The Nun Who Couldn't Mend Fences

After noon.

Linsey pulled a simple wooden flatbed cart loaded with the Supplies he had purchased, walking along the road toward the church.

At this point, he still did not know that he had gained a new way to learn.

So even as he hurried along, he continued thinking about his future development.

The Experience Bar's effect was pleasing.

But that did not mean Linsey intended to keep using it in such a superficial, straightforward way.

He still needed to determine the requirements for the Experience Bar appearing on the Attribute Panel.

Its restrictions on use, and whether there were any hidden risks.

Understanding and using his abilities properly was what someone who had just entered this world ought to do.

Linsey walked along, thinking as he went.

After the heavy snow, the winter sunlight felt warm.

Within this Border Town, quite a few residents had come outside to move about, clearing snow from their doorsteps and rooftops. To make things easier, some rooftops even had chimneys releasing thin smoke from burning fires.

The people who had once founded this town came from worlds of every imaginable kind.

They each had different preferences for their homes.

Every house, every carefully trimmed tree and flower in its corners, revealed its owner's care.

But limited by the local materials, the buildings were still mostly made of wood. Brick-and-timber structures like the church were extremely rare. The road beneath Linsey's feet, however, had at least been treated with crushed stone.

As he continued down the road.

Despite its age, the town's buildings were all well maintained—neat, clean, orderly, and giving off a simple, comfortable feeling.

Click-clack—

Before long, Linsey was pulling the cart within sight of the church at the edge of town.

The wooden cart used for hauling cargo was simply built, consisting of nothing more than a flat Wooden Plank mounted on four wheels. Linsey pulled it along the road by a rope.

It was something a middle-aged Carpenter in town had lent him while he was buying things.

The Border Town was isolated from the outside world, and the townspeople supported and trusted one another more than those in ordinary towns.

Especially after Linsey explained that he had come from the church and was Red Moon's godson.

The people here had become even warmer toward him.

When the Carpenter lent him the little cart, he had not even mentioned when it should be returned. He had merely asked Linsey to pass along his regards to Nun Red Moon.

That respect and trust.

Were enough for Linsey to understand the Godmother's reputation in town.

"It should have gone up by now, right?"

At that moment, Linsey checked his Attribute Panel.

After spending the entire afternoon rushing around, then pulling the cart along the road, he had not undergone any particularly professional training. But the experience for his stamina, which had already been close to full, was finally completed at this moment.

Constitution: 3 → Constitution: 4

The experience was cleared, and his stamina increased.

But the physical sensation was not particularly obvious.

With the church right in front of him, Linsey simply picked up his pace and began jogging. The cart behind him rattled loudly as he dragged it along.

The stamina value on the panel immediately began to drain faster.

Through the visible changes in his stamina value, Linsey confirmed that his stamina was slightly stronger than before, and its recovery speed had improved somewhat as well.

"Getting rewards through action feels really good."

Linsey remarked as he returned to the church with the Supplies.

Yet when he entered the chapel, he did not find the Nun's aged figure.

"Nun?"

Linsey called softly, but no one answered.

Remembering what Red Moon had said before he left, he went around to the graveyard behind the church.

Sure enough, that elderly figure was there.

Linsey walked over and found Red Moon crouching at the edge of the graveyard, with repeated banging sounds coming from beside her.

Red Moon was repairing the graveyard fence.

She held a wooden mallet, with three Wooden Planks placed in front of her. A bag still hung from the intact section of fence nearby, filled with Nails for repairs.

The wooden mallet drove the Nails in one strike after another, fastening the Wooden Planks to the fence.

But...

It did not seem very sturdy? Linsey immediately stepped forward. "Nun, leave this to me."

Red Moon did not refuse. Linsey took the barely used wooden mallet, pulled out a Nail from the bag hanging on the fence, and got to work.

Linsey certainly had never done this sort of work before.

But young people had strength on their side. Even if he had to use more force, he could still hammer it in securely and reliably!

While repairing the fence, Linsey did not stop talking either.

He asked Red Moon for more information about Life Source Material.

"Nun, I can vaguely sense the existence of Essence."

"But when my techniques take effect, it does not seem to suffer any noticeable depletion?"

Red Moon gathered up the pieces of broken fence from before as she explained.

"That is because you have not yet developed any abilities with relatively high consumption."

"For example, the Law Knight you know. The Essence consumed when he invokes his word of law is certainly not low."

Linsey carefully swung the wooden mallet as he continued asking, "Then what is the difference between the Life Source Material and Willpower Source Material I possess?"

Red Moon answered.

"They are combinations of Essence and different parts of a person."

"Take your Life Source Material as an example. Once it has been cultivated to a certain degree, you will find that your Constitution improves, your wounds heal faster, and you age more slowly than others."

"But you must also remember that Life Source Material is a combination of Essence and Life Force."

"Once you squander it completely, you will immediately fall into an extremely weakened state, at the mercy of others."

The advantages and disadvantages were both quite obvious.

Linsey was speechless for a moment before continuing to ask:

"Do other types of Essence have similar conditions?"

Red Moon shook her head.

"This is the price of using life as the foundation of Essence. Other types are different."

"The most common type of Essence among Awakened is the type that simply absorbs and uses Essence."

"Compared with your Life Source Material, this Basic Essence recovers more slowly and has a considerably smaller total amount. But it is easy to use, and even if it is completely depleted, the Awakened merely cannot use techniques. They will not become so weak that they cannot move."

Linsey nodded in understanding, then asked, "What about the Willpower Source Material I possess?"

Red Moon fell silent for a rare moment before speaking. "This is an even rarer type. A Righteous Walker must begin with it, and it is related to a person's heart. According to the records in the books, even during its initial cultivation stage, it requires experiencing immense pain or joy."

"The reason you possess this Source Material as well may also be because of what happened before."

"..."

At the mention of that past experience, the flames of Anville Village ignited in his heart.

Linsey fell silent.

The two repaired the graveyard fence amid the hammer's strikes, then returned to the church together and carried the Supplies Linsey had bought that afternoon into the backyard.

During this, Linsey passed along the Carpenter's greetings.

Red Moon merely nodded slightly to show that she understood.

As evening approached.

Red Moon used the broken fence pieces she had gathered as firewood and prepared dinner for the day.

Bread, vegetable soup, and strips of dried meat.

They ate in the kitchen. The final meat dish was placed only in front of Linsey, while Red Moon had only the first two.

Smack! Linsey snapped a strip of dried meat in half.

But before he could offer it to her, Red Moon raised her hand and refused in a gentle yet firm tone. "I have enough with these."

"You are still growing, and you need to cultivate Life Source Material. There is no need to defer to me."

Linsey still wanted to share the meat, but Red Moon remained firm.

Those dark eyes rested on him, and all her feelings settled in his heart. Linsey truly could not resist her kindness, and in the end, he could only comply.

A few minutes passed. The two finished eating, and the sky gradually darkened.

"Nun, what should I do now?"

With the idea of cultivating Essence in mind, Linsey sought Red Moon's advice.

But the Nun before him gave an answer Linsey had never expected.

"Now, you may go play in town."

"Though this place is isolated from the outside world, there are still children around your age here. You can get along well with them."

"But remember not to play too much. You must return within an hour after dark."

Linsey was at a loss for words.

He had thought he would have more training or study to do, yet Red Moon had actually told him to go play in town.

Faced with Linsey's astonishment, Red Moon merely said lightly, "Work, recreation, study, meals, rest."

"None can be absent from a person's growth."

"So go, Linsey. Let your heart relax."