The First Pope - Chapter 149

Chapter 149

In the battle against the Lasombra and Tzimisce clans, the God Race suffered the fewest casualties. After the Vampires left, Darcy led her people across the ice river in a hurry to tend to the injured Elves and werewolves. Thanks to the healing properties of the Power of Light, wounds that would have been fatal were slowly mending, greatly reducing the number of casualties among the Elves and the Wolf Race.

After Olivia and Helen tallied their clans' casualties, the heavy feeling in their hearts eased considerably, and their expressions brightened.

Driving the Lasombra and Tzimisce out of the Sitatul Continent with such few losses was an excellent outcome. As for whether the Vampires would retaliate later, their conflict with them had always been a fight to the death anyway.

"The Vampires have made a mess of Thacker Plain." Darcy prodded a weed nearly as tall as a person with her staff, her tone complex. "It's hard to imagine this was once the most sacred place on the Sitatul Continent."

Cynthia leaned against a tree trunk, looking up at the star-studded night sky. The bright moonlight washed over her, softening her overly exquisite features. She twirled a lock of long hair around her finger, saying distractedly, "This is the very edge of Thacker Plain. The central area should be a little better."

The Vampires hadn't occupied this place because they liked it, but simply to spite the Goddess of Light, deliberately seizing it as their territory on the Sitatul Continent. They had even endured the discomfort caused by the pervasive Power of Light.

Since the Vampires never liked Thacker Plain to begin with, they certainly hadn't bothered to manage it, allowing it to become overgrown with weeds to the point where a complete path was hardly visible.

Cynthia's distraction was too obvious. Darcy turned to look at her, stopped fiddling with the weeds, and walked to her side. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure you don't want to rest for a while?"

In the bright moonlight, the cracks on Cynthia's neck and hands were clearly visible. Darcy leaned in for a closer look and asked with a frown, "Does this really not hurt?"

Aside from the lack of blood, these cracks looked no different from wounds. From a distance, they were merely strange, but up close, they made one frown involuntarily.

Darcy didn't quite believe that these cracks didn't hurt, but Cynthia's expression had remained calm the entire time.

Darcy was practically draped over Cynthia in her effort to study the cracks. Seeing her serious, scholarly expression, Cynthia gave a helpless smile. Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of Olivia walking toward them.

Her eyes lit up. She immediately placed a hand on Darcy's shoulder and pushed her away, moving to greet Olivia. "After caring for her people, Her Majesty the Queen has finally remembered her Guardian."

Her tone was complaining, but her eyes were full of affection, and the smile on her lips was softer than the moonlight.

Seeing Olivia approach, Darcy tactfully turned and left the two of them alone.

"I only left because you said you were fine," Olivia said, raising a hand to caress Cynthia's cheek. Her pale green eyes focused on the cracks on her neck as she asked softly, "Does it still hurt?"

Olivia wasn't one to show her emotions openly, but this was the umpteenth time she had taken the initiative to touch Cynthia's face.

Cynthia placed her hand over Olivia's and said gently, "It doesn't hurt much." In case Olivia thought she was lying, she thought for a moment and added, "It's bearable."

The pain was much lighter than the first time she had used the Sacrificial Spell.

Seeing Olivia's gaze fixed on her neck, Cynthia's lips curved slightly. She glanced around, and seeing no one was paying attention to them, she leaned in and kissed the corner of Olivia's mouth. "It will be better in a few days."

Olivia looked up at her. Cynthia met her gaze with a smile. In the moonlight, Olivia's features appeared even colder, but because her eyes were tinged with affection, her whole demeanor seemed much softer.

Cynthia held her gaze for a moment, but her eyes couldn't help but drift to Olivia's rosy lips. She licked her own lips and tentatively leaned closer, only to be stopped by a finger placed against them.

Olivia gently pushed Cynthia's face away, her calm voice laced with a hint of helplessness. "Weren't we going to look for the Sacred River?" Although they were in a secluded spot, the resting place for the Elves and the Wolf Race was not far away.

