Chapter 310: The Angel's Descent (Part 7)
"Hmph, insidious and cunning demon, look clearly at who we are." Kalvis immediately took out a holy artifact.
"Before the Lord's Holy Light descends, I advise you to scram early!"
Hearing this, William instantly had a face full of question marks.
"This guy is too hot-tempered... at least listen to its conditions first," he shook his head inwardly.
Lorcy aside also stepped forward: "Lord Kalvis, these are extraordinary times."
She raised her voice as she spoke: "As members of the Holy Clans, we should, under God's guidance, prioritize everyone's safety and completing the mission."
"Lorcy Zadok, have you forgotten your vow to God..." Kalvis's tone was cold.
"No matter the time, purifying evil is our mission..."
The two just started arguing like this.
William rubbed his chin, gradually sensing a different flavor to the situation.
He looked to the side. The surviving Holy Clergy Members were all waiting expectantly, quietly echoing Lorcy's words.
And toward Kalvis, they displayed an attitude of worry.
As the argument between the two reached a stalemate, Shiloj, who hadn't spoken the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Kalvis, Lorcy is right. Although the Church and evil are irreconcilable, right now, stopping the Wings of Vengeance is the top priority. Moreover, we must bring everyone out of here alive."
He then added: "Of course, your firm conviction is admirable. To accomplish our goal, we cannot do without your help."
As soon as his voice fell, the group of Holy Clergy Members erupted in fierce voices of support.
"Lord David is right!"
"Lord Kalvis, we are willing to stand with you against evil, but please understand our current situation."
"..."
Kalvis closed his eyes in deep thought for a moment, then nodded: "Since you and everyone else insist, this must be God's guidance. Kalvis is willing to serve you."
Shiloj immediately smiled and patted the former's shoulder.
The group of Holy Clergy Members also breathed a sigh of relief.
"I see, so it was a good cop, bad cop routine," William raised an eyebrow.
Kalvis approached that "face gate" again: "State your conditions."
But the latter cast a sidelong glance, putting on an expression much like a human's.
Kalvis saw "disdain" in that gaze.
"Hehe, compared to your study of the Bible, you humans are much more professional when it comes to 'hypocrisy'," unexpectedly, that face changed its tone.
The crowd immediately went on high alert.
Kalvis's face also darkened: "What does that mean."
The "face gate" looked at him again: "You never intended to make a move from the start, yet you deliberately put on an awe-inspiringly righteous look. It was nothing more than wanting to emphasize to these people that the Church's rules cannot be violated."
"Coupled with your noble background, you wouldn't be looking for a fig leaf for your own compromise, would you?"
As soon as these words came out, Kalvis clenched his fists.
"As for you, you speak a lot of pretty words, and you coordinated very tacitly with this kid..." it continued.
"But I sense the residue of human souls on you. You didn't... kill other people, did you?"
The atmosphere instantly fell into a brief silence.
Lorcy also narrowed her eyes: "Do you think we will be deceived by this kind of demagogic trick, Mr. Unknown Demon?"
"Demagogic... hehe, although it's cliché, this excuse is indeed very good." It sneered.
"But the facts won't change. Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will slowly sprout in the cracks."
"Unless... you kill all these people."
The group of Holy Clergy Members looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.
"Hey, Lorcy and Kalvis are both very important partners of mine. Please do not slander them." At this time, Shiloj stepped forward.
"Let's just state your conditions first."
"Hehe, very well." That face actually listened.
William had remained silent the whole time. Although this could indeed be a demon's trick to sow discord, based on the performance of these two Holy Clan members, those words might not be entirely unfounded.
He immediately decided to be wary of these two.
On the other side, the demon spoke again: "If you want to leave here, put all the holy artifacts in your hands into my mouth."
"Remember, they must be unique, high-quality items. Otherwise, it will be seen as a provocation against me."
Hearing this, everyone had a look of suspicion.
"This guy doesn't want to defile our holy artifacts and then make a move to kill us, right!"
"It's possible! Everyone, don't believe it."
"..."
For a time, voices of doubt rang out incessantly.
At this time, Kalvis stepped out: "Whether it's dangerous or not, we have to try it to know."
He took out a crucifix as he spoke.
