The First Pope - Chapter 103

Chapter 103

With the Temple of the Forest Goddess beneath her feet and the branch left by the goddess in her hand, Olivia's statement to Talia that it was impossible for them to defeat her here was no arrogant boast.

It was a fact.

Divine power lingered in every temple that had sunk into the earth, either attached to the statues or dormant deep underground. This power answered only to the gods. After the Forest Goddess departed, the divine power in her temple should have slowly dissipated over the long river of time, just like in the other temples. But now, because of Olivia, "they" were awakened.

Tens of thousands of supple, dark green vines intertwined, forming a colossal humanoid figure woven from vines that blotted out half the sky. Clusters of blooming flowers served as its eyes, and the vines that swayed and danced in the wind were like its long, flowing hair. The figure held a dark green longbow, and the two flower clusters trembled as if searching for something.

Behind the vine figure, Olivia's eyes were slightly closed. The branch in her hand shone with a brilliant light as she rapidly chanted an incantation. Her beautiful brows were tightly furrowed, and her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

After a moment of searching, the vine figure quickly locked onto Talia and the other vampires. The figure slowly took a step back, its hand holding the longbow gradually rising. A dark green arrow began to coalesce on the bowstring.

The expressions of Talia and the other vampires targeted by the arrow changed drastically. Even as Second Generation Vampires, they dared not treat an arrow formed from divine power lightly. The last time Olivia had turned the tables on them, a Second Generation Vampire had died under this very arrow.

However, Olivia was not in her peak condition, after all. Talia could already see that this arrow was far less powerful than the last one.

The vampires gathered around Talia, simultaneously mobilizing the Power of Darkness to resist the pressure from the arrow. Although the arrow was still forming, its sharp tip felt as if it were already at their throats, creating a terrifying feeling that if they didn't resist with the Power of Darkness, their chests would be pierced in the next second.

Layer after layer of dark barriers enveloped Talia and the vampires, but the outermost barrier would shatter in just a few seconds. The speed was so fast that Talia's expression grew grave. She glanced at the vampires beside her and, not seeing Edeli, spoke with displeasure, "Where did Edeli run off to?"

Missing a Second Generation Vampire at a time like this made it even more difficult for them to subdue Olivia.

"It seems that God Race member in the Forbidden Land provoked him. He didn't come with us," answered a Second Generation elder beside Talia.

Even if he was enraged and wanted to kill that God Race member, he should have succeeded by now.

Talia's face was grim, her golden hair seeming to have lost its luster. The pressure from the arrow grew stronger. As she gathered the Power of Darkness, she subconsciously glanced in a certain direction. Avira was sitting on a treetop, her legs dangling, watching the show with great interest.

Talia's anger instantly flared. She focused all her energy on mobilizing the Power of Darkness. As she did, the arrow on the vine figure's longbow finished coalescing, ready to be released.

The negative effects of Olivia using her life force to nourish the Tree of Life had been seventy to eighty percent restored after Cynthia's treatment, and her spiritual power had recovered to a level where she could mobilize divine power. However, forming this arrow was still a strain.

The hand holding the branch seemed steady but was actually trembling slightly. Olivia's lips were pressed tightly together, her pale green eyes fixed on the vine figure. She recklessly used her spiritual power to control the figure's arm, trying to make it release the arrow.

Under Olivia's control, the vines slowly drew the bowstring taut. The oppressive aura suppressed the vampires opposite them, and the blood-red mist retreated again and again. The entire sky was instantly shrouded in a dark green fog.

When Cynthia arrived, the last ray of sunlight overhead had been devoured. The sky had grown dim, and nothing but dark green was visible. The arrow's aura was so sharp that even from a great distance, her exposed skin felt a slight stinging sensation.

Cynthia looked up, her gaze carefully searching the area around the vine figure, trying to find Olivia. A golden barrier enveloped her, shielding her from the arrow's pressure.

A sudden squall of wind and rain obscured Cynthia's vision. She frowned and, braving the gale, moved a little closer. She vaguely saw a pale green figure behind the vines. Before she could get any nearer, a loud boom suddenly echoed in the air. At the same time, the wind and rain stopped, and time itself seemed to freeze. An eerie silence fell over the area.

The arrow was released without a sound, effortlessly piercing through the barriers set up by the vampires. A bone-chilling sense of crisis enveloped Talia. Her expression grave, she stared at the arrow that was almost upon her and, without a second thought, reached out and pulled a nearby vampire in front of her.

The arrow pierced the vampire's body. A Second Generation Vampire, with a constitution so formidable as to be nearly immortal, was as fragile as a piece of paper before the arrow.

His chest caved in, the heart within already turned to pulp. The Second Generation Vampire who had shielded Talia died without even making a sound.

After passing through the body of one Second Generation Vampire, the arrow paused in mid-air as if searching for another target. Talia tossed the corpse aside and, together with the other vampires, trapped the arrow. The arrow struggled fiercely, but with Olivia's spiritual power nearly depleted, she could no longer control it. It slowly dissipated under the corrosion of the Power of Darkness.

Releasing the arrow had exhausted all her strength; Olivia simply had no energy left to control it. After losing its connection to Olivia, the vine figure slowly faded away, and the dark green fog began to recede.

