The silence was shattered by a sudden explosion of light.
Golden flames spiraled at the center of the altar, forming a vortex that rose until it touched the ceiling.
From within the flames, a silhouette emerged, firm and imposing.
The fire faded into a spiral of light, giving way to Ethan Blake. Standing. As if he had always belonged to this world.
His feet touched the black marble of the altar, engraved with ancient symbols and silver lines that pulsed with mana. Around him, the hall was wide and circular, lit only by black candles and magical crests on the walls. The ceiling disappeared into darkness. This was not a place of public worship, it was a space reserved for the most secret rituals, for prayers that were never meant to reach mortal ears.
Ethan took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of incense, dried blood, and the dense mana saturating the air.
"Much better…" he muttered, staring at his own hands. For the first time, he truly felt... alive.
In the previous white dimension, his body felt light, almost unnaturally comfortable. But here... here he could feel gravity anchoring him, the cold wind brushing against his skin, and, most importantly, the sensation of breathing.
A voice answered him, soft but filled with reverence.
"Welcome, great Herald of the Goddess."
He raised his gaze.
Standing before him was an elf, watching him with vivid blue eyes, bright as sapphires. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, contrasting against skin pale as ivory. She wore a tight black dress, simple, elegant, one that perfectly accentuated every line of her figure.
Her eyes, though steady, carried something beyond devotion, sheer idolization. Ethan couldn't tell if that was a blessing... or something that might become a problem later.
"I am Aeris," she said, bowing deeply with a hand over her chest. "High Priestess of the Goddess Aurelia."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by the situation.
'The priests in the novel were usually hostile toward their heralds…'
The novel never explained in detail how divine cults actually functioned, but one thing was clear, the relationship between Heralds and Priests was never... friendly.
Priests had to give everything of themselves to maintain their position, while becoming a Herald required only one thing: the deity's favor. In a world like this... it was almost impossible not to breed envy.
Aeris, however, didn't avert her gaze. Nor did she hesitate. "You are the living embodiment of the Goddess's will. My role... is to serve you."
She then stepped closer, holding a neatly folded set of clothes with utmost care.
"A gift from the Goddess. She didn't specify when I should give it to you, but... I assumed you might be cold."
As much as Ethan was enjoying the sense of freedom in that moment, he didn't exactly want to be mistaken for an exhibitionist. Though... judging by the elf in front of him, he wasn't entirely sure she would've minded.
He unfolded the clothes. A simple yet elegant suit, a black jacket, crisp white shirt, and a black tie.
"A classic," he chuckled. "I love it."
"The Goddess ordered it tailored precisely to your measurements," Aeris replied without breaking her composure.
While dressing, Ethan glanced around, taking in his surroundings. There was nothing about this place in the original novel. But the layout was familiar, other cults mentioned in the story had similar hidden sanctuaries. Judging by everything he saw, this was an Inner Sanctuary, a place where secret rituals were held, forbidden contracts made, and ceremonies performed that defied the laws of the kingdom.
But… something bothered him.
"Now that I think about it… there was barely anything about Aurelia's cult in the novel," he murmured, frowning.
Aeris quickly turned, as if trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"The Goddess has also prepared other gifts for you." She gestured toward an ornate door at the far end of the hall. "Relics, weapons, and magical artifacts. The Goddess commanded that they be gathered specifically for you. The finest this world has to offer."
Ethan smiled, adjusting his tie.
"You're going to spoil me."
Aeris walked ahead, guiding Ethan through a narrow corridor, lit only by glowing lines that ran along the walls like veins of pulsating mana. Her steps were silent, but her posture reflected a mixture of discipline... and barely contained excitement.
When they reached a door of black stone, sealed with magic circles, Aeris extended her hand to dispel them, but there was no need. The moment Ethan approached, the runes faded on their own, one by one, as if the temple itself recognized his presence. The door slowly opened, releasing a wave of energy.
Aeris blinked, clearly surprised. She hadn't known the sanctuary could do that. And yet, rather than concern, it only deepened her awe.
The interior of the room looked like a museum of divine relics. Shelves stacked with grimoires, pedestals holding floating orbs, magical swords, armor that seemed alive, and rings glowing with energy. Every item pulsed, almost as if it had a consciousness of its own.
