Chapter 15 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 3 Part 3

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The territory of Ecclesia was widely known as a holy city, a gathering place for the temples of the gods. It was also famous as a site of pilgrimage, drawing faithful believers from all over the land.

After entering the city, Sieg made another round of purchases, buying up even more medicinal herbs and potions. The city was bustling, overflowing with adventurers and merchants, but the most conspicuous figures were, of course, the pilgrims. Though they worshipped different gods, most of them dressed alike. The common attire was a white, hooded robe and a walking stick.

There were many ways to conduct a pilgrimage. Some traveled in groups, visiting many temples, while others came alone, paying respects only to the specific god they worshipped. Many were content merely to pray, but some wished for more.

What they desired was a miracle from the gods—a Blessing.

Among the faithful, there were rare individuals who were granted a Blessing through their prayers. Such miracles tended to happen in places saturated with prayer. Many came to this land specifically to seek a Blessing.

Unfortunately, for most people, no miracle ever occurred.

Sieg recalled the true meaning of prayer, which the priestess had taught him. Prayer was not about asking the gods for things; it was about offering them one’s mana. But most commoners possessed no mana. Therefore, a miracle was impossible. Commoners like Sieg, who possessed mana, were exceedingly rare.

Here and there around the city, he saw priests dressed in pale blue robes. They seemed to be out in the streets, guiding the faithful to the various temples. Sieg greeted one of them and received a map of the temples. The map listed thirty-three locations and provided a general guide on how to get to them.

Sieg looked down at the map, searching for his targets.

There were two Blessings he wanted.

The first was [Limit Break], a Blessing that removed one’s growth ceiling. Every person is born with an inherent ‘vessel,’ and they cannot grow beyond its capacity. The same was true for Sieg. But at that rate, his growth would eventually hit a wall. This Blessing removed that limit. It was a rare Blessing that almost no one sought. This was because most people never gained enough experience to even reach their natural limit. He hadn’t had this Blessing during his previous journey, and he had struggled immensely in the final stages as a result. He had no intention of making that mistake again.

The second was the [Auto-Heal] Blessing. It was an extremely useful Blessing that constantly regenerated one’s stamina. This Blessing was incredibly popular; every high-level adventurer wanted it. For that reason, it was not easy to obtain. The more people desired a Blessing, the harder it became to acquire. The gods’ miracles are annoyingly well-designed, Sieg mused.

There was absolutely no way he could get these Blessings just by praying normally. Both were high-level Blessings. To obtain them, one had to offer mana through prayer, pay a suitable price, and overcome a trial given by the god.

Sieg found a decent inn, rested for a bit, and then immediately set out for the temples.

[Auto-Heal] could be obtained at the temple of Sanatia, the Goddess of Healing, but her temple was extremely popular and overflowing with worshippers.

Therefore, Sieg decided to first get the unpopular Blessing, [Limit Break].

His destination: the temple of Evalga, the God of Evolution.

Evalga’s temple was a small, modest structure. It couldn’t even compare to the grand cathedral of the popular healing goddess, Sanatia. All temples in the territory were built from the same white stone, and it seemed their size and appearance changed according to the number of believers they had. This, too, was likely one of the gods’ miracles.

He walked up the stairs and entered the temple, the cool air inside was a welcome relief from the heat. At the front, an image of Evalga, the God of Evolution, was enshrined on an altar. There was no one in the pews.

…This place really is unpopular… [Limit Break] is an amazing Blessing, too…

Feeling a twinge of sympathy, Sieg knelt before the statue and offered a prayer. The magic circle on the floor glowed, and his mana began to drain.

Right… I’ll offer a little extra. The God of Evolution deserves more respect than this.

With that thought, Sieg poured a significant amount of his mana into the circle. The magic circles in temples were used not only to offer mana but also to measure the believer’s capacity. They were assessing how much power the individual possessed.

Alright, that should do it.

After offering a large amount of mana, Sieg stood up. A door in the back of the temple flew open, and a man in dark blue vestments appeared, accompanied by a priest. Judging by the color of his robes, this was the high priest of the temple. Normally, only a priest would come out, but perhaps because this temple had so few visitors, the high priest was handling it himself.

Sieg immediately knelt to receive him. The high priest hurried over, his voice filled with excitement.

“W-Was it you who just offered that mana?”

Sieg, though puzzled by the high priest’s agitation, answered truthfully. “Yes, it was.”

“Oh!” The high priest and the priest exchanged a look, their faces lighting up with joy. The high priest quickly composed himself, cleared his throat, and continued. “You possess a great well of mana. As high priest, I thank you for your pilgrimage.”

It seemed the large offering had startled the high priest enough to bring him out personally.

“The honor is mine. I am a follower of the God Evalga, so this much is only natural.”