And neither of those two races had poor eyesight.

"Who said we were going to look for the Sacred River?" Cynthia wrapped an arm around Olivia's waist and rested her head on her shoulder, feigning confusion. "Was it Clan Leader Helen?"

After Avira had withdrawn with the Lasombra and Tzimisce, Helen had suggested they find a place to rest for the night. But by then, Cynthia's fatigue had already eased somewhat, and Darcy and Doris were anxious to find the Sacred River and the Temple of Light to save Chloe. So, she had decided to forgo rest and join the God Race in their search for the river and the temple.

She had made the decision swiftly, but now she was suddenly feeling a bit of "regret."

Olivia curled her finger and tapped Cynthia on the head. A slight curve appeared on her lips as she said softly, "I'll go with you."

She cherished these tender moments with Cynthia. Even doing nothing, just having this person standing by her side, filled her heart with warmth.

Not a single Vampire could be seen in Thacker Plain, but since the place had been occupied by them for so long, Helen specially selected a few werewolves in good condition to accompany Cynthia's group in their search for the Sacred River, just in case of any unexpected incidents.

Half of the God Race stayed behind with the Light Believers to care for the wounded. The witches wouldn't be much help staying behind, so they decided to join the search party as well.

With the werewolves clearing the path, the large group marched toward the central region of Thacker Plain. With the Vampires gone, the Power of Darkness no longer suppressed the Power of Light here. The closer they got to the center, the richer and purer the Power of Light in the air became. The God Race, who were very sensitive to it, felt their bodies lighten just by taking a few deep breaths.

"Such pure Power of Light," Darcy said with emotion, looking around.

Doris had grown up here. Looking at the unfamiliar yet faintly familiar surroundings, she was visibly moved. "When I was little, this place was covered in the Vampires' Blood Domains, layer after layer. If you accidentally touched one, you'd be captured."

Hearing Doris, Olivia turned to look at her. "You lived here as a child?"

Doris nodded.

"Then was there any place here that the Vampires guarded heavily but never entered themselves?"

Doris thought hard for a moment before saying uncertainly, "There were some places the Vampires rarely entered, but it's been so long, I don't know if I can still find them."

"It's alright, just lead the way based on your memory," Cynthia said to Doris with a gentle smile. "If we're wrong, we'll just try another path."

"The entire Thacker Plain is ours now. We'll find it eventually."

Cynthia's words were a great encouragement to Doris. She took out a map, crouched down to study it carefully, and then drew a route on it. She frowned and said, "I remember there was a particularly large forest near that place. The Vampires seemed to really dislike that forest. I hid in there a few times to escape their searches when I was a child."

Cynthia looked down at the map for a moment and asked with a raised eyebrow, "Is there a river inside?"

Doris slowly shook her head. "I can't remember that."

The forest was too large, and she didn't think she had ever gone deep inside back then.

Cynthia rubbed her chin and exchanged a look with Olivia beside her. She chuckled and said, "Then let's go investigate this strange forest first."

Forests were Olivia's favorite. If they couldn't find the Sacred River, they could at least stop and rest for the night.

Thacker Plain was vast. Walking to the forest Doris mentioned would probably take a full day and night. After confirming the general direction with Doris, Olivia directly used a large-scale wind spell for travel. Within an hour, they arrived at the strange forest Doris had described.

After the Vampires occupied Thacker Plain, the climate and environment had been damaged to a certain extent. On their way here, they had seen almost no greenery. Even where the soil was moist and soft, only withered trees and desolate weeds grew.

The Power of Darkness had a huge impact on plants, but that impact was not reflected in this forest.

With lush branches and leaves, this forest was as full of life as the ones in the Elf Territory. On its own, it wouldn't seem like much, but placed in the desolate Thacker Plain, it was strange in every way.

