Chapter 24. Answers and more questions

Walking through the snowy roads heading back into the heart of the town, Michael noticed the opened door of the inn.

With a quick look inside, he couldn't find Elenta, the last supposed survivor of the seven people he met. A feeling of nausea kept assaulting his senses, but he pushed it down.

'This is the world now... Fuck! I need to get used to it quickly, or else I might die before knowing it.'

Shaking his head despondently, he returned to the road next to the Monk. Unlike him, Iosef didn't seem affected much by what happened. It seemed like it was just another ordinary day for him...

'His party died in the Dungeon, the people he tried helping drugged him, and he had to kill them to get out alive. Yet, he doesn't seem very rattled. Is this type of bullshit a normal occurrence in the Sanctuary?'

[We're here.](Iosef)

Pulled out of his thoughts, Michael nodded and unlocked the door to the chapel. He backed off and let Pathfinder lead the way, just like in the Dungeon.

Seeing the Monk's questioning gaze, he shrugged.

"One can't be too careful. What if traps are inside? Maybe other demons or crazed villagers lie in wait. It would be foolish to have managed to survive the main villains only to die to some stupid small fry."

[Suit yourself. Only fire can cleanse this place! Hurry inside, and I'll prepare the torch.](Iosef)

"What were you doing in Nevesk?"

[Looking for the town priest. He stopped sending tithes, and I came to find out why. As I neared the village, I sensed darkness around the ruins. I went in to investigate. Found the priest's body... demons... Foolishly, I took shelter in Nevesk and ate their food. You know the rest...](Yosef)

Getting the green light from Pathfinder's senses and realizing there wasn't anyone inside, Michael nodded to the Monk, and they walked inside side-by-side.

The Monk still had his bloodied mace in his hands and Michael his dagger and shield. They weren't willing to fall a second time for the crazed villagers' tricks.

Surprisingly, the insides of the chapel were tidy and ordinary except for a small detail barely illuminated by the light coming from outside. Seeing the light insufficiency, Iosef used his mace to break a wooden pole and grab the falling lamp by the door.

[There we go! What did you find?](Iosef)

"Blood petals... like the ones I was fed. Is this real? I'm I seeing things?"

Coming closer, Iosef heard Michael's mumbling and immediately paled.

[Don't! Don't touch them!](Iosef)

However, it was too late. With his fingers making contact, a blood pattern formed under the petals, imprinting itself on the wooden floor.

With it, the blood petals began floating upwards and surrounding his field of vision. A small tornado covered everything he could see, and when it started breaking apart, the surroundings changed.

Moving his 'head,' Michael felt he was inside another vision, similar to the one he saw upon Lilith's summoning. Furthermore, this vision was based on the small chapel.

The puplit was no longer pushed down, and a priest prepared his sermon on it. Light came through the mural behind the priest, the illumination making the man look holy.

On the mural, Michael could see what appeared to be a bearded priest holding a sword while a hooded figure was watching from the clouds. For the god-wannabe, Michael had no clue who it was since all he heard about religion so far was that the Church of Light is worshiping the Father - Inarius.

'Wasn't Inarius a fallen angel, though? Hmm?'

His musings were stopped short when he saw the priest move a couple of steps back and pull on a rope, triggering the sound of bells. The sound was so reminiscent of Michael's first interaction with this world that he paled a little... though he didn't have much of a face in this vision.

As the bells rang, the vision changed, showing the villagers outside. They were all doing their things until bells called them to the chapel.

Some seemed unwilling but, nevertheless, joined the others in their short pilgrimage. Immediately after, the vision returned to near the priest, showing him watching the villagers take their places on the benches.

The priest's visage seemed to undergo drastic changes as the last member of his flock took their place. Disdain and anger were apparent on his face.

[Shameful. Our Father has granted you a path to salvation. *Scoff* And yet, you stray from it at every opportunity.](town priest)

Looking at the animated town priest expressing his anger by slamming the 'holy book' he was holding on the pulpit, Michael realized that the people of Nevesk were believers of the Church of Light.

That meant Monk Iosef was a follower of the same religion since he came here to inquire about the missing tithes.

Still, watching the town priest get so worked up seemed quite amusing to him for some reason. It looked so fake that even third-rate actors could perform better than this.

The vision changed to the people on the benches, as the priest's sermon was aimed at them.

