When the plot-skips players into the game world
Chapter 1117 - 445: The Good and Bad His Holiness the Pope_2

Chapter 1117: Chapter 445: The Good and Bad His Holiness the Pope_2

Whoever dares commit such an unseemly act of using strength to bully the weak would most certainly be mocked by everyone as being "desperate"—though deep down, they would undoubtedly feel envious, whoever steps forward at this moment would still be ganged up on and taken down by the crowd.

And now, a wild Water’s Regular Dodecahedron is right before their very eyes!

But he dared not make a move to snatch it—ever since that fleeting moment when this "Mr. Pope" unconsciously spoke the name "Cardinal Galatea," he had already pieced together Aiwass’s true identity.

Though the appearance was different, with antlers on his head, and the timing of his arrival was unusual... there was no doubt that the golden-haired youth before him was this generation’s Eternal Pope.

He hadn’t exaggerated in the slightest—this "Pope" title was a literal reflection of his real identity!

If he were to provoke the Pope or the Cardinal Archbishop, it would most certainly bring about utter calamity.

Yet, even so, Sine still could not suppress the expanding greed swelling within him—

"Mr. Pope... Your Holiness the Pope!"

Sine spoke fervently, near-deranged, "Could you grant this thing to me? I’m willing to pay any price—anything! All of my possessions, my loyalty, my soul... No, could you just let me touch it first? Just a touch, that’s all I ask..."

He couldn’t help but consider: could this be the one, unrepeatable opportunity of his lifetime?

Aiwass looked at this Old Mage, clearly surprised.

Mages like these were typically serene and indifferent, detached from the world. He rarely encountered a Mage so utterly unhinged...

He couldn’t help but ask, "You want this thing that much? Aren’t Mages forbidden from pursuing power?"

"No, it’s not for power... how could it possibly be ’power’..."

Sine shook his head vigorously, as if electrified, anxiously protesting, "I wouldn’t do anything with it. Even if I obtained it, I wouldn’t use its power..."

"Are you perhaps... hoping to research the Celestial Marshal?" Aiwass asked.

To Aiwass, the Water Fragment itself was of little use—what he needed most was the Fire Fragment, and even for that, there was no urgency.

At the moment, he hadn’t even subdued the Water-attributed Great Sin Beast yet, and the Ring of Ouroboros ritual had not been set in motion. The current world limit was merely the Sixth Power Level, so attempting further breakthroughs was still too early.

Originally, Aiwass had intended to give this treasure to Sherlock.

After all, it was said that this artifact only appeared to those with exceptional intellect, and Aiwass believed Sherlock to be a clever man, well-suited for it. Conveniently, Sherlock didn’t yet have a Magic Wand... The Fire Fragment could be used to evolve the Little Butterfly, and it would be perfect to give the Water Fragment to him. Although, Sherlock might not be too inclined to accept it.

For that very reason, Aiwass hadn’t touched the artifact at all. He hadn’t even bothered to examine its properties.

It was because Aiwass worried he himself might not be "clever" enough—or rather, not sufficiently devout to the Path of Wisdom’s obsession—that the artifact might activate and teleport away.

—Even though Aiwass didn’t value the artifact that greatly, he was still cautious about not letting it fall into the hands of other ill-intentioned people. Just like that Son of the Moon, for instance.

Properly utilized, this artifact’s combat potential could enable a Fifth Power Level Transcendent to unleash the strength of the Sixth Power Level. For a single-attribute Spellcaster with high compatibility, it could nearly rival the augmentation the Holy Crown provided to Priests—the Holy Crown, which allowed Aiwass to communicate with the Pillar Gods anytime, anywhere, was practically a direct connection to the private numbers of all the Pillar Gods and Celestial Marshals.

Although Sine seemed somewhat obsessed as well, for a Mage, he was already considered remarkably humble. If Sine could provide Aiwass with a sufficiently compelling reason, Aiwass wouldn’t mind handing over the artifact to him—at most, it would just mean finding Sherlock a better gift for their next meeting.

After all, a few months had passed, and when they met again, he’d become the Pope. In such moments, one had to gift their brother something impressive to prove they’d truly risen to greatness!

But to Aiwass’s disappointment, in response to his questioning, Sine began to shrink back, visibly recoiling.

"No, it’s not... how could it be, I’m not even a Transcender..."

The Old Mage forced a bitter smile, though his heart brimmed with endless regret.

Why couldn’t it have been me! Why couldn’t I have been the one teleported away!

If it were me leading the exploration, if I were the one teleported away... wouldn’t the artifact have been mine?!

"You’re not after it for battle, nor for research. Then why do you desire it?"

Aiwass asked in puzzlement.

"With it," Sine murmured, "people will finally know... that I am a genius, won’t they?

"—Without it, how can they ever come to understand my Wisdom!?!"

His words grew increasingly frenzied.

In the depths of his pupils, crackling arcs of electricity flickered and leapt, gradually revealing a hint of deep indigo straying toward violet.

Aiwass’s expression grew instantly grave.

... Sine’s mental state was becoming unstable.

But just then, Sine suddenly let out a long exhale, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for air in heaving breaths—ultimately, he did not dare act against Aiwass. At the very brink of losing control, clarity returned to his eyes.

Aiwass recognized at once what that fear-stricken gaze signified.

Thus, he chuckled softly: "It’s not as though I won’t give it to you...

"I can grant you an opportunity. [Water’s Regular Dodecahedron] has no use to me; I desire ’Old Sandro’s’ [Fire Tetrahedron] far more. If you bring it to me, then I can give this to you. After all, a person can’t simultaneously obtain two Fragments. You get the Fire Tetrahedron, and it wouldn’t be suitable to flaunt it openly anyway... but having it allows you to boast; isn’t that wonderful?"

... This... is this something a Pope should even say?

Sine was utterly taken aback.

How could this Pope also know how to incite temptation?!

What’s worse, what he said... was actually awfully enticing...

Sine wrestled with reason, yet his eyes couldn’t look away from the [Water’s Regular Dodecahedron]. Deep violet hues flickered once again in his pupils: "But... Sandro Tower Master is very well-known... if I were to act against him... not to mention, I might not even succeed..."

Cardinal Galatea’s voice whispered softly in Aiwass’s mind, an Illusion Technique audible only to him: "His anomalies stem from this tower itself."

"Understood," Aiwass replied, his voice similarly audible only to Cardinal Galatea.

He smiled faintly at Sine, delivering one final nudge to his teetering rationality: "Old Sandro is dead. During his Ascension ritual, I witnessed his death with my own eyes.

"Which means there is no rightful heir to the [Fire Tetrahedron]. So, you see, don’t you?"

"—I’ll do it, I’ll do it!"

Sine blurted out without hesitation, his gaze ablaze with fervent enthusiasm.

In that instant, Aiwass became acutely aware—an intense surge of Power of Transcendence had poured into Sine’s body.

It came from the top of the tower.