"The trees here actually withstood the corrosion of the Power of Darkness?" Darcy tentatively walked a few steps inside and patted a brown tree trunk, her face full of confusion. "What kind of tree is this?"

Doris walked to her side, tracing the patterns on the trunk with her hand, and shook her head to indicate she didn't know.

"It might not have anything to do with the trees." Cynthia's gaze was fixed on the nearest tree. Her eyes scanned it from top to bottom, finally resting on the soft earth. She bent down, touched the soil next to the tree, then dug some up and handed it to Olivia, saying thoughtfully, "The soil here contains a very rich Power of Light."

It was many times richer than what was floating in the air.

Olivia took some of the soil with her fingertips and examined it closely with her head lowered. She slowly nodded. "The light elements in here are even more concentrated than the earth elements."

As she spoke, she glanced at Polly, who nodded, selected a few Elves, and leaped to the treetops. With a few jumps, their figures disappeared into the sea of trees.

Olivia brushed the dirt from her fingertips, her pale green hair swaying slightly behind her with the movement. "The Sacred River should be here."

Only the land surrounding the Sacred River would exhibit the strange phenomenon of having more light elements than earth elements.

Olivia's conclusion made Darcy's and Doris's eyes light up. Even the witches, who stood apart and seemed out of place, showed a slight change in expression.

Although the Elves were already searching, the Sacred River was crucial to whether Chloe could be awakened, so Darcy and Doris couldn't stay put either.

"Since the Sacred River is here, I'll take some people to look for it too." Darcy's eyes crinkled with a smile, her excitement barely contained. After a word with Cynthia, she led the Light Knights and the God Race briskly into the forest and soon disappeared from sight.

Chelsea hesitated for a moment, then pulled her hood down slightly and silently led her clan into the forest from another direction.

"The Sacred River isn't going anywhere, so let them search." Cynthia twirled her staff, her gaze sweeping over the werewolves lying lazily on the ground. She found it amusing and shook her head. "Waiting here is a bit boring. Why don't I find something for you to do?"

The white wolf closest to Cynthia perked up its ears, staring at her intently.

Cynthia smiled at the white wolf and hinted, "The Vampires left quite a few castles here, but this will be the God Race's territory from now on. These castles aren't quite to our liking."

Waiting here or demolishing castles? The white wolves thought about it, and one after another, they got up and chose the latter.

Tearing down castles didn't require much effort; they could treat it as sharpening their claws. It was certainly more interesting than lying around waiting.

After sending the Wolf Race off, Cynthia and Olivia waited for a while. Seeing that no Elves or God Race members had come out, they decided to enter the forest as well.

The forest was vast, and the trees grew close together, making it easy to get lost. However, with Olivia around, Cynthia didn't have to worry about directions. It was Chelsea, who had gone in after Darcy's group, who should be more concerned about that.

Only Cynthia and Olivia were in the quiet woods. The occasional brush of their shoulders added a touch of warmth to the tranquility. Although her earlier desire for a kiss hadn't been satisfied, a leisurely chat like this was enough to make up for the previous regret.

"Once we find the Sacred River, the problem with the Tree of Life can be solved as well." Cynthia turned to look at Olivia's profile, her eyes as gentle as water. "If the trees here can grow so well under the shroud of the Power of Darkness, the Sacred River can surely solve the issue of the Tree of Life being tainted by it."

At the mention of the Tree of Life, the coldness in Olivia's eyes softened considerably. She smiled and nodded, her tone audibly relaxed. "It definitely will."

Judging from this forest, using the water from this Sacred River to nourish the Tree of Life might be even more effective than she had imagined.

The Tree of Life had been her greatest worry. Now that a solution had finally been found, Olivia felt as if a stone that had been weighing on her heart had disappeared.

Olivia's smile was infectious. Cynthia chuckled softly. Her eyes caught a strand of Olivia's long hair brushing against her arm, and she reached out to catch it. Looking at the wisp of pale green wrapped around her fingers, her golden eyes filled with tenderness. "The Vampires have been temporarily driven away, and we've found the Sacred River. Things will get better and better for the Elf Race."

