Chapter 5, Reinhardt's Mentors

With a kick, he slammed the door disguised as a wall shut. Merlin hurriedly led Reinhardt to a wooden bench and casually tossed him onto it. Reinhardt obediently sat on the bench, glancing around the brightly lit room, and couldn't help but exclaim: "My God, so many books!"

Reinhardt was already dumbfounded, the Dark Hall, the Elder Council of the Dark Hall, the Deputy Arbiter of the Arbitration Office—these unheard-of terms had made the incredibly intelligent him realize that he must have encountered remarkable figures! However, why would these noble individuals, who belong to the core echelon of the entire Divine Court, be willing to lower themselves to be his mentors? Could it be that they have all gone mad?

Halox smiled cautiously, echoing Merlin's opinion

Once again rendered speechless, Merlin exhaled two puffs of cold air from his nose, casting an irritable glance at Reinhardt. Gritting his teeth, he exclaimed, "Reinhardt, be quiet! You are not allowed to mention anything related to wine again!" Vaguely, one could see Merlin's lips moving rapidly behind his beard, and Reinhardt even doubted whether he was hearing things. He heard Merlin muttering a curse under his breath: "Damn it, one should know that teaching a clever and overly sensitive little brat is no laughing matter!" One could see Merlin's lips moving rapidly behind his beard, and Reinhardt even doubted whether he was hearing things. He heard Merlin muttering a curse under his breath: "Damn it, one should know that teaching a clever and overly sensitive little brat is no laughing matter! Hmph, but after all, I, old Merlin, am one of the ten oldest in the Divine Nest. Even if this brat is difficult to teach, I must rise to the challenge! Otherwise, wouldn't I be mocked by those three old geezers, Hal, Durant, and Caffin?"

Each child has their own separate room, a small space no higher than 2 meters, approximately 3 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. When An saw this room, he angrily exclaimed, "This is simply a coffin! No, even a coffin would be more comfortable than this room! At the very least, a person sleeping in a coffin doesn't have to turn over or move!" Then, a knight of the Radiant Legion, leading the way, promptly kicked An into his room.

Merlin cleared his throat, and Alwick immediately closed his mouth, carefully stepping back a little. Merlin hummed, stroked his beard, and looked at Reinhardt with a smile, gently saying: "So, Reinhardt, you can understand how precious a person with super intelligence and immense potential is to the Divine Court! Especially since the current high-ranking officials of the Church all come from those mentioned by Alwick just now, how could we not send the best and most suitable person to teach you?"

A cold, indifferent voice suddenly echoed in the room: "Merlin, do not frighten him." A chilling wind howled, seemingly emerging from nowhere, as pure, dazzling ice crystals, resembling diamonds, slowly descended from the ceiling. Yet amidst the thick cold air, a surge of frenzied heat shot upwards, and with a flash of fire, a figure cloaked in a strange black robe appeared out of thin air.

Dumbfounded, Merlin cautiously glanced at the left and right passages, then quietly crouched down, bringing his old face close to Reinhardt, and whispered, "Great God, have you sent a child with the same interests as old Merlin to my side? Old Merlin must be careful; those few bottles of wine of mine cannot be stolen and drunk by this little brat." Pouting, Merlin huffed, "A very good metaphor; your brain is like a barrel. The higher your IQ, the larger the capacity, and my knowledge is like that aged wine. Only when your brain is filled with wine can you be a truly valuable person."

Two individuals with an intelligence quotient exceeding that of the average person by three hundred percent, without any superpowers

Every day, you need to participate in physical training classes with other children. During other times, when they are attending cultural classes, you will receive our individual tutoring. Merlin flipped through his notebook and nodded in satisfaction, saying: "You have already completed all the courses up to the eighth grade at the orphanage, which is excellent. Therefore, you have even less reason to waste time like those ordinary geniuses. You are a genius among geniuses, and you should enjoy your unique privileges"

Merlin shouted in exasperation: "God, strike this damned fellow dead with a bolt of lightning! Harlox, do you want to destroy these books?" A faint golden light emanated from him, attempting to gather the overwhelming cold and flames in the sky. However, it was evident that there was a significant disparity in strength between him and the person named Harlox. As soon as his golden light was unleashed, it was immediately shattered into pieces. Even his tall frame trembled violently, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground.

