242. Trinitarian Ascension Method
After leaving Theodore Montgomery in the custody of the Abbey Repository, I turned and left without delay.
Despite housing all the treasures of New Terra, most items here held little significance to a Ward of Nature.
All truly valuable high-grade treasures and Ward of Nature techniques were kept under strict supervision. Even a H.A.R.M. Inspector couldn't simply take whatever they wanted.
Take it slow. I ascended the long steps and channeled my essence to activate the gold cross in my hand. The relief on the great wall rippled before quietly returning to its original appearance.
After walking a short distance, I found the officer from earlier already waiting for me.
"Inspector, my name is Alon Dakila. I've been serving at headquarters for years. Since you've just arrived at the capital, please feel free to ask me about anything you need to know."
Alon Dakila struck the perfect balance of respectful humility without veering into fawning, making our interaction comfortable.
"Thank you for your assistance," I nodded and followed him toward the courtyard behind the Martial Abbey.
"Inspector Kane, this place is divided into four courts: A, B, C, and D. Each court houses talented experts from the States, along with individuals from the capital, various martial organizations, and prominent families. Together, these experts form a complex network of relationships."
As we walked, Alon Dakila explained, "Once admitted to the three lower courts, they all identify as Martial Abbey disciples. They rarely cause problems, but if they do commit an offense, you simply report it and the Martial Abbey handles the discipline. Our H.A.R.M. doesn't need to get involved."
His words were tactful, but in reality, headquarters had become an empty shell ever since the Inspector had left New Terra and the two deputy inspectors had died.
Headquarters could still manage administrative tasks like processing State H.A.R.M. achievement reports and distributing rewards, but when it came to enforcing discipline... many of these so-called "disciples" had already achieved perfect Harmonization.
After escorting me to the location Reverend Thompson had previously arranged, Alon Dakila bowed respectfully and departed with a simple, "Please attend to your business."
Here are some alternative departing dialogue options instead of "I'll leave you to your affairs, Inspector."
Before me stood a neat row of houses built with blue bricks and gray tiles, arranged in perfect alignment.
Fallen leaves drifted by occasionally, creating a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere.
Soon, people began to notice my unfamiliar presence.
Though Martial Abbey disciples seemed plentiful in one place, when spread across the many States, they were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Many years might pass without a single new addition.
Moreover, this new inductee appeared exceptionally young—seemingly not even thirty years old—which attracted plenty of curious stares from onlookers.
Soon, a burly man approached and smiled. "I am Niklas Falkenrath from Great Appalachian. May I ask where you come from?"
Unlike those from the capital, this burly man carried a more distinct martial world presence about him.
"John Kane, from Cascadia." I offered a slight smile in return. I had just learned of another State in New Terra besides Cascadia and Southwest.
I made a mental note to visit Great Appalachian sometime in the future.
"I've been to Cascadia," said Niklas Falkenrath, who was clearly quite sociable and chatted freely. "Do you know Aisha Patani? During my travels through the twenty-five States, I once had the honor of sparring with her. Miss Patani's long sword technique was simply divine—such exquisite swordsmanship! I was nowhere near her match. Since you're also from Cascadia, your skills must be formidable as well!"
"..." I glanced at him skeptically. Aisha Patani was indeed known as Cascadia's sharpest sword... but the problem was, she didn't even use a sword.
Is boasting a common trait among people from the martial world?
I suddenly recalled Butcher Garcia who, despite being only at the First Realm, had boldly ranked himself alongside Crystal Realm warriors like Peter Volare and Karim Shaheen as one of Cascadia's legends.
Such boasting seemed to be quite the tradition in martial circles.
I looked away and nodded modestly. "I'm decent."
"Don't be so modest," Niklas said with a hearty laugh.
Seeing the young man's reluctance to elaborate, he formed a quick assessment: he likely has some talent, but given his youth, his realm can't be very advanced. He probably hasn't even met experts like Aisha Patani yet, but doesn't want to admit these limitations.
He smoothly changed the subject. "Are you here to join the Martial Abbey too? Why not go inside?"
"I'm waiting for someone," I said, gazing into the distance. Since Niklas Falkenrath had initiated our conversation, seven or eight others had gathered nearby, listening quietly. After overhearing us, they all retreated, abandoning their plans to introduce themselves.
"Who are you waiting for? Would you like me to help find them?"
Niklas was in no hurry to leave. In these dangerous times, having one more friend meant having one more potential ally.
He glanced around the courtyard, only to discover that several of his fellow disciples had quietly retreated to their quarters: "..."
Hmph, what an arrogant bunch.
Before he could complete his internal grumbling, a sinister, hoarse voice spoke from behind him.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" the sinister voice inquired.
Niklas instinctively ducked his head and, without turning around, smiled sheepishly. "Reverend Thompson, I'll go practice right away."
He hurried toward the courtyard, taking three steps in two, and secretly glanced back to discover that the usually cold Reverend Thompson actually appeared quite pleasant at the moment.
"Have you been waiting long?" the old man asked. He had evidently just finished performing a cleansing for someone.
"I just arrived," I replied with a shake of my head.
"Follow me." Calvin Thompson said nothing more, stepping into the courtyard and leading me inside.
Niklas stared wide-eyed as the two walked away until they disappeared from Court D. "Wow..."
That quiet kid turned out to be someone important?
For Old Fox Thompson to personally receive him, he must be at least a Court B candidate.
...
As we proceeded further into the complex, the crowds thinned noticeably.
Reverend Thompson walked silently ahead, making no effort to introduce me to anyone we passed.
"Reverend." A middle-aged man in a white suit rose to greet him. Beside him stood a woman in a matching white dress, the pair resembling a heavenly couple.
