"The glare is truly blinding," it said nonchalantly: "It's extremely unfriendly to those asleep."
The voice seemed not to come through the Communication Array, but as if it were inches away, right in front of the Cruising Bishop, yet showing no fear of the Magic-Breaking Holy Light.
"Justice`s Saintess, Celestial Scales` Saintess, Judgment`s Saintess... There are many titles for your current Saintess, but without exception, she is seen as the one governing the internal affairs of humankind."
The other party's tone was leisurely, even carrying a hint of mirth.
"However, she hardly ever engages in combat personally. Despite possessing extremely powerful strength, she doesn't use it for external expansion, only employing that power in a few unavoidable circumstances."
The Cruising Bishop's hand trembled imperceptibly, a sliver of unease flitting through his heart.
And the voice from the Communication Array continued.
"The reason she does this is because she follows her own principles and commandments. It is these principles and commandments that have granted her such formidable strength. If she were to break the commandments, her strength would also diminish. It's because of this symbiotic relationship that the actions of the Saintess have not been widely criticized.
"The contemporary Saintess's ideal is the purification of humankind from within. She believes that only by eliminating internal injustices, poverty, and crime can humankind possibly go further, exploring a broader world. She regards the stability of civilization as the foundation for progress."
"Therefore, upholding justice, she has also integrated Demons who possess intelligence and emotions into human society; with the Celestial Scales in hand, she precisely measures the criminal acts of each individual, strictly assessing those Demons attempting to assimilate into human society; then, with judgment in hand, she metes out punishment to criminals, Degenerators, and those Demons that threaten social stability..."
"—What exactly are you trying to say?" the Cruising Bishop interjected gravely.
"Don't you understand yet, Mr. Bishop? Do I really need to give you a lesson on doctrine?" A scoff echoed in the communications room.
"Under her influence, various aspects of the Kingdom have indeed improved significantly, but at the same time, the activity of the Heresy Court has become unprecedentedly vigorous, and the Church's attitude towards the 'Unpurified' has grown increasingly harsh every year...
"Even you, Mr. Bishop, have thought about expelling that poor Snow Woman, haven't you?
"And surely, you haven't forgotten? That long-lasting Holy War within the Kingdom that slaughtered numerous Magic Creatures and even Demons?"
The Cruising Bishop's pupils shook violently, nearly unable to maintain the Holy Light in his hand.
"Let me tell you one more thing." The voice suddenly dropped a few notches, as if exerting deeper pressure, "The content of prophecies does not shift according to the will of the Prophet, even that most powerful Saintess cannot interfere with the course of prophecies. Beyond the content of the prophecies, she probably knows nothing about the character and experiences of the next Saintess.
"So, what I'm trying to say is actually quite simple—" The voice paused momentarily, then continued with evident pleasure:
"Do you really believe that a pathetic and foolish Hero advocating revenge against Goblins, and bearing the curse of a Corrupted Phoenix, could ever be recognized by the current Saintess?
"That Saintess, who shows no mercy to Magic Creatures, sees Demons as aliens, and even treats humans coldly, would she really accept such a successor?"
The voice rose slightly, fierce and fervent, as if finally baring fangs.
"You should know, the humans who have died from her persecution over the years might just be more than the Magic Creatures."
The Cruising Bishop could no longer suppress the anger and unease in his heart, and in a fit of fury, he waved his hand, and the intense Holy Light bloomed like a Sharp Sword, thrusting towards the expensive Communication Array, attempting to force it to a halt.
"So, wouldn't it be better to leave her in our care rather than with you?"
The Holy Light Sword streaked like a rainbow, aiming for the core of the Array, but the voice from within the Communication Array seemed unaffected, chuckled lightly.
"—For our race's long-cherished aspiration."
"Wha—" the Cruising Bishop widened his eyes in astonishment.
The experienced Bishop quickly reacted, immediately cutting off the Holy Light. With the rapid chant of a Spell Chant, layers of light barriers rose around him, providing all-around protection.
But at the same time as he moved, the air had already filled with a dense black fog unknowingly.
The communication room, once brightly illuminated by Magic Power, turned oppressively gloomy, and not even the Holy Light from the Bishop himself could brighten this eerie environment.
The Cruising Bishop's pupils narrowed, his instincts telling him to retreat outside, but when he turned his head, he found the heavy door already vanished, leaving only a dark vortex.
The pitch-black fog lunged at the Cruising Bishop with bared claws, a dark whirlpool sweeping around, everything like a twisted Nightmare.
[Nightmare Sage Rank7 LV60]
Dreamwalker LV7: Walking in the blurry and illusory realm. When the opponent's Perception is lower than Agility*0.7, it can forcibly invade the subconscious dreams of the opponent.
Dream Awakening LV10: Forget the Pain of dreams, welcome a new reality. Deduct 10 from maximum Constitution, and 50 from maximum Intelligence, eliminate excessive damage.
Spirit Magic LV8: Master of spirit-related Magic, especially dream Magic.
Dream Edge: Defines the boundary between reality and illusion. For individual values, physical attacks not exceeding Perception are ineffective; those exceeding fully affect.
Nightmare Devouring: Pain in dreams feeds the Nightmare. Causes damage when invading dreams, recuperates Constitution.