Chapter 18

Joyce couldn't help being shocked when he saw this situation. He thought that only Uther and Ibran were there, and a few knights at most, but he didn't expect there to be so many people. They must be priests at the bishop level of major countries, and they come to the Gold City to report their duties during the festival of grace.

"Nothing more to say." Uther combed the cat's hair carelessly, scratched its chin, and the cat squinted comfortably.

Ibran said: "The enemy hasn't left yet. The city is already searching for spies who might infiltrate. At this time, letting the knights leave the Golden City is tantamount to increasing the danger."

An archbishop politely said: "Your Majesty, the enemy has retreated..."

"But the fluctuations in the space have not dissipated." Uther looked into the distance in a daze, and said, "Did you feel it? Listen to the sound in the wind."

The cat yawned, and Uther said: "A very dangerous breath is coming from a distance. This time the enemy we face will be stronger than all the battles over the years."

The cat turned his head, looked at several bishops, and the bishops bowed slightly.

Ibran said: "Your Majesty, since the magic energy injection circuit of the Holy Light Energy Cannon has been set up, at this time the power of the archbishops is needed to assist..."

Uther interrupted: "Ibran, you don't understand that this battle is bound to be extremely difficult to win. Our opponents are far above ours. The only way to win is to take the initiative to intercept their magic circles, find their teleportation mage first."

"What you have to face is a creature that is stronger than a dragon." Uther said, "I don't know what it is, but I have already felt that this force is almost invincible..."

"The Scout Corps in the Northern Rift hasn't returned yet." Ray then said: "We can't attack without knowing the opponent's form. Why don't we wait for Camo's news?"

Uther said: "The Northern Rift Reconnaissance Army has been wiped out, and Camo is likely to be dead."

In an instant, everyone was speechless.

"Who is Camo?" Joyce asked in a low voice.

"His seventh knight," Alex whispered in Joyce's ear.

"What are you talking about?" Ibran shivered, stepped back, and said, "This is impossible! Camo was sacrificed?!"

Whether it was Joyce or Alex, it was the first time I saw Ibran so gaffe. Ibran couldn't help shaking and said, "Camo..."

Joyce remembered what his brother had said, that the death of the Guardian Knight was like cutting off a piece of the priest's soul. The wound would bleed until he died, which meant that Uther suffered from pain that they could not imagine. .

There was silence on the platform, and the bishops stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, and kissed Uther's hand.

Uther's eyes reddened and said, "Perhaps he is not dead, I just feel the pain, as deep as deep into my bones, and in the Northern Rift, the dark power emitted by the evil creature cuts off me and The induction of the stigmata on Camo's body."

A bishop replied: "Yes, the darkness and fog will greatly hinder our induction of knights. The young priests can't even find their knights, making it difficult to communicate on the battlefield."

Joyce remembered that late last night, he couldn't concentrate anyway, and he couldn't sense Alex's stigmata. It wasn't until Uther's power of holy light surged that their connection was strengthened again.

"Perhaps he is not dead." Uther's eyes were red, and he said casually: "At least I haven't felt the breath of death, but I think this may be a warning."

"When the black tide comes, the power of light disappears and darkness rises." When the cat spoke, Joyce immediately recognized her voice. It was the Saintess of light.

She lazily said, "Your time is running out, mortals."

"We're so happy to make the wrap?" Uther said lightly: "Send all your knights, and the archbishop himself, to look for the teleporter outside the Golden City."

The archbishops had to nod their heads and said one after another: "Yes, Your Majesty."

At the end of the meeting, they stepped forward one by one, kissed Uther's hand, and left one by one. After the meeting, Joyce walked over in silence and kissed Uther's hand.

"Don't mind, little Joey." Uther smiled, with tears in his eyes: "I believe he will come back alive."

The Saintess of Light said: "I also suggest that you withdraw from the Golden City now, Uther."

Uther replied: "Since the first Pope established the Golden City by the will of the true God, the wings and the central city have become altars to suppress the dark forces here. If I withdraw from here, the creatures under the ground will be freed from the bondage of this continent. All the civilians in this world will be ruined, I can't leave."

