Chapter 306: The Angel's Descent (Part 3)
The southern forest of Haddonfield.
The moonlight was dim and obscure; not even the crows lingered on the treetops.
Clack... Clack...
The sound of turning mechanical gears broke the tranquility of the night.
A dozen men, uniformly dressed in white robes, were gathered around a generator.
They each kept a vigilant watch over their surroundings. Only the three closest to the center appeared relatively calm.
"Lord Kalvis, the hundred-year vintage holy artifacts have been consumed, but the light bulbs still haven't lit up. It seems we found the right one," a white-haired old priest said, revealing a look of joy.
"Then continue, don't waste time," Kalvis Saul kept a straight face, his demeanor much the same as when he was in the Holy Land.
"Yes... Yes..."
The old priest hurriedly lowered his head and opened the bag by his feet. Inside were six or seven holy artifacts, all surprisingly of hundred-year vintage quality.
He took out an amulet and stuffed it into the generator's groove.
Just as the machine began to extract the Holy Power, it was blocked by a small magic array on the surface. Instead, it started to mobilize other components inside the generator.
"Your Excellency, what exactly are we looking for?" Haggai Isaac frowned.
"According to the ancient texts we've collected along the way, the Ten Commandments Stele should be beyond the 'Final Gate'."
"Now, because of those guys from the Wings of Vengeance, we can't set up the ancient magic array. We should be conserving our hundred-year vintage holy artifacts and figuring out a way to leave this place sooner."
Kalvis turned his head: "You are absolutely right, child of Isaac."
"Not only that, but that Sweeper is still lurking nearby. We could lose our lives at any moment."
Haggai's frown deepened: "If that's the case... Your Excellency, why..."
"Do you know why the Council of Cardinals sent you along this time?" Kalvis asked.
"Is it... is it not to identify the inscriptions on the Ten Commandments Stele?"
"Hmph. As members of the Holy Clans, studying ancient languages is a mandatory course. We don't need you for that at all."
Haggai secretly clenched his fists, lowered his head, and said, "Please enlighten me..."
"What the Church needs is the massive Holy Power within your body."
"I... don't understand."
"Have you ever heard of..." Kalvis began, but suddenly frowned and turned to look to the side.
Haggai followed his gaze, and the next moment, his heartbeat skipped a beat.
Standing beside a tree not far away was a tall figure.
The man wore dark-colored worker's overalls and a white mask, gripping a long dagger in his hand.
Without anyone noticing when he arrived, the figure simply stood there, quietly staring at their group.
"It's... it's that Sweeper from the town! No, as long as you're stared at by this guy for a period of time, the next time you're struck down, you'll instantly enter a dying state!" the old priest exclaimed in horror.
Clearly, he had suffered greatly at the hands of this monster before.
"Father William, your task is not to keep watch," Kalvis's tone remained calm.
Hearing this, the former could only forcefully endure his fear and turn back around.
"You," Kalvis pointed at the Holy Clergy Member closest to the Sweeper. "Your dereliction of duty allowed the enemy to get this close before being discovered. You should know what to do."
"My apologies, Lord Saul," the man said, his face full of shame. After a deep bow, he walked straight toward the masked Sweeper.
He first tried to lure the Sweeper away, but the monster remained completely motionless.
Just as he was about to try other methods, a low, extremely rhythmic piano melody suddenly echoed in his ears.
At the same time, a glaring red light spilled onto the ground, and the masked Sweeper raised its dagger.
Haggai gulped. He turned his head and found that His Excellency paid absolutely no attention to what was happening behind him, instead keeping his eyes fixed on the generator.
"A-are we... are we not going to..." Haggai's tone was nervous.
Squelch!
The next second, he heard a sickeningly wet sound.
The Holy Clergy Member who had failed his watch duty was now standing with his arms wide open, blocking the Sweeper's path, a deep gash left on his shoulder.
"Hey... what are you doing..." Shock flashed through Haggai's pupils.
But the man remained standing in place.
Before long, a second slash struck his body.
Thud!
The man collapsed to the ground. The masked Sweeper hoisted him onto its shoulder, and the two vanished into the dense fog of the forest.
"Alright, now we have bought some more time," Kalvis said calmly.
