Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Heinrich (2)
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Holy power was fundamentally different in nature from other forces based on mana, the energy of the great natural world.
Warriors absorbed mana and refined it into aura within their bodies, while black wizards polluted it through profane rituals to create black magic power.
A vampire's blood magic power was also produced by transforming the mana and life force contained in blood into vampire factors through the act of bloodsucking.
But holy power was a force bestowed purely by the divine.
Because its origin was different, once one accepted holy power, they could never wield any other form of magic power again.
That was why the baptism process was so rigorous, requiring complex conditions.
It was a process of swearing absolute loyalty to the Main God alone and creating a conduit to receive divine power.
And what determined whether that conduit would be a thin straw or a thick oil pipeline was...
'Faith in the divine.'
Heinrich continued his prayers, feeling the holy power overflowing from his body.
This was the reason I had chosen holy power for Heinrich's path.
Until now, Mind Hub had only been used to suppress emotions and stimuli, but I realized it could be used in reverse as well.
After testing various methods from that point on, I was confident enough to throw myself into the Church of the Main God.
Through Mind Hub and Clear Mirror Still Water, I emptied Heinrich's mind, turning it into a blank slate.
Then, I injected a single emotion—'faith'—via Persona and amplified it with Mind Hub.
'In other words, the current Heinrich is the very incarnation of fanaticism.'
I halted all other avatars and poured their resources into Heinrich.
My main body, Hans, Heinz 2nd, and even the new avatar I had only recently been able to resummon.
Using the baptism ritual made it easy to focus that faith toward the Main God.
And by pouring all my mental power into it, I firmly established the conduit to the divine.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Unique Skill has grown and awakened its potential. Avatar's potential has increased, and the mental power of each individual can now be shared more efficiently. The growth of the Avatar skill during that process was an unexpected bonus.
Thanks to it, I could concentrate on the task even more smoothly.
"My goodness, holy power of this magnitude on your first baptism."
"Who is he? A paladin candidate? I'd believe it if you said he'd spent decades as a monk in ascetic training."
"Uh... that guy's only been here a few months, saying he wanted to become a Holy Knight..."
The surrounding priests and those waiting for their baptisms began to murmur.
The high priest overseeing his baptism was visibly flustered but continued the ritual without stopping.
'Almost there.'
I drew in holy power with all my might and filled the body with it.
If faith determined the thickness of the conduit, then mental power was what drew the holy power through it.
Neither could be lacking on its own.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Individual has met the conditions and awakened its potential. Acquired Special Skill Holy Baptism. 'So this is the limit for now...'
In theory, holy power had no limits since it came directly from the divine.
As long as there was sufficient mental power, it could be drawn and used endlessly.
However, even if the divine granted the power, it was a lowly mortal who wielded it, so overexertion inevitably burdened the body and mind.
Using power beyond one's capacity excessively could lead to illness, or even death in severe cases.
'Faith and mental power are sufficient, but the body isn't ready to accept more holy power yet.'
No matter how many tricks I pulled, it was still a new power, and there was nothing to be done about that.
To accept stronger holy power, the body needed time to adapt to this new force.
I gradually reined in the holy power and restored my mind.
The faith conduit naturally narrowed as well, but I could expand it anytime I wished.
'Like a rubber band stretched once, it'll be easier to use next time.'
"Your name is Heinrich, was it?"
As I stood with the help of the surrounding priests, the high priest who had conducted the ritual approached and spoke to me.
"Yes, that's correct."
"Hmm, this is my first time seeing something like this, so I'm a bit flustered. Still, your faith is truly devout—excellent. You'll make a fine priest. Keep at it."
He smiled warmly, patted my shoulder with words of blessing.
I was aiming to be a Holy Knight, not a priest, but there was no need to point that out.
I bowed my head in gratitude and moved to another spot.
The chapel's rituals continued, but I could feel occasional glances thrown my way.
Ignoring them as best I could, I sat in the designated rest area, closed my eyes, and began meditating.
All these tricks were possible only because Outerica's Main God was not a personal deity.
