The Fourth Hundred and Eighty-Ninth Priest
Inland North Ufeiga, in the capital city of Adus, Adis.
In the afternoon, the sky over Adis was heavily clouded, dark, and gloomy. The citizens of Adis looked curiously at the heavy clouds, wondering how long it had been since they last saw such a scene. Many households had already brought in their clothes and made preparations to avoid the rain.
On the grand avenue leading to Baruk Palace, Muhetar, wearing a headscarf styled like a crown, draped in a long robe that shimmered yellow under the sun, and with a thick beard, sat in his magnificent sedan chair. He was being carried by several people towards the palace, accompanied by several trusted clerics on either side. Out of sight, in the narrow streets and small forests around Adus Palace, countless armed revolutionary temple warriors were mobilizing. They approached from various directions quickly, surrounding the palace covertly.
The highest representative of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect in Adis was heading to Adis Palace to participate in the third and final round of negotiations. Sitting in the sedan chair, he stared intently at the towering Baruk Palace ahead. He knew that this prolonged and meaningless negotiation would finally come to an end today.
Muhetar’s sedan chair arrived at the gates of Baruk Palace. As he slowly stood up from the ornate seat, he used his eyes, which glowed slightly, to scan the surroundings. Instantly, he conducted a powerful extraordinary detection of the entire Baruk Palace and its vicinity, confirming that his subordinates were in position at various predetermined locations around the palace and that his targets within the palace were present.
“The heretic envoy’s guard, including the heretic nun, consists of four White Chalks, six Black Earths, and twelve apprentices. Shadi and his personal guards, including himself, consist of two White Chalks, four Black Earths, and six apprentices, plus that eerie ancient undead… The configuration is no different from previous negotiations…”
After breaking through the thin “Shadow” protection inside the palace with spirituality, Muhetar directly perceived the detailed information about the church envoy and Shadi’s personal guards. After confirming there were no additional reinforcements or pre-set traps, he was sure that neither party had detected his actions.
Of course, Muhetar believed that even if the other party detected something, it didn’t matter as he had a rank advantage over them. No matter how much they prepared, they couldn’t resist him, and all resistance would be futile.
After a simple confirmation, Muhetar continued walking forward, entering Baruk Palace directly with his attendants and arriving at the grand conference hall for negotiations.
The negotiation hall was an independent building within Baruk Palace, featuring a massive domed ceiling. This building contained only one room, the negotiation hall, due to its spacious and luxurious interior. It had always been used by the Baruk Dynasty for important meetings, making it the chosen location for several rounds of negotiations.
Familiar with the place, Muhetar entered the hall’s entrance and immediately spotted Shadi, Vania, and others waiting for him.
Unlike before, Shadi and Vania did not sit quietly behind the large round table as they had previously; instead, they stood by the table, accompanied by their guards, silently watching Muhetar’s arrival. Although Shadi and Vania appeared calm, their guards were tense, each with a wary look at Muhetar as he entered the hall. Gaspere, standing beside Vania, was the most alert, speaking directly to Muhetar.
“Mister Muhetar, could you explain the wide-ranging detection just now?”
Before anyone else could speak, Gaspere directly questioned Muhetar. Such an undivided detection action was considered a clear insult in the extraordinary world, even bordering on hostility, as no one likes to be inspected thoroughly without reason.
Gaspere sternly questioned Muhetar, his tone carrying a hint of hostility. Clearly, Muhetar’s earlier detection had alerted those outside the Savior Faction to his hostile intentions. Observing Gaspere’s question, Muhetar scanned the area indifferently before responding emotionlessly.
“There’s nothing to explain… I just wanted to check if everyone was here. Today is the final round of negotiations, and I don’t want our efforts these past few days to go to waste.”
Muhetar spoke casually, his tone showing no emotion. Vania, standing next to him, responded gently.
