"The first Pope?!" exclaimed Sylvester, his voice echoing through the temple. "Your soul is trapped here?"
The ghostly figure stopped in front of Sylvester, gazing silently at him as if considering something. No words were spoken for a long while.
"An ambitious killer, a deceiver—alas, I believe that is what it takes to achieve what I could not. Sylvester Maximilian, you have been chosen by the heavens, fate, and destiny to inherit my will and knowledge!" declared the ghost of the first Pope.
Sylvester was smart enough to deduce that already, given that he had crossed the Tribulation Path. However, what he didn't understand was why the Pope's ghost was present. Moreover, he recalled the various strange clues that the First Pope had left behind in various places, such as the carvings on the Soul Tree in the Holy Land and the underground castle beneath Sphinx Town.
"Why are you a ghost? And why did you conceal your inheritance in such a place? What do you specifically desire?" Sylvester interrogated.
"Sit," the Pope's ghost said, crossing its legs and sitting down on the temple floor. "I am no ghost, Sylvester. I am merely a projection of my true self, which is barred from entering this realm. What do you know about the Church's history?"
Sylvester rubbed his chin and contemplated. "Not much. You founded the faith after achieving enlightenment. There are no written records of the world before the formation of faith. It is said that the world was too barbaric in those days."
"Lies!" the ghost exclaimed abruptly, anger seeping through. "Sylvester, the faith is five thousand years old, but not the world. Many faiths came and went in tens of thousands of years of this world's past."
Naturally, Sylvester knew the world was much more ancient than what was commonly known. He had seen the ruins of the temples of the Faith of Luna.
"If you say you're a mere projection of your true self, then what are you?" he asked directly.
The ghost sighed as if it were a real living thing. "I am an enigma to myself, Sylvester. A long time ago, I was born in a small village near where the now Holy Land exists. I played on the branches of the Soul Tree and meditated beneath its warmth.
"I trained and grew stronger under the blessed presence of the Soul Trees. My initial quest was to find more of these trees, but over time, my research expanded. Years later, I gained enlightenment from Solis, established the Church of Solis, and laid the foundation of the Holy Land. Initially, everything went smoothly. I was able to spread the word of Solis and bring order and peace to warring kingdoms and clans.
"I encouraged language, learning, and the arts to help people elevate themselves intellectually. However, when I became the Supreme Wizard, and no one could challenge my faith, a mysterious orb of light fell from the sky."
Sylvester's eyes widened. "The Orb of Purity!"
The Pope nodded. "That is what you call it, but I considered it the Orb of the Devil. The moment the orb appeared, the entire Holy Land and its surrounding region were covered in extreme levels of Solarium. The Solarium was so thick that no air could exist within it. I was able to hold it back with my body so that the people could escape. But in doing so, the Orb began to crush me under its ever-increasing weight.
"What followed was a years-long battle between me and the orb. I tried to get close to it and destroy its core, but I was naive to think it had one. I got trapped inside the center, where the force around me was so great that all my strength went into surviving. For years, I remained inside it."
"Who is that?!" Hozin, Kimino, and Xylena arrived at the temple.
Sylvester quickly silenced them. "He's the First Pope. Sit behind me in silence and listen to his life story. All your lives are connected to this man. He is the reason why we're here."
The First Pope started again. "I believe whoever placed that orb there wanted to kill me. They likely never imagined I'd ascend after years of battle. As I ascended above the rank of Supreme Wizard, I found myself able to overpower the orb. However, I had limited time as the realm rejected my soul and magic for being too powerful.
"The dangers were clear to me. If I had forced my existence, the planet would have shattered. So I did my best and contained the orb inside what you now call Magna Sanctum Temple.
"Furthermore, I built this temple and established the Tribulation Path. I left behind more clues around the world because I knew that one day, a man would come who would not care for good or evil. He would be born to break the chain!"
Sylvester rose to his feet abruptly. "So it was you who summoned me?!"
"Yes and no," the First Pope replied. "I am merely a being who ascended the mortal plane. I have no body or form. I exist as mere consciousness in a dimension I do not understand. So I searched for a capable person from the infinite cosmos to save the world—my home.
"Throughout history, many capable individuals have come to exist due to my desire, but they all lacked the will or were too vile," stated the ghostly Pope.