Suddenly, in the dark corridor outside, an angry roar erupted: "You bunch of liars! You said dinner would be on the table in the room, but this tiny piece of black bread—how could it possibly be enough for me? You stingy lot, I want to eat red sausage, smoked meat, pies, and matcha cake! You stingy lot, you liars! I refuse to eat this damned black bread!" With a loud bang, it seemed as if the wooden door of the room had been smashed to pieces.

Bang, bang, bang! Like a frenzied gorilla, An was wildly swinging his fists at the steel door. A light wolf knight, with a noticeable swelling on his face, shouted angrily: "An, you bastard, don't let me get my hands on you! If you are assigned to my team for combat training, I will teach you what respect truly means!" Stamping his foot fiercely, he yelled: "Go ahead and keep smashing that door; it is made of bulletproof armor imported from China specifically for main battle tanks, capable of withstanding the impact of small thermal weapons. So go ahead and hit it hard!"

Merlin transformed once again into that cheerful and lovable old man. He took a gentle step forward, and Alwick immediately took three steps back, increasing the distance between himself and Merlin. Merlin cast a discontented glance at Alwick, his face adorned with a benevolent smile: "Reinhardt, look at the price we are willing to pay for you! A member of the Elder Council of the Dark Hall, the only Master of Supernatural Powers, the Deputy Arbiter of the Arbitration Office, all have come to this remote mountainous area for you, and are prepared to accompany you through six wonderful years here!"

Merlin, Harlocks, and Elvick looked at Reinhardt praying with satisfaction, their faces reflecting a sense of fulfillment as if to say, 'This child is teachable.' For these core figures of the Divine Court, while talent is indeed precious, what they truly need is a person who is absolutely loyal, even fanatical. Merlin genuinely revealed a hint of a happy smile and whispered to Harlocks, 'The Holy Pope is truly wise; who could be more loyal than these children raised in the orphanages established by the Divine Court?'

With a contented smile, Reinhardt glanced at the black bread on the table that served as their dinner, then lay down on the bed, closing his eyes. The bumpy journey had left him with no appetite for anything to eat.

In the past one hundred and fifty years, the Divine Court has discovered a total of thirteen thousand individuals with innate superpowers; there are only one thousand one hundred second-tier individuals; no third-tier individuals; and only one fourth-tier individual, Lord Harlox. All superpowered individuals possess intelligence levels that are merely comparable to those of ordinary people. Many of them, even those whose muscles control their brains, have no intelligence whatsoever. Alvik's eyes flashed with a cold light as he said irritably: 'Just like your companion An, he represents the intelligence level of over eighty-five percent of the natural superpowered individuals in the Divine Court.'

Reinhardt stared blankly at Merlin and the others, his mind a muddle: "Oh God, am I really that precious, truly worthy of their attention?" At this moment, Reinhardt could only describe his feelings as filled with trepidation; his heart was overflowing with gratitude and appreciation. His emotions of thankfulness towards the divine and the divine court had reached an extreme, and he felt that the immense happiness swelling in his heart was about to burst forth from his chest.

After a pause, Merlin said irritably: "However, Reinhardt, your profile does not indicate that you are a little drunkard, so how did you come up with such a metaphor?"

Yes, books, countless books! This room has an area of at least 200 meters by 200 meters, with a height of at least 100 meters. Everywhere there are bookshelves, piles of books, and desks covered in books. Books, books, books, they are everywhere. Reinhardt sits on a bench and feels as if he is surrounded by a sea of books, as if the countless books are toppling down upon him, threatening to bury him alive in that heap of books. Books, books, books, they are everywhere. Reinhardt sits on a bench and feels as if he is surrounded by a sea of books, as if the countless books are toppling down upon him, threatening to bury him alive in that heap of books.

After more than ten minutes, Merlin finally coughed a few times, interrupting the brilliant and wonderful words.

In the house filled with rare books, Reinhardt's youthful voice rang out: "I am superior to them, therefore, all the privileges I enjoy are rightfully mine and belong to the books."

