Chapter 600: The Secret Beneath the Monastery
A Haven Under Siege
Saint Catherine's Monastery, the jewel of the Sinai Peninsula, is legendary as the place where God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses.
Built around the site of the burning bush where a small chapel was first erected in the 3rd century, the monastery was formally established during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. It boasts a history spanning over 1,400 years. Despite enduring invasions, Crusades, Ottoman rule, Napoleon's occupation, and the Arab-Israeli War, it remains miraculously undamaged, preserving traditions dating back to the 6th century.
Located deep within the Sinai Peninsula, Saint Catherine's Monastery looks like a fortress, surrounded by high stone walls. Inside, the main church is dazzlingly opulent. Its walls, pillars, roof, and doors are covered with lifelike carvings of ancient emperors, saints, animals, and flora. The gold-inlaid altar inside holds bronze statues of Jesus and Saint Catherine.
Aside from the church, the most famous feature is the library, which holds manuscripts from the 4th century to the present, making it one of the oldest extant libraries in the world.
The group departed from Arish in the morning and arrived at Saint Catherine's Monastery at noon. The scorching sun made the rock-enclosed monastery feel like a furnace, yet it did not deter the flow of tourists.
Barbara and Derek went to gather information, while Luke and Diana blended with the crowd, touring the grounds under the guidance of a monk. As they passed the rear courtyard entrance, Luke paused before nonchalantly moving on.
"You heard that, right?"
Diana nodded. "A very faint scream, coming from below."
Luke sneered. "Looks like they got here first and have already started the interrogation."
"Should we stop them?"
"No need."
Luke pulled out a metal sphere and tossed it. "I want to know their objective."
The metal sphere landed and transformed into a spider the size of a fingernail. It crept past the guards and rapidly scurried into the library, where the scene was astonishing.
The historically ancient Saint Catherine's Library was a mess. Books were scattered across the floor, covered in footprints. Two monks lay in a corner, while four thugs drank nearby.
Based on the scene, the library had been invaded.
The Interrogation and Dark Magic
The mechanical spider scanned the area. After locating the basement, it quickly crept toward it. Even before getting close, the scream grew louder. In the dim light, Adone Arkady, the Monastery's Abbot, wearing only his underwear, was tied to a chair. A vicious-looking brute was whipping his body with a leather whip soaked in saltwater.
The air whizzed with every lash.
Each whip-strike elicited a choked cry of pain.
Adone's body was covered in bloody welts, but the brute didn't stop until the Abbot passed out. He then scooped up a bucket of ice water and splashed it over him.
The frigid shock jolted Adone, and he regained consciousness.
The brute stepped forward, grabbed his neck, and roared,
"Where is the Sealing Place? Speak!"
Adone gasped and slowly closed his eyes.
The brute erupted in fury, punching him in the stomach. "You stubborn old man, pah! You lowlife!"
He raised the whip and resumed the beating, the snapping sounds relentless. After a moment, Adone passed out again. The brute checked his breathing. Sensing his breath was fading, his expression changed slightly.
"Master, he's fading."
"Keep hitting him. Do not stop."
A snake-like voice hissed. The candlelight flickered, and the shadows writhed. A blond man with an aquiline nose emerged from the shadows. The man, about thirty years old, wore ancient Egyptian priestly robes and held a Cobra Scepter. His expression was sinister, and his menacing, yellowish eyes were impossible to look at directly.
The brute dared not defy him and raised the whip, continuing the beating. Whip after whip, Adone's skin was torn open.
Suppressed groans echoed in the room.
The young man grinned, clearly enjoying the process. The sound of the whip cutting into flesh reminded him of a deep-seated memory: he, too, was once beaten like Adone, repeatedly. The pain evolved from initial agony to indifference, and finally, to pleasure. Pain, when taken to its extreme, becomes pure ecstasy.
He understood this principle and, through it, grasped the true meaning of Black Sorcery: only the desperate cries born from the depths of the soul can summon the purest darkness.
Adone Arkady was the perfect example.
After ten minutes, the brute stopped, saying anxiously,
"He's not responding."
The young man walked up to the chair and stroked the Cobra Scepter. The wooden scepter suddenly came to life, transforming into a black cobra that bit Adone's neck. Venom surged into his veins, flowing throughout his body.
The unconscious Adone suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils were pitch-black, and dark veins spread across his face, moving under his skin like tiny snakes.
The brute watched, his scalp crawling, and involuntarily backed away.
"No one can defy me, no one!"
The young man muttered softly, his hoarse voice echoing in the room. The shadows began to stretch and then contract inward, writhing as if something terrifying was about to crawl out.
"Submit to me. Submit to the ancient Lord of the Priests."
The shadows grew rapidly, carrying indistinct masses of black mist that shot like arrows into Adone's body. He trembled violently, making rattling noises in his throat, his expression utterly distorted with pain. Suddenly...
With a loud bang, the chains snapped. Adone stumbled to his feet, taking slow, deliberate steps, his eyes cold and savage. When he reached the young man, he slowly knelt down.
"Master!"
The young man reached out and stroked his head. "How does it feel?"
"Thank you, Master, for bestowing this power."
"Good."
The young man smiled faintly and continued, "Tell me the location of the Sealing Place."
"It is directly beneath our feet."
"Are you certain?"
"This is a secret passed down through generations of the Saint Catherine's Monastery. Two thousand years ago, an earthquake exposed the entrance to the Sealing Place. To prevent the evil being from escaping, the monks of that time built a chapel over the entrance, which was the precursor to this monastery."
"How do we enter?"
"Ancient sealing magic is carved beneath the main church floor. Destroy it, and the entrance will be revealed."
"Then do it. Go now."
"Understood."
Adone rose and left, following his master's command to place explosives at key points beneath the church.
The Hawk-Like Observer
In the utility room, Diana, watching everything through the mechanical spider, urged,
"We can't wait. We must stop him!"
The monastery has over a hundred tourists. If an explosion occurs, countless people could die.
"We don't need to intervene. Someone else is already there."
Luke waved his hand, and a virtual screen materialized in the air. The screen displayed a strange figure wearing a golden hawk-like helmet and golden wings on his back. The person was hovering above the church, seemingly observing something.
"Who is that? A superhero?"
Luke shook his head. "Never seen him before. Could be a new superhero." He paused, shrugging. "Or maybe not."
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