Upon hearing the voice that seemed to emanate from the void, Cardinal Paul started briefly before his face lit up with rapturous joy. He promptly dropped to his knees before the statue, beseeching with utmost piety, "Henceforth, I shall amend my ways, devoting myself to daily prayer and penitence, spreading the Lord's benevolence and teachings. I implore you, grant me another chance, bestow upon me redemption!"
"The Lord is merciful, ever willing to offer sinners the opportunity to repent," the voice intoned. "A sacred emissary from the Heavenly Kingdom shall be sent to deliver you... But remember your vow this day. Should you forsake it again, a punishment tenfold more terrible shall be visited upon you!" The authoritative, resonant voice echoed once more from behind the statue, prompting Paul to kowtow repeatedly in gratitude .
At that very moment, the Strigoi, having sated its thirst on the young priest's blood, rose and fixed its gaze upon its next prey—the cardinal kneeling beneath the statue. "Divine Judgment: Angelic Light!" Paul's eyes widened, witnessing a miracle beyond his wildest dreams. A figure clad in golden armor, grasping a holy sword in her left hand and a shield of light in her right, coalesced before the statue of Jesus like a celestial being. She raised her blade high, and a beam of golden radiance descended from the heavens. Bathed in this brilliance, the Strigoi instantly stiffened, its slack, pale skin blackening as if scorched by solar fire. It shrieked and writhed, but under the sun's glory, such a feeble fiend had no escape. Within seconds, as the Solar Flare subsided, the creature vanished, leaving only a pile of black ash .
Concealed behind the statue, Li Ang was equally astonished. During the bakery incident, the simultaneous dust explosion had obscured the true potency of Solar Flare. Now he realized this Light-based Law skill was even more formidable against the sunlight-fearing Strigoi than he had anticipated. Even the lowest-level Strigoi possessed over 500 Health, while Solar Flare's base damage was merely 250 points; the additional damage sunlight inflicted on dark creatures was clearly pivotal to the instant obliteration. "It seems my initial choice was correct," Li Ang mused inwardly. "Without Solar Flare, I could neither handle Strigoi so effortlessly nor have managed to hoodwink a charlatan like Paul." As he pondered, Paul and the night watchman remained speechless, utterly shocking by the miracle of an angel's descent and its swift dispatch of the fiend. The Radiant Dawn guardian's inherently majestic and sacred demeanor, radiating solar brilliance, made the impersonation flawless. Though wingless... not all Biblically recorded angels had wings .
After a long moment, Paul regained his senses. Kneeling, he bowed his head in worship. "Paul Fontes, Cardinal of St. Benedict's Cathedral, humbly welcomes the angel's holy advent." The "angel" remained silent, for the Combat Guardian could not speak. But then, under the astonished gazes of Paul and the watchman, the angelic figure suddenly drove her sword into the ground and knelt on one knee, as if awaiting her master. And in that very instant, Li Ang descended gracefully from behind the statue. "Might I ask who you are...?" Paul stammered. "A sacred emissary from the Heavenly Kingdom, sent by the Lord to quell the calamity ravaging this world," Li Ang declared, his voice, modulated by the silver mask, steady and commanding. Despite his somewhat slender frame, he projected an aura of tenacious strength, appearing supremely lofty and inviolable framed by the guardian. Having witnessed the miracle, Paul could not help but believe—moreover, he wantedto believe. "Holy Emissary, how may your servant Paul assist in your mission?" he inquired cautiously, hoping to atone and earn merit. "For this descent, the Lord has sealed most of my power to temper me. Thus, I require the 'Light of the Fallen.' It is key to vanquishing the Blood Patriarch," Li Ang replied, his voice hoarse and emotionless from behind the mask. "This..." Paul's face showed to put him in a difficult position. "The Light of the Fallen is not in my possession. Another collector holds it, seeking to sell it through me for a high price." Li Ang was inwardly startled; his memory from the show had been faulty. Although the artifact entered the narrative through Paul, it wasn't initially in his hands. Dismissing the details, Li Ang sternly declared, "I care not for the process. In ten hours, you shall present the 'Light of the Fallen' before me!" Paul dared not refuse. The task wasn't difficult; the original owner asked only several hundred thousand dollars—a sum Paul, having amassed wealth through the church for years, could easily afford. He departed immediately to find the owner, while Li Ang remained at the cathedral to rest. As an emissary, maintaining dignity meant not handling every minor task personally. Before leaving, Paul gave Li Ang all the cathedral keys, granting him access to every room .
Without hesitation, Li Ang entered the collection room. This chamber housed not gold or jewels, but antiquities and texts: artifacts donated by person who has faith in a religion or a person's beliefs, relics left by previous bishops, centuries-old Bible manuscripts, notes from former bishops, replica Holy Grails, wooden carvings of Jesus, and more. While not necessarily monetarily valuable, each item was Jesus Christ-related,behind it hides a story. To Li Ang, gold and dollars were worthless; objects with such historical depth intrigued him far more, for they might conceal Law artifacts! Such items typically originated in two ways: crafted by master artisans using precious Law materials, or formed when aged objects, over time, absorbed Law Power, were tainted by holy blood, or sublimated by accumulated spiritual faith. In any Abyssal World, religion-related items most readily gave birth to Law artifacts, usable only by those Awakened to Law Power. Thus, among the hundreds of items collected by St. Benedict's, New York's premier cathedral, the possibility existed .
What followed was a "treasure hunt" oscillating between anticipation and disappointment. Li Ang examined each item, probing with his Law Power. Initially hopeful, after half an hour, disappointment prevailed. The Bibles, manuscripts, replica grails, even the wooden Jesus carving... all were merely aged ordinary objects, devoid of any Law resonance. However, patience was one of Li Ang's virtues—he persisted, never abandoning the slightest hope. Perseverance paid off. As dawn's first light streamed through the window, Li Ang finally sensed a faint pulse of Law energy from an ancient silver cross necklace .
[Ancient Silver Cross Necklace: Necklace-type Law Accessory]
[Origin: Abyssal World of The Strain]
[Quality: Silver]
[Law Attribute: Light]
[Attributes: Intelligence +8]
[Skill: Silver Flame of Light — The wearer's tangible skills are enveloped in a layer of luminous flame. Upon contact with enemies, it inflicts 50 points of damage per second. Against dark-aligned creatures, damage increases to 100 points per second, additionally causing excruciating pain.]
[Equip Requirement: Base Intelligence 10 or higher]
[Description: This necklace boasts a history spanning over a millennium. Among its many owners, unnamed in history, some Awakened to Law Power, yet never used it for show off or profit. The cross has absorbed a millennium of faith and the noble virtues of devout priests and bishops, thus remaining pure as flame.]
[Evaluation: It may gather dust, but never be sullied. None but an emissary of light can command it.]