Haggai only felt a wave of dizziness wash over his brain. A crack had formed in some fundamental belief he held.
"Those who neglect their duties must be punished. Have you all memorized this?" Kalvis glanced at Haggai, then raised his voice.
"Understood, Your Excellency."
The surrounding people answered in unison.
"Should we... shouldn't we practice the Lord's mercy?" Haggai finally couldn't help but speak up.
"The Holy Clans are the will of God in the human realm. At all times, our lives are above all else," Kalvis stared down at Haggai condescendingly. "As a fellow member of a Holy Clan, did Lord Jacob never tell you this?"
Haggai frowned tightly, a memory flashing through his mind.
It was the moment years ago when it was confirmed he could not achieve spiritual awakening. That day, he saw pure disappointment in his grandfather's eyes. Since then, Haggai had never been summoned again.
"Lord Kalvis, we found it," the old priest suddenly spoke up, holding a metal fragment in his hand.
Kalvis reached out and took it, noting the various patterns engraved on it.
A bright gleam flashed in his eyes, and his tone finally shifted: "Very good."
Haggai looked up, a trace of confusion in his eyes. He had never seen this thing before.
Kalvis handed the metal fragment to him: "This is your true mission."
"I... don't understand."
"The Ten Commandments Stele is certainly a target this time, but what our Holy Clans are truly responsible for is the Book of the World."
"The Book of the World..." Haggai repeated the name in his mind.
He had seen it in an ancient text. It was an object condensed from the Will of the World. It was said that whoever mastered the Book of the World would possess a portion of the Will of the World's authority.
"I thought... such a thing was merely a legend."
"This secret is only open to the core members of the Holy Clans. The reason you are permitted to know is because restoring the Book of the World requires a massive amount of Holy Power."
Haggai suddenly had a moment of profound realization. So he was merely brought into the Land of the Holy War to act as an energy reserve.
His entire posture instantly withered.
"Alright, since the item has been found, it is time for us to find Lorcy," Kalvis said, putting the metal fragment away.
"Your Excellency, that Lady might be gathering..." the old priest hesitated.
"As a fellow member of the Holy Clans, she will understand her position," Kalvis stated. "Furthermore, there is a ritual magic array set up by that guy from the Wings of Vengeance on the perimeter. If we want to leave successfully, we cannot do it without Lorcy."
The group immediately got up and walked toward the misty forest.
At the same time, a short distance away.
A blood-red barrier stretched out across the forest on both sides.
If one looked down from the sky, they would see this barrier encompassing the entire town and the surrounding forest, forming an inverted energy dome.
At this moment, on the outer edge of the barrier.
Samael was kneeling on a pentagram magic array.
His body was covered in a massive amount of dark green slime, and many scarlet spirit threads extended from the surface of the array, connecting with the slime.
Additionally, there were six or seven corpses scattered around. Judging from their attire, they all belonged to the Church.
These people were completely shriveled, their skin practically clinging to their bones, looking quite terrifying.
"Hmph, the hypocrites of the Church are truly ruthless to their own people," Samael mocked.
"Aside from those two squads from the Holy Clans, everything else is proceeding quite smoothly. Tsk... this so-called Evil Spirit actually has some skill."
From his tone, it seemed he was completely aware of everything happening inside the barrier.
"However... the Book of the World." Samael frowned slightly.
He had never heard of this item, but since the Church had specifically dispatched Holy Clan members to find it personally, it naturally wasn't anything ordinary.
"If only Abraham were here. With his knowledge, he might know something. That guy... hasn't he finished collecting the materials yet?" Samael sounded annoyed.
He immediately pressed both hands against the barrier, searching for his companion's power.
East of Haddonfield, Backwater Swamp.
"Ugh ahhh— Please, no!"
A miserable scream shattered the silent night sky.
A man was tied to a wooden stake, and standing in front of him was a younger woman. Both were wearing Church attire.
"Abaddon, I am ready on my end." Abraham adjusted his glasses and stepped out from behind the wooden stake.
He was still wearing that simple shirt. At this moment, a stone beside him held various tools like tweezers and scalpels.
As soon as he spoke, the ground suddenly began to tremble.
Immediately after, a massive figure emerged from the mist.
Thud!
Abaddon dropped a corpse.
