"My name is Faol now. A seventh circle Knight, under the command of the Order of the Mystic Flame. My teacher… is Lady Cindy, a ninth circle Knight and commander of the order."
Atop the pegasus, the knight clad in silver-blue armor murmured, as if recalling something or speaking to himself.
His gaze was deep, his expression calm yet sharp-edged.
But if someone could peer into his spiritual domain at this moment, they would discover that the soul inside this seemingly familiar knight's body was no longer the once-promising young knight Faol.
Instead, it was a vast, shadowy mental realm, lit with a strange blend of gray-blue and verdant green light.
At its center stood a towering, majestic tree lush with leaves, its branches spreading like drifting mist, extending in every direction and almost covering the entire mental plane.
Beneath the tree, a weak soul lay curled up tightly, like a dying animal, wrapped and suppressed by countless roots sealed and imprisoned, unable to move.
This tree… was none other than Lynn, merged with Yfgríd.
He had used a "symbiotic possession" to take control of Faol's body not by erasing the knight, but by replacing his dominion over it.
Because Faol was no insignificant figure.
While scanning Faol's memories, Lynn discovered that his ever-watchful mentor, Lady Cindy, was a ninth-circle Knight and an influential figure within the Order of the Mystic Flame.
If Faol's soul were destroyed, high-ranking divine officials might notice the anomaly through special divine arts his "disguise" would collapse instantly.
For that reason, Lynn chose to preserve the remnants of Faol's consciousness.
Using the power of the Azure Spirit and the Maple Tree, he suppressed and sealed Faol deep within the mental realm rather than destroying him entirely.
Still, even with these two powers assisting him, delving into the memories of someone protected by divinity was no easy feat.
Faol's memories resembled drifting clouds, each shimmering with a faint golden light, imbued with divine protection and godly imprints.
Whenever Lynn tried to go deeper, a vague but repelling force would push him back.
That was the gaze of the gods even residual traces in memory caused him pain and pressure.
"These memories… are truly troublesome."
Lynn frowned, his lips tightening.
He could force his way in but that would shatter Faol's soul completely, and his disguise would collapse with it.
So he had to proceed with caution, carefully avoiding any memory nodes connected to divinity, and piecing together Faol's identity from the rest.
Fortunately, the Azure Spirit helped stabilize the consciousness channel, and the Maple Tree guided Lynn step-by-step. In this way, he managed to fully grasp the origin and background of "Faol."
This way, even if confronted by high-ranking mages or judgment knights of the Goddess's army, he could fully play the part his words, actions, and memories all matching perfectly without raising suspicion.
Deep within Faol's complex memory fragments, Lynn unexpectedly discovered something of great value.
This knight was, indeed, exceptional.
As a seventh-circle Knight, Faol's strength was equivalent to a late-stage Second-Level wizard not weak by any means within the divine hierarchy.
More impressively, he wasn't just reliant on divine blessings.
On the contrary, Faol had trained in martial combat since childhood, showing a near-instinctual talent for close-quarters fighting.
Along his path of growth, he had personally developed a pure physical combat technique one that didn't depend on divine power or magic, honed purely through experience and understanding.
Though still incomplete, this system was a rare and valuable asset to Lynn.
Because it bore no divine traces, it could be used freely without triggering divine attention.
"If I were still a First-Level wizard, I might not have needed these combat techniques. But now that I've reached Second-Level, with my physical body greatly enhanced, close-quarters instinct and skill fill a perfect gap."
Lynn's thoughts rippled like still water, as he lowered his gaze to examine his "new" body once more.
Between his bones and muscles was a charged tightness like coiled thunder his grip alone felt like it could crush stone. It was intoxicating.
And it wasn't mere illusion it was real, tangible power.
He even felt that, with just the raw strength of this body, he could stand toe-to-toe with some Second-Level wizards who relied solely on spells.
"There's a physical cultivation path in wizardry as well… Body-refining wizards… I think Estrella once practiced a lineage like that," Lynn muttered softly, eyes thoughtful.
Beneath him, the pegasus let out a low whinny, its wings suddenly surging with power as it soared piercing through the clouds like a shooting star.
The sky stretched boundlessly above, clouds dreamlike and ethereal, bathed in soft golden light, making the world feel like it was basking in an unreal, divine glow.
