Dekan's Bishop of Pain Identity Exposed
Viewers who were watching the broadcast from other kingdoms were finally able to see the scene from the Feilowen Royal Capital again after a period of black screen.
The scene was simply too despairing.
Even though six bishops had not yet emerged, the sky was already covered with dark clouds, as if they might fall at any moment. The entire world was filled with a suffocating atmosphere, making it hard for the residents of the Royal Capital to breathe.
The Pope displayed a divine power, as if a god had descended to earth.
Even so, the workers who were still able to move instinctively began to flee the scene the moment the disaster struck.
However, some brave staff members, with the spirit of war correspondents, rushed to activate the backup magic recording equipment and restored the broadcast.
Regardless of victory or defeat, the situation in the Philoven Kingdom must be communicated.
At the Philoven Arena.
"No way... Xiao Zong..."
Dekan looked up at the Pope, who had almost been sent back but had forcibly descended here using his own power, and murmured.
Could the magical power of an individual life really fill a gap the size of a nation's magical energy station?
Dekan felt a chill run down his spine.
He was used to facing opponents who were several versions ahead of him in level.
However, the Pope's strength seems to defy description using the term "ordinary ninth rank."
It may already be... close to reaching the peak of the ninth tier.
Even without revealing his Magic Card, the Pope's monstrous stats alone are enough to easily annihilate an eighth-tier powerhouse.
Dekan wasn't even sure if the 120x pain feedback would stun the monster for even a moment.
This is not the level of a late-game boss at all.
You can now run for the final boss!
"When you killed the bishop at level three, did you ever think you'd be fighting the Pope at level five?"
Sion, surprisingly, interviewed Dekan like a reporter without any nervousness.
It seems everyone has forgotten the order in which the Pope killed her first, and then Dekan.
"Don't you dare gloat! Can't you act like a ninth-tier powerful father?"
Dekan has never teamed up with an ally with a personality like Sion.
Even at a crucial moment, they didn't forget to mess with their teammates' mentality.
If he had other teammates to choose from, he would prefer that Sion go to the other side.
But now that we need to deal with the Pope, we have to make do with this bastard Astrologer.
Under normal circumstances, Dekan would never want to face the Pope so soon.
We need to give Dekan at least a few more years to prepare, to reach the seventh or eighth rank, and to wait until his teammates also become stronger before he makes a move against the Pope.
Comprehensive intelligence gathering and planning are needed to ensure a 100% success rate in defeating the Pope.
But there's nothing I can do.
As Dekan grew, the Resurrection Church also sought opportunities.
The Pope didn't even send the bishops one by one; instead, he brought all the bishops to kill Dekan, who was only at the fifth rank!
In a typical story progression, a healthy, developing protagonist should still be laughing and joking around in school at this point in time.
That way, they won't be caught and killed by the final boss-level enemy who uses a teleportation cheat.
"Is this the retribution for the merits of offering sacrifices...?"
Dekan couldn't help but reflect on his actions over the past year.
So be it.
Even if we had just sent the Pope back and escaped this predicament.
As long as the Resurrection Church possesses this Spatial Leap Gate, it can continuously devise surprise attacks that are impossible to defend against.
This will be a period of great anxiety for Dekan.
Why not go along with the Resurrection Church and play along?
After all, this was a rare opportunity for the Resurrection Church to destroy the Kingdom Association's lifeline in one fell swoop.
However, Dekan and Sion also have a hidden advantage!
That is, the Resurrection Church was unaware that they had made prior preparations, and the traitor the Pope failed to find!
Even now, the Pope probably still believes he has the upper hand.
Therefore, this decisive battle, destroying the Spatial Leap Gate, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Dekan and Sion!
Directly above the arena.
The portal was constructed in an unconventional way.
The Pope also passed through it and arrived in the Feilowen Royal Capital.
However, the moment he arrived, the spatial magic seemed to become unstable due to a temporary energy switch.
Before the six bishops behind them could emerge together, the spatial structure near the portal began to twist and become chaotic.
The Pope frowned and turned around.
The disruption and energy depletion at the last moment severely hampered their plans.
The Pope picked up a seal that resembled a Bishop's Token 'Bishop's Token, but was more mysterious and profound.
