Chapter 284 The Villain Lady Arrives 112
The headquarters of the Church of Light, in the solemn meeting hall
The candlelight flickered, and the light and shadows were reflected on the smooth marble table. The air was filled with a repressive and tense atmosphere. The archbishop sat on the main seat, his brows furrowed, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, scanning the bishops below with different expressions. In recent days, the silence of the various branches of the Church of Light made him feel uneasy, as if a storm was brewing in the dark.
"Everyone, we have received fewer and fewer reports from branch churches in recent days. This is by no means accidental." His voice was low and powerful, echoing in every corner of the meeting room. "I am well aware of the chaos brought about by war, but such a long period of silence cannot help but make me worried."
Bishop Lucas tapped the table lightly, his face full of worry. "Indeed, I tried to contact several branch churches in remote areas, but there was no response. This situation is unprecedented."
"We must take action." Another young bishop, Alia, stood up. Her voice was soft but firm. "We cannot leave our believers alone in the darkness."
Just as everyone was discussing, the door of the meeting hall was suddenly pushed open, and a knight in silver armor stumbled in, his face full of fear and anxiety: "Archbishop! Something terrible has happened! There... five branches of the church have been attacked! The scene is horrible!"
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the meeting hall. The Archbishop's face suddenly darkened. He stood up suddenly and strode towards the knight: "Tell me in detail, what happened?"
The knight's voice trembled, and he tried to calm down: "According to the news we just received, these five branches were attacked by unknown forces at almost the same time."
"The Dark Cult!" Alia spat out these words through gritted teeth, anger and determination flashing in her eyes. "It must be them. They have finally shown their fangs!"
The archbishop took a deep breath and tried to keep himself calm. He knew that anger could not solve the problem. Only calmness and wisdom could lead the Church of Light out of the predicament. "Immediately gather all available forces. I will go to those branch churches to check the situation in person. At the same time, strengthen the defense of the headquarters to ensure the safety here."
"Yes, Archbishop!" The knight took the order and left, and the conference hall fell into busyness again.
On the way to the attacked branch church
The Archbishop rode a tall white horse, followed by a team of elite knights and priests. They passed through the barren fields, crossed the winding mountain roads, and galloped towards the first branch church that was attacked. The scenery along the way became blurred in the Archbishop's eyes. In his heart, there was only endless hatred for the Dark God Church and worry about the safety of the believers.
"Lucas, what conspiracy do you think is behind this?" the archbishop asked in a deep voice, looking straight ahead.
Lucas frowned, thought for a moment and then answered: "The Dark Cult's actions this time were so swift and cruel, obviously they were well prepared. They may want to take this opportunity to weaken our strength and shake the faith of believers. We must respond carefully and not let them succeed."
“Not only that,” Alia added, “They may also be creating panic in an attempt to get more people to fall into their arms. We must reveal the truth as soon as possible and calm people’s hearts.”
The archbishop nodded, with something in mind. He knew that this was not just a simple religious war, but also a battle between faith and survival. As the archbishop of the Church of Light, he had to lead the believers out of darkness and into light.
When the archbishop and his entourage arrived at the first attacked branch church, they could hardly believe their eyes. The entire church was destroyed beyond recognition, with broken crosses and bloodstained clothes scattered among the ruins. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burning, which was suffocating.
"Lord, please forgive these sins." Alia prayed in a low voice, tears welling up in her eyes. She suppressed her grief and began to check every detail of the scene, hoping to find some useful clues.
The Archbishop stood in front of the ruins of the church, staring at the land shrouded in darkness. His heart was filled with anger and grief, but he knew that now was not the time to vent his emotions. He had to stay calm, find the weaknesses of the Dark Cult, and give them a fatal blow.
"Lucas, you lead a group of people to search the surrounding area to see if there are any survivors or refugees. Alia, you are responsible for collecting evidence and clues. We must make these crimes public." The archbishop gave the order in a firm and powerful voice.
As the Archbishop's order fell, Lucas and Alia acted quickly, each leading a team to act separately. Lucas' eyes revealed unquestionable determination. He knew that time was urgency and every second could affect the safety of innocent lives.
He waved his hand to signal his men to disperse, and carefully moved among the ruins. Every time they turned over a piece of rubble and stepped on a piece of scorched earth, it was as if they were engaging in a silent battle with the shadow of death.
Arya led several priests, who held weak but determined candlelight and went deeper into the ruins shrouded in darkness. The flickering candlelight illuminated their furrowed brows and determined eyes.
They carefully searched every corner for clues, whether it was broken pages of books or pieces of bloodstained clothing, they were all picked up and carefully preserved. Alia's heart was filled with anger and grief, but she knew that only by making these evidences public could the world see the true face of the Dark Cult and justice be served.
The archbishop stood alone in front of the ruins of the church, his eyes deep and complex, as if he could see through the ruins and see the evil forces hidden in the dark. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his heart. However, the smell of blood and burnt smell in the air kept irritating his nerves, making it impossible for him to calm down completely.
"This is not just an attack," the archbishop said to himself, "this is a premeditated massacre, a provocation to our faith, and a blasphemy against the God of Light."
Just then, Lucas and a knight hurried over, their faces full of shock and anxiety.
"Archbishop, we found some strange traces in the north." Lucas' voice was low and rapid. "Those traces... look like they were left by some kind of ritual."
The archbishop frowned upon hearing this and quickly followed Lucas to check. As expected, on a relatively intact wall on the north side, they found a series of complex patterns drawn in blood, which contained disturbing dark forces. Although these patterns were partially burnt, their outlines and meanings could still be vaguely discerned.