by Zhuang Bifan
It was slightly different from what Lin Li had imagined. At this moment, Pope Rosario of the Brilliance Shrine didn't seem as feeble as the sick did, even though he had just suffered a huge relapse. Instead, his face was rather rosy, and he seemed just like a kind old man in his fifties.
"Your Holiness, this is the President of the Breezy Plains Guild of Magic, Master Felic," Englos introduced after saluting respectfully.
"Oh." Rosario glanced at Lin Li gently, and there was a tinge of admiration in his indifferent gaze. He then nodded slightly, and said, "Mage Felic, you're really a young and promising talent. It's no wonder that the Tower of Dusk has managed to develop so rapidly. Englos is in awe of your attainments in pharmaceutics, and he hopes that you will dissolve the Viper's poison in my body. If you have any requests, feel free to let me know."
Although Rosario was the pope of the Brilliance Shrine, and held a high status that no one in Anril could rival, he didn't seem to be putting on any airs when speaking to Lin Li at this moment, and his words were also simple and straightforward as if he were just having a casual chat with his junior. He didn't beat around the bush like most higher-ups did, either.
Rosario's attitude made Lin Li feel good about him. After all, this matter was an agreement that they had made previously, and neither of them was requesting a favor from the other party. Regardless of their attitude, the agreement would definitely be fulfilled. Besides, no matter how high Lin Li was standing, the Brilliance Shrine was still a massive entity that Lin Li looked up to, and it would be normal for them to even be arrogant. Since he was just fulfilling an agreement, he wouldn't hold it against them, either.
"Don't worry, Your Holiness, please rest assured that I am certain about this since I've gained some experience in the Haiga Mountain Range. However, for safety reasons, I also need to know some details from you. That would make it easier for me to make a more accurate judgment when giving you the antidote." As Rosario's attitude left Lin Li with no intentions to reap any benefits, he simply expressed his confidence.
After making some detailed inquiries, Lin Li also had a clearer understanding of Rosario's physical condition and the Viper's poison that had been in his body for so many years. The Viper's poison was rather cunning, and if the antidote failed this time, Lin Li would probably no longer be able to come up with other effective antidotes. Hence, for the sake of making sure that there were no mistakes, Lin Li did not immediately start the detoxification, and instead told Rosario and Englos that he needed more time to come up with a perfect plan.
After all, Lin Li and Archbishop Martin had flown all the way there without stopping to take a break. Although Lin Li wasn't exhausted at all with his current power, and he didn't need to draft any plans at all, Rosario definitely wouldn't let him start the detoxification immediately out of courtesy. Anyway, the poison had already been bothering him for numerous years, and he couldn't care about waiting one or two more days. Hence, after finishing the conversation, he asked Englos to take Lin Li to the resting area.
As soon as Lin Li and Englos walked out of the room, the big shots of the Brilliance Shrine waiting outside immediately surrounded them. In the Brilliance Shrine, Pope Rosario was put on a pedestal, and if anything were to happen to him, it would be akin to the collapse of the Brilliance Shrine. Although they did not directly ask if Lin Li could make the cut or not, it was obvious that that was what they meant as their intentions showed in their gazes.
"Okay, everyone, stop crowding around. Master Felic still needs to formulate a specific plan for the detoxification process. His Holiness has told me to arrange for Master Felic to get some rest. What are you guys doing by blocking the way here?" said Englos who was feeling extremely agitated, though he remained composed on the surface.
Although Englos did not explicitly mention if Lin Li could make the cut, the fact that the latter was going to draw up a plan for detoxification meant that there was still some hope. When everyone heard his words, there was immense joy on their faces, but of course, they also felt rather worried. After all, the safety of the pope was extremely important for the Brilliance Shrine, and they couldn't afford to make any mistakes.
Lin Li followed Englos to the resting room, which was not in the Dawn Cathedral, but in a building located below near the cathedral. It was allegedly the place where the king of the Ledin Kingdom stayed when he came to see the pope. Although Englos wanted to ask Lin Li for some pointers about pharmaceutics, he knew that it wasn't the time to do so now. Hence, he left after arranging everything.
