"Say, why do you even want to become a holy warrior?" Rylak asked, his voice curious as they sat on a rooftop, watching one of their schemes unfold.
For four months now, they had continued killing the lackeys of the underground lords, leaving messages at every scene.
"Well, my real body will be under attack the moment I return. I might not survive without the additional strength of the spirit," Thalion replied, his tone thoughtful.
"Wait, then why did you choose to come here? Aren’t there easier dimensions to acquire a spirit?" Rylak inquired, intrigued.
"Easier, yes, but not stronger. The information I gathered suggested that the spirits Holy Warriors bind with are among the most powerful," Thalion explained.
"But still, isn’t it a massive gamble to try and become a holy warrior?" Rylak asked skeptically.
"If I do something, I do it right. How can I expect to become a god in the future if I don’t take risks?" Thalion responded with determination in his eyes.
He was serious. He would either become a holy warrior and bind with a spirit or perish trying. So far, he hadn’t achieved much in the last few months, but recently, things had shifted. The people of the city were actively searching for him, and guards now patrolled everywhere. Additionally, super-strong cultivators with auras beyond E grade were teleporting across the city. Thankfully, no one had any idea who he was, so they remained relatively safe.
Thalion had, however, made significant progress in enhancing the boy’s body. Using power drawn from the blood of his victims. He hadn’t just killed the lackeys of the lords but also the beasts they owned and raised on their farms.
His skill in blood manipulation had improved dramatically, and his combat speed was now impressive. Still, he lacked raw power. His best weapons were two daggers stolen from a corpse, aside from his blood, of course.
"Oh, look, he’s starting," Rylak remarked in Thalion’s mind.
Because of the increased scrutiny, they had been lying low for the past few days, devising a new plan. The idea was to pay some desperate man to proclaim himself the holy warrior in the middle of a marketplace. The man, desperate for coins, had agreed without hesitation, seemingly unconcerned about the risks.
Now, he was stepping onto a podium where a woman had been giving a speech about healing gems—a topic Thalion found mildly interesting.
The man abruptly shoved the woman off the stage, cutting her speech short.
"Even if this doesn’t work, it’ll be entertaining," Rylak chuckled in his mind.
Thalion had to agree. Hopefully, the man would proclaim himself the holy warrior before the woman retaliated.
From a few rooftops away, Thalion and Rylak watched with anticipation as the man began to speak.
"Fear not, people of Vorlithas! I am the Holy Warrior, and I will bring you glory... glory and gold!" the man announced, stumbling over his words. The guy was at least on one of the local drugs.
"Haha, this is even better than I thought," Rylak laughed in his mind.
"Don’t worry that someone might catch me, because I am... I am fast... faster than anyone else!" the man rambled.
"This guy has some talent," Rylak remarked, laughing.
Before they could enjoy the spectacle further, a figure appeared, grabbed the man, and disappeared with him in an instant. The crowd stood frozen, stunned by what they had just witnessed.
"Holy shit, what just happened?" Rylak muttered in disbelief.
"It didn’t even take a moment before someone from the city’s powerhouses took him," Thalion replied, worried.
"Do you think they’ll believe he’s the holy warrior?" Rylak asked in amusement.
Before sending the man out, they had drilled him repeatedly to refer to himself only as the holy warrior. He might have even started believing it himself.
"Probably not, but one can always hope," Thalion said with a grin.
They both had quiet fun in the past, and Rylak also didn't mind that he was in his body. In the beginning he tried to argue, but now he was more than happy after seeing how powerful his body had become.
"What an idiot," someone on a neighboring rooftop remarked.
The rooftops in this world were often crowded, as they were easy to access and offered good views.
"Yep, I can’t believe they caught the guy," Thalion laughed.
"Who knows? Maybe they’ll actually believe him to be the Holy Warrior," the man added before jumping down to the street.
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<--
Princess Talythra had decided against visiting Vorlithas first since the city lords hadn’t managed to capture the so-called Holy Warrior. She didn’t want to waste her time. However, she was elated to hear that they had finally apprehended him.
Currently, she was attending a ball with nobles—dancing, drinking, and enduring endless political maneuvering. Alliances were being formed behind smiles and hollow compliments.
"When do you think we can leave?" she asked Zerak.
"I’d say in an hour at the earliest," Zerak replied after considering.
"Fine, I suppose I can endure for that long," she muttered, unhappy.
Balls were insufferable to her. The young men constantly tried to court her, while the women sought information to sell to those same men.
When the hour finally passed, Zerak teleported them away.
"Welcome, Holy Princess Talythra, to Vorlithas," Vethorin greeted with a deep bow. The rest of the council followed suit.
"A pleasure to meet you all. May your warriors bring glory to the kingdom," Talythra said. "Now, I heard you caught the so-called holy warrior of the outer districts."
"Yes, indeed. Would you like to see him now?" Vethorin asked with a bow.
"Bring me to him," Talythra replied with a smile.
When she saw the man sitting in the cell, counting the stones in the wall, she was utterly baffled.
"210, 211, 221, 232, 251," the man counted loudly, clearly getting the numbers wrong.
"Bow before the Holy Princess!" Vethorin commanded as he opened the cell.
