Chapter Thirty-Six: Elemental Affinity

His doubts were soon dispelled, for at the head of the procession marched a group of soldiers clad in knightly armor, bearing insignia that Chu Yun recognized—it was the emblem of the Blackstone Knights. Chu Yun instructed Paimon to follow along with the retreating line, and began to eavesdrop on the surrounding conversations with his keen hearing.

“This is really our lucky day, to run into the Blackstone Knights.”
“Isn’t it? I heard they were originally headed to Rockridge Town to apprehend fugitives, but got called back.”
“Could it be because of the monster unrest?”
“I doubt it. Those monsters aren’t enough to threaten Blackstone City. It’s probably something to do with the Church…”

At the mention of the Church, the speakers sighed, for they had already gleaned information about the Falling Stars incident from the knights.

In Blackstone City, the Church usually referred to the Temple of the Goddess of Life. With its powers of healing and resurrection, the Church held immense authority. Many of the city’s officials were followers of the Goddess, and her Church exerted great influence over Blackstone City.

But now, the Goddess of Life, Isis, no longer answered their prayers. Their divine arts had suffered a catastrophic blow; nearly all priests were unable to perform the miracles once granted by their deity.

It had happened too suddenly, and the Church’s status plummeted. The nobles, especially those who had donated and were waiting for their turn to be healed, were greatly dissatisfied. Even the believers who had contributed began to worry about the Church’s future and their own spiritual fate.

Though some remained steadfast in their faith, people are pragmatic by nature. Most false believers were less devoted to the god than engaged in a bargain.

These false followers gave offerings and belief, the god received the power of faith, and in return, answered prayers and bestowed blessings. After death, the faithful would enter the divine realm; those without true faith would fall into the endless abyss.

Whether these tales were true or not, the followers believed them.

Now, however, the gods seemed to have “absconded with the funds” like factory owners fleeing bankruptcy, and the false believers were thrown into panic. Some had already begun to shift their faith to other gods who could still grant minor blessings.

It was almost comical, but when the Earthwalker linked the prophecy of the Fate Tablet with the Night of the Stars, many believed that most gods had fallen.

Strife among churches for believers and faith had never ceased; as a giant, the Church of the Goddess of Life attracted covetous eyes from many other sects.

Though most gods had lost contact during this catastrophe, some remained—those who were inherently powerful or possessed unique divinity.

These gods began to fiercely compete for followers, and Blackstone City now faced a battle of faiths, which was why the Blackstone Knights had been recalled.

“Don’t worry. The leader this time is the Commander of the Blackstone Knights—a fourth-tier powerhouse! There’s nothing in the Blackstone Forest stronger than him.”

Fourth-tier wasn’t considered high in this world, but for a city like Blackstone, it was a top-tier combatant not to be underestimated.

The Commander of the Blackstone Knights was not only a fourth-tier expert, but also a member of a noble family in Blackstone City. Much of his equipment was magical gear, and there were two other third-tier warriors in the group.

With such strength, if even they couldn’t pass through the Blackstone Forest, no one else would dare to try.

Learning all this, Chu Yun finally relaxed. He could afford a brief respite.

With the Knights present, even bandit groups wouldn’t dare show themselves.

Of course, the Knights’ task was not to escort them; anyone who couldn't keep pace and fell behind would be left to their fate.

But in the forest, horses could not move swiftly, and the Commander was known as a decent man—unlikely to deliberately speed up and leave them behind.

With monsters rioting, their goods would fetch a fortune if hoarded for a short while; as long as they reached Blackstone City safely, the money was insignificant.

Chu Yun didn’t have much cargo, and with his earth drake pulling the cart, he didn’t need to worry about keeping up.

The Blackstone Forest was always teeming with monsters, now even more aggressive due to the unrest. With so many people causing a stir, the Knights slew plenty along the way.

With Paimon’s help, Chu Yun could move effortlessly between the Mirror World and reality, never falling behind. The monsters slain by the Knights yielded orbs that quickly let him gather all the experience needed.

[Traveler Mage class level increased to Traveler Mage Lv5 (0/900)]
[Health +5]
[Mental Power +8]
[Skill Points +11]
[Class Level reached Lv5]
[Congratulations, you have received the “Chaotic Neutral Camp” growth blessing! Hold fast to your convictions, strive for stars and abyss!]
[Camp Blessing “Life Guardian”: Health +10]
[Camp Blessing “Elemental Affinity”: Please select a basic elemental affinity as your specialty.]

Although this time’s camp blessing was less than the previous, it was still extremely powerful.

The health increase was equivalent to two automatic level-ups, and elemental affinity was crucial for a mage.

Basic elements referred to fire, water, wind, and earth, besides which there were many derived, advanced, composite, and unique elements.

As a first-tier mage, Chu Yun currently mastered fire magic—Hand of Flame—and earth magic—Stone Skin. He chose the most offensive of all: fire.

He was quite safe in the Mirror World, so there was no need to flee or defend, nor did he need water’s support or healing.

[Fire Elemental Affinity: +30% power to fire spells, +30% fire resistance]
[Tip: Reach Lv6 for attribute bonus rewards.]

Chu Yun’s skill points, with the previous 5 retained, now totaled 16. He spent 13 raising Meditation from Lv6 to Lv8, which was currently the maximum.

The remaining 3 skill points he allocated to Riding; in the Mirror World, riding Paimon for swift movement demanded some proficiency. Higher riding skill not only made the journey more comfortable, but also boosted speed.

Name: Chu Yun
Class: Traveler Mage Lv5 (0/900)
Experience: 2
Camp: Chaotic Neutral
Health: 44/44 (Life Guardian)
Mental Power: 42/47
Legendary Skill: Mirror World Mastery 1
Basic Abilities: Meditation Lv8, Spell Identification Lv4, Riding Lv4, Architecture & Engineering Knowledge Lv7, Bluff Lv3, Dark Vision Lv2, Mineral Identification Lv1
Class Skills: Hand of Flame 1, True Word of Healing 1, Divine Berry Spell 1, Mana Burst 0, Monster Speech 0, Repair 0
Extra Skills: Lightning Strike 1, Stone Skin 1, Berserk 0
Personal Specialties: Gamer, Fire Elemental Affinity
Class Traits: Free Scholar, Chaos Law, Neutral Law, Polearm Mastery
Equipment: Thunderbone Staff 2, Gold Coins x23, Tier 2 Fire Crystal x10, Tier 1 Fire Crystal x42, Magic Necklace 2, Rusty Dagger, Earth Beacon, etc.