Nick knelt in the church's underground Sanctuary, his eyes closed.
His back was ramrod straight, and he held a Holy Emblem in his hands as he prayed devoutly.
It was as if the place had fallen into another space and time. The walls and ceiling had turned translucent, revealing the Gray Fog churning outside.
Silver runes glowed across the walls of the Sanctuary.
Their faint light radiated outward, and wisps of green smoke rose from the Gray Fog wherever it touched.
Gradually, the strange phenomenon faded, and the room's walls returned to normal.
The priest opened his eyes and stood up. He walked over to the angel statue and looked at the much-depleted milky-white liquid in the copper basin at its feet. With a sigh, he murmured:
"The Full Moon Month's erosion is growing more severe. One day, the Spirit Plane will interfere directly with this world. What will we do then? Almighty Lord, have mercy on your people."
Kraun sat cross-legged, his hands forming the Great Sun Seal.
A faint smile played on his face, and warmth suffused his body.
After finishing his practice, he walked to the window, savoring the lingering warmth.
He hadn't been able to fall asleep again after waking from a nightmare the previous night, so he had decided to visualize the Golden Light Incantation instead.
Though it had taken him a long time to get into the right state in the dark, he had managed to visualize it successfully.
As he continued visualizing, the chill he'd felt after witnessing the evil visions had gradually dissipated.
This only strengthened his suspicion: the Crimson Moon held an evil power!
After a hearty meal, Kraun hurried to the church, eager to hear the priest's explanation.
When he reached the Training Ground in the church's backyard, he found Nick already waiting there.
Surprised, he hurried over to greet him.
"Good morning, Father! May the Lord of Flame shine upon us!"
Ever since Kraun had thoroughly beaten him in swordsmanship, he had rarely seen the priest during the day.
On the rare occasions they did meet, Nick had only come to assign him training tasks.
"May the Lord of Flame shine upon us," Nick replied with a smile.
He looked the young man up and down. "Good. You seem to be in fine spirits. Looks like you slept well last night."
"Not well at all." Kraun shook his head and recounted every detail of the strange sight he'd seen beneath the moonlight.
As Nick listened, his expression grew more and more serious.
When Kraun had finished, the priest muttered, "Ordinary people who haven't entered the world of Transcendence simply can't perceive such things."
Only those who had entered the world of Transcendence could perceive such things?
A trace of hesitation crossed his face. He wasn't sure whether he should tell the priest that he had become a Spirit Controller.
Geralt had once said that Spirit Controllers risked losing control. If he told the priest, he feared his path to becoming a Transcendent Knight would end there. The church probably wouldn't let someone at risk of losing control join its ranks.
"Some of the artistic types in the city occasionally dream of scenes like that. Have you ever noticed this ability before?"
He shook his head, secretly relieved. The priest's assumptions spared him from having to explain the complicated situation.
"Perhaps the Evil Spirit's influence has affected you somehow, making your spiritual perception more acute. From now on, stay in the church on Full Moon Night."
Nick gave the order. He didn't want anything happening to his handpicked right-hand man.
"From now on, in addition to your daily physical and strength training, I'll teach you the basics about Monsters. I've already submitted an application to the church for you to become a Crusader Order warrior. If it's approved, you'll officially be part of the church and receive all the benefits you're entitled to."
"Thank you for your guidance, Father," Kraun said with a smile.
Joining a powerful organization was a great opportunity. He'd be wise to hold on to that support.
Still, he had some concerns. "Father, you once said that the church assigns several Crusader Order warriors to assist every Exorcist Priest. But you've never been assigned any. Might the church make things difficult for your application?"
Nick waved a hand with a smile. "There's no need to worry. The church hasn't assigned me anyone because they're short-staffed, not because there are no positions available. I discovered and trained you myself. Once the church approves you, they'll only have to pay you a fixed salary and provide supplies each month. They won't make trouble—in fact, they'll be glad. Then I won't be pestering them every day for assistants."
After finishing his training for the day, Kraun hurried to the Goat Inn.
When he found Geralt, the man was sitting in a corner, eating with little enthusiasm.
Kraun went over and got straight to the point. "Hey, Mr. Witcher, I have a job you might be interested in."
"We'll take any job," Alan called from beside them. "Nobody turns down Gold Shields. But, big brother, we may be friends, but business is business. The bounty has to be what we say it is. We'll assess the price based on how dangerous the job is."
The boy spoke quickly, without pausing for breath. He must have said this countless times.
Kraun quickly cut off his rambling. "My job isn't dangerous. I want to hire Mr. Geralt to spar with me and help me practice swordsmanship."
The white-haired man looked over at him through narrowed eyes. "You want to learn my swordsmanship? Don't bother. The Witchers' swordsmanship—"
"You've got me wrong, sir. I'm not interested in learning the Witchers' techniques. I just want to hire you as a sparring partner. My swordsmanship has improved very quickly. Well, Father Nick can't put much pressure on me anymore."
"Improved very quickly?"
The Witcher gave him a knowing smile.
He knew a little about Kraun's situation. The young man had only been learning swordsmanship for a little over ten days, so he doubted he was any good.
"You have to train to stay battle-ready anyway. With me, you can earn Gold Shields on top of that. What's not to like?"
"Teacher, let's take the job," Alan shouted excitedly from the side. They didn't have many Gold Shields left, and winter would be tough. He was delighted that someone had offered them money.
"I accept. One Gold Shield per hour, and you can practice as long as you like each day."
Kraun took two Gold Shields from his pocket and set them on the table. "No problem. I want to start tonight. Let's do two hours to begin with, starting at eight, in my backyard."
"Won't the dark affect your vision?"
Geralt sounded doubtful.
The Witchers had undergone training and taken alchemical potions that altered their bodies, allowing them to adapt to the darkness. Kraun was only a Spirit Controller. Did his Spirit Familiar have a spell-like ability such as Dark Vision?
"Of course it won't. Why would I waste my own money?"
The Witcher nodded. "As you wish. But I'm going to get a good night's rest tonight, so Alan will spar with you. He's been learning swordsmanship for six years, which should be enough for you."
"See you tonight," Kraun said, then turned and left.
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