St. George University was founded in Federation Calendar year 187 and was located in the picturesque outskirts of Nia City. It belonged to the Church of the Goddess of Light and mainly provided funding for students from poor families who had excelled in high school and felt favorably toward the Goddess of Light.
The campus was vast. The men's dormitory rooms housed two students and had two single beds, a washroom, and a small communal sitting room.
As soon as Sulu returned, he locked the door behind him, lay down on his bed, and closed his eyes.
The same time he activated the Attribute Panel today, he also unlocked the hidden memories of the original Sulu Portley. This made him realize with a start that the original owner had quite a story.
The passive abilities listed on the Attribute Panel—[Ancient Hebraic] and [Witch Hunting Knowledge]—were no joke!
It seemed the original owner had suffered some kind of trauma and had deliberately forgotten those memories.
And during the time since he had transmigrated, he hadn't looked too deeply into the original owner's memories.
It wasn't until today, when he had fully assimilated into this world, that he realized the original owner had an extraordinary background. He might even have come from a family of Transcendents!
Thinking again of the words in the letter from his brother, such as "Dawn of Gods" and "Tide of Transcendence," Sulu felt it was high time he sorted through the original owner's memories.
Perhaps because of the shock of receiving the letter today, a large number of long-buried memories had resurfaced, giving Sulu a deeper understanding of this world.
"Textbooks say our world has five continents and seven oceans, but that's not the whole story... This world is boundless. What humanity has explored so far may not even amount to a tenth of it..."
"The Portley Family is a family of Transcendents, a line of Witch Hunters serving the Church of the Goddess of Light..."
"Transcendent powers seem to have always existed in this world, though they go through peaks and troughs. During the low periods, many Transcendent creatures disappear from sight and the gods fall into slumber. This is known as the Twilight of the Gods... Its counterpart is the Dawn of Gods, when Transcendent powers revive! This cycle has repeated itself many times throughout history!"
The Twilight of the Gods didn't mean Transcendent powers had vanished entirely, only that they had reached a low ebb.
So even during the Twilight of the Gods, Transcendents still existed. The churches of the Seven Gods were proof enough.
"The last Twilight of the Gods began over three hundred years ago. The seven Old Gods' churches lost much of their control over the secular world, and the White Eagle Federation seized the opportunity to rise."
"Sulu received a proper Witch Hunter education from a young age. It seemed his father had wanted to train him to become a professional Witch Hunter. But because of the Twilight of the Gods, cases involving the supernatural, horror, and Transcendent phenomena had plummeted. In reality, many Witch Hunters had lost their jobs. Besides, becoming a true Transcendent required a special ritual. It required Transcendent power and could only be performed under the right conditions... Sulu's father had tried once and failed. Worse, his attempt had cost Sulu's mother her life and driven a wedge between father and son. Sulu left his hometown, a village in Gusta State, and came to Nia City—a journey from east to west that crossed almost the entire White Eagle Federation!"
"And then I transmigrated into his body..."
Sulu's eyes flew open. "How could I have overlooked such important memories before... Was it the original owner's lingering obsession?"
In fact, the Transcendent knowledge was just what the original owner had learned as a child. It was basically useless. As a Witch Hunter, what could you do when all the monsters and spirits had disappeared?
When Sulu was young, he'd only undergone some basic training. He'd never seen any of the legendary monsters—not a single one. Even he didn't believe in them.
Besides, this part accounted for less than one percent of his vast memories. It also seemed connected to the original owner's lingering obsession, so Sulu had completely ignored it.
After all, he'd always avoided thinking about the original owner's family. Once he'd pieced together a rough picture of them, he hadn't wanted to look any deeper.
It wasn't until today, after the shock he'd received, that everything came surging out at once.
"Perhaps the true original owner had one last lingering obsession, tied to these memories of the supernatural. But today, I finally broke it completely... From this day onward, I'm the real Sulu Portley!"
Sulu let out a long breath, his thoughts racing.
"From today's letter, it seems Rhode, my eldest brother, has gotten caught up in some major incident. He seems to be asking me for help. Does it have something to do with that page?"
As for what he planned to do? Going back was out of the question. Even knowing that the Transcendent world existed, Sulu still wanted to stick to his original plan: make a name for himself in the mundane world first.
As for Transcendent powers? Naturally, he'd have to study them in secret.
Sulu knew his own situation. The White Eagle Federation was a world power, and its standing army, artillery, and firearms were not to be underestimated.
Even a Transcendent might not be able to catch a bullet with his bare hands.
Besides, how could a nation of this size not research the supernatural?
The most obvious proof was the Seven Gods' churches!
Sulu had already found it strange that faith seemed to exert such a strong influence in the White Eagle Federation. Now he finally understood: the churches had actual gods behind them. And even that influence had been weakened countless times by the three hundred years of the Twilight of the Gods!
So even with a cheat like this, he still had to keep a low profile for now.
"Though I can't keep it up for long. The Portley Family has served the Goddess of Light for generations as a family of Witch Hunters. During the First Holy War, they came to settle in the White Eagle Federation alongside some members of the Church of the Goddess of Light. It's all basically on record. Anyone could look it up..."
Sulu's expression darkened. "If Transcendent powers really are reviving... No, if the Dawn of Gods is coming, the authorities will surely react quickly. That'll be a real headache. Should I secretly work on getting stronger right away?"
He searched the Attribute Panel again and again, but couldn't find anything like [Witch Hunter Bloodline]. He couldn't help feeling disappointed. "Does that mean I don't have the talent or aptitude?"
Sulu summarized what the original owner had mainly studied as a child: Ancient Hebraic and Witch Hunting Knowledge.
Ancient Hebraic was the archaic version of the Common Hebraic spoken today. It was difficult and obscure. Witch Hunting Knowledge covered some common monsters and how to deal with them. Back then, the original owner had listened to it all as if it were a collection of horror stories.
As for how to perform a ritual, advance in rank, and become a true Transcendent, he was completely in the dark.
Even the original owner's father was only an amateur Witch Hunter. The one time he'd tried to force his way to the next rank, it had ended in utter failure.
"Transcendents..."
Sulu rubbed his chin. "The original owner's family now consists of his father, Tonks, and his brother, Rhode. It seems Rhode has made quite a bit of progress on the path to Transcendence over the past four years... Is he coming to find me?"
A sudden mixture of anticipation and fear welled up inside him, leaving Sulu with a complicated expression.
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