Half the church was buried in underwater silt, including the main entrance.
In other words, it was almost impossible for Angel to enter through the front door.
The only passage through the entire Underwater Church was an extremely winding chimney.
Through its slanted angle and internal drainage-pressure mechanism, the chimney served as both an entrance and exit while preventing outside water from flooding into the church.
Angel slipped into the chimney and continuously wound his way along the copper-cast pipe walls.
Eventually, he dropped into a dilapidated compartment.
The compartment was piled with rotting wood and tattered fabric. Judging by the miniature clothes everywhere and the hymn stands stacked in the corner, this should have been the church choir's storage room.
Angel swept his gaze around. Finding no useful clues in the compartment, he pushed open the creaking wooden door and walked out.
Outside was a corridor.
More precisely, it was a second-floor corridor. One side pressed against the wall, while the other was lined with stone railings, offering a clear view of everything in the church's first-floor hall, including the half-human, half-doll standing on the circular stage.
The sound of Angel pushing open the door seemed to startle the half-human, half-doll.
It had originally been half-crouched on the ground, pretending to be a stone statue. Now, its rigid body slowly began to tremble, as if it might rise at any moment.
Angel did not care. He walked forward along the corridor while leisurely watching the half-human, half-doll below.
Though it looked as if it had just been "awakened," Angel knew perfectly well that it had woken long ago.
It had discovered him the moment he entered the Hidden Waters.
This performance now was probably only meant to lull him into letting down his guard.
It assumed Angel did not