Rest was optional for Lin Li. Although he had used his Power of Flight to fly all the way here, the depletion of energy was nothing to a Legendary-mage like him. Hence, after Lin Li sent Englos back to the room, he immediately began to think of the plan to give the pope the antidote. He didn't want to spend too much time there, and wanted to fulfill the agreement as soon as possible so that he could go to the Darkness Shrine sooner. He knew that although the messenger Jyker didn't mention in detail what the matter was, it was definitely important because Jyker said so.
When he asked Rosario about the details, Lin Li had in fact already formed a plan in his head, but he felt that he had to perfect it before execution. In Lin Li's opinion, the first thing he had to do was to let Rosario nurse his body—not back to health, but make it worse through some means.
Rosario's biggest problem now was that his physical state was too good for the detoxification. After all, he was a powerhouse of the Sanctuary-realm, and his body did not break down much even though he had been tortured by the Viper's poison for so many years. That could also be because of his Sanctuary power.
Chapter 763 - From Friend to Foe
After handing the Domain Robe to Lin Li, Nefa gazed at Rogge who was in the process of recovery. He sat down and said to Lin Li, "Having trapped here by Geresco for a few thousand years made me think that I will be enemies with all humans. I wouldn't have thought that we would be comrades against my own kind. But, you impressed me with your performance for your age. If I am not wrong, I sensed the abyssal force earlier on. I know that that is used by the ancient deities."
"What was the situation then? I suppose for his powers, Geresco did not have to use any deception to seal you here. I heard that when you were defeated by Geresco, it was Tutankhamun who pleaded with him to spare your life," Lin Li responded without continuing the topic about the abyssal force. He was only curious, and did not intend to expose Nefa's emotional wounds. He knew that Nefa would not weave a weak lie in front of Rogge out of his ego. The same matter could be interpreted differently by different people from different angles. Hence, Lin Li only wanted to know more.
Of course, Lin Li's question was extremely straightforward. It was no different from exposing Nefa's scars. Nefa could only shake his head and smile bitterly. He glanced at Rogge who was meditating and said, "I suppose you heard that from Rogge? That's right, I have to admit that I wasn't a match for Geresco. I was really defeated then. But, it wouldn't be easy for Geresco to kill me. After all, the situation then was different than the battle earlier. If I wanted to escape, no one would be able to stop me.
"At that time, I wasn't aware that I was Geresco's target. I thought he was a friend of my brother. When he saw me and my younger brother, we were having a fight. I thought that it was normal for him to interfere to help by brother fight me. Hence, after being defeated by Geresco, I did not think of escaping immediately. Geresco probably knew that he would have to work through more hassle if I were to escape. So, he requested to strike a deal with me."
"And then you agreed to it?" Lin Li asked skeptically. He was really doubting Nefa's intelligence. How could somebody incharge of the Laws of Evilness be so gullible?
"I had no choice; I couldn't reject Geresco's offer. And, I did not expect him to be like my brother after he destroyed the Tree of Eternity. He was also against the idea of me becoming the new Dragon of Destruction," Nefa said with a slight sense of indignant. He was still unable to accept how
there could be such a powerful human in the species he deemed as vulnerable and weak. He was unable to accept his inability to reach the peak despite being the descendant of the Dragon of Destruction.
"What was the offer that hindered your ability to reason logically?" Lin Li inquired curiously.
"He said that there was a huge crack at the Night Canyon that needed a powerhouse in the Sanctuary-realm to suppress the violent energy. As long as I promise to help with that, he would tell me more information related to the Dragon of Destruction, especially the truth of the battle that happened between the Dragon of Destruction and Immortal King," said Nefa as he glanced at Rogge unhappily. It was obvious that Rogge had used the same tactic to implicate him.
