Chapter 63
63: The Descent Faction
Volume 2: Genesis of Death and Life
Where there is light, there will be shadow. People yearn for radiance and hope while loathing filthy shadows and darkness, just as they feel close to the angels above in the high heavens and despise the demons that symbolize Hell.
Where there is light, there will be faith, and where there is faith, religion will form. The Holy Church, an organization that has left its mark on both orthodox human history and magical history, shares the same beliefs as the angels. They call themselves the executors of the Lord's will on earth and were once the religion with the most believers in human history.
However, as the gears of time turned toward the modern era, atheistic views were accepted by more and more humans. The Church's influence grew increasingly inferior to the past. Words like God, angels, and deities became topics of idle conversation over meals. Even the Church's original duty of contacting other races was largely taken over by a newly emerging organization called the Watchers.
The gradual decline of the Church also allowed various other religions to emerge. Among these religions were ancient ones with long histories from other regions, as well as cults that agitated hearts with their wicked, heretical ways.
Most cults were nothing more than grasshoppers dancing on a thin thread in the eyes of the Holy Church. They were not worth mentioning or paying attention to. Handing them over to secular authorities or that group of meddlesome Watchers was sufficient.
As for why "most," that is because among these so-called cults, there was one organization whose danger level was no less than that of demons in the Church's eyes.
No, they were even more dangerous than demons.
Because compared to those fraudulent religions that claimed to have divine protection, these people had truly made contact with an evil god.
They called themselves the Descent Faction.
......
"Lord Bishop, Lord William is dead."
In a hidden place surrounded by the Mystical, a black-robed man respectfully reported news of someone's death to the young man before him. The man he addressed as "Lord Bishop" appeared to be only in his twenties, and his pitch-black cleric's robe looked extremely eerie.
"Oh? How did he die?"
The Bishop of the Descent Faction seemed completely indifferent to the death of the black-robed man named William. He casually flipped through an ancient tome in his hands, his narrow, pitch-black eyes flickering with a sinister, bewitching light.
"According to 'That Lord,' Lord William disregarded your orders and launched a sneak attack on the demon girl hiding in Wangyou City. In the end, he was killed by her for some unknown reason, and even his soul was purified by the heretic Saint lying in wait..."
"Heh, that old fool who wouldn't listen to reason. I warned him long ago that the Little Princess of Hell must not be touched. Now is not the time for us to go to war with Hell. Preparations are not yet complete, yet he dared to act on his own... Oh, let me guess, was William roasted by a Lord of Hell or trampled like a grasshopper on the ground by one of the Seven Demon Kings? Or perhaps... eaten as a snack by Cerberus, the hound of Hell? Hehe, useless fool, good for nothing but failure."
"Lord Bishop... Lord William seems... not to have known that demon's identity."
"Of course he didn't, because I never told him the Little Princess's true identity. I only told him that the demon was the daughter of some Hell noble and that he should not act rashly. What? Did I say something wrong? The Lord of Hell counts as a noble too, doesn't he?"
"This..."
The black-robed man crouching before the Bishop showed an awkward expression on his face. So Lord Bishop, you deliberately withheld the information and waited for Lord William to go to his death!
"What? Do you think I was too hasty in eliminating that waste William before the time was right?"
"This subordinate dares not!"
"Heh, relax, I have no intention of blaming you... William, oh William. If you hadn't harbored treacherous thoughts, why would I have needed to use that Princess's hand to eliminate you? That old fool was arrogant and rebellious to the bone, always the type to go west when I said go east. So if I had told him he absolutely could not make a move on that girl, he would have definitely made a move."
"Ah... our sect's great plan is imminent. We must be united in heart to welcome the return of the Mother Goddess. When that time comes, whether angels or demons, elves or humans, none of them will be able to cause any more waves!"
The Cult Leader spread open his arms. Countless scarlet Blood Beads lit up around him, as if countless wronged souls who had died miserable deaths were wailing and lamenting within them. Yet he remained oblivious, speaking to himself.
"That elf has probably been rescued too, right? No matter. We have already collected enough of her blood to complete the next phase of our mission. Moreover, we can conveniently pin a charge of dereliction of duty on that old fool William, making his death well deserved! In this way, even if there are still those among the remaining old fools who harbor treacherous thoughts, they will never dare to act rashly again."
"The Cult Leader is wise! But, this subordinate is somewhat worried. After all, Lord William was a member of our sect. He made a move on the Princess of Hell. Will Hell..."
"Rest assured, they won't. Typhon is indeed strong, strong enough to destroy our sect at its peak single-handedly hundreds of years ago. But now she is Satan, the Lord of Hell. She can no longer leave Hell as freely as she did back then."
"But there are still the Lord of Hells and the Seven Demon Kings..."
"That is the same reason why the Six-winged Angels won't casually leave Heaven! The various races have long forgotten the unity of the past. Suspicion, wariness, scheming against each other... They won't allow Six-winged Angels or Lord of Hells to appear in the world at will! After all, it's not like the old days anymore. It's no longer a world where angels or demons have the final say! The Elf Queen, the Pope of the Holy Church, the Chief of the Watchers... all possess strength that rivals or approaches that of the Six-winged Angels or Lord of Hells."
"And the Queen of the Blood Clan."
"No, no... Do you know what? In my eyes, Britney Torido, that woman's danger level should be placed on the same level as Mikali and Typhon."
"How is that possible? Has that Queen hidden her true strength?"
"You misunderstand. I don't mean that the power that woman holds can rival those two. Of course, she has certainly hidden her strength. The reason I consider her dangerous is mainly because... she probably noticed us long ago, earlier than anyone else..."
"Then we..."
"Operations in the Blood Realm can be put aside for now. We cannot expose any more. Right now, we should focus our attention on..."
"Bad news, Cult Leader! Bad news!"
Just as the Cult Leader was about to issue his next command, a somewhat panicked voice suddenly interrupted. A young black-robed man came running in, flustered. The moment he saw the Cult Leader, he instantly dropped to his knees with a loud thud.
"Our largest research base in the Extreme Cold Lands has been attacked! The entire base was completely swallowed by magma. Not a single cultist survived!!! And, and the attacker left a message at the ruins: 'This is the consequence of bullying my precious child!'"
The Descent Faction Cult Leader: "..."
"TYPHON!"
He was so furious he nearly cracked his back teeth.
"You're not following the script!!!"