The moment Dekan saw the seal, he knew what it was.
This is the Pope authority of the Resurrection Church.
The Pope used this damn thing to completely block Dekan's regular chat privileges!
At that moment, the Pope, seemingly ignoring Sion and Dekan, turned back to replenish energy and maintain the stability of the portal.
Clearly, the authority to activate this portal is tied to the Pope's authority, ensuring that only the Pope can use it.
"Those six guys don't need to come!"
Sion, of course, would not let the Pope have his way.
The moment the Pope brandished his authority, both Sion and the Pope intervened.
Their clash was merely a contest of ninth-tier Magic Power using what appeared to be the simplest magical attacks.
At their level, combat has long since returned to its essence, simplifying complexity.
When their powers collided, the silence was almost eerily profound!
There was no explosion, no booming sound of collision; it was as if two invisible arcs of light collided.
This caused a strong distortion in the air, and a ball of light was first born at the point of intersection.
Then, under the impact from both sides, the ball of light expanded even more!
And at this moment.
Finally, a strange distortion appeared in everyone's field of vision, and the audio and video became completely distorted!
The scene seemed to have passed for a long time, yet it also seemed to have just happened a moment before the "buzzing" sound finally came.
Suddenly, the ball of light in the center burst forth with cocoons of electricity that resembled serpentine snakes, flowing continuously.
The severe audio lag during the live stream left those witnessing a clash of ninth-tier beings completely stunned!
Although the noise was not loud, they could sense the Terror clash that was taking place between Sion and the Pope.
Even the eighth-tier Imperial Sword Saint and Saint Knight Captain merely gripped their swords, hesitant to make a move.
They all wanted to try to attack the Pope, but they also knew very well that if they acted rashly in the previous clash, it would be like a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
If they provoke a retaliation from the Pope, they could be crushed in an instant!
Finally, the ball of light in the middle, as if unable to withstand the collision between the two ninth-order forces, exploded!
First, a silent ripple spread out, then the ball of light suddenly shrank several times, and then instantly expanded violently... Finally...
"Boom!!"
In that loud bang...
The Royal Capital was instantly illuminated, and the glass of the surrounding buildings shattered and flew off, centered on the arena!
Although Sion on the ground was beginning to pant, the Pope in the sky remained unmoved, as if the attack just now was nothing more than a casual gesture to him.
A pure difference in Magic Power.
Meanwhile, the Pope was also supplying magical power to the portal, attempting to bring the bishops down with him.
The portal will soon reform; Sion's interference has clearly failed.
"You should be well aware of the gap between us."
The Pope's voice turned cold and heavy, echoing like the shattering sound of an icicle falling in winter.
Whether it's offensive magic or control magic.
Sion couldn't possibly interfere with or influence him.
This is an absolute difference in strength.
"Agamemnon, have you ever experienced the allure of the Underworld?"
On the ground, Sion simply let out a crisp laugh and asked.
They seemed completely unconcerned about the soon-to-be-restored portal.
However, at that moment, the Pope suddenly remembered something and abruptly turned around to stare at Dekan.
As far as he knew, there was indeed a spell that could not be defended against or avoided!
In the brief moment between Sion and his opponent, Dekan had already equipped himself with [Crown of Thorns] and [Cursed Doll], and summoned [Ruined Poet] and [Dirge Mermaid].
Sion's attack was not intended to interrupt the Pope, but simply to prevent the Pope from interfering with Dekan's spellcasting!
"How could your Resurrection Church have been so heartless in persecuting me, a weak, pitiful, and helpless person all this time?! You owe me compensation for my emotional distress!"
This was accompanied by Dekan's angry Resurrection Church.
Sion's [Forced Dispel] also reached the Pope, ensuring that the Pope could not resist it with [Pain Shield].
120 times the Heartache Attack!
This was something Dekan had prepared long ago, just waiting for the Pope to actually appear so he could release him at any time!
The Pope trembled.
Although it's not clear that the Pope was injured, the spatial portal that was just beginning to take shape is starting to become chaotic again.
Dekan's Heartache Attack was indeed effective.
Dekan's interference came at the exact moment the portal was about to take shape, a moment when the portal was teetering on the brink of collapse!
And now it's no longer Pope can stabilize.
