Chapter 51: Demon

“You should be able to take human form, shouldn’t you? Even though this is your true body for now, it would be better for you to converse with me in your human form. After all, I find your current appearance rather unsettling,” the Pontiff of Light said, his tone indifferent as if he were discussing something of no consequence. Yet his words made Zhou Tian break out in a cold sweat.

Indeed, Zhou Tian could assume a human shape, thanks to the shapeshifting pill he had acquired. Back in the Beastman Empire, he already had that ability. But after nearly dying at the hands of a beastman squad not long after first taking on his human form, Zhou Tian became acutely aware that his human shape had many more weaknesses than his serpent body and was far less convenient for action. Deliberately, he began to maintain his true form, only rarely showing his human guise—and never among the humans.

Now, when Zhou Tian was certain he'd never revealed this particular ability, the Pontiff of Light had stated it outright. How could Zhou Tian not be alarmed?

There were only two possibilities: Either the pontiff’s intelligence network was so formidable that it could obtain information about him even from the Beastman or Elven Empires, or the Pontiff possessed some extraordinary ability, such as prophecy, to discern Zhou Tian’s talents. Either way, it was a power worthy of Zhou Tian’s wariness.

After a slight hesitation, Zhou Tian ultimately transformed into his human form following the Pontiff’s suggestion.

He remained unsure how the Pontiff had learned these details, but from the intelligence Zhou Tian had gathered, it didn’t seem the Pontiff meant him any real harm. Even though he had no idea what plans the Pontiff had for him, as long as the Pontiff didn’t turn on him, Zhou Tian saw no reason to antagonize someone whose influence rivaled that of any imperial sovereign.

“Very good.” The Pontiff nodded in satisfaction as Zhou Tian assumed his human shape, then continued, “In fact, we have been watching you for some time. The Elven and Beastman Empires are intrigued by your abilities, but your talents are of limited use to them. To us, however, your abilities are worth several legions. If Vivienne hadn’t brought you here, we would have found a way to invite you ourselves once we had enough information about you.”

“I doubt I’m as important as you make me out to be.” The more the Pontiff spoke, the more uneasy Zhou Tian became. The Pontiff was making it clear: regardless of his willingness, they would not let Zhou Tian slip away.

As Zhou Tian considered whether to use his jade talisman’s power to escape, the Pontiff seemed to read his mind and said calmly, “Are you thinking of fleeing? We are quite interested in the ‘magic scrolls’ you used in the Beastman Empire. Normally, any magic power that enters our Holy City can be neutralized by me with absolute certainty. Yet your scrolls are disturbingly unique—similar to known magical attributes, yet fundamentally different. I estimate there’s only a seventy percent chance I could stop you from leaving this chamber, which is saturated with divine power. If you have as much faith in your ‘magic scrolls’ as you seem to, why not try now and see if you can escape?”

Under such pressure, Zhou Tian’s brow beaded with fresh sweat. It was clear now: the Pontiff was applying force. Zhou Tian had miscalculated. He’d assumed his abilities and the system’s tools would allow him to escape with ease, but the Pontiff’s knowledge had upended his plans. Whether the Pontiff was bluffing or not, if he spoke the truth, Zhou Tian’s odds of escape were slim indeed.

What gave Zhou Tian pause was this: even if he managed to escape, what then? Given the Pontiff’s demonstrated power, Zhou Tian doubted he could remain hidden for long. If the Holy Church truly wanted to find him, he could not evade them forever. Since there was little chance of avoiding entanglement with the Holy Church, Zhou Tian calmed himself. Things had already reached this point—he might as well hear the Pontiff’s terms. So long as they were not too unreasonable, what harm was there in striking a bargain?

Noticing Zhou Tian had settled down, the Pontiff quietly sighed in relief when Zhou Tian wasn’t looking. Composing himself, he asked with some excitement, “Do you know the true purpose of our Holy Church?”

“Isn’t it just a bunch of charlatans fooling the masses?” Of course, Zhou Tian only muttered this in his heart. He wouldn’t dare say it aloud—he was certain that if the Pontiff heard such words, he’d be destroyed on the spot.

He shook his head and gestured for the Pontiff to continue, curious as to what the man would say.

“To spread the glory of the gods!” the Pontiff declared with a look of piety, but then his tone abruptly changed. “That’s what we tell the public. The truth is, our church wields enormous power. Even if we have no desire for political authority, the fact that nearly all living beings possess faith means that as the gods’ representatives on earth, we could easily topple an empire if we wished. Because of our influence, royal authority and the church should be natural adversaries. Yet you’ve never heard of our church having any real conflict with an empire, have you? Do you know why the royal families tolerate our existence?”

“What reason?” Zhou Tian couldn’t deny his curiosity was piqued. The Pontiff’s words had drawn him in, and to hear such secrets of the land was a rare opportunity.

Not bothering to keep him in suspense, the Pontiff smiled faintly and replied, “Because our church’s existence suppresses the greatest threat to all living things on the continent—demons.”

“Demons?”

“Yes, demons. Or if you prefer, you may call them fiends, devils, even demon gods.” The Pontiff paused before continuing, “With every force that comes into being, its opposite must also arise. Where there is fire, there is water; where there is light, there is darkness. When gods appeared, so too did demons follow into this world.”

“What sort of creatures are these demons?” Zhou Tian had already guessed that the so-called demons were akin to the devils and dark gods of fiction, yet he couldn’t help but ask for more information.