NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Book of Dawn
"Ahh, Elias Ashdown. How have you been?" Priest Mathias asked as Elias approached the castle gates
"Priest Mathias," Elias greeted, "I'm doing okay," He replied
Priest Mathias looked Elias from head to toe, "I can't explain it, but you look…brighter than usual today" He said
Elias averted his gaze, "Haaa, Do I now?" He chuckled nervously
"Why didn't you come in? Why wait outside the castle?" Elias asked
To that question, Priest Mathias looked like wanted to speak but he held his tongue, " About that, when we get to the temple, the High-luminary herself will explain to you," He said
Elias was suspicious at Priest Mathias' reaction, 'Now that I notice, where are his acolytes? Nigel, Dickson, and Anias? Is something going on in the castle that I'm not aware of?' he pondered
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is, chosen child. Shall we get going?" Priest Mathias asked
Elias nodded, and they walked in the direction of the fifth district, where the church of Eternal Light was located.
*****
Elias stood in front of the massive cathedral-like structure of the church; it looked exactly how it did in Arcane Days; every detail matched, from the white and golden color combination of the paint and marbles to the stained glass windows and the massive waving flag that carried the emblem of the church.
At the gate of the church, there were no guards or soldiers stationed at the gate, unlike the other gods who had paladins, soldiers of faith as their protectors, the Goddess Lira was a pacifist who would only resort to violence as the last resort.
Priest Mathias pushed open the wrought-iron gate and motioned for Elias to go in first. Elias did, and the Priest followed closely behind.
As Elias stepped into the church, he could feel his body, soul, and mana resonate with the surroundings; he felt like he was just pumped full of adrenaline like he could split a mountain open with his bare hands. Because of his existence as the chosen child of light, the atmosphere amplified his stats.
[You are in the church of the Goddess Lira, all stats will temporarily get a 50% increase]
"Hoo? Display stats" Elias commanded
"What was that?" Priest Mathias asked
"Haa, nothing," Elias replied
[ FWP: 1,352,100/10,000,000,000
Name: Elias Ashdown
Class: Swordsman, Farmer, Mage(Contractual, Caster)
Title: Farmer, One blessed by Fate, swordsman, Child of Light, Child of Destiny, Loved by Mana, Mage, False Dragon Slayer.
————————–————————–
Health: 2600/2600 (+1 300)
Mana: 410,000/410,000 (+205 000)
————————–————————–
Strength: 29 (+14.5)
Agility: 25 (+12.5)
Speed: 25 (+12.5)
Stamina: 80 (+40)
Intelligence: 155 (+ 77.5)
]
'This is wild, no wonder I feel as I do now. This power…' Elias thought to himself as he inspected his hands
A smile appeared on Priest Mathias' face, "You feel it, don't you? The power that flows in this place, the strength given to those who believe and it flows through you right now," He said
"Yes…I feel it," Elias said, he was still trying to get used to the feeling
"As it was foretold, you are truly the chosen child of light," He said
Elias took a deep breath, the air inside was cool and fragrant, filled with the soft scent of lilies and lavender. Sunlight streamed through massive stained glass windows, each pane depicted scenes of Lira's creation of the world.
The vaulted ceiling rose high above, supported by pillars carved from alabaster, their surfaces etched with complex designs of spiraling suns and blooming flowers. At the center of the church, directly beneath the largest window—a radiant depiction of Lira herself, arms outstretched in a gesture of blessing—stood the altar.
It was made of pure crystal, cut to perfection, reflecting and amplifying the light that touched it until it seemed to glow from within.
Rows of pews stretched out from the altar, crafted from pale, polished wood that gleamed in the light. Each seat was cushioned with velvet the color of the morning sky, offering comfort to the faithful believers who gathered to offer prayers.
At the far end of the church, opposite the entrance, stood a grand statue of Lira herself, carved from a single block of marble so pure it seemed to glow. She was depicted with a serene smile, her eyes closed as if in prayer, her hands clasped around a delicate flame that never wavered. The flame was no mere decoration—it was a piece of pure magic, an eternal light that burned without fuel. Read further on m_vl em,pyr
"Come on, this isn't our destination, we're going to the inner sanctum, the true temple where the High-luminary prays,"
Priest Mathias led Elias past the altar into a hallway that seemed to stretch on for minutes. Finally, it came to an end, and they found themselves in a garden of some sort.
[You are in the presence of a conduit Goddess Lira, all stats are raised by 500 %]
Elias' body surged with power, and he felt exhilarated; the feeling he got earlier when he was in church was child's play compared to what he was feeling now: power like no other.
The inner sanctum was a sight to behold, it was bathed in sunlight that poured in from a wide circular opening above. In the center of the sanctum stood a statue of Lira; Elias had a strange feeling about the statue; although it was unmistakably made of stone, he could feel life emanating from it.
In Lira's delicate hands, a golden book rested, its cover shimmered with an inner light that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
Elias instantly recognized the book, "The Book of Dawn," He muttered
"I see you are educated enough to know what it is," The gentle voice of the High-luminary echoed through the room
She emerged from the shadows, glowing like a beacon, and behind her stood Margo. Her gaze was fixed on Elias.
"Your Eminence," Priest Mathias bowed, but the High luminary immediately told him to get up
"Quite the room you got here, High-luminary," Elias remarked
The High-luminary smiled, "This is more than just a room," She said as she walked to the statue of Lira and bowed deeply
"It's an isolated space created by none other than the Book of Dawn itself. The Book of Dawn is a book of infinite pages, that's why it can only be carried by the Goddess herself. Its pages are endless, yet all those pages remain blank.
On one of those pages, the words that Lira uttered to bring the world to creation are written. Many have tried to find it but inevitably failed, previous children of light included
The existence of the Book of Dawn itself is so great that it created an isolated space and time for itself as our world would be unstable if it didn't," She explained
Elias listened carefully, "And this is related to my blessings, how?" He asked
"It's not," The High-luminary said, "The reason why you're here is for us to discuss matters that we cannot risk being heard by anyone that isn't in this room," she continued
Elias shifted uncomfortably, "And that is?" He asked
"King Alaric," The High-luminary replied, her voice taking a serious tone