Chapter 172: Vanna’s Discovery
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Vanna stood silently, her eyes fixed on the black door at the base of the stairs leading to the underground sanctuary. This very door had mysteriously repaired itself after being destroyed right before their eyes.
Rewinding to three hours earlier, Vanna had been leading her team to an abandoned chapel. Initially, everything seemed ordinary: the comforting warmth of the lights bathing the interior in a golden glow, a silent nun deep in prayer, and a meticulously maintained podium.
However, two hours later, Vanna sensed something was off about the praying nun. Trusting her instincts, she left the nun alone, revealing her true abnormality. Then, with her guardians, Vanna ventured deeper, prying open the sealed black door to the underground sanctuary. What they found was unsettling—a vast chamber with another nun, sword in hand, who appeared to have perished in a recent skirmish. Evidence of a fierce battle marked the walls and floors, yet there were no signs of the intruders who had seemingly vanished.
Just two minutes ago, Vanna and her team conducted a thorough exploration of the underground sanctuary. They moved the fallen nun’s body, intending to transport her remains for analysis and burial at the main cathedral. Disturbingly, as soon as they took the body beyond the chapel grounds, it disintegrated into ash. Moreover, the previously shattered door mended itself, standing untouched, almost mocking the bewildered group at its threshold.
“Inquisitor…” a bearded guardian, concern evident in his voice, approached Vanna. “It appears we’re dealing with a space-time anomaly, a loop perhaps…”
She merely nodded, lost in thought.
As she pondered the day’s events, Vanna’s mind drifted to the chilling dream she had the previous night. The ghostly figure of “Captain Duncan” had invaded her slumber, his haunting words echoing, “If you genuinely value your city’s safety, journey to the Sixth District and investigate the chapel… I eagerly await your discoveries…”
Was this enigmatic chapel and its puzzling occurrences what Captain Duncan intended for her to uncover? A chapel tainted and secluded by some inexplicable force, a valiant nun’s last stand against an unidentified foe—what significance did it all hold?
The weight of uncertainty bore down on Vanna, her brows furrowing deeply. When she embarked on this mission, her focus was solely on unraveling the mystery of the Vanished and its ghost captain. But the day’s events made her question her initial assumptions.
Could it be that this ghostly captain, rather than being a threat, was merely guiding her? She had once jokingly speculated with Bishop Valentine that perhaps Captain Duncan was like an eager bystander, spotlighting heresy wherever it lurked. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was some truth to that jest.
A chill ran down Vanna’s spine, causing her to stiffen in sheer terror. The realization of how preposterous her initial idea had been gripped her. For a devout priestess of the Storm Church, even considering such a thought was almost blasphemous.
“Inquisitor?” The concerned voice of her subordinate broke into her troubled thoughts, drawing her attention back to the present. “Is everything alright? Did you notice or hear something amiss?”
Shaking off her temporary disorientation, Vanna replied, “No, rest assured, my mind is clear.” She gazed at her subordinate, recognizing his loyalty and concern. She knew he had liaised with Bishop Valentine before their expedition and was likely tasked with overseeing her well-being. Vanna harbored no resentment for such precautions. In her eyes, even if she were under watchful supervision throughout the mission, it was a reasonable protocol given the circumstances.
Noting the seriousness of their surroundings, the subordinate probed further, “Given the peculiar shifts in time and space here, should we attempt another exploration below?”
Vanna sighed softly and asked, “What’s the status of the imposter nun in the main hall?”
A guardian who had just returned from the main hall replied, “She remains immersed in prayer, seemingly oblivious to our presence and actions outside.”
Vanna’s eyes shifted once more to the daunting black door guarding the underground sanctuary. With a determined nod, she declared, “Then let’s take another look.”
Leading the group back to the sanctuary, Vanna approached the door, recalling the resistance they had encountered previously—the body of the fallen nun obstructing their path. During their first attempt, her team had forcibly pried the door open with tools.
This time, Vanna had a different strategy. Gently placing her hand on the door’s surface, she took a calming breath and knocked on the door in rapid succession.
In an almost imperceptible moment, the door began to resonate at a frequency beyond human perception. Moments later, what seemed like an insurmountable barrier disintegrated into fine dust, as if dissolved by some arcane magic. This technique ensured the nun’s body remained unharmed, causing it to collapse due to the sudden loss of support.
