Chapter 215: Hunting an Apostle
The instant the suffocating, holy aura of the divine vision dissolved into nothingness, Priest Arnold snapped back into his physical body.
He was once again kneeling upon the cold stone floor of his sanctuary within the Glorious Mythical Sect.
The roaring winds and golden vortex of clouds were gone, replaced by the quiet, flickering shadows of the candlelit room.
Priest Arnold slowly rose to his feet, his handsome features twisting into a deep, intense frown.
The residual warmth of divine essence still hummed in his veins, but his mind was racing at a frantic pace.
He had heard the absolute, unyielding voice of his creator—the God of the Sky himself.
The divine decree was crystal clear, echoing like thunder in his mind: Kill the Apostle of the God of Beast.
Priest Arnold clenched his right hand into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white as his fingernails bit into his palm.
He inhaled deeply, forcing his erratic breathing to stabilize as he turned his head toward a carved mahogany table sitting in the corner of the room.
Resting on the wooden surface was an ornate metal box covered in intricate rune engravings.
Approaching the table with steady, deliberate steps, Priest Arnold unlatched the heavy silver clasp and lifted the iron lid.
Lying nestled on a bed of black velvet inside was a plain, milky-white crystal orb, entirely featureless until activated.
Priest Arnold reached down, his slender fingers wrapping around the cool glass surface.
He channeled a thin, precise thread of his holy mana into the core of the artifact.
HUMMM.
The orb flared with a brilliant, golden light.
Swirling mana coalesced within the glass sphere, resolving after a brief second into a clear, live projection of a human face.
It was an elderly, distinguished man who appeared to be in his late sixties.
He possessed sharp, hawk-like features, short silver hair, and piercing grey eyes that radiated a terrifying level of suppressed holy authority.
"Your Eminence, Cardinal Ryoger," Priest Arnold greeted immediately, bowing his head in deep, reverent respect toward the orb.
The projection inside the sphere—Cardinal Ryoger, one of the supreme leaders of the Church of the God of the Sky—nodded slowly.
His voice, carried over thousands of miles through the magical array, sounded deep and echoing.
"Priest Arnold," Cardinal Ryoger spoke, his grey eyes fixing on the young cleric. "Why have you activated the divine comms orb at such an ungodly hour? Give me your report on the Northern Hashian Mountains."
Priest Arnold took a steadying breath and began to explain the entire situation from the very beginning.
He detailed his initial arrival at the scorched ruins of Kaelos City, describing the total, unnatural destruction of the city and the strange, residual divine signature left behind in the glassified soil.
He recounted the rumors spreading through the surrounding cities regarding a forgotten entity calling himself the "God of Beast," and how the Glorious Mythical Sect had been scrambling to suppress the growing panic.
Finally, Priest Arnold delivered the most critical revelation of all.
"Your Eminence," Priest Arnold said, his tone dropping into a grave whisper. "Just moments ago, I received a direct, personal divine revelation from our Lord, the God of the Sky.
The Almighty has spoken. He has confirmed that this entity is real, and He has commanded us to hunt down and execute the Apostle of the God of Beast without mercy."
Inside the orb, Cardinal Ryoger’s brow furrowed tightly. His grey eyes narrowed into razor-sharp slits as he digested the news.
"The Apostle of the God of Beast..." Cardinal Ryoger murmured, his raspy voice laced with deep confusion and underlying concern.
"I have studied the sacred divine ledgers for over four decades, Arnold. I have never heard of an entity named the God of Beast, nor have I ever encountered a faction calling themselves his Church."
The old Cardinal paused, his hand coming up to stroke his silver beard as his frown deepened.
"If what you say is true, and our Lord has personally issued a decree of execution... then taking the life of another deity’s true Apostle will inevitably ignite a full-scale religious war across the Eastern Continent. The blood of high clerics will wash over these lands."
Cardinal Ryoger took a long, heavy breath before locking his cold gaze back onto Priest Arnold.
"Listen to me carefully, Arnold," Cardinal Ryoger commanded with absolute authority.
"Since this order comes directly from the Almighty God of the Sky, we shall obey without hesitation. I will contact His Holiness, the Pope, immediately and request permission to lead a holy strike force directly into the Northern Hashian Mountains."
"Understood, Your Eminence," Arnold replied.
"However... until my strike force arrives, you are strictly forbidden from acting rashly or engaging this Apostle alone," Cardinal Ryoger warned sternly.
"Your sole objective right now is to uncover the absolute root of this hidden faction. You must ascertain the location of their primary headquarters, identify their regional commanders, and determine precisely how strong their forces are. Do not expose yourself until we hold total tactical superiority."
"I understand, Cardinal Ryoger. It shall be done as you command," Priest Arnold answered obediently.
"May the Light guide your path," Cardinal Ryoger stated coldly, and with a soft flick of his wrist, the projection faded.
FLICKER.
The golden glow inside the milky-white orb vanished completely, returning the room to its previous dim, candlelit state.
Priest Arnold exhaled a long, satisfied breath.
He carefully placed the orb back inside its metal box, latched the lock, and walked over to his bed.
He lay down in his pristine robes, leaving the large lattice window slightly open to let the cool mountain breeze sweep into the chamber, closing his eyes to rest for the coming battles.
Unbeknownst to the sleeping priest, however... sitting silently on a high pine branch just a few dozen yards outside the open window was a small, graceful owl with feathers that shimmered softly under the moonlight.
Its eyes were not the ordinary yellow of a nocturnal predator, but a deep, glowing golden-crimson—the exact eyes of Roy.
Miles away, sitting cross-legged inside the private, stone-carved bedroom of the Peerless Supreme Elder, Roy slowly opened his physical eyes.
Every single word exchanged between Priest Arnold and Cardinal Ryoger had echoed directly into Roy’s mind through his spiritual bird familiar.
Roy’s expression was dark, grim, and intensely serious as he stared into the dark room.
He rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, his stolen features tightening into a tight, calculating scowl.
’A Cardinal... and a full holy strike force from the main Church’ Roy thought silently, his golden-crimson eyes glinting with dangerous calculation.
’The God of the Sky moved much faster than I anticipated. This game just became significantly more complicated.’