After one gains perception to sense the mana fluctuations of the world, they could then manipulate mana to circulate through their body. Once that process is complete, they could call themself a deacon. Afterwards, they would begin cultivating their inner world, raising it from barren yet fertile land to a separate world within the greater one. When sentient creatures roam the hills and rivers of one’s inner self, the individual would have become truly independent of the greater world at large, able to fly outside the atmosphere and summon waves at the turn of their hand. At that point, one would become a saint and have a near-infinite lifespan.
There exists a stage that exists even beyond sainthood, and that is godhood, where one truly leaves the world, removing the shackles of fate and supposedly obtaining true immortality. Yet that exists in the realms of myths and legend. Were it no for the first emperor in all human history, Alexander, that realm would likely have been completely forgotten.
Ovid decided his reasoning behind his first and last steps on treading the path toward immortality would remain definite and absolute - to observe and discover the secrets of the universe for all eternity. Perhaps the steps taken in between would be for some other reasons, such as exacting revenge for humiliation given, or step foot in some forbidden land no other had walked, but all of these would pale when compared to the final goal. The destination is the most important, not the journey.
If someone learnt of his thoughts on the old and smelly mattress, he would definitely get laughed at. He had yet to take his first steps, yet he was already thinking of the destination that only one had reached in the past one hundred thousand years. However, these thoughts would never be spoken.
Compared to any other person, and it is difficult to find someone as unique as Ovid. He had only lived life for twenty odd years, yet have the bearings of a sage who had lived a hundred and a newborn child at the same time. He dealt with things in a steadfast, yet stubborn manner. If he had met more people in life, they would find it as difficult, if not more to determine his age, than the owners.
He had fallen asleep while staring at the stars, but he still woke up at the same time as before. He performed his usual routine and went downstairs. The book he read yesterday seemed to have no effect on him or his daily schedule. Only his fatigued eyes showed that he was not as peaceful as he had been previously. He did not have a good sleep because there was too much on his mind.
He learnt from the owner that Anna had only returned this morning. However, the girl had only arrived here for a moment, before going out with another set of clothes.
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It was noon when Anna finally returned to the inn. The owner was the first to notice her return, she gave Anna a brief glance, before saying, “Congratulations.”
Ovid heard the owner’s words and understood what she meant after some thought, he turned to Anna’s slightly red face from the bath and said, “How about I join you in wandering today?”
Upon hearing this, Anna lifted her face and grinned. She dried her damp hair with a towel and took out a heavy coin purse from her satchel. Dragging Ovid by his hands, she headed out to the ‘West Market’ that she had yet to go to. Her steps were light and airy as if she was not walking on ground but rather air, causing her to have a childish and cute look.
The city of Phalaris was not an insignificant city, it was said that the birthplace of Alexander was not more than twenty kilometres from the spot the city stood. It might be because of that reason, that this city which did not stand on any particularly defensible position, or particullarly valuable trade route, would have become so prosperous.
At that time, the humans were still in their dark ages, unable to pass down their wisdom, they were scattered throughout the continent and existed in small chiefdoms. Around the time Alexander was born, some of these chiefdoms had already formed minor kingdoms, yet they lacked an important resource that made them unable to compete with the elven city-states living in the Aeon forest.
Races such as elves or dragons were able to absorb raw mana from their surroundings, whether it be a volcano or an olive tree growing in one’s backyard, they could directly convert it into their own strength. Humans, however, had a different body system, making them unable to take in such impure and harsh forms of mana. No matter what technique they developed, they were unable to gain the same strength as the rival races.
The legends say, at that time, an elven sage named Glafx, who had acted as prime minister under the elven saint-king Gale, had stumbled upon Alexander by accident. After conversing with the young man for three days and three nights, the sage decided to pass down the sacred manual of the elves to Alexander in hopes advance the world.
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From that point on, humans learnt how to take in the pure mana coming from the celestial bodies. The energy coming from them were free of impurities and were relatively milder compared to other sources like magma, so it did not conflict with a human’s body.
Not a century after his meeting with the Sage Glafx, Alexander managed to unite the squabbling human tribes under his rule, burnt down the Aeon forest the elves inhabit and even humiliated the dragon species by kicking them off their homeland.
After he ascended to godhood, humans had established themselves as the dominate race of the continent. Their population quickly swelled and new techniques and manuals popped up like bamboo shoots after rain. For the next ninety thousand years, they had no competitors.
