Chapter 16: Under the Light

The Church of Radiance was a vast organization. In a sense, replacing the character for “association” with that for “nation” made perfect sense and allowed it to function smoothly without issue.

Nio understood this, so he wasn’t overly surprised to discover an unknown secret passage in this graveyard. He merely sighed at his own fate. If such things truly existed, then it had to be said that since he was labeled a “rebel,” his experiences had been nothing short of tumultuous.

In any world, secret passages were closely associated with adventures and treasures. But this time, Nio doubted it. He could see that the cleanliness of this passage was on par with that of the stone coffins. If it were a surface room, it would take at least a week of cleaning to achieve such a standard. Given the special conditions here, doubling that time seemed reasonable—after all, the air here had no musty smell, indicating good ventilation. Where there is wind, there is dust.

After walking for a while, Nio found the passage longer and drier and more comfortable than he had imagined. The ancient rock walls, though old, showed no signs of moisture, and even the rock slabs on the floor were flat, with no deformities or bulges—far smoother than the stone walls in most ordinary homes.

“Rock shaping magic…” Based on the little knowledge he had, the only way for stone structures to remain unchanged over time was through such magic. Yet no magic could last forever. To maintain its effect, either a caster had to reapply it periodically or there had to be an operating arcane core.

An arcane core was a combination of alchemy, potion-making, and spellcraft, with embedded magic devices and magic pivot systems as its main components. Nio had once heard a mercenary say he had seen an arcane core at an auction capable of storing nine spells, including one sixth-level and three fifth-level spells. At the time, the mercenary was so drunk he couldn’t even distinguish men from women, and it was unclear whether he was exaggerating.

To be honest, Nio didn’t really like anything related to magic now—because it was too strange and unpredictable. He knew too little about magic to delve deeper. The unknown always inspired fear, even though “fear” wasn’t truly in Nio’s vocabulary.

Turning corner after corner, descending further and further, his crosssword was already drawn. A map kept appearing in his mind, gradually revealing new details.

“40 meters underground, 170 meters south of the entrance—right below the temple.” At the end of the passage, a heavy wooden door covered in iron appeared before him.

The door was locked from the outside. Though the rusty lock was large, it posed no challenge to Nio. The hairpin from Vini, that makeshift tool, turned out to be quite useful. In no time, the lock was undone and the door opened.

Along the way, Neo had thought more than once about what might be displayed at the end of the secret passage, in such a hidden chamber. It must be said that none of his imaginations matched what he saw before him. Who would have thought that in this concealed, deep, locked chamber, there would be an idol of the Creator God neatly displayed, along with cushions for kneeling in worship?

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a statue of the Dark King. Who would have thought that mortals could also embody ‘holiness’ to such a degree?”

Of course, such thoughts were only suitable for quiet murmurs. Even though Breenus, the Creator of Aemera, the Lord of Light, was not Neo’s supreme deity, he still felt it necessary to show this god utmost respect and gratitude with the most solemn attitude.

Legend has it that long, long ago, the world of Aemera was dragged into the evil plane by ancient demons. Huge vortex pits were carved deep into the planet’s core to create terrifying monsters known as Wrathful Spirits. The world was polluted, and all living beings struggled on the brink of destruction and corruption. It was the Lord who descended three times to save the world.

On his first descent, the Lord left behind the last glimmer of freedom and purity for the world.

On his second descent, he saved the world beneath the earth and destroyed the vortex pits.

On his third descent, he sealed away the ancient evil gods and demon lords, allowing the world to be reborn and order to be restored.

Humans, in particular, were created by the Lord using himself as a model, infusing life-giving light into the ancient human ancestors who had been twisted by evil. Legend says those people possessed divine powers comparable to those of angels. After a century-long holy war, they completely drove out the remnants of ancient evil from Aemera. Many of those who made significant contributions were later honored as “Holy Sons,” and that century became known as the Sacred Century—the century when the gods guided the sages and created the world of light.

Though time has passed, whenever one reads the sacred texts, one is still moved by the accounts of those glorious battles.

As time flows, every wisdom-bearing race with a long heritage continues to sing praises of the glory of the gods from generation to generation.

