A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

"Well, sorry, I really just want to be a knight. As you said, I'm just an ordinary person after all, and I don't want to get involved in the mysteries of the universe and the abyss. I just want to... live a fulfilling life! Unless magic can make people immortal... maybe I'll consider it."

"Ha...even the gods will fall, how can mortals achieve immortality?" The old magician sighed truly this time and turned to leave.

"Wait, um...Mr. Gandalf." Thomas said.

"Ah, is there anything else?" the old man replied in an emotionless voice.

"I want to learn that secret technique... not just that part, but the whole thing."

"You want to learn the Book of Steel Soul?"

"Is that called the Book of Steel Soul? Yes, I want to learn the whole thing, not just that part!?"

"If you are my disciple, it is my duty as a teacher to teach you and answer your questions. But if not, then as I said before... everything has a price, and knowledge is the greatest luxury."

"How much will it cost me to learn the full set of secret techniques?"

"One thousand florins." The old man hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

"You have to teach me, you can't just give me a scroll!"

"I'm definitely in Kiev right now," the old man said. "All I can promise is that you can always ask me for advice while you're there!"

"Okay!" Thomas replied immediately. "I don't have any money on me right now, and I need to go back and get some. I'll find you somewhere."

"Over there, there's a small lake formed by the overflow of the Dnieper River," the old man pointed in that direction. "It's full of water-loving plants, including a lot of reeds. I built a small cabin there. You can find me there."

"May I ask a quick personal question?" Thomas said.

"Speak." The old man rolled his eyes at him, with a look that said, "I'll give it to you for free."

"If it's a few dozen florins, it can be considered necessities. But if it's over a thousand florins... what do you need?"

"Hahahaha...alchemy," the old man replied. "I've been practicing alchemy lately."

"alchemy?"

"Apart from one's own talent and ability, if you want to make alchemy progress, you have to spend money." He used a rare word that could not be directly translated. Thomas could only simply understand it as "paying money."

"You can learn alchemy by spending money?"

"No, not necessarily. No matter how much money you spend, there's often no sound or movement at all." The old man laughed. "Perhaps this is the true meaning of the name alchemy—it's not about creating gold, but about destroying it. So you see, alchemy requires, and only requires, true genius, not a sea of ​​mediocrity."

"What is the value of alchemy then?"

"Everything has a price, but knowledge is the greatest luxury." The old man smiled, and then his figure disappeared at the end of the road.

Thomas was disappointed, and it took him a long time before he went back to the shop.

The medicinal materials still need to be retrieved first.

He had already paid in advance.

Chapter 21 Elite

The next day was Thomas's day off.

Without hesitation, he rode out of the city with a thousand florins and found the cabin in a small swamp overgrown with weeds and bushes.

It can only be said that this land is too fertile, and farmers have abandoned the land that requires a little more trouble and drainage before it can be cultivated. In fact, even today, wilderness and forest still occupy a large proportion of the land of Russia, and a large amount of land is still in a state of wildness and ignorance, and the pioneers with torches have not yet arrived.

This cabin was a simple little house built of wood. It was more like the kind of hunting lodges hunters often build. The total interior area was only about ten square meters, but it was more than enough for a single elderly person to live in.

There was a relatively large open space outside the cabin, which was obviously leveled. Moreover, there was another small path leading from the outside to the inside, all the way to the door of the cabin.

Thomas tied his horse to a tree nearby and came up to knock on the door.

It was a door made of wooden boards... not a wooden door, so there was no gap to see inside.

After knocking twice, the door opened. As expected, it was the old wizard I had met yesterday who opened the door. He didn't seem surprised when he saw Thomas.

"Aragorn, you are here." The old man came out.

But in the brief moment when he closed the door, Thomas noticed a large pot in the room, with bubbles gurgling in it.

Thomas wanted to take another look, but the old man had already pushed him away and closed the door.

"I've got the money," said Thomas, returning to his horse and taking the purse from his saddlebag.

One thousand florins.

Even Thomas, who had made several windfalls in a row, would feel a little sad about this number.

The purse was heavy, but the old man lifted it effortlessly and put it in his pocket.

