https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-676-The-Mystifying-Bond-Between-Lanchi-and-Thalia-Part-2-/12585054/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-677-Unsealing-Lanchi-and-Thalia-s-Shadow-Weaving-Record-Part-2-/12585056/
Chapter 677: Unsealing Lanchi and Thalia's Shadow-Weaving Record (Part 1)
Chapter 677: Unsealing Lanchi and Thalia's Shadow-Weaving Record (Part 1)
A summer breeze, laden with the scent of the season, brushed past the pair as they walked.
Having bid farewell to Sergeant Nigel, Lanchi and Thalia made their way towards the tourist attractions near the Pariah Cathedral of the Goddess, as planned.
"The surroundings of the Cathedral of the Goddess of Fate in Pariah, the City of Flowers, seem a little different from those in Icariot. Let's get something for Shubelian," Thalia said to Lanchi.
Shubelian had a particular fondness for collecting tokens and mementos associated with the Goddess of Fate.
Of course, items related to other benevolent deities were also of interest.
"That's a great idea. I assume they sell gift boxes of offerings, postcards, music albums, and perhaps even a translation of the 'Book of Creation' in Posan here," Lanchi mused, nodding in agreement.
These items were typically not purchased by locals but were likely to be popular among tourists.
For instance, Icariot Academy sold various souvenirs emblazoned with the school badge and name, which were occasionally bought by visiting tourists rather than the students themselves.
Cat Boss, perched on Lanchi's arm, listened to their conversation.
He wondered why they insisted on referring to the temple's souvenirs as "merchandise."
Nonetheless, it was clear that neither of them held a deep reverence for the gods.
As the trio approached the broad square in front of the Pariah Cathedral, their vision was dominated by the majestic structure before them.
Its spires and flying buttresses seemed to bridge the past and present.
Occasionally, a flock of white doves would take flight from the nearby square, soaring past the cathedral's towers and casting a string of graceful shadows.
They had now reached the 1st District of Pariah's downtown area, located on the Central West Bank Island of the Selena River, directly across from the Pariah City Hall and the Platinum Forest Palace.
"So, the gift boxes of offerings sold at the temple are meant to be eaten, right?" Thalia asked, having been deep in thought ever since Lanchi had mentioned them earlier.
She felt that since they were being sold as souvenir gift boxes, they probably weren't the kind of ancient sacrificial offerings made to the gods.
While it was not unheard of for demons to believe in the Goddess of Fate, the benevolent and orderly deities were often less favored in the demon realm, and demons might instinctively feel that such gods did not like them.
Shubelian, for instance, was sometimes hesitant to enter the Icariot Cathedral of the Goddess of Fate, fearing that she would taint the pure land of the goddess. It was only later that the Ice Witch, Arthemis, gave her the courage to formally become a priestess.
Out of consideration for Shubelian, Thalia maintained a basic level of respect for the Goddess of Fate, whom Shubelian favored.
"That's right," Lanchi explained. "You offer money to the church, the goddess accepts your intentions, and then you can enjoy the treats."
According to the description, the gift box contained mostly sweets—soft, fluffy pastries that melted in the mouth, paired with fruits, cream, coconut, pudding, and other delights, depending on the color of the pastry.
This style of confectionery was likely not popular in Thalia's era.
"Then this delicacy isn't suitable for keeping or taking back. If we buy it, let's just eat it on the way," Thalia suggested.
"Sure," Lanchi replied. The funds he had brought on this trip to the Posan Kingdom were meant for purchasing card-making materials for the 'Kaliella Shadow-Weaving Record,' and the rest was specifically given by his father for Thalia's treats. She could have whatever she wanted.
"How many boxes should we get?" he added.
"...Just one!" Thalia replied, biting her lip. She felt that Lanchi's level of cheekiness was beyond redemption, and she couldn't be bothered to hit him anymore.
Lanchi, with the cat in his arms, walked alongside Thalia across the sunny square.
Their destination for the day, the Pariah Cathedral, soon came into full view, its architecture an impressive sight.
Passing through the soaring archways and slender colonnades, they quickly entered the cathedral's interior.
