Who could truly be saved?
The answer was rather simple: only those who embraced Christ could.
However, what was worse than not embracing Christ in their ignorance?
The answer was clear. Those who reject him despite knowing the truth are unforgivable beings.
Unfortunately, many of the paladins and clerics that followed the word of Chrunus were far too gone.
He would need to purge them and let God judge them as they deserved.
For that goal, Cedric had tracked down even more temples of Chrunus.
In front of him, the horizon was taken by a sea of grass, and in the middle was a massive stone structure teeming with life.
It was rather plain, resembling European castles, but he knew the true purpose of this place.
Outer temples like this one were completely infested with zealots of Chrunus and so could safely be purged.
He slowly approached the temple gates, his [God's Eye] following the guards closely.
They clearly didn't expect him, and were getting ready for a fight.
If anything, their discipline could be commended; however, that alone was not enough.
His hand gripped the Equilibrium's hilt.
"You are unforgivable infidels. DEUS VULT!" With a draw defying the very fundamental laws of physics, he slashed at the gates, eradicating half of the temple with sheer wind pressure.
He had given a chance to many infidels, and some took it, but ones who recklessly followed Chrunus despite his goodwill would be eradicated together with the church.
The screams of panic echoed around him as he swung Equilibirum at a struggling infidel.
To these men, he surely looked like a monster of legend, but to those bathing in darkness, the truth of Christ was indeed monstrous.
They were terrified of the purity of Christ; they were horrified by the presence of God's Chosen.
An infidel fell back, desperately holding his sword in a defensive position.
Cedric swatted away the blade with ease before raising his sabaton over the terrified enemy's head.
Stomp
The brain splattered over his boot as he extinguished the impure creature.
Why would someone run from God's Justice? It was foolish to even think of that.
Those who refused Christ would have to be purged to make space for the faithful.
Over his life, he had learned that some could be given a chance, and some would need to be cut down.
Whoosh
'These Paladins and Clerics are all between Levels 20-30, with some apprentices being in the 5-15 range. Overall, this Temple was weak and most likely not a major blow to the Church.' Cedric raised Equilibrium, blocking an arrow.
His gaze snapped to the archer, who, upon realizing he was the target of the monster's attention, dropped his bow and made a dash of desperation.
However, it was not enough. Cedric lunged forwards with speeds surpassing the sound, his hand separating the infidel's head and torso with ease.
Cedric cracked his neck before turning to the remaining force.
This was enough of a warmup.
He inhaled deeply before activating [Divine Storm].
As usual, he did not push the full force of the skill, but instead kept it just enough for the divine radiance to eradicate everything in a 10-kilometer radius.
The divine radiance subsided as Cedric sheathed Equilibrium on his back.
This was merely one of many temples he planned to level to the ground.
He knelt to the ground as he clasped his hands together.
His prayers had to be frequent; he had to be an example to all Christians.
Every time he had a moment, he would clasp his hands together and utter a quick prayer of guidance.
No matter how hopeless the situation is, no matter how much he would be lost.
He would always be able to turn to God.
"God, you who are in heaven, please grant me guidance so that I may cleanse those who defy your will. Amen." He slowly rose to his feet before reaching behind his back and retrieving a map.
It was difficult to map out all the temples he wished to remove from the map.
However, with Raguel's help and scouting, he had obtained the precious information.
It would take him less than a day to eradicate all of the surrounding temples.
These temples weren't merely spiritual bases, but military garrisons too.
They had to be dismantled.
He had taken his time with this one as a warmup; however, others would be eradicated instantly.
He adjusted himself before launching himself west, rapidly approaching another temple he did not know the name of.
In mere seconds, he appeared right at the entrance of another temple.
No matter how many times he thought about God's blessing, it still impressed him deeply.
In the past, he would take months before eradicating 3-4 Infidel temples, but now he was able to do so in a day at most.
The speeds he was capable of were incredible; he could sense that he could easily surpass the very light, however, there was no need for such speeds.
And yet since God had granted him the ability, the time would surely come when he needed it.
He once again unsheathed Equilibrium; this time, he would level this place with a different skill.
He took a deep breath before exhaling, his fist clenched around the hilt.
[Holy Strike], with a swing, a wave of immense holy Energy struck against the stone walls, rendering them useless as everything in its path disintegrated in the holy flame.
With a quick motion, he sheathed Equilibirum before he sensed a familiar connection.
[Father, City of Valar is being Attacked by the Chaos Elementals. The First Star has gone on her own to deal with them.]
Ladios spoke with a hint of pride in his voice.
'Is he proud of her?' Cedric couldn't help but smile.
However, that smile was replaced by fury.
[Keep me updated about any further happenings. I trust you can handle this?] Cedric spoke sternly.
[Yes, Father.] With those words connection was cut.
While the attack made him furious, it was exactly what he needed, a reason to denounce the church in the eyes of their followers.
This act would undermine their credibility, allowing Christianity to gain even more fresh converts.
Cedric raised his head to the sky, "God truly is great. He truly had made it so I cannot fail."
His hands clasped together.
He would finish his current mission with haste, and then return to Valar.
It was time to dismantle the Church and kill the Cardinals.