Sequence adventurers roaming between two worlds

Chapter 88 "From today onwards, I am also a member of the Church of the Sun" (4k words)

The Church of the Sun resembles a traditional church in appearance, but occupies a larger area. At the same time, there is a spiral sun pattern on its top, which emits a faint glow in the dark, like a beacon guiding the way for night travelers.

It is located at the junction of the outer harbor area and the inner harbor area.

This is a very delicate position.

Going further out is too remote, but going further in is too risky as to cross the "red line" of royalty and nobility.

At this moment, inside the lamplighter's hut of the Church of the Sun.

All the members of the third squad were present. They looked at the unconscious young man lying on the rest bed with different expressions.

"Captain, you just brought him back like that?"

The speaker was a woman wearing glasses. She was about twenty years old and dressed in a black and white school uniform, looking like a recent college graduate, which she actually was.

She adjusted her glasses, her tone serious: "According to regulations, we should first send anything involving the mystical side to the 'Purification Center' to ensure it's free of contamination or anything else unclean, so we can seal it away promptly."

"The vice-captain is right!"

"Furthermore, this person is being fought over by the Masked Fatui and the heretics of the Shadow Sequence, and there might be huge hidden dangers associated with him. What if something happens to him if we bring him back like this?"

"The vice-captain is right—"

Blake glared at Elsa, the girl who had agreed with him, and Elsa shrank back, swallowing the last "yes" back.

But remembering that her beloved senior was still beside her, she muttered softly, "No, that's right."

Blake was somewhat exhausted. What kind of problem children were in his team? He looked at the vice-captain Veronica, who wore thick-rimmed black glasses, and said seriously, "We've been following the rules all this time, but—have we found any useful clues? Have we caught any important heretics?"

Veronica paused, then said, "—No."

"I know this is against the rules," Blake said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "But I'm pretty sure this guy has some useful information on him!"

"And it's extremely important intelligence!"

"Following the regulations, that long and tedious process—yes, we can still apply to interrogate Leo—but the question is, will we have enough time?"

"We can afford to wait, but can the tens of thousands of people in the crashed port wait? Do we really want to wait until some disaster happens before we regret it?"

These words left Veronica speechless.

As someone who personally experienced what the third squad went through during this period, she knew best what happened to them.

"I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."

Blake's last words left Veronica completely speechless.

After a long silence, the solemnity in her eyes vanished. She lowered her head and sighed, "So, Captain Black, are you confident you can get this guy to tell us the truth?"

Although she was reluctant to admit it, Veronica knew very well that anyone associated with heresy was often "fearless of death".

Upon hearing this, Blake smiled.

He sat down in the chair, took out his pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled a long breath: "Yes."

"Because without our help, he would surely die!"

"Although it's somewhat surprising, this guy is actually just an ordinary person. Even though his physical abilities are quite astonishing, it's understandable. Without such a physique, he would have died long ago in the aftermath of the fight between those two heretics."

Certain death? Amazing physique?

Veronica adjusted her large, black-rimmed glasses, a look of curiosity appearing in her light brown eyes.

Elsa, who looked to be only a teenager and seemed to be a high school freshman, came over and looked at the unconscious Leo from left to right, and even reached out and pinched his arm.

The sheer hardness she could feel even through his clothes made her mouth agape slightly. "His muscle strength is incredible! It's even stronger than mine. Is he really just an ordinary person?"

"Hoo—" Blake exhaled a smoke ring: "Can't you sense whether there's any residual spiritual energy within him?"

Elsa could certainly sense that there was no spirituality within Leo.

No, to be precise, it was not his spirituality at all, but in the area of ​​his heart, there was a heretical spirituality lurking like a venomous snake.

"This was left by that heretical thief you were tracking, Captain? This method is really troublesome," Elsa muttered.

Hearing this, Veronica stepped forward and placed her hand on Leo's heart, carefully sensing it. Soon, her brows furrowed: "The power of shadow has deeply entangled his flesh and blood. That heretic seems to want to do something to him."

"With this level of fusion, if an external force were to try to break it, it would be equivalent to forcibly ripping out a large part of his heart, which would be no different from being dead."

"The only solution —"

Blake continued, "It is he himself who becomes a traveler of the solar sequence, using the divine fire bestowed by the Lord of the Great Sun to cleanse the shadows of evil."

