Chapter 128: A Deal with the Pope

In the Pope's Chamber, following a massive explosion, Feng Zhe and the Pope both recoiled several paces.

"The Eighth Sense?!" Feng Zhe exclaimed, staring at the Altar Pope before him.

At that moment, the Pope removed his ceremonial helmet, revealing an aged face. "Indeed," he spoke. "I am Mustafa, the Altar Saint who survived the previous Holy War."

Though the Pope’s true form possessed immense power, Feng Zhe asked, "Do you happen to know Itia?"

The question stunned the Pope, who murmured, "You actually know of Itia, the Libra Saint of the previous generation?"

Seeing Pope Mustafa’s confusion, Feng Zhe instantly realized that this timeline was parallel to the Lost Canvas (LC) timeline; in the Next Dimension (ND) era, Itia had never ascended to the position of Pope.

Suddenly, both men sensed a powerful Cosmo erupting within the Aries Palace. It was the resurrected Ophiuchus Saint, Odysseus.

Feng Zhe’s expression darkened. "Ophiuchus has awakened. I have no time to waste with you. If you do not step aside, do not blame me for what comes next!"

Pope Mustafa stood his ground. "Then let us put that to the test!"

...

Elsewhere, Ophiuchus Odysseus arrived at the Taurus Palace, where he retrieved the soul of Ox from the Underworld. Despite receiving Odysseus’s favor, Ox refused to follow him, choosing instead to remain a guardian of Athena.

As Ox prepared to strike, the agony of his injuries—specifically his fractured arms and legs—overwhelmed him. Odysseus offered him another chance, but Ox remained steadfast in his loyalty to Athena. After a brief word of admiration, Odysseus sent him back into a deep slumber and proceeded to the next temple.

...

Back in the Pope's Chamber, Feng Zhe performed a strange gesture. Though Pope Mustafa had never seen this technique, the overwhelming Cosmo radiating from Feng Zhe signaled its terrifying power.

"Dimensional Barrier!!"

Space and time within the chamber began to warp. Pope Mustafa’s soul felt as if it were being torn away; no matter how he struggled, he could not escape. His soul was extracted and drawn into a massive, bottomless portal—a vortex with a gravitational pull akin to a black hole. The Pope knew that if he were pulled in, he would never return.

Just as his soul was on the verge of being consumed, a brilliant light suddenly emerged from within Mustafa’s spirit.

At that moment, Sasha, far away in the town, suddenly awoke. Her eyes glowed with the power only a deity could command. She pointed toward the sky, and a beam of light pierced the distance. The force enveloped Pope Mustafa’s soul, violently repelling the Dimensional Barrier’s portal.

"Hmm? The Athena of this era!"

Only Athena could have shattered his technique. Not only did Feng Zhe feel it, but the Pope—his soul now restored—and even Odysseus in the Gemini Palace felt the surge of power.

Feng Zhe looked coldly at the Pope. "The Athena of your era requires your protection. Her sudden manifestation to save you has placed her in great danger."

The Pope’s face turned grim. Amidst the chaos, with all the Sanctuary’s Saints falling into slumber before Odysseus, he knew he was powerless to act.

"How about a deal?" the Pope asked, suppressing his urge to strike down Feng Zhe. "You bring Sasha back safely, and I have a way to send your Athena home."

Feng Zhe’s eyes lit up. The Pope of this era held immense secrets, and many artifacts from the Age of Myth had surfaced during this time—such as the Labyrinth of the Gods within the chamber, and the Thread of Ariadne needed to navigate it.

Seeing Feng Zhe’s interest, the Pope continued, "On the forehead of the Athena statue lies a jewel capable of reversing space and time. Legend says it was formed from the blood and tears of Athena in the Age of Myth. With the power of that jewel, the third Athena, who descended as a soul, will be able to return to her own time."

Feng Zhe looked toward the colossal statue outside the chamber. Indeed, a jewel emitting a soft white light rested upon its brow.

"Thank you. However, you must first lift the restriction on me, or I cannot teleport freely."

Pope Mustafa nodded. With a crisp sound, the seal on Feng Zhe’s body shattered like a broken lock. It was clear this Pope held many secrets. Feng Zhe smiled and vanished.

...

In the Gemini Palace, Odysseus had also awakened the Gemini Saint. Upon regaining consciousness, the Saint immediately declared his submission to Odysseus and his intent to slay Athena.

However, Odysseus asked indifferently, "Gemini, who are you?"

Abel did not understand, but Odysseus saw the truth.

The Gemini Saints of each generation were cursed, and this one was no exception: he was not a second personality, but two hearts sharing one body. In his youth, he could control it, but after Odysseus’s death, the duality became more pronounced.

The Saint shouted that he was Abel. But Odysseus refused him, stating he had no intention of sharing the Earth with Abel.

"Does Odysseus intend to claim the Earth for himself?" Abel asked in shock. "If so, I cannot let you pass!"

Suddenly, Odysseus reached out and began an examination. He began a surgical procedure, with the Gemini Saint lying helpless beneath his hands like a fish on a cutting board. Once the surgery was complete, Abel lost consciousness, and Cain emerged.

As soon as Cain awoke, he asked where Abel had gone. Odysseus calmly touched the back of Cain’s head. A human face appeared there—it was Abel’s.

Odysseus explained that it was the Gemini Saint’s other heart. He had merely severed its nourishment, and soon, Abel would vanish completely. He spoke at length about the origin of this duality, noting that every individual possesses two sides, and declared that Abel’s cellular apoptosis was complete.

On the back of his head, Abel began to weep, crying out for Cain to protect Athena. As he spoke, the face gradually faded, and the back of Cain’s head returned to normal.

Odysseus asked Cain once more whether he would follow him or protect Athena. Cain retorted, "How could I?" and unleashed a Dimensional Space. But in the presence of warped space-time, the attack was useless.

With a final touch from Odysseus, Cain collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

Standing before the Gemini Palace was a man. Odysseus had never seen him before, but the design of his Cloth revealed his identity.

"The Altar Saint, who has traveled from the future?"

Indeed, standing at the Gemini Palace was Feng Zhe, who had teleported directly from the Pope's Chamber.