The Heterodoxy Tribunal of Anno stands silently between the Odilangis Mountains, in a desolate and uninhabited wasteland.

  Its outer walls are constructed from massive and pure white stones. Under the protection of divine power, the erosion of time and the impact of harsh weather cannot leave a single trace of filth on them.

  A reddish-brown Romanesque dome tower rises in the center of the square, surrounded by five smaller towers. The high walls are built with neatly arranged red bricks, adorned with rows of windows that have semi-circular tops. Statues of various grotesque celestial creatures line the outer railing of the rooftop. The semi-circular arches imbue the towers with a sense of solemnity and grandeur.

  Slender suspension bridges connect the one large and five smaller towers in the air, forming the main hall of the tribunal. Statues of the Twelve Apostles are scattered around the main hall. Unlike the statues in the Holy City Square, these are clad in armor, wielding long swords or maces, and are posed in combat stances.

  A broad crimson carpet, edged with gold, stretches from the steps at the entrance to the front of the prayer platform. Enormous cruciform banners, depicting swords and holy hammers, hang from twenty-four columns adorned with relief carvings. Murals in gold tones cover the entire semi-dome ceiling, depicting scenes of a setting sun, dark purple clouds, and defeated alien races. There are humans prostrating themselves on the ground, praying towards the heavens. There are countless armed angels with outstretched wings.

  The morning sunlight, filtering through the windows made of stained glass, scatters into beams of light that flood the main hall. Less devout believers often burst into tears and kneel at the sight of this scene, confessing their sins to the Seal of Light hanging on the main wall.

  Solemnity and sanctity are the first impressions this place gives to newcomers. Of course, there is also a sense of oppression. This is because one can occasionally hear faint sounds that seem to come from the depths of the earth, filled with desperate moans and endless suffering.

  Bishop Roland frowned, lightly covering his mouth as he slowly descended the damp steps. The underground area was humid and filled with moisture, and the air was thick with the strong smell of earth, which made his nose very uncomfortable. The walls were covered with thick moss nourished by the dampness, which occasionally left streaks of green slime on the bishop’s splendid robes.

  Had it not been for the papal decree, he would certainly still be in the cathedral of the Holy City, basking in the worship and reverence of the faithful. Even as a bishop, he had no desire to deal with the sadists of the tribunal.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  The underground dungeon was filled with all sorts of grotesque instruments of torture, covered with dried blood. Roland squinted and tried to identify them for a while, but he only recognized a few, such as the Iron Maiden and the Spiked Basket. It seemed that the sadists had invented quite a few new devices.

  These instruments were like monsters made of wood and iron. Just looking at them made one feel severe pain and sent shivers down the spine. It was hard to imagine that someone could be tortured by these things for half a year without a single sign of repentance.

  “Praise the Lord, I would rather choose a hundred times the stake than be imprisoned here for an hour,” Roland muttered to himself, but he immediately regretted this ill-fated thought.

  Passing through the torture chamber, deeper underground, there were rows of wooden cages chained and submerged in water. Inside the cages lay many heretics with terrible wounds all over their bodies. If Roland had not heard their moans and low curses, he might have thought that the cages contained only corpses.

  However, there was one exception. In the farthest cage, a middle-aged man with his upper body bare was leaning against the side of the cage. Under the flickering light of the wall torches, the man’s pale skin actually reflected a faint metallic glow.

  “Leo Angertes!” Roland stopped ten paces away.

  “Or should I call you Your Eminence, the most noble thief in the entire Anno? Of course, before the Seal of Light, all nobility and arrogance are equally humble.”

  Hearing Bishop Roland’s voice, Leo struggled to lift his head and barely managed a mocking smile. Had his tongue not been mutilated in the last torture, he would have surely cursed vulgarly.

  “I am sorry that you could have had a bright future if you had not abandoned the light and fallen into the abyss of heresy,” Roland paused, praying a few words, as if the word “heresy” had defiled his soul and body.

  Then he raised his voice, “Where are the stolen relics and those sinful research materials hidden? Perhaps the Church will mercifully choose a cup of poison instead of the stake in the square.”

  After waiting for a while, Roland turned and left. His nose was becoming more and more uncomfortable, and besides, there was no need to waste time. He had already gathered many clues from the previous mental searches of the brain.

  Fudo, a secular city, located on the famous Golden Horn Bay, on the coastline of the Byron Empire. The thing he was looking for was hidden in that city. With the help of the divine spell to search for relics, even if it was hidden in a dirty rat hole, it would eventually be found.

  When all of this was perfectly over, the position of the driving bishop would be closer and closer to him.

  Leo silently watched Roland’s retreating figure, the ripples on the corner of his mouth growing larger and larger. An eerie and mad smile gradually spread across the face of the former cardinal. He opened his mouth wide and shouted wildly without a sound. If his tongue had not been pulled out, the content of the shout would be:

  “I will be immortal!”