Chapter 617: Information
Charles gazed intently at the Golden Shield spell, its intricate patterns glowing brightly. With a determined expression, he carefully pulled the spell from the Inner space of the Golden Badge and absorbed it directly into his Inner World. As the shield entered, it hovered near the 'Sphere of Invulnerability' spell, its radiant energy pulsating with immense power.
With a precise focus, Charles activated the [Accelerate Thoughts] skill, unprecedentedly enhancing his mental faculties. As the effects of the skill took hold, he seamlessly transitioned into his elemental state, shrouding his entire Inner World with the essence of Rebirth Fire. Immersed in this fiery aura, he entered a deep state of concentration, his mind attuned to the profound secrets of the shield-like spell.
Within the confines of his Inner World, time seemed to flow differently, moving more than fifty times faster than the outside world. Charles marveled at this tremendous advantage afforded to him through his understanding of the Rebirth Flame. His voice whispered as he contemplated the immense potential it held.
However, his undivided attention shifted away from the accelerated passage of time, focusing solely on a single essence streak within the shield. Charles knew that comprehending the power of Lawful Fire would take time. Unlike other fires, this one possessed an unusual calmness, its movements flowing gracefully like a gentle stream of water. Simultaneously, a peculiar sense of protectiveness emanated, capturing Charles's curiosity and intrigue.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and finally, an entire day had passed within his Inner World. However, Charles felt as if he were staring at an impenetrable rock, only grasped around 700 Lawful Fire Rules fully.
Although only half an hour had passed in the outside world, it still felt agonizingly slow to him.
'But there's no helping it,' he sighed deeply, resolving to continue his comprehension within his Inner World.
At the end of the second day, he finally comprehended the first Lawful Fire essence streak, causing him to almost shout in joy.
'One hour has passed in the outside world. While relatively slow compared to the comprehension speed of the Rebirth Flame, this is still considered abnormal compared to other mages,' he nodded inwardly, determined to press on.
Meanwhile, his other consciousness, 'Julius,' took control of his body and began practicing sword arts outside. Like a lofty prince, he visited the lawn daily and even sparred with the guard soldiers to maintain appearances. Although Julius only did this to deceive the watchful eyes of the Baron, his activities also caught the attention of Duke Eldrakar.
Unaware of the outside world, Charles remained focused on comprehending the Lawful Fire spell. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and before he knew it, one year and three months had passed within his Inner World.
Yet, in the outside world, only 18 days had elapsed.
Regrettably, he had only managed to comprehend 350 Lawful Fire Essence Streaks. What startled him, even more, was the gradual slowdown in his comprehension speed as the days passed.
"I lack wisdom power," he muttered, opening his eyes and looking around.
"Why am I sitting on the lawn, even in the scorching noon?" At that moment, memories of 'Julius' flooded his mind, causing him to furrow his brow.
"That consciousness certainly enjoys fooling around," he shook his head, deciding it was time to visit the Sun Church.
"If I recall correctly, tomorrow morning is when individuals from various factions and churches gather to explore the Star Tomb Labyrinth. I should gather information about the Star Tomb," he pondered.
He returned to his room, took a refreshing bath, and dressed formally. Then, he left the guest house and went to the Sun Church by carriage.
Before long, he arrived at the Sun Church, walking down the aisle until he reached the nave, where he met with Bishop Orion. Upon seeing his arrival, Bishop Orion froze for a moment before hastily running toward him, causing onlookers to be startled. Whispers filled the air, and a few intrigued noblemen turned their attention to the 16-year-old young boy before them.
"I'm delighted to see you here," Bishop Orion said, his voice filled with genuine warmth.
"Let's talk somewhere private." Charles noticed the gazes of more than 50 people in the nave and decided not to get attention anymore.
"Please forgive my rash action," Bishop Orion noticed his mistake and apologized in a low tone before bringing him to Vestry.
While walking in the hallway, Bishop Orion quickly looked at Charles and spoke with a flattering smile.
"I have heard of your remarkable progress in sword arts during the past two weeks, Holy Son of the Eternal Light."
