s corner, slightly slumped, with hair as white as snow. Its head drooped, and flies buzzed around—clearly, this individual had been dead for quite some time. Judging by the elegant but filthy purple robe, it was undoubtedly a cardinal, and an elderly one at that, with a frail frame.
There was a pronounced puncture wound in her chest, indicating she had been stabbed with a sword, but the fatal wound was a gash at the back of her neck, wide enough that her head was nearly folding over. With a little more force, one could probably sever her head cleanly.
“Magipanny did this.” Carlos quickly deduced.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“While Cardinal Elena was old, she was not someone an ordinary Church Knight could match; to k*ll her like this, with such precision in two strikes, the only culprits could be Magipanny and the Teacher. The Teacher wouldn’t k*ll her, so it must be Magipanny.”
He moved closer to inspect the wound. “This dagger wound indicates a very fine blade was used—completely different from regular sword wounds—just like Magipanny’s Moonblade.”
“……”
Another Moonblade.
If I ever encounter another Moonblade, I must ensure my father doesn’t casually hand it to anyone else.
“So, is Magipanny gone mad?” I frowned, “Bringing so many people and killing her with such fervor—does she intend to wipe out the Church or release the sealed Mother Deity?”
“Neither.”
Carlos shook his head. “She probably just wanted a duel with the Teacher. These people were just blocking her path.”
At a time like this?
Sacrificing so many lives?
I couldn’t quite understand it.
But that nutjob was most likely dead, either slain by the Sword Saint or consumed by the Abyss. She brought this fate upon herself. I could only shake my head and mutter, “Mad dog…”
Lifting my head, my gaze traveled up the stairway winding along the tower’s wall. There was indeed an upward path, but there was also one leading down into the darkness below.
“Carlos.”
I pointed at the downward staircase, saying, “If I’m not mistaken, below here should be where the Church stores the Divine Reliquaries.”
This information, of course, was something Viki had managed to find out for me. The source was likely the same as that map, but instead of marking the location on it, she directly informed me. She’d probably hesitated in her mind about it for quite some time before speaking up.
“Do me a favor.”
I patted Carlos on the shoulder, then glanced at the Sword Demon, who was quietly squatting nearby and fiddling with a corpse, “Accompany me down; it won’t take long. We’ll be right back.”
“What are you planning to do?” Carlos inquired.
“Looting while the fire burns?”
I said, tilting my head slightly as I started toward the stairs. After a moment, I heard footsteps coming up behind me.
We hadn’t traveled long down the staircase when the surroundings became pitch black. Carlos then took a torch from the wall, lighting it and holding it up for illumination.
The odor here was pungent, a mix of bl**d and decay, of course, with a few lifeless bodies around us, though fewer than outside. Just as I thought this, the view ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a vast cellar—not quite a cellar, but more like a secret chamber.
To my surprise, the lights here were still bright. On the earthy golden stone walls, two rows of lamps flickered, illuminating the grand and empty space, along with a large, thick stone door at the end, elaborately carved with intricate patterns.
bl**d stains were clearly visible on the stone door, and surrounding it were fresh bl**d splatters. The corpses here were evidently numerous, and the air was saturated with a horrific stench. Both Carlos and I furrowed our brows, while the Sword Demon seemed unfazed by the smell.
She strolled over to the door and noticed a body—one pinned to the wall by a sword. The Sword Demon inspected it for a moment, then pointed to the sword and looked back at me, “This is Tarlasya’s副剑.”
“副剑?”
I was slightly taken aback, then hurried over to examine the sword.
It was a particularly sharp blade, seemingly crafted at the Central Workshop. The grip was worn, and the imprints were somewhat unreadable. I didn’t recognize Tarlasya’s sword, having never paid much attention to it, but the Sword Demon had often liaised with him outside the Holy City, and she was the type who would first observe what weapon the other carries. If she said it was, then it likely was.
“Tarlasya was here?” I asked. “He left his副剑 here… Didn’t he still have it when he was with you guys?”
“Yep.”
The Sword Demon nodded affirmatively, “At that time, it was still with him.”
So that meant Tarlasya had arrived here after parting ways with her and Sharman, St. George, and others,dropping the sword here—but there was no sign of his body. I immediately began inspecting the other corpses carefully. Though all had decayed, making it hard to identify their features, given Tarlasya’s towering frame, there were clearly none matching him here, nor outside.
During this search, I surprisingly discovered that, aside from a couple that might have belonged to the Meteor Society, most of the deceased wore robes—some emblazoned with family crests, others displaying crested brooches. Those bore the insignia of the Williams Family.
“These people must be St. George’s descendants,” I relayed to Carlos. “I think they match those described in the old man’s letter—the ones who would rather d*e than let go of their grudges.”
Had they come here to nab the Divine Reliquaries? Did they clash with Tarlasya and the Meteor Society? Or had Tarlasya single-handedly wiped out everyone here, including members of the Meteor Society?
