Chapter Seventeen: The Dying Old Cabbage

Neo was alert.
He possessed a keen sense of smell and hearing beyond what ordinary people had.
Even before pushing open that heavy half-door, Neo had already detected two beings behind it. Both were weak—one breathing rapidly and irregularly, the other slowly and steadily.
By the time the magic firearm fired, Neo had already seen its muzzle and roughly predicted its trajectory. Of course, even so, it was still a high-risk move; if the shooter’s hand had trembled even slightly, such a “predicted” trajectory would have turned into a fatal joke.
So Neo’s real bet was that the shooter would go all out and maintain precision in his shot.
Crossed sword, arms raised! Sword in front, arms behind—double-layer defense.
Neo won!
The bullet pierced the back of the crosssword and lodged itself in Neo’s left arm guard, with a wisp of blue smoke rising. Behind his arm, Neo glared coldly at the shooter.
He didn’t counterattack immediately because he recognized the shooter at a glance and confirmed that he couldn’t fire another shot. Although the magic firearm eliminated the need for the complicated loading process of a gunpowder weapon as long as there was magic energy, at least a bullet still had to be loaded—a task that was difficult for the shooter right now.
“Archbishop Thelos,” Neo said, drawing a sword flourish before smoothly sheathing the crosssword on his back. As he stepped forward, he took in his surroundings.
The layout here matched the weight of time embodied by those two massive stone doors. Most recognizable were the Duric stone pillars—their inverted frustums and the 20 deep grooves along their shafts clearly revealing their style and origin. It was from the Risfa era, 800–1200 years ago. Neo couldn’t be more specific, as he was merely well-informed but not an expert in architecture.
“Gladiator Neo,” murmured an old man in disheveled clothes with a pale face, his lips trembling. His tone carried a clear sense of wonder at the twists of fate.
Neo recognized Thelos because in the city of Mansors, only one clergyman wore a bright red robe, with two shiny silver silk ribbons draped from his shoulders to his chest.
Thelos, in turn, recognized Neo because he was one of the most outstanding young gladiators in the Erdrit domain, having won several famous battles. Watching bloody fights was Thelos’s hobby. He had seen Neo up close many times after Neo won battles and thanked the nobles. Moreover, during the public trials during the day, Thelos had been both an observer and one of the official witnesses.
“I thought it was… those dark minions,” Thelos said, barely having the strength for normal conversation. His chest was wet, and his red robe had darkened from blood. Clearly, Thelos had suffered a fatal wound; otherwise, given his abilities, he should have been able to delay its effects.

The servants of the Divine Lord collude with those who serve money and power—a social phenomenon. Neo is well aware that, given his current situation, complaining or even reacting excessively to it is merely childish behavior. Though he feels inevitable disgust and contempt, he strives to remain calm to prevent the pent-up resentment from erupting and affecting his tasks. Now is not the time for complaints.

“Your Eminence, let’s get to the point,” Neo said, maintaining a calm demeanor, even a hint of forced composure. “You are about to go to heaven. Before that, I want to hear you swear in the name of the Divine Lord and speak some sincere words about what’s going on here and who he is.”

Neo pointed at the other man besides Thelos. This man was also barely alive, though not due to a fatal wound but rather prolonged imprisonment. This underground hall had become a true prison because of him—thick chains of black iron, massive iron balls, and a sturdy iron frame to hold the chains… Judging by these instruments of torture, Neo would have thought a dragon in its teenage years (26–50) was being imprisoned here.

Neo could tell that this man had suffered greatly, but since he had survived until now, it meant the Church hadn’t obtained what it wanted from him.

Who was he? What was the truth? Such questions were obviously sensitive. Thelos’s gaze sharpened at Neo’s question, his aura intensifying. His fierce dragon-like appearance made it hard to believe he had just moments ago seemed ready to be summoned by the Lord at any moment.

Neo met Thelos’s piercing gaze without flinching.

“As expected, a ‘rebel’!” Thelos said in a low voice.

“Your Eminence, before judging others, first understand the difference between wolves and dogs! I have never betrayed my faith!” Neo could no longer remain calm and spoke angrily. “The God Brennes himself once said that freedom is a fundamental right of every living being!”

“Heretic! Do not speak the name of the Divine Lord!” Thelos’s voice rang like thunder, his body radiating golden light. His robes fluttered in the wind, and even the flames of the torches on the pillars around him dimmed in comparison. His terrifying aura and dignity made Neo understand for the first time what truly meant a majestic and overwhelming divine pressure.

