230 Chapter 230. The Triune

After getting a 'phone call' from Helen asking where the hell he was, Michael laughed and returned to Kyovashad.

The couple enjoyed a long bath together, but the Necromancer's face turned strange upon seeing something in the left upper corner of the bathroom.

Activating his energy vision, he saw something akin to a line going through the wall and into the room behind it.

'If I'm not wrong, that should be Mina's bedroom, right?'

Right then, Helen smacked him on his back, drawing his attention. Seeing her smiling eyes hinting at something and then watching her climb on top of him, Michael was a bit shell-shocked.

As the tigress's hips kept grinding on top of him up and down, his attention kept returning to the corner where the strange magic array was set up. Whatever it was used for, it was certainly active.

'Damn! Is this how people in the Sanctuary deal with their... needs? Is this their version of porn!?'

Both weirded out and strangely turned on by becoming an 'actor,' this suddenly made Michael become more proactive, much to Helen's and the viewer's delight.

In the end, he fought with the tigress for over two hours, returning to her bedroom victorious. 

Though, when passing by Mina's door, a strange smile appeared on his face. He wasn't a blockhead and much less so ignorant.

Helen has been dropping hints about it in their past conversations, but he's been reluctant due to the mess he was involved in. 

Furthermore, from what the tigress said, Mina was also a virgin. 

Mentally lambasting the perverted virgin watching the couple make out in the bathroom, the night passed quickly.

[...so let me get this straight. This Pale Man you told me about is, in fact, Lorath's former apprentice and also a Horadrim. Not only did he summon Lilith into the Sanctuary, but now he has both the means and the will to bring over a Lesser Evil as well?](Helen)

"Pretty much."

[Have you informed Beatrice?](Aylin)

"Last night. She wasn't happy at all. Especially after the Orbei Monastery was massacred yesterday morning."

[What!? Orbei? Were the Zakarum in Dry Steppes wiped out?](Hella)

"I am afraid so. Unless there are other branches hidden somewhere else."

[This... Damn it! I was planning to visit them next month! I finally gathered sufficient rare materials to exchange for six hours in the Archive! Well, at least now I won't have to pay anymore. I can sneak in and read however long I want!](Hella)

"Well... I have even more bad news, then. The Archives were also burned to the ground in the process."

After teasing the almost depressive Hella for a while, Michael handed over the twenty or so books the Abbot managed to gather in the middle of the room, avoiding them being burnt to cinders.

He also gave, by mistake, the book about the Triune, drawing Aylin's attention.

[Are you interested in them?](Aylin)

"I have a Quest that might involve them. Plus, their history seems quite interesting. Luckily, the Forgesmith that handed me the Quest also gave me that book to get myself acquainted with the target I'm about to look for."

[A Forgemsmith? In Ked Bardu? I think I know her.](Aylin)

"Speaking of, is there a difference between a Forgesmith and a Blacksmith?"

[Yes. After all, there is a difference between smithing and forging.

Smithing is the general term for the process of shaping metal by heating it in a forge and then using tools such as hammers and anvils to form it into the desired shape. It encompasses a wide range of metalworking techniques, including forging, welding, and heat treating.

Forging specifically refers to the process of shaping metal by applying compressive forces, typically using a hammer or a die. It is a specific subset of the broader practice of smithing. Forging can be done by hand or with the use of tools, and it is used to create a wide variety of metal objects, from decorative items to farming components and even weapons.](Neyrelle)

Everyone paused and turned to look at the intelligent brat, who, with her superior knowledge, had literally wrecked Michael.

Coughing awkwardly after sensing everyone's gazes on her, Neyrelle burrowed her face in the food on the table, deciding to ignore the ignorant from now on.

[Ahem! Back to the previous matter. The Triune... I read about them before. Do you want me to give you a quick rundown?](Aylin)

"If you can, please! I might end up 'visiting' them today, and it would be good to know what I'm getting myself into beforehand."

[The Triune, also known as the Cult of the Three, Cult of the Triune, or Temple of the Triune, was a cult that existed during the Sin War. Although outwardly a benevolent religious body, it was formed by the Prime Evils to convert humanity to their side...](Aylin)

[Uhm... What's the Sin War?](Evelyn)

"..."

Michael, who was just about to ask that question, quickly looked away and let the blame fall on the little Druid.

Aylin looked at Evelyn, saw her large doe eyes filled with innocence, and calmly patted her head. She couldn't bring herself to rebuff this adorable child.

[The Sin War was a secret struggle fought between the Great Evils through the Triune and Inarius through the Cathedral of Light, the goal being the allegiance of humanity in the Eternal Conflict. It was a war that inexorably linked us to the war between angels and demons, even after the conflict's supposed end.

According to the Horadrim, Inarius was responsible for tying humankind to the Eternal Conflict. As an adviser of the Angiris Council, he fled the war and took like-minded people away from it, eventually creating the Sanctuary from the Worldstone. As for the rest, you've heard it before.

During the Sin War, the Triune was mostly composed of natives of Toraja - don't ask me where Toraja was because most records of it were lost in time.

The Triune's message to the populace was that through selfless worship and devotion, one could improve their lot in life. It likewise preached peaceful resolution to conflicts. Unlike the Cathedral of Light, it championed the individual rather than the whole. The number three was sacred to them —it is said that the number was represented in the cult's own architecture, mirroring its three deities, and even its Peace Warders always traveled in threes.