Lynn rode atop his pegasus, gliding through the dreamlike corridor of clouds, yet his mind remained calm and calculating.
He had already gained full control over this body; much of Faol's combat experience and his incomplete martial arts system had been assimilated and reorganized within his mind.
But unfortunately, the most critical battle techniques those related to divine contracts, faith, and god-bestowed powers were beyond Lynn's reach.
For example, in Faol's memories, there was a moment during a great battle when he drew his bow and released an arrow that pierced straight through the defenses of airborne warships. That arrow had been empowered by the goddess's divine force.
"Those... I can't replicate."
Because of this, the combat strength Lynn could currently display was likely less than half of Faol's peak capability.
"Right now, the last thing I need is an unnecessary fight."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression growing more focused.
Just then, the pegasus beneath him flared its nostrils, letting out a low, warning snort.
"Hm?"
Lynn raised an eyebrow, his gaze quickly shifting toward the horizon.
A few seconds later, a figure rapidly approached also mounted on a pegasus. Their silver cloak fluttered violently in the wind, and the insignia of the Order of the Mystic Flame was etched clearly onto their shoulder armor.
The rider locked onto Lynn immediately, a wave of relief and excitement washing over his face. His speed surged as he flew straight toward him.
"Lord Faol! You've finally returned!"
The man's voice was full of emotion, laced with undeniable reverence.
"Lady Cindy sensed your presence in this direction and sent me to receive you personally!"
Lynn paused briefly, then let a trace of proud yet controlled demeanor settle on his face. His voice lowered, calm and composed as Faol himself had returned.
"Mm... By the grace of the goddess. Her divine power covered the battlefield, pressing back the wizards' war fortresses layer by layer... Only then was I able to find an opening and break free of their restraints."
He had already crafted his cover story: that he'd been captured on the battlefield by wizards, bound and sealed away until the goddess's divine presence surged across the realm and allowed him to escape.
The knight's expression grew solemn upon hearing this, his respect deepening he didn't suspect a thing.
"Just as Lady Cindy predicted. Under the goddess's protection, you were never going to fall!"
He saluted Lynn, then respectfully added,
"Please, follow me. Everyone in the camp is awaiting your return, especially Lady Cindy. He's been deeply worried about your safety."
Lynn gave a slight nod. His presence was restrained but sharp, like a sheathed blade neither boastful nor meek perfectly matching Faol's persona as a proud prodigy.
"Let's go," he said plainly, his tone steady with a faint trace of authority.
He then guided his pegasus forward, flying alongside the knight. As they soared, Lynn asked casually,
"How has the battle gone during my absence?"
The knight answered truthfully, not daring to omit a single detail.
Lynn listened intently, his expression unchanged, but a flicker of insight flashed through his eyes.
From the man's report, Lynn gleaned several key facts.
The moment he emerged into this realm through the portal of the Azure Spirit, Lady Cindy immediately sensed his presence and dispatched a knight to intercept him. Cindy had used some form of divine tracking or a god-bestowed marking to monitor Faol's spiritual signature.
Additionally, it confirmed that Lynn had indeed arrived in one of the goddess army's staging areas surrounded by various devout followers and clergy of the Weave Goddess.
He couldn't help but feel a trace of unease. Fortunately, he'd realized something was off early on and summoned the Maple Tree, allowing him to move safely under Faol's identity.
Had he stumbled into a group of mages instead, it would've been certain death.
In this outer realm, the Weave Goddess could summon her believers simply through their devout faith, guiding them directly into her territory.
Because of that, unlike the scattered arrival of the wizards, the goddess's forces had quickly converged in a short time.
That said, divine transport wasn't perfectly accurate. They arrived in a general region, not a pinpoint location.
So, some unlucky wizards might've materialized into dangerous areas within this space.
For instance, the mage Lynn encountered might've just arrived before being killed by a local outer-realm creature and assimilated into this alien environment.
Still, such cases were rare.
Most mages and clergy had landed safely in designated zones and had begun regrouping quickly.
More importantly, from the knight's words, Lynn learned of a game-changing revelation:
The great goddess who ruled over the Weave and divine spells had summoned seven legendary mages.
She had also mobilized all ninth-circle mages and knights within the army to construct a massive divine formation in the heart of her divine kingdom.
This was part of a larger operation concerning the "war of realms" possibly a decisive move designed to tip the balance in favor of the goddess.