"Hey kid, you've been listening for so long, are you still going to pretend to be asleep? Your heart rate has already given you away."

As soon as the voice faded, Leo, who was lying on the resting bed, slowly opened his eyes.

He was greeted by the expectant looks of the two women, and by Blake's nonchalant demeanor not far away.

Leo's eyes were full of vigilance. He rolled over and shrank into the corner, his hand instinctively reaching for his waist, but he found nothing.

He was like a tormented wildcat, instinctively wary and distant from everything in the outside world, and even trying to protect himself by "puffing up his fur" and "hissing".

His behavior caused Veronica, who had been observing him closely, to relax her gaze slightly.

It's very difficult to fake that kind of suffering and persecution.

Elsa, standing beside her, seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes softened.

Blake stood up and walked to the bed.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, he looked down at Leo, who was huddled in the corner, and crossed his arms: "Leo, right? We know you, and you should be well aware of your situation."

"We can save you, provided you cooperate."

"I need you to confess what exactly happened on the night of the blasphemous ritual, and why you were fought over by two heretics?"

His stern attitude actually made Leo relax.

Just like a homeless person on the street, one might be wary of unsolicited kindness, but when that kindness is accompanied by other motives, it becomes more credible and reassuring.

"—" After a long silence, Leo finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, as if he hadn't had water in a long time: "What did you mean by becoming a traveler in the Sun Sequence?"

"Literally." Blake said patiently, "We, the Lamplighters, will select suitable individuals from among the innocent victims persecuted by heretical and evil mystical organizations to become the new Lamplighters."

"Your situation is fairly suitable."

Upon hearing this, Leo's eyes darkened: "But I have the blood of the White People—"

"You're overthinking it." Blake waved his hand. "As long as you don't come into contact with those heretical sequences that shouldn't exist in the world, it's fine, even if you're just a White People bloodline that's been passed down for countless generations and is so diluted it's almost nonexistent. Even if you were an ancestor of the White People, it wouldn't be a problem."

"Under the radiant light of the Great Sun, all beings bathe in its warmth equally. As long as one harbors good intentions and possesses a pure soul, what does the defilement of one's blood matter?"

"Besides, you already have no choice. If we don't save you, the shadow power fused in your heart could destroy it at any moment with a single thought from the heretics."

Leo's tense face relaxed slightly. He thought for a long time, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw: "————Okay, I'm willing to cooperate."

"Very good." Blake smiled. "Then let's talk about the two questions I asked earlier."

Leo took a deep breath and shook his head bitterly: "Actually, I'm not really sure why they're targeting me."

"Where should I begin—the prayer ceremony, that is, the night the blasphemy ceremony you just mentioned took place."

"I—I used to be drawn to the mystical side. By chance, through my classmate Leanna, I attended a mystery party and met Scott."

"He told me that as long as I perform a prayer ceremony, I can see the angels and receive extraordinary power."

"I didn't really believe it at first, but... somehow, I became unlike myself, blindly following Scott's every word—"

A faint look of fear and lingering apprehension crossed Leo's face. After a moment, he continued, "Later, on the night of the prayer ceremony, I was in a daze until a gunshot rang out, which jolted me awake."

"I saw Scott die at my gunpoint, I saw Leona push open the door and come in, and then a figure jumped out of the shadows and put his hand on my face—and then, and then, I know nothing more."

"From then on, I was in a daze every day, almost losing all sense of the outside world, only occasionally hearing a few words."

"What they said was that the Supreme Creator—the Oracle—the distant Southern Pearl City—needs the bloodline of the Hidden People—"

Leo's voice gradually lowered: "That's all I know."

That's enough!

Blake's eyes were surprisingly bright.

Combining the information Leo provided with his own experiences over this period, the jumbled fragments in his mind were finally able to piece together a somewhat complete picture!

"The Supreme Creator? Ha, that's just a title for the heretical gods of the old days."

"What else could this Pearl of the South be besides being a star-chasing hub?"

"The oracle descended by the ancient heretical god has drawn into many mysterious organizations, including the Masked Fools and the Masters of Fate, and has entered the Falling Star Harbor."

"The only question is, what exactly was the oracle's contents?"

Although the most crucial intelligence was missing, it was enough for Blake.

Now that he knows that all the unusual events at Falling Star Harbor today are related to the ancient heretical god, he can report to the church and request additional support. At that time, no matter what the heretics' purpose is, the radiance of the Great Sun will drive away all darkness.