Reverend Thompson dismissed them with a casual wave and strode past without stopping.
He had little patience for these crude martial practitioners.
"..."
The beautiful woman in white dress arched her eyebrows slightly, studying the young man following behind the Old Fox.
Was another person being added to Court B?
And such a tender young fellow at that.
Court B housed only about thirty people, with Full Harmonization being the minimum requirement for entry.
The couple exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise reflected in the other's eyes.
Only after the young man had followed Calvin Thompson beyond Court B did the couple exchange relieved smiles. "That gave me quite a scare. So he's a follower of the Path of Redemption."
Unlike the martial world, in the Martial Abbey there was a simple way to assess a Redeemed Spirit's level—by observing their physical body.
The more withered the physical body, the higher the realm—indicating the practitioner had transcended the limitations of flesh and blood, and thus no longer wasted attention on their mere physical form.
Court A held the highest status, not merely due to strength—it prioritized potential above all else.
Within the Martial Abbey hierarchy, practitioners of the Path of Redemption who showed potential to form a Golden Vessel were considered more valuable than even young martial artists who had already achieved full harmonization.
"This will be your residence," Calvin Thompson said, guiding me to a spacious, well-lit house. Though recently cleaned, the house had an empty, uninhabited feel to it.
I gazed silently toward the backyard. In a single glance, I spotted three Redeemed Spirits—elderly men who nodded in my direction.
"Court A has few rules, but avoid entering the residences of your senior brothers and sisters with your Redeemed Spirit. Everyone has their peculiarities, and conflicts arise easily. Rest assured that others will likewise respect your privacy and not enter your house."
"The doors and walls of this house are constructed with special techniques. At your current level, if your Redeemed Spirit accidentally collides with them, it will sustain damage."
Calvin Thompson led me inside the house and offered a word of caution.
Those Admirals from remote States are accustomed to thinking they can't be seen, passing through doors and walls at will. In a place like Court A, that's a quick way to get yourself beaten up.
He took out a thick manual from his storage tool: "This is the Trinitarian Ascension Method. Keep it safe. Though we practice the same method, our understandings can be completely different. I won't lead you astray. When you reach the Upper Realm, you can go to the Abbey Repository to choose a suitable Golden Body method."
He retrieved a thick manual from his storage tool. "This is the Trinitarian Ascension Method. Guard it carefully. Though we all practice the same method, our interpretations can vary dramatically. I won't mislead you. When you reach the Upper Realm, you can visit the Abbey Repository to choose a suitable Golden Vessel method."
"Thank you," I said, accepting the manual with genuine curiosity.
"No need for thanks." The Abbey Master smiled and shook his head. "The Martial Abbey has no shortage of techniques or devotional power... what we lack are people."
In truth, it was the Martial Abbey that should be grateful for his joining, rather than the young man expressing gratitude.
"Stay focused on your training here rather than wandering around. If you need anything, simply direct people from the other three courts to assist you. Should anyone dare disobey, come to me, and I'll handle the situation personally."
I neither agreed nor disagreed as I stood up to see Senior Brother Thompson off.
Then I closed the door.
I sat on the edge of the bed, still as stone, and only then released my Redeemed Spirit from my body.
"Check if there are truly restrictions on the doors and walls."
I gave the order to Lady Taurymne in my mind. The Redeemed Spirit drifted toward the door without hesitation, stopping about an inch from its surface.
"My lord, I cannot move any closer without risking damage to myself," she reported.
Her alluring voice resonated in my mind. I instructed her to examine the walls next, which confirmed everything Reverend Thompson had told me.
I remained perfectly still.
Who knew what other surveillance methods these Seekers of Redemption might employ? It's always better to err on the side of caution.
I leafed through the pages of the manual in my hand.
Before long, a line of text appeared on the panel.
[Seeker of Redeemer - Trinitarian Ascension Method: Untrained.]
First, I instructed the Redeemed Spirit to return to my sea of essence, then stored Lady Taurymne within the panel.
Only then did I take out the gold cross, holding it in my palm, and mobilize the remaining six thousand years of absorbed lifespan, gradually infusing it into this new technique.
[Year One, you open the Trinitarian Ascension Method, glance at the preface, then close it. This method requires at least Lower Realm of Seeker of Redeemer to practice, but your Redeemed Spirit remains far below this threshold.]
I now needed to fully compensate for the accumulation that was skipped when I shattered my crystal core.
I sensed a sea of white lights surging toward me, a gentle warmth radiating throughout my entire body.
The Redeemed Spirit in my sea of essence rapidly solidified, taking on a lifelike human form similar to an Infant of Love.
The Seeker of Redeemer Realm, which required the faith of Cascadia's entire population to sustain, had now taken shape, yet the incoming white lights showed no signs of diminishing.
Truly worthy of the faith accumulated since the nation's founding—what an abundance of devotion.
And this was just the portion belonging to H.A.R.M.
[Year Fifty-six, you have reached the Lower Realm of Seeker of Redeemer and are finally qualified to practice this method. You open the manual again. Having learned the Cosmic Devouring Crystallization Method, you now possess some understanding of these abstruse texts. What once seemed like completely incomprehensible ancient writing is finally beginning to make sense.]
[Year 123, you've memorized the entire content and fallen into deep contemplation. What once appeared as an incomprehensible ancient text with unreadable symbols has transformed into something equally perplexing—a text where you recognize every individual word but completely fail to grasp their collective meaning.]
[While examining the same sentence, you and Lady Taurymne arrive at forty-eight different interpretations.]
[What would a vampire know about Redeemed Spirits? After brief consideration, you decisively reject her opinion. Forty-seven interpretations remain.]