Because of this grand undertaking, Cindy who had been most concerned about Faol's fate was too occupied to come personally and had sent his swiftest outrider to ensure "Faol's" safe return.
The pegasus's wings thundered, the wind howling like blades in its wake.
Two figures streaked through the sky, one ahead of the other, like twin streams of silver light tearing through the clouds.
Above them, starlight and divine radiance interwove and shimmered, like a dreamscape painted by the hand of a god.
Before long, guided by the knight, Lynn saw the sea of clouds ahead suddenly churn and surge.
As if torn apart by an invisible hand, the clouds receded layer by layer like a tide, revealing the true sight hidden beyond the void.
A divine light illuminated the heavens and earth, accompanied by a pure and holy aura that seemed to come from beyond the stars. Slowly, a grand and majestic continent emerged into view.
It was a divine realm a nascent divine kingdom personally shaped by the Goddess of the Weave.
Forged from divine power, this land floated at the summit of the sky, suspended in the void like a celestial body.
At its center rose magnificent floating temples, towering and resplendent, each wall and pillar pulsing with divine runes and radiant flows of sacred light.
Countless "stairways of light," formed from condensed faith and divinity, cascaded down from the heavens like waterfalls bridges through which divine will flowed from the celestial plane into the mortal world, directly connecting to the divine core hidden deep in the sky.
Though still incomplete, only in its early stages of formation, this divine realm was already awe-inspiring and commanded a presence that dominated the heavens.
After all, a true divine kingdom takes countless years to construct, with every inch of space filled and fortified by faith bit by bit.
But even in its infancy, in this dreamlike outer plane, it was a staggering sight one capable of reshaping reality with a god's single thought, like molding dreams at will.
Lynn narrowed his eyes, gazing at the radiant kingdom suspended between heaven and earth.
Golden light surged like an ocean; divine power ebbed and flowed like tides this was an existence that transcended mortal understanding in every sense.
Across the sky, sacred beings flew in formation pegasi beating their wings, silver hooves treading clouds, their feathers aglow;
angels gliding gracefully, divine feathers trailing behind them, holding long spears and chanting sacred incantations.
There were also strange, ethereal holy spirits hiding deep within the clouds. Within the flowing mists of light, it felt as though countless unseen eyes were watching the outside world.
And within the divine kingdom itself, the place was teeming with figures, glowing as brightly as day.
Everyone within the Thirteenth Plane who worshiped the Goddess of the Weave faithful, clergy, mages, and knights had now been summoned here, gathered in this holy land.
Their numbers were too vast to be called an "army"; it was more like a tidal wave of faith, a vast empire that a god could summon with a single thought.
Lynn took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the divine kingdom, and faintly, he sensed a unique and potent aura.
It wasn't magic, nor divinity but something even purer: origin power.
Faith.
The world was saturated with immense currents of faith, like countless invisible streams rushing in from every direction, all converging into a sea within the divine realm.
The devout prayers of the faithful had coalesced into tangible force, forming luminous rivers that collided and interwove in midair, creating world-shaking waves.
Even someone as composed as Lynn couldn't help but feel a jolt deep in his spirit as he looked upon it all.
The sight… was simply too magnificent!
Unconsciously, he licked his lips, a thoughtful gleam flickering in his eyes.
Within his spiritual domain, the Azure Spirit stirred quietly. If he could absorb even a portion of this vast ocean of faith…
It could rapidly feed back into him with a tremendous surge of spiritual power perhaps even elevate him to unprecedented heights on a spiritual level.
Of course, that was only a thought for now.
After all, the very reason the Goddess of the Weave had taken notice of him was because he had once used the Azure Spirit to absorb the faith that belonged to her.
If he dared to activate the Azure Spirit within her divine kingdom, he'd likely be crushed by her divine wrath before he even finished drawing in a single thread.
With the power of a true deity, wiping out someone like him would take less than a heartbeat.
"Lord Faol, this way please."
A reverent voice called out from ahead. The knight turned his pegasus, stirring a breeze with his wings, and streaked through the air like a shooting star, heading straight for the heart of the divine kingdom.
Lynn narrowed his eyes, took a long breath, and followed closely behind.
With a flicker, his figure vanished into the sky diving into that realm of divinity and belief, forged by faith and sacred light.
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