Blake turned to leave the room to report the situation to the bishop.

"Wait, sir, you—"

Before Leo could finish speaking, Blake interrupted him, saying without turning his head, "Veronica, take him to the Sun Chapel."

After saying that, his figure disappeared around the corner.

Inside the room, Veronica, upon hearing this, pushed up her black-rimmed glasses again, a look of realization dawning on her eyes. She couldn't help but inwardly exclaim, "As expected of the captain, so cunning!"

Inside the Sun Chapel, there is a statue of a deity bathed in the light of the "Great Sun".

Anyone who faces the idol directly, if connected to secret heresies, will be exposed in the sunlight.

Logically, the captain should have taken Leo to the Sun Chapel first, but he chose to ask first and then go.

This way, they can gather intelligence beforehand, preventing Leo from being a hidden spy for the heretics and turning into nothingness in the blazing sun.

Ashes, and thus nothing was gained.

If Leo is a hidden spy for the heretics, then they've essentially gotten the information for free.

If Leo is truly a victim—that's fine too.

A person who has been persecuted for heresy will be the most steadfast Sun Cult member in the future, hating heresy the most.

No matter how you look at it, they're not at a loss.

Thinking of this, Veronica said softly, "Come with me."

Elsa stood to the side with her hands behind her back, but her eyes were fixed on Leo, preventing him from escaping.

Thus, escorted by the two women, he passed through the corridor and courtyard and arrived at the entrance of the Sun Chapel.

Veronica, with her back to Leo, said calmly, "Let me remind you of something."

"If you are a heretic, turn around and leave now. Considering you provided useful information, I can spare your life."

This is a lie.

If Leo dares to leave, or shows any sign of wanting to leave, she and Elsa will not hesitate to take action.

Under the watchful eyes of the two women, Leo walked straight into the Sun Chapel without the slightest hesitation.

The moment he stepped into the chapel, the statue standing deep inside, though unchanged to the naked eye, radiated a dazzling crimson light from a spiritual perspective.

The air twisted violently, and any darkness was burned to nothingness in the great sunlight.

Leo walked forward step by step until he reached the bottom of the statue.

He raised his head, glanced at the majestic statue before him whose face was devoid of sculpted features, and then turned to the two women who had followed him in, asking with some doubt, "Is that all? Is there anything else I need to do?"

Veronica shook her head.

She could see that under the bright sunlight, Leo's body was perfectly clean inside and out, except for the shadow power in his heart, which, like a caterpillar that had been stimulated, curled up into a small ball and emitted a faint black mist that seemed to burn.

As time went on, it grew smaller and smaller, and Leo's face turned pale as well, as if the power of the burning shadow was beginning to affect his heart, causing him to raise his hand, cover his chest, and groan.

Seeing this, Veronica grabbed Leo by the back of his collar and threw him out of the Sun Chapel.

Despite her seemingly slender figure, the girl's throw demonstrated astonishing arm strength.

Leo was thrown more than ten meters away, all the way to the outside of the chapel, where he landed and took several steps back.

If it weren't for his good physique, this blow would have been enough to hurt an ordinary person.

Without the sun's rays shining down, Leo's expression softened considerably. He raised his head and looked at Veronica, who was walking towards him, and Elsa beside her.

Before he could speak...

Veronica smiled and said, "Congratulations, you've passed the sun's test."

"I am the vice-captain, Veronica."

"I'm a first-class member, Elsa," the girl next to her said with a grin. After being tapped on the head, she reluctantly corrected herself, "Okay, I'm a regular member."

After calming down the "unruly" Elsa, Veronica smiled gently and extended her fair hand: "Leo, welcome to the third squad of the Lamplighters of the Falling Star Harbor Church."

Leo was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't expected to gain recognition so easily.

Several seconds passed before she came to her senses and quickly reached out to shake hands with the other person: "I, I—"

Overwhelmed with emotion, he was speechless for a moment.

He lowered his head and looked at the ground.

From an angle unseen by the two women, a smile appeared in Leo's eyes.

It worked!

It wasn't for nothing that I put in so much effort and acted out this whole show.

From today onwards, I am also a member of the Church of the Sun.

Once I'm out here, who would dare call me a "heretic" within the Hidden Sequence?