A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

When Thomas swallowed the last bite of the golden apple, he felt a slight tightening of the skin all over his body.

Phew… here it comes again… this is the second time.

Last time it was the eyes, gaining four-color vision.

About ten to fifteen apples will cause a wave of change.

Thomas felt that his skin had become thicker and his muscles had tightened visibly, and he was no longer as strong as before.

But this didn't mean his strength had diminished. In fact, a trace of power surged through his body like a tangible stream of water.

He raised his hand and looked at his arm. The skin on his hand was already slightly gray.

I could feel the fascia beneath my skin shift, as if there were an extra layer of thick cowhide beneath it. Gently pressing on it, my skin felt tough and thick, far stronger than before.

Inexplicably, he recalled the battle he had witnessed outside the city of Kiev.

The protector of the country named Darissa challenged an army alone in a state of injury and exhaustion.

She was wounded many times, and even in the last battle, Darissa used her back to endure the sword's blows, and was also pierced through the thigh by a spear.

The spear in the thigh was fine, but the sword in the back... At that time, I just thought she was lucky. The sword in the back didn't cause much damage because of the force or angle.

Now I understand that she can indeed withstand that level of damage.

Before, I only knew that the Guardian Nations would gradually transform into magical creatures, but I didn't have a real sense of it.

The benefits of this transformation are only now being felt.

This is a complete change of muscles and bones, removal of hair and cleansing of marrow, evolution towards a more perfect state of biology!

As he sighed, a voice came from outside.

"Captain, may I come in?"

"Come in." Thomas said lazily.

The person who came in was a middle-aged man of medium height, wearing training lining, dark skin and short hair. His name was Mansreti, and he was the instructor of the Knights Templar.

Responsible for the daily training of new recruits and martial arts examinations.

After all, the Knights Templar don't accept all trash, especially official members.

Although it is an inconspicuous position, it is indeed one of the middle-level personnel of the Knights Templar.

But Thomas didn't know where Mansreti was from... well, that wasn't really important. After all, the Knights Templar had so many members that even the Grand Master couldn't fully understand everyone's origins.

Mansreti looked a little embarrassed, obviously not knowing why the Grand Master had summoned him.

"Captain, that..."

"Mansreti," Thomas, now accustomed to his position as Grand Commander, spoke directly without hesitation. "I just want to ask you a question. How is the training of my young attendant, Louis, going?"

Thomas had previously arranged a training plan for his followers - to practice whenever they had time.

"Oh, Grand Master, he's trained very hard." Mansreddy breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't usually like to use this word to describe others, but... that French boy is a genius!"

"Genius? What?" Thomas was shocked.

"Judging from the level of his initial training, he must have been training with a less-than-stellar instructor, probably a retired mercenary or something like that, with only a year or two of experience. Rural civilians often do this. But even so, he was able to last ten moves in my hands on our first fight."

"what……"

"Louie has excellent motor skills, remarkable endurance, and innate courage. He trains very hard, and in just over a month, he's already stood out among his peers."

Many knights were accompanied by their own retinue, which were usually the knight's underage relatives.

These young men may or may not join the Knights Templar when they reach adulthood. Regardless of whether they join or not, the Knights Templar must provide them with appropriate education, which naturally includes martial arts.

So Mansreti had both recruited new soldiers and these young people in his hands.

"Isn't he...too old?"

"Fifteen isn't very old."

"Fifteen?" Thomas remembered that he was about this age when he entered the monastery to practice martial arts.

The children of the poor are in charge early.

But to be honest, it's hard to tell. Louis looks about seventeen or eighteen years old... precocious?

It is possible.

"Mansreti, there's another thing. I saw you applied for promotion to elite? But that's..."

"Grandmaster... well... I've served the Knights for ten years." Mansreti sighed. "This time, well, I think, maybe I can..."

"No, no, no, that was my oversight," Thomas said. "Becoming an elite soldier doesn't depend solely on military achievements."

"Many have served the Order for years, diligently fulfilling their respective roles. Although they haven't seen combat, that's simply due to a lack of opportunity, not a lack of courage or conviction. If I were to establish a rule that promotion to elite status would be granted after a certain number of years of service, how long do you think would be appropriate?"

"What is your intention in making this rule?"

"Ah, to be honest, I want to expand the size of the Knights as much as possible." Thomas' eyes flashed with a trace of regret.

There were less than two hundred official members of the Knights Templar to begin with, and more than thirty of them were killed in the Battle of Smyrna. This was a loss that was heartbreaking!

This loss must be compensated as soon as possible.

"If you take my opinion into consideration, five years should be a suitable time," Mansreti replied.

Thomas thought about it carefully. "Five years!" he said. "Five years, then."

Then he took out a bottle of promotion potion from his pocket.

"Knight Mansredee."

Mansreti was shocked. He took the potion and stared at the bottle for several seconds. Then tears flashed in his eyes.

"Grandmaster... that..." His voice was choked with sobs. "I... very..."

"Don't worry, Knight Mansreti. This is your well-earned reward!" Thomas said sternly. "You don't need to thank me. Just continue to serve the Order. Also, I'm going to Smyrna in a couple of days... If there are any newcomers who want to join the Order, please take care of the reception."

"You want to go over there?"

"There's no other way. The Holy See's edict has already been sent to Rhodes Island. I need to personally deliver it to Smyrna to reassure the people."

The Pope's bull had recognized that the conquered Smyrna was the private property of the Knights, or in other words, Thomas had a legitimate claim to it.

So he should go back and tell everyone who stayed in Smyrna about the matter and show the original edict in public.