"As I told you, princess, the ones from the outer districts are not impressive," Vethorin added smugly.
"So, you’re the holy warrior everyone in the city is talking about?" Talythra asked, still confused.
"I am the holy warrior, and... and... 255, 258," the man stammered, continuing to count in the middle of his sentence.
"Why did you call yourself a holy warrior?" Talythra asked, completely perplexed. Was that guy drugged?
"Because I am the holy warrior and... oh, you’re hot. Why don’t you stay while the old people leave?" the man said with a grin.
"Insolence!" Vethorin thundered, slapping the man so hard that blood and teeth flew everywhere.
"Oh wow, is that my blood?" the man murmured before fainting at the sight of it.
"You’re sure this is the man who wrote messages in the blood of his enemies?" Talythra asked, barely holding back laughter.
"We must have been tricked. I’ll order the search for the real Holy Warrior to resume immediately," Vethorin assured her.
"Inform the other nobles that I would be very pleased to meet him alive when the calling begins," Talythra said, motioning for Zerak to teleport her away.
<--
Thalion had refrained from writing new messages with the blood of his victims after the guards stopped hunting for him. Neither of them could believe that it had worked. The parties in the city before the calling would begin tomorrow, and after some discussion, they concluded that the best course of action was to observe the ceremony to gather information.
That was why Thalion was helping a farmer carry his products to the center of the city. He needed to secure a position as a servant—positions like these were now in such high demand that they would even accept someone from the outer districts.
Thalion had stolen clothes from one of the better-dressed, hoping it would help him blend in and get the position.
In the coming weeks, several parties would be held at these houses before the calling began. Everyone was excited, especially since a princess had visited and promised to stay longer, which was customary. This was a fantastic opportunity for any noble house, and they wanted to leave the best impression possible.
Thalion sat in the wagon beside Farmer Kalvron, with two of the ant-like beasts pulling it in front. They had passed through the city gates without any problems. The city looked magnificent—he had never seen anything like it in his entire life.
The golden buildings were hundreds of meters tall, topped with castle-like towers. Instead of lamps or candles, glowing crystals illuminated everything with a bright golden light. It reminded him a bit of a city in cyberpunk—just bigger and more extravagant. The streets were crowded with farmers bringing their goods to the highest bidder. After four hours of travel, they arrived at a giant golden mansion.
"Here we are. This is the residence of the Y'Tharak family. Thank you for your help, Rylak," Kalvron said when they arrived before the gates.
A butler was already motioning for them to pass through the gates. They drove to a small garden before stopping in front of the entrance. Several servants rushed to unload Kalvron’s goods.
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"Is this everything?" Tor'kel, the head butler, asked Kalvron.
"Yes, these are of exceptional quality," Kalvron nodded, proud of himself.
"Very good. My master will be very pleased," Tor'kel said with a smile, motioning for the servants to unload the wagon.
Kalvron paused. "There’s one last thing. I heard you were looking for good servants. This is Rylak, and he helped me greatly. He’s always dreamed of becoming a servant working for one of the noble houses."
"Everyone dreams of such an honored position," Tor'kel retorted. "But you’re right, we are in need of help. Can you vouch for him being worth testing?"
"Definitely. He’s worked hard and never asked any questions," Kalvron laughed slapping on Thalion shoulder with one hand.
"Okay, that’s enough for me. Rylak, get off the wagon and help Lornak carry the chest inside," Tor'kel ordered with a nod.
This was the reward Thalion had negotiated with Kalvron for his help, and it had worked out well so far. Thalion jumped off the wagon and helped the servant, Lornak, who gave him a look that suggested he’d just been forced to drink a gallon of lemon juice.
The inside of the mansion had clearly been designed with spatial manipulation in mind. Much like the houses in the tutorial, the interior of the mansion was far larger than the exterior.
"Don’t think you’ll be accepted as a servant just like that," Lornak growled at him. "There are plenty of others who want this position, and the competition will be tough. Judging by your current state, I’m sure you won’t make it."
Thalion didn’t respond. He simply carried the boxes into the prep kitchen, then sprinted back outside, using blood manipulation to speed up his movements. He arrived at the wagon long before Lornak.
"Oh, you were right. He’s definitely a hard worker," Tor'kel said, raising an eyebrow.
Seizing the opportunity, Thalion grabbed four heavy boxes—more than any other servant could carry—and moved back inside. When he passed through the entrance, Lornak was just exiting.
"Lornak, what took you so long? The new guy is already back inside! Hurry up, you’re making us look bad," Tor'kel said sharply.
"Yes, of course," the already winded Lornak replied, bowing slightly before grabbing two boxes.
Before Lornak had even finished lifting them off the wagon, Thalion was already back outside without a hint of exhaustion. He quickly moved beside Lornak, grabbed four boxes, and returned to the mansion before Lornak.
"You weren’t exaggerating about the boy. If your goods are as good as his work, my master will be very pleased," Tor'kel nodded approvingly.
Thalion had met many of the other servants, and it seemed that everyone coveted the special position—those allowed to follow the masters to other balls, parties, and, most importantly, the calling. Proving himself would be essential in the hours to come.