The Pariah Cathedral had a roughly elongated horseshoe-shaped floor plan, covering a total area of 6,000 square meters. Its west facade boasted two 70-meter-tall bell towers, and its interior consisted of five longitudinal bays—a central bay flanked by two wing bays on each side—forming a cruciform shape. The top served as the altar, while the long wings of the cross formed the rectangular main hall of the cathedral.
"This cathedral currently belongs to the priests of the Goddess of Love, and it's the largest temple dedicated to her on the Southern Continent," Lanchi explained to Thalia, much like a tour guide.
Each city's main temple was dedicated to a different deity. In Pariah, the City of Flowers, the largest temple was actually devoted to the Goddess of Love, corresponding to the chapter on 'Will and Love' in the 'Book of Creation,' which recorded spiritual divine arts.
The temples of the Goddess of Will and Love were often popular among couples and young people seeking romance, attracting residents and tourists alike who came to pray for luck in love.
"Not bad," Thalia thought. Lanchi's services often met her expectations.
She barely had to worry about anything and could just follow him around.
The interior of the hall featured three wide doorways composed of arched structures, with vivid carvings depicting scenes from the 'Book of Creation' above the lintels.
The side walls were adorned with hundreds of colorful stained-glass windows, their craftsmanship causing the windows to shimmer with vibrant hues in the sunlight, like a magnificent, ever-changing kaleidoscope.
"Speaking of the chapter on Will and Love, it's a pity that the related 'Original Stone Tablet of the Spirit' has completely disappeared without a trace," Lanchi sighed as he and Thalia gazed up at the ancient mural on the cathedral's dome.
Back in Icariot Academy, during Professor Theresa's class on the magic family tree, he had inquired about the current whereabouts of the Original Stone Tablets. However, the one associated with the spirit had been missing for many years.
"Even if we knew its whereabouts, we might not be able to obtain it. Acquiring an Original Stone Tablet relies two parts on strength and eight parts on luck. We'd be fortunate to get our hands on just one usable one," Thalia said, shaking her head as she stood bathed in the colorful radiance.
Original Stone Tablets were a matter of chance and opportunity.
Even during the heyday of the demon realm, only a handful of powerful demons possessed them.
For example, the Ice Witch, Arthemis, would ideally have held the 'Original Stone Tablet of Ice,' but luck had only granted her the 'Original Stone Tablet of Healing.'
As they strolled, Lanchi and Thalia discussed the intricacies of attribute stones and the impact they had on one's innate and acquired attributes. Thalia, as Lanchi's teacher, had previously refrained from delving too deeply into this topic, considering his initial weakness. Now, with Lanchi's growing strength, she felt it was time to impart more advanced knowledge.
Lanchi's innate attribute was Sealing, and his acquired attribute could be modified through his choice of cards. During his entrance exam at Icariot Academy, Lanchi's heavy use of healing magic cards had temporarily shifted his acquired attribute to Healing. However, his inherent Sealing attribute remained untapped and unused due to his initial weakness.
"I see," Lanchi mused, feeling that Thalia's explanation had come a little late.
"What? Have you already had a detailed explanation from another teacher?" Thalia asked, having caught a fleeting thought. She had assumed that Icariot Academy's curriculum only skimmed the surface and didn't expect them to analyze the adaptability of original stone tablets in depth. After all, students with the potential to obtain original stone tablets were rare, perhaps one in a dozen graduating classes.
"Yes," Lanchi nodded. Master Lao had taught him everything there was to know.
"So, have you decided on the class you want to engrave?" Thalia asked, confident that Lanchi now had a solid understanding of the subject. She turned her attention to the cathedral's interior, the conversation shifting to the subject of job engraving.
In this world, reaching the sixth tier was an exceptional achievement, with such individuals wielding immense power in the border regions of major nations. However, the seventh tier was the true dividing line between the extraordinary and the transcendent, and very few beings ever attained this level.
"I haven't thought about it yet," Lanchi replied thoughtfully, recalling a brief conversation he'd had with Xide about seventh-tier job engravings while in the Snowfield Province of the Northern Continent. Back then, as a fourth-tier, he hadn't given it much consideration.
Time had passed, and now, having recently reached the sixth tier with the help of the seventh-tier shadow world, 'The Darkest Day Eclipse Devil Realm,' he found himself suddenly facing the decision of choosing a seventh-tier job engraving.