After all, the Pope himself did not possess spatial magic; he was merely guiding the magical device called the spatial portal.
"Hurry! If we don't leave now, we'll be teleported to unknown coordinates!"
As one of the developers, Shadow Bishop Minos was the first to rush towards the turbulent spatial portal.
If they stay here, they will either get lost in the spatial passage, be teleported to a random location, or even be transported to another dimension!
The other bishops also acted decisively and followed Minos.
Even so, the bishops were swept up by this turbulent spatial current and transported to an unseen location.
In addition to the Pope successfully arriving at his destination.
The other bishops appear to have been teleported to other coordinates.
The next second, the city defense system of the Feilowen Royal Capital activated its alarm!
One of the bishops landed in the Feilowen Royal Capital, and the distance he was teleported away from was not far!
Most of the other bishops are probably located around the Royal Capital, or even within the Royal Capital.
"Three are in the Royal Capital, and three are in the suburbs."
Sion said in a deep voice.
As the crystal blue bracelet on her wrist glowed faintly, Sion, who controlled the central defense barrier of the Feilowen Royal Capital, quickly ascertained the situation.
The Shadow Bishop was the first to react, along with the strongest Bishop of End and the Bishop of Falsehood, seized the opportunity and passed through the spatial portal to reach a location that wasn't too far off track.
The three bishops who followed— Plague, Silence, and Devouring—were all transported to more distant locations via increasingly unstable spatial portals.
"That's already pretty good."
Dekan nodded slightly, his expression grave.
Then his gaze fell upon the Pope was gradually descending to the ground.
The battle situation, which was on the verge of collapse, has taken a turn for the better.
If the separated bishops try to arrive, eleven eighth-tier powerhouses from both inside the Royal Capital and outside the arena will meet them and intercept them.
Normally, to fight against an enemy of the level of Bishop of Ruin Evans of Ruin, even Ice Princess and Judith together wouldn't be enough; you'd need another eighth-tier powerhouse, making it three against one to achieve a balance of power or an advantage.
Even with these eleven eighth-tier powerhouses plus a large number of seventh-tier contestants, it wouldn't be enough to withstand the six bishops.
At most, it can only delay them for a while.
And, what seems most hopeless to everyone is that—not only are there these six bishops, but there are also three bishops in hiding.
There are a total of nine bishops in the Feilowen Royal Capital!
However, Dekan felt he had a chance.
Only Dekan truly knew that the Bishop of Pain was himself.
The Bishop of Frenzy is in jail.
Moreover, there are traitors among the bishops, and they will not stand idly by when the Kingdom Association faces a life-or-death crisis.
The situation is not as bad as it seems!
The arena has become four against one.
If they can defeat the Pope before the other bishops arrive at the arena to provide support, this will be their victory!
The Pope simply looked at the power in his hands and remained silent.
It seems that communication with the bishops was completed very quickly.
Their current location was also determined.
"Very good."
Despite the disruption to his plans, the Pope did not appear angry at all.
Despite the attacks from the Imperial Sword Saint and the Saint Knight Captain reaching him, the Pope remained unmoved.
An invisible barrier completely absorbed their attacks, and then both were sent flying by the Pope's wildly swirling black flame Magic Power, crashing heavily to the ground and sustaining considerable injuries.
Even with the magical enhancements from Sion, greatly boosting their attributes, they were still far from being able to fight against the Pope.
Sion's spells and Dekan's summons also seemed to have no effect on the Pope.
All of this is because of this magical barrier.
[Chaos Guard]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Class: 9]
[Passive effect: Maintains a magical shield. While the shield is active, damage and crowd control effects are reduced by 90%. Each trigger of this shield consumes a large amount of mana.]
[Note: Holding eternal power]
The Pope harbors hostility and hatred towards Dekan.
But not many.
It was a coldness that came from those in power, a coldness that wouldn't even get angry at an ant.
It's far from possible for [Captain Dekan] to successfully Taunt the Pope for even 0.1 seconds.
The original seven against four became one against four. Faced with the potential chain reaction caused by the opposing team's coordinated attacks, even the Pope on the solo side, who possessed overwhelming strength, became cautious.
In particular, the unique combination of Dekan and Sion, who provide mutual support and protection, made the Pope somewhat wary.