The Saintess of Light turned into the shape of a goddess, gently stroked Uther's forehead, and replied, "I can temporarily seal this place for you."

"No." Uther shook his head and smiled: "You have done enough for us, mother, you are a spiritual symbol. When you are here, we know that the true God exists. Humans will believe that there was a god who shined in the world, so you cannot exchange your life for a short-term seal.

When Joyce heard the conversation between the two, he was immediately shocked, but Alex signaled that it was time for him to go, and it was no longer appropriate to listen. Joyce had to leave reluctantly.

"Did you hear that?"

"I heard."

"He said..."

"Yes." Alex smiled.

When Joyce and Alex returned to the room, what the Pope said was tantamount to reminding Joyce of something he had never dared to think of. He couldn't believe it, and said in surprise: "What is suppressing underground the Golden City?"

Alex said: "Of course I don't know anything about secrets that even priests don't know."

Joyce thought for a while and analyzed from Uther's dialogue, this secret must not be known to many people, maybe only the successor pope would know it. But Uther did not hide from them, perhaps because of his trust in Joey.

"Go to sleep." Alex said, "You are sleepy, Joey."

Alex hugs Joyce to sleep. Whenever he gets tired physically and mentally, their lush is always out of control. Alex kisses him and leans against each other.

In the middle of the night, Joyce was awakened by a blast of thunder, thinking that the Legion of Undead was coming again, but Alex was flipping through a book at the table and asked: "Hungry?"

Joyce didn't expect that as soon as he fell asleep, he would sleep till now. He got up and said, "What time is it?"

"Two o'clock," Alex said.

Joyce got dressed, and it started to rain again. The weather was very weird. It was a severe winter. There had been several snowfalls not long ago. he didn't expect it to rain again. The smell of rain hit his face and made him feel very uncomfortable. Alex had prepared the soup and bread for dinner, and simply put it on the side of the fireplace to heat up, and Joyce sat in the house for dinner.

After sleeping, his thinking became clearer. Joyce said, "Teacher, accompany me to the library? I want to find some information."

Alex replied, "Of course."

"You heard what the pope said." Joyce walked ahead and asked back.

Alex held the lamp and whispered: "I guess this is not only known to the pope, otherwise he would not say it in front of us."

"So what's buried underground?" Joyce asked, "Is there anything dangerous? If that's the case, why not just kill it?"

Alex thought for a while and said, "Some things can't be killed, for example..."

"Lich?" Joyce walked through the bookshelf, looking for materials that might record this one by one. He didn't want to enter the seventh room like this, after all, the situation was a bit sensitive at this time.

But as he expected, there is no literature found outside the library.

"But you have forgotten who decided the location of the Golden City." Joyce glanced at Alex.

Alex didn't answer. Joyce walked to the bookshelf and pressed his hand on the crystal. Alex said with emotion, "How did you find this place?"

"Unexpectedly," Joyce explained: "The Golden City was built by believers under God's will when the true God was still there."

"Perhaps even a god can't kill it," Alex said.

Joyce said again: "Although the lich has no physique body, it still can be killed, just because it is pure energy... You also know that in the ancient legend..."

Alex carried the lamp and shone toward inside the library.

Joyce: "Teacher?"

"I understand what you mean." Alex said solemnly: "Using the Holy Light, through the collision and annihilation of energy, you can kill the Great Lich as a pure energy body."

Joyce nodded and said, "So, based on this, it is inferred that... even the true god can't kill him but suppress it under the Golden City. What do you think it is?"

Alex made a hush gesture, put the lamp on the bookshelf, took a copy of "Dark Martial Arts", wrinkled his brows, and opened a page for a closer look.

Joyce stood by his side looking for a book, and said, "I once found something suspicious because of the literature."

"What's the matter?" Alex replied, "You have brought me here. You should have your own inferences."

Joyce said: "The Holy Light does not exist in this world from the beginning, but comes into the world only after the true God descends."