You can feel that this person is indeed no different from Gandalf - at least he has no problem using a sword to chop people.

This person's physical strength is not much weaker than Thomas.

"What are you going to learn... Oh, the Book of Steel Soul!" The old man took a few steps. "Before you begin your formal studies, perhaps you should understand some basic concepts. What exactly do we usually refer to as 'elite'?"

"Discover... one's own potential?"

"Ah, that's certainly true. But what potential is being tapped?"

Thomas had no idea about this.

The crow who taught him the path to elite status knew the results but not the reasons behind them.

"There are many seemingly plausible answers, such as the power of blood, the power of magic, and the power of the soul... In fact, these answers are all correct, but also wrong. All answers are partial, not holistic."

"My answer is... there was a time, perhaps a time when humanity had just emerged, when gods still walked the earth, and when incredible miracles were commonplace... Back then, the Weave wasn't as difficult to access as it is today, and its laws weren't as harsh. Perhaps in the Garden of Eden, the fruits of wisdom were just beginning to be touched by humans... All of us, ordinary people, could easily access and use the Weave. Because of those years, memories of this time remain deep within our blood, or rather, a lingering remnant of the instinct that drives magic. Even though magic has long since become inaccessible to ordinary people, a trace of this instinct still lingers within us."

"This instinct, this memory deep in the blood, this hidden talent. I believe it comes from the power of my ancestors, but if you ask me, it could also be a remnant of the Fruit of Wisdom from the Garden of Eden."

"You mean... magic? But magic isn't..."

"You know far more than you can say, Mr. Aragorn. There are creatures in this world that can use the magic network without paying a price... at least not as heavy a price as humans. You should have heard of the term 'Remnants of the Old Ones' often mentioned in the church. That's what the church calls such beings."

"That's the... six levels?" Thomas remembered. "What about harmless, troublesome, dangerous, lethal, terrifying, and natural disaster?"

"Yes, that's the kind. There are six threat levels, and three types: beastmen, nocturnal species, and unholy species. Of course, this is the most common classification. Experts and scholars will have more detailed classifications. However, non-professionals don't need to know so much."

"Oh." Thomas nodded.

"As an aside, do you know why the Church is wary of persecuting magicians?" Gandalf smiled. "Because all magicians strive to research... ways to cast spells with less energy. And the remnants of the Old Ones are our most common subjects."

So that's it. Thomas finally understood.

Even though the people in the church (especially the ascetics) also meditate and practice, and use magic, magicians are the targets of the church.

I originally thought it was a competitive relationship and jealousy among colleagues, but now it seems to be more than that.

In short, the remnants of the Old Ones are an existence that the Church cannot tolerate, but in a sense they are allies of magicians.

Although the church and magicians are both users of magic, their fundamental philosophies are different.

"But what does all this have to do with the elite?"

"Don't be impatient, Mr. Knight. What I want to tell you is that the so-called elite... in the final analysis, you are using the power of the magic network in a way that you yourself don't understand."

"I'm using the power of the magic network? But I can't feel it."

"This is something completely different from ordinary spellcasting. It's instinct, an ability hidden deep within the blood. Just like breathing, everyone begins breathing after their first cry. Or you could say that babies breathe based on instinct, not reason."

"But as you know, everyone's talents are different. We all look different, and there are huge differences in height, weight, arm length, leg length, and so on. This instinct is no exception. This is why many people say that one must transcend life and death to become an elite."

"In other words... only at the moment of life and death can a certain dormant instinct be awakened?"

"That's the truth," the old magician continued. "It's a very good method. Although it carries great risks, if you awaken through this method, you will gain abilities that best suit you. In other words, you will awaken your most powerful instincts."

Thomas nodded. This logic was completely understandable.

"However, this doesn't satisfy everyone. This is because many people's most powerful instincts are useless in combat, or at least of little value."

Thomas felt the same way.

"So, after a long period of research, various experiments, and countless attempts, our ancestors finally obtained what is now the secret technique. But now, many secret techniques have been lost, and most of the remaining ones can only be passed down within the family. Do you know why?"