Sylvester grasped the significance behind the words. "Are you suggesting that there were more reincarnated people in this world like me?"
"Yes, a few. The twenty-fourth Pope, Bryden Octavian Brooks, the man renowned for erecting the most magnificent structures for the Holy Land, was similar to you. His true name was Leonardo Da Vinci, a man of extraordinary abilities."
Sylvester's feet stumbled back involuntarily. "B-But...That man... lived over five hundred years before the era I was born in."
The Pope's ghost shrugged. "As I mentioned, I do not control fate. It is not my decision who or what emerges from the infinite cosmos. However, it is a risk I willingly take, for the peril that looms over my home is too great."
"Then, are all Popes reincarnated individuals? Are there any other reincarnators currently out there?" Sylvester inquired, feeling extremely anxious about his own safety. After all, a person who reincarnated from a thousand years in the future could be devastating to him.
"Only a small minority. The majority of reincarnators die before they even reach puberty because the world is merciless towards anomalies. Sadly, after the twenty-fourth Pope's death, my consciousness was severed by other powerful higher beings I do not know or comprehend.
"It took me centuries to break free from that restraint, and once I did, I attempted to summon another reincarnator—this time, you came. But those higher beings discovered me and blocked me again. So I know not what happened to my primary consciousness, and only I, as a projection, remained behind."
Sylvester nodded and pondered everything. He had learned too much in a single day. There were dangerous, mighty beings out there that were stronger than a Supreme Wizard. There were other reincarnators in the past. And history had been distorted by someone with a motive.
"So, you are not your true self, but a recorded memory of the real Pope? Are you, by any chance, a god? Do you know Solis?" Sylvester inquired.
"Haha," laughed the Pope. "I am no god; I am sure of this because I am too feeble to be one. As for Solis, I am sure he exists, but I do not know if he is a true deity. To me, a god is someone who controls and owns space, time, past, present, and the infinite cosmos. It is an existence we cannot comprehend, for they are so superior to us that we cannot perceive them."
Sylvester agreed with that assessment. However, concurrently, he felt a peculiar suffocation in his heart. "So, I have been your slave since the beginning? A pawn meant to be exploited?"
"No, Sylvester. You are a free man with free will, but your destiny has been predetermined since your birth. You can live as you wish, but the manner in which you die has already been written. You chose to love your mother. You chose to make friends. You chose to become the man you are today—did you not?"
Sylvester exhaled in exhaustion and lay back on the ground. "Then what am I supposed to do? Who am I battling? I'm certain that becoming the Pope is not your intention for me."
The Pope nodded, and his ghostly form walked back to the center rune. He placed his palm on it, and a small, thin platform arose. As the marble tile opened up magically on it, a white crystal was revealed.
"It is true that becoming the Pope is a stepping stone for you. Your true destiny is to discover who brought the Orb of the Devil. You locate them, and you shall learn who truly governs the world and controls its destiny," the Pope said, gesturing for Sylvester to come closer.
"Once you become the Pope, travel to the tenth underground level of the Pope's Palace. You will discover the secrets of the world there. But first, to ascend to the highest peak, you will require the assistance of Elder Magic."
Sylvester halted near the platform and gazed at the sparkling crystal. "Where does all of this end? How do you expect me to battle beings even you cannot perceive?"
"You can, for it is the destiny you were born to fulfill. Jonathan Colt Westerling, you were not born to live in misery but to liberate the world from the clutches of its covert master. You are Sylvester Maximilian, not to be cursed, but to assist this world in defeating the concealed, wicked hand—isn't that what you did in your past life?"
Instantly, Sylvester recalled his old memories and couldn't help but draw parallels. As in his previous life, he has no idea who the real hidden master manipulator is here. Yet, he is expected to defeat that person.
"What if I fail?" he inquired.
"Then another shall be born."
"For how long will this go on?" Sylvester asked. "How do I walk on the path that does not exist?"
The Pope raised his hand and pointed to Xylena.
"She is your path, Sylvester Maximilian—The key to the realm that has remained hidden from you. Vilified and despised, but it is not what meets the eye. Seek it, and you shall hear their cry."
Sylvester quickly connected the dots, recalling the incident under the Pope's Palace in the arena, and made a wild guess, for that was the only other realm he knew about.
"Demon Realm?!"
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