NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1265
Chapter One Hundred and Three: The Pope of the Church of Truth
Dozens of shadowy figures, engulfed in gray flames, burst through the roof and walls like missiles almost simultaneously. Such a huge commotion and noise naturally attracted strong attention in the shadow world serving as the headquarters of the Church of Truth.
More powerful individuals rushed over upon hearing the news, but no matter how fast their reactions, they couldn’t appear in the room like magic. After sweeping away a dozen enemies as easily as gathering trash, Little Dragon Daughter clapped her hands and returned to Miss Lenca, who was still cheering with no hint of crisis or fear.
“Alright, come with me.”
“Huh? Where are we going?”
“Don’t ask so much, just follow me.”
“Um… what about them?”
Noticing the foreign girl instinctively glancing at the other few sleeping young ones, Xiao Guang clicked her tongue in impatience but still explained seriously.
“They’ll be fine. Staying here will get us in trouble; don’t be stupid!”
“Eh… Aah! I got it! Xiao Guang, wait for me!”
The two little lolis burst out of the already riddled room, making their way to the ground floor of the manor.
A large number of cultists in uniforms were hurriedly rushing through the corridors, either herding the awakened young ones somewhere or transporting items, bustling about like a prepped army.
“Huh? What’s with those two kids? Isn’t anyone watching them?”
“You fool! Did you not hear that commotion? They clearly escaped! Don’t let them get away!”
Seeing the two strange young ones running loose in the outside world, the cultists all reacted surprisingly in unison, first stunned, then quickly surrounded them, eager to recapture the lost “materials.”
“Ahh!!”
“Uwahhh!!!”
But for one little dragon daughter, there was no retreat; no matter what demons or monsters came her way, she swung her fists straight, knocking opponents back to walls and even crashing through the roof, like an unstoppable bulldozer, sending the cultists into chaos, wailing all around.
So, while charging through, Xiao Guang quickly led Lenca out of the manor and into an open forest area.
The hazy forest suddenly opened up before them into an expanse of over ten thousand square meters completely encompassed by a complex massive magical array. At the center of this intricately designed array stood a square stone altar, several meters long and wide, looming over them.
At this moment, a figure in a grand and ornate robe, clearly of higher status than any ordinary cultist, stood atop, holding a staff and murmuring prayers toward the heavens. The carved patterns on the altar pulsed rhythmically, glowing softly along with the entire ceremonial site.
This was a large ritual site designed specifically for high-level magic, built long before Xiao Guang and others were sent here. These past few days, Little Dragon Daughter had quietly roamed the nearby shadow world, spending a considerable amount of time investigating the very prominent magical ritual’s purpose.
By the time the two seemingly harmless little lolis arrived at the scene, most of the young ones captured by the Church of Truth had already gathered within the magic array, confined like a herd of sheep on various sides of the altar. More were still being herded along the forest paths, joining the growing crowd.
Facing a terrifying sight beyond comprehension, there were at least a thousand children, appearing to be between 5 to 15 years old, packed together tightly. Some were crying loudly, while others cowered in fear, or seemed stunned, blankly staring at the cultists guarding them, oblivious and lost. The scene was pure chaos.
This was a common occurrence; regardless of their actual ages, most young ones captured by the Church of Truth were still mentally immature, lacking any ability to protect themselves or a sense of value. Panic and fear in the face of danger were entirely reasonable instincts. It was the one named Lenca Dolgon who was the abnormal case.
Thinking this, the little dragon daughter glanced sideways at the brown-haired girl panting behind her.
Though she possessed a decent amount of magical power compared to ordinary creatures, her physical strength was weak, reflecting her appearance, making her a burden at such times.
But… whatever.
Since I promised to safely take her away, I had to keep that promise, just hoping this completely unbothered fool would be smart about it.
As the ritual hadn’t officially started yet and was still in the final preparation and gathering phase, the little dragon daughter’s reckless entrance naturally garnered a lot of attention from the cultists.
“Wa-la-la…”
Just seconds after stepping foot in this place, dozens of cultists responsible for perimeter security surrounded the two girls.
Compared to the miscellaneous cultists Xiao Guang had casually sent flying on the way here, these foes were significantly more elite and battle-hardened, silent and armed with more dangerous weapons, with more ‘smoke ash’ swirling around them. Some particularly powerful ones even had fiery outlines forming around their bodies.
They were the real main force here.
Indeed, through her investigation, the little dragon daughter had uncovered the greatest characteristic of these Church of Truth cultists and the key to distinguishing their hierarchy and strength—it was simply a matter of how dense the ‘ash’ coming off them was.
They referred to this as “God’s Blessing,” effectively enhancing their overall combat ability in the shadow world. The denser the ash, the more blessings they had received, enabling them to exert stronger power, and their status within the Church rose correspondingly.
However…
Among the encircling crowd, Little Dragon Daughter turned her gaze towards the figure atop the altar.
That guy, clearly a core member of the Church of Truth referred to as the “Pope,” at this moment, had no ‘ash’ rising from him, even making Xiao Guang feel an almost imperceptible sense of true danger.
During this time, she had been trying to uncover the identity, strength, and background of this “Pope” but found no leads. The individual left no information, and most cultists didn’t know his backstory either, only knowing he was a messenger sent by the “God,” requiring unconditional obedience.
Both in this shadow world and the blessings from the God, everything was conducted by this “Pope,” only he could truly communicate with the “God” for the entire Church of Truth.
An enemy whose details were unclear was the most dangerous, but Xiao Guang had chosen this moment to act for a reason.
“Roar!!!!!!!”
Suddenly, Little Dragon Daughter let out a skyward howl, her youthful yet authoritative roar resonating with tremendous force, nearly blowing away dozens of high-level cultists surrounding her. A pair of small dragon wings unfurled from her back, propelling her into the sky!
This body was still small and lacked the powerful equipment and skills of her original form, and couldn’t even be considered a true “being,” but some techniques engraved in the instincts of dragonkind would never disappear.
“Woo…”
Brilliant golden light erupted rapidly from the young girl’s mouth. Before it could fully form, it exploded into a dazzling brilliance within the eternal night of the shadow world, like a golden sun rising from the ground, even leaving Little Dragon Daughter slightly struggling to control her overwhelming power, letting out some frustrated whines.
Sensing the imminent threat, the figure atop the altar dressed in luxurious church robes, his mask more intricate than all the cultists, turned around, stopping his previous motions.
However, he didn’t leave the altar but merely gazed silently at the golden glow in the sky, watching it…
Booming explosion!!!
“Boom!!!!!!!!!!”