[Congratulations, Host. You have successfully obtained your fourth Familia member, gaining 30,000 Energy Points. Monthly fixed Energy income has increased to 6,000 points.]
[Current total balance: 36,683 points.]
[Ding! Congratulations. Your Familia member Sharon Holygrail's Authority has been promoted to Elite Rank, awakening the Elite Rank ability 'Holy Maiden'.]
Seeing Sharon awaken this oddly named 'Holy Maiden' ability, Luo Shu paused momentarily before clicking on its description.
[Holy Maiden: A composite Class-type ability, alternate name for female Paladins. Evolved from Common Class 'Nun' and Excellent Class 'Sacred Nun'.]
[Possesses exceptional combat skills and holy magic while being able to summon faith armour exclusive to Paladins. Combined with an Elite Rank body strengthened by pure faith energy, the Holy Maiden gains the capability to challenge demons above her level.]
[Evaluation: An outstanding Elite Rank Class. Gains a 30% power increase when facing enemies judged as evil forces. A formidable opponent all evil beings wish to avoid on the battlefield.]
Reading the system report, Luo Shu couldn't help but stroke his chin thoughtfully:
"Class and evaluation... are these details that only appear at Elite Rank?"
Acquiring an Elite Rank Familia member with exceptional effectiveness against evil forces instantly made Sharon Luo Shu's strongest combat asset.
Frankly, when he clicked open the so-called 'faith armour' and saw the system's annotation—equivalent to 33mm thick steel armour for his understanding—Luo Shu's mouth twitched involuntarily.
After some consideration, Luo Shu retrieved the Level 3 Abyss Artefact 'Holy Shroud' previously obtained from Sharon and checked its description.
[Artefact: Holy Shroud (Hero Rank)]
[The tattered shroud formed from the faith armour of a deceased Temple Guardian, embodying the protective heart of a holy practitioner.]
[Primary function: Provides faith armour with intensity ranging from 100mm to 1000mm for holy practitioners with steadfast conviction. This armour has no mass and doesn't impede physical movement.]
[Side effect: Only those with a noble faith who adhere to the principles of a holy practitioner can partially utilise it. Users lacking such faith will automatically inherit the shroud's unwavering devotion, pledging their life to the faith.]
Luo Shu showed no reaction upon reading these descriptions, having already seen them when obtaining the item. He fully understood that for ordinary people, using such a Hero Rank artefact would almost certainly be fatal.
Truth be told, convenient high-end items like the Kusanagi Sword or Lucky Wallet were exceedingly rare. In Luo Shu's estimation, the terrifying side effects of this Holy Shroud represented the norm for Level 3 artefacts.
After staring at the Holy Shroud's description for several seconds, Luo Shu noticed a small footnote appearing beneath it.
[Holy Shroud serves as one of the primary materials for a Holy Maiden advancing to Temple Guardian. System store price: 90,000 points.]
Seeing this note, Luo Shu inwardly confirmed his suspicions. The moment he'd noticed 'faith armour' mentioned in Sharon's abilities, he'd guessed this item was likely connected to the Holy Shroud.
Perhaps prolonged exposure to the shroud had influenced Sharon, or maybe she'd always been someone of such firm faith, resulting in the peculiar Class ability of Holy Maiden.
This train of thought reminded Luo Shu of Mira Tsubakihara's Alchemist skill, prompting further consideration:
"Based on current understanding, so-called Classes appear to be comprehensive skills formed by combining multiple abilities - like Sharon's Holy Maiden or Miss Mira's Alchemist. These Class-type skills seem to offer well-rounded power. If that's the case, perhaps I should consider obtaining a Class for myself later..."
As Luo Shu pondered this, Sharon, having awakened her ability, slowly opened her eyes. She examined her palms, flexed her fingers, then twisted her waist while seated, apparently testing her body's movements.
Due to her current state of undress, any slightly vigorous movement from Sharon produced rather eye-catching oscillations in certain areas. Fortunately, Luo Shu wasn't physically present, allowing him to calmly observe Sharon's changes from all angles through his detached perspective.
"How does it feel to become a Holy Maiden?"
Upon becoming Familia members, the system would impart basic information. However, judging from Utaha Kasumigaoka and Eriri's LINE conversations, this information seemed to vary between individuals. Thus, Luo Shu remained uncertain about how much system knowledge Sharon, as the fourth member of the Familia, had received.
"I can only describe it as incomparably exhilarating..."
An irrepressible smile of excitement flashed across Sharon's face before she abruptly remembered she was beside the 'Divine Throne'. Quickly composing herself, she bowed her head apologetically:
"My deepest apologies for losing my composure."
"No matter." Luo Shu rested his chin on one hand, studying Sharon briefly before lightly tapping the table.
Hearing the sound, Sharon immediately turned her gaze towards the two items placed before Luo Shu.
A Holy Shroud resembling a nun's headscarf and Mist Eye in the form of a bracelet.
The former was one of the primary materials for Sharon's future advancement. At the same time, the latter served as a convenient tool to restrict enemies for this nun, who relied on single-target attacks without area-of-effect capabilities.
"This is..."
Sharon glanced at the two Abyss Artefacts on the table, then looked at Luo Shu, her expression hesitant.
"Consider it an investment."
Seeing Sharon's hesitation, Luo Shu smiled as he spoke.
The Holy Shroud was useless to him anyway, and although Mist Eye could benefit Luo Shu, it would help Sharon even more.
For his current only trump card, Luo Shu would naturally assist whenever possible.
Although it might sound a bit shady, Luo Shu couldn't help but have some impure thoughts about the members of his own Familia.
Given this favourable disposition, Luo Shu's tolerance towards his Familia was relatively high – provided they didn't deliberately court death.
Hearing Luo Shu's tone, Sharon hesitated briefly before gesturing to recall the two Abyss Artefacts into her hands, utilising the unique properties of this space.
At this moment, Luo Shu kindly reminded her:
"The Holy Shroud is one of the main materials for your future ability evolution. Try not to lose it again."
Upon hearing this, Sharon's face flushed – with embarrassment, no less.
Then, Luo Shu looked at Sharon and chuckled, speaking in an easygoing tone:
"Now that you've joined the Familia, there's no need to be so vague about certain matters."
"Tell me, what exactly is the current state of this world?"