I Became The Pope, Now What? Chapter 74

"Ka'Zul is one of the sickest worshiped gods out there because his worshippers are the most disgusting beings alive." Sylvester disparaged. "These Goblins are hated by other sub-humans too, as these creatures have brains to be sentient but choose to be backward heathens.

"Their culture glorifies kidnapping pure women to violate them and treat them as broodmares. The more women and children a goblin has, the higher their status is in their community. They are worth nothing but rotten bones in graves… but why are humans praying to the goblin god?"

"Ex-slaves?" Jax exclaimed. "Just like how some in Sol thirst to get sub-human slaves, humans are also sold in Beastaria as slaves. Maybe these ones used to belong to the goblins? Then they accepted their rule and eventually ran away?"

It was the only thing that made sense because there were no records of Ka'Zul worshiping in the Sol continent otherwise.

"If this is the case, then we're likely on the right path. They attacked us. This means we have encroached on their area. All we need to do now is wait until the morning. Then, while the Solis oversee us, we shall slay them." Sylvester announced.

After that, all they had to do was hold their ground and be safe for the night. They had food with them, and they could create water and fire with magic.

When the first ray of the morning sun fell on the land, the forest started to turn into its usual self. The vines began to freeze in their places, and the poison darts coming their way also vanished. Unfortunately for the attackers, the direction they were attacking from just confirmed to Sylvester where he needed to go.

"Let's move." He got up as Jax turned off the wind rune shield since the sunlight had appeared. They just quickly ate some bread and leftover heated meat soup from last night and prepared themselves.

"Sanctum Inspectors, I shall accept any punishment you deem fit for disobeying your orders. I could not let my men die. Many of them have families to care for, and entering here would have been death." Sir Arnold apologized first thing after cleaning the mud from his body.

Sylvester stopped the seven-foot-tall man of muscle and manliness. "I can understand. You were late already. But we must prepare now, activate all the runes your armors have, prepare all the magic crystals you must. There may just be six of us, but our combined might must not be less than six hundred." Sylvester commanded the six men as he also put on his own armor.

Felix was always wearing it, as was Sir Dolorem. Jax never revealed his rank or talents as he was an adventurer and hence was not obliged to show the rank plate. Not that Sylvester and the team were doing it either, as they were out of the Holy Land.

Gabriel had his own magical leather armor, while Sylvester had a rundown armor he got for a cheap deal from a retiring Inquisitor. It was the same golden armor he used back in the tourney. His spear was shiny as ever, however. It was a legendary class weapon, after all.

As they returned to the water stream, they found the shore had changed mostly.

"Where is the dinghy?" Gabriel wondered.

"Taken by the vines last night. It seems we will have to move on foot. There has to be a way those sinners took. And why were they not attacked by the vines? There has to be something they have discovered that we have not." Sylvester reckoned and moved along.

Over the water bodies, he'd try to find any strong trees with thick branches reaching the other side. The flowing water was never too wide, so it was not much of a problem.

However, they'd feel they were being watched from time to time, or suddenly all their danger senses would shout at them to move fast.

Sylvester knew it was probably one of the top predators in the forest. Thankfully, he had the birds for help as whenever they would stop making too much noise or start making too much noise, it'd mean danger was near.

"Wait!" He showed his hand and stopped everyone behind him.

There was something on the ground. It was too peculiar to be just a stone, so he dug it out. "T-This is a skull like the last one."

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"I found another one!" Felix barked from the side.

"Me too," Gabriel added.

Sylvester looked around as far as he could. He could feel the despair in the air. It was coming from nearby. While the land he was walking on seemed to be full of bones of humanoid creatures.

"I think we're close… be careful. We're near the ruins. Remember, they were attacking us the whole night. They may be hiding and sleeping right now." He ordered and readied his spear. "Don't make any noise. If you see a sleeping one, end it right there."

The six took long breaths and calmed their minds. Their goal was straightforward for the men—kill.

However, Sylvester didn't decide to split the group, as he had no idea how many enemies were even there.

So as he moved the large tree leaves and branches aside, he felt the land under his feet turn more full of soil, eventually turning red even. Then, after a few minutes of walking, they noticed the first structure.

"Chonky, jump around the ruins and mark enemies." He ordered in whispers.

With Miraj watching his front, he looked around at the ruins. The place appeared to be older than anything he had ever seen, as algae and vines had taken over most of the structures. However, a few stone blocks here and there were still visible. The structure appeared to have been a wide tower in the past, likely used to keep an eye.

"Max, look," Felix called him. "Why is there an engraving of a crescent moon on every stone block?"

Sylvester looked at it from closer. It appeared well-defined and old. "Sir Dolorem, what is the insignia of the Anti-Light sect?"

"They have none. They simply use a pitch black flag or black armband. I truly don't know what this crescent moon means, for even the heathens across the sea are not known to use it." Sir Dolorem answered, amazed at the fact there was possibly a lost civilization that used to live here.

'More mystery to the world, I guess.' He sighed and moved forward.

"HAAA!"

Woosh!

Out of nowhere, a dozen men in olive green robes jumped out of surrounding bushes and rushed to attack the group. All of them had blowpipes on their backs and daggers in their hands.

"Finally!" Felix exclaimed loudly and ran towards the enemy.

Bam!

Being six feet five and bulky, Felix had a large sword that would put all longswords to shame. He used it to the fullest and slashed it down from above. In one strike, it sliced the enemy into two.

