Advancement

High Priest Reed pushed open the door to the Study Room. Jasper and Abbott immediately sat properly in their chairs, hands clasped as they silently recited prayers.

High Priest Reed glanced at the two of them, a trace of helplessness showing in his eyes.

He walked over and sat across from Roy, rubbed at the corners of his slightly sore eyes, then said to Roy, who was practicing the divine pattern for Strength Blessing:

"Roy, how is your practice with this divine spell going?"

Roy sat up straight and answered somewhat sheepishly, "I haven't learned it yet. That divine pattern is a little difficult..."

High Priest Reed was not surprised that Roy had yet to master Strength Blessing. He merely said:

"Practice more. Once you become proficient, it will be fine. Back then, I spent nearly a week copying it before I could draw the entire divine pattern accurately. Even afterward, I kept making mistakes when reciting the prayer alongside it. Don't be too impatient when learning this kind of divine spell. Take it slowly."

Roy shook out his slightly aching wrist and asked High Priest Reed, "Teacher, have you ever been to the Grimm Empire?"

High Priest Reed laughed heartily and replied with some nostalgia, "Of course. That is my hometown. Castleton City is merely a small stop on my journey through life."

Roy actually wanted to ask what life in the Grimm Empire was like.

After all, the soul inside this body was human, and he naturally yearned somewhat for human life.

But before he could ask, he heard Priest Edison say from the corridor, "High Priest Reed, two Elf Rangers outside wish to see you."

High Priest Reed immediately replied, "All right, I'll be right there."

He stood from the round table, then paused after taking a few steps. Looking at Roy, who was diligently studying the divine pattern, he reminded him, "Only those with sufficiently strong Holy Light Power can learn more advanced divine spells. All divine spells are built upon prayer. Roy, you must memorize the prayers thoroughly. Only then can the Goddess sense your devotion, and only then will you gain more Holy Light Power."

"Understood, Teacher," Roy said.

High Priest Reed pushed open the door of the Study Room and hurried away.

Once the wooden door shut again with a dull thud, Jasper and Abbott, who had been sitting with their hands clasped, opened their eyes and let out long breaths.

After High Priest Reed left, they both felt much more relaxed.

Seeing Roy begin to try reciting prayers, Jasper quietly complained to him, "Even if we pray all day now, we can't gather much Holy Light..."

Abbott, seated beside him, slumped at once and rested his pointed chin on the table. He said listlessly:

"Yeah. I feel like the Goddess has completely forgotten this Elf Continent. Or maybe she has too many followers and simply can't watch over them all. In any case, it's been at least two months since I last felt that sensation of being bathed in Holy Light after praying."

His blond hair was naturally a little curly. He lifted his eyelids to glance at Roy beside him and asked, "Roy, when you've prayed lately, have you ever felt it... you know... a beam of Holy Light shining down from above and covering your whole body? Like your entire body becomes translucent beneath the Holy Light, while countless rays of Holy Light cleanse the soul within you?"

Roy shook his head and asked in surprise, "You can feel something like that after reciting prayers?"

Jasper said, "Not often. It used to happen once or twice every month. Every time we were bathed in Holy Light, the Holy Light Power in our bodies would become incredibly abundant. If we happened to be on the verge of advancing then, that beam of Holy Light would break through the barrier and help us advance successfully..."

"Break through?"

Roy had not expected that after becoming a Novice Priest, learning divine spells was not enough. The most important thing was actually gathering Holy Light Power and making breakthroughs.

"Of course. Novice Priests like us have ten levels in total," Jasper said as though it were only natural.

"Every breakthrough brings a tremendous increase in the Holy Light Power within your body. The sensation is extremely clear. Once you reach level ten, if your Holy Light Power reaches that threshold, you can become a true Priest. Of course, the temple will also hold a simple ceremony."

Then Abbott added, "Before, as long as you diligently recited prayers, you could gather enough Holy Light Power. Advancing from a Novice Priest to a Priest was only a matter of time."

He paused before continuing, "Now it's more troublesome. We can no longer feel that sensation of being bathed in Holy Light when we pray."

Jasper said helplessly, "Yeah. I've been stuck at level eight for over two months, and right now, I can't see the slightest hope of advancing."

"Roy, ever since you first sensed Holy Light, you haven't been bathed in it even once, have you?"

Roy nodded.

"Then there's no need to test you. You're still a level-one Novice Priest."

Jasper patted Roy on the shoulder in consolation.

"But Roy has already learned Glimmer Illumination Spell!" Abbott did not entirely agree with Jasper's view.

Jasper, however, said with absolute certainty, "That only means he is very talented. It does not represent his level. That is why High Priest Reed told him to recite prayers more often."