“Such faith! The god must surely be pleased with your devotion.”

Sieg offered his thanks and smiled at the high priest. As he watched, the priest’s expression slowly shifted to one of confusion.

“…Eh? Don’t tell me… you wish to undergo the trial?”

“Yes. That is why I have come.”

The high priest glanced at the priest beside him, then said with a troubled look, “This is difficult to say, but the trial requires a… donation…”

Sieg nodded immediately. “I am aware. I would be honored to make a contribution.”

The bewildered high priest nodded to his attendant, who retrieved a silver scale from the back room. The right side of the scale was already piled high with weights, tipping it down significantly. These weights corresponded to the amount of mana Sieg had just offered. To receive the god’s trial, he had to donate an equal weight in gold coins.

…Maybe I offered a little too much mana? Oh well, gold isn’t an issue.

Sieg still had the treasure he’d taken from the Labyrinth of Obsidian. While most of it was hard-to-liquidate treasure, he had nearly a thousand gold coins. It was about as much as a large territory’s entire budget for a year.

The high priest took the scale from the priest and offered it to Sieg, his expression apologetic. “Your mana is vast. Therefore, the required donation will also be large. …You do not have to force yourself. The god has already seen your devotion.”

Sieg reached into his bag, accessing his [Spatial Storage], and pulled out a pouch of gold, placing it on the left side of the scale. It was a little too much; he removed ten coins, and the scale balanced.

Seeing this, the high priest and the priest both gasped, their eyes wide.

The high priest quickly corrected his posture. “Y-You are the scion of a noble house! You were dressed as an adventurer, so I did not realize… My deepest apologies for the discourtesy.”

Even if Sieg were a noble, the high priest would hold a higher rank within the temple. However, an [Appraisal] revealed the high priest himself held the rank of Baron. To be able to produce this much gold, Sieg must have appeared to be at least a Viscount’s son. Thus, the high priest had switched to the formal language required by aristocratic protocol.

…I’m not a noble, but there’s no need to correct him.

Sieg maintained his composure and asked, “May I take the trial now?”

“Of course, right this way.”

Finally. This was how the gods’ trials worked: only those who possessed mana and could pay a price commensurate with that mana could even attempt them. It was impossible for commoners, who had no mana, and it was no simple feat even for the nobles who did.

The high priest instructed him. “Please go behind the altar and proceed to the Chamber of Trials. There, your faith and courage will be tested. Within the chamber, time does not flow, by the grace of the god. You may cast aside your worldly cares and answer the god’s will to your heart’s content.”

“Thank you, High Priest.”

Sieg stood quietly and walked behind the altar. A door stood there, opening on its own as he approached. Steeling his resolve, he stepped inside.

A passageway of the same white stone as the temple stretched before him. As he took a step, he heard the grating sound of the door sliding shut behind him. A strange insignia glowed on its surface, then faded. This wasn’t a mechanism to trap him, but one that suspended time within this space. Just as the high priest had said, time did not pass in the Chamber of Trials. No matter how much time he spent here, when he emerged, it would be the exact same moment he had entered.

Among magic researchers, this was thought to be a remnant of the time magic lost since the Age of the Gods. In truth, it was a miracle of the gods, something closer to a Blessing. Sieg had heard this during his last journey from a researcher of time magic.

Remembering that researcher, Sieg gave a wry smile.

‘Huuuh? Time magic? No way! Are you kiddin’ me? Are you lickin’ me!?’

She’d been a strange person with a very unique way of talking.

Sieg’s brow furrowed unconsciously as he recalled the past. He wouldn’t meet her on this journey. She was someone a commoner would never have the chance to meet in a lifetime.

He shook off the memory and continued down the stone passage. Parts of the stone walls glowed, providing enough light to see. The passageway was far longer than the temple’s depth; it had clearly been expanded with spatial magic, the same technology used in magic bags.

After walking for some time, he saw a wide-open space at the end of the passage. It was a massive chamber with a high ceiling, known as the Inner Sanctum. As he crossed the threshold, he felt as if he had passed through an invisible membrane. Some kind of barrier, probably. At the far end of the room, an image of Evalga rested on a two-tiered dais.

Sieg retrieved his Sacred Silver Sword from his [Spatial Storage].

As if this were the signal, the statue melted. It dissolved into a sludgy, bluish mass that spread out, instantly filling half the room. The quivering, blue, gelatinous thing resembled a slime monster.

A familiar voice echoed from nowhere. It was a spirit.

CHALLENGER. DEFEAT THE TRIAL BEAST AND SHOW YOUR FAITH AND COURAGE.

The slime-monster shivered and began to ooze toward him.

Sieg let out a breath, readied his sword, and eyed the creature.

