Chapter 1140: The Battle of the Holy Light Cathedral
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1140: The Battle of the Holy Light Cathedral
Within the Holy Angel Territory.
In the most prosperous district of the city center sat a sanctuary of Holy Light worship.
Inside the central Holy Light Cathedral, the morning sun filtered through twelve stained-glass windows, casting its glow upon the Preaching Angel leading the believers and ascetics.
The angel’s pristine white wings unfurled, basking in the baptism of Holy Light, as a multicolored halo draped a layer of sanctity over the celestial being.
Specialized murals adorned the cathedral walls, depicting the compassionate deeds of the Holy Angels toward all living beings.
The Preaching Angel took a feather condensed from Holy Light, dipped it lightly into the holy water of the Morning Prayer Cup, and gently brushed it across the forehead of the ascetic kneeling before her. She chanted the Holy Light Maxims, offering prayers and blessings for the devout.
"With the radiance of dawn as a crown, with the rainbow clouds of dusk as a garment..."
The ethereal voice, like a harp harmonizing with the resonance of silver instruments, echoed beneath the thirty-meter dome. Ripples of Holy Light washed over the hearts of everyone present.
Amidst the mingling scents of frankincense and myrrh, however, this particular ritual did not feel as tranquil as those in the past.
"Lost soul, I see your confusion. What has shaken your steadfast faith? Why does doubt flicker in your eyes?"
"Lord Angel... there are so many rumors outside. They say the angels have sounded the horn of the apocalypse to cleanse the world of sin... I haven't done anything wrong. Why must I endure such a disaster? Am I... also a sin that needs to be cleansed?"
The "devout" believer did not receive a response from the Holy Angel. Instead, another voice answered first.
"Let us tell you! You aren't guilty of any sin! The ones truly burdened with sin are these birdmen you're praying to!"
The sudden intrusion drew everyone’s gaze. A group of people dressed in specialized combat uniforms appeared. Despite the uniform style, it was immediately obvious that these were Witches!
"All non-combatants, clear out! This Holy Light Cathedral is being demolished!"
"Witches!"
Inside the cathedral, the Preaching Angel recognized them instantly. Even before so many believers, the angel could not help but show a flash of shock and loathing.
True to the persona of her station, as the crowd began to flee in panic, she spread her wings of Holy Light to shield the people behind her.
"What do you think you are doing! If your grievance is with the Holy Angel Academy, then come for me! These believers are innocent—let them go!"
"Our target was never them to begin with. Things have already reached this point, and you're still maintaining that nauseating 'holy' persona?"
It had to be said that the Witch students who had arrived were highly efficient. Facing a Preaching Angel—an opponent on par with a Witch teaching assistant—they showed not a hint of fear.
After the initial panic, the crowd of ordinary believers regained their composure. Perhaps the angel’s protection gave them the confidence to confront these "heretics."
All sorts of derogatory terms, framed within the "harmonious" vocabulary of the Holy Light, began to fly. The Witch students actually started laughing.
"Noisy lot... if you don't make these believers shut up, we won't mind killing these brainwashed fools along with you!"
After all, those brainwashed by the Holy Light lacked self-awareness and a sense of right and wrong. Even if the facts were laid bare before them, they would doubt without hesitation and instinctively defend their faith.
There was an irreconcilable gap between believers and ordinary people, one that could not be bridged through peaceful dialogue.
Without further hesitation, the members of the Witch Combat Sequence struck. They hadn't come to deliberate or argue; they had come to destroy the Holy Light Cathedral!
The existence of the Holy Light Cathedral threatened the safety of the world; therefore, it had to be torn down.
They didn't even need to explain themselves to these people, because the people wouldn't understand.
Another group was responsible for spreading word of the Holy Angels' misdeeds; these Witches were only here for the forced demolition.
Public opinion in the Main World had already been primed. It started with the "Main World Restart Plan" and the impending doomsday disaster, then evolved into the revelation that the major families had already secured their places in the sanctuaries for the post-restart world.
Create contradictions, manufacture conflict, stir emotions, and guide the narrative.
