The Intrinsic Power of Holy Light

A short while later, in the church’s backyard, Eric leaned on his cane, observing Anto as he practiced his Holy Light abilities. Rhys, having concluded his official duties, then made his way over.

“Greetings, Master Eric,” Rhys offered first. Eric, meeting his gaze, responded, “Oh, you finished your duties quite quickly today, didn’t you?”

“Naturally, Anto has been a great help here,” Rhys remarked, his gaze settling on Anto, who seemed to be in a state of prayer. He then continued, “His cultivation speed can only be described as divine. Indeed, to possess such potent Holy Light gathering within him without any systematic training is astonishing. Now, with just a little guidance, he can already wield immense power. I scarcely dare to call this mere talent; it far transcends the ordinary. If I were to seek a single descriptor for it, it would be ‘God-given ability.’”

“Stop attributing everything to the supernatural,” Eric said, fixing his gaze upon Rhys. “Anto’s uniqueness stems entirely from within himself. I merely teach him the general system of spellcasting, yet sometimes he achieves completely different results with similar effects. How to put it… while the outcomes appear similar, the underlying principles are entirely distinct. Even when I ask him how he manages it, he simply replies that he doesn’t know; he just thought it should be possible, and so it was.”

“Truly the inheritor of the Holy Light Flame,” Rhys mused, adjusting his spectacles. Each evening these past few days, Anto had been coming here for special Holy Light training under Bishop Rhys and Master Eric. Despite not wielding Holy Light himself nor fully understanding its inherent system, Eric, the legendary mage, was exceptionally adept at spell-related training. After all, by his own account, before choosing to settle in a small village to research barriers, he had been one of the ten most esteemed scholars of the Academy City, an intellectual peer capable of conversing with Rajes on academic matters. While not every one of his disciples could be called a grand master, none were ever failures, and under his guidance, Anto, despite lacking formal Holy Light training, had still managed to decimate an entire demon legion at the border. This, of course, was inextricably linked to his nearly inexhaustible reserve of Holy Light. Archbishop Rhys, on the other hand, was entirely research-oriented. Before becoming an archbishop, he had been a sorcerer of exceptional Holy Light talent, studying at the monastery, and had even once been recommended to teach at the Holy Trinity Monastic Academy. His profound understanding of Holy Light and his unique insights compelled him to impart all his knowledge of Holy Light incantations to the young man before him:

“The power of Holy Light differs significantly from the elemental studies that mages are familiar with,” Rhys began. “The mages’ system is based on the hexagram of six elemental arrays, which mutually restrain and derive from each other—this is elementalism. Moreover, the ‘light’ used within that system is not Holy Light, Master Eric, as you well know.” Eric nodded in agreement.

“The ‘light’ element in magic primarily symbolizes merely a phenomenon,” Eric explained. “The most common light elemental magic, such as Flash spells, are for us pure light elemental constructs. However, to interpret ‘Holy Light’ as merely a special variant within the six elemental lights is, in fact, an irresponsible and theoretically baseless hypothesis.”

“Precisely,” Rhys affirmed. “The foundation Holy Light adheres to isn’t the elemental hexagram, but the far older pentagram of creation. In that ancient era, people believed that all matter in the world was composed of earth, water, wind, fire, and spirit. Within this framework, Holy Light is born from the human spirit, an intrinsic power.”

“Intrinsic to the spirit?”

“Indeed. As some say, no one’s elemental affinity is entirely pure; more or less, even with a primary affinity, there’s always a connection to another element. Holy Light is similar; born from the pure human spirit, yet it is imbued with different meanings due to individual variations,” Rhys explained, raising the Holy Light in his hand.

“Some Holy Light gravitates towards the fire element, thus imbuing warmth and power. It shines while simultaneously burning like a fierce sun. Some Holy Light merges with water, gently nourishing all, bestowing the miracle of rebirth and healing upon all things. Some Holy Light blends with earth, solid as a shield or a bulwark, granting the meaning of protecting all existence. Some Holy Light travels with the wind, illuminating all things, omnipresent,” Rhys elaborated, gazing at the light held within his palm.

“Unlike elemental magic, where a mage’s talents—both strengths and weaknesses—are determined from birth, Holy Light originates from the spirit, from the mental state during its use. This allows it to manifest entirely different powers at different times. It is a power condensed from the spirit; theoretically, it can accomplish anything. It stems from God’s earliest blessing to humanity, using this light to illuminate the righteous and guide all,” Rhys concluded. After his comprehensive explanation, Anto gazed at the Holy Light Flame in his hand, momentarily stammering.

“I had thought… it could only exist like a flame.”

“The Light Flame is special. We refer to it as the Holy Light Flame not because it’s a combination of fire element and Holy Light, but because its concentrated power, when manifested, appears as intense as a flame. In fact, if you wish it, it can assume any form.”

“Think of water,” Rhys continued, “water that gently nourishes all things. Imagine the calm and coolness of a flowing stream, the healing sensation all of this can bring…” As Rhys spoke, Anto closed his eyes. Astonishingly, the Holy Light Flame in his hand began to soften, and Eric’s eyes widened considerably as the flame ultimately dissipated, coalescing into a translucent orb of light in Anto’s palm. It felt like a sphere of water, yet it was entirely composed of manifested light elements.

“See? It’s not difficult at all,” Rhys said with a smile, observing the transformation. Anto, looking at the orb of light in his hand, also broke into a smile. Having now understood the essence of light, his mastery over this power was surely destined to ascend to the next level.

“This power is incredibly potent. However, its effective use relies entirely on the practitioner’s inherent quality and spiritual strength. To wield such power with so few side effects, one can only conclude that Anto is truly the fated one.” Rhys spoke, his eyes gleaming with a radiant light. Eric, however, looked at Anto with a faint, weary smile. He found it somewhat amusing that the man beside him attributed everything to divine grace, for Eric understood far better than Rhys why Anto possessed such power. From childhood, Anto had been prone to illness, suffering from sudden, relentless fevers and even nosebleeds when agitated. These were wounds inflicted by the Holy Light Flame (TL Note: A powerful, innate form of Holy Light that can be harmful to an untrained or unprepared body.). A mere child could hardly endure such overwhelming power. His ability to adapt was solely due to Hillevi the witch’s meticulous care, which suppressed the light elements within his body, allowing him to grow to his current age. What others perceived as a miracle was, in truth, a hidden agony, unnoticed and unknown to anyone else.