Translator: CinderTL
High Priest Bodo's voice briefly drew Roland's attention away from Gloria. He quickly explained in a low voice, "Lord Roland, the Radiant Blessing is no mere ritual. It is a sacred process of guiding the scattered fragments of my lord Lothander's divine radiance, gathering and purifying them, and ultimately imprinting them deep within the soul of the chosen vessel."
"The stigmata do not bestow strength; rather, they awaken the latent potential within the recipient—a potential that already exists and resonates with the divine radiance. Of course, this process carries immense risks and pain."
He gestured for Roland to take a seat on the observation terrace, then strode swiftly toward the platform to join the seven high priests. Together, they began chanting the ancient rites in a resonant, archaic tongue, initiating the ceremony.
The ritual commenced.
The solemn, low chanting suddenly surged upward, its resonance with the crystalline dome intensifying.
The golden bands of light that permeated the space, as if drawn by an invisible force, began converging toward Gloria at the center of the platform, like rivers flowing into the sea.
The light enveloped her completely, forming a dazzling cocoon. Her condition remained obscured, but one could sense the immense energy contained within, and...
A faint, suppressed tremor.
Seven devotees clad in dazzling golden robes, along with Bodo, held artifacts that emitted blinding light, serving as eight anchors to stabilize and guide the vast torrent of luminous energy.
Roland watched the sacred and surreal scene with rapt attention.
Imperceptibly, his consciousness seemed to become immersed and assimilated by the boundless radiance and ancient chants.
At first, he noticed nothing unusual, like warm water lapping at his ankles.
But when he suddenly snapped to awareness, the surrounding priests' chanting, the magnificent dome, even the massive cocoon of light...
Everything had vanished.
His consciousness felt stripped away, cast into an absolute void.
Here, there was no up, down, left, or right; no passage of time. Only the purest light and deepest darkness clashed, collided, and annihilated each other in a frenzied dance.
This wasn't a visual spectacle, but a more fundamental, soul-shaking struggle—silent yet profoundly resonant.
After an immeasurable span, the invisible war seemed to reach its conclusion.
Light ultimately drove back the darkness, claiming dominance.
Immediately afterward, an incomparably pure, almost blindingly white light enveloped everything.
When Roland could see again, he found himself standing in a completely unfamiliar realm.
Beneath his feet stretched a mirror-smooth, warm, and luminous white stone floor that extended to the horizon, merging seamlessly with an equally pure sky radiating a soft, ethereal glow.
In the distance, the faint outlines of countless majestic palaces loomed, appearing as if sculpted from solidified light, their presence both solemn and sacred.
The air hummed with an indescribable sense of tranquility and power.
Not far ahead, a figure had materialized, standing tall and erect.
Enveloped in a faint, dawn-like aura—gentle yet impossible to ignore—the figure's features remained obscured, revealing only an indescribable sense of ancient majesty and authority.
It stood motionless, as if it had existed since the dawn of time.
Roland's heart leaped in his chest.
An inexplicable sense of familiarity struck him.
The figure's silhouette, the way it held a long-handled weapon, the warmth and hope radiating from it—as if capable of dispelling all darkness and despair...
He suddenly remembered.
The towering giant stone statue at the heart of the Corona Lands.
Though its face had been blurred, the overall Divine Resonance, the symbolic posture—how strikingly similar it was to the Lothander Holy Statue he had seen before.
A nearly absurd yet the only logical conclusion exploded in his mind like thunder, almost stopping his breath.
The figure before him...
Could it be...?
"An interesting young man..."
The deep, resonant voice seemed to echo directly in Roland's mind, tinged with curiosity and amusement.
Before the words faded, the figure bathed in the dawn's golden light slowly turned.
He wore a long robe woven from what appeared to be flowing liquid gold, his tall, perfect frame radiating both the solid strength of a warrior and the serene composure of a philosopher.
His hair, like solidified sunlight, cascaded freely over his shoulders.
Most striking was the aura emanating from him—a fusion of supreme majesty, boundless warmth, and infinite hope, as if he were the dawn itself, capable of dispelling all darkness and cold from the world.
"Such pure and fervent affinity for the fire element... truly rare. Hmm? Yet it's subtly balanced by a hint of shadow's coolness? And... such gentle, soothing moonlight power?"
The voice continued its appraisal, its tone growing increasingly impressed.
"Ah... the ancient dragon's strength slumbers deep within his bloodline? A truly wondrous hybrid."
With a soft clap, the figure began to approach Roland at a leisurely pace.
As he drew closer, the hazy golden aura gradually receded, allowing Roland to finally discern his features.
His handsomeness was beyond mortal comprehension, every line of his face sculpted as if by divine light, radiating a perfect, godlike beauty.
Especially his eyes, which seemed to contain both the boundless vitality of a newborn sun and the profound wisdom to see through the ages.
"However..."
A perfectly measured hint of puzzlement appeared on his flawless face.
"Though you have grasped the basic methods of channeling positive energy, your heart... harbors no true, unwavering faith in me or the light."
"If that is so, how were you able to detect such a faint, almost imperceptible Divine Resonance, use it to connect with me, and arrive here?"
Before Roland could answer, the figure seemed to sense something, answering his own question with a tone of sudden understanding.
"Ah... I see. You recently encountered a devout believer with a soul of pure, radiant light, and... interacted with him? This unique aura..."
He nodded slightly, as if confirming a name.
"It must be that slippery Holland, right?"
"Holland?"
Hearing the somewhat familiar name, Roland paused to think. The undead he had encountered in the Mistland flashed through his mind.
But in an instant, he dismissed the thought.
By now, the astonishing suspicion in his heart had finally been confirmed with near certainty.
Suppressing his shock, he followed ancient etiquette, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing deeply before the being before him. He spoke with utmost reverence:
"Greetings, O Great Lord of a Billion Lights, Herald of Dawn, Lothander."
"No need for such formality, little one," Lothander said, waving his hand with an ancient, graceful ease that seemed to dissolve the mortal's awe and sense of distance.
He closed his eyes, those eyes that held the dawn and wisdom, as if dredging up a distant memory from the river of time. A hint of wistful nostalgia crept into his voice.
"The Radiant Blessing Ceremony... it has been long since I witnessed such a ritual. The pure radiance resonating deep within the soul... even here, I can faintly sense it..."
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling on Roland with palpable weight. He scrutinized Roland's resolute, handsome face and his tall, muscular frame, which radiated astonishing strength. His gaze held undisguised admiration, as if examining a creation perfectly aligned with his divine will.
He nodded in satisfaction, his approval like the warmth of sunlight.
"So..." the Lord of a Billion Lights began, his tone gentle yet carrying the inherent, probing quality of a God. "You are the 'holy son' whom my followers have meticulously chosen and revered, the one destined to receive this Radiant Blessing?"
(End of the Chapter)
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