Yet who would have expected the dragons to return after so many years had passed? They waged a war against Alexander’s successor for fifty years, losing nine in ten of their population in the process. Yet in the end, they were victorious against humans, with the oldest of the dragons now sitting on the same throne Alexander once sat on.
Were it not for the appearance of a young genius who had fought Julia at the Great Dividing Range for two months, the entire continent may have fallen under the ruler of Julia.
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After the dragons had settled into their new position as the rulers of the southern portions of the continent, their first agenda was to organise all manuals developed in the past ninety thousand years into the clergy. As such, Anna was currently unable to manipulate mana and could not advance into deacon, as it would be impossible to come into possession of the clergy’s book without being a member of it.
Of course, there is another method, to come into contact with a foreign master who is willing to take one of the two in as a disciple. Yet the heavens is so vast, how could saints be as common as the cabbages sold on the ‘South Market?’
Right now, there was a saint dwelling within the city.
Under a section of the old wall which had long crumbled with time, a woman was holding a lotus umbrella. It was no raining, so it was a little strange why she did not put the umbrella away.
She was already a saint and had no desires to enter godhood, so she would often idle around and do nothing.
Irene looked deeply into the city and raised her thin, willow-like eyebrows. Her voice was as calm as the surface of a lake.
“Congratulations.”
The bishop Catherine had bold eyebrows that made her look a little masculine. For some unknown reason, there was a little precipitation on her forehead, some of which now hangs on her brows. Hearing the saint speak, she shuddered and caused the droplets of water on her face to fall down onto the overgrown stone footpath.
The old walls were close to the cathedral and one could see the gold plating and oval dome that the magnificent structure possesses. There were many gems on the building and glittered with a brilliance that could be seen miles away at a certain time of day.
Catherine glanced at the cathedral she was in charge of and measured if her line of sight was similar to that of Irene. She could not find anything despite looking in the same direction, which caused her to be confused.
“Lady Irene, what may the joyous news be?” She asked in a voice so quiet a mosquitoes surely could not hear.
Catherine was regarded as a one in a hundred-year talent and is the youngest human bishop currently alive, with that, she had every right to be arrogant. Yet infront of a saint who had lived years who knows how many magnitudes more than hers, she would only be as meek as a kitten.
Irene was already wearing so many layers of clothes, with the lotus umbrella covering her face, not a single bit of skin could be seen.
It made the woman feel even more distant, like an ice sheet from the frigid south.
“Someone has started their path.”
Irene remained looking at the city, she answered indifferently.
Catherine grew even more confused. Even though only one in a thousand could sense mana, there were still people beginning their journey to immortality every day. Irene must have seen millions of ambitious man and woman walk that path and fail, yet she had paid attention to this case.
“The range is extremely far.”
Catherine would not want to lose a chance to prove herself infront of a saint, she said, “I restraint myself for two years and ended my first step at six. My teacher at the time said the distance could be ranked within the top twenty in the past hundred years. I later learnt that my teacher’s distance was even larger than mine. But now she is still stuck in deaconhood while I am already a bishop. But in the end, entering deaconhood is not only about perception, but also one’s heart and veins. How would that person catch lady’s attention?”
This was a personal anecdote, but still a valid example. While Catherine had entered bishophood at the age of fifty, Zoe was just in the crowd as one of the many deacons in the world. Were if not for her exceptional wisdom, she would have never become Catherine’s teacher.
Irene was in a good mood and talked much more than usual. She explained, “The person who finished their first step is better than you. The preception could not only sense miles away but is also very accurate.”
If Irene was not familiar with Anna, she would have suspected the one who took their first step was someone who had exercised restraint for half their lifetime. Those cases were quite common, yet their potential would have long been extinguished by then and not worthy of mention.
Catherine said, “It is said during your first step that at the moment, you were omnipotent. How would it compare to your talent? Even if she has potential, I believe it is nothing compared to yours, Lady Irene.”
Catherine was certainly fawning over Irene.
Irene remained indifferent, and even a hint of anger could be seen in her eyes. “You fool.”
Irene was very young in comparison to other dragons like Julia, but she was one of the few who had reached sainthood. Even if Catherine is one of the youngest bishops to have existed, Irene has every right to call the girl a fool.
Catherine was certainly shocked, yet she could not express her discontent. She lowered her face in shame and no longer spoke.
Irene knew the girl was experiencing turbulent emotions but didn’t care. She looked at the ‘Western Markets’ and fell silent for a long time.
She spoke, “Your fate?”
It was unknown if she was referring to Anna or to Ovid.