Glenn stared at his fingertip, hoping for a flicker of flame, but once more, he felt like a fool as his Mana dissipated without any spark. Frustration gnawed at him; he couldn't grasp the elusive rules governing elemental spells. He'd experimented with ice, wind, earth—nothing worked.

He sat on the floor, pondering his predicament. Non-elemental magic came easily, highlighting a stark difference from elemental spells. Something fundamental stopped him from using them, something different from those damned elemental spells...

"Fire is the combustion of oxygen," Glenn muttered, his chin resting on his hand. "Maybe I need to envision oxygen burning? But no, it doesn't make sense..." He frowned, "...I doubt they know about atoms and molecules in this world. So how...?"

He scratched his head, perplexed. How did Redan and Giselle summon ice and fire? Was it available only to 4th Circle magic?

This last thought made him grimace. The School of Words would shine if this was the case since even Beginners Initiate could summon fire with a simple Ignis. But that wouldn't make any sense. The Draconic School is supposedly made with the objective of maximum freedom in the creation of spells, so it wouldn't be logical if elemental spells were locked behind a level lock. When he trained with Redan back in the Black Heir's camp, the old man often talked about infusing spells with the power of one's Mana Heart...Perhaps this was the solution?

Glenn began to meditate, diving into his Mana Heart, gazing at the Magellanic Clouds—his source of magic. He knew it held explosive potential with Implosion, but he hadn't delved further into it. Implosion had been more the product of luck and enlightenment, instead of an expected result. Redan's Mana Heart resembled a "spear made of White Ice." Maybe that's how he accessed ice spells? Glenn needed to create spells using the Magellanic Clouds' power, akin to Implosion. But how? In the case of Redan, his attributes were pretty evident, but what of his own? What even were the attributes of a star formation? Is 'cool' an attribute?

Glenn suddenly understood Redan's confusion when he saw his Mana Heart. Indeed, he had his work cut out for him. He tried to recall the knowledge he had on these Magellanic Clouds. He never was an expert on star formations, but even the name had been given to him in some kind of strange enlightening way. All the knowledge he had with it was given to him by some mystical power. Well, it will have to do.

The Magellanic Clouds are two dwarf galaxies near the Milky Way in Earth's sky, containing billions of stars and vast amounts of cosmic materials. If he used this as an explanation of the power of his Mana Heart, that meant the latter had immense and nearly limitless magical potential. Nonetheless, he didn't feel as if his power was unlimited or whatnot. If he used even a fraction of this power with Implosion, he fell instantly into a short coma, and he didn't even imagine what would happen if he used stronger spells.

Was he fated to be a one-time cannon who could only shoot once?

No, he refused to accept that. Glenn steeled his resolve to create a new spell harnessing his Mana Heart's power.

"Give me some steel dummies!" Glenn requested from the Savant Room, gritting his teeth. With utmost care, he visualized the Clouds descending onto the ground, conserving Mana. Initially, he used minimal Mana, but as the spell took shape, his consumption rate surged. The dummies crashed to the ground, crushed by his new spell. Beads of sweat trickled down as he struggled to halt the spell, but it was too late. His Mana flowed uncontrollably, fueling the gravity spell.

"Damn it!"

Glenn finally managed to cut off the flow, gasping at the air, his strength spent. He had succeeded in not using every single drop of his Mana, but he was left with not even enough to summon a Magic Bullet. He was lucky he didn't lose consciousness like the last time he used Implosion. He sighed, as he interpreted the results of this new experience.

He created some kind of gravity spell that pushed down on a zone. He didn't know for the steel dummies, but humans might get hurt by this new spell. Plus, it could be used as good crowd-control if he managed to tweak the settings a bit. Maybe a higher zone of usage, with a lesser power. Or instead, concentrate it in one spot, crashing down on a single target. He shivered, not willing to imagine what would happen if he used such things on a human.

'That would be a bloody mess, that's what I'm saying,' Diamanes suddenly commented while yawning in his mind.

Glenn shook his head, recognizing that his practice session had concluded with the awakening of his left hand. He glanced at the Savant Room, slowly coming to terms with the fact that he was going to need more Mana before truly diving into his Mana Heart's specialty. He infused the remaining Mana into his Key with the intent to leave the Magi Brotherhood HQ. After reappearing in the shabby hut and exiting, he realized that most of the morning had passed, leaving about an hour until his lunch meeting with Sahro.

He strolled through the Northern Town's streets after he decided to visit the Heart Bakery and check on its status since the rat problem was resolved. He arrived on Rampart Street, finding an intriguing sight: a long queue outside the Heart's Bakery. The tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, causing Glenn's stomach to rumble. He joined the line, patiently waiting his turn.

The shopkeeper efficiently served customers, and Glenn eventually entered the bakery. A petite woman rushed around, her face beaming when she noticed Glenn.