Heinz 2nd had first learned about the Church of the Main God, and Heinrich had realized it while studying theology after joining...
I confirmed it through this baptism ritual.
'It's not like the gods of Greek and Roman mythology with their petty emotions. At this level, it's closer to a vast concept or a single system.'
Something that existed in the world as naturally as a law of nature.
That was Outerica's Main God.
'No, it does seem to have a will of sorts... but that's not something I can judge by human standards.'
When Heinrich connected to the Main God through baptism, I could sense a fragment of that transcendent existence.
Perhaps because I received the baptism through abnormal means, it was a phenomenon I hadn't heard about in pre-ritual training.
If I had to express in human emotions what I vaguely felt then...
Yes, it was 'interest'.
'Good thing it didn't deem it blasphemous...'
It might just be a trivial matter not worth divine intervention, but it didn't matter anymore.
My attempt had already succeeded.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A few days after the ritual ended.
The newly baptized rookie paladins and apprentice priests were receiving training in their own ways.
Building faith through prayer and doctrinal study was the foundation; priests focused on mental cultivation to strengthen their minds...
"One more!"
"Urgh!"
"More! More more more!"
"Argh!"
Dying groans echoed throughout the training grounds.
It was the wails of the rookies tempering themselves under the guidance of senior paladins.
"Hoo, ha! Hup!"
'I thought I'd trained pretty hard myself, but that was nothing. These guys are insane...'
I alternated moving the dumbbells in each hand, sneering inwardly.
Clank, clank—
In response, the iron chains connected to the dumbbells pressed down on my entire body.
The training grounds were equipped with exercise machines comparable to modern ones.
The difference? They were larger, more brutal-looking, and had zero safety features.
They were devices designed solely to abuse the body more efficiently.
The more you used them, the more they went beyond tearing muscles to slowly crushing bones and snapping ligaments.
'There's a limit to overloading the body. What kind of perverted ideas are these...'
It was a training method that truly pushed the body beyond its limits.
Of course, such overtraining couldn't be without issues.
"Aaaagh!"
A scream burst from one corner of the training grounds.
A rookie paladin collapsed on the ground, convulsing.
Clutching one arm and spewing tears and snot, it seemed something had gone wrong mid-training.
Normally, he'd need immediate transport to the infirmary, but the instructor in front of him just bellowed.
"Your focus wavered! Never stop praying during training! Now, circulate holy power again!"
"Urgh! Main God—!"
A soft light arose with the prayer, enveloping the fallen one.
The groans gradually subsided.
Moments later, he staggered to his feet.
"You're still far from sufficient! Pray continuously while training! Restore yourself before your body is completely destroyed! Repeat this, and you'll earn the blessing of great weight!"
"Yes! Sorry!"
"You, work your lower body until that arm fully heals! Without stopping prayer, of course!"
"Yes! Got it!"
A scene of utterly simplistic brutality.
Yet astonishingly, this was a long-standing, time-honored tradition of the church—and an efficient training method.
Prayer aided the circulation of holy power.
For paladins on the front lines of battle, it was their lifeline.
Artificially creating extreme situations while maintaining prayer was part of training to wield holy power unflinchingly in real combat.
'Plus, repeated prayers in extreme conditions solidify faith through self-suggestion, which in turn strengthens holy power.'
Holy power circulation training, physical tempering, faith enhancement leading to increased holy power, and mental fortitude through austerity.
It was an excruciatingly efficient method.
And I was a particularly notable talent among that group of perverts.
"Hoo... Indeed worthy of being this generation's star. To handle this much weight already."
"Skilled in using holy power too, and even accounting for that, his recovery speed is no joke. In recovery alone, he's already beyond average Holy Knights."
Senior paladins gathered to one side, appraising me.
From the start, thanks to my prior training, Marrow, and Super Recovery, I followed their guidance with ease.
The Karma Shop's stat enhancements helped too.
And once I grew accustomed to Holy Baptism, which converted internal mana to holy power and augmented it, I began to stand out even more.
"Afternoon training ends here! Clean up the equipment and enter the showers in order! Assemble in the lecture hall in two hours. Dismissed!"
