Never Redeemed

After a long day of studying, Adam lay on his bed, staring at the now-familiar ceiling.

He couldn't deny that Anthony's words, though resembling motivational speeches from his past life, had a different impact. The effectiveness of such speeches depends heavily on who delivers them.

Anthony's charisma was unmatched. His personality made his words resonate deeply with everyone he encountered.

Adam knew he couldn't match that. His own charisma, though formidable, wasn't invincible. Some people could see right through him.

But Adam wasn't disheartened. Growth was a journey, and he was well aware of that. Anthony's words had, however, instilled a bit of confusion in him.

He couldn't ignore the fact that his time in Roye wasn't solely about scheming. He had developed genuine bonds with the Bok family—worried Aris and Maggie, clingy Lina—and others like Father Shaya who hoped for his redemption. Anthony not only shared his knowledge generously but also tried to bring more light into Adam's life.

Adam could assess situations logically, but he couldn't always make cold, calculated decisions.

"After all, I am not truly Adam," thought Nasir, brushing his hair back and touching the scar on his face.

These relationships were significant, but he wasn't going to let them dictate his life's path.

"Perhaps my emotions are naturally muted," Nasir mused as he sat up. He had greater ambitions and desires. Life in Roye was pleasant, but it wouldn't halt his progress.

"After all, for the Otherworldly, there is no redemption," Adam was well aware. Even the Tears of God church, which outwardly accepted Otherworldly beings, essentially tortured them with holy power and faith. In the end, only a few could rid themselves of their Otherworldly blood and supposedly return to the divine embrace.

Most Otherworldly beings in that church were coerced into accepting such pain, far from the idea of redemption.

Meanwhile, Prudoe stood on a tall building, watching the setting sun.

Growing up in the seminary annex, he only had some free time before dinner to watch the sunset, followed by unending darkness.

He had always wished to chase the sun, preventing it from setting.

He took out a piece of fruit candy from his pocket. The sweetness helped him regain his calm.

Perhaps because his body had reverted to youth, one of the three essences had stirred the others, making him more sentimental lately.

In his older body, his taste buds had dulled. Even the sweetest candy seemed just okay.

"Hmm?" Prudoe smiled, lightly tapping the railing.

"Click."

"Click."

"Click."

The gentle sounds echoed throughout the building as light streamed from the railings, transforming the structure into a massive prison.

Inside, some priests and soldiers were trapped by sound wave-like holy power, unable to move.

"You new generation of priests are too naive, unable to control your essence properly," Prudoe said with a smile.

Like other professions, priests had five stages: Vitality, Overflow, Refinement, Return, and Ascension. Priests could skip the Refinement stage due to their faith serving as their conduit, allowing them to draw holy power directly into their bodies, gradually using it to sustain all their needs.

Initially, priests still needed to eat, but as their faith strengthened, holy power could replace more of their life's sustenance, eventually negating the need for food.

Some priests chose asceticism to reach this point sooner, reducing necessary food intake and using suffering to force themselves to use holy power.

Though this method severely damaged their bodies, ascetic priests aimed to be closer to God.

Their spirits, transformed by faith, established a connection with the divine, making life force less significant, merely a temporary vessel in their brief lives.

Thus, they could endure pain and side effects, honing their bodies into the sharpest weapons. Even without entering a divine state, ascetic priests possessed formidable combat abilities.

Regular priests, however, didn't abandon their bodies. While they nurtured holy power, they didn't intend to forsake their physical forms, needing to manage the earthly realm better.

Since their faith tied their spirits to holy power, most priests' bodies were similar to ordinary people's, except when they entered the divine state.

Despite this, the Reformation of the Seminary had made this divide clearer, with most students being noble or wealthy, aiming for power rather than an early death.

In Prudoe's time, the distinction between priests and ascetic priests wasn't as pronounced. They might not have tortured themselves as ascetic priests did, but their training was still rigorous.

Therefore, Prudoe could naturally taunt his pursuers, calling them a "lost generation."

As a faithless priest, Prudoe's power was inevitably affected. He could no longer enter the divine state since his faith, his conduit, had collapsed.

But this didn't mean Prudoe lost his strength. On the contrary, his power had greatly increased.

Priests could have dual professions, with the most successful being paladins, as the knight profession was initially developed by the church. They could also be sorcerers, though usually, due to faith's influence on their mental strength, priests faced mental power limitations if they pursued sorcery.

Faith provided rapid growth and access to the divine state but also imposed limits.

With his faith shattered, Prudoe's mental strength rivaled that of seasoned sorcerers. Though he could no longer draw holy power directly from the divine, he could now use sorcerer-like methods to manipulate it.

No wonder many priests viewed sorcerers as thieves.

Sorcerers and priests were similar: one used mental power to draw all-natural forces, while the other used it through faith to access a divine being's power.

Prudoe, once a high priest like Shaya, had vast holy power but couldn't use it frequently.

Now, with no risk of divine assimilation and a rejuvenated body, he had no such limitations.

"Although I haven't created my own conduit, my power is far beyond the Refinement stage!" Prudoe laughed. He had long planned to rebel against the church, and though he hadn't specifically trained as a sorcerer, he was quite familiar with their methods.

Currently, aside from lacking a conduit, he was as powerful as a Returning stage sorcerer.

"Your response was quick, but you underestimated me!" Prudoe snapped his fingers. The surrounding holy power brightened, seeming ready to explode.

In the next moment, a wave of immense holy power flowed like water, neutralizing all holy power clashes within the building.

Shaya stood nearby, his elderly frame supported by a cane, his presence calming the turmoil.

He looked up at Prudoe, his gaze no longer needing words.