Chapter 815 — The Second Layer

Magnum's eyes flew open. The scene before him shook wildly and reassembled itself, until at last it gradually resolved into the familiar furnishings of his room.

The next second he sprang violently up from the magic array layered with defensive spells, nearly losing his footing and crashing to the floor; only after catching hold of a nearby pillar did he begin retching, dizzy, disoriented, and utterly miserable.

This dreadful state lasted a full half minute before the powerful Sleeper, the Radiant Bishop, finally caught his breath. Cursing under his breath, he adjusted his condition and glanced back over his shoulder.

Behind him, the magic array that had been layered with so many protective spells was now more than half dimmed; nearly all the runes of mental protection had melted and gone dark.

Magnum drew a sharp breath and muttered through his lingering dread: "The power of an Outrealm Wanderer... is his idea of 'a bit uncomfortable' not quite the same as ours humans'..."

Then he steadied himself and turned to look at the entrance of this sealed chamber.

There was nothing unusual outside; what he saw through the mind's eye was perfectly normal as well.

But that did not set his mind at ease. He expanded his range of perception instead, and only after confirming that the entire bishopric showed no anomalies did he step to the door and push it open.

Almost at the same moment, another door not far down the opposite side of the corridor swung open, and Yuri Charwen, his face somewhat pale, appeared before Magnum.

"Magnum," Yuri glanced his way and shook his head with a bitter smile, "I suspect the Outrealm Wanderer's idea of 'a bit uncomfortable' is not quite the same as we humans'..."

"Just now I nearly thought I was already dead," Magnum said, frowning and shaking his head. "How are things on your end?"

"Not too bad," Yuri nodded. "We had best find Semler, the Radiant Bishop in charge of temple affairs, quickly. Let us hope the Upper Narrator's infiltration has not yet opened an irreversible passage."

Magnum nodded, and the two of them hurried toward the central region of the temple. As they walked, Magnum grumbled: "The situation is rotten... For today's operation we shut down many ports of the mind network, and to maintain computing power under such conditions, many bishops and Radiant Bishops originally scattered across the regions have returned to the Orandell area... If a leak were to appear among us, the consequences would be unthinkable."

"Think of the bright side," Yuri shook his head. "If a leak really did appear among us, at least it would be contained within this underground palace. All we would have to do is blow the upper dome and collapse it, and none of the problems would reach the surface."

"...Your optimism is beyond my comprehension more often than not."

Magnum muttered, and almost at that very moment a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the corridor ahead, making both Order Bishops halt in their tracks.

Yuri instantly pressed a hand to the grimoire at his waist, while Magnum raised his arm slightly, ready to cast a spell.

This was the Sleeper headquarters, the base most familiar to them, the place that for many years every Sleeper had believed safest of all.

But tonight, it was no longer so.

The footsteps drew nearer and nearer, and at last familiar figures appeared before Yuri and Magnum.

It was Semler, the Radiant Bishop, wrapped in a black robe, his air somber and severe, his thinning hair threaded with strands of gray—the man in charge of the underground palace tonight.

And behind the Order Bishop followed several fully armed high-ranking priests, along with more than a dozen "Spirit Knights" clad in heavy armor and wielding "Nightmare Cleaver" war blades.

Such a fully armed posture was hardly what a normal patrol should look like.

The two sides, meeting so abruptly, came to a halt almost in unison, and the priests—fellow kinsmen until moments ago—were for a time shrouded in tension.

"Yuri, Magnum," Semler stared at the two before him, "weren't you sent into the sandbox on a mission?"

"The Outrealm Wanderer sent us out to give warning—an undetected infiltration may exist in the real world," Magnum said in a low voice. "Semler, what is the situation on your side?"

On hearing Magnum's words, Semler the Radiant Bishop visibly relaxed, though his brow remained tightly knit: "I fear your warning came a little late... something has already gone wrong."

Yuri's eyes went wide: "Something has gone wrong!?"

"Contamination has appeared in the containment zone; some Spirit Knights have already been taken under control. Bishop Wendy risked her life to break out and sound the alarm, and afterward the doctrinal zone, the wine cellars, and the lower priest quarters all fell into varying degrees of chaos," Semler said rapidly. "We are now intercepting the contaminated priests in every district; I am leading a patrol of the temple's middle level."

The situation seemed to be laid out clearly enough in short order, yet the wary, guarded look on Magnum's face did not change in the slightest.

"That does not rule out suspicion on you, and I hope you understand, Semler," he said, his eyes fixed on the man not far ahead. "Though we are friends, I must suspect everyone now."

"We all need to prove our innocence, Magnum." Semler nodded too, showing he understood perfectly.

"I have a suggestion, quicker than any divine art," Magnum raised one hand and said gravely, "Now repeat after me:

"The Upper Narrator is a son of a bitch."

Beside him Yuri's eyes went wide at once, and after the shock he looked at Magnum with disdain: "Utterly vulgar!"

"Vulgar but effective," Magnum glanced at Yuri. "I once served as a war god's priest and was ordered to root out heretical faiths. I know how to quickly tell a devout believer—especially those converted through mental contamination. They cannot control their words and deeds with reason, so...

"Everyone with me, repeat after me..."

(End of this chapter)