The Divine Man’s eyes held a look of distant memory as he spoke, “If I told you that I am truly the God you have always praised, would you believe me?”
The Pope was genuinely stunned this time, and he sternly rebuked, “Demon, how dare you blaspheme the Almighty God! Know this: I am God’s most devout believer, and I will never be deceived by you.”
The Divine Man chuckled, “That you are God’s most devout believer—I know all of that. I have observed you for ten years just by looking at that painting. Especially in this recent period, I have watched you come here every night to confess and pray. Your heart belongs to God; I am aware of all this.”
The Pope stated, “Demon, since you know there is no way you can trick me, then stop tempting me!”
For the first time, the Divine Man displayed a wry smile. He sighed, “Fate truly plays cruel tricks. I have been sealed within this painting for two thousand years. Every day, I can only watch helplessly as you continuously misunderstand me, yet I have absolutely no power to intervene. Tell me, is this not the greatest sorrow known to mankind?”
The Pope asked, “Two thousand years? You mean you have been sealed within this painting for two millennia?”
The Divine Man confirmed, “Indeed. I have been sealed within this very painting for two thousand years.”
The Pope questioned with suspicion, “But this painting is less than six hundred years old. How could you possibly have been sealed inside it for two thousand years?”
The Divine Man let out a breath, “That, you must blame upon your recorded histories. When those books documented this artwork, their contents were deliberately altered. I was originally sealed upon a stone, and that stone bore only the image of a single serpent. Later, during the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, that stone was transported here… and set into the wall. Then, later artists painted the image of my sealing upon that stone. In reality, aside from that serpent, all the other depictions are later additions. And the span of my existence far exceeds your imagination.”
The Pope murmured to himself, “How could books be tampered with? Furthermore, how could you possibly have lived for two thousand years?”
The Divine Man explained, “The only reason I could survive for so long is because of the stone that sealed me. Back then, the name we gave that stone was the Sword in the Stone.”
“The Sword in the Stone? How is that possible? The Sword in the Stone is one of the Pope’s sacred artifacts! It was merely broken later on. But the Sword in the Stone you speak of is just a rock, not a sword. Do you people name things so carelessly?” Hearing the name Sword in the Stone, the Pope immediately sensed something was amiss and immediately countered.
“I have no idea what happened with the ‘Sword in the Stone’ that appeared later. Regardless, what we referred to as the Sword in the Stone back then was the slab that sealed me. The sword within it was a magical implement used to bind me. However, after two thousand years of relentless decay, this Sword in the Stone has completely lost its sealing effect, otherwise, I would not have been able to break free at this moment,” the Divine Man stated.
The words of the Divine Man reminded the Pope that this sacred man was transformed from the serpent sealed by God, and a subtle worry crept into his heart.
The Divine Man noticed the change in the Pope’s expression and sighed, “I never imagined that the sect I poured my entire being into establishing would, over these two millennia, do nothing to liberate me, but instead, led by the Devil, collectively hold me in contempt and view me as their greatest enemy. This truly grieves me.”
The Pope, somewhat bewildered, asked, “You just mentioned you created a sect. Which sect are you referring to?”
The Divine Man smiled, “You already know perfectly well... The sect I created is the very episcopal order you belong to today. I am the true God you worship; I created everything about you.”
The Pope erupted in anger, “You demon, you still try to delude me! We are all devout children of God; we will not be tricked by you.”
Hearing the Pope’s resolute words, the Divine Man appeared profoundly disheartened. He said, “Your Holiness the Pope, have you ever met the God you speak of in person? And when you call me a demon, have you witnessed that yourself?”
The Pope declared loudly, “God is omnipotent and omnipresent; we can feel His presence with our hearts. As for you, Demon, even if I do not know the exact nature of your wickedness, God has commanded your destruction, and we shall never let you go!”
The Divine Man laughed, “With the strength you possess now, I could dispatch all of you with a mere wave of my hand. Why would I waste my breath talking to you? It is because I cannot accept it—I cannot accept that the sect I built was stolen, and I was sealed away for two thousand years. Not only did I fail to gain your allegiance, but I have also been cursed by you day and night.”
The Pope retorted, “You are a demon; naturally, we must curse and destroy you.”
The Divine Man suddenly burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face. He made no move to wipe them away and spoke, “What is this complete reversal of truth? I have witnessed it for two thousand years, yet why am I still so heartbroken at this moment?”
Seeing the sorrowful expression on the Divine Man’s face, the Pope felt a sudden surge of doubt. He asked, “You continually claim this sect is your creation. Do you have any proof?”
The Divine Man shook his head, “I have no proof to demonstrate that your sect is mine. Two thousand years have passed; all the original participants are long dead. If I hadn't been sealed by the Sword in the Stone, I too would have turned to dust. The person who did this acted so ruthlessly, altering everything, erasing every trace of my existence. I can no longer prove my identity. However, you just witnessed it yourself: I possess the purest power of Light, and I can wield this Light at will. Have you ever seen such power in a demon?”
The Pope conceded, “It is true that you possess the purest power of Light; I can sense that.” He paused, then added, “Could you perhaps tell me your story?”
Just as the Divine Man was about to speak, several clergymen, alerted by the commotion, emerged from the main part of the church to investigate. He pointed a finger at them and said, “Devout followers, I grant you a perfect slumber.” A beam of holy light shot from his hand, splitting into several streams that struck the clergymen, causing them to instantly collapse to the floor, entering a deep, sweet sleep.
