Within the tranquil Sanctuary, Herbert walks slowly.

"..."

Herbert furrows his brow slightly, gazing at the distant figure of the old man.

Unlike before, when he could approach the Archbishop directly, the Sanctuary now seems to have expanded several times.

He's been walking for a full five minutes, yet hasn't reached the Archbishop!

Even though he can clearly see the Archbishop sitting there quietly, he cannot move forward.

The distance between them seems incredibly vast.

"What is this? A chasm as wide as heaven and earth?"

After trying several times with skepticism, Herbert finally stops.

He's certain that the rules of the Sanctuary have changed—it's impossible to reach the Archbishop just by walking.

But these rules can't trap Herbert.

"Hoo..."

With a sigh, scarlet wings unfold from behind Herbert.

Whoosh—

Using the wings formed by Holy Power, Herbert breaks free from the ground's grip, quickly shortening the distance between them.

Tap.

Herbert lands lightly, his wings dissipating, and bows respectfully to the elder with closed eyes.

"Sir."

In the pause of his bow, Herbert sneakily observes the Archbishop.

The sensation earlier was not an illusion.

The old man seems to have become "stronger".

But perhaps this thought isn't the truth.

With Herbert's strength, he isn't qualified to judge the Archbishop's power, nor can he truly understand it.

Due to ignorance, he cannot perceive the true might of the Archbishop.

Now, as his power grows, he feels more deeply the Archbishop's strength.

The stronger he becomes, the more he feels his weakness before this old man.

"This strength is truly terrifying..."

As he looks at the Archbishop, a slight distortion seems to appear, revealing shadows as deep as an Abyss.

The entire Holy Hall seems to have changed, becoming vast and desolate, filled with thick fog and twisted shadows.

!!!

Herbert's mind trembles, his spirit briefly dazed.

It's as if a naïve child glimpsed beyond the surface and saw a breath-stealing truth through a gap.

A small boat sailing into a vast ocean, feeling the spine-chilling depth and terror, unable to resist shuddering.

Yet, as Herbert falls into a trance, all he saw disappears.

The fog and shadows vanish, leaving the Sanctuary bathed in gentle Holy Light, the warm radiance dispelling the cold from his body.

The elder still gazes at him with familiar eyes, looking kind and peaceful, without any air of superiority.

"Back?"

He nods at Herbert with a chuckle, then gestures to the seat beside him.

"Hmm, back."

Herbert complies and sits next to him, playing the role of a dutiful child.

Obedient.jpg

As for jokes like "I'm on par with him!" or "Just Old Deng!" or "I could replace him"… those are just for fun.

Everyone knows I'm always respectful of the elderly and kind to the young.

I have ever respected the Archbishop!

I "respect the old," so I hope Old Deng will embrace the "love the young" spirit.

Thank you!

"...Hmm?"

After sitting obediently for a while, Herbert suddenly tilts his head curiously, wondering why Old Deng remains silent.

Archbishop: "..."

The elder doesn't speak, just maintains his half-closed eyes.

You're the one who called me over, right?

Yet why say nothing?

This silence is somewhat unsettling.

Enduring for quite a while, Herbert can't help but ask, "Sir? Did you call me for something?"

Herbert asks with a fearful heart, unsure if he's exposed something.

The Archbishop, upon hearing, hesitates and glances at him, finally realizing, "Oh, you're still here?"

?

The youth feels a series of question marks rising above his head.

??

My friend, when I express confusion, it's not that I have questions, but that I think you do.

The old man sees Herbert's bemused expression and chuckles, shaking his head, and pats his shoulder.

"Haha, you know, one shouldn't grow old! I actually fell asleep just now, hahaha..."

Herbert: ???

Seriously, are you really having senior moments!?

A respected Saint pulling such antics with me!

I don't believe you one bit, you sly old fox!

Herbert can't resist pulling a face, simply not trusting the idea that the Archbishop truly fell asleep.

Both the Guardian and the Archbishop are the same, not a truthful word between them.

Believing you would be foolish!

You're just thinking about other things!

The Guardian might at least admit to drifting off, while you don't even bother pretending and say you fell asleep.

"Hehe..."

After laughing for a while, the Archbishop slightly shakes his head and softly asks Herbert, "Feeling better now?"

Herbert looks at the elder and his mouth twitches, answering helplessly:

"...It's hard to say if I'm feeling better, but I'm definitely less nervous."

Is this a new way to comfort?

Although... my dear Old Deng, your method is more like a shock than a surprise.

"It's good not to feel nervous, that's good, hehe."

The Archbishop smiles kindly, shaking his head regretfully and sighs:

"It's rare to meet a little one like you who doesn't fear me. I must ensure you don't become like everyone else."

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