Asceticism

Legendary are as common as dogs, Lich roam everywhere.

Soren inexplicably recalled a phrase he often heard before, a self-deprecating remark, especially used by many before reaching the Legendary Domain. Many severely injured or dead individuals liked to use this phrase to mock themselves. While he hadn't yet seen Lich, Soren had encountered quite a few Quasi-Legendary or higher figures. As a mere third-tier professional, Soren felt immense pressure, but he couldn't very well approach a dragon and say, "Just lie still and let me stab you to death so I can level up quickly."

One month.

He rose from a lowly thief to a third-tier professional. Apart from those with extraordinary bloodlines and Godsbane, probably no one could have grown faster than him!

But he still felt it wasn't enough; his strength was far from sufficient to fight against certain beings.

The information extracted through torture was quite vague. Apart from the names of the Fallen in the town, everything else was unclear. No one had seen the Chosen's appearance. It was only after Soren questioned her about some details that Chosen always wore a black cloak, had noticeable upturned marks near her ears, and that the skin color of her hands was not that of ordinary Elf, thus confirming her race. She had arrived more than half a month ago, when Soren should still be in White Horse City.

The claim that she is the Avatar of the Goddess of Torment, as circulated by fallen believers, should not be used indiscriminately.

Otherwise, it would be blasphemy!

Those who can claim to be Avatar of Deity are basically Chosen have been granted power by the Deity. They play a pivotal role in the Church of the Deity, and the power inherent to their status Chosen is equivalent to a level 20 Divine Power priest. They can use their granted Divine Power to cast [Holy Word] or [Blasphemy], which are Divine Magic very close to level nine.

It can drive people to suicide, control their minds, and even gain a group of fanatical followers at once.

If there are any spiritual flaws, they can be corrected with Divine Power.

The town's Guard began to move out to arrest the fallen believers, the middle-aged woman giving the order with a grim expression. Immediately afterwards, someone summoned the Temple Knight of the Temple of Agriculture.

The temple's power consists of three parts: priests, believers, and Temple Guard.

Five Temple Guard, around the third rank, appeared. They wore heavy Full Plate Armor, bowed slightly in greeting, and then followed the Guard Force. These were beings that Soren couldn't even withstand a single blow from in the past, but now he was confident he could take on three of them. His growth rate was actually quite astonishing, but unfortunately, he had too little time. He had covered in a month what others took ten years to achieve, but many of the enemies he would face were thousands of years ahead of him.

The sky gradually darkened.

There were signs of unrest in the town, but Soren paid no attention to them. He rested in the inn, silently tempering his will.

He was about to complete a form of Ascetic practice!

As an outsider Adventurer, Soren saw no need to fight on the front lines against these Fallen. Following the Deity was no joke; one wrong move and he could be caught off guard and drown. There were few ways to gain Slaughter Experience in a short time. Creatures were already quite widespread, and indiscriminate killing would only invite Destruction and lead to complete disorientation. Ordinary creatures provided too little Slaughter Experience. Taking on a single wild tribe was too difficult, and assassinating them piecemeal was too time-consuming.

Based on the normal pace, Soren estimated that it would take him at least seven days to accumulate enough experience points to level up one class.

He wants to absorb Divinity!

Soren prepared to confront the will of the Demon Lord of Fear head-on and devour the Divinity that He had fragmented from His soul.

But this requires an extremely strong will.

The night passed quickly, and Soren slept very well, fully replenishing his energy. When he emerged the next day, he looked completely different. He had removed his Leather Armor and warm cotton coat, wearing only the thinnest linen clothing. His shoulder-length hair was loose, and his bare feet were bare as he walked directly on the cold, icy snow.

--Asceticism!

The best way to temper one's will.

Strong willpower is forged through trials and tribulations, and it is accumulated little by little over time. A person's willpower will not change simply because of a single decision.

It's the accumulation and sedimentation you make little by little as you persevere!

He stepped barefoot onto the ice and snow. The biting wind whipped at his clothes; the thin linen was utterly useless. Even with Soren's Constitution of 21 points, he couldn't withstand the chill that swept in from all directions. The other people in the town stared at him with strange looks, as if they were looking at a madman or an idiot, because even a naturally cold-resistant North would soon fall ill wearing such thin clothes outside.

Soren arrived at the Temple of Agriculture. His attire surprised the priest, who then bowed slightly.

