Yade's Gift

Hearing this, Ogre also hurriedly put down his work and followed him.

“Lord Yade,” the passing believers and Knight Apprentice guards all voluntarily made way.

Here, apart from the bishop, no one held a higher position than Yade.

“Do not mind me,” Yade said, waving his hand.

As the two moved forward, they quickly walked past the confessional of the back hall and arrived before a small storeroom.

Due to a lack of maintenance over the years, the outer wall of this storeroom was covered with parasitic plants. The roots produced by the thin vines had dug deep into the stone wall, forming a strange equilibrium.

Beneath the light filtering in from the window, these hanging vines appeared exceptionally full of life.

Even the dust kicked up by opening the door seemed less offensive under the sunlight split by the branches.

Clearly, this place had some history.

‘How could there be such an old place in a church that is being renovated...’

Ogre did not know why Yade had brought him here.

However, he felt that the Paladin must have something important to entrust to him.

“Ogre, how long until you reach adulthood?” Yade stopped Ogre outside the door and did not let him in.

Perhaps he was afraid the dust would dirty Ogre, or perhaps he did not want Ogre to enter and touch other things.

“About a year, I think.” Ogre was not particularly certain about his date of birth; he could only confirm his approximate age.

On the continent, the coming-of-age ceremony was held at seventeen. Currently, he was at least sixteen years old.

“Yes, in the blink of an eye, you are almost of age.” Yade nodded, then said nothing more, walking into the clutter to rummage around.

Before long, he came out carrying an iron box.

“Ogre, if it is to pursue strength, I no longer have anything left to teach you. However, I have still prepared a gift—I originally intended to give it to you at your coming-of-age ceremony, but now, it seems it might be better to entrust it to you now.”

Yade's voice, like his usual demeanor, was forever calm and unhurried.

“A gift?” This distant word caused a slight ripple in Ogre's heart.

It had been a very long time since he last heard this word.

He did not quite understand why Yade was treating him so well, especially since he could not inherit his teacher's legacy...

“However, before you receive this gift, Ogre, you must answer a question of mine.”

Yade had been observing Ogre for a long time. He did not care where Ogre came from or what kind of past he had, but there was one thing he had to care about.

“Teacher, please ask. Even without a gift, I will answer,” Ogre said seriously.

He was serious—as long as it did not involve his true secrets.

“Ogre, how do you view variants?” Yade's golden eyes stared intently at him. This was the first time he had displayed the powerful pressure of a Senior Professional.

“I...” Ogre subconsciously opened his mouth to give the standard answer from the Dawn doctrines.

But Yade spoke to emphasize, “I want the truth—the truth from your heart.”

“I feel that... perhaps there really are some variants that are kind...”

Ogre paused here, thinking of his father, then of other monsters and his father's warning. “But variants that do not appear before humans might be best for humanity.”

Ogre's response could barely be considered standard.

“Then what if I were infected and became a variant?” Yade asked.

“You...” This question caught Ogre somewhat off guard, but he still quickly organized his words. “A person's soul will not change because their appearance changes. It is just a change in form.”

“No, child, you are wrong. The soul can be changed by one's stance and body. There are actually very, very few who are not changed by external factors. Many once believed in their own willpower like that as well.

“However, a vampire's feeding instinct and a werewolf's bloodlust are naturally inherent to their races, difficult to change. You can hardly ask a gnome not to covet wealth.

“Perhaps an infected person will not be affected at first, but with the passage of time, the body will ultimately contaminate the soul.

“This is also why the Church of Dawn's stance on variants and warlocks is—leave none alive!

“Therefore, if I ever become infected, I hope you will personally—and immediately!—kill me.”

Yade patiently explained the influence brought by racial bloodlines.

Yet, Ogre felt that things were not that simple.

“Rarely, but does that mean such people do indeed exist...” Ogre tested the waters carefully.

If it were just to emphasize something already established, Ogre felt that Teacher Yade would not adopt such an attitude.

“Ogre, you are smart, and that is indeed the purpose of my question...”

As Yade spoke, he wiped the dust off the iron box. With a click...

The patterns on the iron box glowed faintly, and the mysterious box opened.

Inside the box lay a chunk of vermilion flesh.

By the looks of it, this chunk of flesh was actually squirming!

“This is!” The moment the box opened, Ogre's body involuntarily generated a craving—a craving to feed.

