The approach to the Cathedral was deceptively easy. There were no walls, no guard towers, no magical barriers humming in the air. The path was lined with white flowers that smelled sickly sweet—Funeral Lilies.
"No guards," Seraphina’s voice whispered in Alvian’s ear via the communication crystal. She was scouting ahead, invisible. "It’s wide open. The front doors are unlocked."
"It’s a trap," Valeria muttered, walking beside Alvian. She had drawn her claymore now, the blade resting on her shoulder.
"It’s arrogance," Alvian corrected. "He believes he is untouchable. He believes his ’flock’ protects him."
They reached the grand steps of the Cathedral. The structure was magnificent, a testament to what magic could build in a short time. White marble pillars soared a hundred feet into the air. But as Alvian got closer, his [Tablet of the Earth Core] passive vibrated violently.
He touched a pillar.
[System Analysis: Material Scan.]
[Composition: Calcified Bone Dust reinforced with Mana Lime.]
"The building," Alvian said, his voice low. "It’s made of bone."
Valeria flinched, looking at the pristine white surface with horror. "All of it?"
"All of it," Alvian confirmed. "Grinded down. Pressed. Bleached. This isn’t a church. It’s a mausoleum."
"I’m going to kill him," Valeria growled. "I don’t care what his level is. I’m going to kill him."
"Get in line," Alvian said. He pushed the massive double doors open.
"CREAAAK."
The sound echoed through the vast interior. The inside of the Cathedral was dim, lit only by hundreds of floating candles. The air was heavy with incense, trying to mask the underlying scent of iron and rot.
The pews were full. Hundreds of people sat in silence, their heads bowed. At the far end of the nave, upon a raised dais, stood an altar made of gold. Behind it, a massive pipe organ played a low, droning note that vibrated in the chest.
And standing before the altar was the Vicar.
He was a tall man, wearing robes of white silk embroidered with gold thread. He had a kindly face, a long white beard, and eyes that sparkled with a grandfatherly warmth. He held a staff topped with a sunburst symbol.
[Target Identified: The Vicar (The Godfather)]
[Level: 45]
[Status: ???]
"Welcome, children," the Vicar’s voice boomed, amplified by the acoustics of the room. He spread his arms wide. "You come seeking salvation in these dark times? The doors of the Sanctuary are always open."
The congregation turned to look at them. Their eyes were glassy, vacant. Mind control? Or just desperation?
"We aren’t here for salvation," Alvian called out, his voice cutting through the incense smoke. "We’re here for an audit."
He walked down the center aisle, his boots clicking loudly on the bone floor. Valeria marched beside him, her shield raised, her aura flaring with a faint golden light.
"An audit?" The Vicar smiled, a gentle, pitying expression. "You speak of worldly things. Here, we trade in the currency of the soul. We give thanks for the life we are granted."
"By taking it from others?" Valeria shouted. "We saw the carts! We know about the Tribute!"
The Vicar sighed. "Sacrifice is the burden of the faithful. To sustain the many, a few must give everything. It is the law of nature. It is the will of the Divine."
"There is nothing divine about you," Alvian said. He stopped ten meters from the altar. "Your barrier is flawed. Your mana signature is leaking. You mask it with Light magic, but underneath... it smells like a grave."
The Vicar’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes went cold.
"You have sharp eyes for a non-believer," the Vicar said softly. "But eyes can be blinded."
He raised his staff.
"Seize them, my children! Save their souls!"
The congregation stood up as one. Hundreds of people. Farmers, merchants, refugees. They pulled daggers and clubs from beneath their robes. They weren’t soldiers. They were civilians.
"He’s using them as human shields!" Seraphina hissed from the shadows near the ceiling.
"Valeria," Alvian said calmly. "Don’t kill them. They’re mind-controlled."
"I know!" Valeria gritted her teeth. She sheathed her sword and unslung her massive shield. "I’ll clear a path. You get the Vicar."
"GO!"
Valeria charged. She didn’t slash; she plowed. She activated [Titan’s Stride], turning her body into a battering ram. She slammed into the mob of civilians, knocking them aside like bowling pins. She was careful not to crush them, moderating her immense strength, but she was unstoppable.
"Make way!" she roared, shoving a man aside who tried to stab her.
Alvian moved in her wake. He used [Shadow Step] to blink through the gaps in the crowd, moving closer to the altar.
The Vicar watched them come, his expression bored. He tapped his staff on the ground.
"BOOM!"
A red magic circle ignited around the altar. The [Blood Tribute Array].
Behind the Vicar, a curtain pulled back. Alvian saw them. Ten people, suspended in the air by chains of red light. Their vitality was being siphoned, flowing into the Vicar, keeping him young, keeping him powerful.
"You see?" the Vicar laughed. "They give me life! And with that life, I protect this valley! It is a fair trade!"
Valeria saw the victims. She saw a child among them.
Something inside her snapped.
"FAIR?!"
Her golden aura exploded. It turned from a gentle light into a raging inferno. Her eyes turned pure white. The [Titan Bloodline] resonated with her fury.
"TITAN’S WRATH!"
She slammed her shield into the ground. A shockwave of golden force rippled out, not hurting the civilians, but shattering the mind-control enchantment binding them. The people blinked, confused, dropping their weapons.
Valeria leaped over their heads. She drew her claymore mid-air.
"GET AWAY FROM THEM!"
She crashed down onto the red barrier surrounding the altar. Her sword hit the magical field with the force of a falling meteor.
"CRACK!"
The barrier splintered. The Vicar looked genuinely surprised for the first time.
"Strength alone cannot break faith!" he shouted, firing a blast of white light at her.
Valeria didn’t dodge. She took the blast on her chest plate. She slid back a foot, smoke rising from her armor, but she didn’t fall. She looked up, her face twisted in a snarl of pure protective instinct.
"My faith is in my steel," she spat. "Alvian! Now!"
The barrier was cracked. The Vicar was distracted.
Alvian materialized from the shadows directly behind the Vicar.
"[Voidpiercer]."
He stabbed.