Just like I heard in my last life…

This was the trial beast of Evalga’s temple—an Embryon.

Sieg immediately used [Appraisal]. As expected of a trial beast, its life force was abnormally high, and it negated 80% of all standard physical attacks. However, its magic resistance was low, and it was particularly weak to fire and ice magic. Normally, this was an opponent one defeated with magic.

But Sieg would challenge it with his sword. The Sacred Silver Sword was an excellent mana conductor; its attacks had the same effect as a magic strike.

He slashed into the gelatinous body and felt a solid impact. Just as I thought. The Sacred Silver Sword can hurt it.

Sieg began to use the monster as a practice dummy, hammering it with thrusts, diagonal cuts, and spinning slashes. With every successful hit, he felt experience points flow into him. The Chamber of Trials was not just a test; it was a place of blessing. He was gaining experience with every blow landed, something that normally only happened upon defeating an enemy.

Sieg eyed the blue orb inside the Embryon. That was its core. The battle wouldn’t end until he either destroyed that core or reduced its life force to zero.

He continued his swordsmanship practice, being careful not to strike the core. Every time, he gained more experience.

When the Embryon’s life force was nearly depleted and its movements became sluggish, Sieg took several potions from his [Spatial Storage] and threw them at it. The potions sank into the creature’s body and dissolved instantly. A moment later, the monster’s life force shot back up.

Yes, it worked!

Its vitality restored, the monster shivered and lunged at him again. Sieg dodged the viscous tentacles it shot out and continued the fight.

This was the experience-farming strategy he had planned from the beginning. By healing the trial monster while fighting it, he could gain an enormous amount of experience. Moreover, he could simultaneously raise his proficiency in his sword skills and physical techniques, as well as level up his Blessings. It was an ultimate loophole that killed who-knew-how-many-birds with one stone.

Sieg had stocked up on a massive amount of food and potions, intending to train here for several months.

He worked on mastering sword techniques like Double Thrust, Whirlwind, and Shadow Stitch, all while raising the proficiency of the basic Blessings he’d received upon awakening—physical techniques like [Flash Step], [Ground Shrinker], and [Air Jump], and mana-based skills like [Body Enhancement] and [Sense Expansion].

After fighting for about three hours, he left the room to take a break. The battle would pause the moment he stepped out. The chamber was, after all, a training ground prepared by a god, designed with the challenger’s safety in mind. If you felt you were outmatched, you could even leave the trial entirely.

No one else would use a holy trial chamber in such a way. Sieg had only come up with this method after hearing about the trials from an adventurer in his previous life.

Sieg sat in the hallway, wiping his sweat and catching his breath. He appraised himself and confirmed he had Ascended by one level. His other stats had risen along with it.

He took some rations and water from his [Spatial Storage] and ate a simple meal. He didn’t know how high he could Ascend, but he planned to raise his rank as much as possible here.

A demon attack would be happening soon. The demons were the Demon King’s subordinates, and they always began their activities just before his revival. Last time, one of those attacks had annihilated a village. Sieg intended to be in peak condition to stop that from happening.

In any case, I’ll keep training until the food runs out.

After resting, Sieg returned to the chamber and resumed the battle. He fought from morning till night, taking breaks, and slept in the hallway wrapped in a blanket. He appraised himself to check his status and consumed his rations and potions on a strict schedule.

Five days later, he entered the Inner Sanctum and was shocked.

The Embryon’s form had changed.

What is that…?

A giant flower, its petals a venomous blue, was blooming in the back of the room. Its stems and leaves spread out radially, covering the walls and ceiling.

He immediately used [Appraisal], but it seemed to be resisted; he could only see the monster’s name and life force. The name was ‘Embryon – Flora Type.’

Flora… did it evolve…?

He hadn’t heard anything about this. Could it be because he’d offered too much mana?

Sieg warily approached the monster. The moment he crossed the halfway point of the room, vines shot toward him with terrifying speed.

Tch!

Sieg dodged the countless, whip-like vines and rolled to create distance. As he got to his feet, sharp thorns flew at him at incredible speed.

Ranged attacks!? This is way stronger than the slime form!

Sieg was startled for a moment, but he regained his composure and smirked. This development was actually convenient. The experience he was getting from the slime form had been starting to plateau. This Flora Type would surely grant him even more.

Sieg deflected the thorns with his sword and used the high-speed movement technique, [Flash Step]. In an instant, he closed the distance and sank into a low stance, the muscles in his limbs tightening.

Sword Technique—[Gale’s Flurry].

With a sharp exhale, Sieg swung his sword at a speed the eye couldn’t follow. The traces of his blade flashed vertically and horizontally, dicing the vines and leaves to pieces in an instant. He avoided the center of the flower where the core was likely hidden, chipping away at its health from the periphery.

