The First Pope - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Dark creatures were detested by all races, but the witches loathed them more than any other. After the gods departed the Sitatul Continent, every race except the Vampires faced the threat of extinction, and the witches were no exception.
At that time, the matriarch of the Morgan Family, whose divination skills had reached the pinnacle of mastery, performed a divination at the cost of her own life force to see if the witches had a future. However, she underestimated the extent of the Sitatul Continent's collapse. The divination was only half-complete when her life force was exhausted, and she passed away with regret. But before she died, she left behind a clan rule.
The rule stipulated that no matter what happened, the witches were forbidden from coming into contact with the Power of Darkness. Whether they were from the Morgan, Garcia, or Anderson families, all had to strictly abide by it.
Violators would be directly expelled from the witch race.
During the several hundred years of fleeing from the Vampires, the witches of the three great families had always adhered to this rule. No one dared to defy it.
Camille's act of raising demonic beasts was already teetering on the edge of this prohibition.
Chelsea stood up from the stone and walked toward Camille and Eunice with a solemn expression.
Seeing that the little witch clique was about to have another "meeting," Cynthia shook her head slightly and looked away, uninterested. She heard Sarah yawn beside her and, noticing the exhaustion in the girl's eyes, took a heavy cloak from her Space Gem. "You should sleep here for a while," she said softly.
Clutching the cloak, Sarah stared at Cynthia. The memory of that incredibly powerful little flame made her hesitate, wanting to speak but holding back.
She was very tired and sleepy, but she didn't really want to sleep.
She wanted to ask Cynthia right now how to use that kind of flame. The days of her imprisonment had made Sarah despise her own weakness. She wanted to have the power to protect herself, just like the Elves or the Wolf Race.
She didn't want to be powerless when encountering Vampires, only able to wait to be captured. Even if fighting back meant death, she wanted to bare her own, not-so-sharp claws at the Vampires who seized her.
Cynthia saw Sarah's conflict. She smiled gently and said in a soft voice, "Get some rest first. Once you've recovered your energy, I'll teach you how to use the flame."
She helped pull the cloak up for Sarah, her gaze lingering for a moment on the small stone around the girl's neck. Hooking the grass string with her index finger, she asked, "May I have this?"
Sarah had been staring blankly at Cynthia. Hearing her words, she was startled for a moment, then nodded quickly. "Yes, of course."
She untied the grass string and handed it to Cynthia, her hands unconsciously wringing together in her lap. "It's so good to have met you, Cynthia," she said with a touch of gratitude.
Although this was their first meeting, perhaps because they were of the same race, combined with Cynthia's calm and composed demeanor, Sarah's anxious and panicked heart slowly found its footing.
It was as if... as long as she stayed by this person's side, those Vampires weren't so terrifying after all.
The humans in Nobi City had all been evacuated. After giving the space to Sarah to rest, there were no other quiet places to settle nearby. Cynthia had no desire to listen to the witches' meeting. She scanned her surroundings and saw Elves playing in the nearby forest. After a moment's thought, she turned and walked in that direction.
The Elves were ruthless when facing Vampires and full of kindness toward the imprisoned humans. But when they were alone with their own kind, they reverted to their simple and innocent nature. Cynthia didn't go too deep into the woods, merely standing at the edge, her gaze softening unconsciously as she watched the young Elves laughing and playing among the trees.
So, this continent wasn't just filled with ugly darkness. It was just that the darkness concealed it, making this beauty difficult to reveal.
Cynthia stood in the forest for a while when a vine suddenly descended from a tree beside her. It straightened slightly and poked her arm.
Cynthia glanced to the side, then followed the vine upward with her eyes. Her gaze met that of a young Elf girl who was lying on a branch, looking down at her with curiosity. Staring into those clear eyes, she was momentarily stunned, then habitually raised the corners of her lips into an exceedingly beautiful smile. "My apologies, I didn't mean to disturb you."
She pointed behind her and explained, "There was no place to rest outside."
The young Elf leaped down from the tree trunk, circled Cynthia once, and said with a grin, "Her Majesty the Queen wishes to see you."
This time, Cynthia was truly stunned, but she recovered quickly. With a slightly peculiar expression, she said, "The Elf Queen wants to see me?"
She had told Betty that she wanted to witness the Elf Queen's elegance again, but she never thought the opportunity would come so soon.
The young Elf nodded, looking at Cynthia with confusion. "You don't want to go?"
"How could I not?" Cynthia gave an elegant curtsy and said with a smile, "It would be my honor."
Why would she refuse an invitation from the greatest beauty on the Sitatul Continent?
The young Elf led Cynthia deeper into the forest. Elves are naturally sensitive to the aura of nature. The girl walked backward in front of Cynthia to guide her, the dense trees posing no obstacle to her at all.
Cynthia could feel the young Elf's gaze constantly darting across her face. She raised a hand to touch her cheek and asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile, "Is there something on my face?"
The young Elf shook her head with a smile. She swung her long braid behind her, her eyes sparkling as she said bluntly, "So the God Race is this beautiful."
Cynthia's face broke into a gentle smile. "The Elves are the most beautiful race on this continent," she said softly.
