Guinevere's Result

The sky was a hazy gray.

The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air, as if a world-shaking battle had just occurred in the city.

The outcome of that battle might not be very pleasant.

Walking through the Morning Light Cathedral, Olivia stopped a passing nun to ask.

"What happened?"

Seeing Olivia, the nun gave a respectful greeting before answering.

"Lady Olivia, not long ago, Sister Guinevere of our church accepted a challenge from Atticus of the Earth Church. Regrettably, she was defeated in battle."

Upon hearing this, even Olivia's expression shifted slightly.

While she was away at the church headquarters, two Protagonists of the Era had actually fought, and her side had lost?

Olivia lacked information on Atticus, but she knew Guinevere quite well. She hadn't expected such a powerful Dragon Warrior to be defeated!

"I understand the situation."

After letting the nun go, Olivia asked the magic mirror in her heart for more specific details about the event.

It didn't take long for her to learn the full story.

Guinevere had failed, but her defeat was somewhat honorable, as Atticus hadn't come out of it unscathed.

It could be said that Atticus had barely scraped a victory.

Regardless, Atticus had triumphed in a duel between Protagonists of the Era.

Such a feat caused Atticus's name to spread throughout Kaliron in a very short time, becoming a hot topic of conversation.

"Olivia, you're back." At that moment, Sybil's voice called out from a distance.

She knew Olivia had gone to the church headquarters. Seeing her return, Sybil immediately summoned her.

Olivia knew why Sybil was calling, so she walked over.

In a treatment room within the Morning Light Cathedral, Olivia found Sybil and Guinevere.

Guinevere was currently pale and lying on a hospital bed. On the surface, her injuries seemed to have been healed, but her body was still quite weak.

Seeing Olivia arrive, Guinevere gave a bitter smile. "Olivia, you're here. If that guy Atticus tries to challenge you later, refuse if you can. That fellow really plays dirty."

Olivia had already learned the situation through the magic mirror and knew what Guinevere meant, but she feigned confusion.

"Plays dirty?"

"Yes. As an Alchemy Warrior, he can fuse external objects like steel or gems into himself. But the things he's fused with are a bit ridiculous, which is why his combat strength is exceptionally high."

Guinevere sighed as she spoke.

She explained that the material Atticus used to fuse into his body was called God-Stone.

This so-called God-Stone was said to exist only in the residences of the gods. It was formed when ordinary rocks were exposed to the aura emitted by a deity over a long period.

Guinevere couldn't fathom how Atticus had obtained such a large amount of God-Stone, nor could she understand how he had completed the fusion.

But ultimately, because of this, Atticus's combat power had reached a terrifying level.

Fearing that Olivia might underestimate Atticus and end up fighting him, Guinevere detailed his strength thoroughly.

Sybil added from the side, "This guy is a bit beyond common logic. It's best if we don't engage him. Unless you are absolutely certain of victory, Olivia, we cannot afford another defeat, even if we face criticism."

It was almost a certainty that Atticus would challenge the church again.

If they refused, people might suspect they were afraid to fight.

While that would be embarrassing, it was better than being defeated.

If two Protagonists of the Era from the church were defeated in a row, the blow to the church's reputation would be too great and detrimental to its growth.

Especially now, with various factions gathered in Kaliron because of the rumored secret of immortality, the Radiant Light Church was already in a delicate position.

If something happened to severely damage the church's reputation under these circumstances, those factions trying to uncover the secret of immortality would only grow bolder, targeting the Radiant Light Church in every way possible, which could lead to many casualties.

Sybil was urging Olivia not to be impulsive based on these considerations.

"I understand the situation. I won't accept the challenge recklessly."

Although Olivia had defeated other Protagonists of the Era, she was well aware that Atticus was indeed different from Preston.

The main reason was that Preston was too heavily countered by her. His methods relied on various forbidden artifacts, all of which she could suppress, rendering him essentially powerless.

But that wasn't the case with Atticus.

God-Stone was not a forbidden artifact. An Atticus fused with God-Stone could be said to have no weaknesses.

Olivia spent a good while talking with Guinevere and Sybil in the treatment room before leaving.

Stepping out of the room, she looked at the still-gray sky and asked in her heart.

The magic mirror quickly provided an answer.

Seeing the response, Olivia nodded thoughtfully.

She didn't rush to do anything else. Instead, she flew into the sky again, disappearing into the sea of clouds to draw down lightning and train herself.

...

Meanwhile.

The Varian Empire Embassy.

Atticus was lying comfortably on a bed, surrounded by a circle of women who were either massaging his shoulders or his legs.

Although defeating Guinevere hadn't been easy and he had sustained significant injuries, healing in this transcendent world was relatively simple. On the surface, he appeared almost fully recovered.

As he lay there, he couldn't help but feel a sense of smugness; after all, he had emerged victorious in the intense battle he had just experienced.

Guinevere's strength was much greater than he had imagined, but that only made the victory more fulfilling.

Doesn't defeating a strong opponent prove that one is even stronger?

Atticus said with a smile, "Continue to issue challenges to the Radiant Light Church on my behalf. The next one is Olivia. Since even Guinevere couldn't beat me, this Olivia, who only recently became a Skywalker, certainly won't stand a chance."