Backlund, North Borough, Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Cardinal of the Church of Storms, Archbishop of the Diocese of Backlund, "High Priest of the Deep Blue " Leodero Valentin descended from the wind and landed inside the spire with the large bell on the left.
He wore a long black robe embroidered with Storm symbols, had a thick beard, and short, upright hair that was a deep blue, almost pure black.
The robust Demigod turned his gaze to the other side and addressed the figure who was already waiting there:
" Horamick, do you know what's going on? Why did Anthony suddenly call us here?"
The person he was speaking to was dressed in a white priest's robe, wearing a clergy cap, with a kind face and gentle expression. He was none other than Horamick Haydn, the Archbishop of Backlund, a demigod and a member of the Church of Steam's Holy Synod, Demigod.
Upon hearing Radar's question, Horamick calmly responded:
"I didn't arrive much earlier than you; in fact, I've only been out of the lab for a few minutes."
He is not only a clergyman but also a renowned scientist and an honorary professor in the Department of Physics at Backlund University.
Just as Leodero Valentin was about to say something more, he suddenly saw a figure ascend the winding, narrow staircase to the spire in the darkness that the red moon could not penetrate.
The figure wore a black and red clergy robe, with five Sacred Emblem of Darkness on his chest. His face was clean-shaven, and his eyes were deep and serene. He was none other than Saint Anthony Stevenson, one of the thirteen archbishops of the Church of Evernight, the head of the Backlund diocese.
"Is there something you can't wait until dawn? Or does your Church of Evernight prefer to discuss matters at night? High Priest of the Deep Blue," Leodero Valentin spoke first.
Anthony walked down the steps, stopped, and said with a serious expression:
"It's a very urgent matter."
"What is it?" Radar pressed.
At this moment, Horamick Haydn also turned his attention to Anthony Stevenson, waiting for his answer.
In similar scenarios, Horamick particularly liked the presence of members of the Church of Storms, as it meant that they would ask questions proactively and without mincing words, leaving him no need to say anything further.
Anthony glanced at them separately and said:
"If it concerns the royal family, let Ms. Arianna tell you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a woman's figure, dressed in a simple robe, with a bark belt, barefoot, and with flowing hair, quickly emerged from the shadows beside him.
Upon seeing this person, Radar and Horamick immediately bowed:
Good evening, Ms. Arianna.
Their expressions simultaneously turned serious, reflecting a profound understanding of the importance and crucial nature of tonight's events:
For an Angel walking on earth to intervene is no small matter!
At the same time, they were also somewhat shaken, realizing that they had no idea when Lady Arianna, the abbess of the Evernight Abbey and her Servant of Concealment, had arrived in Backlund.
Under normal circumstances, the three major churches, the royal family, and the military have a certain tacit understanding in this regard, namely that Angel on earth and "0" level Sealed Artifact will not appear in Backlund.
"Good evening, Archbishops," Arianna returned the greeting without the slightest Pride.
She immediately raised her right hand and gently made a grasping motion in mid-air.
A few glimmers of light bloomed, conjuring scenes in the darkness—the entire conversation between Arianna and Qonas Kilgor.
This seemed like a long-preserved Concealment finally being revealed to others.
As he watched, " High Priest of the Deep Blue " Leodero Valentin couldn't help but speak up:
"He has actually advanced to Sequence 4 and become Demigod."
The archbishop recognized Qonas Kilgor and had initially thought that this deputy director of Military Intelligence Section 9 was only Sequence 5 and only possessed Demigod- level combat power by relying on a sealed Sealed Artifact with severe negative effects. However, he hadn't expected that it was just a disguise.
The Church of Storms wields greater influence over the military than the other two major churches.
No one responded to Radar. Only after the Concealment was fully revealed did Horamick speak:
"A secret ruin involving the ' Blood Emperor,' and a large number of people being sent into it—neither of these is a good thing."
"Indeed!" Radar agreed. "Let's go to those ruins now!"
Arianna looked around and said calmly:
"This involves the royal family and the king; you'd better obtain the consent of your respective holy seats first."
In this Angel's context, the Holy See refers to the Papacy, representing the central authority of the Church.
"Alright." The two archbishops agreed without hesitation.
After some time, having received feedback, "Deep Blue Bishop" Leodero Valentin and Horamick Haydn, each carrying a Sealed Artifact, arrived at the place where Qonas Kilgor had entered the " Blood Emperor " ruins, along with Anthony Stevenson and Arianna.
Arianna then took out a dark iron-black emblem engraved with complex symbols, held it in her hand, and tried to activate it.
He made no disguise and stood there calmly, seemingly not worried at all that the guards in the ruins would recognize him.
Horamick seemed to be pondering something as he watched the behavior of this Concealment Servant, while Radar remained calm, not seeing anything wrong with it.
