Chapter 224 The Celestial Chorus [1]

Chapter 224 The Celestial Chorus [1]

A faint, eerie glimmer of light seeped through the mosaic windows, its feeble glow barely illuminating the towering altar at the room's heart.

The air was heavy with an unsettling stillness, as if the very walls held their breath, waiting for something unseen yet deeply ominous.

"...."

A man garbed in white stood before the altar.

His features were aged, framed by a white cassock adorned with a pellegrina and cinched with a fringed white fascia.

A golden necklace hung by his chest.

Clasping his hands together, he prayed.

"With reverence and devotion, we offer ourselves."

His voice was brittle, echoing loudly within the confines of the church.

"Bound to your will and purpose,"

There was a certain magnetism to his voice that pulled the ears of those present.

"In this world and beyond,"

But there was something more to the voice.

Something more... sinister.

"For we are your loyal disciples."

The voice...

It dripped with a chilling fanaticism that teetered on the edge of obsession.

"Offer us your guidance, our lord."

An obsession that drew the madness within them.

"....."

Following the prayer, the surroundings turned quiet.

Tak.

But the silence was soon broken by a woman dressed in white as she walked up.

With her eyes closed, she stopped behind the man and held onto the rosary in her grasp.

"Your holiness, we have gathered the sacrifices."

".....You have?"

The man spoke slowly, his gaze remaining firmly stuck on the altar.

"Were there any problems?"

"None"

The woman replied in a low tone.

"As you have foreseen, the sacrifices attacked each other. The poison seeped deep into their minds, turning them into vulgar beasts with no regard to rationality."

"That's good to hear. I presume you've fed them that, right?"

"Yes. Several are in critical condition, but they should all make it. But your Holiness..."

The nun hesitated, looking at the Archbishop with slight hesitation.

"Why must we feed those inferior beings with the blood of our god? Wouldn't it be better if you were to take them? If they are to take such precious—"

The nun stopped.

"....."

Staring at the back of the Archbishop, she felt her entire body freeze on the spot.

It was an oppressive, and suffocating feeling that made her hold onto her neck.

"Ukeh...!"

Thankfully, the sensation didn't last for long as it faded and the Archbishop's voice echoed again,

".....Anything else?"

The nun lowered her head.

"We have lost thirty-eight brothers and sisters to the instructors. It is also likely that reinforcements will come."

"That is okay."

His Holiness replied.

"....This was within my prediction."

Slowly turning around, Archbishop Lucas revealed his eyes, which were stark white and devoid of emotion. Despite his kind smile, there was an unsettling coldness in his gaze as he looked down at the nun on the ground.

"I can see ahead."

He spoke softly.

".....For Oracleus has granted me sight."

It was the sight that allowed him to know the sacrifices were coming.

"I have foreseen their appearance. There's no need to worry. By the time they find this place, it'll be too late."

Archbishop Lucas smiled.

"Begin the process. Inform me if there are any problems."

"Yes, your Holiness."

***

In one moment he was supervising the cadets, and in the next moment, he was attacked by several dozen people.

Clank—!

Professor Thornwhisper deflected the blow using a thin sword.

Despite that, the blow was rather heavy and he took several steps back.

"You, who are you?"

He looked around him. He was in the middle of a forest, surrounded by a couple dozen people dressed in white. His expression grew tense at the sight of them.

'They're strong.'

Not individually, but together... they even made him, a tier 5 individual, struggle.

I coughed again, gripping my clothes tightly.

"Uh?"

I looked down at my hand.

It was a lot more muscular than I last remembered.

"No, it's way more muscular..."

Because of my cancer, my muscles had all degraded. I had been just skin and bones, and yet...

"Huup!"

Helping myself up, I felt energized.

I could move freely, and I didn't feel weak.

"W-what's going on?"

I started to touch my face.

....But I saw no point in it after a while. I couldn't tell the difference.

"Hooo."

I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

All sorts of possibilities ran through my mind. In the end, the only conclusion I could come up with was,

'An experiment.'

I had been put under some sort of experiment that cured me of my cancer.

"Yes, it has to be that."

It was the only explanation.

Looking around, my gaze fell on a stone door and I moved towards it.

Bang! Bang—!

I banged on the door.

"Let me out! I'm awake! Let me out...!"

And yet, regardless of how much I banged on the stone door, it refused to budge.

Bang, Bang!

"Let me out! Let me out!"

I continued to scream, but nothing.

No response.

Just what sort of...!

Bang, bang, bang!!

"Let me out!!!"

I continued to bang at the door.

I banged and banged and banged. And yet, regardless of how hard I tried, no one came. Even as my hands started to feel numb, I continued to bang.

But...

Nothing.

"Let... Me... Out!!"

Bang!

"Haa... haaa... Haa...."

Gradually, the energy started to leave my body. I hardly had any energy left to punch the wall, and I slowly started to fall to my knees.

"Haa... Haa..."

My vision was blurry and droplets of sweat dripped down from the side of my face.

"W-what is going on?"

I could hardly make sense of the situation.

In one moment I was dead, and in the next moment, I was alive again, but stuck inside of a room.

"M-maybe they'll come soon..."

Leaning back against the door, I caught my breath as I looked towards the ceiling of the room. As my chest heaved up and down repeatedly, I felt a certain sting coming from my left hand.

"Ah....!"

My expression twisted the moment I looked down.

Attached to my arm was a vial containing a blood-red liquid. It punctured directly into my vein, and I could feel a slight pulse as the ominous substance flowed into my bloodstream.

"Haa... Haa..."

Because of my panic, I hadn't noticed it before.

However, staring at it right now, I could feel my breath increasing.

I thought about removing the liquid, but thinking about how I was still alive, I hesitated.

What if...? What if this was the liquid that had cured me of my cancer?

If that were the case, would I die if I were to remove it?

"Agh."

I ruffled my hair into a mess.

"Brother."

At the same time, I started to have thoughts about my brother. How was he? How long since I had been incapacitated? Did he agree to all of this...?

"....Ah."

I felt my head throb fiercely with each new thought that I had.

But that didn't last for long.

Rumble! Rumble!

The room shook, and when I turned my head, my eyes lit up.

The door...

It was finally opening.