Five Hundred and Forty-Eighth Sacred Relic
In the west of Adus, Dosa.
At dawn in Dosa Station, steam diffused across the platform floor, with massive iron beasts positioned on the tracks. Under strict vigilance from the Adus Revolutionary Army, long steam trains were being loaded and unloaded by busy workers. While supplies were being removed, soldiers from all over Adus boarded the trains, starting their journey back.
On the platform beside the front of the train, a man named Nei stood watching General Shadi, who had come to see him off, and smiled as he spoke.
“Thank you for seeing us off, General. Our trip to Karnak was successful thanks to your assistance and cooperation,” Nei politely said to Shadi, who responded solemnly.
“We also appreciate the help from your order. Without you, the matters in Karnak would not have been resolved so easily. We hope to deepen our cooperation further. If your order encounters any troubles in Adus or Northern Ufeiga, please contact us. We will do our best to support you.”
“Of course, we highly value potential partners like you, General Shadi. Well, it’s almost time. Goodbye.”
With that, Nei bid farewell to Shadi, preparing to board the train. Just as he turned around, Shadi hesitated for a moment before asking another question.
“Mr. Nei, there is one more thing I would like to ask about. Regarding the whereabouts of King Rahmann’s soul… Do you know anything?”
Upon hearing Shadi’s words, Nei paused briefly and turned back, maintaining his smile as he spoke.
“King Rahmann is currently searching for a suitable spiritual field to heal the soul trauma he has suffered over centuries. After healing, he plans to tour Adus to see what it has become now. Oh, and he asked me to tell you that he will always be watching over you.”
After saying this, Nei turned away without looking back and walked towards the train, boarding the carriage. Shadi, upon hearing Nei’s words, remained still for a moment, then sighed softly with his hands behind his back, a look of anxiety crossing his face. Inside him, Saitutet chuckled.
Finally, the steam train’s doors closed, and a large amount of thick smoke billowed out from the chimney at the front. The locomotive slowly began to move with a long whistle, heading towards the distance on steel wheels.
…
After obtaining the Phantom Pulling Lamp, Dorothy bade farewell to Shadi and left Dosa together with Nephnis, traveling on the revolutionary army’s train. They changed trains in Mont and continued on to Kankdar. After several days of travel, Dorothy finally arrived at one of the gateways to Northern Ufeiga, the independent port city of Freeport.
Back in Kankdar, Dorothy breathed a sigh of relief and immediately checked into a luxurious hotel in the foreigner’s quarter. She took a good bath, lay on a soft bed, and rested well, eliminating the discomfort and fatigue accumulated from her long journey. This journey had taken her to much more remote places than usual, making the living conditions far worse, which was a bit uncomfortable for Dorothy, who was used to a lavish lifestyle.
After resting for a day in the hotel, Dorothy went to the Artisan Guild’s outpost in Kankdar and bought two unique “Stone” Secret Transmissions to replenish her spirituality. The cost was around 1,100 pounds, which made Dorothy curse inwardly for a while.
After purchasing the Secret Transmissions, Dorothy’s cash dwindled to just over 200 pounds, giving her a sense of crisis. However, some of Mazale’s assets, such as stock dividends or rents, were due for payment, adding 400 pounds to Dorothy’s total, bringing her cash back up to 600 pounds. This prevented her from worrying too much about daily expenses during her travels.
This incident made Dorothy pay more attention to her cash situation. She used the Navigation of the Literary Sea to ask Beverly about a comprehensive valuation of Mazale’s assets. The response was that the valuation was still ongoing, as these assets were spread across many places in various countries, taking considerable time.
In the hotel, Dorothy started flipping through the newly purchased Secret Transmissions to extract spirituality. The first Secret Transmission was titled “Tombstone of Stone,” written by a tomb robber from Northern Ufeiga. It detailed the rare rock found in Northern Ufeiga’s tombs, known as “Cold Stone.”
Dorothy read that in the frequent tomb robbing activities in Northern Ufeiga, robbers occasionally encountered sturdy tombs built from a peculiar rock. These tombs were incredibly durable, impervious to digging or explosives. Even the most persistent efforts could only leave minor marks, making it nearly impossible to open them by force. These tombs housed the main coffin of the tomb owner, containing the most treasures. Frustrated robbers could only watch the treasures through a thin wall, helpless to retrieve them.
The author of this Secret Transmission was one such tomb robber, originally a leader of the Treasure Theft Society. During a robbery, he encountered a tomb built with black, cold stone, missing out on vast treasures. Determined to uncover the mystery of this stone, he researched for years, eventually learning about its properties and processing techniques.
In the Secret Transmission, the author identified the stone as Cold Stone, a remarkable brick made by the White Stone Craftsmen Guild. This stone required complex processes: extracting deep-layered stones from the Rock Realm in the Inner World, transporting them to the Forging Realm for processing, then soaking them in the River of the Underworld for at least fifty years, and finally returning them to the present world for final shaping.
Due to its extreme durability and its ability to nourish souls and aid deep sleep, Cold Stone was an excellent material for building “Silence” practitioners’ spiritual fields and main tombs. For centuries, the White Stone Craftsmen Guild had been selling Cold Stone to various factions, including the Underworld Coffin Cult and many royal families, for constructing spiritual fields and tombs. Fortunately, the exorbitant prices kept the demand in check, so not every king deserved such a tomb, alleviating the concerns of Northern Ufeiga tomb robbers.
After reading the Secret Transmission, Dorothy finally understood the origin of the indestructible stone she encountered in King Rahmann’s tomb. It was crafted by the crafty guild to both resist supernatural effects and ensure the safety of the ritual site.
