Chapter 597: Divination
In the meantime, Charles arrived at the allocated room on the second floor and entered after unlocking the wooden door.
As he entered the room through a heavy wooden door intricately carved with strange letters and symbols, he was greeted by a soft glow emanating from enchanted crystals on either side.
The ceiling soared overhead, embellished with intricate murals depicting war scenes and magical battles. Elaborate chandeliers, fashioned to resemble glowing orbs suspended by delicate chains, cast a warm, ethereal glow throughout the space.
A short flight of wooden steps led to a raised platform adorned with a luxurious canopy bed. The bed frame was intricately carved, featuring ornate patterns and mythical creatures. Soft, richly colored curtains hung from the canopy, providing privacy and adding to the medieval aesthetic.
"Not bad," Charles commented as he glanced at the luxurious room and quietly moved toward the right side.
A whimsical wardrobe stood against the wall, its doors adorned with mystical symbols and runal words. When Charles opened, the wardrobe revealed a stunning array of fantastical attire, from flowing gowns and embroidered robes to intricately crafted armor and enchanted cloaks. Each garment radiated an aura of magic, promising the perfect attire for any occasion.
After a small search, he picked up a white gown and a towel from the wardrobe and walked toward the corner of the room.
He wouldn't have noticed a hidden door in that place if he were a normal person.
A hidden door revealed a lavish en suite bathroom rivaling the most opulent spas. The centerpiece was a freestanding bathtub carved from a piece of luminous crystal, infused with enchantments that allowed the water to shimmer and change color at one's command. A walk-in rainforest shower adorned with mosaic tiles depicting lush foliage and cascading waterfalls appeared before his sight.
'This hotel looks more like a 5-star hotel on Earth.' He put the gown and towel on the stand and took a long shower.
Thirty minutes later, Charles finally left the bath, moved towards the bed, and quietly lay on the soft bed.
"Although I want to sleep badly, it's not time yet." He had long realized he was being monitored from the next room and fell into deep thought.
'Something is indeed wrong. A Holy Knight, huh? Genesis, check her.' Just as he muttered, Genesis instantly checked her background through Wisdom Link and spoke in a soulless voice.
'Searching for Information... She is Anna Tibbott, age 21, and a Rank-2 Holy Knight. She graduated from Radiant School three years ago and became a Holy Knight with the help of Bishop Cart.'
'Her father's name is Michael Tibbott, and he was a Bishop of Order but died when she was young. No information about her mother has been found. Possibilities: Her mother might have died long ago, or her identity must have been erased from the Holy City's records.'
'Searching for additional records in the Secret Chamber of Sacred Library of Holy City... Found new information... Seventeen years ago, Bishop Cart killed Michael Tibbott and Isabella Tibbott under Archbishop Lawrence's order and covered up the whole incident...'
'Found important information... From the records, it is mentioned that Anna Tibbott has a unique 'Pure Soul,' which attracted the attention of Archbishop Lawrence.'
'Pure Soul: Its other name is called 'Champion's Soul.' Anyone with this unique soul will easily enter God's domain and will not face any side effects. Because of this, they will be used as a Sacrifice to activate the Forbidden Magical Array 'God's Descend."
'Along with her, a total of seventeen Champion souls are residing in this city...'
'Anna Tibbott also has a younger brother named Roly and he is currently studying in Radiant School...'
As Charles further heard information about Anna, he couldn't help but get dumbfounded.
'This Wisdom Link is too good at gathering information. But God's Descend, huh?' He shook his head and checked the time.
'It's already 7.30 A.M. If I'm not wrong, the next disaster will arrive around 1.00 P.M. But what kind of disaster will it be next time? Is it possible to stop it?' He quietly took out the Star Constellation book and started a small divination.
First, he picked up the golden quill, dipped the brush into the ink bottle, and started writing on the mysterious empty page.
"Artifact: Dice of Disasters... Origin: Created by Goddess Myxenta. Ability: Summon powerful disasters... Current Location: Holy Land of Sacred Empire..." As he wrote important information about the dice, he closed his eyes and entered a strange enlightened state.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a mysterious pulling sensation and soon found himself standing at the hotel's entrance while gazing at the sky. But unlike a normal sky, it appeared reddish.
'Meteor shower?' He wondered.
In a second, the time moved at an incredible speed and stopped at the moment of disaster.