Advancing to the seventh tier required more than just reaching the pinnacle of the sixth tier; it also entailed gathering materials that harmonized with one's attributes to engrave a job, significantly enhancing one's fundamental attributes and passive job abilities. The compatibility of materials directly influenced the difficulty of success, and the higher the quality of the core materials, the more challenging the process became. Failure resulted in injuries, regression of magic power, and a temporary inability to attempt another job engraving.
The proof of the Cardinal of the Resurrection Church was an ideal, epic-level material for this purpose.
Typically, those with the potential and opportunity to aspire to the seventh tier would strive to obtain the highest quality and most compatible materials to engrave their jobs. However, this very step had stalled many powerful sixth-tier individuals, preventing them from joining the ranks of the absolute elites.
The most impressive job passive Lanchi had ever seen belonged to Askesan:
'Omni-Seal Specialty'
Category: Soul Engraving
Grade: Orange Epic
Attribute: Sealing
Tier: 0
Passive Effect: Increases magic power attribute by 18%, spirit attribute by 12%, and sealing magic damage by 25%
This was the highest-level seal master job information retrieved from Askesan's body during the Protoss Empire autopsy.
For the same job category and grade, the total passive values remained constant, but the distribution of magic and spirit attributes could vary depending on the individual and the materials used. The content of the final effect would also differ.
"I only know that the sixth and seventh tiers are a real watershed," Lanchi explained to Thalia, "Once you reach the seventh tier, it becomes much harder to be killed."
Even setting aside the substantial increase in base attributes when advancing from the sixth to the seventh tier, the passive job ability alone could make a significant difference.
"So, while it's possible for a fourth, fifth, or sixth tier to take on a higher-tier opponent, it's almost unheard of for a sixth tier to defeat a seventh tier in single combat." To win against a seventh tier, a sixth tier would typically need the support of a full twelve-person team.
As for the eighth tier, there was no hope of victory, no matter how many sixth tiers joined the fight. Even the toughest tanks would be instantly slain, healers wouldn't be able to keep up, and the damage output wouldn't be sufficient. The eighth tier's regeneration would likely outpace the damage they received.
To defeat an eighth-tier opponent, who was on the verge of stepping into the realm of godhood, one would either need large-scale military fortress facilities, like the Phantom Shockwave Tower, the Magic Rending Sky Cannon, and the Azure Shield Array used by the border defense forces against the Blood Marquis in the South Van Tina territory, or one would have to bring an eighth-tier opponent of their own.
"That's right," Thalia agreed with Lanchi's assessment. "If you were to reach the seventh tier, you would have been a force to be reckoned with even in the Demon-Beast War a hundred years ago. Generally, engraving a purple-rare job is already quite an achievement, but at the seventh tier, any job will do, and at the eighth tier, you get one chance to re-engrave if you're unsatisfied, though you can only upgrade by one grade."
Theoretically, the seventh tier required engraving a purple job, the eighth tier could upgrade to pink, and the ninth tier could reach orange. Of course, this was just theory, as very few beings ever reached the ninth tier. The more favorable path was to engrave a pink job at the seventh tier, allowing for an orange job at the eighth.
"By the way, aside from attribute differences, what's the significance of a job's grade?" Lanchi asked as they continued their tour.
He sensed that Thalia valued job grades highly.
"Once you attain a job or satisfy certain other special conditions, you become an Einherjar," Thalia explained, "You are then anchored and recorded by the shadow world's central hub, and in the ages to come, you may appear in certain shadow worlds, and in some special types of shadow worlds, you can even be summoned to battle. Moreover, it is said that in ancient times, there were secret arts that could summon Einherjar into the mortal realm."
"
Thalia was explaining to Lanchi inside the cathedral.
"Fog... there's a good chance that Laosan could beat the Resurrection Church."
Lanchi almost exclaimed in surprise.
"Who is Laosan?"
Thalia was now intrigued.
"The strongest modern-day seal master. I also have his relic." Lanchi replied.