As the dust settled, the guardians could discern the faint humming of the vibration, a sonic signature that resonated briefly before fading away. Witnessing such a display of prowess evoked a mixture of awe and respect from the guardians. Achieving such a feat, both intricate and powerful, was no easy task.
Ignoring the admiring glances, Vanna swiftly drew the greatsword strapped to her back. Balancing the blade in one hand and a lantern in the other, she ventured forth. As the lantern’s light pierced the gloom, it revealed a scene all too familiar. The underground chamber seemed untouched, confirming their suspicions that time and space had looped back to a previous state.
After another thorough sweep of the area, the group’s attention settled once again on the lifeless nun near the doorway.
Earlier, Vanna had attempted to move the nun’s body from this eerie underground. Now, observing the sanctuary’s unusual phenomena, she surmised that the nun’s remains were perhaps bound to this temporal loop, fated to remain trapped indefinitely.
Staring deeply into the nun’s pallid, blood-smeared visage, Vanna lost track of time, her thoughts swirling like a maelstrom. She finally whispered, her voice laced with sorrow and admiration, “Are you eternally battling within this relentless loop…”
Her words hung heavily in the air, casting a profound silence over the sanctuary. This poignant moment was eventually broken by the inquisitive voice of a guardian, “Inquisitor, against whom do you believe she was waging this endless battle?”
With a contemplative expression, Vanna began piecing together the puzzle. After what felt like an eternity, she began to lay out her deductions:
“The subterranean sanctuary, with its sealed entrance, acts as an impregnable fortress. Once the door is shut, it transforms into an unyielding prison.”
“Though the church’s guardians have vanished without a trace, there’s no indication they were involved in any skirmish here.”
“The fact that the nun armed herself and isolated herself suggests she anticipated confrontation before entering.”
“No remnants of potential adversaries are evident. Given the cyclical nature of time and space here, any invaders would be trapped in the same loop as the nun. Hence, no matter how swift or stealthy, they should have been present when we first entered the sanctuary…”
Listening to Vanna’s systematic analysis, a realization dawned on one of the guardians. He voiced it aloud, “The clergy would only ever resort to such self-imposed confinement and brace for a ‘final stand’ under a specific scenario…”
Vanna nodded, her voice carrying a tone of gravity, “Yes, only one dire circumstance justifies such extreme measures.” Rising to her full height, exuding an ominous intensity, she revealed, “That is when they detect the imminent emergence of a subspatial gateway within their very soul.”
The stark implication was not lost on the guardians. One exclaimed, aghast, “A subspace incursion! She sacrificed herself to combat the insidious shadows from within her very being? But how can this occur within holy grounds? This is a church, after all, and…”
Another guardian added, “Indeed, Inquisitor, this is an established branch of the Storm Church. It’s grounded on sacred land, fortified by spiritual barriers and divine enchantments. Even if a priestess were vulnerable to subspace corruption, the protective measures should have mitigated the extent of the infection, allowing ample time to sound an alarm.”
Vanna nodded in agreement, “Yes, for a sanctuary like this to be compromised so swiftly and thoroughly is almost unthinkable. These sacred grounds have stood firm against dark forces for generations. The church’s essence and foundation are rooted in protection and purity.”
She continued, her voice laden with curiosity and determination, “It’s almost as if an overwhelming force, potent enough to bypass the church’s defenses, swept through this place. Perhaps something or someone accelerated the corruption, propelling the nun into a rapid downward spiral before she had the chance to understand or call for aid.”
A guardian, his face etched with concern, added, “And to think of it, Inquisitor, if the alarm had indeed been sounded yet thwarted or intercepted by subspace interference, then we’re dealing with an enemy that not only understands our defenses but can also manipulate the fabric of space-time itself.”
Another voiced the chilling thought that hung over the group, “Could it be that we’re facing not just a random subspace incursion but a premeditated attack, carefully orchestrated to cripple one of our church branches?”
Vanna tightened her grip on the lantern, casting its light deeper into the room, hoping to unveil answers from the looming shadows. The walls, with their ancient carvings and inscriptions, seemed to whisper of age-old secrets and battles fought.
“If the corruption did consume this place, then what became of it? And more importantly, what were its intentions?” she whispered, her voice echoing softly.
Evidently, this was not just a quest for answers but a race against time to prevent a potential catastrophe.
Maybe the church was attacked during the great fire 11 years ago. While the church force was distracted, the umbrella man attacked the church