"Has the time come?"
Ivan's calm revelation, which seemed to contain endless meaning, made Gais tense up at once.
He adjusted his glasses. His lips parted slightly, but for a moment, he didn't know what to ask.
Revelations from his Lord flashed through his mind. Suddenly, as if he had caught a glimpse of light, his heart began to pound, and an irrepressible excitement surged within him.
"Great Lord of All Spirits, do you mean that you can grant me extraordinary abilities?"
Gais's voice trembled slightly, afraid that this was nothing but wishful thinking.
Ivan's voice remained unchanged:
"Only a meager ability from the offering."
"But even this meager power of Order is enough to help you cross the threshold into the extraordinary."
"The Order Aspect can discern falsehood and quell disorder."
Gais could hardly believe it. He had only just presented his offering, and his Lord's Gift had already arrived?
He tried to calm his excitement and asked in his heart, "Great Lord, is this ability the same as the Night Watchman's?"
"Indeed. It is one of two abilities: the [Hand of Arbitration] or the [Punishment Knight]."
"Of course, you may also offer materials of other Aspects to obtain the corresponding abilities."
"That depends on what you desire deep within your heart."
For the first time since arriving in this world, Ivan had said so much at once. He felt that the urge to communicate he had kept bottled up for so long had been greatly relieved.
That was right. The Spirituality Remnant Corpse he had separated out after devouring God Blood and expending faith energy carried fixed extraordinary abilities belonging to the Order Aspect.
The instant the red orb formed from the tentacle entered his spirit body, a stream of clear information appeared in Ivan's mind, like memories that had always been there:
The Order Aspect, guided by the blood of God.
It possessed two different extraordinary abilities: [Hand of Arbitration] and [Punishment Knight].
Different supplementary materials could be used to obtain different ability leanings.
[Hand of Arbitration]: It could make use of rules to a certain extent, strengthening them in ways that favored the user.
It could designate an area and attach certain feasible rules to it. Everything within the area would act in accordance with those rules.
At higher ranks of the Order Aspect, it could establish rules that did not exist or even alter fundamental rules.
[Punishment Knight]: It possessed strong combat skills, and the body's physical capabilities would improve with each rank.
It could identify targets deemed guilty according to occult principles, then use any means available to punish them physically and mentally.
If the target's guilt was defined by a Beyonder with the Hand of Arbitration, the punishment could be even more effective.
"An Aspect that's fixed, with a detailed description, too."
"Why was there no information at all about the Gift I received when I advanced by absorbing faith energy?"
Ivan couldn't help feeling that there was yet another mystery he couldn't make sense of.
Still, he now had a clearer understanding of his Gift.
Ivan could currently grant Gifts in two ways:
First, when he advanced by absorbing enough faith energy, the Spirituality Remnant Corpse he separated out would carry an unknown Aspect and ability, which could only be identified once he granted it to a believer.
Second, as he had just done, he could devour extraordinary materials of a known Aspect, extract their inherent Aspect using his ability to separate things out while expending some faith energy, and then grant it as a Gift.
"Hmm, is the second method like having extraordinary materials mixed into a Magic Potion inside my body?"
"Tsk, now I understand why you can't take extraordinary materials directly. That sensation was far too intense. You could lose control and go mad at any moment."
"Good thing I'm a Jellyfish who can reset myself..."
Ivan recalled the whisper he had heard just before losing control.
"Na...la..."
As soon as he thought of the syllables, a headache surged over him like a tide. He quickly cut off the memory and tried not to think about them.
"What is that? I can't even think about it?"
Ivan shook his head and quietly tucked the whisper away in a corner of his mind.
"Both of these Order Aspect abilities seem pretty powerful."
"If I could obtain either one, my combat strength would definitely increase greatly!"
"But without supplementary materials, I can't seem to choose which ability I get. Never mind. This God Blood was free, so either one would be a good deal!"
He looked at the orb of "Magic Potion" inside his spirit body and tried to drink it, hoping to awaken one of the abilities.
But no matter what he tried, the mass of energy could only bounce back and forth inside and outside his spirit body. It simply couldn't grant him extraordinary powers.
"No way. I can only devour it, not absorb it?"
"These extraordinary abilities that look so powerful can only be granted to other people?"
Ivan's teeth itched a little. He had discovered that his spirit body couldn't absorb extraordinary energy apart from faith energy.
"What kind of do-gooder ability is this? I spend faith energy to obtain extraordinary abilities, but I can't even use them myself."
Ivan looked at his body, which could only emit light and turn invisible, and gave a wry smile.
The only abilities he could gain himself were the Gifts he received whenever his faith energy exceeded its limit.
"Looks like I'll have to keep going down the path of being a charlatan..."
After hearing the series of revelations from his Lord, Gais gradually calmed down and fell into thought.
"The Hand of Arbitration should be the same ability the Night Watchman had yesterday."
"The Punishment Knight sounds like a combat-oriented Beyonder. It doesn't seem very suitable for me either."
He felt torn. He wanted to gain extraordinary abilities and become a Beyonder immediately, but he also wanted to choose an Aspect and obtain abilities that suited him.
"Great Lord of All Spirits, please forgive the hesitation of your most, most devout believer and most, most loyal servant, Gais."
Gais called out softly, with a hint of unease.
"I am willing to offer you more extraordinary materials as sacrifices. I beg you to grant me a Gift suited to me, so that your faithful Missionary can help you recruit more believers and extend your mercy to more people!"
Instinctively, he wanted to get the best value for his offering. He voiced his thoughts and waited for his Lord's reply.
But the air sank into a long silence, with only the street vendors' cries echoing through the alley.
Large beads of sweat dripped from Gais's forehead. His heart sank as he finally realized what he had done.
Oh no. That sounded less like a request to my Lord and more like haggling!
The sense of having overstepped his bounds now felt like a red-hot brand, making the back of his neck tingle.
"Heh. Of course."
"When you have suitable materials, or want an Aspect other than this one, you can pray again and silently recite my name."
Gais's eyes lit up. As expected of the most ancient and benevolent existence, the great Lord of All Spirits.
To Him, everything in the world was nothing more than a grain of dust in the river of time.
His voice fell silent in his heart once more.
"Praise you, great Lord of All Spirits!"
"Your most devout believer begs for your revelation. Please, all-knowing Lord, guide me in choosing the right Aspect and setting out on the extraordinary path that suits me best!"
Before you continue