Skipping over Sampo's group beating, who would've thought Cocolia could spin such a tale? What a waste not joining the Church as a master storyteller.
Hmm… it could be Aha pulling the strings, or maybe the Stellaron Core.
Initially, Adrian leaned toward the latter.
But now, he figured it was both—because he needed a solid excuse to teach Aha a lesson.
At the end of the day, THEY were obstructing his plans.
Adrian didn't want this place turning into another tavern. If anything, it should be a Church outpost.
"Calling us villains of [Eternity]? Just a misunderstanding. Clear it up, and we're good."
March 7th nodded. They'd found their guy, so why stick around? "Let's head back. She's probably still lying in Miss Natasha's clinic, and that jerk Sampo's there too!"
After helping Adrian with the match, Silver Wolf took off. The four returned to the clinic, greeted by a familiar scene: Natasha still bandaging Sampo.
"Huh? It's been this long, and you're still not done? Where's Bronya?"
"Ow~ Ouch, ouch! You guys have no idea what happened. That guard girl woke up, saw this was a clinic, and gave ol' Sampo another beating."
Sampo grimaced. In a short time, he'd taken two thrashings. The glow of the [Elation] Aeon didn't shine on him—instead, he saw [Abundance] Yaoshi and [Preservation] Qlipoth waving at him.
Taking a beating without fighting back… selfless devotion, a spirit of sacrifice. Yet this guy walked the Path of [Elation]. What a pity.
"Friend, I respect your spirit! That's the future Great Guardian you took a hit from—not a bad deal!" Stelle whipped out her phone, snapping the moment.
Dan Heng cut to the chase: "Take us to [Wildfire]."
At the clinic, he'd specifically asked Natasha about [Wildfire], learning it was a volunteer militia, like the underground's version of the Silvermane Guards.
They carried out the duties the Silvermane Guards once held, maintaining safety and order in the lower district while fighting for survival space against the Fragmentum's corrosion.
Over a decade ago, the Silvermane Guards withdrew from the lower district. Now, they needed to find Bronya before she ran wild from the upper district.
To get more key info about the lower district, they had to meet [Wildfire].
"Seriously, Dan Heng, look at the state I'm in… no credit, but at least some effort, right?"
"Sigh~ 'Sampo never lets friends who've helped him take a loss.' Who said that?"
Stelle mimicked his tone, while March 7th put her hands on her hips. "You brought this on yourself."
"Take off the bandages. Think you can fool the eyes of [Eternity]?"
Adrian stepped up to Sampo, ripping off the bandages. As expected, the guy was faking it—his wounds had long healed.
The atmosphere turned awkward again. Natasha smiled at Sampo, speaking first:
"Sampo Koski, this time… you'd better bring me some medicine, got it?"
"Wow… you really can't be trusted at all!"
"Don't say that, Miss March. I've got feelings too. I'm tough as nails, can take a beating." Sampo explained.
Say what you will, Sampo had faced an [Eternity] Emanator head-on, and the Express crew didn't go all out. He was fine.
Sampo's sharp mind whirred. "To show my apologies, I'll take you to meet [Wildfire]. How's that sound?"
"Lead the way."
…
Far beyond the starry abyss, the Grand Cathedral of Eternity.
A man in a black-and-white robe closed his book, praying to the massive statue before him.
Up close, his fluffy, slightly curled golden hair was laced with honeyed streaks, like wheat baked in summer's glow.
His jade-green eyes were translucent emeralds in backlight, turning to ghostly fireflies in shadow. His fluttering lashes scattered light like ancient stars trapped in amber.
A silver cross in the shape of "∞" hung at his neck, marking his identity—Church Bishop.
"Adr… ahem, Lord Ite, your humble follower reports on the Church's recent affairs."
"The Church thrives today. We warmly welcome every traveler visiting to experience our hot springs! Sadly, some don't appreciate our kindness."
"My heart aches—I've not been excellent enough! I confess to YOU! Please forgive my sins. I'll copy The Book of Eternal Virtues eight hundred times!"
"Allow me to praise YOU again… great Aeon of [Eternity]!"
Knock, knock, knock!
As the heavy wooden door swung open, the man snapped back to normal at superhuman speed, sitting regally on his throne, awaiting his guest.
"Mr. Blake, good evening."
A girl in priestess robes approached with a dining table. "Here's tonight's dinner. Enjoy your meal."
Blake speared a piece of steak and took a bite.
"Mmm… as delicious as ever. Worthy of a proxy priestess. This cooking's leagues above a certain elf."
"Haha, don't tease Lady Freesna. She travels the cosmos daily to spread Eternity's name. I became a priestess—proxy, sure, but I want to be like her."
"Well said. You've clearly memorized the doctrines."
The proxy priestess referenced the Third Doctrine of Eternity:
The Church is one family, living in this beautiful world… Lord Ite's followers must help each other. With love, what's a machine?
"Mr. Blake, the intelligence division detected faint [Destruction] energy fluctuations on the Xianzhou Luofu. It's too far to confirm."
"The fleet blessed by the [Hunt]'s Lan—how could it be bothered by those lowly grunts?"
Blake analyzed the situation. [Destruction]'s forces, no matter how foolish, wouldn't directly invade the Xianzhou—unless they allied with the Abundance's folk.
If that were true, he'd have to join the fun on the Luofu.
If you mess with [Destruction], Blake's gotta show up to back the scene.
The two Aeons got along well, but despite sending friendly diplomatic overtures to the Xianzhou, Blake had received no reply after several Amber Eras.
Maybe their interstellar network was spotty. Understandable.
"Sigh~ Any news on Freesna?"
Talking about the Anti-Matter Legion was ruining his good mood. Blake switched topics.
"None." The priestess lowered her head, disappointed. She too longed to meet the legendary High Priestess.
Since she gained awareness, her father told her tales of the Church's Priestess.
This founding Priestess, Freesna, was found by the Aeon of [Eternity] on a planet ravaged by the Swarm Disaster. The details were lost, but she later established the Church, authoring the widely spread doctrines.
The charm of her words was dazzling, so Bishop Blake kindly translated them into language people could understand.
Centuries flashed by, and the legendary Priestess made a grand decision.
She became a cosmic traveler, spreading the Aeon of [Eternity]'s name across the universe.
Her legends lingered in countless places—like the Grammer Starfield, where she descended like an angel before knights resisting the Swarm, effortlessly shattering the insect hordes from deep space.
Some even claimed she was the Aeon of [Eternity]'s incarnation.
"Sadly, her only trace was that battle with the Annihilation Lord. No news since."
"But good news! Last night, we detected another Legion signal."
Hearing this, Blake narrowed his eyes. "Good. At dawn tomorrow… we move out."
"Huh? Dealing with the Legion's scum is enough for us—why trouble you personally?" The priestess stepped in front of Blake.
"Devout priestess, on this… you haven't grasped Freesna's essence."
"Come, recite Doctrine Eight loudly."
The priestess stepped back. "Exterminate the Legion… pummel [Destruction]."