309 On Knees (Part 2)
The moment the doors opened, and four people entered, the Bishop removed his left hand from his lower back and joined it with his right hand, which was holding his black staff.
“Sir, we have brought the sacrifice as requested.” said Norgold, holding Luke by the neck.
Behind the young knight was a tall person wearing a ceremonial white robe, and then there was Everton.
From the altar, the Bishop looked into Luke’s face in silence.
The half-wolf was still under the effects of the elixir of disguise, naturally its wolf ears were hidden, as well as its tail, but these limbs could still be felt if someone tried to touch them. Also, the only clothes he wore were black pants that were already so worn that rips and loose lines could be seen.
“Um… You guys took a long time. Did something happen that I should know about?”
Everton took a step forward, confident this time. Determined, he looked at the bishop and questioned him:
“Sir, where are the other knights who normally accompany you?”
Before the bishop could respond, Amara took the lead. “As you were taking so long, I requested that they go look for you and the other acolytes.”
At this moment, Everton and Norgold exchanged glances. They realized they couldn’t get the time Luke asked for.
In reality, the half-wolf had already finished the things he wanted to do without even having to move. He found out how many people there were in the chamber, verified that Meredith was all right, although she didn’t disguise her expression of concern for him very well, and he’d also learned a little about the way the bishop behaved.
[He is strong.] The scale alerted the half-wolf.
‘I know that. He’s the local leader of the Sakan Religion, there’s no way he’s weak or stupid. Also, I work with the idea that he’s a demon.’ Luke warned the Scale that while he could read his surface thoughts, he couldn’t read the half-wolf’s perceptions. ‘However, there is still a chance that he is just someone being manipulated by the demons. So I’m not going to kill him right away, I have some questions to ask.’
[Luke, this is not our mission. We’ve already found Hazor, we just need to keep him alive for now.]
‘I know, I know. However, if this cult grows more rotten, the half-beasts will suffer more prejudice in the future, even if we win.’
The half-wolf had plenty of reasons to want to avoid direct conflict with the Sakan Religion, but because he was principled, he couldn’t totally ignore racists right in front of him.
“You are the Bishop, am I right?” Luke asked the man in the iron mask by the altar.
The Bishop sneered at Luke, who couldn’t be noticed by anyone in the room. “That doesn’t interest you. You’re someone who’s dead…” His words sounded like he was talking to an animal. “Men, where are the other acolytes who accompanied you? You didn’t answer me.”
“They won’t get here anytime soon.” Said the white-robed man who was behind Norgold and Everton. Then his cloak flew up, revealing the face of a middle-aged man whose gray hairs could no longer be disguised.
“And who the hell are you? ” The Bishop slammed his staff down, causing the walls of the place to shake.
Hazor drew his sword and brandished it in front of his chest. “That doesn’t interest you. You’re someone who’s dead.” he said and smiled wryly at the half-wolf.
At that moment, the two knights present also unsheathed their respective swords and pointed at the Bishop.
Luke was the one who became more passive in that discovery situation.
“Hm… So, you two did you choose to betray God Sakan? There are many words out there to describe what you have become, but I will choose a wise word over an offense. You are brave. Courageous for not fearing the strongest being in this world, but too foolish to understand the weight of their actions.” Said the Bishop:
“We don’t agree with everything you do here, although we can understand your religion. All we want is to make us stronger, only we discovered that Corruption is not the only way we can.” Norgold spoke for him and his companion.
Even Everton, who was normally someone more withdrawn and hesitant, was staring at the Bishop.
As Norgold answered the man in the iron mask, Meredith walked over to Luke to see if he It was fine. He was stinking a little from being in the dungeon for hours, and his skin wasn’t a scratch. Meredith didn’t know those two knights who were suddenly on their side, nor did she understand what Hazor was doing in that place, but she didn’t interfere either, the more people to help, the better the situation was for them.
When the half-fox approached Luke, he stroked her hair quickly and asked her to stay behind him. As soon as the Bishop noticed this scene, he couldn’t help but react,
“Ha! So this whole mess was planned in advance. Now I understand… Amara, get up.”
The woman who was near the altar, still kneeling before the Bishop even after so much confusion, rose at his command,
“You know what to do.” The Bishop had full confidence in his most loyal assistant:
“Yes, sir.” She replied without complaining, however, on her face there was not an empty and fearless expression, but the look of someone uncertain.
Amara extended her right-hand forward, which was already with a bloody bandage where the finger should have been. Forefinger, and this time she extended her ring finger forward. As when she fought Luke, her finger exploded into pieces after black liquid began to spurt from her fingernail. Suddenly, a black sphere appeared in the chamber, weighing the surroundings down. , breaking the concrete around him.
“Shit, what is this?” Norgold wondered, in a cold sweat.
Everton took a step back, shocked by Amara’s lack of outrage. He thought she would at least hesitate, but she promptly obeyed the Bishop’s orders. “Do you kill your friends too, Amara?”
“Everyone, back off. I will withstand the blast of this dark magic.” Hazor spoke and instantly began creating a magic circle in the air with his left hand.
Instead of following Hazor’s command, Luke sighed and took a step forward. “Just stay behind me.”
‘Huh?’ The Bishop thought as he saw the black-haired, yellow-eyed man advance a little.
Few people were able to face Amara’s most powerful blow head-on and still survive. What the Bishop didn’t know was that Luke Lange had not only already absorbing one of those blows, as well as defeating Amara. She didn’t tell him because she was embarrassed that she wasn’t killed just for having Meredith’s help, and now that she was seeing that Luke’s capture was part of a bigger plan, shewas even more embarrassed.
Therefore, as soon as the half-wolf Gene Ability <Gluttony> greedily swallowed Amara’s dark magic, she wasn’t even surprised.
However, to the rest of the people in the altar chamber the way the Skill was able to compress the black sphere and dispel it masterfully was something unbelievable. Meredith still hadn’t seen the full potency of <Gluttony> live, consequently she was very impressed too.
‘What was that? Did he use a magic circle? No, I didn’t see any shine. He’s not a Corrupted either, meaning… he’s a Monster Skill user.’ The Bishop thought, gritting his teeth inside his mask. “Damn you! How dare you step on holy ground with a body so…so…consumed!? Kneel!”
The Bishop’s angry voice shook the structures of the room, and as if the weight of the world’s gravity were a hundred times heavier, everyone was literally on their knees, except for the Bishop himself. Nobody understood exactly what happened, their bodies just obeyed the order.
Beating the base of his staff on the ground with each step, the Bishop started down the stairs of the altar, however, he was not heading towards the group that was on his knees, but towards the left of the entrance, where there was a dark tunnel.
“He’s trying to run away!” Norgold struggled to scream.
“Luke, we have to capture him. Only he should know where the Cursed Item is kept!” Still having the strength to move his head, Hazor asked the half-wolf.
In reality, Luke Lange didn’t have many alternatives to do either. He tried to use <Gluttony> to stop the effect of what was forcing them to their knees, in case it was a spell or Gene’s Ability, but that attempt didn’t work.
“Amara, get up and follow me. We have a lot to talk.” The Bishop uttered, and the parched-skinned woman immediately followed his orders without speaking a word.
When the Bishop was about to enter the tunnel, he stopped, looked back and said to everyone on their knees:
“Don’t think that I’m afraid to fight, because I have the Sakan God protecting me. We’ll meet soon. See you soon…” He said and entered the tunnel. Only Meredith and Luke with their keen hearing could hear him whisper last, “Sacrifice Room, crumble.”