"How... How is this possible!?"
It wasn't just Elaria who was shocked; the Pope, the Cardinals, and the surrounding Templar Knights were equally stunned.
As high-ranking members of the Church of Light, their education was naturally extensive, and they immediately understood the implications of Arov's actions.
In their understanding, magic was a practice where the use of runes served as both a medium and a catalyst to manipulate the mana within one's body or the ambient mana.
But what Arov had just done completely overturned their understanding. Not only did he condense an intricate and extensive rune into a single word, but he also actualized it directly into reality.
Typically, spellcasting required envisioning the formation of runes one by one, combining them into a cohesive runic language, and completing the input-output calculations of magical energy to produce the desired outcome.
However, Arov had skipped nearly half of the process, bypassing the formation of runic language and moving straight to energy calculations.
There was only one word they could think of to describe Arov: Genius.
At first, they had been skeptical of this so-called otherworldly hero. Perhaps he had undergone specialized training to become a hero, or perhaps he had learned from an otherworldly civilization they didn't understand. They didn't know.
But now, it seemed everything was fine—he was a hero of extraordinary brilliance.
"Umm... Otherworldly Hero, do you understand what I'm saying now?"
Elaria's eyes sparkled as she looked at Arov. For some reason, he felt she resembled a cat. He wouldn't be surprised if someone told him that.
"Yes, I can understand your words now," Arov replied with a polite smile.
"Then, allow me to formally welcome you. Welcome to the world of Arma, oh Otherworldly Hero. My name is Elaria Novelle, Saintess of the Church of Light, worshippers of the Light God Luminous. I am also the one who prepared your summoning ritual."
Elaria began to walk slowly, gesturing to introduce the church's structure one by one.
"These are the Templar Knights—the official knighthood of the Sanctuary. Every one of them is an elite among elites, the best of the best. Furthermore, the Templar Knights are regarded as one of the greatest orders of knighthood across the entire continent!"
The knights puffed out their chests proudly, with some even flexing their muscles and exuding their charm.
'Looks like getting praised by the Saintess is really effective...'
After all, who doesn't like being praised by a beautiful girl?
I'm no exception.
To being praised, I mean.
The reception wasn't particularly extravagant—not because the Church of Light was poor, on the contrary, they were immensely wealthy.
The floors were marble, adorned with statues of gods and works of art whose value even a layperson could discern.
It was just that my arrival had been so sudden.
They also mentioned there would be a banquet later tonight.
What piqued Arov's curiosity, though, was the native Hero of this world.
They had mentioned that he was of the same age as the Saintess.
"We're here!"
Elaria's voice pulled Arov out of his thoughts as he found himself staring at a large gate behind her.
"This is the Library of the Church of Light. Here, you can study the society, culture, and magic of various civilizations. Ah, but when it comes to magic, it might not be comprehensive. As for theology, however, we pride ourselves on being the best in the world!"
The Templar Knights guarding the library immediately knelt as Elaria approached.
When Arov thought the knights would open the grand gates to the library, he was slightly disappointed.
It turned out there was a human-sized door below it. What was the point of having such massive gates, then?
"You're probably wondering what the purpose of the large gates is, aren't you?"
Elaria smiled knowingly, glancing at Arov.
"Yes, isn't it pointless to have such a huge entrance for a library?"
"Hehe, haven't you noticed anything yet? Look around you!"
What is she talking about?
The vast, towering buildings, the countless statues that must have taken numerous artisans to create, and the gold embellishments scattered everywhere.
Arov scanned his surroundings, only to find himself even more puzzled.
"Come on, follow me," Elaria said, taking Arov's wrist and leading him into the library.
"Sanctuary was not originally built by humans. Long ago, it was a sacred place where the gods themselves resided in this world."
Elaria's voice echoed as she walked among the massive, ancient-looking shelves.
"At that time, before the Creator God established the divine realms where the gods now reside, the gods created Sanctuary as their dwelling place."
The scent of old books and Elaria's faint fragrance lingered in the air, tickling Arov's senses.
He moved his fingers, picking out a book from the history section.
The book floated toward him, seemingly on its own. Arov couldn't help but wonder if this was some form of telekinesis.
Elaria took the book and handed it to him.
"Read this. You'll need it," she said.
Arov glanced at the cover.
"History of the World? Does this book cover everything from the dawn of creation to the present day?"
"...What kind of strange question is that?"
"..."
Damn it, why did I say something so stupid?
Of course, they wouldn't have such a book.