However, the Pope does not seem to intend to maintain peace with them until other bishops come to their aid.
"Whatever your plans are, or how much you already know, this ends here for today."
A soft sigh escaped from the Pope's lips.
The sigh seemed to be a lament, a mockery, and yet, it also seemed to carry a trace of indelible killing intent.
As Dekan was being watched by the Pope, the Pope also gently extended his left hand. At the tip of his pale index finger, a Magic Card transformed into Magic Power and gently swirled around, quickly spreading out a wisp of black light that enveloped the four of them in a black sphere of light.
[Judgment of Living Beings]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Class: 9]
[Effect: Continuously consumes mana to imprison enemies within range with Magic Power lower than the caster's using a small barrier. The caster cannot move during the spell's duration. Continuous mana consumption causes imprisoned enemies to lose health. Cooldown: 24 hours.]
[Note: Possesses the power of life and death]
The seemingly thin black silk contained Terror power, so much so that even the eighth-rank Adair and Alger dared not touch it, desperately casting healing spells on themselves.
It won't even cause you pain!
It's just like the natural laws of life stripping away a person's vitality!
The Pope concentrated most of his power on Dekan and Sion, while Sion diligently tried to use healing magic.
As for the other two eighth-ranked individuals, the Pope felt it didn't really matter whether he killed them or not.
The Pope's purpose is clear.
After killing Sion and Dekan, he planned to seize the energy source of the Feilowen Royal Capital and leave using Spatial Leap Gate before reinforcements from other kingdoms arrived!
It can also be observed that after the Pope's forced use, the Spatial Leap Gate in the sky has developed some cracks, and it is probably already under overload.
Continued use will inevitably cause some damage.
But since the Resurrection Church has the power to create it, it will surely be able to restore and use it again in the future.
Without Sion's intelligence gathering, the Resurrection Church will once again use this Spatial Leap Gate to completely crush the Kingdom Association!
To some extent.
If Dekan and his team lose today.
The Kingdom Association is finished.
No one spoke, and the four of them could not move an inch.
Apart from the Imperial Sword Saint and the Saint Knight Captain, who could barely protect themselves, Sion shielded Dekan behind her. From the beginning, she had given Dekan a protective spell, with silver chains formed like stars connecting her and Dekan.
[Star Link]
[Category: Spell Card]
[Rarity: Orange Epic]
[Class: 9]
[Effect: When applied to a target, grants shared perception and health; effect ends after a certain distance. Additionally, the target with the higher attribute will have 10% of their attribute transferred to the target with the lower attribute.]
[Note: You're so weak, why should I even be able to defeat you?]
As long as this spell is maintained, neither will Dekan die.
Furthermore, after receiving a 10% bonus to each of the four attributes from the ninth-tier Sion, Dekan was no longer so fragile.
Even after this connection was established, the Pope not only hesitated to take action against Dekan, but also hesitated to act rashly against Sion.
The pain inflicted on Sion will also be transmitted to Dekan, giving Dekan the opportunity to feel the pain.
Originally, Shin used to use this Sion to combo opponents, not only to exchange health to save himself and limit the Pope's attacks, but also to steal the Pope's excess attributes. However, in the current situation, Sion needs to protect Dekan first, even if it means Sion himself will lose attributes.
Because Dekan's pain feedback is something the Pope cannot address.
The unique powers of Blood Race and the magical creativity of demons can both be called miracles of this world.
These miracles, however, are precisely what threaten the almost invincible Pope.
If they can use Dekan's pain feedback to make the Pope faint from pain for a moment, Sion can then use his prepared backup plan.
But with the Pope appearing completely flawless, she couldn't begin her plan.
They put the Pope in her home turf to fight.
If she were to attempt this rashly, given the extent of the Pope's control, she might not even be able to successfully imprison Pope before Pope forcibly breaks free halfway through.
All you need to do is control and disrupt the Pope for even a short while.
She can then ensure a flawless takeover of control.
Dekan naturally knew what Sion was planning to do.
However, the Pope was wary of Dekan from the very beginning.
They didn't give Dekan a chance to stage an accident.
The Pope's spiritual and Magic Power attributes are beyond the reach of humankind.