"Dismissed!"
At the senior's command, the paladins tidied the gear, showered sequentially, and enjoyed a brief rest.
Moving to the showers, I doused my steaming-hot body with cold water.
Splash—
As I mechanically washed and pressed firmly, my maxed-out muscles twitched in protest.
'It definitely seems effective.'
A few days after baptism, despite the perverse training, the effects were unmistakably felt.
The battered flesh and the holy power spreading to every corner to heal it.
With repetition, I could feel each cell adapting to holy power.
"Urghhh..."
"Ugh... I'm dying."
Moans echoed from showers everywhere.
I dried off with a towel, giving a wry smile.
'It is excessive, for sure. Thanks to Mind Hub, I could eliminate the pain, but they have to endure it with willpower alone.'
That pain also built faith and mental power, but I had no need for it and politely declined.
I could only cheer on their convictions.
"As servants following the Main God, we must be shepherds leading His lambs, always guiding them on the bright path..."
The post-training doctrinal lecture doubled as mental education in the lecture hall.
The paladins dragged their exhausted bodies into battle with drowsiness.
I was no exception; to become a Holy Knight, one needed both martial and scholarly prowess.
And so, about two months passed.
While Heinrich struggled to become a Holy Knight, the Immortal King subjugation force had hit a major roadblock.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hoo... What a frustrating situation. Where on earth did it vanish to?"
Latios, Archbishop and leader of the Immortal King subjugation force, sighed and rubbed his brow.
They had deployed search teams multiple times to track 'Hans,' but hadn't found even a trace of where it had gone.
Several months after the initial encounter without spotting a shadow, he couldn't even show his face.
The Saintess had also done her utmost to pinpoint its location, but tracking was impossible except for brief moments—and even then, no traces were found at those spots, forcing empty-handed returns.
Knock knock—
"Archbishop Latios, it's Tuskin."
"Ah, Sir Tuskin. Come in."
At Latios's permission, the office door opened, and Paladin Tuskin entered with a deep bow.
His face bore the same exhaustion as the archbishop's.
"So, how did it go?"
"...It seems impossible. Those damned vampires must have interfered."
"Haa..."
To make matters worse, political pressure from Talia Kingdom was intensifying.
The subjugation force, formed to capture the Immortal King's progeny, was achieving lackluster results, giving them pretext to gain the upper hand in justification.
"We've searched this thoroughly and still nothing—doesn't that mean it's already left Talia Kingdom?"
Latios sighed again at Tuskin's cautious words and closed his eyes tightly.
They had given their all to find 'Hans.'
Even clashing excessively with the vampire clans and the 'Oath of Reverse Heaven' lurking in the shadows.
In the process, Oath of Reverse Heaven suffered heavy losses from attacks by both church and clan, forcing them into hiding—but conflict with the Brocoslak Clan persisted.
"...At this point, we can assume it's hiding elsewhere. Let's disband the subjugation force at Talia Temple and return to headquarters."
"Understood. I'll prepare accordingly."
Tuskin bowed lightly and exited the office.
Aside from high-ranking members, the subjugation force mostly consisted of personnel loaned from Talia Temple, so there was much to do before disbandment.
Once those dispatched from headquarters returned, they'd be reassigned across the kingdom for regular duties.
And the moment the target was spotted in the church's continent-wide surveillance network, a new subjugation force would assemble locally.
'Come to think of it, there was one standout paladin.'
As he walked, Tuskin suddenly recalled someone and frowned.
A Holy Knight aspirant who awakened priest-chief level holy power during baptism.
He had taken interest and watched as the trainee continued to shine.
'Such talent is too good to leave in this backwater...'
Superior physical abilities incomparable to other rookies, Holy Knight-level recovery.
Talent for quick learning and steady growth potential.
Even setting aside holy power, it was a shame to miss such a prospect.
He had no intention of disparaging the Talia diocese, but reality was that it fell short for blossoming such talent.
No matter how well they treated him, could it compare to direct support from headquarters?
'Hmm... Heinrich, was it? If possible, I'd like to take him and raise him myself. Guess I should mention it.'