Facing the aggressive Witch students, the Preaching Angel dared not be careless. The believers who had graduated from the Holy Angel Academy to become ascetics of the cathedral were empowered by the Holy Light. Combined with their powerful physiques, they possessed near-peak combat strength. In an instant, the entire Holy Light Cathedral was transformed into a bloody battlefield!
They strode barefoot across steps engraved with prayers, their fingertips grazing the holy water. The blessing of the Holy Light granted them the courage to face death and pain without fear.
After only a few exchanges, the impact of Holy Light and spells stained the pristine cathedral with crimson blood.
The combat power and coordination of the Witch students far exceeded their expectations. Holding out was merely slowing the inevitable approach of death.
The Preaching Angel closed her eyes and began to recite the seventh chapter of the Holy Light Maxims. The words etched deep in her memory felt like a soothing ointment for the pain:
"Only those who bear the thorns shall know the sweetness of the light; only those stained with blood shall behold the face of the holy..."
On the ritual altar of the cathedral, the Morning Prayer Cup filled with holy water suddenly began to boil.
As the Holy Angel spread her wings to protect the believers, thorn-like vines began to spread, crawling over the altar until they clung to the Morning Prayer Cup.
The Preaching Angel pressed a finger against a thorn, letting a single drop of blood fall into the chalice.
The holy water was instantly dyed red, and the Morning Prayer Cup transformed into a vessel of Holy Blood.
"Watch out! Beware the Holy Blood and the Thorns!"
As structures spread across the entire Main World and hubs for the gathering of faith, the Holy Light Cathedrals naturally possessed powerful defensive measures.
Because there were so many cathedrals, the strength of the Preaching Angels varied. Thus, "external" objects like Holy Light artifacts became the most reliable source of power.
Holy Blood was a powerful purification method of the Holy Angel race, while the thorns symbolized lashing and warning—a tool for ascetics to temper themselves and a steadfast proof of their faith in the Holy Light.
When used against an enemy, these methods were more terrifying than ordinary blades or staves.
Soon, the blood-stained thorns covered the entire cathedral, adding a touch of natural vitality to the sanctuary while dotting the faith of the Holy Light with blossoms of gore.
Faced with this disadvantage, the Witch Combat Sequence immediately shifted tactics. If they hadn't been concerned about being in the city center, they would have used large-scale, indiscriminate attacks to level the cathedral long ago.
"Why are you being so stubborn! It’s just a cathedral. You can't stop us from tearing it down. Are you really willing to throw your lives away for it?" the captain of the combat squad frowned, questioning the Preaching Angel’s suicidal fighting style.
"Those without faith will never understand."
The angel gripped the silver bell hanging at her chest. The interior of the bell was engraved with dense prayers, the script long since blurred by bloodstains.
"With the body as a candle, with the blood as oil... burn this frame to become the Holy Light! Illuminate the Holy Path!"
"Tsk... they're even crazier than us Witches..."
The members of the combat sequence exchanged looks and immediately understood the situation.
There was no need to fight to the bitter end.
Since the opponent was using their own body to channel the Holy Light, they were at the end of their rope. If the Witches left now, whether the angel pursued them or stayed to guard the cathedral, she would no longer have the strength to fight.
Once the Preaching Angel fell, nothing could stop them from demolishing the cathedral.
The aftershocks of the battle spilled outside. The believers still lingering in the worship area fled in all directions, shouting about an invasion by heretical Witches. Their cries spread, sparking a wave of panic.
Not long after.
They witnessed the sanctuary that had stood for centuries collapse in a thunderous roar!
The believers watched helplessly, their inner faith shaken to its core.
They wanted to condemn these actions online, but upon opening the network, every major platform was flooded with "truths" regarding the Holy Angels.
In that moment, they were lost.
The Holy Angels were the culprits behind the world's destruction; their sanctity was nothing more than a hypocritical mask.
As one secret after another was peeled away, the image of the Holy Angels gradually crumbled in the eyes of ordinary people.
Only the most devout believers continued to argue, trying to prove it was all a smear campaign.
But on the internet, these believers couldn't reason with those who had lost their cool.
People only believed what they wanted to believe. Seeing the sanctimonious Holy Angels exposed in all their ugliness brought them nothing but joy.
While the regions around the Holy Angel Academy remained somewhat restrained, the territories of the Wizard Academy were filled with blatant prejudice against the Holy Angels.