Its appearance was similar to the corpses near Samael, but this one had a ferocious face, its white hair tied neatly back, looking like an old man.
But the most striking feature of the corpse was its bizarrely long, slender hands.
"This guy was drawing a bunch of teleportation runes nearby. I just waited in place, and when it came, I killed it," Abaddon said in a muffled voice.
The bound man watched with eyes full of shock.
He had seen the corpse on the ground before. It was an elusive Sweeper that had killed many of his companions. Yet this burly guy in front of him actually...
"That's excellent. Precision surgery requires a high standard of environment," Abraham maintained his calm expression.
The man instinctively felt that something terrible was about to happen: "You two... what exactly do you want? As long as you let Lina and me go, I'll agree to anything!"
"It sounds like this Sister Lina is very important to you," Abraham noted.
"Yes..." the man bit his lip tightly.
He knew this would only put him in a more passive position, but he had no choice.
"That's perfect. This is exactly what I want," Abraham said.
"No... please don't hurt her..."
Abraham signaled to Abaddon, who immediately grabbed Sister Lina by the shoulder.
This nun was covered in mud and looked utterly exhausted; she had actually fallen asleep while standing.
"No... Please!"
With a sickening riiiiip, numerous bright red drops splattered onto the ground.
Then came a heart-wrenching, agonizing scream.
"Ahhhhh—"
The skin on the nun's entire arm had been violently torn off, exposing the muscles and blood vessels beneath.
"NO!!" The man panted heavily, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
A gleam flashed in Abraham's eyes. In an instant, holding a scalpel, he arrived behind the wooden stake.
His hands were enveloped in a layer of white light as he gently sliced open the man's cerebral cortex. The man remained completely oblivious to the procedure.
"An excellent development. Continue," Abraham instructed.
Horrifying, inhuman screams soon echoed above the swamp.
A period of time later.
Abraham opened a metal case and placed an intact brain into the special solution inside.
"With this, we only need the final ten for the Skulls of Despair," he said, peeling off his gloves.
This was the most crucial material in the summoning ritual, and equally difficult to obtain, requiring the brains of Holy Clergy Members as the raw ingredient.
They had previously conducted an operation during the Anniversary in Philadelphia. Based on normal progress, they could have acquired many semi-finished products back then.
Unfortunately, the Wings of Vengeance suffered heavy losses that time, nearly causing the entire endeavor to fail.
That was why they had taken the risk to invade the Holy Land this time.
"Haven't you trapped some other people? Do none of them meet the requirements?" Abaddon asked in confusion.
Abraham pushed up his glasses, a rare hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes: "Hmph... we are far from 'trapping' them. Those guys haven't even stepped into the snare."
Abaddon looked surprised: "Someone actually managed to evade your methods? I only recall that happening during the last operation."
"You don't need to specifically use that to humiliate me." Abraham adjusted his glasses again. "Yes, I miscalculated in Philadelphia. There was a very cunning kid."
Abaddon spread his hands: "I meant no offense. I just wanted to help?"
"You just need to mind your own business." Abraham lifted the metal case, his face turning gloomy. "I have set up new measures. As long as they want to leave this place, they will definitely come."
At the same time, in a forest two kilometers away from the swamp.
Over a dozen people were quietly advancing through the woods.
Olivia walked at the very front, with Bettis, Hugh, and the others following closely behind.
The Holy Clergy Members trailing them were all survivors the group had rescued after arriving in this area.
Suddenly, Olivia raised her fist, and everyone behind her immediately halted their steps.
"What happened?" Bettis leaned in.
"The grass in this direction is too dense." Olivia reached out her hand.
At this moment, the group faced a fork in the road. The path straight ahead was thick with weeds, making it excellent for hiding.
But the other path was just muddy ground.
Having been in the Land of the Holy War for some time, they naturally knew what kind of terrain was safer.
Therefore, Bettis didn't see anything wrong with it.
Hugh, Caroline, and the others also gathered around.
But Olivia insisted: "Look at the other path. Although there's very little cover, judging by the potholes on the ground, it's obvious many plants were growing there not long ago as well."
Her tone was certain: "I suspect someone is deliberately guiding us."
The three followed her gaze and indeed spotted the anomaly.
