Chapter 255 (1): Elemental Mantra x Dragonrider’s Mount

Inside the cabin, a man had his back to Wayne. As the door closed, he slowly turned around.

He was tall and well-built with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, dressed in a green long robe. With a thick mane of short, blond hair, he had elegant facial features and deep-set eyes bright with determination and confidence.

He looked like the living embodiment of justice. Unlike the Pope’s friendly charm, this man didn’t project a unique aura. His existence was like clear water, making others picture a serenity and beauty that was distant from the bustle of the world.

Moula, the Nature Knight.

“Sir Moula, I’m Wayne Lando.” Wayne stood up straight. Although the man didn’t have a powerful presence, he was a chosen knight who had roamed the world for an unknown period of time, which alone showed how mysterious and powerful he was.

The titles of those waiting outside the door were the best proof—the Pope, the High Prophet, and an Oracle High Reverend. Almost all of the top-most leaders of the church were present, and they could only stand outside, waiting. That showed how incredible the chosen knight’s power was.

Senna said that Moula was one of the most powerful humans in the Chosen Land and the strongest of the Church of Nature.

And his hobby was playing cards!

“Greetings, Wayne. I’ve heard about you from Garvin. He has high hopes for you.” Moula got right to the point, nodding after giving the excellent young man a once-over. “Discreet mana. Your talent is greater than what Garvin told me. He was being conservative.”

“Sir Moula, do I have to take a test? I’ve prepared a lot for today. I hope that—”

“Don’t be so nervous. Relax.” Moula patted him on the shoulder approvingly. “You’re quite strong, and you look good. You’re also young and polite. The goddess will like you.”

...That sounds weird. Are we talking about being Her knight here?

Wayne smiled bashfully, becoming even more reserved.

“There’s no need for a test. The fact that you were able to enter the Holy Maiden selection means that you’ve passed the basic tests. And Garvin vouches for you. I believe his judgment.”

Moula was the candid sort. When he noticed that Wayne was still being careful, he laughed and said, “To tell you the truth, I’m in a hurry since I have to leave tonight. Let’s skip the pleasantries and get to business. If it works, it works. If not... we’ll have made a friend.”

What a straightforward man!

Wayne nodded. He liked people like Moula, who talked business without wasting time on formalities. If the higher-ups of the Church of Nature were even ten percent as decisive as Moula was, they would’ve dominated the Life Alliance and wiped out Death and Darkness. They might even drive the Church of Heavenly Father out of the game.

Moula reached into the void and drew a white broadsword with an archaic design. It was a two-handed sword with sharp edges on both sides of the blade, glinting faintly. Appearance-wise, the sword was unassuming with no outstanding features. Aesthetically speaking, it was far behind Shadow Nightmare and Twilight Despair.

“This is Elemental Mantra, a gift from the goddess. Hold it and try to sense Her power.”

Moula created a barrier with a wave to block the senses of those waiting outside. Carefully, he handed Elemental Mantra to Wayne, who cautiously took the sword with a racing heart, worried that something might go wrong.

The Nature Knight, the Pope, the High Prophet, the Vice Captain of the knight order... When he was surrounded by so many bigshots at the headquarters of the Church of Nature, it would be difficult to escape even if Senna risked her life to protect him.

Book of Greed, I’m trusting you!

Wayne bet all his chips on the

Book of Greed

. It had brought him everything. Hopefully, it wouldn’t disappoint him this time.

The

Book of Greed

remained unresponsive.

Wayne held the sword and made two swings, looking at Moula in question. “Sir Moula, I don’t sense the power of the Elemental Mantra. Have I failed?”

“No, the goddess’s power resides within Elemental Mantra. She’s so powerful that I fear that you’ll get hurt, so I keep it sealed,” Moula said seriously. He would lift the seal and gradually release the sword’s power now. If Wayne couldn’t take it, he had to say it rather than risking his life.

“Sir Moula, I’m ready.”

“Be careful...”

Moula kept his eyes fixed on Wayne, his eyes lighting up with a green glow. As he unsealed Elemental Mantra, he asked the goddess to be gentle with the young man.

Clang!

The sword rang, and Elemental Mantra started radiating light. Powerful vital energy climbed along Wayne’s arms and spread to the rest of his body.

The

Book of Greed

perked up.

Wayne’s mana turned green in an instant, easily accepting the power Elemental Mantra poured into him. Moula noticed the changes, his serious expression showing a hint of joy.

It seemed to be going well. He could go further.