What about the others?
Had they been devoured by the Abyss, or—
“Is it possible that Tarlasya is alive?”
I said, turning my gaze back to the thick stone door.
It appeared extraordinarily sturdy, and I saw no mechanism that could open it. I was too lazy to look for any triggers, so I decided to just punch it open; it shouldn’t be too hard…
“Ah.”
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carlos reach out, fiddling with the nearby lamp on the wall. I didn’t know what he was up to, but a rumbling sound suddenly erupted as the stone door began to slowly creak open.
“……”
The man, startled by the noise, spun around, instinctively reaching for his sword, while the Sword Demon mirrored his movement. When they realized what had happened, they turned to me, shrugged, and exchanged knowing glances.
“How did you discover that mechanism with so many lamps?” I asked him.
Carlos shrugged. “I didn’t discover anything. I just happened to be closest to this lamp and thought I’d take a look.”
“……”
Well, whatever, as long as the door opened.
The stone door led to a pitch-black chamber, Carlos lifted his torch, his other hand resting on the sword’s hilt, and stepped inside first, with the Sword Demon and me trailing closely behind.
Inside, numerous corpses lay scattered.
The space seemed even larger than the outside. Besides those from the Williams Family, more bodies appeared, gradually revealing priests, and the situation became clear: the Williams members had fought against the guardians of this secret chamber, and it seemed to have ended in a mutually destructive manner.
By the time we entered, the secret chamber was already silent as a tomb, the stench of decay even thicker than outside, bl**d and guts smeared across the ground, yet failing to conceal the surrounding extravagant scenery.
This was a display room! Illuminated by our torchlight, the exquisite cabinets glittered, showcasing all sorts of high-value artifacts.
Armor, weapons, staffs, gemstones, enormous teeth of unknown creatures—I guessed they were probably from a dragon—and there were even Moonblades, not just a single one.
Some of the artifacts were relatively well-preserved, while many had been damaged in the battle, with shattered cabinets and broken items. The secret chamber was divided into several rooms, displaying these treasures, until we reached the final room, where we finally spotted the Divine Reliquaries.
There were rings, medium orbs, crowns, armor, and unrefined fragments of bones that couldn’t be identified. Some blackened fragments lay here as well, and dozens of relics lay silently in the cabinets or scattered across the ground, stained with splotches of bl**d.
There were also two corpses here.
They had died in the corner of the secret chamber, maintaining the desperate embrace of a fatal struggle—one used a dagger and thrust it fiercely into the chest of the other. The dagger was a Divine Reliquary itself, the stab creating a massive, explosive wound in the opponent’s back, as if the divine power contained within the dagger had detonated inside—internal organs splattered all over the walls. The one wielding the dagger was half-chopped in half.
They had just held onto each other and died together.
“Archbishop Perseus…”
Carlos recognized one of the corpses at a glance. Though both bodies bore twisted and horrific expressions, rendering it impossible to discern their features, he still identified them right away. “Only his robe in the entire Holy Church is bordered in purple, and he wears a purple gemstone ring. Many criticized him for it, but Perseus believed he would eventually be elevated as a cardinal… Wasn’t he just in Ethanbel recruiting Church Knights to address the crisis at the Holy Wall? When did he come here?”
That question likely had no answer anymore—or perhaps the answer was glaringly obvious, laid bare before us—the Divine Reliquaries and everything in the secret chamber must’ve been his objective.
“…Hmm?”
Suddenly, I noticed a white square cloth that had fallen beside the two corpses. The cloth seemed vaguely familiar as I picked it up and unfolded it. Though it was stained with bl**d, I could just barely see a name embroidered in the corner: Peilo Guniver Winter Moon.
“This is my belonging…” I murmured, momentarily feeling dazed.
Why would this be here?
When did I drop it?
Oh…
I remembered.
It must have been back at the academy…
I recalled that Sharman had mentioned earlier that Magipanny had entered the Holy City through a teleportation node with the assistance of St. George’s grandson.
Beiyard.
It turned out to be Beiyard…
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing me lost in thought, Carlos quickly asked, “Is the other one someone you know?”
“…He is St. George’s grandson.”
At that moment, my feelings were complex; flickering memories raced through my mind. It felt like something from long ago—a time when the sunny, cheerful boy would always cling to me, willing to be my ‘flower protector’. Though he chattered endlessly, he would climb walls to sneak out and bring me the food I desired…
“His name is Beiyard; we were peers at the Royal Academy… back when the heretics invaded the Western Continent, we went to Silgaya together. He led the Currency Exchange caravan toward Alectine City in advance and went missing in the siege… His father was the former captain of the Third Knights Order, Nick Williams.”
