Chapter 289

“Does this make sense now?”

The Church held the upper hand in terms of military power.

That’s why I had given the Dark God Cultists a card to play, a chance to set a trap.

If they could lure the Church into their trap and counterattack, they could gain the upper hand.

Of course, the Church wasn’t weak either, so it would be a bloody battle.

And that was exactly what I wanted.

To let them fight each other and reap the rewards without lifting a finger.

It was a delightful thought.

I chuckled.

“Now, let’s finalize the plan with our Saint.”

* * *

The Pope.

He was still fuming.

His heart was filled with rage.

The humiliation of being outmaneuvered by the Saint and that damn brat was still fresh in his mind.

He had never been so humiliated before.

He spent every day plotting his revenge.

But he couldn’t come up with a good plan.

It was frustrating.

But,

An opportunity had finally presented itself, a gift from God.

“Is that true?”

The Pope reacted so strongly that he almost jumped out of his seat.

It was music to his ears.

“Yes, Your Holiness. It’s confirmed. Our informant heard it with their own ears.”

Cardinal Laurencio’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

He had also been humiliated.

He had also been sharpening his blade of revenge.

“So, the Saint faction has discovered the location of the Dark God Cultists’ gathering, those rats hiding in Holy City. And they’re planning to attack them?”

“That’s correct, Your Holiness.”

“Haha, their intentions are so obvious. It’s disgusting.”

The Pope chuckled, stroking his beard.

It wasn’t a benevolent chuckle, but a cold and calculating one.

“They want to take all the credit for themselves. That Saint is quite greedy, isn’t she?”

“If they succeed, their influence will increase significantly.”

“And ours will weaken. So we can’t just let them get away with it, can we, Cardinal?”

“I agree, Your Holiness.”

“Haha, I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

The Pope smiled and continued, “Then I’ll tell you what I’m thinking. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We should attack the gathering location first and wipe out those Dark God Cultists, taking all the credit for ourselves. What do you think, Cardinal?”

“A brilliant idea, Your Holiness. There’s no need to cooperate with those who refuse to cooperate with us.”

The Cardinal nodded repeatedly, his eyes gleaming.

The Pope’s eyes also gleamed with a sinister light.

“Indeed. They didn’t even share the information with us. They’re truly ungrateful. God wouldn’t want us to be considerate of such people.”

The Pope was using God’s name to justify his actions.

It didn’t matter.

God’s face was different for everyone.

The god he believed in was a god who approved of anything that benefited the Church.

“Your words always enlighten me, Your Holiness.”

The Cardinal flattered the Pope.

That was how you climbed the ladder in the Church.

“Haha, enough flattery. Prepare the troops.”

“Yes, Your Holiness. Who should I prepare?”

“We need to be discreet and swift, so the attack dogs and the Inquisitors would be ideal.”

The Pope answered immediately.

The attack dogs and the Inquisitors.

They were the ones who had been humiliated in the fight against Max and the residents.

But the Pope still trusted them.

Because they had a long history of success.

One failure wasn’t enough to shake his faith in them.

In fact, this was a good opportunity for them to redeem themselves, and they might even be more motivated than usual.

“Yes, Your Holiness. I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”

“Ah, and a Guardian Knight as well.”

The Pope added the final touch.

* * *

The Dark God Cultists’ secret gathering place.

It was located on Mount Harkin in the north.

It was a secluded location, not too far from Holy City, but rarely visited by people.

It was the perfect place for a secret gathering.

And it was also perfect for the Church.

If the location had been within Holy City, they would have been noticed, no matter how discreetly they moved.

And the news would definitely reach the Saint faction.

But this place was different.

They could move freely without being noticed.

“Hmph, they dug their own graves.”

Kador, the sixth-ranked Guardian Knight, sneered.

He was the one who had been captured by Max and held hostage, suffering a humiliating defeat.

He was eager to redeem himself with this mission.

He seemed more tense than usual, his body radiating a palpable aura of determination.

“…”

The fourth-ranked Guardian Knight, the Armored Man, was as stoic as ever, his emotions hidden behind his helmet.

He had also suffered a bitter defeat, but it didn’t seem to have affected him much.

“Hey, keep your voice down.”

The last one was a middle-aged man with white hair.

Sigmund, the highest-ranking Guardian Knight present, a veteran who had seen it all, spoke in a low voice.

Kador’s face contorted with displeasure.

“Come on, relax. There’s no one around.”

“Hmph, I appreciate the concern.”

“Concern about what?”

“Concern about completing the mission properly.”

“You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m too old for this. I’ll be outside, smoking a cigarette. You guys can do whatever you want.”

“What? Then why did you even come here?”

Kador glared at him, his face incredulous.

“Because I was ordered to. That’s life. You’ll understand when you get older.”

Sigmund said nonchalantly.

“I guess you get to do whatever you want when you get older.”

Kador shook his head and clicked his tongue, but he didn’t say anything more.

He wasn’t in a position to force Sigmund to do anything.

Even within the Church, only the Pope could control Sigmund.

“Anyway, go and do your job.”

Sigmund stopped walking and waved his hand dismissively.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Kador grumbled and continued walking.