Under such pressure, even the most proud little wolf had to lower its head.

Although the Church of Glory had its flaws and a tarnished reputation, it remained the most powerful and influential religion in Aemera, always playing the role of a beacon of light—naturally, for good reasons.

When it came to the Divine Lord, even a mere cardinal could possess such authority and dignity. One could imagine that if archbishops or the leaders of the Holy Tribunal, symbols of divine power, were here, their mere presence would be enough to force a wise being like Neo to submit without even thinking of resisting.

He lowered his tone and spoke gently, butNeo did not bend his principles to be obsequious. Avoiding the taboo topic, he said, “My Lord Bishop, at least you can trust this: if this place is indeed one of the devils’ targets, I will do everything in my power to prevent them from getting what they want.”

Theris’s gaze was as sharp as a blade. After staring atNeo for a full 5 seconds, he finally forced out a sentence through clenched teeth, “Swear it by your faith!”

Theris’s fingers, gripping the magic firearm, turned white from the strain and trembled slightly. His mind was still clear, and he had confidence in his ability to judge people. He could tell thatNeo was not lying, and he also had no enough time or better alternatives.

“Enough. Existence itself is reason. Since you appeared here at this time, don’t blame me for dragging you into the vortex of nightmares. I hope you have such awareness…”

Neo did not know Theris’s true thoughts, nor did he understand that, like most people, Theris also had a tender side. Knowing the truth was the key to unlocking the door to nightmares. Sometimes, the price of listening was responsibility.

To be honest,Neo hadn’t thought much when he asked. He simply used basic logical reasoning to conclude that someone who was locked up as a juvenile dragon must be extraordinary. And this extraordinariness was likely exactly what the devils wanted. So wasn’t his purpose here to fight against them?

Without hesitation,Neo spoke solemnly and seriously, “Every word I’ve said so far is true. I swear it by my faith.”

Theris’s flesh-colored eyebrows furrowed involuntarily. If he remembered correctly, the key sentence sinceNeo arrived was: “If this place is indeed one of the devils’ targets, I will do everything in my power to prevent them from getting what they want.”

Such a vow still didn’t fully satisfy Theris. But the bird had already come close to him. “My Lord Bishop, please stop draining your life force any longer. I’m worried you might not have enough time to tell me the whole truth.”

Theris ultimately chose to compromise.Neo was right. If he continued to push himself like this, he might die suddenly within ten seconds. As forNeo’s vow—“To expect to achieve one’s goals with perfect hands and a pure heart when one has lost control of the situation”—that idea was far too unrealistic.

Like a deflated balloon, Theris collapsed. Quick-thinkingNeo stepped forward and supported him, helping him sit down against a rock pillar.

“He is Karonper…” Perhaps realizing he truly had little time left, Theris stopped wasting words and began to tell a little-known story in as concise language as possible.

Karonper, the builder of the Glorious Church in Solis City and its first bishop, was a hero who, together with Mars Erdrit, expanded the lands and founded the Erdrit Domain. The fitting description for him, however, was the inscription on his nameless tomb—he wished to be forgotten by the world, but that was not easy, even long after he left this world.

Karonper had two faces. Besides being the revered monk, he was also a notorious monster in the early days of the Erdrit Domain—Bloodthirsty John.

And this epitaph, just like Kalonper’s dual personality, has two meanings—people cannot forget his achievements nor his evils. Yet these clearly only serve to clarify and condemn Kalonper’s personal actions, not the reason for his long-term imprisonment and punishment. It is precisely this reason that is the true root of the problem; otherwise, even if Kalonper lived a very long life, at least over 500 years, it wouldn’t be enough to earn the devils’ respect—after all, there are countless immortals in the Dark Lands who have existed for thousands of years.
“The Chapter of Sengoras! Must not fall into the hands of the devils! Destroy it, destroy it…” Thelres still couldn’t accurately estimate how much time he had left, and the last pieces of information couldn’t be fully conveyed. But on his deathbed, he still pointed out the key—The Chapter of Sengoras.
Thelres died.
Without Neo’s sudden arrival, Thelres might have lived a little longer, but it would still have been of no use. He was already injured and had fought against Kalonper—Kalonper, who wouldn’t have been killed by just a few bullets from magic firearms. Thelres would never have wasted those bullets on Neo.
“I now somewhat believe in the existence of fate,” Neo said slowly, as if speaking to the dead Thelres, to the shackled Kalonper, and also to himself. “The Chapter of Sengoras… I actually know what it is!”