Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 436 (Part 1):

The army of the Temple of Lumen, having set foot on the soil of Renosa, had suffered considerable damage but managed to preserve much of its forces.

The loss of two veteran High Priests, Paolo and Agato, was a painful blow, yet thanks to them, the army had safely retreated.

Moreover, they had rescued all those still breathing. With proper treatment, they would likely return to their posts.

Despite the recent infamy that had cloaked the Temple, those eager to pledge themselves to its service still lined up in droves.

The Temple faced no significant difficulty in recruiting priests or Holy Knights.

Lumen would surely bestow new High Priests upon the Temple, and the vacant positions would gradually be filled.

It was a grievous wound, but one that could be mended. That resilience was, in itself, their strength.

When the time came, they would wage another holy war. This time, they would conquer Renosa without fail. That was their sacred mission.

However, as the Temple’s army, gnashing their teeth, made their retreat, they were met with an unbelievable sight.

“How can this be? The Temple!”

“O Lumen, how could such a thing happen!”

From the crumbled outer walls to its very core, the Temple lay in ruins, a straight path of destruction carved through it, resembling a conquered fortress.

It was as if a massive furrow had been gouged into the earth. The buildings along that furrow were utterly shattered.

Most of the priests and Holy Knights who had remained to guard the Temple were either crushed under falling debris or lay groaning, injured, and sprawled across the ground.

Faced with the immediate need to restore the Temple, they stood agape, unable to close their mouths in shock and horror.

High Priest Levina, who was overseeing the recovery efforts, was equally stunned as she greeted them.

“High Priest Agato remained in Renosa?”

“Yes. High Priest Paolo also turned back midway, saying he would rescue Agato.”

“And yet, he has not yet appeared. Perhaps…”

As one senior priest spoke with a grim expression, Levina, losing her composure, shook her head vehemently.

“No, that cannot be!”

She had never doubted their victory, but was the one bearing the Seed of Darkness truly so formidable?

They hurriedly sent messages, but no response came.

“Oh, if only I had been there!”

Even if one person had stayed to guard the Temple, or if another High Priest had taken her place, there was no guarantee they could have fended off the demonic beast’s assault.

Yet Levina, tears streaming down her face, blamed herself. The thought of losing her long-time comrades plunged her into a panic she had never felt before.

“May those who sacrificed themselves find peace in Lumen’s light.”

But Levina quickly regained her composure and offered a prayer of mourning.

The crisis was far from over, and the cold reality dawned on her: she was now the only one left to lead the Temple.

Excluding the two most recently appointed High Priests, only one other High Priest, with some experience, remained. But in Levina’s eyes, seasoned by decades of guiding the Temple, that priest seemed merely inexperienced.

‘This is no time for weakness. I must pull myself together.’

After tending to the wounded and issuing orders to restore the Temple, Levina immediately set to work on the sacred barrier.

Even amidst this, she could not forget Elaga’s words.

‘The demonic beast broke through the sacred barrier? A crack in the sacred barrier?’

It was unthinkable. Lumen’s divine power remained intact, and Levina herself had felt no difficulty in wielding her holy power.

If there were an anomaly in the sacred barrier, the very essence of Lumen’s power and the Temple’s strongest defense, would it not have affected the Temple itself?

‘But how else could one explain that demonic beast’s appearance?’

A colossal leopard that had half-destroyed the Temple. The demonic energy emanating from it was terrifying.

It was the kind of demonic beast that might have appeared during the Demon War a thousand years ago.

How could such a creature have remained hidden and unknown until now? Unless it had emerged from the Forest of Roots.

Levina entered the sanctuary, where holy power was amplified, and focused her mind.

For too long, they had neglected the sacred barrier. Immediately after the clash with the archmages, the barrier had felt unstable, but she had assumed it would soon recover.

Had she not poured her own holy power into restoring the barrier to its full strength?

Thereafter, tracking the archmage, dealing with events in the Deus Empire, the martial arts tournament, and now this holy war—amidst all these incidents, she had not closely inspected the sacred barrier, which had stood resolute for a thousand years.

What had gone wrong in the meantime?

Gripped by unease, Levina’s consciousness followed the flow of divine power. Not just any High Priest could perform such a task.

Through the sanctuary, her mind connected to the sacred barrier, meticulously examining every part of it. And then she discovered it.

The Forest of Roots, a demonic realm sealed for a thousand years—something was stirring there.

Her body trembled like an aspen leaf. Staggering out of the sanctuary, she faltered.

A priest guarding the entrance quickly supported her. Her body was drenched in sweat.

“High Priest Levina! Are you alright?”

“…I am fine. More urgently—”

Strength returned to Levina’s pale, resolute gaze.

“Convene the Round Table Council. It is urgent.”

A dark storm was surging forth. A calamity was beginning. While their attention was elsewhere.

When and where the signs had first appeared, she did not know. But this was, without doubt, a crisis.

Not just for the Temple, but for the entire world.

‘O Lumen.’

High Priest Levina let out a deep sigh.

With no one to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, she felt lost, unsure of how to navigate this situation alone.

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