“…”

The Armored Man followed silently.

And the attack dogs and Inquisitors followed them.

As the extermination squad disappeared into the distance,

Sigmund took out a cigarette and lit it.

“It’s troublesome to get involved prematurely.”

Sigmund’s true identity.

He was the Saint’s secret confidant.

The Pope didn’t know that, which was why he had entrusted him with this mission…

“Well, I’ll clean up the mess anyway.”

Sigmund chuckled, exhaling a puff of smoke.

He would join forces with the Saint’s forces and finish the job.

That was the plan.

Of course, it meant that his true identity would be revealed.

But it didn’t matter.

It was the perfect timing.

Once the Saint faction gained control, there would be no consequences for revealing his true allegiance.

*Exhale.*

Sigmund smiled, enjoying the show.

* * *

A graveyard.

An overgrown graveyard, neglected and forgotten.

Anyone who saw it would think it was abandoned.

But that was the point.

It was what the Dark God Cultists were counting on.

“Dig.”

The attack dogs dug into the ground next to a grave, following Kador’s orders.

After digging for a while,

A door appeared.

A hidden door.

“Hmph, those bastards are thorough.”

Kador sneered.

They had dug a secret passage next to a seemingly abandoned grave and covered it with dirt.

And it was in a secluded mountain, no less.

No wonder it had gone unnoticed for so long.

But it was all over now.

“Open it.”

*Creak.*

One of the attack dogs carefully opened the door.

His eyes widened in surprise.

He reported back hurriedly, “I-It’s true. It’s a secret passage. It goes deep underground.”

“The information was accurate. I’ll take it from here.”

Kador grinned, taunting the Saint faction, even though they couldn’t hear him.

“We’re going in. Be swift and silent. Understood?”

The extermination squad descended into the underground passage.

* * *

Their narrow field of vision suddenly widened.

The space had opened up.

The extermination squad, led by Kador, stepped onto the ground, their movements silent.

A spacious area stretched out before them.

No one could have imagined that such a space existed beneath the mountain.

This wasn’t a project that could be completed in a year or two.

It would have taken at least five years.

Perhaps even longer, considering they had to keep it secret.

It showed how much effort the Dark God Cultists had put into creating this secret base.

But fate was a cruel mistress.

The very place they had painstakingly built would soon become their tomb.

*Shhh.*

Kador put a finger to his lips and gestured with his other hand.

He was pointing towards a large door.

The room beyond that door was probably where the Dark God Cultists were holding their gathering.

Kador and the extermination squad approached the door, their steps as light as fallen leaves.

Their movements were so swift and silent that their footsteps were barely audible.

As expected of the Church’s elite forces.

The Armored Man stood at the back.

He couldn’t conceal his heavy footsteps due to his full armor.

*Swoosh.*

Kador raised his arm and spread his hand.

And then he started folding his fingers one by one.

It was a simple signal.

When all his fingers were folded, they would charge into the room.

Three, two, one.

Now!

*Boom!*

Kador kicked the door open with a powerful kick.

The door swung open, revealing the scene inside.

People in black robes, their faces hidden behind masks, strange symbols emblazoned on their clothes.

There were at least a hundred of them.

Kador frowned.

How could such a cancerous presence have taken root in this sacred city?

It was disgusting.

“Kill them all, except for the leader!”

Kador roared, his voice filled with bloodlust.

They only needed one person to interrogate.

The rest could be eliminated.

“Purge the heretics!”

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

The extermination squad charged forward, chanting their intimidating slogan.

Their momentum was terrifying, as if they were about to tear the heretics to shreds.

But at that moment,

The floor glowed.

Not just in one spot, but in multiple locations.

“Ugh?!”

“D-Damn it, what is this?!”

“M-My body?!”

“S-Shit!”

The extermination squad’s charge came to an abrupt halt.

Their bodies were restrained, as if bound by an invisible force.

It was a binding magic circle.

A trap.

A trap set by the Dark God Cultists.

“Holy shit! A trap?!”

Kador’s face contorted with rage.

But,

“Now! Attack!”

Priest Ian roared.

“Purge those who worship the false god!”

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

“Purge!”

The Dark God Cultists, now armed with weapons, charged at the extermination squad.

It was a counterattack.

“Damn it, don’t panic! Fight back!”

Kador shouted desperately.

And then,

A fierce battle ensued, a chaotic melee of death and destruction.

* * *

“Ah, you’re here.”

Sigmund put out his cigarette.

Even he had to show respect to the person who had arrived.

– How is the situation?

The Saint asked in sign language.

Only a handful of people knew that she could speak, so it was only natural for her to use sign language.

“Haha, well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Sigmund chuckled, his expression saying, “How the hell would I know?”

– What do you think, Max?

The Saint turned to Max, who was standing beside her.

“We’re just here to assist. I’m sure they’re doing fine. We’ll just go in and lend a hand.”

Max smiled enigmatically.

The Saint chuckled.

– Now?

“Yes, now.”

– Very well. Let’s go.

While a bloody battle raged inside,

The Saint and Max’s group strolled leisurely towards the entrance, as if they were on a picnic.