Chapter 103 : Chapter 103

Chapter 103. Monsa’s Gloom

When Thors woke from unconsciousness, the first thing he felt was the taste of blood in his mouth. He coughed twice, drawing the attention of those nearby.

With great effort, he opened his eyes. In his hazy vision, he turned his head and saw Luca standing beside him.

Memories suddenly returned to him. Ignoring the weakness in his body, he spoke with anger.

“Luca, you still dare to appear here…”

But Luca remained unmoved, as if he had not heard the accusation at all. He did not react in the slightest.

Thors froze.

That was not how Luca usually reacted. Normally, when he heard such an unreasonable accusation, Luca would immediately retort. But this time, he remained completely silent.

“Thors, since you are awake, tell us what happened.”

A gentle voice sounded nearby. Thors recognized the voice instantly.

He turned his head to look, and the person he saw made his scalp go numb. At that moment, he understood why Luca had not responded to him.

“High Priest Angmar… I am sorry. I failed to stop the intruders and allowed them to desecrate this sacred place… I have failed my god.”

Angmar wore a white robe. His entire head was wrapped in cloth, leaving only his aged face visible.

From beneath the wide robe, he extended a strong and powerful arm that showed no trace of age. He gently touched Thors’s arm.

“That is another matter. For now, tell me the exact circumstances of the attack.”

“Yes!”

…

“That is the situation. I believe there must be a problem among our own people. Otherwise, I would never have been defeated so easily.”

Thors spoke through clenched teeth, his gaze drifting toward Luca from time to time.

At that moment, Luca could no longer remain silent.

“High Priest Angmar, today I followed orders to capture those outsiders. Among them were two outsiders whose weapons matched the description Thors just gave. Therefore, it should have been those outsiders who did it.”

Thors sneered. Without waiting for Angmar to speak, he immediately refuted him.

“Hah! It seems only Captain Luca saw them, right? And if I remember correctly, the matter of me dismissing the guards was something Luca knew about the earliest.”

“Thors,” Luca snapped, no longer willing to tolerate it. “You are a petty man who thinks everyone is trying to harm you…”

“You—”

“Enough. Silence.”

The moment Angmar spoke, the two men immediately fell silent, waiting for his judgment.

“Luca, report the losses caused by the attackers.”

Upon receiving the order, Luca stood upright and spoke loudly.

“Multiple sections of the Divine Revelation Hall were damaged. Fortunately, the damage is limited. If craftsmen are ordered to begin repairs, the restoration should be completed within a few days.”

“All personnel in the Divine Revelation Hall, except for the Guard Squad, have been injured and are currently unable to act. However, there are no fatalities.”

As he spoke, Luca glanced at Thors.

In truth, Thors was the most seriously injured one. Many of the others had simply lost consciousness after a single strike from the attackers. When they woke up, they only felt a headache, but there were no wounds on their bodies.

“And… the materials for the Divine Water were stolen. Half of the Bloodthirst Vine plants were taken, and one barrel of the Original Divine Water was stolen.”

After finishing the report, he lowered his head.

Since the Guard Squad had begun protecting the Divine Revelation Hall, this was the most serious incident that had ever occurred. Even though the Guard Squad might not be blamed directly this time, he still felt ashamed that he had failed to protect the hall.

“Divine Water…”

Even Angmar himself did not notice that when he spoke those two words, a faint bitter smile appeared on his face.

“I can immediately begin searching Monsa to recover the stolen Divine Water,” Luca added.

But after hearing this, Angmar simply smiled faintly.

“There is no need…”

“No need?!”

“High Priest Angmar, why?” Thors blurted out. He could hardly believe what he had just heard.

Normally speaking, the Divine Water was the foundation of the Priests’ authority and the very reason for their existence. It was something that absolutely could not be ignored.

Yet Angmar had responded in such a manner. How could the two of them not be shocked?

Angmar spoke calmly.

“As it happens, I was planning to announce this matter to all the Priests in a few days. Since you are here, I will let you know in advance.”

“First, even if those people stole the materials used to make the Divine Water, it would be useless. In the early days when the temple was first established, someone once tried to steal the Divine Water.”

“But no matter how they tried, the Original Divine Water was nothing more than poison. Anyone who drank it would end up half-dead.”

“The method of producing the true Divine Water was known only to the High Priest himself. Later, in order to ease his burden, he shared that method with others.”

“He only told me and Rune, and each of us received only half of the method… So now you understand.”

The two men were stunned by the sudden revelation.

After a moment of silence, they spoke at the same time.

“Then what will happen to us…”

“That is correct. From now on, we will likely no longer have Divine Water. During the festival six days from now, we will not be able to distribute even a single portion.”

“I have been attempting to produce Divine Water myself recently, but I have failed every time.”

The two men were struck speechless by the news.

After a long time, Luca finally spoke slowly.

“Then… what will we do in the future?”

“Who knows? I do not know either.”

Angmar continued.

“For now, do not spread this matter. Luca, you do not need to continue hunting those outsiders. Take some of the guards and remain here to protect this place…”

“I have other matters to attend to. I will take my leave.”

The two of them watched Angmar’s departing figure in silence.

They had never expected to hear such devastating news.

For the people of Monsa, the Divine Water was the source of their strength. If the Divine Water could no longer be distributed on time, panic would certainly erupt.

Thors understood this clearly.

Suddenly, he felt that everything he had done over the past few days had been meaningless…

Without the Divine Water, the temple’s very foundation would no longer exist.

Thors looked at Luca. Now, arguing with him seemed pointless.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“Those outsiders are truly hateful. They actually attacked the Divine Revelation Hall and stole the materials for the Divine Water.”

Luca froze for a moment.

Then he quickly smiled.

“That’s right. Those outsiders are truly evil to commit such an act.”

For Luca, the news that Monsa might never be able to distribute Divine Water again made him feel somewhat sorrowful. He had no idea what the future would bring.

But resolving his conflict with Thors could at least be considered a small consolation, which slightly lifted his mood.

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded.

A guard stumbled into the room in a panic.

“Report! Someone is attacking the Divine Revelation Hall!”

Upon hearing this, Luca and Thors exchanged incredulous looks.

Then Luca immediately strode out of the room.