The young Elf blinked at Cynthia, cupped her face with her hands, and said with a smile, "My Twin Flower is about to bloom. Do you want to come visit the Elf Territory?"
The deep anticipation in her eyes made Cynthia, who had intended to accept politely, hesitate. She asked, "What is a Twin Flower?"
The young Elf smiled shyly and was about to explain when a green fruit flew from a distance and hit her on the head. At the same time, a somewhat stern voice echoed in their ears, "Lena, stop fooling around."
Lena ducked her head, then turned and leaped into a tree to escape, disappearing from sight in just a few bounds, leaving Cynthia standing there, utterly bewildered.
Suddenly, numerous vines sprouted from the ground at her feet. They wove themselves into a bridge in mid-air, the other end of which seemed to lead straight to the clouds. Looking up, she could just faintly make out a white figure standing at the far end.
An older Elf emerged from behind the bridge and nodded at Cynthia. "Her Majesty the Queen is waiting for you up there."
Cynthia slowly drew her gaze back from the white figure. She gave the Elf a polite smile, showing no dissatisfaction with the seemingly endless bridge. Instead, she simply unfastened her somewhat cumbersome cloak and stepped onto it.
The bridge woven from vines was extremely steep and swayed as she walked. Cynthia did her best to keep her balance, patiently climbing the countless steps without haste or impatience. She even had the leisure to occasionally stop and observe the clusters of white flowers blooming on the vines.
The dark clouds overhead were suddenly blown away by a gust of wind, revealing the round, bright moon. Cynthia looked up slightly. Ten meters ahead of her, Olivia stood in the moonlight, watching her quietly.
The silvery moonlight seemed to drape her in a silver veil, her white dress merging with the moonlight. Clean, beautiful—these were the only two words that flashed through Cynthia's mind when she first saw Olivia.
"Her Majesty the Queen has a rather unique way of welcoming guests," Cynthia said, naturally taking a few steps toward Olivia to close the distance, her tone a playful complaint.
Although she was complaining, her smile was so sincere and her voice so gentle that it didn't cause Olivia any offense.
"What is your name?" Olivia raised her hand slightly. A wooden table and a chair appeared between her and Cynthia. She walked over, picked up a bottle on the table, and personally poured a cup of sweet-smelling nectar. "Is this reception acceptable?" she asked faintly.
"My name is Cynthia." Cynthia walked over but did not sit down. Instead, she met Olivia's gaze from across the table and said with a smile.
Olivia looked into Cynthia's smiling golden eyes and felt that this member of the God Race seemed excessively gentle.
People who were too gentle often lacked ruthlessness, and that was something currently needed to survive on this continent.
Olivia lowered her gaze, handed the nectar to Cynthia, and turned her back to her, looking up at the night sky. Her cool voice carried a hint of distance. "As a member of the God Race, do you know your origins?"
Cynthia held the nectar without drinking, instead lowering her head to inhale its fragrance. "I know a little."
"What are your thoughts on the theory that the God Race might have been created by the Goddess of Light?"
Cynthia was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head honestly. "This is the first time I've heard such a theory."
Olivia glanced at her from the side. "The Goddess of Light is one of the three Main Gods. When she ruled this continent alongside the Earth Mother and the God of Darkness, the Light held a firm upper hand. The Power of Light not only possesses formidable offensive strength but also has extremely strong healing abilities. It is the only nemesis of the Power of Darkness."
Olivia's ethereal voice, like a clear mountain spring, became a pure pleasure to listen to when tinged with coolness. Cynthia caressed the cup in her hands, her gaze unconsciously falling upon Olivia, lost in thought, her mind wandering.
"After the Goddess of Light departed for the Divine Realm, the Power of Light vanished from the Sitatul Continent. But in reality, it still exists; it's just that no one can find it or use it."
After speaking, Olivia waited for Cynthia's response. But after a moment, Cynthia still hadn't spoken. Olivia couldn't help but turn to look, only to find her looking absent-minded, as if she hadn't been listening at all. Her brow immediately furrowed. "Are you listening to me?"
Cynthia came back to her senses slightly and curved her lips. "I am."
Her obvious state of just having snapped back to attention made Olivia's eyes turn cold. It seemed there was no need to continue the conversation. She turned around expressionlessly, about to call the Elf guard below to escort Cynthia away, when Cynthia's slightly helpless voice came from behind her. "Don't be angry. I really was listening."
Angry? Olivia was stunned. It was the first time someone had used that word in relation to her, and she found it somewhat baffling.
How could a stranger from the God Race possibly stir her emotions?
Olivia frowned, about to say something, when her peripheral vision caught a flash of white light, stopping the words on her lips.
Cynthia held the small flame in her palm out to Olivia. Seeing the faint annoyance between her brows, the corners of Cynthia's mouth lifted unconsciously. That beautiful face became even more vivid when colored with emotion.
She tried to float the white flame in front of Olivia and said with a beaming smile, "The Power of Light you spoke of... is this, isn't it?"
Olivia stared at the flame before her, the faint annoyance in her brow having already dissipated. Her gaze deepened as she slowly nodded. "Correct. This is it."
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