She knew what Soren was trying to do, because some priests would do the same!

The only thing that surprised her was that she couldn't understand why the Rogue would use such an extreme method to temper their will; they didn't need to rely on willpower to solidify their faith like priests.

Most Rogue are of general faith, and their talk about Deity is mostly just lip service!

Soren received his due reward: a small amount of Gold Coin, about thirty, some Holy Water, and most importantly, two bottles of Potent Healing Potion.

Its value is over 500 Gold Daler, and its effect is equivalent to treating moderate to severe injuries.

The pastor is an expert in this area.

Soren continued his journey, dressed in thin linen clothes, his bare feet treading on the cold snow, advancing step by step without using any supernatural abilities or casting Spell on himself. He simply walked forward, the omnipresent chill seeping into his body, his arms, cheeks, and feet quickly turning slightly blue from the cold, and because he had no shoes to protect him, slight scratches began to appear on the soles of his feet.

The ground was rough, with pebbles, dead branches, and inconspicuous thorns, because it was surrounded by a coniferous forest.

Frostbite accumulates gradually.

Although the rate of increase was slow, the frostbite was still steadily progressing, and because of the injuries on his feet, Soren also developed minor bruises. These injuries were gradually reducing his Hit Points and slowly eroding his Hit Points.

Day 1.

Soren walked barefoot for 150 kilometers until he encountered a hungry polar bear, which died at his hands.

Night falls.

He hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day, only taking a sip now and slowly eating dry rations—no meat whatsoever, just the coarsest black Bread. His frostbite was already very noticeable, and he had lost over ten points of Hit Points. If it weren't for his Regeneration Racial Feat and over 20 points of Superhuman Constitution, he probably would have frozen to death by now. Even his Minor Cold Resistance Feat couldn't completely negate the frostbite in this environment.

Soren did not light a campfire. Instead, he sat cross-legged on a rock, holding his Scimitar in his hands, and then slowly closed his eyes.

This is the training method of Swordmaster.

He was meditating, but not in the way Wizard would train his mind; rather, he was tempering his will.

The howling wind never stopped.

Occasionally, snowflakes would fall on Soren, melting little by little before freezing back into ice due to the frigid temperature. Soren sat cross-legged on the rock, motionless, looking like an Ice Golem, with only his heart still beating slowly and steadily inside his chest.

The night slowly passed.

When Soren opened his eyes the next day, his body was covered in frost and bruised. When he sheathed his Scimitar, he even tore off a bit of flesh. His hand, which had touched the blade, was frozen Scimitar. A night of meditation had left him stiff all over, and the frostbite on his body had accumulated to over fifty points, almost a third of his Hit Points.

He slowly got up, drank some cold water, and then began to eat, moving his body slightly.

No reckless monsters came knocking today.

Soren's skin was slightly red from the exertion. He drank a Healing Potion and felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body. The Healing Potion's power couldn't quickly heal his injuries, so after a short rest, Soren continued his journey. He was still dressed in thin clothes, barefoot on the snow, inching forward along the path. Occasionally, he would encounter other people who looked at him with utter disbelief, as if they were looking at a madman!

The second day, the third day, the fourth day.

Time passed slowly, and Soren grew increasingly thin and weary. His frostbite had spread to the point that his skin was cracking, but the glint in his eyes grew ever stronger, like a sharp blade buried in the ice and snow. He slaughtered a pack of Snow Wolf, killed three Bugbear, and even briefly clashed with an Ice Troll.

Soren walked less and less each day because he was really tired.

He encountered some human villages along the way, but he did not stop at all, and simply walked past them quietly.

Day 5, Day 6, Day 7.

Soren's lips were completely cracked, and his body was covered in shocking frostbite, making him look nothing like his former handsome self. He walked with a slight limp, as he had drunk all the Healing Potion, and the accumulated frostbite had finally dragged him into Heavy Injury Condition. He had encountered a sizable pack of wolves, and because of the smell of blood from his Laceration, the alpha wolf bit him on the leg, a wound that has yet to heal.

The Land of Ice and Snow is always so cold.

Soren walked barefoot and in thin clothes for over a thousand miles through this icy world. When a city in the snow and ice appeared before him, he finally received the long-awaited Feat notification.

To travel a thousand miles barefoot.

Although Soren was extremely weak at this moment, it was also his strongest moment!

Life and death hang in the balance at this moment!!!

...(To be continued~^~)