NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: “Angel Fall”
The items scattered throughout the cave were extraordinarily chaotic—a peculiar mix of earthen dolls, fragmented talismans, and a few aged parchment scrolls. To an untrained observer, the place might have looked like a flea market where someone was peddling worthless trinkets.
But Roy, possessing a deep knowledge of magic, understood that these strange artifacts, though perhaps not radiating significant magical power, held immense symbolic meaning in the realm of mysticism.
"Judging from the style of these items, the original owner of this cave wasn't a Christian but a follower of Judaism, likely one belonging to a secretive sect," Roy murmured to himself.
He refrained from casually touching anything. This hidden chamber beneath the sand resembled a mage's workshop—an extremely perilous domain where even the most inconspicuous object could trigger a trap capable of making life worse than death.
"Aiwass, is it dangerous here?" Roy asked cautiously.
Aiwass, his Holy Guardian Angel and a peerless expert in mysticism, was a being whose knowledge far exceeded that of most mortals. Her voice was calm as she replied, "The magical symbols here have already dissipated."
Though this world wasn't part of the Index universe or even Roy's reality, there was a strange, inexplicable connection that allowed mystical knowledge to transcend across different realms. For instance, the theory of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life was a universal constant in many worlds.
Aiwass cast a glance at their surroundings and promptly gave Roy an answer. Then, with characteristic curiosity, she began examining this new world with fascination. For someone like Aiwass, power itself was unimportant. What truly captured her attention was the novel information and knowledge of rules she could glean from exploring an unfamiliar universe.
"Makes sense. If this workshop still had active defensive mechanisms, I would have already been attacked the moment I stepped in," Roy reasoned, now more at ease. With Aiwass's assurance, he began searching through the magical symbols and tools scattered around.
"This paper… is it an original copy of the Book of Enoch?" Roy muttered, holding a crumbling piece of parchment. He scanned its contents and found a tattered strip of linen nearby, stained with what appeared to be dried blood. "Could this be… the Shroud of Jesus? The Holy Shroud?!"
Realizing the significance of these sacred and arcane relics, Roy quickly rifled through the nearby books and artifacts. Soon, he pieced together the identity of the world he was in.
"This is the world of Campione!
"... The owner of this workshop was a Jewish mage—or rather, a magician as they're called here. He must have used numerous rare magical tools and sacred artifacts to perform a massive ritual aimed at summoning a Heretic God!
"Judging by the items here, this magician had enormous ambitions. He tried to summon not one but two Heretic Gods simultaneously. One of them was likely Metatron, while the other appeared to be none other than Jesus Christ himself!"
Using his vast knowledge of mysticism and Aiwass's insights, Roy quickly unraveled the story.
The magical tools and sacred artifacts in this cave were priceless, the result of centuries of effort. Collecting such a trove would take hundreds of years, and the grand summoning ritual itself required decades of preparation. This cavern represented the culmination of generations of dedication from a secret Jewish sect.
Roy could also deduce the magician's motive for summoning Metatron and Christ. These two figures represented the core theological conflict between Judaism and Christianity. While both faiths worship the same God, Judaism denies Christ's divinity and Messiahship, viewing him as merely a righteous man and prophet. Conversely, Christianity rejects the legitimacy of Metatron, the supreme angel in Jewish mysticism. The magician likely sought to summon Metatron to slay Christ, thus desecrating Christian doctrine.
"They succeeded—and failed. They did summon a Heretic God, but the being they called forth wasn't Jesus Christ. It was the Archangel Michael. In Christian mythology, Michael is the mightiest warrior before God's throne!
"…Some passages in the Bible don't describe Michael as an angel but almost as a divine Son of God, a fact many Christian scholars find controversial. There's even a theory suggesting that Christ and Michael are one and the same, which would explain why biblical descriptions of them sometimes overlap."
Roy chuckled at the thought. "I can only imagine the expression on that magician's face when he realized he'd summoned Michael instead of Christ—it must have looked like he was constipated!"
Roy sighed and looked around the cave again. "That mysterious force really did fulfill my wish by sending me to a world where I can grow stronger. But Campione? This world offers the fastest way to power, sure… but the difficulty…"
Roy shook his head bitterly. The method to gain power in this world was straightforward—slay a Heretic God and steal its divine authorities. It was a shortcut to godlike strength. But the catch was, killing a god was a miracle in itself.
For a mere mortal to kill a Heretic God was beyond the scope of strength or wisdom. No matter how powerful or clever a mortal might be, they were as insignificant as ants before the divine. This was why Campione were considered living miracles.
In Roy's opinion, defeating a god ultimately depended on one thing—luck.
In this world, if you had the fortune, you could become a Campione. Without it, no amount of magical prowess or martial skill would suffice. Luck, however, was an intangible and immutable force, at least for now.
"It's clear that these Jewish magicians were ambitious. They wanted to slay a god and become Campione themselves. But judging by the outcome, they failed spectacularly. They were probably obliterated by those two angels the moment they appeared."
Roy picked up a small metallic shard from among the artifacts. Its color matched the Holy Shroud, and it radiated an exceptionally potent mystical energy. Roy guessed it to be a fragment of the Spear of Longinus.
The Jewish magicians had likely hoped to use the fragment, combined with a grand magical ritual, to slay a god. But in the end, their efforts were in vain.
"I don't know if I have the luck to become a Campione. But Aiwass… you, of all beings, might be able to change my fortune, right?" Roy asked, turning to his guardian angel.
Aiwass met his gaze and nodded slightly. "With the items here, you could perform an angelic rite—'Angel Fall.'"