The Devil’s Cage

The [Knights of Plague Body Tempering Art] finally stopped when it reached Grandmaster level.

First, Ancilanco purposely stopped it there.

Second, an uninvited guest had appeared.

Kieran had expected the first before they even began.

He wasn’t sure how much it would exhaust Ancilanco to display the technique but he was utterly sure it wouldn’t be by no means a small amount.

The books from the collection room did mention that there were “many” cases in which the God of a certain church would descend and provide a divine blessing on the church’s knights but it didn’t mean a lot.

After all, the term “many” was considered within the range of a thousand years, so Kieran had reason to believe displaying a so-called “divine blessing” had quite the burden on the God who did it.

Otherwise, having a big bunch of outstanding skilled knights was not totally unimaginable. If that really happened, let alone ending the old era, even the new era might not bloom, despite people causing trouble in the process.

To be honest, if Ancilanco really helped Kieran to level the [Knights of Plague Body Tempering Art] all the way to Transcendence, given how doubtful Kieran’s character was, he would be more suspicious than grateful, thinking that it might be a trap.

He wouldn’t be as calm as he was now, accepting what he got.

[Name: Knights of Plague Body Tempering Art (Grand Master)]

[Related Attribute: Constitution]

[Skill Type: Ancillary]

[Effect: After going through a dangerous start, you have learned the body tempering art that people dreaded, Constitution +5 (Basic +1, Entry +1, Master +1, Pro +1, Grand Master +1)]

[Special Effect: 1. Absorb Plague; 2. Release Plague; 3. Tenacious Body]

[Consume: Stamina]

[Prerequisite: Constitution B+]

[Remark: This is the origin of the plague, it has limited benefits to you but it bears a destructive power.]

…

[Absorb Plague: Absorb plague energy at a certain speed]

[Release Plague: Release plague energy at a certain speed]

[Tenacious Body: Gains +3 buff on any Constitution authentication]

…

From Basic to Grand Master in one shot, although [Knights of Plague Body Tempering Art] did not provide Kieran an all-rounded increase like the [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art] did, it still changed his Constitution in a qualitative way.

After his Constitution increased by 4 ranks in one shot, it had officially entered the Advance Rank.

Similar to Spirit back then, Kieran could clearly feel the changes in his body.

It was a lively feeling, his blood seemed to have cheered as it flowed, as it pumped through the rune branded heart, the glimmer from the brand was even brighter.

This was not his own thoughts but his real feeling, the rune brandings all over Kieran’s body had slight changes to them. They were brighter, more dazzling, and were interconnected!

Such a feeling bloomed in Kieran’s heart and of course, Grand Master [Knights of Plague Body Tempering Art] wasn’t limited to that only.

[Absorb Plague] and [Release Plague] had an obvious increase in speed and [Tenacious Body] that automatically appeared after Master level and continuing to level up following the main level was also a reward that Kieran could not neglect.

With [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] and [Secondary Armoured Skin], Kieran knew how precious [Tenacious Body] was.

Following the leveling of [Tenacious Body], it was enough to strengthen and provide more practical use to both [Secondary Elemental Damage Resist] and [Secondary Armored Skin] which he was unable to level.

Huu!

While feeling the changes in his body, Kieran took in a deep breath. He didn’t care about Ancilanco’s uproar anymore and walked out of the chapel but he left the captive inside.

Kieran came out and looked up to the uninvited guest.

Although Kieran had a heads up from that mysterious person, the speed of the Church of Light’s arrival was still shocking enough, especially the transportation they arrived in, it was even more overwhelming for Kieran who knew what kind of era the current dungeon world was.

“An airship created with alchemy and technology… as expected of the Church of Light which was once the biggest church there ever was!” Kieran looked up at the airship, he couldn’t hold back his exclamation.

With his sight, Kieran easily saw through everything inside the airship and Pro level [Mystical Knowledge] made him understand how much manpower and resources it would take to create such an airship.

The arrival of the airship shook the entire school, even the people in the city.

Especially when the airship was shining with a luster similar to the sun, some people even called it another divine miracle and as though the airship was there to reach out to people’s calling, a loud, sonorous voice emanated from it.

“Light is everywhere!”

“Light is all mighty!”

“Light is eternal!”

…

Following the chants from the airship, a middle-aged man with a red bishop outfit walked out from the cabin and stood on air itself. His unclear face added a sense of mystery to his presence, just like how his hands were raised up, welcoming the shock and astonishment from the people.

In this new era where technology has only sprouted into a bud, flying was a faraway dream for mankind and when someone realized that particular dream, one could imagine how much of a commotion it would cause, even some of the mystics were shocked by what they saw.

“Flying?!”

“How is that possible?!”

Cries of astonishment sounded in succession from the start to the end of the street, from the corners and from the shadows as well.

Though Sister Moni looked at the airship and the person standing outside the airship with a calm face. Her age was enough to enroot herself firmly against any surprises or terrifying things while allowing her to know more secrets. It was because of the secrets she knew, it allowed her to know what she should do at the moment.

Right away, personnel of St. Paolo School had started to evacuate.

“Now, get out of the city right now! No, it still won’t be enough, we must at least be 30 kilometers away from here! Tell everyone you can to move out quickly!” The elderly sister was speaking to the people around her in a rare stern manner, which made the people know how severe the current situation was, causing them to carry out the orders meticulously.

Sister Moni’s prestige during normal days was enough to inform the school security members of their duties at this critical time.

Those devoted believers that camped outside the school were evacuated as well but as for those who insisted on staying behind?

Sister Moni shook her head and sigh. She then walked outside towards the field where Kieran was already standing.

“This is one of the weapons of the Church of Light, the sun! It’s a terrifying one! Not only does it grant its user the ability of flight, it still possesses remarkable defense and destructive attacks. Other than it lacking agility, it doesn’t really have any weaknesses. I thought it had vanished as the old era ended but who would’ve thought it was still around. I wonder, was it a rebuilt or perhaps repaired?” Sister Moni told Kieran in a heavy look.

“It’s repaired!”

Kieran clearly saw some repair marks on the airship, thus making him absolutely sure about it. But soon enough, Kieran told Sister Moni quickly, “Sister, please follow the others and leave this place.”

He then dragged the sister in front of Acker without allowing her to speak.

“Bring the sister away from this place! The farther the better! Protect her!” Kieran said.

“With my life!” Acker said before dragging Sister Moni to the horses aside.

After a whip of the reins, the horses sprinted out of the campus.

When Acker and Sister Moni’s figure vanished from sight, Kieran turned back to the floating man and airship with a cold look.

He knew what the bishop wanted but he wouldn’t allow it to happen.

Likewise, the middle-aged bishop looked down at Kieran on the field who looked tiny.

“Petty remnants You do look so tiny from up here!”

Since there was a real height distance in between them, the bishop’s tone sounded more and more superior and the golden sunlight made him look nobler, as if he was some divine being.

Many of those who stayed behind had started to kneel down before the bishop.

They insisted on not believing the so-called divine miracles yet they were now more devoted than ever, and even felt frightened and awed.

The prayers and begging voices slowly entered the bishop’s ears. He smiled.

“Still don’t understand the distance between us?”

The bishop pointed at the kneeling crowd, looking exceptionally satisfied but right away, his face changed because when the bishop pointed at the kneeling crowd, Kieran too pointed at him.

With his middle finger up high!