‘I thought the stone was special because of its hardness, but it turns out the forging process is extraordinary. Just reading about it involves three Inner Worlds and at least fifty years, making the cost astronomical. King Rahmann really spared no expense to protect the ritual site. What a pity… Such valuable stones couldn’t be brought back. If they could, I wonder how much they’d sell for. Also, Baruch and his group are quite wasteful; they not only bound the ancestor’s soul but also plundered the treasures in the main tomb.’
After finishing the Secret Transmission, Dorothy reflected on the new names of the Inner Worlds: Rock Realm and Forging Realm, the latter also known as the Melting Steel Dome, seemingly under the domain of the Construct Core. This made Dorothy wonder if each deity had a different Inner World as their domain. Was the Dream Realm the territory of the Butterfly God or Moth God? Was the Rock Realm the domain of the Prince of Stone? And who ruled the Underworld—was it the King of the Underworld or the Great Soul?
After pondering for a while, Dorothy refocused on the Secret Transmission. After extracting the spirituality, she gained 4 “Stone” 1 “Silence” and 1 “Enlightenment” from the book “Tombstone of Stone.”
Next, Dorothy began studying the second Secret Transmission, titled “Essentials of Gems.” The author, an unnamed “Stone” practitioner, seemed to have extraordinary knowledge about gems in the present world. This book documented part of the author’s research findings.
In the Secret Transmission, the author discussed the mysticism and connections of gemstones like rubies and sapphires, explaining how they were better containers for spirituality compared to other materials. However, despite this, most contemporary storage items were primarily made of metal.
The author spent considerable effort arguing that gems were superior to metals for storing spirituality, not only easier to make but also better suited for containing spiritual energy. He even presented ancient examples of gem-based storage items to prove that in the past, the Secret World predominantly used gems for this purpose.
However, in recent centuries, storage items gradually transformed into metallic forms. The author speculated that this might be due to the White Stone Craftsmen Guild’s deliberate push for change, though he couldn’t immediately determine why they did so.
‘It seems the primary storage items were once made of gems… Now they are mostly metallic, likely due to the influence of the White Stone Craftsmen Guild. But compared to “Stone,” the nature of the Construct Core leans more towards metals…’
As Dorothy read the Secret Transmission, she began extracting spirituality. From this book, she gained 3 “Stone” and 1 “Enlightenment,” bringing her total to:
17 Cups, 11 Stones, 9 Shadows, 14 Lamps, 27 Silences, 50 Enlightenments.
Though overall still somewhat sparse, she felt reassured that her main combat spirituality, “Stone,” had recovered significantly, enough to handle a battle.
Looking at her current state of spirituality, sitting at the hotel table, Dorothy relaxed. After stretching, she closed the Secret Transmission on the desk and looked out the window at the clear blue sky and sea. Picking up the coffee cup on the desk, she took a sip.
‘Now that I have the “Silence” divine blessing object, it’s time to search for other storage item clues. But first, I need to confirm Vania’s situation…’
Thinking this, Dorothy placed her coffee cup back on the table and picked up today’s newspaper from the side. Unfolding it, she read the headline on the front page, a bold title that caught her eye.
“A Major Turnaround in the Adus Issue! Revolutionary Army Leader Announces Firm Support for the Church’s Sole Legal Religious Status in Adus, Respecting the Sacred Summit’s Global Faith Leadership, Rejecting All Heretical Existence!
“After more than a month, the religious issue in Adus was resolved after the return of the Church’s envoy! What role did Sister Vania, the leader of the Envoy Group, play? Why was this declaration released a month and a half late? Please turn to page two for analysis by our renowned commentator…”
Seeing the information in the newspaper, Dorothy nodded in satisfaction. After clearing the last resistance in Karnak, Shadi had thoroughly purged the remaining forces of the Savior Faction within the country and publicly declared the stance of the new Adus government. This naturally caused a stir throughout Northern Ufeiga.
‘Everything is now clear. Vania’s contributions cannot be ignored by the opposition in the Church. Now, let’s see what kind of reward this big church will give our nun…’
Putting down the newspaper, Dorothy gazed out the window, filled with anticipation.
…
Several days later, in the church near the White Dove Hotel in the foreigners’ quarter of Kankdar.
In the bright and spacious chapel, a nun in white robes knelt on the carpet. Vania, with her hands clasped, prayed earnestly. Sunlight filtered through stained glass windows depicting the Holy Mother, casting colorful spots onto the white robes.
Standing before Vania was an elderly bishop in clerical attire. On either side of the chapel, rows of priests and nuns were also praying. The bishop silently observed Vania’s devoutness, holding a beautifully decorated wooden box.
“Nun Vania, your efforts in Adus have been recognized. Your sincere heart in fighting heresy and willingly sacrificing yourself has been acknowledged by the Lord. You and your fellow guards will receive blessings…”
Saying this, the bishop extended the wooden box to Vania. Vania, with great reverence, raised her hands and accepted the box, whispering softly.
“Thank you, Lord…”
Seeing Vania accept the box, the bishop straightened himself and continued speaking.
“Yes, those who survived with you from the Adus mission have received promotions and rewards. They have all been incorporated into the newly formed Pilgrimage Guard Corps under your command, tasked with protecting sacred relics. Your pilgrimage can begin soon.”
Vania listened intently, her expression filled with reverence.
‘Vania… I will not fail my mission, spreading the Lord’s grace…’
Satisfied with Vania’s demeanor, the bishop nodded and continued.
“Indeed, those who survived with you have been promoted and rewarded. They have all joined the newly established Pilgrimage Guard Corps under your full command, tasked with safeguarding the sacred relics. Your pilgrimage will begin shortly.”