He felt a large amount of experience flow into him. Just as he thought, the stronger enemy yielded more experience.

Alright, I’ll use the same tactic as the slime. Wear it down, then heal it before I finish it!

He continued to fight, testing out his newly acquired sword skills, dodging the Flora Type’s varied attacks, and steadily inflicting damage. He repeated this pattern for a while. Then, just as he moved in close—

—!

A chill ran down his spine. This trembling sensation was his Hero ability, [Danger Sense].

Sieg leaped backward. He suddenly felt dizzy and dropped to one knee. A wave of nausea hit him, and he vomited everything in his stomach.

…This is…!?

He looked up, his face pained, and noticed a purplish fog spreading around the monster. His face contorted, and this time he spat up blood. His body was shaking; he couldn’t move properly.

He understood immediately. It was poison. The Flora Type was scattering poison into the air.

Damn it… I have poison resistance, so I let my guard down…!

The Hero had basic resistances to most things, including poison. But his current resistance level wasn’t high enough to withstand this.

Sieg fumbled in his [Spatial Storage] for an antidote herb. He shoved it, raw, into his mouth and chewed. It wouldn’t be as effective without being properly prepared, but this was no time for that.

He dragged his barely-moving body toward the chamber’s exit. His legs tangled; he couldn’t even walk straight.

J-Just… have to get out of the room…!

But countless whip-like vines shot out, aiming for him. If they caught him, he’d be dragged back into the room. If that happened, he might actually die. This didn’t seem like a trial that cared about the challenger’s safety.

Wh-What do I do!? At this rate…!

Sieg’s face twisted as he thought furiously.

…Th-That’s it!

The instant the vines wrapped around his leg—Sieg opened his [Spatial Storage].

A massive volume of water burst forth. The vines were pushed back by the sudden torrent, their speed slowing. The water surged, flooding the entire chamber, washing away the poison fog.

By the time the entire room was submerged, Sieg had managed to escape the Inner Sanctum. He collapsed in the hallway, soaked to the bone, coughing violently. The water stopped at the threshold of the room, held back by an invisible wall. It seemed the barrier was designed for just such an emergency.

Sieg panted heavily, relieved to have escaped. He had stored a large amount of water in his [Spatial Storage]—more than enough to flood the chamber. He had released it all at once in desperation.

…First… antidote…!

Trembling, Sieg took out more herbs and created a crude, instant antidote. The effect was weak, but it was better than nothing. He swallowed the makeshift medicine along with a healing potion and lay weakly in the passageway. A day of rest should be enough to recover. He’d never dreamed this would happen.

By the next evening, Sieg had mostly recovered and ate his first meal in a day. Afterward, he appraised himself and saw that his poison resistance had leveled up. He leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and thought.

Why had the Embryon transformed and its attacks become so varied?

Sieg had an answer: Probably because I’m the Hero.

There was no way a mere offering of mana, even a large one, should have caused such an anomaly. Besides, the adventurer’s story hadn’t mentioned a spirit. The spirit probably only spoke to the Hero.

Sieg let out a long breath, his conclusion set.

…So that’s it…

This was, in its own way, encouragement from the god. The god was lending him a hand so that he could become stronger.

Leaning his weight against the wall, Sieg looked up at the ceiling and spoke to the god.

“I appreciate you looking out for me, God, but don’t you think this is a little much?”

He glared resentfully at the heavens.

—“You were actively trying to kill me, weren’t you!?”

After that, having gained a higher poison resistance, Sieg was no longer affected by the toxin. He proceeded to wring every last drop of experience he could from the Flora Type Embryon.

As he’d expected, the Embryon continued to evolve—into an Avian Type, a Small Mammal Type, a Large Beast Type, and finally, into a Humanoid Type.

The battle against the Humanoid Type, which possessed abilities similar to his own, was incredibly difficult. It was, in essence, like fighting himself. There were one or two times when he was on the verge of death. He’d had his arms and legs cut off and been forced to use [Hyper Recovery] on more than one occasion.

By the time his food supplies finally ran out, Sieg managed to destroy the Humanoid Embryon’s core and successfully received the god’s blessing.

The Blessing he chose was, as planned, [Limit Break].

He cleaned himself with water from a large basin and, feeling refreshed, finally left the Chamber of Trials. He turned back to the statue of Evalga in the Inner Sanctum and bowed deeply.

Sieg had spent half a year training in the Chamber of Trials. In that time, he had Ascended 15 levels, and all of his stats had increased significantly. His proficiency in swordsmanship, physical techniques, and Blessings had all risen, and he’d managed to bolster his various resistances. He was a completely different person from the one who had first entered. Now, he would not be outmatched by the demons.

And so, Sieg’s first temple visit had ended in success.