Nefa could only feel indignant that he fell for the same trick twice despite being the master of the Laws of Evilness. He couldn't help but acknowledge that his weakness made him really prone to such exploitation. Although he knew that it was impossible, that didn't stop him from trying it out just for his dream. Now that they had overcome the crisis, Nefa only hoped that Rogge's knowledge would be beneficial to himself.
"I don't get it. Does this really matter to you? Don't you already know the key information about the Dragon of Destruction?" Lin Li asked curiously after hearing Nefa's complaint. Was knowledge of the battle that happened between the Dragon of Destruction and Immortal King really important for Nefa?
"Imagine if there is someone who forbids you from progressing into the Sanctuary-realm, and he even threatens that he will kill you if you do. Do you proceed with the advancement knowing that you wouldn't be his match? Or would you want to clarify his reasons before doing anything?
"Before being tricked by Geresco to come to this place, I only wanted to know how to deal with my younger brother. I wanted to know Immortal King's intention of sending my brother against me. After wrestling with Geresco, I finally understood that becoming the Dragon of Destruction would not be as easy as what I previously imagined it to be."
In fact, Nefa knew how to become the new Dragon of Destruction very long ago. There was a high chance that Azardas' remains was guarded by his younger brother Tutankhamun would play a crucial role in helping himself become the Dragon of Destruction. But, as Nefa got the answer to this question, new questions arose.
According to what was already known, Immortal King killed the Dragon of Destruction as he wanted to destroy the Tree of Eternity. But, Nefa was not entirely convinced by this saying. It would be more reasonable to say that Tutankhamun was employed by Immortal King to guard the remains of the Dragon of Destruction out of the intention to protect the Tree of Eternity. Nefa just could not understand why Geresco, the man who destroyed the Tree of Eternity, would want to prevent the rise of the new Dragon of Destruction.
If Nefa could not solve this mystery, he would not dare to take the next step even if the remains of the Dragon of Destruction were laid before him. Hence, the battle that ended the life of the former Dragon of Destruction was of great importance to him. He felt that understanding the battle will help him know the true motives of the Immortal King. That would help him make a more informed decision on what to do next.
Although Lin Li did not really like Nefa, he could not help but feel sympathetic towards Nefa's fate. His d.e.s.i.r.e to become the Dragon of Destruction was met with resistance from Immortal King and Geresco, the two deity-like powerhouses of Anril. That was a kin to cutting off the possibility for Nefa to progress further. This might mean nothing to a normal man. But, to somebody with great ambitions, it was definitely the greatest tragedy.
"I see, seems like that is really of great importance to you. It was no wonder that it got you fooled. But, haven't you considered the date of Geresco's birth and that of the fall of the Dragon of Destruction? Do you believe that he would know the details of the battle that had no other witness?" asked Lin Li. He was certain that Nefa would have thought of this issue. Nefa's persistence got him curious.
"At the start, I definitely did not believe him. But, he did the same thing as old Rogge. He revealed minute information about that battle. ALthough it was not any crucial one, it was a proof of his knowledge," said Nefa as he turned to look at Rogge. The though of his desperate encounter with the Flame Dragon, Lothar, made him indignant again. "Old Rogge, you have been resting for such a long time. I guess your injuries are no big deal now. Do not forget that I was at the front-line with Lothar just now. It is time to reveal what you knew about that battle."
"I did not expect that you'd be on my side then. That wasn't the Nefa I knew," continued Rogge with his eyes closed. Although his tone was riddled with sarcasm, it did not seem like it was out of bad intention.
Frankly speaking, Rogge was astonished when he saw the huge dragon body before him. Although it was partly because of the deal between the both of them, Rogge felt that there had to be other reasons that motivated Nefa's decision.
They had been enemies for over a thousand years, and Rogge was aware of the catastrophe Nefa brought for the Darkness Shrine while he was asleep. Yet, Rogge could not help but gain a refreshed perspective of Nefa after they fought the Flame Dragon, Lothar, alongside each other.
"Hmph, your life wouldn't matter to me if not for the information you know about the battle," said Nefa straightforwardly.