[You drink and gamble. You covet and steal. Shameful.](town priest)

The parishioners looked down, unwilling to meet the priest's eyes. Unfortunately, they could not see the petals falling mid-air onto the priest's open book.

He was the only one who noticed them, and they started falling inside the chapel like raindrops during a tropical storm.

As he looked upward toward the source of the uncommon 'rain,' a voice echoed through the chapel.

[Sin is their birthright.]

Michael didn't look at the falling petals anymore as the voice sent shivers down his spine. The voice belonged to a woman; even if he hadn't heard her before, he instinctively knew it was Lilith.

Hearing the voice, the admonished parishioners raised their eyes and gasped, seeing 'something' behind the priest, prompting the latter to look behind.

Upon gazing at it, the man was frightened and fell over the pulpit and onto the wooden floor.

There was unmistaken terror in the town priest's eyes, yet the villagers seemed much less frightened.

[My children, the lords of Hell, are coming to devour our world. Salvation lies not within the Light, but in you.](Lilith)

The vision finally focused on the being behind the town priest. Michael could see her descending on the small stage—a drop-dead gorgeous woman with typical demonic bat-like wings and four interestingly shaped horns pointing backward.

Judging by the priest's height, she was about two meters tall, much less 'impressive' when compared to her entrance into the summoning chamber.

'Nevertheless, with those rose petals made out of blood, she is quite the dramatic type. Always to make an impressive entrance, it seems. And from the looks of it, she succeeded. The villagers are awed, and the town priest is shitting his pants in fear.'

Michael could not take his eyes off her from the moment she appeared in the chapel. Her skin was milky white, bordering on pale, but not in an aesthetically displeasing manner.

Her dress was black with ornament assortments that fit the motif of her horns, showing deep cleavage and lots of skin. Her breasts weren't prominent in an exaggerated manner but still filled the mind with temptation upon noticing their protrusion through the fabric.

Her eyes were even more attractive, one shining in an enchanting blue while the other was pale green-gray. Heterochromia on such a dangerously beautiful woman was no doubt an incredible weapon.

'And judging from the calm tone of her voice, she is very much used to tempting and charming rather than killing. So... what the hell happened to this town and its people?'

[The faith has taught you to deny your heart's desire and turned you into a prisoner within yourself.](Lilith)

Michael watched as a woman from the front bench looked up upon hearing Lilith's words, and he instantly recognized Vani... She looked vastly different than within their previous encounters.

More restrained... like a storm waiting to happen.

[Break the chains... and discover who you were meant to be...](Lilith)

Watching the beautiful Lilith illuminated through the mural behind her made everyone look in awe as if watching a dark deity preach.

Unsurprisingly, the color in Vani's eyes changed to the same blue Lilith had in her left eye while listening to her speech.

'Hypnosis? It makes no sense since she could tear them apart like paper. Why would she hypnotize these useless people just to have them kill others? How many can they even kill before someone like me or stronger passes through here and massacres all of them? It seems like a waste of energy... what am I missing?'

[Break the chains... and be beautiful in sin...](Lilith)

Her voice, filled with temptation, overwhelmed the minds of the parishioners. Even stranger, as a small smile made its way on Lilith's red-rose lips, Vani mirrored it and stood up.

The rest of the flock followed, making the town priest desperate.

[Resist! Resit her temptat- ](town priest)

Unfortunately for him, he couldn't go further as a blow to the head stopped him mid-sentence. Blood filled the air, showing Vani holding a strange-shaped cross.

What was before an object of faith was turning into an instrument of murder.

The town priest looked back while gasping in pain and saw the bloodied cross in her hands, the symbol of the Light bathed in his blood, defiled by sin.

'I see... Inarius, the Father, and Lilith, the Mother. Since their breakup was quite... painful for Lilith, maybe she wants payback. It's quite ironic to see his believers turn to her when the values she preaches differ from those taught by the Light. Where the Light orders self-restraint and remorse, Lilith provides indulgence and release from morals. A fall into hedonism...'

[Vani, it's me. I brought your child into this world *gasp*](town priest)

Hearing the words, Michael shuddered when remembering that he saw only seven people in this town. Plus, Vani seemed to be their leader. So? What happened to her child?

'What about the rest of the people? There seems to be more in this chapel than back at the camp where old man Al is.'