Even the Dark Werewolves have a divine legacy. Once, during the Lord’s first descent, he fought in the form of a werewolf, under the name Naba Blackclaw. The Dark Werewolves are descendants of the Blackclaw family; their ancestors fought alongside the Lord and thus earned their name.

Of course, glorifying one’s own lineage is a common trait. The truth has long been lost in the flow of time, and no one can provide sufficient evidence to prove the glory of their ancestors. The prevailing theory now is that the ancient holy descendants have all perished, and vampires and werewolves were once glorious angels created by later demon kings.

Even Neo admitted that among the many tribes of werewolves and vampires, there are indeed a few that originated from the hands of demons. Some have broken free from their control, while others remain loyal servants to this day—such as the Darkblood Vampires and Ghost Werewolves.

In any case, Emira’s deity was not some intangible, magic-like creator god; rather, like a heroic king, he accomplished the feat of creating the world through countless admirable and epic deeds. Such a deity was supreme yet seemingly within reach, full of realism, and thus his glory endured for generations, unmatched to this day. This was also whyNeo revered him.
Humility does not mean weakness, and sincerity often yields rewards. It was the ritual of paying homage to the deity that allowedNeo to discover the edges of fabric stuck in the cracks of the statue’s base.
Neo smiled. Indeed, the unusual often concealed something sinister beneath a facade of grandeur.
It was a simple yet ingeniously designed mechanism. With his skill in “exquisite craftsmanship,”Neo solved it in little time—after all, the fabric edges told him where the door was.
Neo wasn’t satisfied with just solving this mechanism. The thick wooden door of the cellar was locked from the outside, so if he was right, there should be a secret passage leading to it. Considering that right above was the church’s sanctuary,Neo guessed there might be a direct passage up there.
“Know every entrance and exit—these details can save your life in critical moments!” The drunken ramblings of mercenaries sometimes held valuable wisdom, the key being whether one could sift through the nonsense.Neo was good at learning, so he kept this in mind. Before continuing his exploration, he resolved to find this shortcut.
“As expected, not everything goes as planned.” The shortcut was found, but it required a special key—the complexity of the lock far exceededNeo’s capabilities.
Though he couldn’t access this passage,Neo decided to keep exploring. The Church often guarded some secretive yet crucial artifacts or information.Neo had always suspected that the devils’ aggressive attack on Solis had deeper motives than what was apparent.
“Whatever it is, we must prevent the devils from getting what they want!” With this in mind,Neo entered another secret passage behind the moved statue.
This passage was not as neat and clean as the previous one. It wasn’t dirty, and the humidity and air quality were barely comfortable, but the signs of age were evident in every detail.
“At least a thousand years…”Neo was somewhat surprised. Solis City had only a few hundred years of history, and before that, it was said to be a barren wasteland. It seemed some people were lying.
The deeper he went, the more solemnNeo’s expression became. Many parts of this place showed traces of magic, especially in those sections not done by craftsmen—something that could be discerned with careful observation, even without specialized knowledge.
For example, if a beam needed to be supported, craftsmen would never use two stone stalactites protruding from the soil. Not only was such an approach irresponsible and overly complicated, but those stalactites didn’t even exist in this region.

The traces of magic suggested that this secret passage and its destination very likely once belonged to some magical practitioner. Even if Neo had little knowledge of magic, he at least knew that mages often built towers high in the sky to better harness elements. Those opposite approaches were usually associated with darkness, dark arts, and death.
“I hope there are no magical traps, especially those that cause collapse and death!”
It was less a prayer and more a way for Neo to calm his emotions through such reflection. He had to stay vigilant but not overly nervous. Although warriors were considered one of the most basic and unremarkable classes in novels, becoming a competent warrior was truly not easy.
Moreover, as a combat profession that had been passed down for thousands of years, warriors, like prostitution and gambling—un honorable occupations—had their own reasons for existing. This was something those who only scratched the surface before hastily choosing to change classes or advance couldn’t truly understand.
Another door appeared before Neo—a stone door covered in signs of age, slightly ajar.
Neo took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Bang!
With a dull sound, light flashed—it was the discharge of a magic firearm…