"Ms. Laurence," Glenn greeted her, eyeing the shelves piled high with steaming loaves.

Ms. Laurence quickly moved behind the counter, wiping her brow.

"Hello, Mr. Glenn! I hope Mr. Sahro is doing well. I apologize for the rush; as you can see, we have quite a crowd today. What can I get for you?"

Glenn smiled and pointed to one of the loaves. Ms. Laurence swiftly packaged it and handed it to Glenn, who accepted it gratefully.

"Two coppers! Come on, chop, chop!"

Glenn chuckled and paid her. He left the bakery, clutching the warm bread under his arm. Business appeared to be thriving for Ms. Laurence. He tore off a small piece of bread and savored its crispy, warm interior. A few more bites confirmed its deliciousness. As he wandered the Northern Town's streets, he lost track of his surroundings and found himself in a tranquil park, surrounded by greenery and serenity.

Looking around in puzzlement, he discovered that he was in some kind of park, with a huge church situated at the center of it. People were relaxing in the calm of the park, birds singing in the numerous trees. It almost felt like he had been transported right in the middle of a forest, instead of just navigating the streets of the Northern Town.

The church was built peculiarly, supporting itself on two ancient, towering trees, acting as pillars to its architecture. The stone walls were covered in green moss that avoided the stained glass windows, which depicted scenes of a benevolent woman shining light on her followers. Curious, he entered the church.

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There wasn't the solemn silence that he had already experienced in churches of his world. Instead, priests were walking busily, talking with citizens who came to share their worries or the opposite. There was a soothing feeling once inside the building, calming his heart and mind.

Diamanes, his inner voice, couldn't help but complain. 'I almost feel like I'm going to transform into holy light. Why did you come here already?'

Glenn shrugged off Diamanes' protests. 'I thought it might exorcise you or something, too bad it didn't.'

Glenn explored the church, admiring its architecture while ignoring the entity's curses of protests and indignation. A well of light illuminated the center, casting a spotlight on a massive statue of a beautiful woman wearing a benevolent smile, mirroring the stained glass depiction. A young priest, carrying a hefty book, approached Glenn with a polite demeanor. His slender frame and good looks could have graced the pages of a magazine on Earth.

"Do you need help, young man?"

Glenn adjusted his tie. "I'm just visiting, thanks. Is this the Onnea's Church?"

The priest smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Are you not from here?"

Glenn shook his head, prompting the priest to continue.

"Do you want me to tell you the story of the Church? If you have the time, of course," asked the young priest.

Glenn rubbed the back of his neck, before shrugging.

"Well, why not...uh, mister...?"

The priest bowed slightly with a smile.

"I'm Brother Khan, you can call me what you like."

He invited Glenn to sit on a nearby bench, opening his book in front of him. He coughed a little, before starting his explanation.

"Our religion is dedicated to the Dame of Harmony, the Mother of Eternal Balance, Goddess Onnea. We're the ones who push back against the forces of darkness, who put order in this chaotic world. We're heavily invested in world peace, and due to that, have one of the most powerful religious forces in the world, almost comparable to warring religions," Brother Khan proudly explained.

'The Dame of Harmony and the Mother of Eternal Balance...What grand titles,' thought Glenn.

The young priest continued.

"We're based in every region of Munirp, while our headquarters are in the Holy Grounds in Westeria. It's another country that has been blessed by the Dame of Harmony, and the holy land for us, believers of Onnea. Oh, and our symbol is a silver balance. It's pretty simple." He pointed at his book, where said symbol was drawn.

Glenn nodded, following the priest's explanation.

"Our goddess appeared in a time of war and apocalypse, before even the First King. She, along with the other six Primordial gods, protected our world, sealing it away from the evil entities outside. This was the Epoch of the Gods."

The priest sighed, his hand placed on one of the pages of his book.

"Even today, after thousands and thousands of years, marks of the terrible battles that happened in this troubled era still plague our world."

Glenn's eyebrows rose, as he held out his hand in question.

"Wait, is the Moon Rift one of those marks?"

The priest tilted his head from left to right, uncertain.

"Well, some think that it is, some think that its origin is entirely something else. The issue is that any records from before the Epoch of the Gods are gone, so no one knows."

Glenn rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Who were the six other gods?"

The priest smiled and flipped through the pages of his book, opening it to some illustrations.

"There was the Order of Plutus, or the Gold Church, venerating the Emperor of Greed, Lord of the Merchants, and Ruler of the Gold. It's...a peculiar religion, very oriented toward the objective of making money."

'I think I'd like this religion,' thought Glenn.

He pointed to a drawing in his book, a golden eastern dragon sleeping on a gigantic mountain of gold, his tail circling it.