Hatred…
A hatred deeply etched in the marrow… Beiyard probably knew the truth behind the fall of the Third Knights Order long ago… but St. George intended to reconcile with the Temple Church, so he…
“…No wonder.” Carlos sighed after a long moment, shaking his head. “So, he is indeed Captain Nick’s son… were these Williams truly planning to annihilate the Holy City completely?”
“They’re all completely out of their minds…”
“……”
I stayed silent for a long while.
Until I suddenly heard the Sword Demon shouting distantly, “Tarlasya!”
That name jolted me awake.
“Tarlasya?”
I hurriedly rushed with Carlos toward the far end of the chamber housing Divine Reliquaries. Astonishingly, there, too, was a massive stone door tightly shut. A figure leaned against the door, and the Sword Demon was standing beside him, bending down to slap him awake.
In the dim light, the figure’s face was hard to distinguish, but as the torchlight illuminated the scene, it was clear that the towering physique overshadowed the Sword Demon—it had to be Tarlasya.
Is he dead?
No…
If he were dead, the Sword Demon wouldn’t be slapping his face like that.
As we approached, we witnessed Tarlasya slowly coming to, blinking drowsily as the Sword Demon’s ruthless hand kept slapping his face.
…He’s alive!
But looking weak. Under the firelight, his gaunt cheeks were strikingly visible, his cracked lips indicating he hadn’t eaten for days.
“Hey!”
Carlos let out a sudden shout, awakening the dazed man. Upon noticing us, his first instinct was to reach for his waist, but the Sword Demon caught his hand, shaking her head gently, “It’s okay, it’s me.”
Recognizing the Sword Demon’s voice, his expression froze momentarily. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he finally recognized us, forcing himself to stand but weakly uttered, “You… you all, Silvya… how did you… get here… You came too late… far too late…”
“Don’t move.”
I reached out to stop him, turning to the Sword Demon. “Check to see if he’s injured.”
“I’m fine… I’m fine…”
Tarlasya waved his hands to signal he was okay, and the Sword Demon quickly reported, “I already checked; he’s fine, just hungry.”
So, I pulled out some dry bread and water from my pack and handed them to him. Without hesitation, Tarlasya devoured them. He looked truly famished, choking a couple of times as he stuffed his face with slices of dry bread, wolfing down three pieces and gulping down a whole lot of water, taking a moment to catch his breath before regaining some energy.
“Mother Deity…”
He rose and spoke hurriedly, “The Mother Deity has devoured the lives of the citizens. I—I don’t know when it will appear, maybe in a few days, maybe soon… now the outside is shrouded in Dead Smoke; I can’t go out… d*mn traitorous Williams, they destroyed everything… behind me is the relic ‘Chain of Divine Lock,’ but I fear it’s already…”
As he spoke, he suddenly realized something, “Wait, you—how did you get in here?”
He seemed to have assumed that the outside was still filled with Dead Smoke, so he had hidden away in this chamber, unwilling to open the stone door again.
“The outside does have Dead Smoke, but it’s relatively quiet for now,” I explained. “We came through a crack in the light beams, following the path until we found you.”
“Came here along the Holy City’s path?” Tarlasya looked a bit unsure.
“Well, not exactly.”
I shook my head, “The roads of the Holy City are mostly destroyed. We ran through the ruins, heading toward the tower.”
“Ruins…”
Tarlasya pondered for a moment, “So that means—”
“Yeah.” I nodded, “The Holy City is temporarily safe, and you can leave from here now.”
“……”
Tarlasya fell silent for a moment before suddenly walking toward the stone wall, reaching for a lamp and giving it a decisive turn. With a resounding crash, he opened the stone door behind him, and light flooded in.
Without a word, he turned and stepped outside, and Carlos, the Sword Demon, and I exchanged glances before following him through the doorway.
The light above suddenly brightened, making it hard for us, accustomed to darkness, to open our eyes.
What met our sight first was the roof that had collapsed, and an instantaneous understanding of the damage materialized: this was inflicted by a meteorite impact. Ash and sunlight poured through the massive gap, illuminating the dazzling scene within the stone chamber.
As extravagant as ever, the chamber featured three large altars, each covered with finely crafted red silk. Each altar held a large platter resembling a goblet, yet they all stood empty, as if important items should have been placed atop them but were now nowhere to be found.
“What happened…”
Tarlasya, who had been the first to reach the altars, gazed at the empty platters, confusion clouding his features, “How can they be missing? Did someone take them? Who… could it be the Teacher…?”
“What items?”
I approached him, recalling his earlier words, “Is this where the bone of the ‘Chain of Divine Lock’ that seals the Mother Deity was kept?”
But Tarlasya gently shook his head. “No, it was the nose bone needed to release and maintain the Chain of Divine Lock.”
“When the meteor fell, that bone got affected, and cracks appeared in the bone wings, which is why there was a gap in the Holy City’s sealing… but it should have been here…”