Meanwhile, the Witch students standing beneath the ruins of the Holy Light Cathedral had finished their battle.
"People with faith... are really hard to kill..."
"True."
"I was talking about the mental hurdle..."
"What's there to get over? Everything we're doing is to save the world!"
"Yeah... saving the world."
Such "acts of salvation" were playing out all across the globe.
In some places, the protagonists were Elves; in others, Wizards. There were also Holy Angels standing their ground at their cathedrals.
They were all fighting for what they believed in. Some didn't even know what was happening, but they knew what they had to protect.
Everything continued; the war of slaughter and faith raged on.
The war of faith could be considered the only conflict in the Main World that currently involved the ordinary populace.
* * *
Witch Academy.
After organizing the urgent offensive against the Holy Angel Academy, the United Club immediately turned its sights toward the Wizard Academy.
The influence of heretical faith on the Sword of Doomsday was temporary. Destroying the Holy Light Cathedrals across the Main World was a necessary step to completely dismantle that plan.
However, this wouldn't stop the doomsday crisis within the expected timeframe.
They had to take advantage of this window to strike another node of the "Staff of Doomsday Plan" to ensure total success.
The Afuhemi Academy was officially sealed off, and a direct assault was out of the question, leaving the United Club with no other choice.
The Wizard Academy was the best option.
Although the methods of Wizards were bizarre and dangerous, they were also the most internally fractured group.
Unlike the ideological struggle within the Holy Angel Academy, the conflict within the Wizard Academy was a pure clash of interests.
If you won't let us survive, then we'll do everything in our power to make sure you don't survive either!
Thus, the combat sequences heading to the Wizard Academy weren't there to start an "Academy War," but to join the anti-doomsday faction as reinforcements, providing them with powerful and reliable support.
In the Wizard Academy, a Wizard's stance was defined by the faction they represented. Wizards loved nothing more than dividing themselves into factions.
And while my Life Clone and the United Club were busy beyond belief...
In the Expansion Realm, I had also become quite busy.
The current Dream State Soul Essence Preparation Technique was a completely different concept compared to before.
If the previous method was a "Purification Method," the current technique should be called a "Transformation Method."
Previously, it involved purifying the nightmares that accompanied dream creatures in the Primitive Dream Realm—hence the name "Purification Method."
Now, it was based on the Land of Fool's Dream and the "Primal Great Fool's Dream Spell." Constructing the foundation of dream life was the core of this technique.
This meant that with the application of the new technique, production capacity would no longer be limited by the availability of nightmares.
The mutual transformation between soul essence and Dream State Soul Essence also proved that the two shared the same origin.
It could be said that while all the Witches were working at a fever pitch, Fool's Dream hadn't stopped either.
The "misunderstandings" and "communication difficulties" I had anticipated didn't happen; everything went very smoothly.
However, because it involved teaching and the transmission of knowledge, the reconstruction and iteration of the technique weren't as fast as me doing it manually.
But what can I do? I'm under the effect of the Great Ordinary Spell.
The Great Ordinary Spell made me realize the importance of foundations; it allowed me to distinguish between the power additions of the "Transcendent Advancement System" and the cultivation of one's own foundation.
There was a fundamental difference between the two types of "cultivation."
Right now, I am an "ordinary person." Everything regarding my foundation needs to start from scratch. It’s a strange feeling.
Don't be fooled by the small scale of this "foundation cultivation"—the difficulty is anything but small.
Take my most clearly defined "Perfect Human Five Senses" as an example; progress has been extremely sluggish.
This process can only be adapted to slowly; there is no clear "cultivation method."
Under the boundary of the "ordinary," the completion of the foundation can only rely on the most basic power.
The Nightmare Workshop has now been officially renamed. Since it employs entirely new techniques and no longer needs to exploit nightmares, it naturally doesn't need "Nightmare" as a prefix.
Otherwise, the dream creatures around the Main World would soon go extinct.
It is now the "Fool's Dream Workshop."
Since this is a workshop built jointly by Fool's Dream and the Witches, and the Dream State Soul Essence it prepares is the foundation for the birth of the dream life "Fool's Dream," the name was readily accepted by all the Witches.