Chapter 7: The Holy Grail Matrix

The silver object, which suddenly soared into the air, burst forth with a silver-white light that illuminated the entire area over ten meters high. The silver light, like a stream of light, instantly turned the entire Damorlensk Fortress into a bright day. Even Komer and Rebril, who were hiding in a secret room to spy, couldn’t help but close their eyes to adapt to such brilliance.
“A Holy Grail?! A Light Matrix?!” Rebril couldn’t help but exclaim in awe, his expression filled with complexity. “It seems the Tribunal indeed brings some benefits to him—at least the Light Matrix is enough to boost his strength significantly.”
“Mr. Rebril, do you mean that older judge by ‘him’? Who is he?” Komer narrowed his eyes slightly to adapt to the blinding silver light. The puppet ice man was almost instantly destroyed by the intense silver light; even this mighty puppet ice man couldn’t withstand it for more than a few seconds before turning into ice shards and then vanishing into thin air. The heavy dark energy within the magic matrix was washed away by the powerful light magic, like a flood. The chaotic dark energy colliding with the surging holy light produced strange howls, and even the stone pillars in the magic matrix seemed to shake.
The massive spatial rupture caused the scene within the magic matrix to distort strangely. Such spatial cracks occur when space is struck by powerful magic. Anyone who steps into them carelessly will be transported to an unknown dimension. Returning to the original world would then depend entirely on divine grace.
“Karu was originally a cathedral guardian of the Berikri Cathedral. But due to differences in his understanding of the doctrines with his companions, he left the cathedral and went on a journey. Unexpectedly, he was later invited to join the Tribunal. This Light Matrix is a unique technique developed by that fanatic, Noyora, to release magic through magical artifacts. It must be said that although Noyora is a madman, he is also a genius. This matrix allows for maximum utilization of the magic power of the artifact while preserving the judge’s own magic energy to the greatest extent. It’s somewhat similar to magical artifacts, but its power far exceeds that of ordinary ones. Of course, it also requires a magician to cast special spells to guide the sacred artifact in releasing its power.”

It was clear that Lebri had a thorough understanding of the Church of Light, which piqued Komer’s curiosity. There was no doubt that Lebri had a special connection with the Church of Light, but what kind of glorious history he had there remained a mystery to Komer. What had led Lebri from light to darkness? Komer wanted to know, but he realized it was not the right time yet. He believed that Lebri would eventually reveal the secrets bit by bit.

The dark energy constantly emanating from the Eyes of Darkness couldn’t erupt under the pressure of the powerful holy light. Komer also gave up on using puppet magic to summon ice men. This was probably the best opportunity for reconciliation; provoking the other party again would truly be an act of maliciously challenging the authority of the Church of Light.

Karlu and Boriz also didn’t dare to be overconfident. Using the holy light magic array, they quickly rushed out of the range of the magic matrix and headed toward the castle walls. Karlu’s star-like eyes kept scanning the second floor of the castle. He was sure that the other party was somewhere, observing him. It seemed it was time for them to show up.

A powerful spiritual sense searched everywhere inside the castle. Both Komer and Lebri subconsciously closed their eyes to avoid being detected. Although it was time to appear, they certainly didn’t want to do so by being discovered.

Karlu was somewhat disappointed. The other party was hiding very skillfully. Though he could sense their presence, he couldn’t determine exactly where they were hiding, preventing him from showing them who was in charge.

“Lord Viscount, shouldn’t you show up as well? We don’t like to meet in this way either, but we have our duties and principles. I hope you can understand,” Karlu said, sending his message magically around. No matter how magnanimous he was, he was displeased by this situation. It wasn’t shameful, but neither he nor the Tribunal had ever encountered such an awkward situation before.

“Karlu, it seems you’re still as handsome as ever after all these years!” A figure descended from the second floor of the castle, accompanied by hearty laughter.

The voice sounded familiar, but Karlu didn’t expect to meet an old acquaintance in such a situation. He stared at the slowly approaching figure, feeling a sense of familiarity yet disbelief. Then he thought that perhaps this was the only reasonable way for the two of them to meet.