Alex shocked, looked up from the book and looked at Joyce.

"It's dangerous, Joey." Alex looked into Joyce's eyes seriously.

"Trust me, teacher." Joyce smiled: "The faith in the light hasn't wavered in my heart, has it?"

Alex stroked Joyce's head, stroked his forehead with his thumb, couldn't help kissing Joyce's forehead again, and said, "Go on."

Joyce was a little surprised. Alex didn't blame himself for saying things he shouldn't say, nor did he punish him for thinking about things he shouldn't. He was a little sad and a little funny, saying: "I thought you would have a drastic reaction."

"Of course not." Alex said: "Ibran taught us that a firm belief does not mean that it is pedantic. We must be prepared to revise our creed at any time, as long as everything does not violate our original intentions."

"Explore the roots of the Holy Light and the True God." Joyce said softly, "Will it touch your faith?"

"No." Alex put the book back on the shelf and said casually: "You forgot the day of allegiance. What did I say? I will believe in you. If one day, you waver, Then please let me fall with you and become a death knight."

Joyce warmed up with a smile and said, "It won't happen that day, I promise you."

"So?" Alex said, "What did you infer?"

Joyce found the ancient book of archaeology on the ancient continent and opened a page for Alex to read it.

"So, the true God is not the original god on this continent," Joyce whispered.

Alex looked away from the book and looked at a certain point in the air that didn't exist.

"You mean to say." Alex thoughtfully said: "The true God came to this world and suppressed the devil that originally existed on the continent..."

"Or maybe another god." Joyce put the book back and said, "There is a war in which he led his people to fight for territory. In the end, the original demon was defeated."

Alex looked at Joyce and said, "The inference makes sense, but there is no other corroboration."

Joyce said in a very low voice: "Just think about it, why are the residents of the Northern Rift always attacking the Golden City, but not elsewhere?"

Alex was shocked, and Joyce said again: "Why are magicians regarded as symbols of evil? I have read classics on the practice of magic, although I can't learn to use it myself..."

"I've read it too." Alex replied in a low voice, "The power of a magician comes from a powerful and evil deity. It symbolizes darkness and destruction. It's underground."

"Under the ground in which place?" Joyce said, "The god doesn't appear out of thin air. Does it really hide in a void? This is obviously impossible..."

Holy energy symbolizes order and growth, while magic symbolizes destruction and damage. These are two attributes that are diametrically opposed.

Alex took a deep breath and said, "Joy, what are you looking for?"

Joyce found a copy of "History of the Holy See", and suddenly a voice sounded behind him.

"There is no record of it in the history of the Holy See." The man's voice said coldly, "But this has become a secret that the priests have not disclosed. You know it too late, little prince."

Joyce was taken aback, but Alex seemed to have felt this person's approach a long time ago and turned around and said, "Your Excellency."

"May the Holy Light be with you." The bishop said solemnly.

His whole body was dripping with water, apparently, he had just returned from a rainy night in a hurry.

Joyce: "May the light bless you."

Alex said: "I hope we enter here without causing you any trouble."

"Of course not." The archbishop was obviously also very young. His lips were thin like blades. He wore thick glasses. He cast a sharp look from behind the glasses and explained: "Since the establishment of the Golden City, the Holy See was told the meaning of the existence of the Golden City, the demon will be suppressed under our feet, just below the Great Sanctuary."

Joyce was breathless, and the archbishop said: "Sometimes, the real enemy often comes from our side."

Joyce asked worriedly: "What will the end result of this war be like?"

"No accident, it should be able to win." The archbishop said: "Northern Rift has a history of attacking the southern continent for thousands of years. They have tried every means to release the demon god and restore the dark history, but it is obviously not satisfactory. If... if there is no spy."

Joyce nodded, and the bishop walked through the seventh room and said: "Go back, don't worry too much, you have not grown to the point where you can stand alone. Although his majesty is very optimistic about you, you still need to train and grow."

Joyce smiled, and the bishop said again: "This cannot be taken out of the seventh room."

