CHAPTER 375: ONE YEAR PASSED

Inside the magnificent and resplendent hall, the light was so bright it felt almost excessive.

The corridor was gilded, and at the highest point stood a colossal statue, its towering figure seated solemnly upon its throne. Yet no matter how one looked up, it was impossible to see the true face of this deity.

Legends tell that this statue had appeared on the very day the god descended, bestowing protection upon humanity by choosing loyal believers and granting them the power to command light, pushing back the shadow creatures.

At this moment, Sylus was kneeling on the ground, and before him, he could only see the trailing hem of a long robe, with two strips of fabric draped over the shoulders and falling straight down. Embroidered upon it were ornate and majestic sun motifs.

"Still no leads to the entrance leading down to the underground city?"

The Pope’s voice rang out. Sylus quickly replied, "Not yet, my lord. The entrance rarely appears to the searchers. Perhaps we should let Silvanus attempt it again."

Hearing that, the Pope chuckled. "Do you truly think you can take Vermillion’s disciple away?"

Sylus lowered his head in shame.

At that moment, the figure before him suddenly lifted a hand and waved dismissively. "Enough. This matter is not your fault. You may leave."

Hearing that, Sylus could only withdraw at once.

The Pope slowly walked deeper into the sanctuary, toward what was called the Holy Water Lake, the miraculous water capable of purifying darkness — the trustworthy source of the Church’s power.

The hem of his long robe flowed gracefully with his steps, and his silver hair wavered in the air. Contrary to what many imagined, the Pope looked far younger than expected.

He had no beard, no signs of age; he looked no older than thirty.

At this moment, his silver eyes were fixed on the lake, where a creature was submerged.

The feathers on its tendrilled limbs were soaked with water.

This mythical being, strange in shape, appeared beautiful in The Pope’s eyes.

He lifted his hand and scooped Mira up from the lake. The moment she left the water, her entire form shifted in an instant — limbs gradually reappeared, returning her to the appearance of a normal human, except without a single piece of clothing.

Yet toward this, the Pope’s gaze did not waver in the slightest, as though the human body before him was no different from a block of wood.

He gently held Mira in his arms. Seeing her lying obediently within his embrace, he smiled, then suddenly leaned in, drawing closer until his forehead touched hers.

Softly, he said, "Good child, let me see what has happened."

The instant he spoke, the light between them suddenly rippled like countless sparks of electricity. The Pope closed his eyes, while Mira’s eyes flew open. Her entire body trembled violently in pain. Her mouth hung open, but she could not produce a single scream.

However, the pain ended quickly. In the blink of an eye, the Pope opened his eyes, and Mira shut hers, collapsing to the ground.

The Pope gently lifted Mira and placed her back into the lake before slowly turning to leave. He narrowed his eyes, savoring the remnants of what he had seen within Mira’s memories. In his silver eyes, darkness flickered and surged, rising like uncontrollable black smoke.

The Pope suddenly halted, covering part of his face with one hand, a helpless smile tugging at his lips. Finally, he lifted his head to look toward the towering statue above. "So it truly is your incarnation..."

He glared up without blinking, continuing until fresh blood streamed from both his eyes. Then he lowered his gaze and let out a soft laugh. "But an incarnation is still just an incarnation. It is not you. It will be buried."

The Pope’s body flickered with strange distortions. He trembled slightly before finally stepping out of the sanctuary.

At this time, Silvanus — the one previously mentioned — was still teaching Vivian how to read.

He had discovered that even in her fox form, Vivian could pronounce human words perfectly. Completely absurd!

But he had seen even more absurd things already, so all he could do was quietly fulfill his responsibilities.

And from that day forward, Vivian would no longer have the chance to splash around in the bath with Silvanus. Even the opportunity to sleep with him... was about to be taken away.

Today, Silvanus brought home a pet house — the perfect bed for Vivian, warm and beautiful. But the moment Vivian realized she wasn’t allowed to sleep on the bed anymore, she puffed up her fur. Her two front paws kept scratching at Silvanus in fierce protest.

Silvanus could only say seriously, "We’re different, Vivian. You can’t cling to me like this."

Vivian felt utterly wronged. Ever since that day, Silvanus didn’t even cuddle or pet her anymore. Completely unbearable!

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Vivian flopped to the side, sniffling in frustration.

Silvanus: "..."

Was there anyone in the world who struggled this much to raise a pet?

He could only pat Vivian on the head and say gently, "Alright, stop crying. If you won’t sleep there, then fine, just sleep on the bed."

Vivian twisted her tiny body, having already decided she wouldn’t pay him any attention.

Silvanus let her be and pulled the blanket over himself, going straight to sleep.

It wasn’t until Silvanus’s breathing evened out that Vivian sniffed, then quickly leapt toward him. Her small, soft body slipped easily beneath the covers. Her large tail brushed across Silvanus’s face, making him frown slightly and shake his head.

But Silvanus was long used to this. Out of habit, he wrapped an arm around Vivian without waking.

Vivian nudged her head into Silvanus’s neck. Suddenly, she opened her mouth, wanting to bite him just to vent her anger!

But after thinking it over, she closed her mouth again. With her little nose nudging his neck, she let out a yawn and fell fast asleep.

Time passed quickly. Silvanus had now been at Lumina for one year. They were about to finish their first year of studies at Lumina.

At the same time, Silvanus’s outstanding and unusual nature continued to reveal themselves. He had become one of the most well-known names in Lumina.

With the headmaster present, none of the nobles came, causing trouble for him anymore.

As for Nana, she remained as arrogant as ever and always irritated whenever she saw Silvanus — especially when Silvanus consistently ranked first while she was forever stuck at second place.

At this moment, in Lumina’s outdoor activity field, several small groups had divided up the space to play their own games.

Silvanus was among them. They were playing a ball-throwing game, even though none of their feet were touching the ground.

Everyone flew around in the air, snatching the ball and throwing it into the hoop. The rules were straightforward, and since playing it also helped increase one’s flux endurance, the game was quite popular.

Another ball went through the hoop. Silvanus was already preparing to shrug off the outer layer of his uniform jacket as the group around him erupted in loud cheers, celebrating their win.

At that moment, someone bumped Silvanus’s shoulder lightly before slinging an arm over him and teasing, "Look over there. Your little wife is here again."

Silvanus lowered himself, slipping out of his classmate’s arm, and looked down. Sure enough, a familiar figure was standing below, staring up at him.

"Don’t joke like that," Silvanus replied without any hint of concern, waving a hand. "I’m taking a break."

With that, he descended directly to the ground.