When A Mage Revolts

The emergence of more than ten giant octopus together was a pretty frightful scene. The surge of heavy tide from endless numbers of tentacles glooming over like hollow forests. The sky darkened. If it wasn’t that the Church’s fleet has the protection of the holy barrier, they would all probably be overturned in a blink of an eye.

That being said, even when they weren’t crushed the first time, it was not looking good for them.

The ten ships that had repositioned in formation were now scattered. Apart from the priests that’s were flying, the rest on the ship lost their balance and held onto anything with their dear lives, that they would not be flung onto the barrier, crashing their intestines.

However, as the only armour protecting them, the holy barrier vibrated as waves and tentacles beat against it, flickering. From afar, the entire fleet seemed like bulbs floating in the sea, with possibility to be extinguished at any moment.

"This... This is impossible!"

The commanding bishop on the ship was in disbelief. He turned and with rage, looked at the sailors and crew that boasted of vast experience. He then realised that these "experts" hired expensively by the Church were now scared their pants off more than the priests.

He quickly flew to the cabin, prying the captain away from grabbing the door frame. He anxiously questioned, "Why is this happening? Didn’t you say that this part of the ocean would not have any large scale magic beast in groups?"

"I... I really don’t know."

Instantly, the bishop was exasperated that he left all his out holy mannerism the door, he stared on savagely, "You don’t know?"

The captain was terrified. His face reddened as he bursted out, "I really don’t know... We’ve been out to sea for many years and passed by here many times. Not once have we encountered this situation..... Sir Bishop, please have mercy on me..."

"Useless rubbish!"

The bishop let go of his grip and flung the captain aside. He flew out from the cabin.

Outside the cabin, the priests gathered together, in attempt to counter against the new appearance of the giant octopuses. The bishop was quick to stop them and using the sound amplifying divine art to relay orders so that all would solidity their energy to protect the barrier.

"Guard the barrier! No matter what, do not let them break the barrier!"

The bishop knew that the tentacles wielded faster than they could fly. Once the shield was broken, it would be unknown how many of the entire fleet would survive under the attack of the giant octopuses.

Only by staying by the barrier would be their chance of survival.

From their optic angle, they couldn’t determine the number of octopuses. They could only see densely packed tentacles waving crazily all around. Under the orders of the bishop, all the priests came to their senses and dunk holy light into the barrier; finally defending their fleet.

The ships did not creeped too much and the crews slowly climbed up, and even in their state of shell shock, they already found their balance. After being pulled back from the brink of death, they suddenly realised that the ten over gigantic monster of octopuses together were unable to penetrate the ship’s barrier.

"Even... Even at this state, we could defend?" One of them exclaimed.

Only, whether it was the priests or bishop, there wasn’t a hint of joy in their faces.

They could not see a way out of it.

"Sir Bishop, we can only take out the holy thing given by His Highness." One of the priests pressed on with anxiousness, "If we go on, everyone would drain their Spiritual Energy!"

The bishop shook his head.

"No, the holy thing is used to deal with the foreign worshippers."

"But... If this goes on, we might not even make it to the alien worshippers’ island and die here!"

The bishop’s brows were in a tight knot as he gazed the hovering tentacles outside the barrier. He was reluctant. He was surrounded by more and more pleading gazes from the priests. In the end, he gave in to to the shouldering pressure and changed his mind.

He reached his hand into the pocket of his long robe, seemingly to fish out something.

It was then at this very moment.

"Roar—!"

A clear pinching roar came from within the gigantic monstrous octopus that caught everyone off guard. They then realised that all the tentacles had hold their horses, like puppets without its ring leader. They froze on the spot, not moving an inch.

The surging waves had subsided.

"This..."

The priests were bewildered. The bishop retrieved his right hand from his pocket. However, before they could come to, the ten over octopuses sunk back to the ocean bed. It was long when they disappeared completely out of sight.

The fleet was utterly in befuddlement.

It was in a blink of an eye that the war waging sea returned to its calmness. The sky was clear, the sea was vast. The bishop peered over and it didn’t seem like anything happened before.

Apart from... a few figures not far away that were new additions.

There was a slight change in the bishop’s face.

At close inspection, it was three fellas dressed in outlandish clothes. One of them tall while the other two, short. It seemed as though it was young man leading two young children. They were standing water but the bishop quickly found that they were standing on the back of a turtle shaped magic beast, slowly heading towards the fleet.

Struck by a though, the bishop’s eyes glimmered and soon after, revealed a rather thought provoking expression.