‘Just what is this thing to make me feel this way!’

One had to know that Ogre had only recently eaten.

“This is something that can help you become a Professional.” Seeing Ogre's state, Yade closed the box again.

The moment the box shut, that intense appetite was instantly suppressed.

“For... for me?!” Ogre had never expected that this so-called gift would be such a precious and bizarre thing.

Since when was becoming a Professional so easy?

Why was there such a bizarre object in the utility room of the Church of Dawn?

At this point, even the most dull-witted person would have realized that this gift was likely not simple.

“Yes, but this is only one of the choices.” Yade then took an emblem from his robe.

It was a silver-colored metal emblem engraved with thorns and fire—the emblem of a Discipline Knight of the Church of Dawn, and a Grand Knight-level one at that.

Ogre could also tell that the emblem was not made of silver at all, but mithril—an extremely expensive transcendent material usually used for forging parts of magical apparatuses.

But compared to the preciousness of its material, the significance behind the emblem was far from simple.

“Teacher, what do you mean by this?” Ogre's experience was not yet enough for him to deduce Yade's intentions.

“This is the other choice. Take this emblem, go to the tallest bell tower in the city, and give them my name. Someone will teach you the Path of Mind-Images.”

Yade placed the two choices before Ogre.

One was the bizarre flesh that would make him a Martial Artist immediately upon consumption, while the other was merely an inexplicable promise.

“Teacher, I have never heard of anything that can directly make someone a Martial Artist...” Ogre did not make a choice immediately; instead, he asked about his doubt.

It was not that Ogre was able to suppress his greed, but rather that he simply did not believe his relationship with Yade had reached such a deep level.

“To be able to maintain caution in the face of temptation, I have not misjudged you, Ogre.”

Yade smiled rarely, then stepped out of the storeroom, closed the door, tucked away the two items he had taken out, and led Ogre to a stone bench.

Although the storeroom was dusty everywhere, the stone bench outside was surprisingly clean.

“Sit.” After sitting down on the bench himself, Yade signaled Ogre to sit beside him.

Once Ogre was seated on the bench, Yade began to explain: “The flesh I just showed you is called Taisui Meat. It is something from the East. Eating it can indeed directly turn someone into a Martial Artist, or even inherit the power of a Grand Martial Artist, as well as extend your lifespan.

“But as a price—it will be difficult for you to progress further on the path of martial arts, and your other transcendent paths will also be severed.”

“That does not sound like much of a downside...” Ogre was momentarily dazed.

He truly did not think such a downside could be considered a downside. Compared to the effects of the Taisui Meat, Ogre was actually more curious about what kind of creature this thing had been cut from.

He had never even heard of such an outrageous thing.

If this thing could be mass-produced, wouldn't everyone in the East be a Martial Artist?

“Indeed, that is not the true flaw of the Taisui Meat. The real drawback is actually the development of a secondary personality after consuming it...” Yade patted his palm down, sealing the box containing the Taisui Meat once again.

“Thus, some of us here refer to it as the—Forbidden Elixir of the East. If you truly choose the Taisui Meat for the sake of power, I can hand it to you right now, but from this day forth, you will no longer have any relation to me.”

Ogre fell silent for a few seconds, then spoke: “I would rather know about the other choice.”

Possessing the power of a Professional Martial Artist, along with the assistance of equipment, might allow him to deal with the Goblin King. But what about the subsequent Ogre Chief...

And how was he to face that nameless fire mage?

Moreover, behind that fire mage, there was in all likelihood an entire, complete team of Professionals.

Back then, he had only heard an explosion and dreamed of fire related to his father's death, so he could not yet determine just how powerful the enemies were.

Relying solely on the strength of a Professional was far from enough.

No matter how great the hatred for the destruction of the village was, it could not compare to his father who had raised him...

“Then we must start from the previous question...” A rare look of reminiscence appeared in Yade's eyes.

“You mean to say, the person you want me to meet... was infected and became a variant?” Ogre suddenly realized.

Yade turned his head. Even he had not expected Ogre to react so quickly.

“You guessed correctly, Ogre. The one I want you to meet is indeed a Cleric who was infected and became a vampire... Well, he is no longer a Cleric now.”

Saying this, Yade sighed.

Ogre had never before seen this side of the dignified Paladin.

Subsequently, a story began to slowly unfold through Yade's narration.