The team quickly started their mission.

Liszt and six high-ranking investigators had become key figures within the team.

— The precondition for rescuing the Saintess is first to find her.

Although the Saint Heir and Saintess of the White Sect held high status within the church, they did not have a role like Protecting White King Saffek, who guards the borders, nor do they have the corresponding "Spiritual Guidance".

They can only track the traces she left behind.

Soon, Liszt found signs of withdrawal around Sword City—a large number of low-level Living Corpses, in tattered clothes and with missing limbs, wandering aimlessly in the darkness like dust.

These are battlefield dust, discarded creatures no one cares about; their combat power is extremely weak, usually serving as practice targets for trainees, and even the aftershocks of battles among the strong can kill them.

If this were before, Liszt wouldn't have paid attention to this dust.

Yet now, they clearly show the trajectory of Saintess Yifula's actions during the disaster.

She, along with some powerful warriors, charged out from Sword City's south gate, with millions of civilians in tow.

They had no transport means, were short-handed, and the range of the firelight was far from enough to cover everyone; some of those on the outer layer were quickly eroded by the Black Fog and turned into monsters.

These creatures were sparsely distributed on either side of the retreat path, spaced far apart.

These monsters, which should have been easily killed, slaughtered indiscriminately among the civilians, devouring countless lives, so among the dust were also a few Ungraded and Mature Level monsters.

The Saintess and her warriors may have realized this, or they may not have; some monsters were cleared, but many were left behind.

Thus, they became clues for Liszt to track.

However, this sparse trail of dust suddenly disappeared after about 50 kilometers southwest.

Liszt and his companions searched the area for a long time but found no new clues.

It's as if they vanished from this world without leaving any trace.

After yet another fruitless search, the group gathered together.

"What's going on?"

Horus asked.

"Did they fly?"

Liszt said, "I've walked fifteen kilometers beyond, but found no new clues."

A high-ranking investigator said, "The area is very dangerous; I discovered at least three giant Flesh Puppet nests and encountered giant bugs from Hera Fortress; they couldn't have gotten past them."

"Could it be... they've already met with misfortune?"

"No, impossible," Liszt denied, "If extremely powerful monsters attacked them, I would definitely have found traces."

Qingyu pondered and said, "Could they really have flown?"

Horus suddenly said, "Rod, ask them if the Saintess has the ability to float."

Rod shook his head, "That's impossible. Archbishop, even if she did, she couldn't lift hundreds of thousands of people into the air... Moreover, if she could do that, why didn't she fly from the start?"

Despite saying this, he still asked Vier and Lance.

After all, no one knows what happened during the fall of the city.

Upon hearing Rod's inquiry, both Vier and Lance displayed incredible expressions.

"Master Rod, both the Saint Heir and Saintess possess the Eternal Burning Fire Attribute; they are future Pope candidates and cannot have other characteristics."

Rod had vaguely guessed it.

He didn't hear from Vier and Lance about anyone like a King Candidate, so the most likely successors to the Pope's position were the Saint Heir and Saintess.

"I remember Eternal Burning Fire can mimic other characteristic abilities."

Vier replied, "This mimicry is rather weak, usually far inferior to the original ability, and definitely not capable of lifting hundreds of thousands into the air, unless she's taken that step, just like the Pope."

Rod's heart shook, and he hurriedly asked, "Your Pope has taken that step, becoming a true king?"

Vier looked at Rod strangely.

"Hasn't your King done that?"

Rod was speechless.

The King of Trolian had not yet taken that step.

According to the King, he hadn't found the path to a True King, and although his power was incredibly strong, he couldn't take the final step.

So, he wasn't a True King yet, just at the peak of Monarch Level.

Though Rod didn't answer, his non-answer equated to a response.

Both Vier and Lance widened their eyes.

"Your King hasn't entered the domain of gods, how have you survived until now?"

Rod hesitated, then asked, "Is a true monarch considered a god?"

Lance affirmed, "Of course, a True King is humanity's god; this was established at the end of the Epoch of Gods, at the beginning of human Epoch."

Rod knew Epoch of Gods was the Ancient Epoch, during which gods dominated the world, hence also called Epoch of Gods.

Whereas human Epoch was the Fire Epoch, during which gods were extinct, and humans became the world's rulers, thus also called human Epoch.

"A True King is humanity's god," this statement he knew, but always found hard to believe.

If that's the case, then aren't Ancient Gods just True King Level monsters?

Why do the Ancient Gods he encountered not seem so strong?

The Ancient Gods of flesh rebirth, Ancient God of Destiny, and those titled as old rulers on par with gods aren't that strong either, even weaker than Protecting White King Safuk, who is only Monarch Level and hasn't entered the True King's domain.

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