Chapter 271 - 257: A Different State of Affairs, a Divine Oracle Descends

Chapter 271: Chapter 257: A Different State of Affairs, a Divine Oracle Descends

After forcing back that bizarre lizard monster, Jon and his party were not attacked again until they reached the Sun Cathedral in Heta County.

But the effects of the war and that inexplicable tolling of the bell were still evident along their journey.

Jon stood before the cathedral’s steps, gazing somberly at the civilians huddled around the church, filled with terror and unease. He also saw more ordinary people in the distance, marching toward Red Crying Castle as if they had lost their souls. He asked himself a question.

"Did something like this ever happen in Heta County’s past?"

The answer was no.

He had never personally experienced a major event like the Red Vulture’s Rebellion, which marked "the first time players participated in regional politics and played a significant role," but he had watched related videos at the urging of his friends and family.

Back then, since the main rebel force had been scattered and annihilated under Reya’s command, the allied player army encountered no real resistance when they entered the city. Naturally, the residents weren’t harassed much either.

It wasn’t until they entered Red Crying Castle that the players suffered huge losses at the hands of the Heta family’s loyal and elite personal guards.

But for players, sacrifice was nothing to worry about. As strong as those personal guards and Knights were, they weren’t invincible. Against the players’ fearless "human wave" tactics, they were bound to be overwhelmed.

In the end, the allied player army stormed the Lord’s great hall and faced Nerva Heta, a "World Boss." After a grueling six-hour battle, they finally killed him and claimed ultimate victory.

That was the original ending of the Red Vulture’s Rebellion.

But now, everything had changed.

The main rebel force was still intact. They had begun a strategic withdrawal as soon as the situation turned against them. Now, even with the city breached, they had plans for a last stand, passively sweeping up the city’s residents to use as human shields in a strategic sense.

And now, this clearly abnormal incident of people losing their souls had appeared...

Where this turmoil engulfing all of Heta County would ultimately lead was still unknown.

But so what?

’I came, I saw, I changed... I decided long ago to act according to my own will, didn’t I?’

After silently repeating the resolution he had once made, Jon withdrew his gaze and turned to Leona and Dolores, who were following closely beside him.

"Let’s go. Time is precious. We’ll leave the task of stopping and bringing back these civilians to Esra and the others. We’re going straight to the High Priest here."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The female Knight, cloaked in gold and red, answered solemnly.

After spending this time together, and with her perception colored by their shared bond, the Knight Commander from Apollonia had been completely won over by the Power, wisdom, and benevolence Jon had displayed.

If the Duchy didn’t already have an heir in the line of succession, she might have even considered promoting Jon as the Duchy’s successor.

Dolores, on the other hand, seemed a little nervous. After a quiet acknowledgment, she began frantically wiping her small, close-fitting leather armor, as if worried she would defile the holy ground beneath her feet.

This was to be expected.

The Moon Thief’s influence on her was deep-rooted. Back at the Sun Church in Birch Town, the girl had already shown considerable discomfort. Now, within the Domain of this much larger cathedral in Heta County City, where the Sun’s power was far more concentrated, her reaction would only be more intense. But she had to come.

You have to face problems to solve them; running away accomplishes nothing.

From the moment she confessed everything to Jon, she had been mentally prepared for this.

"Boss... I... let’s go!"

"Mm."

Jon ascended the steps. Facing the complicated gazes of the Defender Army soldiers flanking the entrance, he announced loudly.

"Jon from Birch Town has come to visit. I ask High Priest Finian Hayes to open the doors and meet with me."

A brief silence. There was no movement from behind the doors.

This made Jon turn his head to look at a soldier of the Defender Army beside him.

’What’s the meaning of this? Isn’t the Sun Church’s creed to refuse no visitor?’

’Besides, I have "Po Ao’s Gaze" on me. Coming back to a Sun Church should be almost as welcoming as a homecoming. Does it make any sense to shut me out?’

Meeting Jon’s suspicious gaze, the young soldier, who still had peach fuzz on his upper lip, unconsciously straightened his back. Then, he explained in an awkward, low voice.

"This... sir... the High Priest isn’t in the cathedral right now..."

Hearing this explanation, Jon frowned slightly.

’At this critical juncture, with war having reached the city, the High Priest of the county isn’t here steadying the people’s hearts? Did he run off to watch the spectacle with Nerva?’

However, he knew there was no point dwelling on it. His ultimate goal was to get the Defender Army here to maintain order and minimize the impact of the war—and now, of course, to stop the soulless residents.

It didn’t matter if the High Priest was absent. What he needed to do remained the same.

With this in mind, he reached out to push open the two golden doors before him, which were adorned with tales of the Sun God’s miracles.

Seeing this, the young Defender Army soldier guarding the door grew anxious. He instinctively raised a hand, wanting to stop Jon’s "reckless act."

"Please wait—!"

’The Sun Church may not refuse visitors, but the prerequisite is that one of our own opens the door to welcome them!’