"They are weak!" Felix shouted and aimed at the other men.

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Sylvester didn't waste time either and used his spear to swing it around himself and precisely make cuts on the necks of his enemies. He wished to stay as far away from the poisoned daggers as possible.

It seemed that Jax was a jack of all trades, as he was casting magic while using his greatsword. Sir Dolorem was mainly using magic as well. At the same time, Gabriel, a wizard knight, used Earth magic to trap his enemies and behead them with the sword.

Sylvester utilized the limited abilities of the spear to the fullest. For example, he sometimes used the stretchable ribbon connected to it to throw the spear at nearby enemies and stab them right in their face, turning their brains into the batter and retracting it.

"More are coming!" Sylvester warned everyone and decided to use magic instead, his strong point.

But first, he decided to lay some traps if this was going to be their battlefield. "Cover me!"

With that call, Felix and Gabriel moved closer to Sylvester and guarded him. He, meanwhile, jumped around and placed rune formations on the land with his Earth Elemental magic. He perfectly hid it under the ground, so no one even knew it.

The formation was called Crystal Trap Rune Formation, which, when stepped on, sends out tens of thin crystal spikes at force enough to impale a great rhino.

Sylvester went overboard with it and placed them all around their initial perimeter, dozens, then a dozen more. Melting Flesh Trap Rune was also abundantly used to ensure enemies slow down.

"Alright, I've drawn the circle. Kill anyone that comes near it." He announced as he prepared for an S Grade attack that Sir Dolorem taught him, called Whiling Fire.

'Let's see how much damage it does.'

"Butcher them!" He roared and showed his palm towards the hoard of heathens gathering outside. They all looked like humans, yet they were far from being one.

In an instant, 5-meter tall and 2-meter wide tornadoes of fire appeared, coming out of his palm and taking form. He grinned and started efficiently controlling the tornadoes, burning anything in their way. Even if someone survived the crystal spike, he'd end them.

This was by far the easiest fight to win as the enemies were simpletons with basic knowledge of magic only. Nevertheless, they had an interesting fighting style, but sadly they were against Sylvester and his party.

Slowly, the blood splattered around on the skeleton-riddled land. The red soil turned redder. Hills of dead bodies also started to appear because the six would kill their enemies before the latter could enter their defense circle.

"This is going nowhere. We need to end this." Sylvester said.

"Maxy!" Out of nowhere, Miraj came running, his furry face looking distraught. He climbed Sylvester and spoke into his ear. "Quick, quick! They are trying to run in the big boat!"

Sylvester frowned and decided to end this. He roared at full power. "Everyone, stand beside me right now! This is an order!"

Sir Dolorem, Felix, and Gabriel were the first to jump beside him. Then came Sir Arnold out of obligation. The last was Jax, as he contemplated before following the order.

But before they could ask Sylvester why he did that, he appeared to be closing his eyes and casting some sort of silent magic. "O'Lord, grant your power to this loyal bard!"

Woosh!—All of a sudden, a giant, hundred feet wide rune circle appeared right above them, shining in bright white light and rotating. It made a magical buzzing noise, a sign of the rune's power.

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But Sylvester didn't stop there and added incantations silently. Then, once the enemies appeared to gain the courage to enter under the circle, Sylvester opened his eyes. "Die!"

Bam!

Thud!

Boom!

The rune was Death Light Rain, Sylvester's move that summoned a rain of spears made of hardened light magic. They truly fell like rain and impaled all the heathens right in their place, planting them into the ground, unable to even fall. It was a gruesome death as it got them all.

The few who survived died when the next spear fell on their skull, eye, throat, or groin.

But Sylvester didn't wait to count the bodies as he rushed deeper, as Miraj pointed. "Follow me! They're trying to escape!"

In no time, they reached the larger ruins where decaying buildings were abundant, hidden under vines, algae, and plants, surrounded by blood-red soil.

But they all frowned at the scenes, for there were metal cages, hundreds of them, placed one above another. A majority of them held women with bright gold religious robes and a wimple; some were even nude. They looked scared, hurt, and hopeless in there—yet defiant in some ways.

Sylvester could smell the emotions in the air. But above all, with his anger, nothing could compare.

He looked around and noticed a large transport boat docked in the waters nearby; it was full of people, some even women, but in the same clothes as heathens.

"Stop!" A shout came as Sylvester moved. He looked towards the cages and noticed a man in black robes and a golden bracelet on his wrist. The face was clear, looking like a mix of a goblin and human.

"Aah!… S-Stay back! I will kill this wh*re if you come close! You came here for them, didn't you? You don't want her to die… let me leave, and you can take all these women back!" He caught one Bright Mother from the cages by the hair and dragged her towards the boat.

However, Sylvester showed no ounce of fear, worry, or confusion. Instead, he merely walked toward the man with his spear ready in his right arm, in the throwing position.

"You went out of your way to hunt—r*pe—murder these harmless women. Women who only vowed to do good, heal, and care for all, asking nothing in return; respect was all they wanted to earn. They keep caring… and caring… like a mother, brightening the darkening light, ignoring their own plight.

"So no, you shall have no mercy from me. There shall be no judge or jury—only my fury!"

Woosh!

GIB STONE! MONKE HAPPY!

**669 Stones = Bonus Chapter!**

APE TOGETHER STRONG!

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Chapter end

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