Only God
Chapter 409 - 362: The Holy Artifact of the Primordial Church

Chapter 409: Chapter 362: The Holy Artifact of the Primordial Church

Clouds fall as mist, fire rises as smoke?

Mira and Anos looked at each other, this seemingly arbitrary sentence was like the most convoluted maxims in the Scriptures. On the surface, it appeared meaningless, yet it seemed to be filled with profound significance. Even the most venerable theologians would not dare claim they had unraveled its mysteries.

"What does this mean?"

Mira couldn’t help but ask.

Vina Kana slowly rolled up the sheepskin scroll in her hand and said softly,

"I cannot answer you."

"Is that so?"

Mira said quietly.

"The meaning of this sentence is for you to comprehend on your own, to understand, just like the first Prophet did."

After Vina Kana finished speaking, she walked slowly toward the doorway of the inner sanctuary.

Selena followed close behind, glancing back at Mira and Anos who were still puzzled by the sentence.

"What comes after that sentence?"

The girl with black hair couldn’t help asking out of curiosity.

Vina Kana continued without glancing sideway and responded indifferently,

"That is not for you to inquire about, Selena."

Selena, feeling somewhat defiant, scratched her head and said,

"Hey, am I not your disciple?"

Vina Kana did not respond to her, continuing straight on her way.

Selena hurried to keep up with Vina Kana, fearing she might get lost again. That golden hair sparkled brightly even in the darkness of night.

After what felt like a long time, Vina Kana turned around suddenly and asked,

"Do you want to know what comes after?"

Selena paused, then quickly nodded her head.

Not for any reason other than curiosity.

"Then wait, Selena, we shall see."

With those words, Vina Kana held the hilt of her sword,

"The Primordial Church...one of the earliest heresies in the history of the Church... those heretics of later generations probably modeled themselves after it."

Selena listened, suddenly realizing something.

The girl knew that Vina Kana had entered the Bone Church for two reasons: one was because the Ancient Scroll of Destiny’s fragments were hidden there, and the other was because of her pursuit of the woman who claimed to serve in suffering.

This woman who spoke of serving in suffering claimed her God was from the Lord, which gave Selena the impression that the Primordial Church originated from the Imperial Church.

Mira and Anos entered the Bone Church to seek the true nature of the Primordial Church.

Suddenly, Selena had some sort of epiphany.

"Are you saying, us chasing that woman and Mira and the others seeking the Primordial Church, that our fates are destined to intersect?"

Vina Kana neither denied nor confirmed, remaining silent, and carried the torch silently along the path surrounded by white bones.

...

"Clouds fall as mist, fire rises as smoke..."

Mira kept muttering this phrase.

Anos seemed more interested in the origins of Vina Kana, and on the way, she managed to gather bits and pieces from Selena. Though not enough to reconstruct the full story, it was sufficient to get the gist of it.

The living Saint Vina Kana...

Anos lowered her head.

She had never heard the term "Saint" before. According to Selena, Saints appeared in the next era, most of them pure of heart, humble and loving, like some kind of reclusive exalted persons.

And Vina Kana was the last living Saint.

Why a living Saint? Because, in Selena’s understanding, in her time, Saints were canonized after death, only those True Believers who ascended to Heaven and stood before God’s throne might be sealed as Saints.

But Vina Kana was a unique living Saint.

This certainly surprised Anos.

Did she ascend to Heaven and stand before God’s throne?

And then returned to the Mortal World still alive?

Upon this thought, Anos suddenly shuddered.

That woman... she had stood before God in Heaven...

This speculation greatly shocked Anos, and at this moment, her disbelief in God began to waver.

Ever since that day of rebirth, the True Religion had not had any new Scriptures come to the world, God’s might seemed to have vanished from the world, with no more divine encounters witnessed.

The day of rebirth, along with the many miracles chronicled in the Scriptures, seemed like stories made up by Shepherds in their boredom, too ethereal, fading powerless with the erosion of time, leading one to question the veracity of the legends.

Anos had undergone a painful childhood, her naive faith long eroded by dreadful reality.

But now, her body swayed slightly, trembling gently.

God... truly exists in Heaven...

Why haven’t we seen any miracles?

Or could it be... miracles are all around us, so commonplace that we don’t recognize them as such?

Anos clasped her forehead, breaking into cold sweats.

Fear, unease, panic...

As disbelief faltered, a tide of emotions flooded her.

"Anos."

Mira suddenly spoke.

Anos snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and nodded at Mira.

"Mira, what’s happened?"

Mira ran over to the stone statue holding thunder, climbing onto the altar as if searching for something.

Anos followed her,

"Did you find something?"

Mira meticulously examined the various ritual implements on the altar without saying a word. After a long moment, her small hand grabbed a stone box from the altar.

The stone box seemed ordinary at first glance. Mira weighed it in her hand, realized it was too heavy to lift with one hand, gritted her teeth and held the stone box with both hands, slowly walking down from the altar.

"Is this... a Holy Artifact of the Primordial Church?"

Generally, in some Grand Cathedrals, boxes like these might be placed on the altars, often containing Sacred Artifacts. And in the Imperial Church of Danschel’s Grand Cathedral, the box held strings that the Prophet Solamus had once played.

What could possibly be inside this stone box?

Intrigued, Anos reached out and touched the stone box that Mira was holding.

"Should we... open it?"

The Princess asked.

Mira nodded, placed the stone box on the ground, then chanted the Ancient Language, forcing open the tightly sealed box.

Dust burst out, causing Mira to cough continuously. After wiping the dust from her face, she peered into the box.

"Is this... gold?"