’If someone tries to force their way in, they will inevitably—’

However, before the young soldier of the Defender Army could finish his cry of alarm, Jon’s hands were already pressed against the two heavy, golden doors that depicted the Sun God’s grace.

VMMMM—

As if a slumbering star had suddenly ignited, a gentle radiance, like the light of dawn, burst forth from where his palms touched the doors!

The light flowed like liquid gold, spreading rapidly across the ancient and magnificent doors, instantly coating the entire towering cathedral in a sacred halo.

In this light, the exquisite reliefs on the doors depicting the Deity descending to perform miracles and dispel darkness seemed to be infused with life. The faces of saints became vivid, the wings of angels looked as if they were about to beat, and even the cold stone emanated a warm glow.

They were no longer mere decorations but projections from a distant heavenly kingdom, whispering and chanting within the light.

The young soldier of the Defender Army was stunned into place by this sudden miracle. His mouth hung slightly open, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air, unable to utter another word.

His eyes could only see the figure of Jon, who was completely bathed in the radiance, as if wearing sacred vestments woven from light itself.

The doors opened silently.

Behind the doors lay the magnificent main hall of the Heta County Sun Cathedral. As the primary cathedral of the county, it was far more awe-inspiring than the small church in Birch Town.

The towering vaulted ceiling seemed to connect to the heavens, and the huge stained-glass windows swirled with colorful light from the Divine Power contained within them, even under the gloomy, overcast sky.

At this moment, the Sun God Believers, who had been praying or bustling about, were all startled by the radiance erupting from the main entrance—a light that seemed to emanate from the Deity himself. They all stopped what they were doing and stared at the doorway with expressions of shocked disbelief.

Countless pairs of eyes focused on the figure at the center of the light.

Jon paid no heed to the gazes of astonishment, awe, or confusion from those around him.

His stride was unhurried, and he stepped without a hint of hesitation into the great hall, which was bathed in Holy Radiance.

The soles of his boots made a crisp CLACK against the mirror-smooth quartz floor tiles, a sound that was exceptionally clear in the suddenly silent hall.

His objective was perfectly clear. His gaze was fixed on the statue of Po Ao standing upon the high altar at the far end of the hall.

It was a statue carved from a single block of Holy Light Stone, and it was currently emitting an unprecedented, dazzling brilliance. The light was so pure and intense it was as if a true miniature sun had been ignited within, shrouding the entire altar area in a sacred Domain that was too bright to look at directly.

Jon stopped a dozen or so steps away from the statue.

He raised his right hand, pressed it steadily over his heart, and bowed slightly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it had a peculiar penetrating quality, echoing clearly through the hall where you could have heard a pin drop.

"O God Who Illuminates All, I have come at Your invitation."

The sentence was like a stone tossed into a still lake, creating monstrous waves in the hearts of the believers. ’At God’s invitation? How?!’

However, before those waves could stir up a storm in their hearts—

BOOM!

A voice, magnificent and filled with a supreme majesty that could not be described in mortal words, suddenly resounded through every corner of the cathedral!

"Come forward, my Favored One."

The moment the voice spoke, the light from the statue pulsed violently, as if it had a life of its own.

"My Lord—!"

"By Po Ao!"

"A miracle! This is a true divine oracle!"

After a brief, dead silence came a tidal wave of shock and ecstasy!

All the Sun God Believers, regardless of status or location within the hall, dropped to one knee in unison as if pulled by an invisible force!

Their bodies trembled violently with emotion, their tear-filled eyes fixed upon the brilliantly lit statue. Cries filled with boundless piety and awe, like surging ocean waves, instantly flooded the entire space.

"Praise to our Lord Po Ao!"

"The Sun is eternal!"

"All the light in the world is Yours!"

The waves of sound reverberated through the magnificent hall, merging into a frenzied tide of devout faith.

Leona was also on one knee, excitedly clutching the Sun Emblem on her chest. Her ice-blue eyes shimmered with tears and unparalleled pride—the highness she served was actually the Favored One of the venerable Sun God! She couldn’t even imagine how happy His Majesty the King and Her Highness the Eldest Princess would be when this news reached her homeland!

As for Dolores, when she heard the voice, she instinctively crouched down and clutched her head, shivering uncontrollably. To her, that supreme, holy voice and light were like a searing branding iron. The power from the Moon Thief inside her shrieked and writhed, desperate to escape.

But soon, the painful sensation vanished.

A nun in a moon-white robe seemed to notice her distress. She hurried over, placed a hand on Dolores’s shoulder, and shrouded her in moonlight while gently comforting her.

"It’s alright... child... it’s alright..."

Dolores grabbed the nun’s hand like a drowning person clutching at a straw. Then, her vision went dark—the nun had pulled her into an embrace, rocking her gently as if soothing a small child.

Seeing that a Moon God Believer had indeed stepped in to take care of Dolores, Jon hesitated no longer and strode forward.

This was his most important purpose for coming here today—to "meet" the Sun God of this world, Po Ao!