Olivia turned her head to look at her, a faint smile on her lips. "For the God Race, too," she said softly.

And the Sitatul Continent would surely return to peace.

Although the forest was large, the Elves, God Race, and witches conducted a thorough, grid-like search and quickly found the Sacred River. But when they saw it, they discovered that the legendary Sacred River was not quite what they had expected.

Because this "Sacred River" was only the size of a small stream. It flowed quietly through the depths of the forest. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, sprinkling specks of golden light on its surface. These golden dots moved with the current, like clusters of light elements drifting along.

When Cynthia and Olivia arrived, Darcy and Doris were studying the water in the Sacred River. Seeing them, Doris said excitedly, "Cynthia, this water can restore spiritual power!"

She used a large leaf to scoop up some water and offered it to Cynthia, her eyes bright. "This can definitely wake Chloe up."

Cynthia took the leaf and sniffed it, somewhat surprised. "You've tested it?"

Doris nodded quickly. "Darcy and I both tried it."

However, neither she nor Darcy was in a state of spiritual exhaustion, so they didn't know if this holy water would be effective for an injury like Chloe's. But regardless of its effectiveness, they had at least found another method.

After speaking with Cynthia, Doris borrowed some empty bottles from her and ran over to Darcy to help her collect the holy water. Not far to their right, Chelsea was also collecting water with her clan members. Although her relationship with Eunice had always been strained, she couldn't bear to see Betty sad.

Darcy and Doris were worried about Chloe, and Chelsea was concerned about Eunice. After filling all the empty bottles they had, they informed Cynthia and hurriedly left to find a teleportation array to return to the Slade Sea Region and save their people.

Although the Sacred River wasn't as grand as they had imagined, it was surprisingly long. Cynthia walked along its bank for a good while without finding its source.

She stopped, crouched down, and placed her hand in the stream. With her golden eyes lowered, she carefully sensed it for a moment before withdrawing her hand.

Olivia stood quietly by her side, watching. She only spoke when Cynthia stood up. "What are you doing?"

"Do you remember when you told me about the origin of the Sacred River, you said it was in front of the Temple of Light?" Cynthia turned and looked around, saying thoughtfully, "I just don't know which direction 'in front' refers to."

From the few secrets of the God Race she had chanced upon, the departure of the gods seemed more complicated than it appeared on the surface. Moreover, all the main gods' temples they had visited so far had hidden some "surprises." This made her curious about what might be hidden in the Goddess of Light's temple.

Her curiosity about the Temple of Light was even greater than her interest in the Sacred River.

---

Blood Domain.

The Blood Domain, perpetually shrouded in a crimson hue, knew no distinction between day and night. The sky here was sometimes clear, sometimes overcast, but no matter the weather, it was always covered by a blood-red veil. Looking up, one could see nothing but red.

For humans, living here would be utterly oppressive, but the blood-drinking Vampires particularly enjoyed this environment. The pervasive crimson color pleased them.

A dark rift silently appeared in the sky above the Blood Domain. Battered and wounded Vampires jumped out of it. The comfortable environment of the Blood Domain slowly eased their tense minds, but the scrutinizing gazes from all around made them anxious once more.

The third and fourth-generation Vampires who had fought the Wolf Race and Elves in Thacker Plain still didn't know what had happened. One moment, elders like Talia and Harris were either dead or maimed, and the next, they were being forcibly dragged back to the Blood Domain by Avira.

Had they lost the battle against the other races? How was that possible? But the injuries on Talia and Harris clearly told them that they had indeed lost, and it was a crushing defeat.

How could they return to the Blood Domain with such shame? After emerging from the rift, some of the less-injured third-generation Vampires, their faces grim, tried to flee, but they were knocked back midway. A Vampire exuding the aura of the Brujah clan cracked his knuckles and sneered, "Where are you running?"