"They are the ones who hold the most money in this world. Banks, loan companies, merchants associations...Each of them is linked to the Gold Church in one way or another. Their symbol is that of a gold dragon coiled on its tail."

He then flipped the page, showing another illustration, a shadow wielding a scythe. The drawing was exceptionally dark, obscuring any details.

"Then there was the Cult of Nergal, the Underworld Church, venerating the Gatekeeper of Hell, the Reaper of Souls and Keeper of Death. It's a very mysterious religion. There are little records of Them, with a few legends here and there of Their believers appearing on battlefields and gathering corpses, before disappearing strangely."

Glenn frowned.

"That's weird that there are so few records of Them. Are you even sure They exist?"

The priest raised his shoulders in doubt.

"Who knows? Even with so little information about them released, every powerhouse is convinced that They exist."

He flipped the page once again, showing now the illustration of a faceless man opening his arms like a cross, his body covered in thorns and wounds. Brother Khan grimaced when seeing the picture, but continued his explanation, undeterred.

"That's the Thorns Church. A religion venerating the God of Pain and Redemption, Epinos. It's a...particularly disliked religion in the Church of Onnea. Its members are all fanatical, and often prompt to...overshare their beliefs. They aren't present in King's Rise, thankfully, but perhaps you saw their church outside the Frozen Gate. "

Glenn nodded painfully, reminded of his time with them. The young priest quickly turned over the page, uneasy when seeing the illustration of Epinos. He paused in thought, before sighing.

"Originally, the Thorns Church wasn't like this. There are records proving that it was a church of pardon, to accept those forsaken by life. But during the Epoch of the Gods, the religion changed, becoming this...fanatical, masochistic cult. Their symbol is that of a cross in a circle, that circle wrapped in thorny vines."

"These bastards," Glenn blurted out, before looking away from Brother Khan's confused gaze. The latter shook his head and then pointed at a new drawing, showing a muscular man roaring, his body covered in wounds. His leather armor was ripped in places and he was holding a sword and an axe in his hands. He was standing on a pile of bodies and weapons in a bloody, macabre scene.

"That's the Brotherhood of Iron Blood, venerating the Bloodblade, the Slayer of Evil, the Iron Conqueror, and the Father of War." Brother Khan rubbed his neck, before continuing.

"The central tenet of the Brotherhood is martial honor. One of the Bloodblade principles is that honor will triumph over all, encouraging Their believers to uphold a strict code of ethics and integrity in combat, revering the latter as a divine ritual. The believers of the Brotherhood traditionally forge their weapons themselves, bounding it to themselves in an ancient divine ritual."

Glenn whistled, impressed.

"They sound like real badasses."

Brother Khan smiled gently, nodding.

"They are. There is a branch in the Military District outside the city, as well as the Western Town. I think they want to build one in the Northern Town too, but it's not for right now."

He turned the page, letting Glenn discover yet another illustration. An elderly figure with a long, flowing beard and hair as white as snow was wearing a robe adorned with intricate runes while holding a radiant crystal orb and a book in the other. He was floating above ground in what looked like a library.

"This is the Divine Sage, Keeper of Arcane, Seeker of Knowledge, and Ruler of Magic. They are a peculiar god, as They don't have an actual religion."

Glenn's brows creased. A god without a religion? There was something wrong with this sentence.

"Instead," continued Brother Khan, "They introduced during the Epoch of the Gods the foundations of what is known today as the Magi Brotherhood."

Glenn gasped. He pointed at himself in surprise.

"What? I'm part of the Magi Brotherhood and I wasn't even aware of that!"

Brother Khan laughed slightly and clasped his hands together.

"It's not surprising. The Magi Brotherhood is, as envisioned by the Divine Sage, a place to learn and trade magic, pushing its developments further. It's a place to learn and share, not intended to revere a god."

He turned the page, revealing the seventh god. Only, the page was blank. Glenn looked at the priest with a quizzical look. Weren't there seven Primordial Gods? Brother Khan rubbed his head, smiling awkwardly.

"Well, I can understand your confusion. The seventh god, uhm, died."

Glenn's eyes widened. A god could die?

The priest raised his hands helplessly.

"The records stated the presence of a seventh god. But there is no reference to Their name, Their principles, or Their believers. It's as if They disappeared completely. We know They were here, but we don't know what They did."

Glenn sighed, looking at the ceiling. This matter was quite puzzling, and he felt like a mystery was hidden under there. His gaze suddenly shook, seeing the sun high in the sky. He stood up suddenly, flustered.

"Damnit, I forgot Sahro. I'm sorry, brother Khan, this was a fascinating history lesson, but I need to go now!"

The priest bowed his head slightly, amused.

"...What an interesting fellow..." He muttered, watching Glenn's back as he hurriedly ran out of the church.

Strangely, he could feel something divine about this young man.

As if the Goddess herself touched him.