Abbott casually flipped through the Holy Prayer in front of him and said weakly, "But what good will that do? I've already lost all confidence."

Jasper hooked an arm around his neck and reminded him, "As a devout Novice Priest of the Goddess of Freedom Temple, Abbott, you'll get whipped for saying something like that."

Abbott spread his hands and said shamelessly, "So... I never said it!"

It was obvious that Jasper and Abbott had a very good relationship.

With their explanations, Roy finally understood why High Priest Reed had earnestly reminded him. He probably felt that Roy was too engrossed in divine spells and not willing to settle down and pray devoutly, which was putting the cart before the horse.

Afterward, he set aside Strength Blessing and began trying to memorize those complex, lengthy prayers.

But after giving it a try, Roy discovered that Jasper had been right.

His prayers truly seemed useless. The Holy Light Particles around his body showed no intention whatsoever of gathering.

The Holy Light Seed within him continued using its invisible arm to scoop up the surrounding Holy Light Particles as it pleased. However, the Seed of Light now seemed to have sprouted a tender little leaf. Roy suddenly noticed that the ball of light was far more dazzling than it had been yesterday.

The light within that Holy Light Seed seemed to flow slowly, like rolling morning mist by the Danel River.

As the tentacle continuously drew Holy Light Particles into the Seed of Light, the brightness of the Seed of Light inside Roy began to surge. It even burst through Roy's body and shone outward.

An exceptionally warm radiance spread through his entire body, a warm current flowing through him like an empty water bottle.

Roy could clearly feel that the hidden injuries on his body, which had not fully healed, were slowly fading beneath the illumination of the Holy Light.

Amid the dazzling Holy Light, the Seed of Light extended another invisible tentacle. There were now two tentacles constantly waving, and whenever they touched the Holy Light Particles drifting around Roy's body, they drew them into the Seed of Light.

Before the light erupting from the Seed of Light within him had fully faded, Roy opened his eyes. Jasper immediately grabbed his arm and asked loudly:

"Roy, how did you do that?"

"See? What did I tell you? Roy really does have talent for becoming a Priest. It seems the Goddess hasn't completely forgotten this place. She's only forgotten the two of us..."

Before Abbott could finish, a hand covered his mouth.

"Don't talk nonsense. The Goddess is above..."

Jasper's expression changed slightly as he rebuked Abbott.

Abbott pushed away Jasper's large hand and said to Roy:

"Roy, congratulations on successfully advancing to... a level-two Novice Priest."

Roy sat in his chair, somewhat at a loss.

Seeing Roy's bewildered expression, Abbott knew he was a beginner who understood very little. He told him, "Speaking as someone who's been through it, in this situation, I suggest you take some time to adjust and feel the subtle changes in your body. This Holy Light will not only improve your constitution. More importantly, it strengthens your mental power, allowing you to enter the right state more quickly when praying. In short, your body has become stronger..."

Roy stood from his seat.

He extended his right hand, palm facing upward.

As he concentrated, a dazzling ball of light appeared in his palm. Although the Light Flame was only the size of an apple, it was far more brilliant than what Roy had gathered before.

"So this is what advancing feels like..."

Roy tried using the Holy Light Power in his palm to draw the divine pattern for Strength Blessing. Perhaps because the Holy Light was especially abundant, it went far more smoothly than before.

That was how the afternoon passed in the Study Room.

Roy's successful advancement completely rekindled Jasper and Abbott's confidence, and they began reciting prayers with utmost seriousness...

On his way home, Roy thought about going to Elf Academy tomorrow.

Elven Noble Steve had been beaten up, so he definitely would not let it go. He might even bring people to block Roy on the street tomorrow.

Roy was not stupid.

Of course, he knew that in Castleton, a Silver Moon Elf noble would not care much whether a Half-Elf with no background lived or died.

That was also why, after hearing about the grudge between Klayr and Steve, he had gone to great lengths to pull Klayr into it as well.

With Klayr there, at least they would not go too far.

Otherwise, given his status as a Half-Elf, he could easily be blocked in an alley and shot dead with an arrow like an elf thief. They might even secretly break his arms and legs.

Now, he had already tested the other side's limits.

Perhaps because Klayr had been present, those young elves had shown some restraint. At the very least, they had not struck viciously when ganging up on him.

After thinking it over, Roy decided that he should practice the disassembled movements he had learned in Elementary Martial Arts Training again that evening.

They might come in handy tomorrow...

"Roy, you seem to have gotten whiter..."

Katie Vinal, the brat from next door, sat astride her family's wall and mocked Roy on the street.

Roy bent down to pick up a pebble from the roadside, frightening the brat into quickly sliding down from the wall and hiding in the rose bushes beside it.