"If any accident befalls me, Lord Shiloj will take you out."
The crowd was immediately moved.
"Lord Kalvis! You...!"
"Trying to salvage the face I just exposed with this method? Hehe... interesting." That face spoke up at an inopportune moment.
Kalvis stared deadly at the other party, then took two steps closer: "Open your mouth."
The "face gate" immediately smiled and complied.
Subsequently, the crucifix was thrown inside.
Crunch... Crunch...
After a chewing sound, the "face gate" spat out a pile of metal residue.
"Ptooh... Eight-year vintage, low-grade trash. Is this all your Holy Clan can produce? Truly disappointing."
It had a face full of disgust, staring at Kalvis as if looking at a country bumpkin.
"What... did... you... say!" Kalvis had reached the limit of his patience.
"Hypocritical, stingy, overly concerned with face. If someone asked me to take orders from a guy like you, I'd rather go roll in the hay with a priest."
These words were highly insulting, and Kalvis immediately drove his Holy Power.
But the next moment, an iron cage suddenly appeared around him, and immediately after, his entire person was hoisted into the sky.
Shiloj frowned, and three circles of golden patterns instantly surfaced in his eyes.
The rising speed of the iron cage instantly decreased.
But before he could do anything else, an invisible energy suddenly crashed down from the sky.
Most of the people present did not detect this.
The first to move was William; he pulled the people beside him and dodged to the side.
Shiloj raised his arms in front of him, but the next second, his entire person was sent flying.
The iron cage also resumed its ascent until it vanished into the dense fog.
Only then did the crowd react.
Cough, cough... Shiloj patted the dirt off his body. "That is the power of the rules; I cannot break it for now."
Lorcy also frowned and said: "I can no longer sense Kalvis's aura."
"Don't worry, he isn't dead yet," the demon spoke up at this time.
"However, the duration of the iron cage is limited, and this area is already being destroyed. If you still cannot satisfy me next, the Evil Spirit will personally take his soul."
"Then how do we satisfy you? Just tell us," Caroline frowned and said.
"Tell you... hehe, wouldn't that be too simple." The demon let out a sick laugh.
"Trying again and again, struggling, making agonizing choices in difficult decisions, only to finally discover that everything was just an illusion."
"That kind of game is interesting, isn't it?"
The Holy Clergy Members had solemn faces; this demon had finally revealed its evil side.
Olivia said: "Everyone, don't lose heart. According to what it said, even if someone else is trapped by that iron cage, as long as we meet the conditions within the time limit, they can still live."
"If we can't, then whether we are trapped by the iron cage or not won't matter."
"Hehe, smart little one." The demon gave her a surprised look.
Lorcy turned around: "Everyone, let's do as this nun says. Perhaps this is also God's guidance for us."
She then looked to the other side.
"Lord Shiloj?"
The blonde youth nodded: "Well, I don't have any ideas."
Thus, the Holy Clergy Members immediately took out their respective holy artifacts.
Amulets, crucifixes, Holy Water...
The qualities covered multiple vintages; the lowest was only a year old, and the highest even included a hundred-year vintage holy artifact.
They each held their items and lined up.
"Inferior goods."
"This thing smells moldy. I suggest you smell it yourself first."
"Hey! Stop throwing excrement-like things into my mouth!"
As the "face gate" constantly complained, the fragments on the ground also piled up into a small mound.
In just a few minutes, the number of Holy Clergy Members present had drastically decreased, and instead, dozens of iron cages had risen into the sky.
After a while longer, only the two Holy Clan members and William's squad remained, and even Olivia had unfortunately been trapped.
"You'd better hurry up. This area really can't hold out much longer," the demon snorted coldly.
The few looked back, only to see the town not far away had long been reduced to a scorching hell.
And the fissures and magma had also spread nearby.
"Damn it, what exactly does this guy want." Lorcy had a face full of anger.
William rubbed his chin: "Earlier, when the demon first mentioned its conditions, it said that presenting inferior goods would be seen as a provocation."
Hearing this, the few were confused.
"But Lord Saul's initial words and actions did not enrage it. Does this mean... the demon must follow a certain rule?"
Lorcy frowned: "Explain more clearly."
