The Cathedral of the Deep's Boss Emerges

"Being kicked around like a ball, stained by mud, chased like a rat by strange weapons, and vomited on by maggots."

"Then let me ask you."

Do you still like the Zane Dungeon?

"Me, me"

In his dazed state, Fingel heard indistinct voices, unable to distinguish whether someone was actually asking him questions or if he was hallucinating.

No one can be nice to something that tortures them. Anyone who can resist giving the middle finger to the Zane Dungeon after going through a series of tortures is considered to have high moral character. You expect someone to give you a thumbs up?

However, Fingel hesitated, unsure of what evaluation to give.

The main issue is that all of these experiences were things he had to go through on his own initiative, and he had encountered even worse things before, especially after being kicked out of the team.

The torment brought by the Zane Dungeon gave him a strange sense of reminiscing about the past.

He hesitated for a while, and then he woke up.

Where am I?

Fingel rubbed his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. He was still inside the Cathedral of the Deep, and beneath him was a bed made of cotton that could make him sleep peacefully.

He didn't even need to look to know it was Aleya's doing. He had just sat up when he heard people shout, "Mr. Fingel is awake!"

Tus and the others came over to offer their concern, which was genuinely heartfelt. Fingel responded with a few words, then looked at Matilda and asked, "What happened next?"

He was kicked around like a badminton shuttlecock in the air for double digits before he lost consciousness and had no recollection of what happened afterward.

To be honest, he felt that if Matilda had let go of him, he might not have died from the fall. But she held on tightly, which caused him to become a shuttlecock as well.

But I can't say that out loud. They were trying to save me, and saying that would affect the team's relationship!

Amidst the cacophony of voices, he finally understood what had happened.

The Troll Roar's roar weakens during flight, leaving only the impact force when it hits them, so he and Matilda were actually stunned.

Aleya led her people in a surprise attack on the Titans from behind, breaking the attack frequency of the two Titans and rescuing them.

Matilda had already fainted, but when she hit the ground, she woke up again. Once awake, all she felt was anger from being mocked. She led her people to completely wipe out the two giant slaves.

Then she was determined to lead everyone to cross the second gate using Flight Spell. If she couldn't lead everyone to skip class in the end, wouldn't she have been used as a ball for nothing?

So we are now...

"We've crossed all the gates, and we're now resting on the first floor."

Matilda pointed to the side, where the passageway into their room was blocked by plants grown by Aleya, preventing the monsters outside from getting in.

"Everyone is waiting for you to wake up and take us up to see it, Mr. Fingel," Tus said, referring, of course, to the high platform that everyone was so eager to see.

Aleya stretched out a large amount of straw to form the shape of a clock, telling people that the dungeon would close in less than an hour.

"Alright." Fingel, supporting his weary body, stood up. "We're already here, we have to go up and take a look!"

The plants that had been blocking the gate were released, and a horde of white maggots Maggot Man slaves poured in. People were prepared, Fingel alone could handle the monsters by standing still and flailing about at the entrance.

The giant slaves guarding the stairs leading to the high steps have disappeared after their deaths, leaving behind Maggot Man that will cast spells when they see adventurers approaching, but they are not enough to pose a threat.

While wandering through a pile of mud, people found a prop they had never seen before—the [Bewitching Branch].

[Consumes mana to charm the stabbed enemy; the charmed enemy will temporarily become an ally.]

The divine being Miquella is loved by all things, and therefore can compel others to feel favorably toward him.

Who is Miquella?

If they didn't understand it, they didn't bother. After the adventurers climbed onto the platform and successfully used the Bewitching Branch to turn a Church Knight into an ally, they were both amazed by the item's magical effect and regretted using it so hastily.

What if we used them to charm a more powerful enemy? Like Overlord Wolnir?

It's exciting just thinking about it.

The Guzha Squad decided that they would come back tomorrow to pick up a Bewitching Branch to test on Overlord Wolnir.

Fingel had worked so hard for the platform, and the view from it did not disappoint him.

Aside from the throngs of Church Knight and bishops, this is undoubtedly the heart of the Cathedral of the Deep, offering a panoramic view of the entire Cathedral of the Deep.

A massive structure, whether a pulpit or an altar, was enshrined on a high platform. In front of it were rows of benches, with candlelight flickering softly. Fingel could almost imagine the cathedral's archbishop standing here preaching, the most distinguished church officials sitting on the benches below listening, and tens of thousands of believers prostrating themselves on the ground below the platform to hear God's will.

Thinking about this, Fingel suddenly had a question.