Joyce had to put the book back obediently, and both parties saluted each other. Joyce and Alex exited the seventh room. Before closing the door, Joyce looked inside again and found that the bishop was walking along the bookshelf and into the dark. Alex helped Joyce close the door and said, "What is he doing here? Is there any other exit in there?"

"Yes," Joyce remembered that when he met Uther the first day, there was obviously another exit in the seventh room, perhaps directly leading to the Pope's library. He said to Alex: "I think he might want to see Uther, so he went this way."

Alex suddenly felt wrong and said, "Why didn't the Guardian Knight accompany him?"

Joyce said, "I don't know."

They left the library along the escalator, and there was heavy rain outside. Joyce said, "I'm surprised, why he told me these things, it stands to reason..."

"Not surprising." Alex said, "He knows Uther's favor for you, and thinks you can be trusted. The only thing I feel wrong is that the bishops have left the Golden, why is he coming back now? And, Don't you think that sentence is a bit weird?"

"Which sentence?" Joyce frowned thoughtfully.

Alex held the lamp and whispered: "He said, the real enemy often comes from our side."

Joyce said: "What he meant was that the enemy was just under the ground."

When thinking of this incident, Joyce couldn't help feeling that there were a lot of explosives buried under his feet. Living in the Golden City every day, he felt a kind of fearful feeling. He doesn't know what the Pope thought.

Alex said: "Maybe he thinks spies have appeared in the Holy See..."

At this moment, there was a faint sound in the distance, and Alex stopped alertly.

The sound came from the seventh room, like the sound of something colliding with a wooden door. Joyce said, "It's just closing the door..."

"No." Alex said immediately: "Go back and have a look."

Alex took Joyce back to the seventh room, opened the secret door, and walked along the water trail to the end of the seventh room. Joyce is almost certain that the other exit of this road leads to the core area of ​​the Holy See, maybe just behind the audience room or confessional room.

But this path was obviously one-way, and Joyce wanted to press his hand on the crystal to unlock it but was stopped by Alex, indicating not to act rashly.

He pointed to the back and pointed to the crystal, and Joyce also noticed that the two crystals are of different colors, and they must be impassable.

Alex looked dignified and looked underground, and saw inconspicuous bloodstains on the ground.

When Joyce wanted to speak, Alex signaled to silence. Alex's mouth moved, telling him to go, and they left the seventh room again.

"He might be back to report." Joyce said, "was injured in the battle."

"It may also be because the high-level spies have appeared," Alex said.

Joyce's heart trembled. If it is really a spy from the Pope's side, then they will be in trouble.

Alex said: "I have to inform Ibran right away."

When the two returned outside the room, Alex said, "But no one protects you..."

"I can protect myself." Joyce said, "Or let's go together?"

Alex frowned slightly, seeming to be worried about how to ensure Joyce's safety, but Joyce smiled: "It doesn't matter, you can feel if I am safe."

Alex said: "Well if the situation is not right, call me for help immediately."

Joyce nodded, and Alex let him in, then hurriedly left.

Joyce prayed in the room, the wind and rain outside the window, it was dark, the Holy See seemed to have a pair of eyes watching him, He doesn't know why, Joyce's insecurities in his heart became stronger and stronger as if in all these people are all disappeared, and something evil was brewing quietly.

There must be something that they didn't know was happening secretly, but he believed in Alex. It is conceivable that Uther also believed in Ibran just as he believed in Alex.

Joyce took a deep breath and calmed down, glowing with white light around his body in the storm.

Alex walked into the hall of the knights, and in the middle of the night, Ibran sat alone on the bench, looked up at the statue of the King of Heroes, and was silent.

"The God of Solan has been suppressed for thousands of years under the Golden City." Ibran said in a thick, calm voice: "What do you think of its fate this time?"

"The power of the holy light is the same as before." Alex sat down on the bench and replied, "My friend, you taught me that justice will defeat evil. There is no need to waver or worry."

Ibran did not speak, and they looked at the eyes of King of Heroes together.