Unfortunately, his musings and the town priest's plea were stopped abruptly as a small knife plunged into his back. Then, more villagers surrounded the priest and began stomping him into the ground.

The moans of pain were accompanied by loud thuds and sprays of blood as the priest was getting lynched. The looks on the villagers' faces were those of ecstasy, though none seemed to have the same blue eyes as Vani did.

'This... what the fuck is going on? How did they go berserk all of a sudden?'

[It's their nature...](Lilith)

Michael's eyes would've widened in fear if he had a body, as the answer was clearly aimed at his inquiry. Looking back to the stage, Lilith peered calmly into his soul, though there was no damage this time.

'Did you hypnotize them into doing this? Why?'

[I force them to do nothing. This... is their own free will. Yet, you know that already, don't you?](Lilith)

'...why? Are you trying to get back at Inarius?'

[Inarius? Do I seem so shallow in your eyes, Wanderer?](Lilith)

'...then why?'

No other answers were provided as he watched one of the creators of this world walk forward, ignoring the small crowd still stomping the priest. A tail made of bones was moving in an almost cat-like manner behind her, and she smiled in Michael's direction when she noticed his attention on it.

Broken out of his reverie, he finally noticed a man standing by the door, though a hood covered his face.

[They have awakened, Mother.](?)

Still looking at Michael, she replied to the man.

[The first of many. Go to the Dry Steppes and continue your preparations. Now, our true work begins.](Lilith)

Turning away with a teasing smirk on her face, she walked out of the chapel. Michael could still see the small group stomping the already dead priest while the rest watched.

Looking at the back of the demonic woman leaving the chapel, the vision distorted, and he blacked out.

[Ah, you came to. Thank the Light!](Iosef)

With a quick gander at his surroundings, Michael realized that he was already back outside. Before seeing the vision, he was inside... so...

"How did I get out here?"

[You collapsed inside. I thought the darkness had swallowed you... I dragged you here and put this cursed place to the torch. What happened to you in there?](Iosef)

Pondering for a moment, Michael decided to tell the truth and hopefully gain more from the Monk.

His Quest also updated, indicating that he should do that.

[ Quest update - Prayers for Salvation

Description: Speak with Iosef. ]

"*Sigh* I saw... a vision. A horned demonic woman. She said the lords of Hell are coming. She wanted to help the people survive."

Michael didn't bother mentioning anything about the villagers going bonkers suddenly as he realized that Lilith's words were true. That was their true nature, unburdened by the shackles of morality.

As for Inarius and the woman's question about shallowness, he had seen plenty of women to understand their mentality. Even if her main goal was to help humanity survive the incoming demonic invasion, she definitely had a side Quest to deal with Inarius.

'Especially when they were a couple before, and the dumb bastard imprisoned her. Shit! Now we have to deal with the aftermath...'

[Help them?](Iosef)

"Yes. She called them her children, and they welcomed her like a... mother."

Yes, he already knew who Lilith was. But this Monk didn't. Nor that she was already walking the Sanctuary, putting her plans into motion.

Knowing her name when it's not common knowledge to a Monk in Inarius' faction sounded like suicide. It was better to play dumb and not take sides. Or maybe play both sides instead of staying on the fence...

[Mother... no... it cannot be! I must report to the Cathedral!](Iosef)

Seeing the man's reaction, Michael patted himself on the shoulder for dodging a bullet. Just like in every novel he read, the staunch believers of certain religions were crazed to the point where they would attack their 'enemies' without asking any questions or listening to reason.

Such dangerous bastards... he didn't want to get involved with them.

[Listen. There is a hermit to the northeast. He is a man of questionable loyalty but knows of the forbidden. He might be helpful to us.](Iosef)

'This motherfucker! Since where is there an 'us'? Go back to your damned Cathedral and leave me alone!!!'

[Bring him to the Cathedral in Kyovashad, and you'll be in Light's favor.](Iosef)

Michael's face scrunched up at the veiled threat, but the Sanctuary acted before he could.

[ Quest Completed - 'Prayers for Salvation'

Reward 1: 440 experience points

Reward 2: 240 gold coins. ]

[ New Quest issued - In Search for Answers

Description: Find the hermit's cabin. ]

Pissed off, he nodded at the Monk in acquiescence. The latter grabbed a horse from fuck knows where and departed, presumably for Kyovashad.