Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 316 - 317: Prologue [1/2]

Red Lotos Leaf Empire has been shortened to Red Leaf Empire

Tier has been changed to Level, that’s all.

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Anvika, the capital of the Red Leaf Empire,

In a certain office inside the Grand Temple of Asumos Church Headquarters,

A woman was sitting calmly at her desk.

She was wearing special clothes that showed she was a high-ranking priestess, with shiny gold details. deeply focused on the stack of papers in front of her.

The woman seemed to be well past her fifties, her once raven-green hair streaked with white on either side. Her face was weathered, the lines of age prominent against her skin. However, even with the passage of time, she held an undeniable charm in her visage.

It was clear that in her youth, she must’ve been an unparalleled beauty.

The gold-trimmed robe she wore and the golden feathered necklace signified her high-ranking status.

This woman was Fiona Asanova, one of the three Archbishops within the Church.

Unlike Apostles, the Archbishops’ primary roles were in administration, not in battle. Their ascension to the position mainly depended on family lineage, not on battle-hardened prowess like the Apostles or Heroes. Therefore, Archbishops were generally not very powerful.

Like Archbishop Nick, Fiona’s power level was merely at 6th level.

Even so, almost no one in the church dared to underestimate this woman, who was well into her fifties.

After all, she was renowned for her iron will and strong persona. In her younger years, she had led Asumos Church’s armies to victory over the united forces of Saint Romari.

Fiona’s status within the church was not something that even the financially oriented Nick could rival.

At this moment,

Due to the Archbishop sitting quietly in her office, immersed in her paperwork, the atmosphere in the large office became increasingly stifling and tense. Although Fiona showed no signs of displeasure, those who knew her understood that once she fell silent and buried herself in her work, she was not in a good mood.

Therefore, the grand office was pin-drop silent.

The guards stood motionless beside Fiona, while the secretaries and clerks sat below, silently handling their paperwork, also without uttering a word. The meeting that should have been filled with discussion was engulfed in an eerie silence.

However,

This oppressive atmosphere shattered instantly with the entry of a man.

’ Huh?!! ’

’My...Lord? He’s back?!’

In the next moment,

Under the expectant gazes of the people of the Church, a graceful man with a radiant smile made a spectacular leap through the window and into the office, immediately causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.

His slightly fitted black and white attire perfectly outlined his sculpted physique. His flaxen hair fluttered impressively.

His clear, bright violet eyes sparkled with a touch of childishness, akin to radiant gems. His straight nose, smooth skin, and thin lips showed a hint of adorable pink. His exquisite facial features were utterly stunning…

A face radiant like the morning sun bore a smile so warming, it was as if it carried a magical power that instantaneously infected everyone in its vicinity.

"Lord Kain! You’ve returned!"

One of the nuns was unable to conceal her astonishment. While addressing the man directly by name without a proper salute was considered discourteous, the man didn’t mind. He greeted the nun amiably with a sunny disposition, waved at her, and playfully stuck out his tongue.

" I’m back, Sister Meri ~"

His voice possessed a captivating allure, yet it carried a hint of lightheartedness.

Nevertheless, this voice brought an unexplainable sense of calm to everyone present. Clearly, this man was adored and trusted by all. Many even waved at him, their eyes begging for help.

’Help us, Lord Kain!’

Seeing his colleagues’ unease, Kain chuckled lightly and said:

"I have something to discuss with Archbishop. give us some space~"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that the Archbishop didn’t object.

After giving a respectful bow to Kain and Fiona, they hurriedly exited the office, stealing grateful glances at Kain. The once bustling room now remained empty, with only Fiona and Kain remaining.

Once everyone was gone, Kain sat unceremoniously on the desk, hands in his pockets.

"Listen, listen, Sister Fiona, isn’t this a bit too much? We’re all working on the same side here. There’s no need to be so strict, right?"

At Kain’s words, Fiona paused her work and rolled her eyes at the frivolous man.

"The current state of the Church is due to leniency, leading to chaos. I can’t control others, but those around me must follow the rules."

As she spoke, Fiona shot Kain another frosty glare.

"And you, as a Heavenly Apostle, should set an example for the followers of the Church. Yet what do I see? You’re lacking the dignity befitting an Apostle, even sitting on the desk without permission! Show some respect, get down!"

"Alright, alright, I got it. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry~"

With a wave of his hand, Kain chuckled ruefully and slid off the desk.

"You really are as rigid as ever."

"You too, as mischief as always."

After a helpless sigh, Fiona’s gaze toward Kain became very serious.

"No more useless chatter. What’s the situation now? Haven’t our reinforcements reached Snow Night yet?"

"Sigh, indeed."

Kain sighed with a mixed emotions.

"Why are they so slow?"

"Sigh, I only found out after I went there. Our allied forces with the red Leaf Empire were intercepted by the people of Divine Punishment Sect."

"Divine Punishment Sect? They dared to intervene?"

"Yep, they didn’t have many people, but thanks to the terrain and their preparation, they landed a heavy blow on our joint forces. Luckily, that old man from the Red Leaf Empire managed to drive off the Sect leader in the end."

"Drove them off, huh? So, did our reinforcements reach SkyDome ?"

"Nope, our united forces have returned"

"Hmm?"

On hearing this, Fiona furrowed her brows:

"Why? Didn’t the Pope order them to resist the Abyss Demons? And secretly kill..."

"True, but by the time we reached the city, the Abyssal Demons have retreated."

"What?! You’re saying the Abyss Demons have backed off?"

"Correct."

When it came to the retreat of the Abyss Demons, even Kain himself seemed to be caught off guard. "Hard to believe right? but those beasts really did back down. Along with Inferno. They didn’t press on."

"Inferno?"

"Yep, that Xue Tianao guy had apparently imprisoned Inferno under SkyeDome City, causing a massive Abyss Demon assault. After Inferno broke free, they all retreated back to north. According to the scouts at the front, there are no traces of the Abyss Demons near SkyDome City anymore. As for our people from the Church, Ms. Mengxi seems fine; Archbishop Nick seems a little shaken, but otherwise okay; and Bai Yanluo, well, seems to have a mild concussion..."

"..."

Listening to Kain’s report, Fiona couldn’t help but knit her eyebrows,

It all sounded a bit odd, but with the key figures being fine, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her relationship with Nick may not have been the best, but he was a pillar of the Church. If he had died suddenly in SkyDome, the aftermath would’ve been disastrous.

And then,

"What’s the status of the Chosen One?"

At this, Kain hesitated, awkwardly scratching his head,

"Archbishop Mokaro and Xue Tianao had a cooperation agreement, signed in soul power. Now, Xue Tianao’s signature on the pact has vanished, which means..."

"The Chosen One...is dead?"

"Yes."

Kain nodded slightly,

"Well, at least it saves the Pope the trouble of handling him himself. I was worried about how we’d explain it to our followers if the Pope had to intervene. The Abyssal Demons did us a favor, I suppose. But, with Xue Tianao out of the picture, Archbishop Fiona, should we..."

As he spoke, Kain looked toward Fiona with a glint of inquiry in his eyes,

To which, Fiona, without hesitation, shot back with another icy glare,

"Don’t play dumb."

She stood up slowly, facing her carefree old friend with a solemn look:

"Mobilize all the agents of ’Blue Moon Shadows’ underground. We must find the new Chosen One as soon as possible. This time, we must firmly control the new Chosen One within Asumos Church. We can’t disappoint the Pope again..."