At that moment, as if summoned by the mystical power, he felt an inexplicable force tugging at his very being. A sensation of weightlessness engulfed him, and before he could comprehend what was happening, he found himself suspended high above the ground, floating in a sky unlike any he had ever seen.
His eyes widened in astonishment a second later. The city below him was bathed in a strange reddish light, casting an eerie glow upon the land.
Soon, a strange force-field-like structure appeared around the city, protecting everyone from the burning crimson ray.
But it was not just the crimson sky that held his attention. His gaze turned northward, and what he witnessed left him breathless. Dozens of fiery meteors streaked across the sky, burning with intense scarlet light. Descending at an extraordinary velocity, they painted trails of crimson flame behind them, like shooting stars on an otherworldly canvas.
These were no ordinary meteors; they seemed to possess a sinister, chaotic aura, emanating power and mystery. As they hurtled towards the earth below, their fiery descent created a symphony of crackling flames and thunderous roars, shaking the very fabric of reality.
Charles watched as the crimson meteors neared the ground, their approach causing the air to ripple and form into a supersonic soundwave. As they made contact with the Holy City's forcefield, a burst of sparks and crimson light erupted, causing all the surroundings to be enveloped in reddish flame and explosion.
A moment later, he woke up from the strange vision and slowly opened his eyes.
'Does that mean only the people inside this city will get saved?' Although he didn't see the outcome of this disaster, he knew very well that not only the Holy City but even the whole Sacred Empire might get affected by this disaster.
'I don't like it. If it wasn't for the desperate situation, I wouldn't have activated that Dice of Disaster ability. Now, I don't want to carry on the guilt of killing too many people.' In truth, he had already felt a little disturbed by the death of 8 million people in Miracle City.
'In this situation, I can only rely on one person.' He muttered calmly and stood up from the bed.
After that, he changed his cloth into a formal one and quickly left his room.
'Although I can fool others with my shapeshifting spell, I still don't know if I can fool that madman.' While muttering, he sent a part of his consciousness towards the necklace pendant and studied it.
'This 'Mind Blank' artifact is indeed strange. It not only conceals my soul but also seems to have the power to alter my soul form.' As he further probed the artifact, he soon learned how to control it.
A moment later, a strange power enveloped his soul and made it look like the soul of a third-tier mage!
'Even if a Legendary Mage or Demigod scans me, he won't find anything abnormal about my soul ranking. But I'm still not sure about that guy.' He quietly stepped down from the second floor and approached the reception desk.
Noticing his arrival, the male receptionist bowed his head and greeted him with a smile.
"How can I help you, sir?"
"Do you know where Sun Church is located?" Charles asked.
"Of course-"
Before the receptionist could respond, a young blonde-haired woman suddenly arrived next to Charles and interjected their conversation.
"Why are you looking for that run-down place? Although Sun God might have earned some merit during the last planar war, he is nothing more than a small fly before our Lord's might." Her voice contained a hint of ridicule and mockery.
'Anna? Why is she provoking me? Is she testing me to gather more information?' As he analyzed everything, he suddenly turned his face cold and snapped angrily.
"Who are you to judge our Eternal Light's might? Where was your Lord when the demons descended to our motherland and caused chaos everywhere?"
"C-Customers! Please don't start a fight over small issue-"
Charles didn't even let him finish as he glared at the receptionist and shouted.
"Small issue?! Mocking my God isn't a small issue, Mister!"
On the other hand, Anna was utterly flabbergasted.
'He is a member of Sun Church? But this guy really has short temper. Wait... How come he speaks so fluently in Naan?' Her suspicion rose.
'I need to get close to him and find out the origin of this guy.' She hurriedly made a forced smile and bowed her head.
"I'm sorry for being rude, Mister. I didn't mean to make fun our Lord Sun. Even I know that if not for his appearance, the outcome of the last planar war might have more disastrous." She paused while peeking at Charles with her left eye and added with a polite smile.
"As an Apology, I'll personally escort you to the Sun Church."
On the other hand, Charles gave her a skeptical look and reluctantly agreed.
"As long as you don't say anything ill about Eternal Light, I won't mind."
"Thank you, Mister. By the way, I'm Anna, daughter of a former Bishop of Order." She said with a bow.
'Wow, she isn't even hiding her identity.' Charles also nodded his head and introduced himself.
"I'm Max Fireborn, an Explorer from Arc Kingdom."