Kneeling on the ground, following the standard prayer ritual, Reinhardt clasped his hands over his heart, lowered his head, and softly spoke in a tender childlike voice: "Thank you, Almighty God, for granting us everything... Please, God, let Father Dekler be in good health, let Father Babi be forever happy, and may he not be caught by the priest the next time he goes to the bar to drink!"

Merlin smiled triumphantly, winking at Reinhardt as he said: "Hal and the others are indeed a bit older than old Merlin, but old Merlin is their superior. Old Merlin would never deceive you! Reinhardt, old Merlin never lies!"

The castle of the Divine Nest resembles the impression one gets from the deep mountains of Georgia: dark and oppressive, as if misfortune lurks everywhere. Built from massive black rocks, the castle is filled with a labyrinth of narrow, dark passages resembling spider silk, leading to rooms flickering with dim lights. It seems as though whispers of people can be heard everywhere, yet when one strains to listen closely, nothing can be discerned. A cold wind drifts through the passages. It seems as though whispers of people can be heard everywhere, yet when one strains to listen closely, nothing can be discerned. A cold wind drifts through the passages

Learning from Merlin's example, Reinhardt suddenly exclaimed, "Oh!" Just as he was about to speak, Merlin, puffing out his cheeks and glaring at Reinhardt, began to scold him: "Reinhardt, you little monster, old Merlin tells you, from now on, no matter what you hear me say or see me do, you must not tell anyone! Otherwise, hum hum, old Merlin has plenty of ways to make it fun for you." He squinted and tried to make a fierce face, but unfortunately, he looked too kind and adorable. After a long while of making strange faces, all he could do was make Reinhardt laugh heartily.

Merlin gazed at Reinhardt with deep emotion, as if an old drunkard had encountered an exquisite vintage. "In terms of absolute loyalty to the divine, your intelligence is 25.72 times that of an ordinary person, and you possess all supernormal potential. Reinhardt, you are simply an incredibly precious energy mine! Do you know how many years it takes for a material of your caliber... well, an exceptional genius, to emerge?"

Reinhardt's face suddenly fell, and he stared blankly at Merlin, saying in great shock: "Me? Read all the books here? But you, you took a hundred years to read only half, how can I possibly do that?" Suddenly realizing that he might have to stay in this room forever, clutching a book and memorizing it by heart, even though his faith in God was unwavering, Reinhardt nearly burst into tears! But you, you took a hundred years to read only half, how can I possibly do that?" Suddenly realizing that he might have to stay in this room forever, clutching a book and memorizing it by heart, even though his faith in God was unwavering, Reinhardt nearly burst into tears! Would he really have to spend the rest of his life in this large room?

Gradually, he became spirited again, boasting to Reinhardt: "Reinhardt, dear little friend, the books here are not the kind you can buy with money in the market! All of them are extremely ancient and precious, and many are unique editions in the world! As long as you can finish reading these books, you will undoubtedly become the greatest scholar in the divine court! At that time, even if you have no combat ability at all, you can at least become the Archbishop of the White Robe Cathedral"

Raising his head and aided by the dim light of the candles in the room, Reinhardt saw a phrase carved by an unknown hand with a small knife on the headboard: "Steadfast faith, as I gaze upon heaven from hell, feeling the warm light of God!" The inscription at the end read: Harlan, on the day of receiving the appointment from the Divine Court of Arbitration.

A voice filled with immense anger suddenly rang out: "An, it's you again, you rude little brat, bastard, do you still want to attack us? Although we are the lowest-ranked Light Wolf Knights, the gap in strength between us is as vast as the sky and the earth!" The sound of fists hitting flesh continued to echo.

Taking a long breath, Reinhardt was completely shocked. He stared blankly at Merlin, who stood there with a triumphant smile, and respectfully said: "Mr. Merlin, you, you are truly magnificent. With so many books, you have read so many books, no wonder you possess such vast knowledge!" The shock in Reinhardt's heart was beyond words. Father Dekler's study had only about five to six hundred books, but here, there must be at least a million volumes.

Merlin's previously confident smile suddenly vanished, replaced by an expression of profound embarrassment. He cleared his throat a few times and forced a laugh: "The great God has told us that we must not lie! So, Reinhardt, I have only read half of the books here!" With a face full of frustration, Merlin helplessly sighed: "I am not a very intelligent person; I have spent nearly one hundred years and have only read half of the books here. However, even so, I am already one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the entire divine court!"

