The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 385: Corridor of Faith
"Lucia, I found it!" David shouted excitedly, "The structural diagram of the holy city is hidden in these carvings!"

Upon hearing this, Lucia immediately walked over to David and carefully observed the carvings.

Sure enough, she found that the arrangement and combination of some of the carvings seemed to imply some kind of pattern, which might be the structural diagram of the holy city.

They began to infer the structure of the holy city based on these carvings.

After several days of hard work, they finally drew a detailed structural map of the holy city.

This structural map not only shows the overall layout and architectural style of the holy city, but also reveals the mysterious altars and ritual rooms hidden therein.

With this structural diagram, they can begin to reconstruct the holy city.

However, this is a difficult and complex task.

They need to find enough materials and manpower to repair the ruined buildings, while also ensuring that no valuable clues or evidence are destroyed in the process.

David and Lucia began to travel around, looking for craftsmen and volunteers willing to help them.

They told people about the history and importance of the holy city, as well as their plans and goals for reconstructing it.

After unremitting efforts, they finally formed a team of craftsmen, architects and volunteers.

With the joint efforts of the team, the restoration work of the holy city has gradually begun.

They first cleared debris and rubble from the ruins to make room for restoration work.

They then began repairing each building according to the instructions on the structural drawings.

During the restoration process, they encountered many difficulties and challenges.

Some buildings have been structurally damaged beyond direct repair.

Some materials are difficult to find and need to be replaced.

However, they did not give up, but continued to try new methods and ideas to overcome these difficulties.

As time went by, the appearance of the holy city gradually changed.

Buildings have been rebuilt from the ruins. Although their appearance still looks rough and simple, their former outlines and styles can already be seen.

The dome murals were repainted and the stained glass was replaced, and the whole city began to show new vitality.

During the restoration process, David and Lucia also discovered many valuable clues and evidence.

They discovered hidden chambers and passages in some of the buildings, which contained documents and objects concerning the first popes and the secrets of the Church.

These discoveries provided them with important clues and basis for uncovering the secrets of the church.

After months of hard work, the holy city was finally completely restored and reconstructed.

It is no longer the desolate place full of ruins, but seems to have regained its former glory and sacredness.

As the reconstruction of the holy city was gradually completed, David and Lucia turned their research focus to the altar hidden in the huge underground space of the church headquarters.

This altar is not only the key to uncovering the secrets of the church, but also the core of understanding the first pope's plan to become a god.

They decided to start with the structure of the altar and try to unravel the secrets behind it.

David and Lucia stood in front of the altar, carefully observing the intricate runes and patterns.

These runes seemed to contain some kind of ancient magic or ritual, which was strikingly similar to the divine heritage they had seen in the Silver Moon world.

"Lucia, look at these runes. They seem to have some connection with the inheritance of the Silver Moon God."

David pointed to a rune on the altar and said, "Does this mean that the first pope's plan to become a god is related to the God of Silver Moon?"

Lucia nodded, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.

"It is very likely. The God of Silver Moon is a deity in ancient legends and possesses great power."

"If the first pope really tried to achieve godhood through the church, he would most likely seek the help or power of the Silver Moon God."

They began to try to decipher the runes, hoping to find clues about the function of the altar and their plan to become gods.

However, the runes are so complex and ancient that they are extremely difficult to decipher.

They had to rely on ancient documents and materials preserved in the holy city, as well as the church knowledge that Lucia learned when she was a saint, to assist in the interpretation.

After several days of hard work, they finally made some progress.

They discovered that the runes described an ancient ritual designed to gather the power of the believers' faith at the altar and somehow transform it into the power of godhood.

The depression in the center of the altar was most likely used to place some key object or creature as the core of the ceremony.

"David, we found it!" Lucia shouted excitedly, "This altar is used to gather the power of faith and transform it into divine power in some way!"

David also showed an excited expression.

"This means that the first pope's plan to become a god was most likely achieved through this altar."

"He tried to gather the power of faith of his followers to increase his own power and ultimately achieve his goal of becoming a god."

However, they also know this is just the beginning.

To truly uncover the secrets of the church, they still need to find more details and evidence about this ritual.

So they began to continue searching in the holy city and the church headquarters, hoping to find more clues related to this ritual.

In the days that followed, David and Lucia devoted almost all their time and energy to research.

They carefully studied every rune and pattern on the altar and consulted the ancient documents and materials preserved in the holy city and the church headquarters.

They also sought knowledge about architecture and rituals from artisans and volunteers who were willing to help them.

After months of hard work, they finally gained a deeper understanding of the altar and the first Pope's plan to become a god.

They discovered that this ritual not only required the gathering of the power of faith of the believers, but also required a special medium to transform the power of faith into divine power.

In order to find this medium, David and Lucia decided to search again in-depth in the church headquarters and the Holy City.

During their in-depth search, David and Lucia accidentally discovered an ancient stone door in a hidden basement.

The door was engraved with runes similar to those on the altar, as if hiding the secret leading to an unknown world.

"Lucia, look at this door. It seems to have some connection with the altar." David said, pointing to the stone door.

Lucia walked forward and carefully looked at the runes on the stone door. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the meaning of these runes with her mind.

After a moment, she suddenly opened her eyes, with a gleam of surprise in them. "David, this door is likely the entrance to the real place where the first Pope performed the apotheosis ceremony!"

David was excited when he heard this. They finally found the key to uncovering the church's secrets.