The Triune had temples in various major settlements, mainly in the eastern regions of Sanctuary. Each temple was subordinate to the main temple near Kehjan.](Aylin)

[I've never heard of either Kehjan or Toraja. Are they cities from a different continent by any chance?](Neyrelle)

[It's possible. The Horadrim consider it as the most likely possibility.](Aylin)

Sneakily opening his MAP and seeing that he hadn't explored even half of the continent they were on, Michael wondered if he would ever get the chance to travel the entire world.

[The Triune consisted of three smaller cults, each devoted to one of the Triune's three guiding spirits, which were, in truth, the alter egos of the three Prime Evils.

All three cults were led by a High Priest from the main temple. Other, lesser temples were generally led by a cleric, beneath which were lesser priests that administered each separate branch of the faith or a band of lesser priests.

The governing authority and leader of the Triune was the Grand Priest - the Primus. Peace Warders, cowled guards who wore the symbols of each order on their chests, guided newcomers to a cult of their choosing.

The demonic 'morlu' served as an elite fighting force, only deployed in special circumstances.](Aylin)

[Morlu? Why does that sound familiar?](Mia)

[I've heard of them in a book I read! The Morlu are reanimated, frenzied warriors fueled with an unholy bloodlust. They are mostly used as footsoldiers in wars.](Neyrelle)

[That's right. And they were also used in the Sin War. Returning to the Triune, the three guiding spirits worshiped by them were named after the Prime Evils themselves and were titled the exact opposite of the aspects.

Unsuspecting initiates were lured into the cults, fooled by the seemingly kind guiding spirits. Gradually, their hearts darkened as they were initiated into the true teachings of the Triune and the true spirits they served. The three guiding spirits were known as Dialon, Bala, and Mefis, and each had its associated order. Acolytes of the Triune traveled together, preaching "The Way of the Three." The acolytes could be identified by their style of robes.](Aylin)

Hearing the words 'The Way of the Three,' Michael immediately remembered the moment when Elias corrupted the foolish monk into summoning Lilith.

'What did he say back then? 'By three, they come. By three, thy way opens.' Meaning that the Triune might have something to do with Elias's summoning back then. Either their knowledge or maybe they were directly involved? I need to investigate this more.'

[As for the three spirits they worshiped, first was Dialon, Spirit of Determination. He was represented by a stubborn ram. Dialon was believed to bring purpose to humanity. Statues of Dialon were usually depicted wearing the Tablets of Order, which taught how to achieve blessedness. In truth, followers of Dialon served the Prime Evil, Diablo, the Lord of Terror.

Second was Bala, Spirit of Creation, was represented by a leaf. Bala preached the blessings of nature and the architectural triumphs of humanity. Statues of Bala were usually depicted wearing a hammer and a bag, which presumably contained the seeds of Life. In truth, followers of Bala served the Prime Evil, Baal, the Lord of Destruction.

Finally, Mefis, Spirit of Love, was represented by a red circle, the Kehjani symbol for the heart. In a sense, Mefis was the most crucial of all spirits, as the Primus taught that Creation and Determination could not thrive without Love. Statues of Mefis were depicted with empty, cupped hands as if they were cradling an infant. In truth, followers of Mefis served the Prime Evil, Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred.](Aylin)

Hearing the names, which were shortened versions or just rearranged letters of the originals, Michael shook his head.

He couldn't help but think of how much fun those three Prime Evils had when fooling humankind with such shitty names. The chaos they must've caused should be horrifying.

Aylin's knowledge about the Triune stopped there, but after flipping a couple of pages in the book, there was much more there, including something about Inarius, Lilith, and Lilith's brother.

Sighing at his lack of personal time, the Necromancer stood up and left for Ked Bardu. He didn't want to keep Lorath waiting for too long.

"So... what exactly do you want me to do now?"

[I need more time to examine the demon's body. Didn't you say you have lots of Side Quests to complete? Come back around 2 - 3 p.m., and hopefully, I'll have an answer by then.](Lorath)

Without a better option, the Necromancer shrugged and opened his MAP. Without hesitation, he set a marker for the area southwest of Ked Bardu.

There, on the coast nearing the ocean, he had three different Side Quests he could look into.

One was the ship wreckage in Kotun's Reach, where he would apparently find some powerful scroll containing words of power left behind by the Zakarum. 

'That one is priority number one. It would lead to major issues if it somehow falls into the wrong hands. So let's deal with it first.'

Southern of the ships' graveyard, but also on the coast, was the hideout of the Triune. The Forgemaster Gerti tasked him with retrieving the legendary hammer from them, so they were next on the list since it was the closest location on the MAP from the previous Quest.

'Since it's on the way, it is best to sort it out quickly. Who knows where the Main Questline will bring me next and when I'll have time to run around the continent afterward? As for the next location...'

The blue-marked area for the Malign Devotion Side Quest was equally important since it made Michael think that Larken was somehow linked to Elias.

With the Mason recruiting workers and this elite 'workforce' being drawn in, it would become a tragedy if they somehow died. 

'Losing them might become an issue in the long term for the Dry Steppes. So it's best if I can figure out the situation quickly and either save them or help them.'

With the plan made, the Necromancer started his hour-long trek through the plains of the Dry Steppes to his first location.

It was time to earn some experience points!