“Mister Muhetar still holds hope for the negotiations at this stage, which deeply moves me. Yesterday, when you left early, I thought you had given up on negotiations, causing me concern for Adis’ future. Your return today to discuss further fills me with gratitude.”
Vania politely addressed Muhetar, who continued with a calm voice.
“Yes… How Adis’ future should unfold, how divine grace should illuminate Adis, should be decided today…”
As Muhetar spoke, his gaze became sharp. At this moment, Shadi gestured for everyone to sit and began speaking.
“Since that’s the case, let’s begin the final round of talks today, Mister Muhetar. Please take your seat, and we’ll start slowly…”
“No, I’m tired of meaningless discussions at this table. I plan to continue our negotiations with more practical methods, so let’s stand and finish this quickly…”
Muhetar said, his eyes becoming even more dangerous. His words heightened the tension in the room. Just then, thunder rumbled in the distance, emphasizing the menace in his words. Upon hearing his practical methods, the guards led by Gaspere tightened their grips on their weapons. Everyone now knew Muhetar’s intentions were hostile.
“Mister Muhetar, what do you mean by practical methods?”
Shadi, with a serious tone, watched Muhetar and slowly spoke. Muhetar did not respond directly to Shadi but instead announced loudly to Vania’s envoy group.
“Heretic nun Vania, I have no patience for these meaningless topics. Only the light of the Lord can illuminate Adis, not the false gods trying to usurp the Lord’s glory! We will defend this point with faith and swords, never wavering. The false teachings of the three false gods must not exist in Adis! Anyone still believing in these false doctrines will be eradicated by me!”
Facing the audience in the conference hall, Muhetar declared his final statement, fully expressing his murderous intent. At this moment, the hall was filled with intense hostility. Gaspere and others drew their weapons, pointing them at Muhetar, ready for conflict.
…
While Muhetar was declaring his ultimatum in the palace conference hall, the remaining clerics of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect in the Radiant Church gathered in the main hall. At this critical moment determining the sect’s future in Adis, the remaining members knelt before the Savior’s altar to pray, hoping for divine aid in the upcoming holy war.
“May the Lord protect Adis under Your eternal glory…”
“Lord, resurrect… Let Your radiance expose the three false gods…”
“The world has reached another perilous time… Evil grows recklessly in Your name. Please save Adis and the world once more…”
In the ancient temple’s main hall, the clerics of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect knelt in orderly rows. Their prayers echoed through the vast space, and dozens of devout clerics bowed to the altar, which was out of place with the hall’s style. Each person wore a fervent expression, knowing today marked the official start of the holy war in Adis. For the Savior’s Incarnation Sect in North Ufeiga, this was a crucial day, as they believed their actions would significantly impact the revival of the Savior of Radiance. The sounds of prayers and recitations mingled among the giant pillars of the temple, with the only sound louder than these being the occasional rumble of distant thunder.
In the ancient temple seven thousand years ago, devout clerics bowed before a deity not originally belonging to this temple. Each focused on the exquisite and beautiful Savior’s altar.
This altar had been erected in the temple at the beginning of the current era. At that time, the Radiant Church worshipped the True Radiant Lord. After the Three Saints faction entered North Ufeiga, the Three Saints’ altar was also installed here. When the Savior’s Incarnation Sect and the Revolutionary Army captured Adis, the Three Saints’ altar was destroyed, leaving only the Savior’s altar, restoring the church to its appearance from a millennium ago.
To the followers of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect, their actions in the Radiant Church were a purification. They aimed to offer sincere prayers in this temple, which belonged to their god a millennium ago, to prepare for the great activities of the new era. Each cleric gazed at the Savior’s altar with fervor, some linking the fate of Adis with the fate of this Radiant Church, expressing strong hopes aloud.
“Lord! Send Your grace, let Adis return to the correct path of faith, and let Adis return to Your grace after a thousand years, just like this Radiant Church!”
“BOOM!!”
