After Mayne finished the ceremony, he helped the Pope back onto the cart.
“Jero,” Oberyn gasped, calling out softly.
A Pure One in white emerged from a side door, her footsteps so light they were barely audible. “I’m here.”
The Archbishop frowned. He hadn't expected to find a Pure One in such a confidential place. Although they were raised by the Pope after their awakening and served His Eminence for life, these women were, after all, witches. And it seemed she knew about the Reflection Church even before he did, which made him slightly displeased.
“Take him to the Illusion Chamber.”
“Mm.” She walked to the prayer stand, pressed down on the stone-carved scriptures placed on the table, and with a flash of magical light, the giant painting behind her slowly rose, revealing a dark metal door. Then, Jero took the pendant from the Pope's neck, inserted the crystal ornament into the door lock, and twisted. A click sounded from inside the iron door, and it opened inward.
After taking out the pendant, she didn’t return it to Oberyn, but handed it to Mayne instead.
The Archbishop turned to look at the Pope, who nodded. “Take it, you’ll be in charge of it from now on. Whether it's the vaults of the Secret Sanctum or the secret doors of the research institution, you can use this crystal to open them.”
“Let’s go,” Jero said with a smile, taking Mayne’s hand and walking into the room behind the giant painting—a place that shouldn't exist in the above-ground church. In the same location, there was only a floor-to-ceiling window facing the Hermes Plateau.
The room appeared quite spacious, circular in structure, about half the size of a prayer hall, capable of accommodating dozens of people standing side by side, making it hard to associate it with a “secret chamber.” However, the large space was completely unfurnished, looking empty. The only place to sit was a stone bench extending along the curved wall.
After the metal door closed, Mayne shook off the Pure One’s hand. “Did His Eminence ask you to come in?”
Jero didn't take it to heart. “If I didn’t come in, who would activate the Illusion Magic Stone? You can’t manipulate magic power.”
Such an impolite answer made Mayne feel a twinge of irritation. It seemed she still considered herself Oberyn's witch. When he took over the scepter and controlled the church, he would definitely make her understand that not only the Pope himself, but the Archbishop with the right of inheritance also needed to be respected.
“Then let’s begin,” he suppressed his surging emotions and sat down on the stone bench.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Jero lifted a dark panel on the wall and pressed her hand on the magic stone. “But please be prepared, as this is also the first time I’ve activated this thing.”
The first time? Hadn’t she lived for over two hundred years? Hadn’t she participated in previous papal handover ceremonies? Mayne felt a little strange, but before he could think about it, a dazzling light flashed, and he was surprised to find himself in darkness.
This darkness was so pure, with no light source visible at all. The walls, floor, and stone bench seemed to have disappeared. He felt like he had been swallowed whole by a giant abyss beast, instantly losing his sense of distance. The sky and the ground were one, and all that he could see was blackness. Looking down, even his own body was submerged in it.
Mayne held his breath and cautiously reached down. The stone bench was still beneath him, and when he stamped his foot, the floor was still there as well, which relieved him slightly. It seemed he hadn’t been transferred to some new basement, but rather that the magic stone's power had swallowed all the light here.
But in such darkness, how could he see the "truth" that His Eminence had mentioned?
As if answering his question, the ground lit up again, but it was clear that this was definitely not the scene in the secret room. Each stone slab was polished smooth and bright, engraved with intricate and beautiful patterns, and reflected a faint blue light. Soon, light poured down from above as well, and he was surprised to see a transparent skylight appear on the ceiling. Through this window, he could even see the clear sky and clouds outside.
Before long, other furnishings in the room appeared one by one: a marble round table, chairs arranged in a circle, maps and glasses placed on the table, curtains hanging around, decorative swords and shields standing, and a giant deer head hanging above the main entrance.
Then came the figures.
Mayne couldn't believe his eyes as lifelike female figures appeared in his field of vision. They wore gorgeous robes and sat around the round table. The one sitting directly across from the hall entrance, in the chief position among the others, was none other than the red-haired Witch Queen. Her hands were lowered, clasped in front of her, her head held high, her eyes staring straight ahead. The gazes of everyone else were focused on her. Everything looked like a realistic painting.
Is this what the Illusion Chamber represents? Mayne thought to himself. When the scene before his eyes became so rich that it was indistinguishable from a real scene, it was as if everyone had come to life in an instant.
"Everyone, the God's Punishment Army experiment has been successful," a witch next to Akaris said. "They appear to be extremely fierce, unafraid of death, and incredibly strong – even auxiliary witches with weak abilities can be transformed into powerful warriors no less than original transcendents. In addition, they also possess the characteristic of disrupting magic power release, giving them a great advantage when facing the Mad Demons and Hell Lords who also need to manipulate magic stones to fight."
"But the transformation ritual requires the consumption of witches' lives, and I've heard that not everyone can be successfully transformed," someone said.
"These are just some insignificant details," she spread her hands. "I believe that as research continues, the Seekers will definitely be able to find a way to compensate."
"Don't say it so lightly, Ilaine. We are few in number, and every witch is precious!" the person frowned.
"What's the difference between dying at the hands of devils and dying in the ritual," Ilaine said with her head held high. "At least the latter can still make a final contribution to the Association."
"What did you say—"
"Enough." Akaris said softly, although her voice was low, the scene instantly quieted down, and everyone closed their mouths, waiting for what the Witch Queen would say next.
"Mortals cannot defeat devils, my sisters," she said calmly. "We can do nothing, enjoy this last piece of peace, and quietly wait for the next devil invasion, after which history will completely erase us. We can also make one last stand, place our hopes on the God's Punishment Warriors, and make sacrifices for it. I admit this is a difficult choice, but as long as humanity can continue, the witch lineage will never be severed."
"Although I am the Queen of Starfall City, I am willing to give this important choice to you: whether you want to give up resistance and die quietly, or whether you want to avenge our fallen sisters, drive the devils out of Dawn Realm, and restore the former glory of the witches, it is all your *ziyou*."
"Of course, no one present can personally participate in the Third Battle of Divine Will, so regardless of which option we choose, we can safely spend this short life. Remember, the decision you make now is not only for yourselves, but also for the witch race... so that future sisters can still see the smile of the gods."
"Those who disagree, please stand up now."