How could humans record events that happened before they even existed?
[Ahahaha! That was hilarious! So funny!]
[Child of Fortune: I know your brain circuits naturally work in reverse, but I didn't expect your sense of humor to be so... uniquely bad. Don't worry, though—I'll laugh with you so you're not embarrassed alone. Ahahaha... (￣∇￣)]
Shut up, you bastard.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it. If you need rest, you can ask the priest over there. He'll guide you to the room we've prepared for you."
Before Arov could reply, Elaria vanished.
Arov turned toward a nearby shelf labeled Magic.
He saw various books on the subject—ranging from theories and applications to improvisation and techniques.
But there seemed to be no books on the darker arts: curse magic, blood magic, black magic, and the like.
Just as he reached for one of the books, his enhanced senses detected a faint vibration.
Bzzt—
Among the long rows of shelves, there wasn't a single person besides him.
It seemed the entire library had been cleared for his use, leaving it as his private playground for the day.
Arov activated the sub-ability of Sight Beyond Space-Time: Prediction.
The world seemed to slow down in his eyes.
He walked toward the source of the vibrations.
Thrum—
The source was a book.
The closer he got, the more it seemed to pulse with a rhythmic vibration.
Using Prediction, Arov could see the book trembling as if something inside it was trying to break free.
Thanks to his heightened senses—bolstered by more than 10,000 status points, he could feel it clearly.
Arov picked up the book and opened it.
Its appearance wasn't particularly old, but compared to the countless other books in the library, it seemed relatively new.
"Mystic Arts—How to Become a Heavenly Demon."
"!?"
"Hahaha! I've hit the jackpot!"
I love you, Fortune!
Arov wanted to jump and shout, but for the sake of decorum and morality, he held back his excitement.
He opened the book.
[Introduction:
Hi, this is the Heavenly Demon. I'm the ruler of the Demonic Cult, blah blah blah (I'm too lazy to write it all).
I'm famous, so who doesn't know me? And who cares about pleasantries anyway?]
As expected of the Heavenly Demon! He truly hated formalities.
Arov flipped to the next page.
[First Tutorial:
1. Sit down and take a deep breath.]
Arov immediately searched for a meditation spot in the library.
He sat down and followed the instructions step by step.
[2. Sit upright and relaxed, but keep your body taut.
3. Listen to your heartbeat and focus on it.
4. Use your heartbeat as the interval for your breathing.
5. Sense the spiritual energy, qi, mana, or life force around you.
6. Use your heart as the center to transfer energy throughout your body.
7. Direct all energy toward your lower abdomen.
8. Form a dantian.
9. Channel it to your meridians.
10. Open all your meridians.
11. Use the energy gathered in the dantian to revitalize and strengthen your entire body by circulating it clockwise.
12. Congratulations—you're now a Martial Artist.
Applause~]
"Why does this instruction book feel so unreliable...?"
Arov steeled his resolve and followed the guide.
The mana around him caressed his body gently, like a soft breeze, as he inhaled it into his being.
Arov's heart, now filled with mana, felt as if it had soared to the seventh heaven.
Arov formed his dantian and then directed the mana toward all of his meridians.
He sensed that an energy had seemingly been transformed from his mana—it was Yang energy, while a cold and oppressive Yin energy began to emerge in his meridians.
Something strange began to happen. The two energies started to stir within his dantian.
"Kuhh…"
Arov's expression tightened. He hadn't expected the result of this transformation to be so painful.
The Yang and Yin energies began to form a duality, blending together into a singular unity.
Arov understood something.
This was a variable created by his own power.
The Yang energy symbolized Arov's pure and loving heart.
The Yin energy symbolized the transformation brought about by the Demon King.
Positive and negative energies merged, reinforcing each other's strength.
This made Arov shiver slightly.
[Child of Fortune: Arov! I have bad news and good news! Which one would you like to hear first?]
"…?"
"Then, I'll hear the bad news first."
[Child of Fortune: If you proceed with the completion of your meridians, you will attract the attention of existences even I don't know. But one thing is certain—they know everything. The fact that you're still alive means they won't kill you.]
Arov's expression turned pale as if his very flesh had been shredded. He trembled as if he were about to die.
"But... there's no risk, right?"
[Child of Fortune: Completely safe.]
"Alright then, give me the good news."
[Child of Fortune: You'll awaken a new, super-powerful Trait!]
"!?"
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1710 Word.
This humble author asks for votes from dear and virtuous readers 🥺