# 1616
Chapter 1616: Lady Saint Chloe
"No."
Charles shook his head. "This church was built in the late 17th century. After the Mist descended, it was abandoned here until a few years ago when Lady Saint Chloe led us here, turning it into our shelter in the Mist."
"Is the barrier that disperses the Mist also made by Chloe?"
"That's right. Only the Lady Saint can perform such a miracle." A fanatical reverence flickered in Charles's eyes.
"Kro... When did your Lady Saint come here?" Number 27 followed behind Lin Qiye, frowning as he asked.
"About six or seven years ago," Charles answered. "If not for the Lady Saint, we might have been trapped forever in that 'Human Enclosure.'"
"Were you all previously being held captive in a 'Human Enclosure'?"
"Yes. It's a small world with an extremely harsh environment. We could only gain power by bathing our bodies in Divine Beast blood, and we could only survive by sticking together. That's when the Knights were established."
Lin Qiye finally understood how these Knights had survived the Mist. They were originally inhabitants of the Human Enclosure, fundamentally similar to Amemiya Haruki and his group, just with a different power system.
At that moment, he seemed to think of something. "Do you know Jinian?"
"Jinian? You mean that silver-haired girl?" Charles nodded. "Yes, I know her. She originally wanted to lead us to [Utopia], but we refused—we wanted to follow the Lady Saint's path instead. However, she did take one of our Knights Captain with her."
Lin Qiye's mind instantly conjured the image of the golden-haired knight he had encountered in the Oath Society. So he had once been a member of the Knights of Holy Judgment? No wonder he could unleash such formidable strength using only his physical body.
The four followed Charles through the church for several minutes before stopping before a sealed door.
"The Lady Saint is within," Charles announced with absolute solemnity. "Remember, once inside you must never speak loudly, do not attempt to wake the Lady Saint, and do not stand too close to her... Understood?"
"Wake her?" Hearing this word, Lin Qiye敏锐ly sensed something. "Is she sleeping? Or...?"
"You'll understand once you enter."
Charles pressed both palms against the door's surface, his arm muscles bulging as he slowly pushed the heavy portal open without making even a whisper of sound.
Through the widening gap, everyone could finally see what lay beyond.
It was a spacious meditation chamber, hundreds of candles arranged around the room illuminating it brightly. At the center of the chamber, on a stone platform, a red-haired maiden lay quietly atop pristine white silk, eyes closed, as if sleeping.
At the sight of the girl, Number 27's brow creased beneath his hood.
Chloe?
Lin Qiye's gaze fell upon the maiden's face. Even in her slumber, that jade-carved visage radiated a serene, elegant aura, like a spirit from the heavenly realm, sacred and untouchable.
"What happened to her?" Lin Qiye lowered his voice to ask.
"The Lady Saint has fallen into deep slumber."
"Slumber?"
"We don't know the specifics either. Before the Lady Saint fell into slumber, she told us she needed to fulfill a promise... She asked us not to wake her no matter what happened." Charles replied.
Lin Qiye glanced back at Number 27, whose brow was tightly furrowed, lost in thought.
"How long has she been in this slumber?"
"Five years."
Hearing this answer, Lin Qiye's expression turned somewhat helpless. Since Chloe had been in slumber for five years and couldn't be woken, how was he supposed to ask her about the files?
"May I go up and take a look?"
"No." Charles's expression immediately became stern. "I've already granted your request to see the Lady Saint. Please do not disturb her slumber any further. Leave immediately."
Charles placed one hand on the sword hilt at his waist while the other gestured toward the door, making a "please" gesture.
Shen Qingzhu and the others turned to look at Lin Qiye, seemingly waiting for his decision... After all, if Lin Qiye wanted to use force to simply take Chloe away, they could certainly manage it.
After a long silence, Lin Qiye finally nodded. "Alright, we'll leave right now."
Charles's expression relaxed somewhat. Just as he was about to lead Lin Qiye and the others out of the meditation chamber, disaster struck!
The sleeping red-haired maiden atop the white silk trembled slightly, and the next moment, a terrifying white light erupted from within her, instantly engulfing half the meditation chamber and shooting skyward like flames!
Amid the dead-silent ruins of London, a white pillar of light tore the black night in two.
At the appearance of this white light, the expressions of Lin Qiye and the others all shifted. Even Charles hadn't expected that Chloe, who had been peacefully slumbering for five years, would suddenly release such terrifying energy.
Within the surging white light, a phantom shadow shot out, striking Lin Qiye's chest with precision!
Lin Qiye's vision went dark, and he immediately lost consciousness.
...
Mist.
At the canyon reflection.
A dark figure sat at the canyon's summit, holding a model of the psychiatric hospital, brow furrowed as chaotic divine light swirled around him, seeping into the model along the lines of his palm.
At that moment, as if sensing something, he abruptly opened his eyes and looked toward somewhere.
"Yehland? No, that's not right, this presence is much weaker... but it is indeed His power. Could it be an agent?"
[Chaos] put away the Asylum of the Gods model, closed his eyes, and carefully sensed for a moment. "He actually still has an agent in this world... That is quite troublesome."
[Chaos] was about to rise when his gaze caught the hospital model in his palm, and he hesitated for a moment... Even if Yehland had an agent, it was merely a human. If left alone, it shouldn't amount to much. The truly important matter at hand was to first completely take control of this hospital.
After much deliberation, [Chaos]'s gaze fell upon the mist-shrouded cliff across from him, and a faint smile curved his lips.
"Truth, go eliminate that agent."
Between the churning mist, a cloaked figure slowly emerged. He coldly glanced at [Chaos]. "Why should I listen to you?"
"Yehland's power is quite troublesome. It might affect us... As one of us, shouldn't you contribute your strength to this matter?" [Chaos] spoke leisurely. "Or are you perhaps just using this as an excuse to stall for time?"
[Chaos]'s eyes narrowed slightly, a terrifying pressure pressing down upon An Qingyu.
An Qingyu frowned. After a long stare-off with [Chaos], he finally looked away, turning to walk out into the mist.
"You may probe me, but this... is the last time..."