The three clergy members immediately assumed serious expressions, nodding as they said: "Everything is for the glory of God. May God's light shine upon the entire universe!" Following this were lengthy praises to God and excessive accolades for Reinhardt.

With a helpless sigh, Merlin completely gave up on instilling fear in Reinhardt. He said with resignation: "Poor old Merlin, why is it that after taking in so many disciples, not a single one respects you? Alas!" Dejected, he continued to pull Reinhardt forward for about three hundred meters. Suddenly, Merlin casually pushed against the wall beside him, and a door appeared silently on the wall. He grabbed Reinhardt with one hand and swiftly entered the room.

Those with an intelligence quotient exceeding 200% of the average, totaling 75 individuals, possess no superhuman abilities

Holding Reinhardt's hand, I led him through the dark corridor. Merlin spoke as we walked: "My strength is actually only at the level of a third-tier priest, but my knowledge surpasses that of the black-robed and white-robed cardinals, as well as the vast majority of the red-robed cardinals. Therefore, I have been specially appointed as your mentor." He smiled at Reinhardt, as if he had found a particularly challenging task: "Your IQ is truly astonishing, hehehe, yet I, Merlin, am still unsure if I am qualified to be your mentor."

The middle-aged cleric, who could almost be overlooked, continued to introduce in an unperturbed manner: "As for me, I am Elvick from the Arbitration Institute, responsible for teaching you over the next six years how to possess divine power, how to utilize divine power, and how to effectively, discreetly, and without drawing anyone's attention, eliminate the enemies of the divine court"

Incoherently and chaotically praying towards the sky for a full ten minutes, Reinhardt was drenched in cold sweat on his forehead before finally stopping, utterly exhausted. He panted heavily, looking at Merlin and the other two with immense admiration and excitement, and said in the most reverent tone: "Lord Merlin, Lord Elvick, Lord Halox, from this day forth, Reinhardt will heed all your teachings! Everything is for the glory of the divine"

In the twenty-seventh century, what is the most important thing? Talent, and specifically, those who are loyal to us! And you, Reinhardt, are the pinnacle, the one favored by the divine

He pointed to Merlin, and the middle-aged cleric introduced him: "Merlin, the most renowned scholar in the Divine Court, the leader of the Council of the Nest of the Gods, and also the chairman of the diplomatic department of the Divine Court. His public rank is merely that of a First-Class Holy Priest, but in the dark hall of the Divine Court, he is the fifth elder of the Council of Seventeen Elders. His status within the entire temple is only subordinate to the Holy Pontiff and the other four elders of the dark hall. His symbol is the God of Wisdom! He is responsible for teaching you all the knowledge you need and imparting to you all the experiences he has comprehended."

The originally kind and gentle Merlin suddenly changed his demeanor, transforming from an inscrutable, spring-like amiable elder into an embodiment of extreme coldness and severity, even carrying a hint of cruelty, resembling a god of ice and snow, making him utterly unapproachable. The cold light in his eyes and the abrupt shift in his temperament caused Reinhardt to shudder, nearly prompting a scream. Merlin nodded in satisfaction, his long, withered fingers lightly tapping a few times on Reinhardt's nose, and coldly stated: "Reinhardt, as the head of the diplomatic department of the divine court, this is the first lesson I impart to you: never trust everything your eyes see! And even more so, do not believe what your ears hear!"

A long sword, four fingers wide and four feet long, devoid of any decoration, utterly traditional, somewhat dull, and lacking any dazzling brilliance, materialized out of thin air. A series of soft, whistling winds accompanied it, as strands and layers of golden light rapidly shot forth from the sword's edge, gathering all the coldness and flames, which then dissipated into nothingness. The long sword vanished, and beside Merlin stood a middle-aged cleric, as ordinary as his sword, without a single point of brilliance.

Merlin suddenly realized and exclaimed "Oh!" He stood up abruptly, forcefully slapped his own head and the books, and muttered softly, "So that's it. I should have thought of this earlier. If you were a little drunkard, at your age, you would have been alcohol poisoned long ago, and your brain would be ruined." Grabbing Reinhardt's hand, he led him down the corridor while mumbling, "Perhaps I should suggest a reform for the entire Dalu'er parish? If the lower clergy are all drunkards, it would be detrimental to the image of the divine court if this got out."