Her vision blurred. Olivia lowered her hand and swayed, about to fall to the side. An arm wrapped around her waist, steadying her. A warm, pure Power of Light enveloped her, bringing a sliver of clarity back to her chaotic thoughts.

The elf warriors who had been fighting alongside Olivia quickly gathered around, protecting Her Majesty the Queen. Cynthia helped Olivia retreat a little. Seeing that the hand clutching the branch was trembling, she reached out and held her wrist, saying in a low voice, "You can't use any more magic."

Her hand moved down, gently prying Olivia's fingers open to take the branch. "Rest here for a while."

Olivia leaned against Cynthia, remaining silent for a moment.

Her spiritual power was somewhat depleted, but as long as the vampires hadn't retreated, she could keep fighting.

She had fought to the very end last time, and she could do it again.

But perhaps the Power of Light healing her was too warm, or perhaps the body she leaned against gave her a sense of security. Olivia's hand, hanging at her side, clenched and unclenched a few times. For the first time, she didn't try to act strong, instead saying in a low voice, "...They won't last much longer."

To nullify the arrow's attack, the remaining vampires had also consumed a great deal of the Power of Darkness.

"I know." Cynthia tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes gazing at Olivia's profile. She said softly, "I'll take care of the rest."

Olivia's face was completely drained of color, and her forehead was beaded with cold sweat; she was clearly enduring her injuries. The hand Cynthia had on her waist tightened its grip. Her overly delicate features, now devoid of a smile, appeared somewhat stern, but her voice remained as gentle as ever.

After dispelling the arrow's attack, Talia was shaken. But when her gaze fell upon the corpse of her kinsman on the ground, her anger was reignited. Another Second Generation Vampire from her clan had died at Olivia's hands. This was a profound humiliation for the Lasombra.

"Attack! I will slaughter the entire Elf Race today!" Talia roared, glaring furiously in Olivia's direction.

Some of the vampires already wanted to retreat, but one look at Talia's face and they could only follow her in gathering the Power of Darkness.

Without Olivia fighting at the forefront, the elf warriors were scattered by the impact of the Power of Darkness. But they did not retreat, still charging forward bravely. Olivia being gravely injured had also ignited their fury.

Although Talia and her group were also injured, the elf warriors alone were not enough to repel them. Cynthia raised a hand to summon a barrier around Olivia, then took out the Light Crystal and walked into the midst of the elf warriors.

A soft chant was masked by the fierce sounds of battle, but the sudden surge of the Power of Light caught everyone's attention. The golden light was dazzling and domineering, actively meeting the behemoth-like Power of Darkness. Purifying, devouring—in just a few seconds, the black mist had shrunk by nearly a third.

The expression on Talia's face froze for a moment. Her scarlet eyes stared through the golden light at the silver-haired God Race member within, her gaze darkening.

As the Power of Light and the Power of Darkness were locked in a stalemate, Joanna arrived with the elders of her clan. She didn't join the battle immediately, instead quickly assessing the situation.

Just as she had expected, the vampires were at a disadvantage again. However, her gaze fell on Olivia, a flash of surprise on her face. The Elf Queen had actually lost her ability to fight?

Her heart stirred, and her mind began to race, but seeing Cynthia within the golden light made her hesitate again.

While Joanna was still pondering, a wolf's howl suddenly reached her ears. Although it was muffled by the sounds of battle, her superior werewolf hearing still caught it.

An elder heard the howl as well, his expression changing slightly as he subconsciously looked at Joanna.

Joanna reined in her thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Go help Cynthia."

That howl came from an elder of the Fielder clan… It seemed Helen knew about the attack on the Elf Race after all.

Wolf howls rose and fell, drawing closer. Soon, Talia also noticed the approaching werewolves. At any other time, she wouldn't have feared any number of them, but now… Talia's will to fight suddenly faded, and her emotions gradually calmed.

Joanna led the Wolf Race elders behind Cynthia and proactively established a werewolf domain, once again encroaching on a third of the territory held by the Power of Darkness.

Talia glanced at Joanna, her brow furrowing slightly, and gave a signal to the vampires behind her.

The vampires intended to retreat. Cynthia saw through Talia's plan. Her eyes narrowed, and a slow curve formed on her red lips. On the ground to her right lay the dark green longbow left behind when the vine figure vanished. Cynthia glanced at it, then turned and picked it up.

When Joanna saw her pick up the longbow, she frowned, unable to guess what Cynthia intended to do.

This longbow came from the temple; only divine power could form an arrow on its string.

Cynthia didn't know the bow had this limitation. She picked it up simply wanting to borrow the weapon. Light Magic spells were all too "gentle"; she was somewhat dissatisfied with them.

Golden motes of light floated around Cynthia. She raised the longbow, aimed it at the vampires, and placed her fingers on the bowstring, slowly drawing it back. As if guided, the golden motes flew toward her fingertips, and a golden arrow rapidly began to form.

Joanna caught sight of the golden arrow forming on the bowstring. Her expression changed, and she stared at Cynthia with a hint of shock.

Divine power… Why can she use divine power? There's no temple to the Goddess of Light beneath our feet.

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