The Enigma of Destruction

"How many Deity Organs do you think Dullip Garobu has?" Iota asked next.

"I'm not sure," Menl shook his head in response, "Any full-fledged Spirit has one Deity Organ in them. But since Lord Dullip is pretty well known in the city, he must possess more than one."

"Okay, is there any way to find that out?" Iota wondered.

"Ray tracing is an option, but no Spirit will be sitting still while we use it on them." Menl said, continuing upon seeing that Iota didn't seem aware of what Ray tracing was, "I'll explain in order."

"So, these Deity Organs are the most important component. When a Spirit dies or sustains a grave injury that prevents them from being active anymore, the Deity extracts all their Deity Organs." Menl spoke.

"Wouldn't that kill them?" Iota frowned.

"Yes, but that's the price of Faith." Menl said, "And once extracted, these Deity Organs are implanted into people who then become Priests. But, it's not that simple."

He continued, "When Lord Merku Garobu took the seat as the Sickle Deity, the rest of his siblings were turned into Priests. This is the tradition followed to ensure all power is concentrated in the hands of the Garobu Family."

"So, all Priests are technically relatives to the current Garobu Family in power." Iota nodded.

"Yes, this is also followed because they are of the same blood. Hence, they are naturally attuned to the Garobu Faith." Menl said, "Moreover, those belonging to the Garobu Family but not Lord Merku Garobu's children are groomed to become Priests since birth. And hence, when the Deity Organ is implanted into them, they are able to naturally wield the associated power."

"Can more than one be implanted in someone?" Iota asked.

"It's possible, but there's no use with that." Menl shook his head, "Whether it's one or ten Deity Organs implanted in a Priest, their resultant power remains the exact same. So, instead of wasting those Deity Organs, they strictly follow a one organ per Priest policy."

"Will there be changes regarding the power a Priest wields depending on the Deity Organ implanted in them?" Iota asked next, "Can it also be implanted inside me?"

"There are differences, of course." Menl said, "But since I'm not part of the Garobu Faith, I don't know the differences. I haven't fought against any Garobu Priest to date, so I have no information regarding that. But I do know that they are all different. Also,"

He shook his head, "If a Deity Organ from the Garobu Faith is implanted in you, chances are you'll simply explode, since you're not compatible with this Faith."

He stared at Iota's hands, "When you injected the power of your mysterious item in me, its energy countered my Fear. I feel the same would be true for the Garobu Faith too. So, you won't become a Priest of that Faith. Moreover, there's a catch here."

"What's it?" Iota frowned, "Are you hinting at the different names used for Priests and Shamans?"

"Yes," Menl nodded and said, "The terms used are Merit, Laurel, and Accolade."

"A Merit Priest is the weakest of the trio and is implanted with the Deity Organ sourced from a Spirit. A Laurel Priest is implanted with an Apostle's Deity Organ." Menl said, "Even in the Garobu Faith, Laurel Priests number two or three. Currently, there's one Laurel Priest that's following the Apostle, Lord Keyn Garobu."

"I don't know about the rest."

"How strong is a Laurel Priest?" Iota wondered as he stared at Menl, "Can you defeat one?"

"Even ten of me cannot defeat a Laurel Priest." Menl sighed, "I'm only a Merit Shaman. My combat power is equivalent to a dozen normal humans. I'm on par with an average Merit Priest. A Laurel Priest or Shaman is on a whole other level compared to us."

"And an Accolade Priest is…?" Iota asked, failing to get a proper estimate of a Laurel Priest, not to mention an Accolade Priest. He wondered if there was a tier of strength above being an Apostle.

"There is," Menl stated in fear, "In all Faiths, there exists a trump card, one that is created and dispatched only in times of crisis. They pretty much represent their respective Deity or Devil and are in a class of their own."

"Since a Deity or Devil cannot leave their domain of influence, it's these entities that venture out to perform dangerous missions." Menl trembled, "They are called Saints. Honestly, chancing upon a Saint is a death sentence, for only to annihilate something would a Saint be created in the first place. After all, a Saint carries with them thirty percent of the Deity's strength."

"And," He sighed, sporting an expression of envy, "An Accolade Priest is someone implanted with a Deity Organ sourced from a Saint. They are the strongest of Priests and serve only the Deity."

"Judging by your expression, it seems there's a route to grow stronger as a Priest or Shaman?" Iota spoke after a moment of pause, surprising Menl.

"I'm surprised you caught onto that," Menl stated in praise as he continued to speak, "There's a method to grow stronger, but it's an exclusive secret. From what I heard, it's a resource-intensive process and is dedicated only to those favoured by the Deity or Devil. A Merit Shaman like me isn't knowledgeable regarding that."

He sighed and stated, "After all, a Devil usually treats us, Shaman, as disposable pawns. So, such methods of growth aren't divulged to grunts like us."

"A Laurel Shaman would definitely know it," He then said upon seeing Iota's disappointment. "Which is why, if you get a chance, becoming a Laurel Priest or Shaman is the best, instead of being confined to the Merit class like us."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Iota had a basic idea regarding Priests and Shamans. Honestly, even Menl didn't know much, since none of these parties ever interacted beyond conflict.

'There seems to be a lot of variables involved in this Priest and Shaman business. I shouldn't hastily make a decision.' Thinking as such, Iota smiled in praise, "Good work, your explanation was clear."

"Now," He stared at Menl as his eyes arched a little, "How did you track me?"

"Ray…Tracing, was it?"

Menl flinched under his stare and spoke in a hurry, explaining what Ray Tracing and Spirit Tracing were. He then took out a glass sphere and showed it to Iota, "This is a Nasp. When trained to a scent, it seeks it for the rest of its life. When the Sect received the hitlist, it was accompanied by a Nasp. We replicated its training to other Nasps, using which we managed to trace your whereabouts."

"So, this is the key?" Iota stared at the Nasp as his irises bulged faintly. His lips curled up, revealing a devilish smile, having discovered a method to exploit this crisis.