After a long day of study, Adam lay on his bed, gazing at the now familiar roof.
It was undeniable that Anthony's words, though similar to the motivational clichés of past lives, held a certain weight, for such words are only effective when spoken by someone whose personal charisma lends them authority.
Anthony's charisma was undoubtedly at its peak. His personality and charm allowed him to connect with everyone he met, creating a profound sense of warmth and approachability.
This was something Adam could never quite achieve. While his own influence was formidable, there were still individuals immune to it, who could see through his true nature.
Yet, Adam didn't feel disheartened. Growth was a necessary process for everyone.
It was just that, for now, in the midst of his growth, Anthony's words had left him with a slight sense of confusion.
It was undeniable that his time in Roya had not been purely calculating. There were also the caring figures of Alis and Maggie at the Bookhouse, Lina's attachment to him, Shaya's hopes for his redemption, and Anthony's guidance, which continually sought to add warmth to Adam's life.
Adam could think rationally about the pros and cons of a situation, but he was still unable to make completely dispassionate decisions.
"I am not truly Adam," Neth murmured, brushing his hair aside, his fingers tracing the scars on his face.
Though the scars were heavy, he was not willing to sacrifice his life for them.
"Perhaps my emotions are inherently faint," Neth thought, sitting up. He had grander ambitions and desires. Life in Roya was certainly pleasant, but he was not one to stop moving forward.
"After all, there is no salvation for the non-humans." Adam was clear on this. Even the Tears of God Church, which outwardly seemed to embrace non-humans, was essentially using holy power and faith to torment them. A few non-humans were able to rid themselves of their bloodlines, gaining the supposed privilege of returning to the embrace of the gods.
Those non-humans within the church, some chose to comply, but most were coerced into enduring unimaginable pain.
In Adam's eyes, this could never be considered redemption.
Meanwhile, Poldo stood atop a high building, watching the sun slowly set.
Having grown up in the Divine Academy's annex, Poldo only had a brief moment of free time before dinner each evening, when he could watch the sun descend, followed by endless darkness.
In those days, he had longed to chase the sun, to prevent it from setting.
He pulled a piece of dried fruit from his pocket, and its sweet taste calmed him.
Perhaps it was the restoration of his youth that had caused a shift within him—one aspect of the trinity was changing, triggering the influence of the others. Lately, he had felt more sentimental.
After all, his senses had dulled with age, and even the sweet fruit seemed only mild.
"Hm?" Poldo suddenly grinned, tapping his fingers lightly on the railing of the building.
Boom~
Boom~
Boom~
A light sound echoed as if the entire building had resonated with the rhythm of the tapping.
In an instant, countless beams of light burst from the railing, and the entire building transformed into a massive prison.
Inside the building, several monks and soldiers were immobilized by waves of sound-like holy energy, unable to move.
"You monks of this generation are so naïve, unable to control your own presence," Poldo said with a laugh.
Much like other professions, there were five stages—Vei, Yi, Lian, Fan, and Sheng. Monks, having been trained in faith from the start, connected to their divine rites through belief, allowing them to bypass the Lian stage entirely.
Once monks began their training, they had their rite, and through faith, they could directly channel holy power into themselves, sustaining their lives with it.
In the beginning, monks still needed food, but as their faith grew, the holy power gradually took over, reducing their need for sustenance. Some monks, eager to achieve this sooner, practiced austerity, reducing their food intake while forcing themselves to use holy power.
Though this severely damaged their bodies, to these monks, everything was a means to draw closer to the divine.
Their spirits underwent a transformation through faith, and their connection with the divine turned their life force into something less significant—a mere vessel for their brief existence.
Therefore, they could endure pain and long-term consequences to sharpen their bodies into powerful weapons, even without being in the state of divine communion. Yet, a regular monk's body was often more fragile, and without being in divine communion, their holy power was less effective against highly perceptive enemies.
Over time, monks and ascetics, though both centered around faith and holy power, had evolved into two distinct paths—one for religious service and the other for combat. The reform of the Divine Academy only sharpened this divide, as most of the new students were aristocrats or wealthy youths who sought power, not early death.
However, in Poldo's time, the divide between monks and ascetics was still not as clear. Though they didn't subject themselves to the harsh practices of ascetics, training was still necessary.
Thus, Poldo could easily tell those attempting to capture him, "You are the failed generation."
As a defector monk, Poldo's strength had inevitably been affected. He could no longer enter the state of divine communion, as his faith—once the core of his rite—had collapsed.
Yet, this did not mean Poldo had lost his strength. On the contrary, his power had greatly increased.
Monks could take on secondary roles, with the most successful being the holy knights. The knight profession, developed by the church, allowed them to combine it with sorcery, though monks often faced spiritual limitations when using magic due to their reliance on faith.
Faith allowed monks to grow quickly and granted them access to the divine, but it was also a constraint. With the collapse of faith, Poldo's mental power was no longer constrained, comparable to that of an experienced sorcerer at his level. Although he could no longer draw holy power directly from the divine, he could now channel it through a sorcerer-like method, using his understanding of the divine.
It was no wonder most monks viewed sorcerers as thieves.
Sorcerers and monks shared many similarities. One used mental power to channel nearly all natural forces, while the other relied on mental power through faith to harness the strength of a divine avatar.
Once a great monk like Shaya, Poldo now found himself with the same power as a sorcerer of the Fan stage, with no ritual left to hold him back.
"Although I haven't created my own ritual, my power far exceeds the Fan stage!" Poldo laughed, already having plans to rebel against the church. Though he hadn't consciously trained as a sorcerer, he was well-acquainted with it.
At this moment, Poldo, despite lacking a ritual, was no different from a powerful sorcerer in the Fan stage.
"Though you found me quickly, you greatly underestimated me!" Poldo snapped his fingers, the holy power swirling around him, about to explode.
But in the next instant, as though a droplet had fallen onto a lake, a massive wave of holy power surged out, gently colliding with and neutralizing the holy energy in the building.
Shaya, his aged form standing nearby, leaned on his cane, his presence quelling the disturbance. His clouded gaze remained fixed on Poldo at the rooftop, with no more words to offer.