"I know that. But, I am still curious why you have so much trust in me. What if Geresco is my only source of knowledge?" Rogge asked sarcastically as he opened his eyes.
Rogge had overheard the conversation between Nefa and Lin Li. He was extremely surprised when he heard Nefa said about Geresco's awareness of that battle. But, he could not recall he ever told Geresco that. In fact, he had not tell anyone about it. How on earth did Geresco know about it then?
"That would not be a problem. I can compare your story with Geresco's. After all, while Geresco might have lied to me, I don't see a reason why he would do that to you when both of you were the closest comrades!" Nefa replied casually. He remained unaffected by Rogge's words. It seemed like he had considered the matter before.
"Alright then, about that, I hope to hear from you what Geresco had told you," said Rogge. No matter how hard he tried, Rogge could not recall he ever told anyone about what happened then. Yet, it had been so many years. Even if the memory of a sanctuary powerhouse was supposed to very strong, it was impossible for one to remember everything that happened a few thousand years ago.
Nefa would not have agreed to Rogge's request if it were in the past. His prior knowledge was the most effective resource he could use to assess if Rogge had lied to him. If he were to tell Rogge what he knew, Rogge could very well exploit this information and build lies on it. When that happened, he could only allow himself to be fooled.
The experience of battling alongside Rogge helped Nefa be more trusting towards Rogge. Although he would not want to admit that it was a relationship between comrades, he managed to let go of his worries after a short hesitation and reveal his knowledge to Rogge.
Chapter 764 - Undercurrent
Everyone could clearly feel that the vitality in his body was continuously flowing out, and it was as if there was a menacing beast that was continuously consuming the vitality in it.
At this moment, Lin Li grabbed the ink-like potion again, and pulled out the cork of the bottle, after which the nauseating stench filled the room again. The rest even thought that he had taken out the wrong potion, but Lin Li did not hesitate, and simply placed it directly on Rosario's lips before pouring it slowly into his mouth.
At this moment, everyone was paying attention to the changes in Pope Rosario nervously. They all knew that if the antidote was not effective, nothing else would be able to suppress the Viper's poison, and damage would definitely be unavoidable, especially since Rosario's body was extremely weak now.
Time passed second after second, and the vitality in Rosario's body began to weaken. They had no idea when it would disappear completely. His body was trembling, and he was also frowning, a clear evidence of the pain
that he was going through. The battle between the Viper's poison and the antidote was taking its toll on Rosario's body without restraint.
After a long time, Rosario's breathing finally became more stable and rhythmic. His wrinkly face also gradually turned rosy, and a holy aura emanated from his body, making him emit a faint halo.
Upon sight of this, Lin Li and the rest finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was obvious that Rosario's body was recovering quickly. It was no doubt that the poison had already been removed.
"Master Felic, I'm really sorry for being suspicious and doubtful of your plan." Unexpectedly, Holliard, the head of the Divine Paladins, apologized with a very sincere expression on his face. Holliard was a powerhouse who had entered the Legendary-realm several years ago. Hence, him apologizing to a young mage in front of everyone was absolutely unimaginable.
However, after thinking about Holliard's hobbies, everyone began to realize that Holliard had to be interested in Lin Li's pharmaceutical knowledge. While apologizing to a young man might be embarrassing, apologizing to a pharmaceutics Guru was very normal for someone who loved pharmaceutics.
"Head Holliard, I understand that you were just being concerned about the safety of His Holiness," Lin Li said while waving his arms. He had a good impression of Lin Li who preferred pharmacy to forging.
With his Sanctuary power and the residual power of the Gift of The Earth Goddess, Rosario's body recovered at a visible rate, and he looked shriveled up like a Lich that was withering. At the same time, he also looked like dry soil that was being moistened with water as his skin began to tighten a little. There was a layer of gold l.u.s.ter on his gray hair, and within just a day's time, he turned back into a strong older man who looked like he was only in his fifties.
