"Click!"
"Bishop Doxia!"
The sound of the door opening echoed through the room. Bishop Doxia, seated at his desk, lifted his head to see Bishop Good and Priest Abraham entering.
Both men kept their heads bowed low, appearing extremely deferential.
This was only natural, since the gap between their positions was like that between a local magistrate and a provincial governor—they wouldn't even dare to look up directly!
Moreover, every bishop operated within their own established system, so Good currying favor with Doxia was the most normal thing in the world.
Bishop Doxia paid little attention to their respectful demeanor. He planned to make Rino City his headquarters, coordinating the management of three other major states and over a dozen cities, using this as the primary base for his upcoming operations.
"The Pope shows no benevolence, disregards our Church's fundamental principles, and betrays God's purity—he is truly unworthy of his position. Now cities throughout my territory are filled with complaints, our Church's image has been completely distorted, and this even threatens our very foundation!
Good, you've followed me for so many years, you understand what I mean. And Priest Abraham, I've already reached an agreement with five Cardinals.
His Holiness Adam's current actions are utterly foolish and have already caused widespread desertion. Therefore, I've decided to follow our doctrines, organize an army, and launch a holy war to restore order and uphold God's sanctity!What do you two think of this?"
Bishop Doxia's brow remained tightly furrowed as he watched the two men who had kept their heads bowed the entire time, showing no reaction to his words. He felt something was wrong.
No matter how you looked at it, anyone hearing such rebellious talk should feel tense and fearful, or at least shocked and alarmed. Why were these two not only failing to express surprise, but their bodies showed no trembling or movement either?
Could it be... they had already betrayed him and become the Pope's eyes and ears?
"What do you two think!"
Bishop Doxia repeated his question with a deeper frown, now almost certain that these two had likely pledged allegiance to the Pope.
His heart held no panic about his plans being exposed, only regret that his grand undertaking might fail.
Hearing Bishop Doxia's repeated question, Bishop Good and Priest Abraham finally showed a reaction.
"Heh heh heh... Of course we agree, Lord Doxia!" Strange, piercing laughter emerged from both Priest Abraham and Bishop Good, making Bishop Doxia increasingly certain of his suspicions.
As their eerie laughter continued, the two men who had kept their heads lowered finally looked up.
Beneath their hoods, two pairs of crimson eyes and terrifying faces that seemed anything but human came into Bishop Doxia's view.
"Holy shit!" Bishop Doxia's heart, which had just resolved to face death calmly, now pounded violently. The exclamation escaped his lips almost uncontrollably.
His eyes had never been wider, allowing him to see clearly Priest Abraham's blood-red eyes, gaunt face, and those two elongated, sharp front teeth that were completely inhuman!
"Demons! Damn it, what kind of demons are you! When did you possess these two! Damn it, guards, guards!!!"
Bishop Doxia's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, his mind feeling like it was about to explode!
It's worth noting that he had seen second-stage vampires in the Vatican, which prevented him from connecting these inhuman creatures to the vampire species. Instead, he thought they were some external demons that had invaded human bodies.
He wasn't afraid of death, but the fact that such detestable demons had appeared within the Church, which was supposed to be enveloped in God's purity, and had even quietly replaced high-ranking officials—this terrified him most of all.
Because if these demons could infiltrate his Church in Rino City, they could infiltrate churches in other cities too! The Church would completely shed God's sanctity and become a nest for demons!
"The Church is in danger! The Church is in peril!!!"
"Stop shouting, Bishop Doxia. Your people have already been converted. Besides, we're not some lowly demons—we are the noble, immortal Vampire Clan! And you now have the honor of joining us! Hahaha..." Priest Abraham laughed heartily, the thrill of wielding power making his eyes grow even redder, his emotions increasingly excited, to the point where he could barely control himself.
He raised his hands while laughing maniacally, revealing that his fingernails had somehow grown to five or six centimeters in length, black and sharp.
Looking at the utterly terrified Bishop Doxia, Priest Abraham laughed uproariously, his ears even able to hear the bishop's heart pumping faster from fear and the sound of hot, delicious blood flowing through his veins.
Bloodthirsty desire filled Priest Abraham's mind, making it impossible for him to restrain his urges any longer.
"Join immortality, Bishop Doxia, hahaha... Pfft!" Priest Abraham laughed like a madman, then could no longer control himself. He pounced on Bishop Doxia, pinning him to the ground, and used his sharp fangs to slice open the bishop's carotid artery.
Crimson blood instantly gushed out. Priest Abraham treated it like a precious treasure, holding Bishop Doxia in his arms and affectionately sucking at the bleeding wound on his neck.
"Gulp..." The bloody scent drifting through the air made Bishop Good, sitting behind them, continuously swallow saliva. His eyes grew increasingly crimson, but he could only watch as Priest Abraham fed, not daring to make any move.
Because Priest Abraham's strength truly surpassed his own.
As blood continued to flow, Bishop Doxia's eyes grew increasingly dim. They were filled with infinite resentment and fear, along with boundless regret and sorrow. In the end, these rich emotions could only transform into an indistinct, dying whimper.
"Demons... Church... danger..."
Even in death, his thoughts remained focused on fearing the consequences that would befall the Church.
It must be said that Bishop Doxia truly loved the Church to the extreme.