"Call me Zephyr, Bishop Orion. If someone overhears you calling me as 'Holy Son,' it will only bring me more trouble." Charles narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly.
"This old man understands your concern, Mr. Zephyr," Bishop Orion made a stiff smile and bowed before asking.
"May I know the reason for your visit?"
"I come seeking knowledge about the Star Tomb Labyrinth. Tomorrow's gathering has piqued my curiosity, and I wish to learn more before going in." Charles didn't beat around the bush as they entered the Vestry and went straight to business.
"What type of information do you seek, Mr. Zephyr?" Baron Orion invited him to sit on the luxurious chair in front of a wooden round table and then stood humbly behind him.
On the other hand, Charles pondered for a moment and spoke.
"I want information about who will enter this Star Tomb. Not only that, but I also want to know what type of Dungeon this is."
An awkward smile appeared on Bishop Orion's face as he scratched his head in embarrassment and spoke stiffly.
"This is our Sun Church's second time participating in this exploration. Moreover, the last time the exploration team met with a disastrous inside the Star Tomb, leaving no information before their deaths." He paused momentarily, moved towards the left side shelf filled with books, and added.
"But we've been gathering information using spies for the last few decades and discovered that this Star Tomb Dungeon seems to be a unique realm between our Physical World and Nightmare Realm. So, the possibility of anyone encountering a powerful Nightmare Creature within this realm is so high. But many who entered this Dungeon said this Dungeon also has Magical Beasts and Humanoid Creatures from different races."
"Nightmare Realm?" Charles raised his eyebrows in surprise.
On the other hand, Bishop Orion took a bunch of books from the shelves and placed them on the round table.
"These are books written by the survivors of the Star Tombs. Of course, all the important information has been removed before publishing, so you can only find general information here."
Charles nodded at Bishop Orion's words and soon asked.
"Who will be accompanying me during this exploration from Sun Church?"
Bishop shook his head and spoke.
"Due to the limited seats, only ten members, including the Celestial Key holder, can enter. As for who are all, even I don't have authority to know about it, Mr. Zephyr."
"Will Cardinal Damian participate in the Exploration?" Charles asked.
"Of course. He is the Celestial Key holder, after all. But the one who accompanies should be Archbishop-level powerhouses. I wouldn't be surprised if another cardinal also participates in the expenditure." Bishop Orion answered truthfully.
Suddenly, he thought of something and added.
"But there is 'someone' in this city who participated in this exploration multiple times and likely know more about the hidden information of Star Tomb than anyone else. He was supposed to be removed from his family's exploration team this time. But by sheer luck or someone else's plot, the person about to go to the Star Tomb met with an accident in Northern Woods and died, resulting in 'him' being taken into the exploration team. You can meet him under my recommendation letter and try your luck. From what I heard, he seems to be on odd terms with his family elders and is searching for a good and trusted companion during the upcoming exploration."
"Oh? Who is it?" Charles looked at Bishop Orion and asked.
"His name is Victor Hawthorne, an Archbishop of Order Church and also a main descendant of the Hawthorne family."
"Hawthorne family? Hmm, Victor Hawthorne..." Charles suddenly paused as he recalled Anna's words.
'Isn't he the guy with dreamer class Mystic and a close friend of Archbishop Michael?'
"What is the name of that person who died?"
Charles's question startled Bishop Orion.
He thought for a moment to recall his memories and soon spoke.
"That person was pretty famous too. Although an orphan, he was taken into Hawthorne Family Elder when he was younger and accepted as a Hawthorne family member. His name is Ronan."
'As I thought, that assassination plot seems to be planned by Archbishop Victor. Hmm? If Archbishop Victor had gone to the Star Tomb multiple times and gained fortunes, why is he still risking his life to go to that dangerous place? As far as I can tell, he even went to a length to offend an elder of his family by killing the elder's adopted son. Something feels off.' He instantly knew this Archbishop Victor might know some important information and decided to check it out.
"Hmm, thanks for the information, Bishop Orion. Although I want to meet him and try my luck, it's better to conceal my identity." Charles said while shaking his head.
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