Chapter 51: I Can Learn Holy Arts?
Angels are generally seen as messengers of the gods who sit high upon the clouds—yet, in reality, they are neither the private creations of the gods nor a race born from divinity.
In this world, angels are condensations of Holy Light, essentially elementals formed from an extreme concentration of divine power.
To put it bluntly, they are not much different from the Water Slimes that serve the White Coconut trees.
The gods merely grant them power, and in return, they serve the gods.
It is a mutually beneficial relationship.
Hmm... so theoretically speaking, if divine power reaches a certain concentration, isn't there at least a tiny possibility that an angel could be born?
Croyer could only convince himself with that reasoning.
Otherwise, what was the meaning behind the sudden and inexplicable appearance of an angel? Was this some kind of joke?
After wrestling with his thoughts for a while, he finally calmed down and began seriously considering possible explanations.
The Spatial Luminary Crystal served as a substitute for a material called Blissful Tear Crystals in the Seven Luminary Divine Law Array. The latter was a product of the Temple of Order, essentially a crystallization of divine power.
From this, it could be inferred that the Spatial Luminary Crystal likely had some connection to divine power. So, was this angel actually a product of the divine power condensed from Holy White Iron after being refined by the Kaba Beasts?
"......"
The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed.
Croyer quickly pushed aside that unsettling idea. After a moment’s hesitation, he gently placed his fingers onto the glowing radiance. The sensation upon touch was a soft warmth, akin to cotton.
His mental energy could not probe it effectively, so he could only rely on his own body to experience it.
The result astonished him—
Thin streams of heat flowed through his fingertips into his body. They remained distinct from his own magic, glowing with a sacred radiance.
Yet, with just a mere thought, he could easily manipulate this power. As a test, he attempted to conjure a Fireball Spell.
What appeared in his hand was an unusual fireball, a blend of red and white—the outer layer was a deep crimson, while the core radiated a pure, holy white light. The aura it emitted was both scorching and gentle.
"......"
A second silence followed.
This... this power could be controlled by him?
Normally, only members of the Temple of Order could cultivate divine power through prayer or special meditative techniques. And yet, this angel had just given it to him?
Was this real or not?
"What exactly are you? Do you have self-awareness?"
Croyer narrowed his eyes, using several probing techniques, but the angel remained motionless.
In the end, he decided to use the Star Spirit Engraving Technique, and surprisingly, it worked.
Through the engraving spell, he could see inside the small angel’s body.
What he saw was a humanoid figure composed entirely of pure, sacred light. It was curled up inside a strange platinum-white ring, maintaining a posture akin to a sleeping infant.
There was no trace of consciousness or will—just an empty shell that merely bore the appearance of an angel.
The successful activation of the Star Spirit Engraving Technique shocked him.
According to its description, it could only be used on magic plants and magical beasts. He had tried using it on people before, but it had no effect at all.
Did this mean that angels were classified as magical beasts?
If the Temple of Order found out about this, they would definitely lose their minds.
He examined the small pool of divine power within his body. To be honest, it was barely enough for three or four Fireball Spells—a pitiful amount.
But the real problem was that this power did not conflict with his magic at all.
In other words, he could now cast Holy Magic—spells exclusive to the Temple of Order.
According to research from the Mage Association, divine power and other forms of magic were fundamentally incompatible. The two forces were like fire and water—if they came into contact, they would cause an explosion.
There had been attempts by mages in the past to wield both divine power and normal magic, but they always suffered intense backlash from the divine power, often leaving them in agony.
That made his current situation all the more incomprehensible.
As he pondered over this, the sleeping angel suddenly twitched. The sacred radiance around its body dimmed slightly before it continued to slumber.
In Croyer’s perception, its power had noticeably weakened.
"Was that because it transferred power to me? In other words, you’re a converter—you absorb divine power and then transfer it to me?"
He felt that his hypothesis was likely correct. But the real question was... could the Spatial Luminary Crystal actually achieve something like this?
If every Spatial Luminary Crystal was capable of producing something like this, then it would either be monopolized by the Temple of Order or fiercely sought after by mages.
"So, it all comes back to that ring… Just what is that platinum-white ring?"
Croyer stared at the mushroom, noticing that the ring seemed to have become slightly smoother compared to when he first discovered it.
It appeared that divine power was repairing it.
As it recovered, it had somehow created an angel. If it continued to repair itself, what else could it create?
"It’s only partially restored and already produced an angel. If it fully recovers, does that mean it could create... a god?"
He murmured to himself while keeping his eyes fixed on the mushroom.
Of course, the mushroom did not respond, continuing to emit its gentle, sacred glow.
Croyer decided that next time he made a purchase, he would see if the Holy Spring Chamber of Commerce had any documents on the Spatial Luminary Crystal. Alternatively, he could try gathering information from the Merfolk Kingdom.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure when the latter would send him more crystals—they were all made from Magic Crystals, after all.
Setting his doubts aside for now, he turned his attention to the side.
Suddenly, two Burrowing Thief Mice emerged from underground. Their entire bodies were covered in dirt, but their expressions were brimming with excitement.
The moment they saw Croyer, they scampered toward him, squeaking loudly.
Fortunately, thanks to their contract, Croyer could just barely understand them—they had found a staircase at the bottom of the lake.
"A staircase… does that mean there’s a hidden chamber?"
At this point, Croyer had grown used to their discoveries.
After witnessing the birth of an angel, a hidden chamber didn’t seem all that surprising.
Besides, he had always suspected that there might be something hidden here. That great mage who once aided the Merfolk Kingdom—could he really have left nothing behind?
The castle had already been thoroughly searched, yet nothing was found. So was this the place?
"How deep?"
He stepped over to where the Burrowing Thief Mice had emerged and examined the hole they had dug.
The two mice let out a few more squeaks. A faint earthen glow shimmered across their bodies, and the ground rippled.
The soil parted, shifting outward as their magic excavated a pit nearly three meters deep.
At the bottom of the pit, a staircase leading further underground was clearly visible.
"I almost forgot you two are magical beasts. Burrowing Thief Mice do have the ability to manipulate soil, after all."
Croyer scooped up the two exhausted mice, stuffing them into his pocket. Then, without hesitation, he leapt into the pit and descended the staircase leading into the depths.