The First Pope - Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Once the leaked divine power was sealed, the raging storm outside gradually subsided. Inside the secret chamber, Cynthia returned the Ice Coffin from the high platform to her Space Gem. Although she hadn't found any trace of the Sethite wizards, the vision she'd stumbled upon was a far greater reward.

Even though the information revealed by the vision was rather horrifying.

"There's a formation beneath our feet, and it looks like it's been activated," Cynthia said in a low voice, after telling Olivia about how the dark aura in the chamber had vanished and about the bloodstains left on the formation. "It's quite ancient, likely a remnant from the Era of the Gods."

Olivia glanced down. "The Sethite wizards have always wanted to emulate the Tremere clan, transforming from humans into Vampires to gain eternal life. If this formation is important, they'll definitely be back."

"Eternal life?" Cynthia chuckled. "You have to stay alive and safe to call it eternal life."

Even Vampires couldn't guarantee they would never face death. Did the Sethite wizards really think becoming Vampires would bring them peace? She had no intention of letting them rest so easily.

When Cynthia and Olivia emerged from the temple, Darcy and Susan, who had been waiting outside, quickly surrounded them. Darcy peered at the temple, which was once again submerged by the sea, while Susan asked with concern, "Is there a problem with the temple?"

Although the tsunami was suppressed, a large number of humans lived around the Slade Sea Region. If the temple was going to leak from time to time, she would have to evacuate all the civilians.

But more and more humans were seeking refuge with them, and there was no longer enough habitable land. Relocating the civilians of more than ten cities at once would be a difficult task.

Cynthia knew what Susan was worried about, so she briefly explained the reason for the divine power leak. Then she said thoughtfully, "The divine power leaked because an ancient formation inside the temple was activated. The ones who activated it were likely the Sethite wizards, but they're no longer in the temple."

"Although there isn't much residual divine power left in the temple, the nearest few cities are still not suitable for habitation."

It was still unclear what the formation in the temple was for, and it was unknown if the Sethite wizards would return. Humans staying here could easily fall into danger.

Hearing Cynthia's words, Susan's expression grew grave, but she didn't hesitate. She turned and left immediately to arrange for the relocation.

Although the relocation would be troublesome, Cynthia's words had to be heeded.

Darcy watched Susan's departing figure and frowned. "What exactly is that ancient formation in the God of the Ocean's temple?"

"Some of the markings look like a teleportation array," Cynthia said, though she wasn't entirely certain. "Let's have Chelsea and the others come take a look. The Witches have many books on ancient formations." After all, with a legacy spanning thousands of years, the Witches would have a better understanding of formations from the Era of the Gods.

After saying this, Cynthia and Olivia prepared to leave. Darcy was startled to see them go and quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

"To the Mentos Desert." Cynthia smiled at Darcy and said softly, "I've learned some interesting news and I'm going to confirm it."

Cynthia was already interested in the Dragon Knights inside the Earth Mother's temple, and now after "seeing" the vision, her interest had grown even stronger.

These were the Dragons the Earth Mother had spent nearly half her divine power to create. If she could release them from the temple, they would be a significant asset.

The Mentos Desert hadn't completely returned to peace since Talia retreated with the Lasombra and Tzimisce Vampires. The swirling yellow sand was even more frenzied than when Cynthia and the others had last been there.

Olivia waved her staff, and the power of nature forcibly parted the swirling sand to create a path. At the end of the path, the temple was faintly visible. She lowered her staff, turned to Cynthia, and said, "What do you plan to do?"

A god's barrier isn't so easily broken, and releasing the Dragons wouldn't be simple. Moreover, Olivia still had doubts about the Dragons' true nature.

Although the Dragon Knights were created by the Earth Mother, the guardian deity of the Sitatul Continent, Cynthia couldn't be sure if their nature was the same as their main god's. Everything had to be discussed first. "Let's sound them out first."

Cynthia naturally took Olivia's hand and gently squeezed it for a moment, then said with a smile, "Whatever the Dragons' nature may be, they certainly don't seem to like Vampires."

Last time, when Talia and Avira came to seize the Blood Coffins, they ended up in a pathetic state under the Dragons' claws.

Since the Dragons' appearance, the Earth Mother's temple was no longer so mysterious. Cynthia and Olivia, escorted by a whirlwind, arrived before the temple. Through the yellow sand, they could clearly see several crimson dragons coiled around the stone pillars. They seemed to be sleeping with their eyes closed, but Cynthia and Olivia could still feel several gazes sizing them up—curious and wary, but not dangerous.

Cynthia looked over each of the dragons coiled on the pillars, mused for a moment, and then took out several brightly colored gems from her Space Gem. Creatures like dragons loved shiny things. The Magic Dragons were like that, so she figured these Dragons would be no exception.

Compared to the Dragons' size, the gems looked minuscule. But the instant Cynthia took them out, the Dragons on the pillars opened their eyes in unison. The gazes that had been on Cynthia and Olivia shifted to the gems.

Olivia glanced at the gems in Cynthia's hand, picked one up, and casually tossed it toward the temple. The nearest dragon flew over cheerfully, caught the gem with its head, and then hovered in the air, greedily eyeing the other gems in Cynthia's hand.