Due to the extremely high mana cap brought by high spirit and resistance to abnormal statuses, almost no control effects can have any impact on the Pope.
Even though the Pope had already expended a lot of mana due to the spatial portal, he still couldn't possibly outlast this mana monster.
With the attack reduced by 90%, it was impossible to even break through the Pope's shield, let alone harm him.
The Pope opted for a tactic of completely suppressing them; once a non-traitorous bishop arrives to provide support, the four of them will be easily killed by the bishop!
Unless one can proactively grant the Pope an unusually strong degree of control!
The Pope stood not far from the four people, and even the air was filled with that indescribable power.
Not only Dekan, but even Sion's expression grew increasingly grim.
Because they began to hear the sounds of battle coming from a distant direction.
It seems that some bishops are already not far from the arena.
"Bishop of Pain, you really surprise me. Perhaps I should have come to find you sooner."
The Pope's stern face seemed to be smiling, yet it also carried an aura of majesty that commanded respect.
Although the Pope didn't know if Dekan and Sion had any other ways to break the deadlock.
But he seemed a little worried.
If several bishops appear together, the Pope has no concern that any internal traitors will dare to stir up trouble.
But what arrives next is a single bishop, who happens to be the mole he's been searching for.
A seemingly insurmountable situation can be reversed in an instant.
The Pope has no need to take risks when he has such a strong advantage.
He did indeed come up with an interesting idea to end everything before the bishop arrived...
That would break the bond of trust between Dekan and Sion!
"I told you I am not the Bishop of Pain."
Dekan said with a cold laugh.
The Pope's attempts to sow discord are utterly ridiculous.
"Oh?"
The Pope has simply taken up his authority.
I don't know what I did, but in the next instant, the seal began to shine brightly!
It was as if the Bishop's Token resonated with it.
A faint, transparent mark appeared on Dekan's body.
This belongs to Dekan, the mark of the Bishop of Pain.
Just as Dekan was feeling uneasy.
The [Proof of the Bishop of Pain] hidden within Dekan's soul also began to shimmer, gradually revealing itself uncontrollably!
Dekan suddenly looked at Sion.
A flicker of surprise and doubt flashed across Sion's eyes.
"How does it feel, you fools, to be completely fooled by the Bishop of Pain?"
The Pope's voice echoed in the arena, as if he were not only speaking to the four people in front of him, but also announcing Dekan's true identity to all the people of the kingdom!
The Imperial Sword Saint looked directly at Dekan with suspicion, radiating intense hostility towards him.
The Saint Knight Captain, however, was filled with disbelief and was momentarily at a loss as to how to deal with Dekan.
The Pope was pleased with their response.
The expressions of the Kingdom's people watching the live stream must be quite interesting.
But what the Pope truly cared about was Sion's attitude.
If we can make Sion waver at this moment, everything will be over.
"How is that possible? Is Dekan really the Bishop of Pain?"
"Could it be an illusion cast by the Pope?"
"Dekan's body... seems to have a seal that corresponds to it? Is that a genuine Bishop's Token?!"
"I'm actually living in an academy every day with a bishop?!"
The Observation Hall at the Havenlit Academy was now in complete chaos.
Whoever it is.
They all just treated Dekan's Bishop of Pain title as a joke.
How could a student be a legitimate bishop of the Resurrection Church?!
But at this moment...
The Pope's personal confirmation seems to have solidified the authenticity of all of this!
Dekan was the last bishop of the Resurrection Church, a genuine Bishop of Pain!
"No... it's impossible..."
Theresia covered her face, her expression filled with terror.
Is this seemingly harmless boy she brought back to the Royal Capital from a border town a year ago actually Cardinal the Resurrection Church, a force comparable to natural disaster?
Theresia shook her head violently.
Although she always felt that the more she understood Dekan, the less she could see through Dekan.
Every moment spent with Dekan gradually convinced him that Dekan's way of doing things was like that of a demon.
But she absolutely refused to believe that Dekan was the Bishop of Pain!
He is a person with clear principles and a stark contrast to evil!
"Lord Sion... you must trust Dekan..."
Theresia could only grit her teeth and pray for her friend.
In a corner of the Observation Hall, a dejected student stared blankly at the broadcast screen, as if he had lost his soul.
