Chapter 481 - 102: The Dragon
After leaving the research institute, Murphy headed toward the other end of the Holy City.
He passed through the solemn, magnificent complex of the Church Court, eventually arriving before a great hall constructed entirely of pure white marble.
This was the Holy Temple Research Institute, located next to the Sanctuary.
The earth-shattering explosion and battle from a decade ago had left no trace upon it. Its walls were as pristine as new, the bas-reliefs intact and distinct.
The Temple Knights guarding either side of the main gate were clad in silver-gray Armor, their adornments subtly different from those of other Church Court units.
When they saw Murphy approach, they executed a perfect Knight’s salute. Their movements were crisp and decisive, their gazes calm. They showed the respect due to a powerful figure but lacked the almost instinctual awe and excitement of Knights from elsewhere.
Murphy gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, his stride unbroken as he walked straight through the heavy, arched stone gate and into the great hall.
Inside, the dome was high and expansive. Stained-glass windows filtered in a colorful yet solemn light, and the faint scent of incense permeated the air.
Several researchers in simple white robes were conversing in low tones. Upon seeing Murphy, they too paused their movements and bowed slightly in salute.
Their demeanor was identical to that of the Knights outside.
Their courtesy was perfect and unimpeachable, yet they maintained a certain distance, as if Murphy were merely a visiting guest of special status.
Murphy ignored this, merely pausing for a moment in the center of the hall.
The next moment, the surrounding scenery rippled like the surface of water.
The white marble pillars, the painted dome, the whispering researchers... everything blurred and vanished in an instant.
When the space settled once more,
Murphy found himself in another spacious, brightly lit room.
The room was stark white and unadorned, with only a pure column of light in the center, stretching from floor to ceiling.
Within the pillar of light floated an enormous Rhombus Crystal. It was immense, the size of a small house, and surrounded by a flowing radiance that seemed almost tangible.
Countless specks of Dimensional Energy, varying in color and form, streamed in from all directions. Like a flock of stars returning to their nest, they silently merged into the massive crystal, becoming part of its eternal glow.
A distant, ancient, and magnificent voice, one that seemed to resound directly in the depths of the soul, emanated from the crystal:
"Holy Sword, what brings you here again?"
Murphy gazed at the crystal, his voice placid and devoid of emotion. "My Elementalization process may be spinning out of control."
"Out of control?" The ancient voice carried an eternal indifference. "You need not inform me. This is the Path you have chosen, and the price you must bear. Power and risk have always been intertwined."
"And what if this loss of control is not a natural process, but the result of outside interference?" Murphy’s gaze sharpened, as if it could pierce the brilliant light. "From the Balance Keepers, for example?"
A month ago, after returning to the Holy City from Taymer Palace, Murphy had used every conceivable method to check himself, all to no avail.
He was not one to sit idly by and await his doom. He immediately traveled north via Sword Control, crossing nearly two thousand kilometers in an instant to reach Blackstone Fortress and find the Ironspine Duke.
In response to Murphy’s questions, the Ironspine Duke’s reply was direct. "The Balance Keepers are a collective pursuing their own mission, not a specific individual. They act according to their own logic and purpose, doing only what they believe must be done."
Naturally, Murphy didn’t accept this perfunctory explanation. The thought of extracting the information by force even crossed his mind.
However, just as his aura stirred, the image of the Ironspine Duke before him wavered like a reflection on water, quickly fading into a residual phantom.
From within the phantom, the Ironspine Duke’s voice remained steady. "Take care of Annie, and... her son."
Upon hearing this, Murphy gave a cold laugh. In a flash, he vanished from Blackstone Fortress.
At these words, the Rhombus Crystal’s light pulsed slightly. The ancient voice spoke again, still unperturbed. "However you may scheme and struggle against the Balance Keepers, as long as dominion over this Continent does not fall into the hands of the Wizards, and the world remains under the order of the Church Court, then to me, it is an acceptable state of affairs."
"The First Pope founded the Church Court and left behind the Morning Star Bell with the ideal of protecting all living beings," Murphy said gravely.
"Protect all living beings?" The ancient voice seemed to let out a soft chuckle, one laden with the weary indifference of countless ages. "Creatures propagate like weeds. So long as the foundation remains and the species is not extinguished, it is enough. Over thousands of years, you humans have waged endless war amongst yourselves. Have not billions perished in the fires of battle, famine, and plague? Has the turning of this world ever hesitated for even a moment on account of those who have passed?"
Murphy fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "So you’re saying that as long as the Continent remains under the Church Court’s control on the surface, it doesn’t matter what undercurrents surge beneath, or how individual fates are toppled. In your eyes, it is all inconsequential."
"An individual’s fate is but a fleeting ripple in the river of time. I am concerned with the river’s course, not the shape of any single splash within it." The ancient voice gave its final reply. "Your Path is your own to seek. My mission is to maintain the balance of this world’s Origin and order, and ensure it is not utterly corrupted by the Wizards. The rest is neither my desire nor within my power to overly interfere."
With nothing more to be said, Murphy fell silent, giving the massive crystal suspended in the pillar of light one last, deep look.
Then, space rippled once more, and his figure vanished as silently as it had appeared.
...
The pure white room fell silent once more. The crystal rotated silently, continuing to absorb the endless Dimensional Energy.
However, the quiet did not last long.
About thirty seconds after Murphy’s departure, the space on the other side of the room rippled as well.
Where the ripples spread, a graceful figure materialized out of thin air.