He relinquished his control over Elemental Mantra bit by bit, allowing the divine power to unleash more fully. Wayne accepted it all without showing any discomfort.

The process went so smoothly that Moula was left gaping at Wayne, his expression strange. He blurted out, “Wayne, do you have some kind of special bloodline?”

It had to be the divine blood, it had to be!

Please let him not be a regular human, or it would be too much of a blow to the ego.

“Original bloodline!” Wayne said proudly before continuing in a guilty tone, “Master Senna said that it was too important to tell anyone, so it wasn’t included in my dossier for the Holy Maiden selection. Vice Captain Garvin doesn’t know, either.”

“Original bloodline, god’s descendant...” Moula said with a hint of envy and nodded with approval. “She’s right. You’re too talented. Some secrets should remain unspoken.”

Two minutes later, Moula let go of all his control, allowing Wayne to hold Elemental Mantra in all its glory. Incredible vitality radiated from his body, morphing into a white armor that was perfectly fitted to him. Its design was minimalistic and elegant with little decorations or intricate patterns, but it was classy and mysterious. With its edges smoothed out, the armor set glowed faintly like it was made of ice.

The way the armor pieces were put together seamlessly made it seem sturdy yet aesthetically pleasing. Where the helmet would be, a white mask covered up Wayne’s face, revealing his now green eyes, his line of sight unobstructed.

Wayne sensed a powerful vitality from the armor, and...

The

Book of Greed

concluded that Elemental Mantra could easily manipulate the four elements —earth, fire, water, and wind —as well as the divine powers of the Sun and Moonlight. Although they accounted for a small portion, they were there.

Why did the chosen knight of Nature possess the divine power of Sun and Moonlight? Was he supposed to be the Nature Knight or the chosen knight of the Life Alliance? And did this even look like the Nature Knight? The armor wasn’t green!

Wayne didn’t really understand. He guessed that the three goddesses of the Life Alliance were actual besties rather than fake friends, so they allowed each other’s knights to use their power.

Based on that, the chosen knights of Sun and Moonlight would be similar to the Nature Knight.

“It works...” Moula stared at Wayne in the Nature Knight state. In the past, he could only see the full armor in a mirror, but now... he had found a successor. He should be happy, but he also felt a little disappointed. It was probably because Elemental Mantra, his most steadfast partner, had easily accepted Wayne and merged with Wayne before him.

Moula’s expression shifted. This was a first, and only through this experience did he realize that he wasn’t as generous as he had thought.

Meanwhile, the

Book of Greed

belched in satisfaction. On its cover, the small eyeball for Nature surpassed Darkness and Death, becoming the brightest by a small margin. At the same time, the eyes for Sun and Moonlight became enhanced, too.

Wayne’s gain naturally trickled down to everyone else. The realm of thriving vitality was right within reach!

He familiarized himself with the power of the Nature Knight. Although he now possessed more of Nature’s divine power than Death’s, he didn’t have prior experience with it and couldn’t wield the Nature Knight’s power as well as the Death Knight’s power.

Elemental Mantra’s ability to manipulate the four elements, on the other hand, was more appealing to him. It was a good weapon!

Pleased, he dispersed the power of the sword and returned it to Moula with both hands.

“Don’t you want to try your newly gained power, Wayne?” Moula asked. When he gained the recognition of Elemental Mantra in the past, he had been so excited that he didn’t calm down until after three days and nights of experimenting. Wayne’s maturity made him feel ashamed. He had acted like a child getting a new toy compared to this young man.

“No, I’m only able to commune with Elemental Mantra thanks to your permission,” Wayne said earnestly. “I cannot tap into the sword’s full power, and pushing it will only dishonor the weapon.”

This was his third time being the chosen knight. There was nothing to get excited about.

Wayne’s reaction pleased Moula. The young man was more extraordinary than he was for staying steadfast rather than losing himself to desires after gaining great power. Moula appreciated his mindset even more than his talent, believing that he would become the most excellent Nature Knight.

Moula put away Elemental Mantra and encouraged, “Don’t beat yourself up, Wayne. A chosen knight isn’t about becoming powerful overnight, but about tireless training. You only find yourself lacking because you haven’t spent enough time...”

“Moreover, your rank as a mage affects how much power you can wield as a chosen knight. Keep working hard, and you’ll surpass me in the future.”

“Of course, I can’t give you Elemental Mantra yet. I have missions to complete in the Frozen Land. But rest assured, the sword will be yours sooner rather than later.”