Cautiously getting up, I peered through the crack of the door and happened to see An being violently pinned to the ground by five Light Wolf Knights, who then tossed him into his own room as if he were a piece of trash. I couldn't help but wonder what An's body was made of, as he immediately lunged out of the room again. The five Light Wolf Knights roared in anger, and as if performing a magic trick, they pulled a solid steel door from a corner of the corridor. After throwing An back into the room, they directly fitted that steel door into the door frame. I couldn't help but wonder what An's body was made of, as he immediately lunged out of the room again. The five Light Wolf Knights roared in anger, and as if performing a magic trick, they pulled a solid steel door from a corner of the corridor. After throwing An back into the room, they directly fitted that steel door into the door frame

I have finally come to a complete understanding. It is because I am the rarest of geniuses that the divine court has dispatched the most elite team of mentors to guide me. This must be the will of God, right? Reinhardt gazed upward, softly expressing gratitude for God's grace. Only God could allow an ordinary orphan like me to possess such astonishing talent! Who else but God could achieve this?

Cautiously, Reinhardt asked with great curiosity, "Mentor Merlin, why do you refer to Lord Hal and the others as 'the old immortals'? Are they older than you?"

He will undoubtedly become the most brilliant figure in the next hundred years. He will shine upon the entire world like the sun, allowing the divine light to spread across the Earth, causing the entire universe to tremble in response. May the great divine light always shine upon this child. Everything is for the glory of God. That night, Merlin solemnly wrote these words of praise in his notebook. May the great divine light always shine upon this child. Everything is for the glory of God. That night, Merlin solemnly wrote these words of praise in his notebook.

A first-class priest with a long white beard and kind eyes arrived at Reinhardt's door. "Reinhardt, come here, I am your dedicated mentor, Merlin. Aside from physical training, you will learn all the knowledge you need from me during the rest of the time each day." He gently examined Reinhardt, smiling with curiosity, "Of Eastern descent, are you? What a rare young man. Well, as your mentor, I will indeed feel quite a bit of pressure."

Merlin, Hallocks, and even the seemingly solid and unpretentious Elvick all displayed satisfied smiles

Reinhardt was taken aback. According to the data provided by Elvik, does this mean that he is the most outstanding genius of the Divine Court in over a hundred years?

"Faith, my faith, can it allow me to leave here with honor?" Staring at that sentence for a long time, Reinhardt clenched his fists and said softly, "No matter what, I will succeed. God will never abandon a believer who is unwaveringly devoted to Him. I am a child of God; God is my Father, and a Father will not abandon His child... Father Dekler, you said that God is the Father of all, and the most steadfast children of faith will receive God's favor. I am a child of God; God is my Father, and a Father will not abandon His child... Father Dekler, you said that God is the Father of all, and the most steadfast children of faith will receive God's favor. Therefore, I will be one of those fortunate ones, won't I?"

Alvik glanced at Merlin, who was wiping drool from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and immediately added: "In the past one hundred and fifty years, we have identified seven thousand three hundred individuals with an intelligence quotient exceeding the norm by fifty percent. However, among them, only one hundred and forty-two possess the potential for super abilities, and only Lord Harlox has the potential for more than two types of super abilities." A trace of smugness involuntarily appeared on Harlox's grim face.

The night quietly flowed through the roaring of the steel door being relentlessly battered, and dawn arrived. Under the watch of several Light Tiger Knights, dozens of Light Wolf and Light Leopard Knights, along with an equal number of Sanctuary Priests, hurried over, calling out the names of the children.

Gently shaking his head, a warm golden light flowed from his body, enveloping Reinhardt in that comforting glow. Merlin said with immense affection: "Reinhardt, you must understand, ever since Decker, that inferior priest, reported to us that your IQ might be several times that of an ordinary person, we have been paying attention to you! Otherwise, why would you think that Sidus, the esteemed Archbishop of the Black Cloak, a figure of great status and power, would personally test you?" Ever since Decker reported to us that your IQ might be several times that of an ordinary person, we have been paying attention to you! Otherwise, why would you think that Sidus, the esteemed Archbishop of the Black Cloak, a figure of great status and power, would personally test you?

