It's Not That High Heaven Is So Great; It's Mainly That the Competitors

It's Not That High Heaven Is So Great; It's Mainly That the Competitors Are All Idiots

Bastion was one of the Shadowlands' four covenants.

From its name alone, one could tell that the covenant's primary method of cultivation was "ascension."

The Kyrians who lived there followed the guidance of the "Firstborn," Kyrestia. They believed that pure ascension was the only path to attaining "perfection."

When a soul that had faithfully fulfilled its duties was sent to Bastion, it became a "candidate recruit." After undergoing a series of trials of mind and strength, once they were declared "purified," the recruits became true "chosen," assisting the Kyrian angels in carrying out various tasks.

Even through their long years of work, they had to continue cultivating themselves, further eliminating the "flaws" brought by mortal flesh. They listened to the soothing melodies of floating holy bells and washed away the dust of the mortal world in the sacred pool water scattered across Bastion.

It certainly sounded impressive.

After a candidate endured trial after trial, they would receive the call of the Paragons atop the radiant heights of Elysian Hold and be granted a true "duty." They would then become part of the sacred responsibility destiny had bestowed upon Bastion, serving as messengers who guided souls from the material world into the realm of the dead.

In other words, what mortals called "angels."

Only then could that battle-tested soul grow wings and become a true Kyrian. The process often lasted an absurdly long time, and the locals called it "the cultivation of eternity."

The generous reward gained through such arduous cultivation was well worth all the suffering endured along the way.

Every Kyrian was truly immortal. Time, life, and death had all lost their meaning to them.

They were the only beings in the Shadowlands