"In the previous areas, the Sweepers were the biggest threat, yet we could still gain an advantage through the generators. This shows that the rules here are not solely advantageous to the Evil Spirit's side," William analyzed.
"So I guess this gate is no exception."
Shiloj tilted his head: "But... this demon refused to provide information just now."
"This is the most deceptive point." William turned around.
"Just now, this Mr. Demon directed a lot of verbal mockery at us. Perhaps this kind of idle chatter does not count as violating the rules."
Bettis's eyes lit up: "So Caroline's inquiry... was highly likely also treated as idle chatter?"
Lorcy also followed up: "Therefore, the demon was able to refuse to answer."
Shiloj was thoughtful, casting a surprised glance at William.
Caroline also imitated William, rubbing her chin, but her eyes still only held confusion.
William shrugged: "This is just my guess, but I don't think there's anything to lose in trying."
Subsequently, he walked up to the gate: "Before completing your conditions, please completely describe the rules."
Actually, there was no need to verify. The moment William finished speaking, the opposite side had already put on a "stink face."
"Hmph..." The demon seemed somewhat displeased, but ultimately opened its mouth again.
"...When holy artifacts of 7-year, 13-year, and 666-year vintages are placed into the Watcher's mouth at the same time, the gate will fully open, and the trapped will be released."
Hearing this, the eyes of those present instantly lit up; these numbers were all related to Hell.
But soon, they faced a difficulty again.
The first two vintages were not hard to find, but a "666" year vintage holy artifact might not even exist in the Land of the Holy War.
William frowned slightly, playing with the holy relic in his hand.
Just now, he had already checked the hundred-year tier holy artifacts he had obtained earlier. Based on the Holy Power fluctuations, not a single one met the requirement.
Sniff... Sniff...
At this time, that face suddenly raised its nose, sniffing the air.
Then it looked at William's hand, using a probing tone: "William?"
William had a face full of doubt, then also sized up the other party. After a moment, he said uncertainly: "Valac?"
This sudden turn of events completely stunned the few people nearby.
"Hehehe... this isn't a joke, right? It's really you?" Valac's tone was filled with marvel.
William also spread his hands with a look of surprise: "Why are you here, what have you been busy with lately?"
"Oh~ you know, just going around the world pretending to be that bastard Valak, and casually scamming some good things from its believers. What about you?"
"Same as always, taking on some exorcism commissions. Besides that, I spend most of my time at the church..."
The two actually started chatting casually like this.
Bettis rubbed her eyes, then pinched Caroline's arm. Even though the latter frowned in pain, she couldn't comprehend the scene before her.
Lorcy stared blankly, drawing a cross on her chest: "Could this all be a dream?"
Shiloj widened his eyes: "You guys are actually friends!"
Only then did William remember there were people next to him: "Forgot to introduce. This is Valac, and these are my colleagues in the Church."
Bettis and the others reached out their hands to greet him as if possessed by ghosts.
"Hey, this guy is very reliable, isn't he? Even though it's not a good thing for a demon," Valac also "nodded" in greeting.
William waved his hand: "No need for that..."
"The rules are not solely advantageous to the Evil Spirit's side..." Valac repeated his previous words. "You really are something, to actually notice such a minor detail."
Then it looked at the others: "When we first met, this guy stayed outside the whole night without entering the house."
"You still remember that?"
William shrugged: "I had no choice. Who told you to act so deliberately back then, making it look like the commission was easy to resolve."
"Hey... wasn't I attracted by the holy artifact you had?"
"Speaking of holy artifacts... you haven't kicked this habit yet?"
"Don't mention it. Lived this long and only have this little hobby. If it weren't for the smell of the holy artifact in your hand just now, I wouldn't have recognized you..."
"So that's how it is..."
On one side were two acquaintances engaged in a joyful conversation; on the other side were several Holy Clergy Members in an eerie silence.
Amidst the encroaching magma and fissures, this bizarre scene continued to play out.
"Um..." After a moment, Bettis raised her hand weakly. "Our time... doesn't seem to be much."
William patted his forehead: "Oh! Almost forgot about that."
He looked at Valac: "We have other things to do later. Can this transaction condition be slightly... accommodated?"
The throats of the others rolled, their eyes full of expectation.
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you