Free Web NovelChapter 315: Chapter 303: Faith Originates from Within?
"Whew..."
Roland slipped back into his quarters soundlessly. Only after making sure he hadn’t been followed did he let out a sigh of relief and remove his disguise.
He lit the oil lamp on the desk, its dim, yellow glow instantly dispelling the darkness in the room.
Next, he took the carefully guarded Scroll from within his robes. He set the Domain of Honesty Scroll aside for now, then slowly unfurled the Supreme Slash Scroll across his desk.
By the flickering lamplight, he focused and began to read it intently.
The light, though dim, was enough to illuminate the ancient, powerful script on the Scroll.
The Scroll’s contents were divided into two parts.
The method for wielding Positive Energy, and the more profound art of channeling it.
Just as he had gathered, the method for using Positive Energy was direct and clear-cut.
It involved imbuing a weapon, or even one’s fists and feet, with this pure power to sear evil, and it was especially effective against Undead Creatures.
The Scroll used simple diagrams and text to describe the different forms of Energy output and the fundamentals of its control. For Roland, understanding this part was not difficult.
The true difficulty lay in the channeling method explained in the first half of the Scroll.
Here, the descriptions became abstract and obscure.
It didn’t specify a concrete source of Energy. Instead, it repeatedly emphasized concepts like "inner brilliance," "pure will," and "a heart dedicated to defending life and Order."
The text implied that Positive Energy wasn’t generated by the practitioner. Rather, one had to "request" it from, "resonate" with, and "channel" it from some higher dimension.
Roland closed his eyes, attempting to quiet his mind and feel for it as the Scroll instructed.
His breathing grew steady, and his consciousness slowly sank inward.
Yet, as time passed, he felt nothing but the warm vitality generated by his Knight’s Breathing Technique. He couldn’t sense the "warm," "blazing" source of Energy described in the Scroll, the one "capable of dispelling all gloom."
A moment later, he opened his eyes, frowning slightly.
’It’s really not that simple.’
It seemed channeling Positive Energy required not only skill or talent but also a certain inner conviction or Spiritual Realm.
And that was precisely what he lacked.
Realizing this, Roland’s gaze fell involuntarily upon the Secret Silver Longsword.
Ever since Fairy Queen Estelle had lifted its Curse, the "Treasure Tool" had been constantly wreathed in a layer of Holy Power.
According to Estelle, it was the purest form of Positive Energy.
However, while Roland could sense its presence, he had never been able to freely command or channel it.
’Perhaps...’
An idea began to form in his mind.
’Since I can’t ’channel’ it from within, maybe I can ’borrow’ it from an external source first?’
Roland’s gaze shifted back and forth between the obscure instructions on channeling and the Secret Silver Longsword beside him.
After a moment’s thought, he took a deep breath and firmly gripped the hilt of the Secret Silver Longsword with his right hand.
He placed his left hand on the open Scroll, once again reviewing the techniques and pathways for wielding Positive Energy.
Then he closed his eyes, focusing his entire Perception on the warm, holy Energy within the sword’s blade.
At first, the process was incredibly difficult.
He could clearly perceive the Positive Energy flowing within the blade, but it was like watching a docile Flame through a pane of glass.
Visible, yet untouchable.
He tried to "draw" it out with his will, as the Scroll described, but it was like trying to pull a Giant Stone with a thread of nothingness—it wouldn’t budge an inch.
After several attempts, all he could manage was to create a nearly invisible ripple in the sword’s faint glow. This was followed by a wave of mental fatigue, as if he were fighting some inherent, repulsive force.
But Roland didn’t give up.
Pushing his Spiritual Power to its limits sharpened his Perception of the Energy, and he finally captured the Positive Energy’s unique "frequency."
He stopped trying to seize the Energy by brute force. Instead, he began adjusting his own spiritual fluctuations, patiently trying to establish a faint "resonance" with the Holy Power, like meticulously tuning a precision instrument.
Silence enveloped the room. Time slipped by, and fine beads of sweat slowly formed on his forehead.
After an unknown amount of time, something suddenly changed.
As his will touched the Energy with a unique rhythm, the Positive Energy in the sword was no longer dormant. Like a plucked string, it emitted a clear chime that only he could perceive.