The two of them worked together to push open the heavy stone door, and saw a dark and mysterious passage in front of them.

After they entered the passage, they were teleported to another space.

I saw a towering holy mountain standing in front of me. The top of the mountain was shrouded in a faint holy light, making it look sacred and inviolable.

David took a step forward and was suddenly trapped in glowing gravel. The crystal particles covering the surface of the holy mountain flowed like living things, emitting a faint and mysterious light.

He felt a shock, a feeling that struck his heart and made him realize that this was no ordinary place.

Lucia suddenly grabbed his arm, her pupils flashing with excitement and awe, reflecting the giant whale of light swimming in the sky.

The huge figure slowly cruised above the holy mountain, as if guarding some great secret.

"This is the Corridor of Faith!" Lucia whispered, with an irrepressible excitement in her voice.

Before she finished her words, rays of light as bright as the stars burst out from the mountain, flickering like candles in the morning light.

At an altitude of three hundred meters, these spiral beams of light intertwined into a rotating scroll, on which countless golden words emerged, like an ancient oracle.

David stared at the stream of information that was spinning like a scroll, and he felt a strange and huge force rushing towards them.

His words got caught in his throat and he could only pray silently that he could make sense of it all.

As the golden words poured down, a suspended staircase was laid in front of the two people, extending step by step to the mysterious and unknowable heights.

He took a deep breath, and as he stepped onto the first step, a feeling of warmth and solemnity suddenly enveloped his whole body.

At this moment, the prayers of millions of people suddenly rang in his ears, like a tide.

The voice was a mixture of hope, despair, confusion and faith, which made his heart surge.

He looked down and saw that the stone steps under his feet gradually turned into transparent glass, shimmering with a dreamy glow under his footsteps.

"Can we really do this?"

Lucia held his hand tightly. She was shaking slightly, but her eyes were firm. "This is what we have been looking for."

"Yes, we must keep moving forward," David said, looking back at her.

He then turned his eyes to the front. The new roads that were gradually becoming clear and as bright as stars filled them with hope.

On this road to the unknown, they shoulder not only a personal mission, but also a responsibility to uncover the secrets of the church.

As they continued to climb, the sound in their ears became clearer, like a torrent.

In those echoes, he heard the sublime and firm words of the first pope: "Whoever believes in me has eternal life."

When David looked at the phantom in the air again, he saw the first Pope standing in the center of a tribe in the ignorant age, surrounded by a group of devout and fearless people.

His big hands, full of wisdom and strength, covered with wrinkles and marks, gently pressed on the forehead of a girl suffering from melasma.

The girl looked up at him in fear and expectation, and the calmness on the Pope's face seemed to convey an unquestionable message: "As long as you believe in me, you can be saved!"

This scene shocked David, and he couldn't help but think about the meaning behind it.

This is not just an individual story, but a part of human history. It is also an important message of profound reflection on the relationship between faith and power.

"What was the first Pope's purpose? To become a god himself? Or for those who thirst for salvation?" David couldn't figure it out, but he had to face these questions.

Going further up, they gradually entered a wider platform with a more solemn atmosphere.

This is a huge altar, paved with large slabs of stone that are as transparent as crystal, and above it hangs a large crystal that emits soft, rhythmic, and fluctuating noises.

They were singing and chanting ancient spells. These crystals had never been touched by anyone.

But now they seemed particularly excited by the approach of the two people in front of them, and kept flashing in response, as if they were expecting to be awakened.

"These are...the souls on the altar."

Lucia murmured, "They want us to know something deeper and broader."

As they watched, the large crystal began to flow like a winding stream, and a warm aura emanating from it surrounded the two of them.

"Did you feel it?" Lucia asked.

She stared at the gorgeously changing, rippling information forms, "What is hidden here is not only power, but also... a certain kind of wisdom."

“Perhaps these are all things that the first Pope tried to control and bring together.” David thought seriously.

"This power is likely to connect to the entire world, which means extremely important to both believers and those in power."

As time went by, they continued to explore this strange space, and each step seemed like a new ritual.

"It's a memory."

Lucia's voice was soft but firm, starlight shone on her fingertips, and her eyes gradually focused on the ever-changing steps through the flickering light and shadow.

She explained in a low voice: "The ladder is screening the piety of the pilgrims. Only the most true and pious can step through these thorns and illusions."

David's heart tightened as he realized that this process was not just a physical climb, but also a battle between soul and faith, pain and redemption.

Just as he tried to regain his senses, the second step suddenly turned into burning thorns, and the stinging sensation instantly spread throughout his body.

He felt his spirit being torn apart by seven layers of illusion at the same time, and various images intertwined in his mind like a dream.

He saw his mother take her last breath in the cold and silent snowy night, and that look of despair and helplessness was deeply imprinted in his heart.

And I saw Lucia surrounded by the Inquisition, her pale, weak but unwavering face twisted on the pillar of shame.

Then, he saw himself cutting off the roots of the World Tree with his own hands. At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world was trembling and all things were wailing.

"David! Concentrate!" Lucia suddenly shouted, using starlight to guide him out of those memories.

He struggled desperately to focus on her.

As his consciousness gradually returned, he realized that he could no longer indulge in these illusions, otherwise he would be swallowed up by his past.

Finally, when the two of them stepped over the seventh platform together, a violent tremor swept over.

The holy mountain seemed to shake angrily because of their footsteps, and the entire space was filled with unrest and turmoil.

(End of this chapter)