Chapter 764 — The Mysterious Church

Selena gently swayed the lantern in her hand; the mysterious, elegantly patterned lamp gave off a white glow that calmed the mind. By its light, she drew close to the church doors and carefully studied the patterns carved into that antique wooden door, as well as the designs on the walls to either side of it.

A look of curiosity crossed Gao Yang's face, and Daniel stepped forward to ask: "Yaozhen Selena, what are you looking for?"

"Sacred signs," Selina answered calmly. "This is a church, so sacred signs ought to be present—signs that mark which deity it is that this place worships. Perhaps through them we can work out where Sandbox One's contamination actually came from."

Gao Yang understood Selina's intentions in an instant, and gleaned a new piece of intelligence as well. So the Sleepers had never figured out which deity it was that had contaminated Sandbox One!

He could not help but grow curious himself, and began examining the patterns and symbols on the gate and walls alongside Selina.

By design, Sandbox One was supposed to be a "world" in which no deities existed; the minds that entered the sandbox had undergone strict adjustment and memory erasure, ensuring that no one retained any memory of deities or conceived any notion of worshipping them. In theory, then, a "church" was something that could not possibly exist within Sandbox One.

In other words, so long as a church or any other such "sacred element" appeared in a projection leaked from Sandbox One, it was certain to be connected to the sandbox's contamination by a deity!

Yet after a thorough examination, neither he nor Selina saw any sacred emblem that matched their memories.

They found only a mural on the wall at the side of the church, depicting a palm that covered the sky, and beneath that palm, the earth.

This same mural also appeared on the wall of every house in the little town.

Gao Yang could not help but frown. Could it be that this image was in fact the "sacred symbol," the religious emblem of the town's "residents"?

While he was pondering, Selina and the others had finished surveying the exterior of the small church, and after some discussion they decided to enter.

Gao Yang had no choice but to set his questions aside for the moment and follow Daniel and the others at a stride.

They pushed open the door, which had been left ajar, yet the wooden door, which looked to be some years old, made no sound at all. Daniel followed Selina and Yuri into the church, hearing only a few footfalls echoing in his ears.

The old mage lifted his head, saw the "Outlander" close beside him, strolling through the dim church as though on a casual walk, and relaxed slightly.

Several masked high-ranking priests walked to either side of the Three Luminaries Order, some lighting illumination spells, others invoking mental protection magic. Through the hazy, flickering light and shadow, the scene within the church came into view.

Rows of empty pews filled the not particularly large church; the old wooden floor was slightly pitted and uneven. At the far end before the pews stood a platform one step above the floor, on which was set a wooden lectern for reading sacred texts. Beside the lectern stood a black lamp pillar, and on it a candle that seemed on the verge of guttering out burned quietly, illuminating a very small area around the pulpit.

And in that wavering candlelight, Daniel and the others suddenly saw a figure robed in grayish-white kneeling before the pulpit, as though praying in silence.

Because the light was so dim, no one had noticed until now that a figure resembling a priest was kneeling there!

Everyone raised their guard at once. Pale golden runes of light shimmered into being beside the Youyao Balanced Order priest; in Daniel's hand a staff of archaic design materialized; and the masked Sleeper priests either drew out staffs, produced orbs, silently prepared incantations, or opened spellbooks inscribed with recording magic. Though what lay in their sight was only a solitary-looking figure at prayer, in this eerie "overflow projection" all of them treated it as a mortal foe.

Yet with the necessary caution and restraint, no one rushed to attack.

Selina gestured for the others to stay alert, then, lantern in hand, slowly walked toward the figure kneeling before the pulpit.

The other only reacted when Selina had come within a few paces; the grayish-white robe shifted, and the praying figure slowly rose to its feet. With everyone's nerves drawn taut, the figure turned its head and saw the uninvited guests who had entered the church.

He was an ordinary-looking old man with a kindly countenance, his hair and beard all white, his face creased with wrinkles. As though unaware of the tense atmosphere around him, he smiled with a touch of surprise and a touch of delight. "Ah, so there are guests. On a day when the bell rings, visitors are hardly common in this church."

"A mind suspected to be communicative," said the Youyao Balanced Order priest, golden runes summoned about him, from a position slightly to the rear of the Sleeper squad, muttering as though to himself. "Suspend the reset process."

Gao Ji glanced indifferently at Yuri.

On the other side, Selina stood calmly before the gray-robed old man, the lantern in her hand shedding a soft, immersive glow, and asked in the most natural of tones, "What church is this?"

The old man in gray seemed to falter for a moment, then spoke: "Why, of course... a church that enshrines a deity..."

Selina frowned. "A deity? Which deity?"

The old man's eyes grew more bewildered still, as though the very asking of such a question greatly violated his worldview; but after a brief hesitation he slowly answered:

"The deity... is of course... the Upper Narrator..."