However, three artifacts immediately caught Ethan's attention:
"This is a Dimensional Ring," Aeris explained, pointing to a silver ring covered in markings Ethan couldn't read. "It can store practically anything. Its limit depends solely on the user's capacity."
The next item was a black mass, almost liquid, floating slowly inside a glass capsule. "This is Nexus. A solid mana entity capable of taking any form. A weapon, armor, tool... and it's an excellent mana conductor as well."
And finally, a golden scroll. "This scroll grants the skill Inspect, allowing you to see your own status, the status of others... and even that of objects."
Ethan examined them for a moment, then picked up the ring and slid it onto his finger. An invisible interface instantly opened in his mind, intuitive, fast, and extremely efficient. It was empty... but only for now.
"Perfect," he said, stretching out his hand. One by one, he started storing practically everything in the room, grimoires, weapons, armor, inside the Dimensional Ring. The items simply dissolved into light and were sucked into the ring.
The once-empty interface now quickly began to fill up.
Aeris watched, jaw slightly open. "T-this is... incredible, my lord. Even I couldn't store half the items kept here..."
"Hmph," Ethan chuckled, smirking like someone fully aware of just how ridiculous this was. It had started as just a test, he hadn't expected to actually be able to store this much.
Then, he grabbed Nexus, which instantly molded itself around his arm like a black glove, pulsing, alive, waiting for his command.
Lastly, he unrolled the magic scroll and tore it in half. The parchment dissolved into mana and rushed toward his eyes. A floating window appeared in front of him:
>[Skill Acquired: INSPECT]
Ethan grinned. "Perfect."
He turned to Aeris. "Let's test this..." he thought, activating Inspect.
A translucent window popped open before his eyes, revealing Aeris's data:
[Status]
[Name: Aeris Valen]
[Race: High Elf]
[Class: Priestess of Aurelia]
[Level: 58]
[HP: 3,450]
[MP: 5,800]
[Strength: 240]
[Dexterity: 390]
[Constitution: 270]
[Intelligence: 620]
[Charisma: 340]
[Active Skills: Light Magic, Dark Magic, Healing Magic]
[Passive Skills: Unshakable Will, Blessed by the Goddess, Advanced Mana Manipulation]
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Not bad..."
Aeris smiled proudly, placing one hand over her chest as she bowed. "All thanks to the Goddess's blessing, my lord."
He then used Inspect on himself. A new window opened immediately:
[Status]
[Name: Ethan Blake]
[Race: Human?]
[Class: Herald of Aurelia]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 100]
[MP: 100]
[Strength: 10]
[Dexterity: 10]
[Constitution: 10]
[Intelligence: 10]
[Charisma: 10]
[Active Skills: Inspect]
[Passive Skills: Blessed by the Goddess, Divine Energy, ????]
"Worse than I expected..." he muttered, crossing his arms. "I thought my body and soul would make me start stronger... And that question mark next to 'Human' is not fun."
His eyes narrowed. "The greatest Goddess needs the greatest Herald, huh... Guess leveling up is now my top priority."
There was no way he could walk around claiming to be a Herald looking this pathetic. Luckily... there were plenty of ways to get strong fast in this world.
He turned to Aeris. "Is there a monster-filled forest nearby?"
Aeris brought a hand to her chin, thinking. "I believe so, my lord. There's a forest less than a day from here. It's home to low and mid-tier monsters... wolves, ents, salamanders... creatures of that sort."
The smile that spread across Ethan's face was sharp, predatory. "Perfect."
Without delay, he started preparing. He mentally reviewed everything stored inside the ring, he wasn't about to waste time getting there only to realize he'd forgotten something.
"I'll need maps of the area... and anything that helps it spread faster," he added.
Once everything was in order, he straightened his tie, adjusted his collar, and took a deep breath. "Good."
Aeris stood silently nearby, watching him, waiting for him to explain his plan.
"Prepare our trip. We're heading to the forest immediately."
Surprised, she spun around and quickly led the way to where the carriages were kept. "Of course! Please, follow me."
As they walked back through the corridor, Aeris glanced at Ethan, her sapphire eyes filled with curiosity. "If I may ask, my lord... What exactly do you intend to do there?"
Ethan stopped at the door leading outside, looking at her with a crooked, confident grin.
"I'm going to set the forest on fire."