Merlin rolled his eyes, pouted, and suddenly let out a few chuckles towards Harlox. Harlox seemed to instinctively take three steps back, and a swirling gust of wind formed in front of him, producing a sharp sound of air being sliced. Merlin sighed, shook his head, and sighed again: "Harlox, why are you so tense? Do you really think old Merlin would harm you?"

From the wide sleeves, Merlin pulled out a black leather-covered notebook. He opened the notebook, glanced at it, and nodded, saying: "So, starting today, Reinhardt, you will receive individual instruction from the three of us. You must establish a correct awareness, which is that you are a more outstanding genius than they are, and therefore, you will enjoy superior treatment compared to them. While the three of us tutor you alone, the other children will be listening to a group of clerics instructing a dozen or so children! You must establish a correct awareness, which is that you are a more outstanding genius than they are, and therefore, you will enjoy superior treatment compared to them. Of course, this is because they are not as good as you, so their treatment is not as favorable as yours!"

Hallocs coldly stated: "Because those who have been deceived by you have all been evaporated by arbitration, no one corrects you, my dear Fifth Elder!"

Carefully closing the heavy door that resembled a wooden one, Reinhardt surveyed the room that would belong to him in an unknown number of years in the future, letting out a satisfied sigh. "At the very least, there is a wooden bed here, and the bedding is as clean as that in the orphanage... Moreover, there are no scoundrels like Barnett here. Although Bishop Hal and the others seem very indifferent, in reality, they are quite kind people." Reinhardt was always easily satisfied. However, it made sense; for a six-year-old child who had grown up in an orphanage and was occasionally bullied by older children, a safe and seemingly sturdy room with a clean bed, and no one to bully him anymore... what more could he ask for?

Merlin jumped in fright and exclaimed: "Don't you know that eavesdropping on others is very impolite? You little monster, how could you hear what I was saying? But to be honest, your hearing is indeed better than that of the wild dogs in the mountains. Well, that's true, Hal and the others are over thirty years older than old Merlin, but because their strength is so great, they don't appear old at all"

Looking at the old priest, who was at least a hundred years old, Reinhardt respectfully said: "My intelligence is nothing; no matter how large a wine barrel is, if it is not filled with aged wine, it holds no value. The true worth of a wine barrel lies in the quality and quantity of the wine it contains, rather than in the barrel itself"

The first lesson from the three mentors was to instill an absolute class consciousness, absolute elitism, and absolute hierarchy into Reinhardt's mind, which was as blank as a sheet of paper

Five disheveled and disheartened knights of the Wolf, looking utterly defeated, left the entrance of An under the watchful eyes of countless children. Faintly, Reinhardt could hear their murmurs: "Lord Hal is indeed wise; he actually ordered such a steel door ten days in advance. Otherwise, how could we withstand this freak? Damn it, his sheer physical strength seems to be far greater than ours! It appears that the quality of this year's batch of newcomers is truly impressive."

Looking at the constantly smirking Harlocks and then at the frowning Merlin, the middle-aged cleric revealed a similarly standard smile, devoid of any distinct features. "Reinhardt, hello. Harlocks is one of the only four master psychics in the Divine Court's Dark Palace. Well, perhaps I should tell you directly that he has simultaneously defeated four first-class white-robed bishops, which may give you a deeper understanding of his strength... Over the next six years, he will be responsible for unlocking all your psychic potential and guiding you to enhance your power." His voice, too, was similarly lacking in any distinctiveness.

Reorganization? Does that mean that after Father Barbie, he will no longer be able to touch a wine glass? He must be very sad. Thus, Reinhardt raised his head and asked earnestly: "Are lower-tier clerics not allowed to drink wine? Then why can Mentor Merlin collect wine? Does Mentor Merlin only collect wine but never drink it?"

Geniuses with an intelligence quotient exceeding that of the average person by one hundred percent, with the strength of the Divine Court, have only unearthed one hundred seventy-nine individuals, among whom the number of those possessing superhuman abilities is zero

Looking into Merlin's seemingly all-seeing gaze, Reinhardt felt a wave of guilt and honestly said: "These, are, are, are what Father Babi told me after he got drunk. He, he ... ... "