"Because... practitioners are restricted," Thomas blurted out. "Mystical techniques are used to awaken instincts. If you don't have those instincts, or if they're too weak, then there's no point."

"That's right," the old man nodded. "Then you roughly understand the flaws of the secret technique. This is an essential, innate weakness that cannot be corrected."

"The Book of Steel Soul we're studying today is a form of esoteric art. It awakens, or rather, pursues, a spiritual ability. The cultivation philosophy of this school is simple and clear. First, strengthen your own spirit and protect yourself from spiritual influences. Once strong enough, project your spiritual power into reality, ultimately attempting to influence the enemy's mind. Needless to say, if you disrupt the opponent's will or thoughts during combat, you'll have a significant advantage."

"The most basic training of the Steel Soul Mystic Art is mental training... Today's content is the meditation that is the foundation of the Steel Soul Mystic Art... I call it 'no mind'. It trains your willpower."

Section 22: Using Public Property for Personal Purposes

When I returned to my residence, it was already dark.

Thomas discovered that his talent was not that great. He wanted to learn more, but in fact he only had time to learn meditation.

Well, even meditation is a stretch. I can’t say I’ve “learned it”, I can only say I’ve “learned it”.

Some things are still memorized by rote rather than truly understood.

Thomas didn't dare to use his divine power in front of the great magician, for fear of being discovered.

Who knows what methods these magicians have?

But once you get back to where you live, you can try it.

After a surge of divine power poured into his body, the effects of his meditation were immediately and significantly enhanced. Furthermore, a variety of insights and memories inexplicably flooded into his mind, dispelling all his previous doubts.

"I see... The most basic training method... is to develop willpower, or rather, a form of willpower: the ability to focus!" Thomas muttered softly to himself. "Immerse yourself physically and mentally in it, thus blocking out external distractions."

Thomas recalled the martial arts competitions of the past where he had been tricked.

Just before the battle, the opponent suddenly shouted. This sudden and unexpected incident caught Thomas off guard, and the opponent took the initiative.

This tactic was considered by the knights to be a low-level trick and was never encouraged, but objectively speaking it was indeed very effective.

If I had been trained in the Steel Soul Style at that time, I would never have fallen for that trick.

The ultimate goal of this meditation skill is to be able to focus on one thing at a time without being distracted by anything else, and to be able to break away from the state of concentration when needed.

In this way, there are almost no mental flaws.

This is a defensive auxiliary skill that is easy to learn but difficult to master. It takes a lot of effort to master it, especially to master it with ease.

No wonder the old man said that this was enough time for him to practice.

After so many times of practice, Thomas now has some experience in using divine power.

He estimated that if he wanted to fully master this mental defense ability, he would need twenty groups of divine power.

There is not so much divine power at the moment.

But there is no rush.

Several days passed slowly.

This morning, at dawn, the sky was just beginning to brighten. Even the sun hadn't risen yet.

"There is a mission! Gather everyone!" Bai Lan stood in the yard and shouted loudly with a cold face.

Upstairs and downstairs, team members dressed as quickly as possible and went downstairs to line up.

Thomas also came out of his room, looking a little dazed.

This has never happened before.

"Captain, what's going on?" Thomas noticed that Janos had also been pulled over. "I'm taking a day off today."

And according to the regulations, today is indeed Janos's time to rest.

"Whether to rest or not is up to me!" Bai Lan didn't give Yanos any reason at all.

"What mission? I don't seem to know anything." Thomas was a little depressed. After all, I am the vice captain.

"Emergency mission." Bai Lan gave Thomas a cold look. "We're going to hunt down a group of pagans!"

Thomas's mouth twitched. Hunting down pagans? Almost everyone outside of Kiev is a pagan!

Or was it something that those pagans had done wrong?

"Uh, um, are there any documents from the church or the Knights Templar?" Thomas couldn't help but ask.

Although hunting down pagans is their duty as a religious order, they still need to know some information about the enemy's numbers, strength, and what crimes they have committed.

How can you send people to do something without any explanation?

"No need!" Bai Lan said coldly. "Go!"