In addition, the navy must be completed as quickly as possible.

Without a navy, occupying Smyrna would actually be a diversion of forces.

But once there is a navy, it becomes an advantageous situation where one can attack or defend.

Chapter 146 Venetian 2

At noon, Thomas came to the cave again.

The boat was at the dock, Louis and the crew were waiting on it, and Thomas went to the location alone.

He wasn't worried about the news leaking out.

Even if someone has suspicions, it's useless to come and check.

Without access to the fifth layer of the magic web and without magical perception, you won't be able to find that location.

Even if you find it, you will have no way to escape facing the rock layer more than ten meters below.

The timing was calculated just right. Thomas only had to wait a few minutes before he felt Thor's will.

Although he had a lot on his plate, Thomas still managed to find time to come and see Thor. This was his fifth visit in just over a month.

We can only talk for about ten minutes each time.

Not to mention that half of the time, Thomas was introducing history and current news to the other party.

Although Ferdinand was not a fool, his knowledge of history was far inferior to that of Thomas, who had lived two lives.

The impact of the information society in his previous life had given Thomas many perspectives and insights that scholars of this era lacked. Therefore, Saul was very satisfied with what Thomas provided.

Thomas, on the other hand, was also very satisfied.

Although the conversation was short, I learned a lot.

"Ah, you're here again, young god." Thor's consciousness connected with Thomas again. "What do you want to know this time?"

"The topic from last time, that is, the steps on the road to becoming a god..."

"Yes... the protectorate of the nation you mentioned... or demigodhood, is the starting point for embarking on this path. You've summarized a lot, but to take the first step, you need to know three things: how to obtain, how to give, and how to know. But of these three, the most crucial is how to obtain. The other two can be compensated for with technology, cunning, strategy, and wisdom. Only how to obtain is a hard condition. It is also the most core condition of all."

"So, regardless of the laws of this world, or the objective standards set from a human perspective, as long as one can achieve 'attainment', then one has taken this step. One is qualified to be called a god."

"This is the lowest level of god, which can be called a 'quasi-god'."

"A quasi-god is not a demigod, because the full name of demigod is half god, half human, while a quasi-god has entered the realm of the gods and is recognized by this world as a deity."

"This step of improvement may not seem like a significant increase in personal strength, but there is a huge difference in potential."

"According to the fifteen-level evaluation system popular in this era, reaching the high level of national protection has reached the upper limit of human beings, and there is no room for further advancement."

"The same is true for mages. Touching the ninth layer of the magic network is the limit."

"Although it can extend lifespan, it's only a couple of hundred years! Even if you use every possible means, it's impossible to reach three hundred years."

"But a path beyond the limits of humankind does exist. It's what's commonly known as the Path to Deification."

"The path to godhood is completely different from other paths. To use a spellcaster's analogy, from the first to the ninth layer of the magic web, although the difficulty increases, the method remains stable. It's called 'meditation.'"

"The path of a warrior is a bit complicated, but from novice to protector of the nation, it simply comes down to two things: first, tapping into inner potential through training and combat; second, constantly seeking external stimulation through drugs and then using various methods to transform external forces into a stronger self."

"The path of magic is difficult but not dangerous, the path of warrior is dangerous but not difficult, and it is difficult to tell who is better."

"But embarking on the path to becoming a god is a completely different matter."

"Take the first step to become a quasi-god, then slowly rely on believers, absorb power, and transform yourself..."

"The most crucial difference between a demigod and a quasi-god is that a demigod can reach the limits of humankind, while a quasi-god is not constrained by human limits."

"Just like you, Thomas. No matter how gifted you are, how lucky you are, how much you train, or how many spiritual substances you consume... can you grow wings?"

"Not the kind of wings conjured up by magic, but real wings that can fly like a bird."

"You mean... a quasi-god can do it?" Thomas couldn't help but ask back.

"If you're willing, you can do it!" Thor replied decisively. "Of course, I'm only talking about theory."

"Gods can transcend the shackles of common sense and are not restricted by any fixed concepts. Even the lowest quasi-gods are no exception."

"So, how do you do that?"

"Different gods have different methods. Young god, you already have the ability to obtain it. The next step is how to utilize the divine energy you have obtained."

"The beginning isn't a big deal, there's nothing much to say. The first step will gather enough divine energy... Generally speaking, after that, your instinct will probably tell you what to do. Relying on other people's experience is actually inferior."

Thomas nodded. He was indeed not in a hurry about this matter.

Because his current plan is to gather ten thousand groups of divine power and allow himself to come into contact with the seventh layer of the magic network.

The seventh layer of the magic network is the recognized dividing line among spellcasters, and Thomas feels that it is very necessary for him to pass this level.

Apart from anything else, the fact that it can improve intelligence is enough to make the return worth it.

Think about other things after it’s over.

However, Thomas also had a vague feeling in his heart that he should be different from other quasi-gods.

After all, others rely on themselves, but Thomas relies on a damaged godhead that came from nowhere.

"Since gods exceed human limits, what does it look like beyond those limits?" Thomas asked. "From what I understand, the Protectorate can defeat the enemy with overwhelming numbers. So... can a quasi-god do the same?"

"No," Thor replied.

"how did you do that?"

"It's almost time for today, let's talk about this next time. Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye for now." Thomas said goodbye and walked out of the cave.

Oh, really... I can only say that the course is too short.

Thomas felt that after this wave of crisis was over, he could try to be a hands-off boss and concentrate on practicing the path to becoming a god here.

But I also have a vague feeling that this Thor's teacher... is not that qualified.