"Our last meeting was a bit rushed, I haven't introduced myself yet." Cynthia tossed the gems up and down in her hand. Seeing more and more dragons gathering around, she curled her lips into a smile and continued, "My name is Cynthia, an emissary of the Goddess of Light."

Strictly speaking, these Dragons were also a race from the Era of the Gods. If she introduced herself as one of the God Race, the Dragons would surely be confused, so it was better to just invoke the name of the Goddess of Light.

The Dragons diverted some of their attention from the gems and glanced at each other. One of them, a smaller, dark-red dragon, spoke up: "I know you. The clan leader said you are a God's Descendant."

Her speech was a bit slow, as if she wasn't used to this way of vocalizing.

Cynthia tossed the gem in her hand to the dragon, her smile gentle. "May I see your clan leader?"

The dragon caught the gem and said happily, "I'll go get her." With that, it turned and flew away in a flash.

The Dragons had absolutely no resistance to shiny gems. Cynthia took out a few more and distributed them to the other dragons, trying to coax some information out of them in the process. With just a few sentences, she managed to get quite a bit of information.

"We're waiting for someone here." One dragon pawed at a floating gem, saying distractedly, "The clan leader said we're too young and need more combat experience."

"Combat?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Combat with whom?"

"Don't know them." A dragon next to it chimed in. "But the clan leader said those people reeking of dark energy are called Vampires."

A thought struck Cynthia. "Do they come here often?"

The dragon thought for a moment, then nodded.

Cynthia turned to meet Olivia's gaze and said thoughtfully, "So the Vampires really did come for the Blood Coffins."

Just as she had expected, the Blood Coffins were more important to the Vampires.

While Cynthia was talking to the dragons, a crimson figure flew out from the depths of the temple. It moved like lightning, arriving before Cynthia in an instant and stopping abruptly just as it was about to hit the barrier. Its earthy-yellow pupils were like enormous gems, so large that Cynthia and Olivia could even see their own reflections in them.

The distance was a bit too close. Cynthia and Olivia both retreated a few meters before they could take in the full sight of the dragon. Compared to the others, her body was much larger, her scales distinct, and her claws sharp. Her crimson scales looked like a brilliant flame.

"God's Descendant!" A clear, resonant voice rang in Cynthia's and Olivia's ears, filled with unconcealed excitement and joy. "Is the plan to eliminate the monsters finally beginning?"

"Can we finally go out!"

Olivia, who had been observing the crimson dragon, paused and silently withdrew her gaze.

Still thinking about the plan even after all the gods have left. The nature of this dragon clan leader seems quite simple.

Olivia turned her head to the side, listening quietly as Cynthia spoke with the dragon.

Although Cynthia hadn't expected the crimson dragon to still be thinking about the plan, she was only surprised for a moment. Her expression returned to normal as she said with a smile, "The gods have already left the Sitatul Continent."

The crimson dragon's bright eyes instantly dimmed. "I already knew that."

She already knew her main god had left this continent, but they still had to carry out the orders their god had left behind.

The crimson dragon's eyes held only disappointment, not anger or hatred. It seemed she didn't know about the "conspiracy" behind this plan or the truth of the Earth Mother's departure from the Sitatul Continent. Various thoughts swirled in Cynthia's mind, but she pushed them all aside and said softly, "Because the gods left, this continent has begun to collapse."

"Are the monsters getting out of control?"

Cynthia shook her head. "It's the Vampires."

The crimson dragon paused, surprised. "The Vampires? Those little insects?" She flicked her whiskers and said casually, "Then let us out to take care of them."

Cynthia: "..."

Although this was her purpose for coming here, wasn't this progressing a little too quickly?

The crimson dragon had been trapped here for thousands of years and didn't want to stay a moment longer. She leaned her head closer to Cynthia, looking at her with immense anticipation. "You can let us out, right?"

Because the crimson dragon was so close to the barrier, it gradually became visible before Cynthia.

Cynthia looked up at the barrier and asked, "How do I break this barrier?"

The crimson dragon thought for a moment and replied, "Just... shatter it."

...What a simple and crude method. But it didn't sound very reliable. Cynthia gave a dry cough, raised a hand to touch the faint, almost invisible crack on the side of her neck, and sighed deliberately. "I was injured by Vampires before. I'm not in my peak condition."

The crimson dragon swished her tail and hesitated. "Then..."

Before she could finish, Cynthia decisively made the decision for her. "Let's talk about it after I've recovered from my injuries."

"It will be quick," Cynthia said with a smile. "Wait for my news." With that, she and Olivia turned to leave.

The crimson dragon watched Cynthia's departing figure reluctantly and shouted, "Then you have to recover quickly!" She paused, then as if remembering something, she roared, "My name is Ellen."

She saw Cynthia turn her head and wave before her figure disappeared into the yellow sand. Only then did the dragon reluctantly withdraw her gaze.

One of the dragons sidled up to Ellen and said cautiously, "Clan Leader, is she tricking you?"

Ellen swatted the dragon with her claw, displeased. "She's a God's Descendant. How could she lie?"

The Goddess of Light was their main god's dearest friend. Her emissary must be just as kind and friendly as she is. And besides, she certainly seemed that way.

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