"We've been wandering around here for ages, but we still don't seem to have figured out who the deity in this church is?"

Gwyn? But the title of Sunlight King clashes with the atmosphere of the Cathedral of the Deep; it feels as sinister as if an evil god were being worshipped here.

"Forget it, let the Strategy Team handle the analysis."

I thought there was nothing on the platform except what looked like a pulpit, but I didn't expect there to be a path behind the pulpit that seemed to lead to a deeper place. The further down I went, the more intense the cold and eerie atmosphere became.

The statues on both sides of the road have an eerie feel to them, neither human nor inhuman, and they're making people feel uneasy, almost like they're experiencing the same "Happy Valley effect" (a popular Chinese entertainment venue).

As they stepped onto this path, an invisible atmosphere suddenly spread. The people who had been chatting and laughing before fell silent for no apparent reason. They looked at each other, puzzled, and asked:

Why did you suddenly stop talking?

"That's what I wanted to ask you too."

Atmosphere is such an unpredictable thing; when it becomes strange, everyone can sense a bad premonition.

The air seemed to slosh around like thick viscous fluid, and those within it suddenly felt a sense of oppression. It was hard to describe the exact feeling, but if one had to, it would be difficult to articulate.

The words "oppression" and "horror" are the most appropriate.

The earlier scene of Fingel and his companions being used as balls by the giants was somewhat amusing, making people forget the somber tone of the Cathedral of the Deep itself.

The Road of Sacrifices; the Impaled Corpse Forest is overrun by mutated werewolves; the cemetery is filled with half-human, half-maggot Living Dead. Along the way, the sense of horror and eeriness gradually builds up. People may not notice it at first, but when they come to their senses...

"Buzz—"

A piercing buzzing sound suddenly rang out without warning, and even Fingel frowned and covered his ears.

The buzzing continued for a long time, until people were grimacing and their heads were splitting with pain. Then the sound gradually weakened, and the sound of orchestral music came from somewhere else.

The music was indistinct, as if it came from a distant time and space. It was typical church music, solemn, dignified, and elegant, filled with faith in God.

It was clearly a sound much better than the buzzing, but the orchestral music seemed to subtly stir up the hidden fears in people's hearts, filling their souls with a profound melancholy.

Suddenly, black mist appeared before Fingel's eyes. Looking back, the road he had come from was already covered by the mist, and he knew there was no turning back.

The unusual situation confirmed his suspicions: behind the high platform lay the location of the leader of the Cathedral of the Deep.

But who will be the leader? That Sunlight King, Aldrich the Deep Saint?

"Don't be afraid, everyone. I'm here to keep you safe and sound."

Fingel gave everyone a brief pep talk and took the lead, walking at the very front.

The hard stone bricks echoed with the sound of footsteps, making each step feel like it was treading on one's heart.

A white, inhuman statue emerged from the black mist, its neck stiffly twisting as its head followed the backs of the people.

The closer you get to the bottom of the scene, the clearer the orchestral sound becomes. This music is undoubtedly a work of art, and artists would go crazy for it.

However, when the adventurers actually entered the vast, dark arena, strange sounds, like tearing and biting, a sound the adventurers had heard many times on the Road of Sacrifices they had come from.

That was the sound of flesh being torn apart.

Just as the magician was about to use Flash Spell to provide light—

"Boom!"

A small candle suddenly lit up out of nowhere, and people instinctively looked over.

Illuminated by the firelight, a short, stout bishop in splendid attire emerged from the darkness. His red eyes, gleaming with undisguised lust for human flesh and blood, revealed his torn lips, from which saliva dripped.

"Only one? That's too much."

Before people could finish speaking, another candlelight appeared, revealing the gaunt face of the tall, thin bishop.

"I have a bad feeling." Fingel's intuition is usually very accurate.

The third one, the fourth one.

One candlelight appeared after another, and with each appearance of a candlelight, people's hearts skipped a beat.

Finally, the candlelight was no longer content to appear before their eyes, beside them, and behind them; they were now surrounded by the Deep Bishop.

The light completely illuminated the area, and the number of the Deep Bishop surrounding the adventurers had surprisingly exceeded three digits!

"Are you serious?"

Fingel had countless things he wanted to say, but in the end, when he saw the enormous thing in front of him clearly, all the words stuck in his throat.

The Deep Bishop were not surrounding a pulpit, nor a precious treasure, nor holy scriptures, but rather...

A huge coffin, a coffin filled with black mud.

The orchestral music reached its climax as the leaders of the Cathedral of the Deep —the Deepwater Bishop Congregation —descended.