Inside the underground ruins, a strange metal base suddenly emitted a deep blue light, forming a large door.
Four guards clad in deep black full-body armor immediately peered through the eerie blue light to observe the situation outside, preparing to determine whether the person who had awakened the " Door of Teleportation " was an imposter, in order to decide whether to open the "gate."
However, they saw nothing; the corresponding area was completely deserted.
Just as a strong sense of unease and considerable doubt arose in their hearts, a figure swiftly emerged behind them as if drawn in a painting—it was Arianna, the leader of the Ascetic of the Church of Evernight, whose robes bore signs of patching.
In an instant, the four guards fell into a deep sleep, and Anthony, Radar, and Horamick entered the underground ruins one after another.
Instead of going directly down the road, they passed through the hall, floated into the air, and looked down at everything.
This is a world ruled by darkness, with only glimmers of light coming from strange mosses growing in different places and the firelight reflected from human buildings.
With their illumination, even Beyonder without dark vision could grasp the overall appearance of this vast ruin:
On one side is a gray stone wall that stretches upwards, seemingly connecting to the ground; on the other side is a bottomless, dark valley, like the Abyss dwelling place of Devil. A stone-paved road runs through the two, connecting halls and buildings, with people coming and going from time to time, quiet and silent.
Just as the archbishops of the three major churches were about to seize a few people who could delve into the underground ruins to find out what was inside, they suddenly saw a figure fly out of the dark valley and head straight for them, the Demigod.
The figure had a rectangular face, a white wig, a mustache with slightly upturned ends, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, bearing a striking resemblance to the figures on playing cards.
He was dressed in a formal suit, draped in a cloak, with extremely long toes on his shoes. His attire was out of step with the times, as if he lived in the last century.
Archbishops like Antony and Horamick were quite familiar with him, knowing that he was Prince Grove Augustus of Sonia, one of the royal Demigod.
"How did you get in here?" Grove asked first, his expression slightly surprised and uncertain.
They glanced at each other, and Anthony spoke first:
"We've been investigating several cases of large-scale mysterious disappearances, and we identified Qonas Kilgor of Military Intelligence Section 9. It was through him that we found this place."
Grove's expression shifted a few times. He glanced at the woman who exuded tranquility and asked cautiously:
"Ms. Arianna?"
"Yes, I'm in charge of those missing persons cases," Arianna replied succinctly.
Prince Grove gave a wry smile:
"We were too greedy. After discovering this ruin, we only thought about digging it up ourselves and taking the items inside. To keep it a secret, we even made contact with the Demoness Sect, using them to gather people to build the passage and hold certain rituals."
"No, it's not what you think. It's just a normal ritual. They're still alive, deep within the ruins."
"If you don't believe me, I can take you down there to check right now. There's nothing there except for the seal that hasn't been fully opened yet and some buildings."
Upon hearing his answer, Anthony, Horamick, and Radar exchanged glances, all seeing the doubt in each other's eyes.
This was completely different from the reaction they had anticipated and the situation they had imagined!
This made them wonder if there was a mistake, and that things weren't as serious as they had imagined.
Just then, Arianna spoke:
"You also caused the Great Smog Incident."
"No." Prince Grove shook his head again. "That was a lesson learned from cooperating with the Witch. They actually wanted to control Edessak and use that to seize power in the kingdom. After we saw through their scheme, they created the Great Smog Incident. Since then, we've cut off all contact with them."
At this point, he pointed below and said frankly:
"How could we possibly do something like that just to keep the excavation of a ' Blood Emperor's' ruins a secret?"
"Once you go down deep into the area and examine it carefully, you will understand what I mean."
"Hehe, don't worry, with Lady Arianna around, no trap can hold you back. Besides, putting aside the question of whether we have the ability, even if we could Concealment bury you deep within the ruins, the Holy See would still find out. I don't believe you didn't report this to your respective Holy Sees before you set off. Wait a little longer; if you don't return, they will definitely have the appropriate response."
Radar and the other Demigod pondered for a moment before turning their gaze to Arianna stood before them in simple robes.
Arianna nodded calmly and said:
"Good."
An Angel and three Saint, led by Prince Grove, then entered the depths of the underground ruins and discovered a hidden, untouched site in the darkness, where men and women were being taught to perform different rituals, and everything was peaceful and orderly.
Arianna, Horamick, and the other Demigod examined different areas according to their own ideas, even leaving the area to explore further afield, but found nothing.
After receiving Arianna's notification, Klein turned Qonas Kilgor into a servant in the manor, thus making the deputy director of Military Intelligence Section 9 disappear.
Then, instead of immediately performing the sacrificial ceremony, he sent the harvested items above the Gray Fog to study them and patiently waited until dawn.
P. S.: Requesting recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Monday!