"Although it was a long time, it surprisingly felt quite short to talk about."

After finally confessing the secrets buried in his heart for many years, the Pope's cloudy blue pupils seemed slightly clearer than before.

Though his expression was understated, the Hero understood that those simple few words represented half a lifetime of suffering for this old man.

After committing great crimes and hiding inland, even if transformed into the undead, there were those like the Siren Shark who forgot not their fear; the Shamaness who fled from the far sea to the near sea, dying unknown in the ocean trench; and the former Princess who, though lucky enough to escape to land, never dared to return to the ocean again...

Even without a deep understanding of the Nether Sea Dream, from these vivid examples, one could comprehend the terrifying nature of its corruption.

Although the Hero could not fully empathize, she resonated with it nonetheless. After all, she absorbed intelligence from the remains of the Mermaid Witch, vaguely perceiving the kind of pain and torment it was.

She let down all her guard, gazing at the Pope with pity.

"Have you... been enduring all this alone?"

"Heh heh, there's no need to look at this old man with such eyes." The Pope shook his head with a smile.

"As the saying goes, long illness makes one a doctor. Although I cannot cure myself, I've not gained nothing in such a long time.

"But you're a clever child, I believe you understand why I want to have this private conversation with you."

[Pollution's Overflow (Great Success-30)]

D70=d70(5)=5

After a brief thought, the Hero answered, "Is it... to prevent others from being infected by nightmares?"

"Precisely. Although dream corruption seems incurable, even a Great Demon cannot overturn the world's laws outright; its spread is limited."

The Pope nodded in acknowledgment.

"In the end, the plague is just a metaphor; it cannot infinitely replicate itself within a dream. To spread widely on land, it must first conquer the 'core of group thought' and then spread from the top down.

"Simply put, it must successfully corrupt leaders like the City Lord, before nightmares can spread and propagate from the top. If this cannot be achieved, even if one or two individuals are infected, it's easy to expel and won't repeat, making it hard to gain momentum.

"Nightmares are frightening, but they are also fragile. To take root and sprout in everyone's hearts requires the collective fragility and fear, and although individually we are humans, we are part of a collective.

"As long as those who are rulers don't succumb to the nightmares, this unyieldingness can become a barrier in people's hearts."

Speaking of this, the Pope sighed with an indescribable sense of shame in his expression:

"Unfortunately, as the Pope, I was unable to withstand its corruption... Any information released about it from me may become infectious poison."

Though the Pope spoke with self-reproach, the Hero seemed to ponder something.

The old man before her was not only the head of the Holy City but also the highest authority of the entire Church, overseeing church matters across all cities nationwide.

If the Nether Sea Dream's corruption pattern begins with the highest-ranked individual within the area, then as long as the Pope is marked by it, the entire Church would be regarded as a single entity.

The Church, which is passionate about preaching, is often the greatest influencer of thought within major cities and also responsible for intellectual defenses, much like at the border where the Church frequently clashed with the Nightmare Sage in the realm of prophecies.

In this way, the Great Demon's corruption of the entire Kingdom likely focused on the Pope alone.

That's probably why, in the Land of Dead Dreams at the border, she found no trace of the Great Demon but stumbled upon it upon entering the Holy City. It must have long coveted this city, but despite being driven to the brink, the Pope used the Eternal Holy Sword to barely maintain the final defense line.

Thinking of this, the Hero couldn't help but feel profound respect.

The old Pope observed the changes in her expression, his smile kindly:

"So, I have been waiting for someone—someone independent of the Church and unaffected by my will, someone who can perceive the existence of the Great Demon, withstand its corruption, and come before me... it sounds a bit absurd."

Speaking of such seemingly absurd conditions, the Pope also shook his head and smiled.

But looking at the Hero before him, who had formally become a Nun for less than a month and whose affiliation within the faith had not been clarified, yet who had boldly walked up to him, the old man's expression became gentle.

"Thank you, Hero, thank you for appearing before me."

Before the Hero could respond, the Pope's expression turned formal.

"Next, regarding the Deep Sea Demon, I have something important to tell you—"

[The Pope's Research Results (gain special attack against nightmares upon completion)]

1.5. Mermaid's Brave Warrior

2.6. Recovering Sea Current

3.7. Final World Light

4.8. Sea Moon Demon's First Dream

9. Lost Ancient Sea God

10. Great Success/Great Failure

D10=d10(1)=1

♛: Mermaid's Brave Warrior

"But before that, do you have any questions you need me to answer?"

"What about the Divine Knowledge Saintess? Is she unaware of your situation?"

Having listened to the Pope's account of his experiences, the Hero thought for a moment and asked.

Hearing the name "Divine Knowledge Saintess," the Pope's face showed mixed emotions, then he gently shook his head.

"Perhaps she knows, but sometimes ignorance is the best immunity."

[The Pope's Attitude Towards the Divine Knowledge Saintess (Minimum 50)]

D50+50=d50(4)+50=54

[Hero's Other Doubts (100-none)]

D70+50=d70(37)+50=87

"But the current situation might also be within her calculations.

"She has always been calculating what she should intervene in and what she must evade, to the point where she even stripped the title of Saintess from herself. But from some perspective, everything she did was for the future of humankind—so she knew that sooner or later, someone would stand here, and she might even know that it would be you.

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