It wasn't just the High Priest.
Even the Apprentice and Formal Priests surrounding Leon stopped flipping through their books because of his words.
They all stared at Leon in unison, their faces filled with dazed bewilderment.
To use an analogy, it was as if the bell for a major exam had just rung. While the other examinees were still flipping through their papers, getting an overview of which questions they could answer at a glance and which were too difficult to waste time on, the student sitting right next to them suddenly stood up and walked to the front to hand in their completed exam.
What did he mean by "I haven't even started the questions and you've already handed in the paper"?
Was this even possible?
Up on the stands...
The Bishops stared at each other, seeing the same shock reflected in their eyes.
Comprehending a Silver rank divine spell in three minutes? Forget the Bronze and Silver rank priests below; even if they, the Gold rank Bishops, tried, they couldn't achieve such a feat!
Beside them, Archbishop Charles’s eyes sparkled. The mysterious smile Bishop Miles had given him before parting flashed through his mind.
Charles suddenly stood up and walked quickly toward the square below.
The surrounding Bishops snapped out of their shock and immediately followed him.
Prince Aaron, who had been watching the spectacle from the stands, put down the watermelon his servants had specially bought for him and walked down with an excited expression.
...
Below the stands.
“You say you have already comprehended 【Radiance Perception】?”
An urgent yet gentle voice sounded. The High Priest noticed that Archbishop Charles had arrived at his side at some point and hastily bowed in greeting.
“Archbishop Charles.”
“Mm.”
Charles gave a slight nod, then ignored the High Priest to stare intently at Leon, asking again, “You say you have already comprehended 【Radiance Perception】?”
“Yes,” Leon nodded.
Hearing this, Charles raised his palm toward the air. A burst of brilliant holy light surged from his palm, falling onto the marble floor of the great square like a stream.
After a moment, the holy light dissipated. An object now sat on the ground at Charles’s feet, though its form could only be sensed; it was invisible to the naked eye.
“I have molded an object using 【Holy Light Creation】 and applied 【Holy Light Concealment】 to it,” Charles said. “Now, cast 【Radiance Perception】 and tell me the shape of the object I created.”
Leon nodded without hesitation. His mental energy surged from within as he cast 【Radiance Perception】.
A rhythm emanated from Leon’s body, spreading outward in waves like a tide of light. The radiant waves brushed against the marble floor, producing faint echoes that built a clear model in Leon’s mind.
The texture of the marble, the specks of dust on the floor, the number of tiny stones hidden in the cracks—all this information was clearly perceived by Leon.
The radiant waves continued to surge, reaching the object molded by Archbishop Charles.
However, due to the influence of the 【Holy Light Concealment】 spell, Leon’s perception of the object was not entirely clear; he could only vaguely sense its shape.
Pointed ears, large eyes, whiskers, and a long tail.
“A cat?” Leon said thoughtfully.
The surrounding Bishops, seeing wave after wave of radiance and hearing Leon’s uncertain voice, widened their eyes in disbelief.
“He actually learned it?!”
“It hasn't even been three minutes! This... is this right?”
“When I was his age, I couldn't do anything like this!”
“Forget about when we were young; even now, we couldn't learn 【Radiance Perception】 in just three minutes!”
Beside them, Charles stared at Leon with a look of wonder. He was just about to speak when he suddenly saw Leon close his eyes.
Immediately, a second pulse of 【Radiance Perception】 naturally diffused from Leon’s body like a tide, like a surging wave.
Only this time, the radiant wave was even more dazzling. Its diffusion speed was as if it had received the blessing of Poseidon himself—rapid and expansive.
The radiant wave crashed into the object Charles had molded from holy light. It successfully broke through the effect of 【Holy Light Concealment】, transmitting a clear image into Leon’s mind.
“It’s a cat. An orange and white cat, raising one paw and licking its fur.”
Leon opened his eyes, ceased his casting of 【Radiance Perception】, and spoke to Archbishop Charles.
Charles’s eyes, which were usually just thin slits on his round face, snapped open until they were as large as two mung beans.
This was the result of him trying his hardest to widen his eyes in extreme shock!
It wasn't Charles’s fault for being so surprised. This was simply too far beyond his expectations and experience!
Normally, when a priest comprehends a new divine spell, they still need days or even weeks of practice from the first time they cast it until they can fully manifest its power.
After all, there is a vast distance between "understanding it" and "being able to use it"!
But... what was Leon showing him right now?
On his first attempt, he could already cast 【Radiance Perception】 completely!
Although the power wasn't great, being able to cast it successfully on the first try without any trial and error was already the mark of a significant genius.
However, that first performance, which would normally be called genius, was like a firefly's glimmer compared to the radiance of the full moon when Leon cast it a second time.
They weren't even on the same level!
In the second casting, Leon acted as if he had already known 【Radiance Perception】 for months. His mastery, power, and control over the subtle nuances of the spell were simply formidable—truly breathtaking!
A genius! An indisputable genius!
Charles gazed at Leon as if looking at a species that had completely transcended humanity.
“You... you only became a priest a few months ago?”
Leon nodded. “Yes.”
Charles opened his mouth, words of praise nearly escaping, but he forced himself to stop.
Because they weren't necessary.
Charles simply patted Leon on the shoulder and left him with a solemn sentence: “For this year’s God-Chosen candidate selection, I will recommend you to His Holiness the Pope.”
Praise was too hollow.
Only a recommendation for the God-Chosen candidate—only a tangible reward—was the best possible recognition for such a transcendent genius!
Charles’s words caused a sudden shock to ripple through all the priests nearby, whether they were the presiding Bishops or the observing Apprentice and Formal Priests.
God-Chosen!
As priests, they all understood exactly what that word meant!
It was a supreme honor, a status every priest of the Sacred Light dreamed of, and the target of the Sacred Light Church's focused cultivation!
More importantly, it was an opportunity.
A supreme opportunity to personally have an audience with a god!
And the one they would meet was the strongest god on the continent of Ommissiah: the God of Sacred Light!
Even if it was just the qualification for recommendation as a God-Chosen candidate, it still represented unsurpassed glory and a brilliant future.
Combined with Leon’s status as the second son of the Douglas family... the other priests felt that Leon’s future was like the sun in the sky, blindingly bright!
Damn it!
The second son of the Imperial Prime Minister plus a God-Chosen candidate—how the hell could all that be gathered in one person!
However, upon hearing Charles’s words, Leon only nodded and bowed. “Thank you for your high regard, Archbishop Charles.”
Seeing Leon’s nonchalant attitude, the admiration in Charles’s eyes deepened. He patted Leon’s shoulder once more, then led the other Bishops back to the stands, ensuring they didn't disturb the order of the other priests comprehending their spells.
Leon sensed the gazes coming from all around—some were shocked, some dazed, some filled with envy and jealousy, and some even resented their own parents for not being as successful as Leon's.
Leon’s face remained calm as he sat back down on the ground, closing his eyes as if to rest.
My persona should be well-established now...
Leon thought silently to himself.
Rate on N.U.