She was a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She was tall and statuesque, dressed in a daringly cut, deep purple gown. A mane of Crimson hair, like leaping flames, was draped casually over her shoulders. Her skin was fair to the point of being translucent, and her features were so striking as to be almost aggressive. This was especially true of her eyes, which swirled with a golden-red light, as if molten lava flowed within them whenever she glanced around.
The moment she appeared, she walked straight up to the pillar of light and unceremoniously reached out. Her long, fair fingers passed directly through the seemingly solid radiance and gently poked the surface of the massive crystal floating within.
"Little Dragon," her voice carried a lazy, teasing lilt. "Stop acting so profound. He’s gone now."
"Witch," the ancient, magnificent voice rang out again, but this time it was clearly tinged with impatience and disdain. "Get your filthy hand off me."
"I won’t. I just won’t." Not only did the red-haired woman not withdraw her hand, she doubled down, tracing her fingertip across the crystal’s smooth surface, creating a faint, grating sound like nails on a chalkboard. "Besides, that voice of yours is awful. So old and pompous. Change it. I remember you have lots of different voices, don’t you? C’mon, switch to a cuter, clearer one."
The crystal’s light flickered violently a few times.
Immediately after, a faint CRACKLE, like a shorting circuit, was heard as a series of tiny, multicolored sparks erupted from the crystal’s surface.
Then, a new voice—completely different from before, high-pitched, bright, and audibly exasperated—rang out:
"Dragon Witch! Are you crazy?! Did you really need to use an Imperial Decree just for a voice?!"
The Dragon Witch, far from being annoyed, giggled. Her laughter was like tinkling wind chimes, laced with a hint of cunning. "Little Dragon, why not? An Imperial Decree is the kind of thing that just gathers dust if you don’t use it. See? This voice is so much better. It just puts you in a good mood to hear it."
"Damn you!" the childish voice seethed, so angry that the crystal flashed several more times. "Why didn’t you enter the Sanctuary twenty years ago?! Wouldn’t it have been nice to be locked up in there with all those other old antiques?! You just had to stay out here and torment me!"
"Oh, you can’t say that." The Dragon Witch withdrew her hand, crossed her arms, and studied the crystal with amusement. "Isn’t the greatest ’legacy’ left by my ancestor right here? Why would I go in there and have a staring contest with that lot? It’s much more fun to stay out here and ’take care’ of you."
"I’m not a legacy!" the childish voice protested, with a note of offended grievance. "I just... I just signed a contract with Eva! But that wretched Eva! She tricked me! It was supposed to be a temporary residence and an Energy supply, but what happened instead? She left me with this whole mess, and all those ridiculous mission clauses..."
"There, there, don’t be angry. It all happened thousands of years ago." The Dragon Witch waved a hand dismissively, her tone like she was placating a sulking child. "My ancestor turned to dust long ago; she can’t hear you complaining. Speaking of which..."
Her tone shifted as her golden-red eyes narrowed, peering deep into the crystal. "Are you really just going to let that Holy Sword continue his Elementalization? He doesn’t seem to be in a good state."
The childish voice replied curtly, "Of course I am. What’s it to me?"
The Dragon Witch gave a soft laugh. "I don’t think he’ll be so compliant. He’s not the type to just accept his fate."
"And so what if he doesn’t? It’ll just be a major upheaval at worst." The childish voice sneered with a condescending indifference. "The rules of the Old Realm are what they are. The further his Elementalization progresses, the greater the rejection and restriction he’ll face, until he can no longer exist here. These are the Laws of Heaven and Earth, not something that can be defied by mortal strength. No matter what a fuss he makes, what can he possibly do?"
"What I mean is," the Dragon Witch leaned forward, lowering her voice with a playful glint in her eye, "you might be in trouble, Little Dragon. You made an enemy of him by not helping today."
"Me? In trouble?" The childish voice sounded as if it had heard the joke of the century, and the crystal’s light pulsed brightly. "Are you kidding me? Dragon Witch, have you been out in the mortal world so long your brain has been addled by their stench? Even if he fully completes his Elementalization and glimpses the Dawn, what could he possibly do to me?"
It paused, its tone suddenly growing suspicious. "Hey, you’ve said so much... you haven’t taken some kind of bribe from that Holy Sword to come plead his case, have you? You’ve been working for him for the last ten years. Don’t tell me you’ve been swayed to his side."
"I’m not that bored." The Dragon Witch straightened up and stretched lazily, the deep purple gown doing nothing to hide her perfect curves. "Plead his case? I’m not one of those old men from the Church Court who only think about living forever. I just have a simple feeling... that something very, very interesting is about to happen. After all, when a powerful expert with terrifying strength is backed into a corner, there’s no telling what they’ll do. Isn’t that something worth looking forward to?"
"I think you’re the one who’s truly bored, just looking to stir up trouble," the childish voice concluded grumpily as its light returned to a steady, gentle flow. "Now, if you’re done, get going. Don’t disturb my absorption of Dimensional Energy. Maintaining a shell this big is exhausting."
The Dragon Witch made a cheeky face at the crystal. Without any perceptible movement, her form began to fade slowly, like a watercolor painting dissolving into the air.
"’Rest’ well, Little Dragon. I hope you’re still this relaxed the next time we meet."
Her figure vanished completely, leaving only the echo of her amused voice to drift through the pure white room.
"Hmph! Dragon Witch..."
After an unknown amount of time,
the childish voice suddenly whispered again, revealing an almost imperceptible trace of sorrow that stretched across the long ages:
"Eva..."