Anxius instinctively glanced at Lucian, a trace of wariness showing in his expression. Why discuss such an important matter in front of Leviathan, who had just become the seventh Acolyte of the Secret Prayer Society? Was there no fear that he was a spy, infiltrating to help the heretical god Annathas find the whereabouts of the great God of Flame and Destruction? At least they should wait for the one-year probationary period to pass, confirm he was no problem, before truly letting him participate in discussions of core affairs.
Under the dual high-pressure control in the city of Belitane, and the deterrence of the High Priests and Divine Blood Heroes, the members of the "Secret Prayer Society" were extremely careful, because those who were not careful were already dead, and had even brought serious losses to the Society.
" Why is this topic being suddenly discussed? I recall the last 'Proselytization' plan was only just confirmed not long ago?" Anxius looked solemnly at Jacob, the Head Acolyte.
Jacob pressed down the tiny grey rose pattern on his hem, his voice low: "This is an order directly from the 'Crown'. We are to wait quietly for his arrival."
The "Crown", the leader of the Secret Prayer Society, the divine son of the God of Flame and Destruction, also claimed to be His incarnation avatar, the father and son as one, while Lucian and the other Acolytes were outwardly known as "Rite-Bringers", those who spread the path of divine commandments.
Anxius's expression only then softened. He sat down on a silver seat woven with flame patterns forming the Balier word for "five." Amid the gazes of the other Acolytes—some appraising, some wary, some indifferent—Lucian also mimicked Anxius, walking unhurriedly to the silver chair marked "seven," appearing as at ease as if he were at home.
"Leviathan, I heard from Norton that you possess innate great strength, capable of contending with the weakest of the Divine Bloods, is that so?" Jacob's face was a messy tangle of white beard, making his expression impossible to read.
The other Acolytes' gazes were fixed on the dark red circular table, as if they hadn't heard Jacob's question, nor did they expect Lucian's answer. This level of strength, though rare among humans, was not without precedent. Saying he could contend with the weakest Divine Blood referred only to physical strength. Once a Divine Blood user unleashed the "extraordinary power" from their bloodline, wielding miraculous spells and manipulating natural phenomena, the strongman was no different from an ordinary person—equally prone to swift death.
Lucian currently had the appearance of an ordinary man with black hair and black eyes, no different from any other Balier citizen. He smiled and replied, "I have never fought a Divine Blood, so I am not clear on the exact difference, but I can deal with ordinary monsters."
The injury Lucian had mentioned before was due to encountering a terrifying monster in the wilderness, escaping relying on his innate divine strength. The power from his knighthood had indeed surprised Norton, who could only cast quasi-spells. This was perhaps one of the reasons he recommended Lucian to become the seventh Acolyte.
Jacob's back was very straight, his eyes and tone unchanged: "Then your future 'Seed of Spirit' can lean in this direction. The power to crush a city wall, skin that can defend against swords and spears, and great speed—just like the heretical god Annathas before He slew His father-god."
Annathas, the Lord of War, was the son of the Sky God in the creation myths of the Angenoma Empire, half-god, half-human, possessing immense strength. The sharpest blades striking his body would at most leave white scratches. After killing the nine great monsters that plagued the Empire, he instead faced censure from the Sky God in the divine abode. In a rage, he rebelled, killing his father-god and ascending to the throne of the chief deity of the Angenoma pantheon.
"But before that, you must use your strength to offer sufficient service to the great Lord of Flame and Destruction." Before Lucian could answer, Jacob continued, speaking in the same manner he used to encourage every important member of the Secret Prayer Society—the important members who had not yet obtained the Seed of Spirit to become Acolytes.
Suddenly, the secret hall filled with a searing aura of destruction, as if a fire were descending.
Jacob stood first, pressing his hand to his chest and bowing his head: "We respectfully welcome the 'Crown'."
The other Acolytes followed suit, paying their respects one after another. Meanwhile, Lucian was evaluating the approximate level of the aura. If the "Crown" was releasing his aura without restraint to awe the "Rite-Bringers", his strength should be around the seventh rank. However, this aura was quite strange. It was neither spiritual suppression, nor powerful will coercion, nor sacred and majestic pressure, but rather something of a "hybrid" that seemed to combine a bit of all three, with no single aspect outstanding.
"False God, incarnation avatar, divine son... truly grows ever more interesting." Lucian had infiltrated the Secret Prayer Society primarily for intelligence, to facilitate his escape from a semi-dangerous situation; research was merely a secondary goal. But as he learned more and saw more, his innate desire as an Archanist grew ever stronger, to the point of actively considering participating in the Society's affairs. "If he is truly the sole incarnation avatar of the God of Flame and Destruction, then this False God's strength should be eighth rank. The Lord of War who managed to escape Him... it seems that warrior hasn't reached the legendary realm, but is at the peak of the ninth-rank Golden Knight."
Although in the early days of the Dawn War, the remnant mages were chased about by the Church of the God of Truth and didn't understand much about False Gods, with figures like the Undead Lord Vincent appearing, the Council later obtained considerable information about False Gods from the Southern Church. Lucian's clearance was insufficient, so his knowledge was limited, but he roughly knew that a False God could separate its power to create avatars, or incarnate upon a divine son possessing its bloodline. The avatar's strength was at most one rank lower than the True God's own. If it was an avatar of that caliber, there could be at most two. To create more, the avatar's power had to be reduced.
Since the Secret Prayer Society claimed to be the current main sect of the God of Flame and Destruction, Lucian deduced that the divine son, the sole avatar, that Avendo used to control this secret sect should belong to the strongest type.
A young, handsome man with black hair emerged from a hidden area of the stone hall. He wore a loose, plain white robe, an olive wreath upon his head. The exposed skin seemed to have a layer of illusory flames constantly flowing over it, highlighting the bulging muscles as powerful and aesthetically pleasing.
"In close combat, he should be formidable, possessing some quasi-spell abilities, more akin to a knight... no, equivalent to a powerful devil from the abyss." Lucian made his assessment based on what the being revealed.