"But... isn't the terrain here supposed to be indestructible?" Caroline asked in confusion.
"That's true, but since coming to this area, haven't you noticed that some rules have become invalid?" Bettis pointed out.
The most obvious was the terrain. Along the way, they had already encountered traps multiple times.
If Olivia hadn't been meticulous, they probably would have suffered heavy casualties by now.
"In that case, we better be cautious." Ultimately, Bettis chose to trust her companion.
After all, Olivia was the only one among them who had studied William's exorcism style.
Having made the decision, Bettis immediately relayed the message to the others. Although somewhat puzzled, these survivors knew who the true leader of the squad was.
Thus, the group quickly changed direction.
Not long after they left, a silver monster emerged from the direction of the dense weeds.
It had a long, narrow head and a massive tail.
After sniffing the air for a moment, the monster chased in the direction Olivia and the others had taken.
"Here, take this one. If you encounter danger, use it decisively." Bettis handed a stone seal to a nun.
"Thank you..."
Aside, Hugh frowned tightly: "If she keeps distributing them like this, the holy artifacts and stone seals we collected will soon be depleted."
"William collected them!" Caroline corrected: "We are just keeping them safe on his behalf."
Hearing this, Hugh's face clearly showed a hint of embarrassment. He immediately turned to look at Olivia.
Olivia shrugged: "I'm just an outsider. You guys are the teammates."
She knew Bettis came from the cathedral under Archbishop Matthew's jurisdiction, where they normally never lacked holy artifacts to use, so her sense of "conserving" was not strong.
But doing this wasn't entirely a bad thing.
"Our team is just temporarily patched together. Once we encounter a Sweeper, these people are highly likely to scatter and flee for their own lives," Olivia said. "The Land of the Holy War requires teamwork. Sister Bettis's actions can actually win them over."
Hugh was suddenly stunned upon hearing this.
A moment later, he actually picked up a bag of stone seals and walked toward the crowd.
"What is your brother doing..." Olivia was a bit surprised. She remembered this companion being quite stubborn.
"Hehe... he dreams of gaining other people's support," Caroline exposed him ruthlessly.
Sure enough, after handing out a round, Hugh immediately walked to the center of the crowd.
"Everyone, as a member of the Medici family, I, Hugh, have an obligation to lead everyone out of here. Every one of us is protected by the Lord..."
Seeing this, the three nuns sighed helplessly.
"Hey, Shiloj! Come over here!" Caroline waved to a blonde youth.
The latter quickly responded and came over.
"Don't learn from him!" Caroline pointed at Hugh.
"But... I think Father Hugh is very responsible," Shiloj said.
He had a pair of deep blue pupils, which, paired with his upright posture, made him look elegant and noble.
This youth was someone Bettis and the others had rescued from two Sweepers. Along the way, he had been responsible for caring for the injured.
Whenever someone felt despair, Shiloj would patiently encourage them until they stepped out of their negative emotions.
Therefore, everyone, including Hugh, liked him very much.
"Hey! Don't let him fool you!" Caroline poked Shiloj in the head.
"Shiloj!" At this time, Hugh also called out, "Come quickly, I have tasks to assign you."
"Right away!" The youth gave the two nuns an apologetic look, then jogged away.
"That guy Hugh..." Caroline puffed out her cheeks.
Not long after, a commotion suddenly erupted in the crowd.
"Look, what is that!"
"It looks like a lost holy artifact!"
Olivia squeezed through the crowd and actually saw a crucifix lying on the ground.
At this moment, the surface of the object was glowing with a golden light.
"This is... a hundred-year vintage holy artifact!" Shock flashed in her eyes.
But...
Why would such a thing be thrown on the ground?
Wasn't Holy Power prohibited? Even for lost holy relics, one had to rely on a generator to extract their power.
It must be a trap!
Almost instantly, Olivia made a decision: "Do not approach!"
But the next moment, an urgent heartbeat suddenly rang in everyone's ears.
Olivia turned around, only to see a silver beast.
And from the grass on the other side emerged a tall woman.
She wore tribal-style clothing, which was tattered, messy, and covered in yellowish-brown slime. In addition, she carried an old lantern in her hand.
"Sw... Sweepers!"
The crowd instantly fell into a panic.
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