As the prayers in the temple reverberated, a dazzling white light descended from the dark clouds, bending and striking down, passing through a hole in the ceiling and landing right before the crowd.
Instantly, dazzling lightning accompanied by deafening thunder filled the temple. The clerics, momentarily stunned by the light and sound, covered their eyes and ears, each wearing a pained expression.
Moments later, the white light vanished, the thunder faded, and the temple returned to silence. The clerics who had been praying fervently moments ago now looked shaken, huddled together with looks of fear and astonishment. They never expected that their daily prayer hall would suddenly be struck by lightning, leaving them unsettled by the proximity of the strike.
But greater shock awaited them. When the crowd regained composure, they discovered that the Savior’s altar they had been worshipping was completely gone, replaced by a pile of charred ruins. From the remnants, they could faintly see traces of the altar.
Looking at everything before them, the crowd gasped, each with a look of disbelief.
“What… What happened?”
“It’s the lightning… It just struck…”
“The Lord’s altar was shattered by lightning…”
The clerics of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect stared in amazement at what had happened. They had prayed earnestly, hoping for divine protection, but instead received destruction rather than grace.
In response to this sudden phenomenon, everyone subconsciously sought explanations. Some thought it was coincidence, others believed it was a manifestation of the Savior, while others felt it was the anger of the Three Saints. Amidst the chaos, a female voice came from above.
“This land, this nation, this temple… does not belong to any savior or the Three Saints…”
Hearing the voice, everyone looked up. Then they saw a figure slowly descending from the sky.
Her skin, like jade, was adorned with intricate gold jewelry. A simple white dress hugged her graceful form, and a golden crown, integrated with her headscarf, framed her solemn eyes and mysterious veil. Thus, dressed in exotic attire, the woman slowly descended from the sky, standing atop the shattered altar ruins, appearing before the clerics of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect. Learned clerics noticed that the items she wore seemed to be relics unearthed only from ancient tombs in North Ufeiga, remnants of the ancient dynasty that had vanished seven thousand years ago.
“Who are you? Did you cause that lightning?!”
“You invoked the evil lightning to shatter the Lord’s altar. Are you one of those heretics? Do you know what sacrilege you committed?!”
Facing the sudden appearance of this mysterious woman, some clerics pointed at her and shouted. She calmly replied.
“Evil lightning? Hmph… On this land, what was once revered has been called evil by mediocre people. The disrespect is not mine, but yours…”
“Silence! This is the Lord’s church, not a place for your nonsense!” a cleric angrily shouted at the woman, but she remained unaffected and continued.
“I’ve already said, neither this temple, nor this country, nor this land belongs to any savior or the Three Saints… Since seven thousand years ago, there has been only one master here.
“That… is the deity I serve! The ancient enlightener! The teacher of knowledge! The wielder of thunder! The great Judge of Heaven! Born from this land, the sole ruler under this sky!”
She said, and hearing her words, the clerics in the temple were bewildered. Ignoring their confusion, she spread her arms and proclaimed loudly.
“My name is Isis, a priestess serving the Judge of Heaven! After seven thousand years of slumber, the Judge of Heaven has awakened. We will carry out His will and drive out all foreign gods occupying this land! This land will return to the wisdom of the Judge of Heaven, starting with Adis.
“Heresiarchs, return what you have occupied and leave! Return to where you belong. I will forgive your transgression…”
With a fake air of authority, wearing accessories and clothing stolen from a museum the night before and modified, Nephnis spoke candidly, naturally infuriating the clerics before her.
“Nonsense… Take her down!”
At the command, the surrounding clerics charged at Nephnis, who stood motionless, facing the impending danger.
At this moment, Dorothy, who controlled the temple’s defense system, also acted. With a thought, she summoned several lightning bolts from the dense clouds, striking the clerics attacking Nephnis.
For a moment, white lightning rained down from the sky, striking the temple and shaking Adis with deafening thunder.
