NOVPUB
Chapter 56: 56:The Birth Of Blasphemy
"Archbishop Gregor!"
A cold, piercing voice echoed through the grand hall of the cathedral, sending a chill down the spines of those present.
"So you are saying Grand Duke Ruth threatened you, shattered the cathedral, and walked out leaving a warning?"
Archbishop Gregor trembled, his body stiffening as he met the gaze of Cardinal Paul,a man whose hollow, abyss-like eyes seemed ready to devour his very soul.
His breath hitched as an eerie silence filled the air.
"C-Cardinal Paul... he had evidence... records of bil—"
Gregor halted mid-sentence as Paul raised a hand, commanding him to stop.
"His visit to the cathedral is not a big deal," Paul spoke, his voice like venom dripping onto stone. "Him finding evidence and records? Also, not a big deal."
His expression darkened, a sinister shadow creeping over his face.
"I don’t care whether he threatened you or not. I don’t even care what he did to you."
But then, Paul’s voice turned cold as steel.
"What is a very big deal is... how did you let him leave after he destroyed the Church and spat on the authority of the Divine?"
BOOOM!
A blinding pillar of divine light erupted from Paul, that burst out from room and enveloped the entire Church shot up piercing the sky.
The cathedral trembled, and in a radius of a thousand meters, people gasped at the sight, their voices rising in awe.
"The Gods are watching over us!"
"A miracle! A miracle from the heavens!"
"The will of the Holy Ones descends upon us!"
"The Cardinal is blessed by the Divine!"
"May the Gods bless us!"
"Glory to the Holy Church! Glory to the Gods!"
As the holy hymns resonated across the land, Paul looked down at Gregor, his fury barely restrained.
"Look at this..." he gestured toward the kneeling masses.
"This is how the people revere us."
His voice boomed like thunder.
"We are the representatives of the Holy Gods! We are the Saviors of humankind, the slayers of evil!"
"We keep this world running, and as the direct envoys of the Divine, people should worship us, pray to us, and most importantly... fear us."
But then, Paul’s expression twisted into disgust as he glared at Gregor.
"Yet someone dared to walk away... unafraid of us. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a royal or even an emperor—inside the Cathedral, he is nothing but an insignificant insect."
Gregor, drenched in cold sweat, almost cried.
"But... but he’s stronger than me!" he blurted, exasperated. "You can’t expect me to fight him, right?"
He clenched his teeth, cursing internally.
’Has this man lost his mind? That monster could erase me with just a flick of his finger!’
Paul exhaled sharply and turned away, walking toward the grand balcony.
Below, countless worshippers knelt, their hands raised in prayer.
"The Grand Duke has been far too reckless lately," Paul muttered, his gaze cold.
"It seems he needs to be humbled... before the Gods humble him themselves."
He narrowed his eyes, contemplating his next move.
But then, he froze.
"Huh!Whats that?"
His breath hitched as the holy light erupted from suddenly disappeared.He tried to channelize his power but failed.
His gaze lifted toward the sky—
And his entire body went rigid and his eyes widened like saucers.
His blood ran cold because up in the sky...
A massive black star shone ominously.
His lips trembled. His voice came out as a horrified whisper.
"A... Black Star...?"
"...No... it’s not possible..."
His chest tightened. His knees nearly buckled.
"No, tell me it isn’t real..."
"It’s false... it’s false... it has to be false!"
Archbishop Gregor, alarmed, followed his gaze. He saw a faint dark star shimmering above and frowned.
"Cardinal Paul, what’s wrong?" he asked in confusion. "It’s just a... black star? Why are you so—"
Paul snapped his head toward Gregor, his face pale with pure dread.
"You don’t understand..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"You don’t understand a damn thing..."
Gregor’s heart pounded.
"What does it mean?"
Paul gritted his teeth. Sweat rolled down his temples.
And then, his next words shook Gregor to his core.
"The Black Star... it symbolizes..."
His voice trembled.
"...The Birth of the Blasphemy."
.....
Far beyond the borders of the Heinz Empire, in a forgotten land untouched by time, an ancient labyrinth lay hidden beneath the earth. Its walls were etched with deep runes and murals, whispering secrets of a past long buried.
At the very heart of this labyrinth, upon a smooth, maiden-soft rock, rested a woman.
Her body was a masterpiece of divine artistry long, wavy purple hair cascaded like silk, framing a face both serene and mysterious.
Her lips, full and crimson, parted slightly as if caught in an eternal whisper. A robust bust, slender waist, and curvaceous hips graced her delicate form, her skin smooth and radiant, as if kissed by moonlight.
A purple band covered her eyes, veiling her vision from the world as she resided in state of slumber.
But abruptly, body twitched.
A slow, delicate tremor ran through her, drops of cold sweat sliding down her flawless skin.
Her breath hitched.
Her fingers curled, nails digging into the rock beneath her.
A sudden shiver wracked her body as her face twisted, contorted, distorted and she wake up from the slumber.
"It’s happening..."
Her voice was barely a whisper, yet it carried a weight heavier than the world itself.
"It’s happening..."
She pushed herself up,with bare feet touching the cold stone. With slow, she walked forward, leaving behind the shadows of the ancient chamber.
She stepped into the open.
A gust of wind caressed her face as she lifted her head, shaking off the band around her eyes.
Before her stretched the vast night sky, glittering with a million stars.
It was beautiful.
But only for a moment.
The twinkling stars flickered, and they dimmed down until the shine vanished.
A silence deeper than death filled the air.
And then—
A single black star appeared.
It did not shine.
It devoured.
Like a void, it swallowed the light, leaving behind only an endless abyss.
The woman’s lips parted, her breath escaping in a shudder.
Her shock and disbelief melted into something scary.
A smile of pure bliss erupted from her lips.
Her body trembled, but not from fear.
She clenched her fists, her heart pounding wildly.
"The World Will Change."
A loud gasp broke her trance.
"Saintess! What’s happening?!"
She turned, seeing dozens of figures rushing out, their faces pale, their eyes locked onto the black star above.
"Is this an omen of calamity?" someone whispered in terror.
"Is destruction upon us?"
The Saintess exhaled, her lips curling into a soft, knowing smile.
"No... It is the beginning."
She stepped forward, standing before them like a prophet bathed in the glow of the abyss.
"The Blasphemous is born."
"He will rewrite time and defy the very essence of the world."
"He will stand against the calamity of the Evil God."
"He will break those who have sat on their thrones for too long, grown fat with arrogance."
"And the world... will finally be free."
She lifted her hands toward the heavens, her voice trembling with devotion.
"Goddess Elaris... your wish has finally been fulfilled."
"The era you waited for eagerly had finally dawned upon us."
A warm light surrounded her as she knelt in prayer.
"May you and he bless this world as it walks the path of fire and blood."
"May your blissful dream prosper."