He turned to the other Vampires who were watching the show and ordered coldly, "Take them all away and lock them up." Returning in such a pathetic state was a disgrace.

Avira was the last to emerge from the rift. Kate, carrying Talia, watched as the other Lasombra and Tzimisce Vampires were taken away. She hesitated, wondering whether to leave or hand Talia over as well. Catching sight of Avira, she flashed over to her and asked tentatively, "Should we go find Samantha?"

Avira glanced at her. Before she could speak, the Brujah Vampire who had just given the order walked up to them and said in a deep voice, "Lord Noshi and Lord Samantha are waiting for you in the hall."

Noshi was the leader of the Brujah clan, known for her explosive temper. Even she was there… Kate's face fell, and she couldn't help but sigh.

It seemed a severe beating was unavoidable.

The hall the Brujah Vampire mentioned was where the Vampires held their councils. However, ever since the Ventrue clan announced their withdrawal from the Sitatul Continent, this hall had been all but abandoned. When Avira and Kate entered the hall with Harris and Talia, the long table was already filled with Vampires. However, the expected solemn and tense atmosphere was absent. The elders of the various clans were busy with their own affairs, not even sparing them a glance as they entered.

This did not include Samantha and Noshi, who were seated at the head of the table. The moment Avira and Kate brought Talia and Harris in, their gazes shot across the long table and locked onto them—one calm, the other suppressing fury.

Avira casually tossed the weakened Harris into a chair, then walked to the seat next to Samantha and sat down. Resting her chin on her hand, she looked down at the scratch marks on the back of her hand, appearing utterly disinterested.

Samantha glanced at her sister, her brow furrowing slightly.

Kate did not treat Talia as casually as Avira had treated Harris. She deliberately chose a chair farthest from Samantha and Noshi for Talia and sat down beside her.

After the ordeal, Talia had long since regained consciousness. She sat in the chair, her skin as white as paper, her lips completely devoid of color.

"Talia." Noshi stared at Talia, her face expressionless. Her resonant voice was clearly holding back rage. "I hear you left the Blood Coffins in the Earth Mother's temple?"

Talia met her gaze. Though her body was weak, she forced herself not to show weakness. "So what if I did?"

"When my injuries heal, I will naturally go to the Earth Mother's temple and retrieve the Blood Coffins."

The moment she finished speaking, a gust of wind blew past, and both she and Noshi vanished from the hall.

Kate, who had barely warmed her seat, quickly got up and chased after them.

Noshi was the leader of the Brujah clan. Not only did she have an explosive temper, but she was also a complete battle maniac who liked to solve everything, including venting her anger, through fighting.

Talia was already seriously injured. If she didn't go and intervene, Talia would surely be beaten to death by the reckless Noshi.

The departure of Noshi, Talia, and Kate didn't attract the attention of any other Vampire in the hall. Only Harris trembled at the sound of the thuds coming from outside, his expression tightening.

Silence fell in the hall. After an unknown amount of time, Samantha finally deigned to speak, her words still concise. "Injured?"

Her words were out of context, but Harris understood. He was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "Do you remember that God Race member on the Sitatul Continent? The one who was as weak as a human but had delicious blood."

"They can suddenly use Light Magic, and they have a very strange leader." He recounted Cynthia's peculiarities one by one, then sighed. "We fell for her Sacrificial Array this time. Who would have thought that a member of the God Race could use the God of Darkness's Sacrificial Array?"

After he finished, he waited for a while, but Samantha didn't respond. He couldn't help but add, "She's really strange, and her Light Magic is very powerful."

Samantha glanced at Harris and finally spoke. "Useless."

She seemed to have no interest in the God Race or Cynthia. She tapped her fingers on the table, then pointed to the two Vampires at the head of the table and said in a low voice, "Retrieve the Blood Coffins."

If it weren't for the lost Blood Coffins, the matter of the God Race alone wouldn't have warranted convening this council.

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