"HUMMM!"
Roland’s eyes snapped open. He didn’t shout or make any sudden moves. Relying purely on his will, he guided the activated stream of Energy up from the hilt.
Following the method recorded in the Scroll, he condensed it at the tip of the blade and swung forward in silence...
"TSS!"
An almost inaudible hiss cut through the air.
A pale golden light flared on the edge of the Secret Silver Longsword, then vanished in an instant, like a meteor streaking through the darkness.
The light wasn’t dazzling; it couldn’t even completely dispel the Shadow beside the desk. But the warm, pure aura that erupted in that instant was exceptionally distinct.
It cut through the night’s chill, bringing with it a reassuring sense of righteous Power.
Even though it lasted only for an instant.
’I did it!’
A surge of joy welled up inside Roland.
’It seems using the Positive Energy from the Secret Silver Longsword to execute Supreme Slash is actually possible, but...’
Roland let out a soft sigh as his fingertips brushed across the blade, feeling the faint, lingering warmth.
He was keenly aware that his success had been largely a matter of chance.
It had required extremely precise spiritual coordination, a perfectly timed sliver of resonance, and...
...a not-insignificant amount of luck.
At his current level of mastery, he doubted he could succeed even once in ten tries, let alone use it in a real fight.
’But that’s something I can solve with repeated practice. Compared to that...’
Roland’s gaze fell once more upon the open Scroll on the desk.
’Since using an external source works, what’s the true meaning of all those abstract descriptions the Scroll kept repeating about the origin of Positive Energy? The so-called ’inner brilliance,’ ’pure will,’ and ’requesting and drawing from a higher dimension’...’
Roland laid the Secret Silver Longsword flat across his lap, his gaze fixed on the vague passages in the first half of the Scroll concerning the connection between the channeling power and faith.
The text on the Scroll was still abstruse, repeatedly mentioning "the light of the soul," "sincere conviction," and "faith dedicated to the ultimate good."
The traditional interpretation undoubtedly pointed toward devout faith in certain Deities or a supreme being, using that faith as a bridge to resonate with and draw Positive Energy from their Domain or concept.
Roland’s fingers unconsciously traced the words, his brow furrowed in thought.
He himself held no particular faith, let alone the kind of fervent devotion to any one of the Gods that could move such Power.
’So what was the root of my success just now?’
He recalled the fleeting moment right before the Energy erupted.
It wasn’t a prayer to, or a connection with, some external Deities.
Instead, it was an extremely focused, inwardly condensed willpower. It was a powerful conviction that ’I *must* wield this Power, right now,’ which had pierced the barrier between him and the Positive Energy.
A bold hypothesis, like a sudden flash of inspiration in the Darkness, abruptly illuminated his thoughts.
’Positive Energy comes from faith... that part is probably correct.’
A thoughtful glint appeared in Roland’s eyes.
’But maybe the Scroll has misled everyone. Or rather, the common understanding is too limited...’
’The object of one’s faith doesn’t have to be one of the Deities, dwelling high above the Star Realm.’
He recalled the feeling from the moment he succeeded.
It hadn’t been an external gift or a response. It felt more like an internal resonance, sparked by an incredibly firm will, which had forged a faint connection with the dimension of Positive Energy pervading the world.
’The essence of faith...’
Roland mused, unconsciously stroking his chin.
’Perhaps it is an extremely pure, extremely firm ’conviction’ in and of itself. Conviction in a certain ideal, conviction in a certain Order, or... conviction in the Power of one’s own will.’
His gaze grew profound.
If this hypothesis held true, then the greatest obstacle to channeling Positive Energy wasn’t the lack of an object of worship, but the lack of an unwavering inner power strong enough to shake the very Rules of reality.
’Then, does this mean... the object of faith can be oneself?’
’Believing that my own path is the light, believing that my will is enough to dispel Darkness, believing that my own existence...’
Roland’s gaze, which had been unfocused in his contemplation, gradually sharpened, glinting with a resolute light.
’...can that itself become a manifestation of the ’good’ needed to channel Positive Energy?’
Before the thought could fully settle, a new line of text appeared before his eyes.
