Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 508 - 509: The Divine Punishment Action [4/5]

As the words of Archbishop Fiona fell,

The figure in the platinum robe up ahead turned around slowly under Fiona’s respectful gaze, revealing his face in the moonlight.

It was a man with radiant golden short hair, the tips of which were a sacred silver-white. His dark red eyes were always half-closed, conveying a friendly demeanor as he locked eyes with Archbishop Fiona.

Without a doubt, the man had an ordinary appearance. If thrown into a crowd, he wouldn’t stand out.

However, the subtle yet terrifying aura around him, and the invisible pressure he exerted on the souls of those nearby, made this seemingly ordinary blond man anything but.

This man, with an extraordinary temperament and hands behind his back, was the supreme ruler of Asumos Church.

Kael-Andoluzwezi.

...

"Fiona, my old friend, raise your head. No need for such formalities."

Instead of directly responding to Fiona’s report, Kael showed his usual gentle smile and quickly stepped forward, preparing to help Fiona, who was half-kneeling on the ground, to his feet.

"Your Grace, decorum cannot be ignored. Besides, now is not the time for pleasantries."

However,

Faced with Kael’s goodwill, Fiona shook her head in refusal and spoke seriously.

"Pope, please be more focused."

The sharp and serious look in her eyes even made Kael pause and awkwardly ’raise his hands’ in surrender.

"Alright, alright, understood,"

For once, Kael acted like a disciplined student in front of Fiona and conceded decisively.

"You, like Nick, are really inflexible. Even when no one is around, you’re still the same. Is this what graduating from the church academy does to you?"

"Your Holiness now is not the time to discuss such matters."

Fiona bluntly reminded him, and continued with a tone of urgency:

"Please make a decision quickly regarding the matter I just brought up."

"The matter just mentioned?"

"Yes, the first is about Borulov entering Luminous Royal Academy."

Fearing Kael might not have heard clearly, Fiona emphasized again:

"The task you gave to Mengxi is to bring back the Heart of the Sacred Dragon. I believe Red Leaf Royal Family has also anticipated this; otherwise, they would not have sent the Necromancer Borulov. He might use the Soul-Eating Hand to erode Mengxi’s spirit. To protect the safety of the Girl of Destiny, I think it is necessary to send additional strong person to protect Mengxi."

"So, Archbishop Fiona? What do you think should be done? Who should be sent?"

"In my opinion, it would be best to send Kain to protect Miss Mengxi. He is skilled in remaining hidden and can protect her in secret without her knowing. Also, isn’t Ophelia near Luminous at the moment? Therefore, I hope Your Holiness can issue an order to Archbishop Molok to have Ophelia collaborate with Kain in protecting the Girl of Destiny. Considering we are dealing with the third seat from the former Void Spirit Tower, it would be safer to have two Heavenly Apostles protecting her,"

Fiona spoke her heart out.

Although aware of Mengxi’s ’miracles,’ they are only activated in life-threatening situations. If Borulov were to control the Girl of Destiny with mental attacks, Mengxi might not be able to resist. The Girl of Destiny cannot be compromised.

Fiona wanted to be more cautious. She did not want to over-rely on the Girl of Destiny like Nick did, even if the Girl of Destiny does not like being protected secretly by the Heavenly Apostles.

"Privacy’s not a big deal when it comes to staying safe. What do you say?"

"Um…"

Kael rubbed his chin, thinking for a second.

After a moment, the highest leader of the Church slightly nodded:

"I understand. However…"

"However?"

"I intend to slightly modify your plan Fiona. I will send Kain and Bai Xiaozu together to protect the Girl of Destiny and guard against Borulov."

"Bai Xiao Zu? You mean Bai Yanluo?"

Upon hearing this, Fiona looked a bit worried:

"Is Bai Yanluo in a good condition lately? Ever since Nick returned to the Goddess, she seems to have been listless."

"Yeah, that’s exactly why I want her on this. Might do her good to protect a friend like Mengxi. And also…"

Kael, who seemed to have thought of something, let the smile fade from his face.

The expressionless Pope gazed at the bright moon in the sky:

"As for Ophelia, I do not intend to involve her in this mission for now."

"Why, Your Holiness?"

"You don’t have to worry about that, I have my own considerations. You just need to inform Kain."

"Understood."

Fiona lowered her head, not asking any more questions.

"Also, Archbishop Fiona, you mentioned the Divine Punishment earlier. What is that about?"

Kael shifted his focus back to Fiona, and you could tell he wasn’t happy. For a guy who’s all about worshiping the Goddess, this Divine Punishment Sect and their messed-up beliefs are on his hit list.

Kael had indeed sent Heavenly Apostles and church troops, joining forces with various empires, to repeatedly encircle and suppress this cult.

However, these cult members are like rats and cockroaches hiding in the dark, impossible to completely exterminate.

Even though every plan to encircle them had been flawless, they still managed to slip away every time.

Until now, the Divine Punishment Sect had been a thorn in the side of Kael.

However, as his eyes flashed with anger, Kael also felt a touch of surprise:

"Divine Punishment Sect, those rats who hide in the dark, weren’t they only skulking around in the Northern Territories and the small countries in the central region lately? How come this time they have appeared near the capital city of Anvika? They’ve grown bolder."

"Yes, Your Holiness. The scouts from my ’Dark Moon Shadow’ unit have found a large number of people bearing the emblem of the Divine Punishment appearing in the vicinity of Luminous Academy. Although we don’t know how they managed to reach the core areas of the empire, their intentions are clearly malicious. My men roughly estimate that there are more than three hundred of them gathered."

"So, what do you think their aim is for gathering here?"

"Considering the timing, it’s hard not to suspect that they intend to interfere with Luminous Academy’s ranking competition."

"Just 300 people? Taking action here and now? Isn’t that a bit overconfident? However, Archbishop Fiona, since your forces have discovered these cultists, why haven’t you eliminated them directly? Can’t you deal with them on your own?"

"Yes, Your Holiness."

Fiona openly admitted and handed Kael a detailed scouting report:

"After losing two squads, we confirmed that these aren’t just any foot soldiers; these are elite members of the Punishment Sect. Among them are two infamous archbishops. Additionally...the cult’s leader, Wilt, is also present."

"Oh? Wilt is also here? It seems they really want to interfere with the ranking competition. Or perhaps they aim for Sacred Dragon’s Heart? Or maybe they plan to assassinate the Girl of Destiny?"

Reading the information in his hands, Kael raised an eyebrow, speculating on the intentions of Divine Punishment Sect.

After pondering for a moment, a slight smile crept up on Kael’s lips, and he made a decision in his heart.

"No matter what their purpose is, this is a good opportunity."

"Yes, Your Holiness, a great opportunity to eradicate the Cult once and for all. Once Wilt is dead, these leaderless cultists will likely scatter like birds and beasts."

"Then, Archbishop Fiona."

The smile on Kael’s face vanished and he gave Fiona a look that said ’it’s go time.’ Fiona got the message and braced himself.

"I am at your service, Your Holiness."

"I am giving you command over the two Holy Order envoys, the Third United Heavy Armored Corps of the Temple Legion, and the Celestial Angel Knights. Your only mission is to lead them and your ’Dark Moon Shadow’ unit to annihilate those cultists. Bring Wilt’s head to me."

"Understood, Your Holiness. I won’t let you down."