The Pope was greatly alarmed when he saw the clergymen fall after the Divine Man’s gesture, but he relaxed only when he heard the sounds of their peaceful snoring.
The Divine Man explained, “I merely put them to sleep so they wouldn't interrupt our conversation. You must understand, what I am about to tell you will completely overturn your established common sense.”
The Pope replied, “You may speak now. I have lived long enough to possess the ability to discern truth from falsehood; I will know as soon as I hear it.”
The Divine Man slightly narrowed his eyes, appearing lost in distant memories. After a while, he slowly began, “Speaking of which, I have yet to introduce myself. In the old days, they called me Lucifer.”
The Pope gasped in shock, “What? You are Lucifer?”
Lucifer nodded, “That is correct. I am Lucifer—the very Archfiend Satan whom you curse so often.”
The Pope forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and listened as Lucifer continued.
Lucifer recounted, “More than two thousand years ago, I was just a simple, rustic youth living in a small village. During a hunting excursion, I became separated from my kin and lost my way deep in the mountains. In a state of terror, I squeezed through a hidden gorge and discovered a strange cave.” The Pope listened intently to Lucifer’s words, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of unease. According to their doctrine, Lucifer was their ultimate adversary; they should be consumed by mutual hatred, yet here they were, sitting together, chatting as casually as ordinary men.
Joy flickered in Lucifer’s eyes as he continued, “Inside that peculiar cave, I found the remains of a person. Beside these remains was a glowing orb of light, and the surrounding walls were inscribed with numerous texts and patterns. Driven by curiosity, I picked up that luminous orb, and somehow, it recognized me as its master. After this recognition, I learned that the glowing orb was called the Orb of Inheritance, and through it, I received a massive transfer of all kinds of knowledge.”
The Pope couldn't help but ask, “What kind of knowledge was contained in the Orb of Inheritance?”
Lucifer replied, “The Orb of Inheritance primarily contained the legacy of various magical disciplines. The magical knowledge within it was incredibly comprehensive and systematic. I knew that if I followed the cultivation methods described, I could train to become a powerful magician never before seen in this world.”
Lucifer paused, then added, “It is unfortunate that the magical knowledge mentioned that if a person’s strength is insufficient, they can only cultivate a single attribute of magic. If one attempts to cultivate multiple magics simultaneously, they will explode and die. Therefore, after careful selection, I decided to practice one specific magic—the very Light Magic that you now practice.”
The Pope had just witnessed Lucifer’s Light Magic; the power of light emanating from him was extraordinarily pure—definitely that of the most authentic Light Mage. On this point, Lucifer was not deceiving him.
“Through this Orb of Inheritance, I also learned to recognize magical script. I was curious about the orb’s origins, so I began reading the texts inscribed on the cave walls. Those texts were written precisely in the magical script. Thus, by reading the inscriptions, I immediately understood why the Orb of Inheritance was present here.” The Pope listened, becoming absorbed, and instinctively asked, “Why would that Orb of Inheritance be located there?”
Lucifer explained, “According to the records on the cave walls, those writings were likely left by the person who died inside the cavern. Based on the literal meaning, he was probably an ancient human from millennia ago. He recorded that he had ventured out adventuring with his younger brother; accidentally, they found a mysterious object in a valley, and their destinies were radically altered because of it.”
The Pope asked in surprise, “They found a mysterious object?” Lucifer nodded, “Yes, the text on the wall recorded precisely that. After obtaining this mysterious object, which lay beyond their comprehension, their lives underwent a complete transformation. With the aid of this object, the world seemed to open up a brand new window before them, allowing them access to knowledge they had never even dreamed of. They also encountered strange people and received marvelous things from them; the Orb of Inheritance I obtained was acquired in this manner.”
“In his written account, the two brothers quickly became the most powerful figures in their tribe, achieving great success, relying on the miraculous items gained from those strange individuals. Sadly, the success they achieved was insignificant compared to the world they witnessed through that mysterious object. Consequently, the man’s younger brother grew weary of their current existence. He resolved to leave his tribe and travel east, hoping to find new thrills and excitement there.”
Having heard this hidden history from Lucifer, the Pope became deeply intrigued and asked, “What exactly was that mysterious item they obtained? And what became of them afterward?”
“As for what that mysterious item was, the man couldn't explain clearly. He only wrote that upon activating that mysterious item, one could meet many strange people who would propose trades for certain things. In exchange, they would offer rare and peculiar earthly items, and in return, they could acquire wondrous objects from those strange individuals. I have pondered ceaselessly about what that mysterious item could be, but I still cannot fathom what kind of object could produce such effects.”
“The younger brother knew the elder brother surely wouldn't accompany him far to the East, as the elder brother already had family ties. Thus, the younger brother, on a pitch-black night, left behind all the miraculous things he had acquired, took the mysterious item, and quietly departed from their tribe, setting off alone toward the East.”
“However, after discovering his brother had left, the elder brother could not let go of their deep fraternal bond. He abandoned his family and immediately set out to pursue his brother. You must remember the era in which he lived was exceptionally distant; road conditions were not as smooth as they are today. The elder brother only departed one day after his younger brother, yet he lost all trace of him. He traveled continuously eastward but never found his sibling. Later, he became hopelessly lost in the desolate mountains. He couldn't find a way out of that wilderness and eventually discovered that cave, where he died alone. At the moment of his death, he left behind the Orb of Inheritance and several of the wondrous items he carried, finally inscribing the narrative of his life on the wall,” Lucifer spoke slowly.