Chapter 146: Chapter 150: The Secret in the Underground Sanctuary
“Do you wish to pray to the goddess?”
To be honest, Duncan’s instinctive reaction at that moment was that there was something wrong with Gomona, the Storm Goddess—it was this seemingly protective deity’s dangerous other side that cast a terrifying shadow deep within the City-State, and the occasional distorted appearance of the statue was evidence of that.
But the next second, another doubt arose: if there really was something wrong with Gomona, why were the other churches around the city normal?
He had indeed seen other Deep Sea Churches before—there was a community church near the antique shop, and there was one next to that ocean museum as well. Even though he hadn’t entered to investigate thoroughly, he had lingered nearby, and the aura those churches emitted… was clearly different from the eerie church in front of him.
He had also encountered other clergy, including entry-level priests and guardians, as well as Judges like Fenna, who resided at the pinnacle of the City-State. All these people who served the Storm Goddess day and night seemed completely normal, even more resolute and clearheaded than most.
He ignored the nun and looked up at the statue.
After the fleeting glimpse just moments ago, the eerie crack in the statue’s head had not reappeared. Even in another aspect overlaid within the church, the statue was merely blackened by smoke, as if that crack had sensed something and actively hidden itself away.
Duncan frowned.
This church’s peculiarity was clearly an exception. Thus, if it wasn’t the Storm Goddess who was at fault… the scene he had just witnessed could possibly be explained as some force using this church as a node, attempting to erode reality.
But what exactly was it?
The form of that crack bore no relation to the Sun God and didn’t remind him of a Sun Shard either. If anything… the dim shadows surging within the fracture made him think of the chaos outside the hull of the “Homeloss.”
“Do you wish to pray to the goddess?”
The nun’s voice came again. She showed neither impatience nor urgency but seemed to repeat the question again and again like a triggered keyword whenever Duncan and Sherry stood beside the statue.
Sherry seemed a bit at a loss, instinctively looking towards Duncan, who finally responded calmly, staring at the nun: “Are you praying to your goddess?”