"Who are you and why are you trespassing the forbidden zone?"

The trio stood on the back of the turtle and closed in on the Church’s fleet. The young leader with oil paint smothered on his face, reeked of alien culture as he shouted out.

The bishop was hesitant for a moment but had someone disband the ship’s barrier, the flew towards the trio.

"Pardon me... but are you the legendary worshippers of the goddess?"

His demeanour carried politeness. His face, coveted with a benign and sincere smile. He nodded at the trio as he spoke softly.

The trio exchanged glanced before nodding back.

"I see. It commands respect." The bishop deeply bowed, "It was you who saved me, I believe. If it weren’t for you, we probably end up as fish food."

The leader nodded but seemed wary. He hesitated before adding, "You... You’re not from the Holy Church, are you?"

The bishop immediately unveiled a pained expression.

"We... were casted aside by the Holy Church, and currently gunned by them too." A brief silence before he sighed and sorrowfully continued, "You need no worry. If it wasn’t because we’re unwelcome in the land, why would we risk our lives to come to this ocean?"

"Oh, I see..."

Hearing this explanation, the hostility did decrease by a large margin.

"Yes, the Holy Church will never forgive any traitors." The bishop lowered his head with grief, "We heard of the a group of believers of the goddess living overseas so we came to sea to seek, perhaps it was a way out."

The other party shook his head, "Our people do not welcome outsiders. You trespassed the forbidden zone, hence the encirclement of our sea creatures. Getting you out of that sticky situation was your luck. I advise you to leave immediately before encountering anymore danger. I will not save you again."

"This... Really there’s no way to make an exception? Take us to your elder, I’m sure he will understand."

"These are the rules. Please leave."

An obscure emotion flashed through the bishop’s pupils. He held his tongue for a moment before pacing himself, "If these are your rules then there’s nothing we can do. But, you did save our lives, we hope to at least... let us thank you."

The young man frowned, "What are you planning to do?"

"There’s many treasure on the ship that we brought from the Holy Church. If you don’t mind, we are willing to award you with a third of it."

Hearing this, the trio on the turtle’s back were slightly taken aback. They exchanged glances and in the end, the leader seemed nitpick, "The goddess has exquisite taste. She never accepts inferior mortal items."

"Don’t worry. These are items from the Holy Church. Each and every one of them are rare with high value. I believe it’s hard to find overseas."

The young man nodded but reluctantly replied, "Uh huh... If that’s the case, I guess we’ll take a look first."

The bishop gratefully smiled. He extended his arm, "Please come with me. You will not be let down."

He turned and flew onto the ship. The trio on the turtle’s back followed form behind and they were soon below the ship. Those on the ship let down steps and the trio climbed up.

The moment they were on board...

"Evil alien worshippers, now you can’t summon your cult to control the magic beasts!"

The bishop turned and wiped out that face of harmlessness. His eyes were filled with hatred. Next to him, many of the priests nestled around, each of them holding a weird cross, mumbling under their breath.

A shapeless light film appeared beside them and engulfed them within, separating them from all Spiritual Energy.

The trio’s face darkened.

"You... You liar!"

They were gesturing their hands, as if summoning with some unique technique. However, no matter how they gestured, the flow of the Spiritual Energy could not break the light film. The turtle shaped magic beast parked outside the ship was hit with many of summoned grenades of holy light. It was blasted to smithereens, leaving only a carcass.

The bishop’s face was plastered with a smile of glee.

"Give it up. Even if you could control a strong magic beast, under the will of god, you can not do anything." He spoke with a matter of fact, "Now tell me the location of your island, or else..."

"Or-Or else what?"

The leader seemed to be afraid. He shrunk himself into a ball and hesitatingly asked.

The bishop smiled, "Or else I will let you experience the feeling of being roasted bit by bit by the holy light."

The trio brimmed in fear. They were not that much older, especially little boy and girl who were trembling form head to toe. They closed their eyes, like fishes on a chopping board subjecting to fate.

The bishop stared at them coldly.

The stand off ended with the trio’s inability to withstand the immerse pressure coming from the bishop. It wasn’t long when the young leader threw in the towel.

"Fine... I-I will lead the way."

The bishop nodded with satisfaction and arrogance.

"That’s good. Abiding the will of god is the right choice." He picked up his smiled again, "Once the cult of the ocean demon is wiped out, perhaps... I will spare your lives."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

And so, the trio were locked in the specially made prison. After a brief pit stop, this fleet belonging to the Church adjusted its direction and was in full speed towards south.