It was a pity that the current world version was not suitable. Perhaps it would take thousands or even tens of thousands of years for a new version to emerge. If they entered the Heroic Spirit era, he would have to summon Laosan to fight the Blood Clan and let them experience the strength of the strongest human seal master of this age.
Thalia felt that Lanchi sometimes spoke in riddles that she couldn't understand.
However, she thought that if they had a relic, it might be better to summon Lanclos of the Dark Day, the strongest ancient seal master from the Blood Moon Calamity era. After all, in the Kaliella Shadow-Weaving Record that Thalia had accessed, the information about that fellow was quite extraordinary.
"Also, Lanchi, don't underestimate the upper and lower limits of job passives. There's quite a big difference. For example, you can take a look at Cat Boss's job passive." Thalia said as she reached out to pat the head of the little black cat in Lanchi's arms.
If one engraved a certain type of function upon reaching the seventh tier, they would obtain a job passive known as a 'specialty'—a certain degree of enhancement to their basic attributes and an increase in the amplification of that type of magic.
The quality of the final passive ability depended on the level of the item used for engraving.
It was evident that Cat Boss had chosen his ability haphazardly.
"Cat Boss, take a look." Lanchi looked down at the little black cat in his arms.
"Meow." Cat Boss lowered his head in embarrassment.
When he had advanced to the seventh tier, he had only wanted to achieve that milestone, and so his final job passive was the most ordinary one:
【Space Elf Cat Specialty】
【Category: Soul Engraving】
【Grade: White Common】
【Attribute: Space】
【Tier: 0】
【Passive Effect: Increases magic power attribute by 2%, spirit attribute by 4%, and reduces space magic mana consumption by 5%】
Lanchi held Cat Boss in his hands and began to appraise his job passive.
Thalia also came over to take a look at Cat Boss's attributes.
Usually, it wasn't easy to appraise another person's attributes unless they permitted it.
At that moment, Cat Boss didn't seem to mind them appraising him.
"Meow meow, stop looking." Cat Boss lowered his head as he felt embarrassed by their scrutiny.
He felt that his lackluster passive ability was barely passable, and he hadn't dared to boast about being a seventh tier before.
"Wait, how is your attribute space-based, Cat Boss?" Thalia asked, having caught a glimpse of his attributes.
She had always assumed that Cat Boss's inherent attribute was psychokinesis.
"Of course." Cat Boss nodded.
It was because of his space-based inherent attribute that he had been able to draw out the talent magic to infiltrate shadows. Psychokinesis, on the other hand, was an elemental magic that he had cultivated later on.
Of course, his specific attribute wasn't important anymore, as he was about to become a wind attribute specialist.
"Then why can't you use any other space magic besides Shadow Infiltration?" Thalia asked Cat Boss.
"I... can't learn it, meow." Cat Boss replied dejectedly.
It was quite embarrassing to admit.
On the one hand, space magic was not only the most challenging type of magic to learn but also very rare. On the other hand, his magical talent wasn't up to par.
Without spatial aptitude, one would never be able to learn space magic.
With spatial aptitude, there was a small probability of learning it.
The reason Cat Boss had space as his main attribute was that, out of his thirty-one attributes, all of them were relatively low and evenly distributed. As a result, space happened to be slightly higher than the rest, giving him the minimum requirement to draw out space-based talent magic.
"I remember that the ninth group army general of the Demon King's army back then also had space as his main attribute. Space magic is indeed rare, but it's incredibly useful when put to use." Thalia reminisced, lost in her thoughts.
"You mean the weakest general in charge of logistics, right?" Lanchi asked, recalling what Pulanei had told him.
He had a strong impression of that last surviving great demon, whose identity remained a mystery.
Now, the Cat Boss Restaurant only lacked the second princess, Eriatia, and that great demon to complete their collection.
"Yes, when it comes to escaping, no one can beat him." Thalia said, "Oh, wait, if Shubelian could reach the eighth tier, perhaps she could give him a run for his money in a race."
As she spoke, Thalia remembered the new generation of demons and changed her conclusion halfway through.
"Why are you dissing her now?" Lanchi looked at Thalia in surprise.
Someone seemed to be working on a new type of mission.
"I'm not. I just think she looks adorable when she's running away." Thalia shook her head and said seriously.
"Indeed." Lanchi nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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