Even Gabriel didn't realize what it was; however, for a moment, he was like a completely different person that looked down on all the gods as if they were nothing but a speck of dust before him!
The Ninth Holy Lord opened his lips but no words came out. It was as if he was being choked by the pressure. His soul was being suppressed. It was clear that he was close to being destroyed entirely.
"Young man, stop!" the Second Holy Lord couldn't help but intervene. Now that things had reached a dangerous level, if he didn't do anything, he was sure that the Ninth Holy Lord's Soul Fragment was going to be destroyed!
Gabriel didn't react right away. It was as if he stood there in silence, not saying anything. At the same time, the Ninth Holy Lord started screaming, as if his entire soul was being torn apart.
The ring of Necromancy on Gabriel's left hand started trembling in excitement as it turned into a speck of light. The speck of light flew before Gabriel and changed shape into a black book.
As if the suppression of the Ancestral Staff of Necromancy wasn't enough, as soon as the Grimoire appeared, even the other Holy Lords couldn't remain standing.
One after another, all the Holy Lords dropped to their knees, barely supporting themselves with their hands from falling flat.
The first Holy Lord was the one who resisted the most out of them all, but even she couldn't remain standing for long as she also fell!
Gabriel didn't even realize what was happening around him. It was as if he was in a completely different zone for now.
The ground in the Holy Region of Light started trembling as all the Holy Lords fell to their knees.
The Head Priests of the Church of Light were standing outside the Holy Region. They had no idea what was happening on the other side of the door. Even Avilia was waiting eagerly for Gabriel to return and tell her what he saw.
"It's been over half an hour. How long will he take?" one of the Head Priests wondered. "From the information we have, none of the previous Holy Lords spent so much time inside. Could something have happened?"
The Head Priests had some records of the past. The records didn't mention what was on the other side of the door. All it mentioned was that a new Holy Priest was to be sent to the Holy Region as soon as he took his position. They did the same, but for some reason, Gabriel spent more time there than others before him!
"I don't know. We can only wait." The other Head Priest sighed, shaking his head. Even if they wanted to know what happened, it wasn't as if they could do anything. Going to the other side was no better than actively looking for death!
As everyone else was wondering what could've happened to Gabriel, the ground suddenly started shaking. The shaking wasn't subtle either as many of them lost their balance instantly, falling to the ground.
Only a few of the Head Priests could stay still, despite the earthquake. However, even they had to take support of the wall for safety. Only Avilia was standing without any support. She hadn't moved at all from her place.
The earthquake wasn't just felt in the Holy Church of Light. It spread out, covering the entire city.
Izen had returned to the Academy of Elements when he felt the earthquake. He immediately understood that it had something to do with the Church of Light! This earthquake wasn't natural!
Even the Royal Palace was alarmed as the Emperor went to the balcony, looking at the City which was trembling. The earthquake was so intense that many of the houses of commoners that didn't have proper structure or foundation came crashing down.
****
Lumen was suffering from the earthquake. However, the person who caused this earthquake had no knowledge of it.
Gabriel didn't even understand himself what he was doing. It was as if a hidden urge had taken over him. This feeling was uncomfortable, but it also made him feel extremely powerful. It was as if he could do anything!
The Ninth Holy Lord's Soul was ripped to pieces. The fragments of the Soul flew toward the Grimoire of Necromancy, as if the Grimoire wanted to swallow the delicious soul of a Holy Lord! Even though it was just a small soul fragment and not the main soul, it was still something that the Grimoire of Necromancy preferred to hold.
The Soul Fragment flew toward the hungry Grimoire of Necromancy under the eyes of the other Holy Lords. All the Holy Lords felt their faces turn pale. It was as if they were before a Predator that wanted to eat them!
If they had their real bodies, they could've at least fought back. However, as they were now, they couldn't do anything! They couldn't even resist the suppression.
The soul fragment of the Ninth Holy Lord was about to enter the Holy Grimoire of Necromancy but just as it was a few inches away from the Grimoire, it stopped!
A surreal aura swept over the entire Holy Region as the trembling of the ground stopped. The space that was breaking apart also stabilized.
The Soul Fragment of the Ninth Holy Lord flew back, far away from the Grimoire of Necromancy. The Soul Fragment flew back to the stone slab where the Ninth Holy Lord was standing when he appeared.
As the Ninth Holy Lord appeared next to the stone slab, his soul fragment started healing, taking old shape once again. It was as if the soul was completely healed!
Even the other Holy Lords saw that, their eyes lit up! The pressure of the Holy Grimoire was still there, but it wasn't as intense as before! They could at least stand now!
The Holy Lords were able to stand. However, they didn't stand up. Instead, they arranged their positions properly, standing on one knee as if they were greeting a superior.
"Goddess!" They all shouted in unison, looking in a different direction from Gabriel.
In the different direction, they could see a young woman standing. The woman had a charming, pure yet powerful aura around her.
She was dressed in a beautiful white gown that looked no more special than an ordinary gown. However, only the ones who knew the reality knew that even if all the Holy Lords attacked that ordinary looking gown together, they couldn't leave a single scratch on it.
The woman wore no accessory. Her hands were bare. She had no weapons either. She was like a mortal, at least from the initial glance.
Gabriel looked in the direction of the woman, having a familiar feeling. It was as if he had known the woman...
"Goddess of Light..." he muttered.
He had seen the woman once before! She was the same person that he saw when he was selected by the Holy Grimoire of Light! At that place, she was standing next to someone who looked like Karyk and the God of Darkness at the Cliff.
"Since when did you stop calling me by my name?" The woman asked. Her voice was so melodious that it could make anyone fall in love with her instantly. Unfortunately, her voice had no effect on Gabriel. Gabriel was truly immune.
Gabriel felt as if he knew the woman more than just the one time he saw her. However, at the same time, he felt as if he didn't know her at all. It was a strange feeling that he couldn't understand.
He didn't know why, but a single word came out of his lips, "Theia..."
Listening to the name, Theia went completely silent. Many incomprehensible emotions flashed in her eyes.
