บท 32: "Undead of Light" Experiment
Priest Arnein Mirgon from a local annex church of the Lumen Goddess found himself in a breezing, dimly lit, and spacious room. Looking around, he noticed such similarities to a priest's chamber of devotion, where they would pray seven times a week to the heavens for the prosperity of the land and the extinguishing of all forms of evil.
In this room's walls seemingly founded with sturdy concrete material hanging several lamps with gently flickering flames. To the front, there's a small podium where an empty cross was nailed; it's wooden and looked new, somewhat similar to the symbol of the Lumen Goddess, which depicted a golden crown coiling the head of a majestic cross. Then, at the center of this cross, a sphere depicting the shining sun was delicately carved. Apart from these, rows and columns of the church's pew were neatly arranged.
No matter how Priest Arnein scrutinized this place, he realized that he was at the house of god… or at least a mimic of it due to his soul not sensing any sort of lingering divine power.
Standing behind a door with an unknown on the other side, a voice filled with genuine curiosity echoed throughout the constructed church, "Father Arnein,
"Have you ever heard the voice of the Lumen Goddess?"
"Wh-who's there?!" Priest Arnein instinctively asked.
"That's a wrong answer, Father Arnein." Grey, whose voice seemed to come from all directions, spoke. "Do not worry, Father. You are a good man. If I intend to harm you, I wouldn't even bother asking such a question, don't you think so?"
Hearing this, Priest Arnein pondered.
'He's right. But where am I? The last thing I remember is some woman who recognized me…'
After contemplating for some time, he then opened his mouth, "Who are you? Why are you asking such a strange question? Are you a nonbeliever? I've indeed heard the voice of the benevolent Lumen Goddess, the Holy Light that shines in all things! In Her holy bible-"
"Stop right there, Father. I am asking if you heard the Lumen Goddess' voice directly; not that what's written or whatnot." Grey interjected.
Priest Arnein comprehended what this peculiar person meant, prompting him to answer, "Only the Pope, the Saintess, and anyone from the Hero Bloodline can hear the most holy's voice. I am a mere mortal, and hearing it would destroy my existence."
For some reason unknown to him, the man's voice turned quiet for an indeterminable amount of time. This allowed Priest Arnein to further scrutinize his surroundings, causing him to realize that this place was similarly designed to the basement of the local church where he was occasionally preaching.
Unrestrained and free to maneuver, he was about to look for the door amidst the dim light, only for him to hear Grey's words, "Father,
"This will be an interesting night."
***
Grey briefly informed Priest Arnein that the latter was in a secluded space. Of course, the former didn't bother explaining that this makeshift house of god was a place found within a certain sector of the Anon Oriken Spacecraft and was modeled through the priest's memories using Anoboids (Transformation Command) as the sole material.
"So this is an Illusion Spell, huh?"
Hearing the priest's guess, Grey let out a chuckle.
"Father Arnein, so what's the answer to my last question?"
Finding himself sitting at the back rows of pews, Priest Arnein's breath seemed to have become ragged; his mind was in turmoil, but recalling Grey's last question, his entire body had goosebumps.
"I don't know who or what you are and why you're asking such ridiculous philosophical and theological questions, but you are a madman." Priest Arnein responded. Pausing for a second or two, he continued, "How can a monster from the Dark Lands dare to say such praises towards the Lumen Goddess? It's the highest form of blasphemy!"
"I see. According to the teachings of the Lumen Goddess or maybe every priest's own interpretation of Her holy word, everything born in the Dark Lands is a manifestation of radical abomination, am I correct?" Grey scoffed, his gaze focused on the enormous holographic screen as he sat on his dark green chair within the Host's Headquarters.
"That's right! It's an apostasy! An absolute truth that cannot be changed!" Priest Arnein seemed to have forgotten his current circumstances, his conviction as a devoted believer of the Lumen Goddess was showing.
Grey remained silent. He then smiled, "Father…
"Your heart is pure; your soul cleansed. It seems the Lumen Goddess will favor you in your duty as one of her devotees."
It was then at that moment that something caught Priest Arnein's eyes. In the center of the makeshift church, just a few distances away from the hanging cross of the golden crown and sun, a figure donning a black coat was kneeling with his or her or its hands clasping as though it was praying zealously.
Priest Arnein stood from his seat; there was this instinct sprouting from within to approach the mysterious figure.
Slowly traversing the space between the rows and columns of the church's seats, from the back to the front, he heard Grey's voice, "Father,
"One last question."
Due to this, Priest Arnein instantly realized that the kneeling entity was not the source of the voice.
"Wh-What is it?" He mustered the courage to ask.
"What is the punishment for blasphemy? A pillar of light from the heavens decimating the blasphemer's existence…? Or is it getting burned at the stake at the central plaza of any place with the crowd watching?"
"Hell is their punishment. I have witnessed with my own eyes a blasphemer's existence put to dust." The priest said.
"I see. May the Lumen Goddess shine through you." Grey's serene words echoed.
'Krishnaya, send them to the real basement of Father Arnein's local church.' He then commanded the Extraterrestrial System.
[Activating the Anon Oriken's spatial function, "Pillar Beam!"]
Woom!
In an instant, with already set coordinates, Priest Arnein, along with the enigmatic figure in a black cloak, was transported to the basement of the former's local church.
However, he only realized when the atmosphere seemed to change.
"Huh? What happened? Am I truly back?"
***
Priest Arnein, after knowing that he was perfectly safe and that the owner of the voice ringing everywhere kept his word, eventually approached the cloaked figure.
As he drew closer, his ears perked up, hearing the mutterings of devotion from this entity.
It was a written prayer found in the holy bible of the Lumen Goddess.
"Our H-holy Light in H-heaven,
"H-Holy be Y-Your N-name,
"Y-Your P-paradise come,
"Y-Your will be done-
After some time, this figure said,
"I-I repent for all my t-transgressions-"
Hearing the stuttering words, Priest Arnein couldn't help but look at the figure's face, only for his eyes to widen in horror.
The praying figure, the one begging and beseeching the Lumen Goddess, was a monster in the domain of death – the first Undead Goblin Chief that Grey had encountered!
In the next moment, stumbling on the ground as the priest witnessed something incomprehensible, the Undead Goblin Chief was then bathed in golden light.
It was not the burning flames of judgment.
It was the indication of serenity, welcoming a new lost soul to the divine kingdom of light.
At the same moment of disappearance, Grey's familiar voice echoed at the back of the chamber of devotion.
"Amen."
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