"I lost to... the Cardinal?"
He had challenged Flata, the rich kid, during his first semester at Dekan High School, but now he suddenly realized that his greatest achievement in life might have been escaping unscathed from the clutches of the Bishop of Pain...
What was once a nightmare scar that he could never forget has now become a badge of honor for a true man...
The magical city of Tristin.
Lord Viscount Lampard slumped back in his chair as if all his strength had been drained.
If Dekan is the Bishop of Pain...
Was Dekan's glorious feat of saving the city, rescuing the Ice Princess, and defeating the Bishop of Ruin Evans, essentially a power struggle for the position of bishop?
He felt he could no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Even though Viscount Lampard knew that Dekan was a master of acting, he was still willing to firmly support Dekan.
But what about this irrefutable evidence now?
What will Sion think?
"If you're a fraud, I so wish none of this were true... but if you're not a fraud, I just hope you can successfully fool everyone..."
Lampard was momentarily unsure whether he was more worried about himself or about Dekan!
Meanwhile, in the Randir Kingdom, those who had been rescued from Fahim by the Beautiful Mind Team were filled with despair.
They were convinced that Dekan would once again turn the tide and help the Kingdom Association overcome this most difficult crisis.
But.
If we told them at this point that Dekan, who could save the world, was actually a traitor.
It is the true embodiment of evil.
They are charlatans who steal fame and fortune!
That would be utter despair.
It's as if everything is fake.
The victory of Tristin City over Bishop of Ruin Evans Ruin was also a good one.
Let's leave aside the battle in which the Royal Capital Landil defeated the Bishop of Corruption Fahim.
They're all just stages built for the birth of heroes!
A sense of impending doom gripped everyone's hearts, as if a catastrophe was about to destroy the Kingdom Association!
However, at the Philoven Arena...
When the eyes of the entire world were focused on Sion.
She clenched her teeth.
After a brief hesitation.
He simply shouted:
"Dekan is our Kingdom Association's top intelligence agent—codename 'Deathbird'! He reports only to me! Agamemnon, don't even think about trying to shake the Kingdom!"
After listening to what Sion said...
The Imperial Sword Saint clicked his tongue almost imperceptibly, while the Saint Knight Captain breathed a sigh of relief.
The Pope frowned.
This Astrologer is really troublesome.
Actually.
Sion couldn't really figure out Dekan's true nature either; she relied on deductions and guesses for most things.
Even if she personally wanted to believe Dekan.
But she carries the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the Kingdom Association on her shoulders.
Therefore, there has always been a lot of reservation about the mysterious Dekan.
But at that moment, she knew what the most correct judgment she should make was!
Not just the others present.
Even Dekan stared at Sion, somewhat stunned.
Sion's words completely put his mind at ease.
With just one sentence, his previously dangerous actions, which had sown the seeds of future problems, were completely whitewashed, and he was even given an official position.
And based on just this one sentence...
Dekan felt that all his negative feelings towards Sion had been reversed.
Although that bastard Astrologer was just putting on an act again.
It almost scared Dekan to death.
She wasn't surprised at all by Dekan's Bishop of Pain status!
Sion's previous hints about Dekan's identity Lord of Calamity were merely a combination of magic, deduction, and joke, relying on Sion's intelligence network and unique spells.
But Sion was 100% certain of Bishop Dekan's identity as the Bishop of Pain!
Because her true intelligence agent, "Unicorn," must have given her the information that "Dekan attended the Bishop Council"!
But Sion's acting in that brief moment was meaningful.
The Pope's provocative actions indirectly confirm this point—
The Pope was completely unaware of the existence of "Unicorn," the highest-ranking intelligence agent of the Kingdom Association within the Resurrection Church!
"Xiao Zong, today is the day to close the net."
Dekan simply went along with Sion's plan, snapping his fingers and pointing at the Pope with a smug smile.
The Pope frowned.
It seems like he's not bothered by anything else.
Whether it was Dekan and Sion's advance preparations for dealing with spatial magic, the 120x Heartache Attack, or Sion and Dekan's impromptu cover-up, the Pope didn't seem particularly angry.
Because everything is still under his control.
But Dekan kept mentioning "a minor sect," and it seemed he'd heard it three times already?