“Rebri, is it really you?” A strange glint appeared in his eyes as Karu’s expression was complex and indescribable. Ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and yet the two had met in such a way. It was said that in the world of magic, distances weren’t significant—flight magic, spell transmission, and various other methods seemed to allow close friends to stay in touch. Even differing opinions shouldn’t be a reason to lose touch. Although he had received some intermittent news about him, he had never truly known where he was.

Boriz glanced at his companion in surprise. He hadn’t expected the figure that appeared to be someone his companion knew, and from their tone, it seemed they were quite close friends.

Two equally bright lights met in the air, ten meters apart, blending together so much that it was hard to distinguish them for a moment. One exuded a gentle demeanor with a hint of recklessness and freedom, while the other showed determination along with agility and experience. The familiar expressions hadn’t changed at all. Or rather, though their appearances might differ greatly, every aspect of their essence seemed to remain as it was ten years ago. Time could change everything, but the pride and solitude ingrained in one’s blood could never be altered by anyone.

“Karu, I never expected us to meet in such a way. So many emotions swirl in my heart. Heh, why did you choose to enter Damolensk Fortress in this manner?” Rebri seemed very relaxed, unbothered at all by the earlier confrontation.

“Rebri, you should know what I’m doing. The Tribunal has the right to enter any place we deem suspicious. As for the method, we’ll decide on that ourselves. If we violate anything, then so be it.” Karu unknowingly reverted to his usual cold tone. Those with different views couldn’t work together. Karu didn’t want any conflict with him. If it was just a matter of minor offense out of courtesy, he wasn’t opposed to explaining. But if there was a real conflict, then everything had to be set aside.

A faint smile appeared on Rebri’s lips. This guy’s temperament hadn’t changed at all. He still stood firm for his beliefs, only now more mature and experienced after ten years of refinement in his methods.

“Heh, since when has the Tribunal become interested in Damolensk Fortress? I wonder if they’re more interested in Viscount Komer or in Rebri?” Rebri remained very relaxed.

Surprised, Karu hadn’t expected Rebrí to be living in this Damansky Castle. In his mind, this castle, which symbolized the status of a Caucasus lord, could only be inhabited by the lord and his family and servants—no one else could dwell in this mysterious fortress. Had he been wrong in his assumptions?
“Rebrí, are you saying you live in Damansky Castle?” Karu’s words were filled with disbelief.
“Hehe, isn’t it too lonely for Rebrí to live alone in such a large castle?” Rebrí shook his head. “The lord also stays here sometimes. We share many interests; well, it’s more convenient to conduct various studies and experiments at night.”
In fact, as soon as Rebrí appeared, Karu had guessed that his former colleague must have sided with Viscount Komer. He felt somewhat disappointed in his colleague—given Rebrí’s former status, he was a well-known figure even within the Church of Light. Yet neither he nor Rebrí had any connection to the Berikli Cathedral. He had eventually turned to the Tribunal, while Rebrí disappeared without a trace. He had heard that Rebrí had reverted to his wild ways, appearing sporadically among the nobles of the Northern Alliance, his motives unclear. To find him hiding in this remote part of the Caucasus was truly unexpected.
“Is that so? I was wondering if I and my companions might be allowed to see your laboratory, old friend?” Of course, Karu wouldn’t believe Rebrí at his word. Since they had already fallen out, he decided to expose everything. If he found nothing, at least he would have peace of mind. There would be few opportunities to visit such a remote place in the future, and a face-to-face confrontation wouldn’t be a problem.
“You’re most welcome,” Rebrí said cheerfully, unfazed.
Karu knew that since Rebrí dared to allow him to inspect everything, he must be prepared. But he believed that since he and Boriz had just arrived in the Caucasus, even if Rebrí prepared immediately, he would only have one day. In one day, no matter how much he tried to hide things, he couldn’t conceal them from Karu’s eyes and senses. He was quite confident about this. So when Rebrí agreed so easily, Karu felt relieved.
“Rebrí, are you in charge here?” Karu stepped forward, glancing at him.
“Hehe, Rebrí probably knows more about matters in Damansky Castle than the lord himself. He usually doesn’t interfere much with things here—just conducts some studies and experiments,” Rebrí said with a smile.