Chapter 3, Enlightenment

As Richard stood at the entrance of the temple, his heart nearly leapt from his chest, and his breathing became extremely labored. After a great effort, he finally regained his composure, recalled his mother's admonitions, and looked up into the temple.

Richard wanted to leave; he now understood that as long as he wished, he could completely detach himself from this place and return to the real world. This temple was, in fact, a world constructed through ritualistic power, designed to help the gifted recognize their abilities and choose their future paths. However, on the other hand, this world was not entirely illusory; the temple, floating among the stars, was filled with the divine power of the goddess, and the acquisition of all six abilities was inseparable from the favor of Elucia.

Seven divine arts flowed through her heart like water

"Lucia's Wrath" Divine Art: Punishment

"Lucia's Favor" Divine Art: Healing

"Who... who are you?" Richard asked, mustering his courage, his voice trembling. It echoed back and forth in the grand hall, the heavy reverberation startling him once again.

Little Richard walked towards the altar, straining to open his eyes wide in an attempt to perceive wisdom. However, this temple, along with the entire starry sky, was not real; no matter how hard he tried, what could he truly see? Instead, due to his hesitation and wavering, even the three statues of the goddesses began to blur.

The Fate of Elucia: Divine Art: Enlightenment

Eliane walked over and reached out to open it. Her fingers were long and beautiful, surpassing her appearance by several levels. The men in the village had privately discussed her hands more than once.

Richard looked around in confusion and suddenly saw a new statue of a goddess appearing in front of the altar. Her hands were crossed over her chest, her face slightly turned to one side, with a melancholic and focused expression. Unlike the other goddess statues, this one had no texture at all, resembling something made of shadows. Could this also be a power? Richard tried hard to recall, but he could not remember what this statue represented. Her hands were crossed over her chest, her face slightly turned to one side, with a melancholic and focused expression. Unlike the other goddess statues, this one had no texture at all, resembling something made of shadows. Could this also be a power? Richard tried hard to recall, but he could not remember what this statue represented. Even in the sacred texts, there was no record of the Moon Goddess having this form, although it was indeed the statue of Elucia.

"What kind of ability is that?" Richard paused and said loudly, "I do not wish to relinquish wisdom"

The little boy felt confusion and struggle for the first time, but ultimately, he reached out his hand towards the statue. His mother had said that he could choose according to his own thoughts, and he was unwilling to give up this opportunity, having already prepared to pay the price. Little Richard was courageous; he was willing to strive for unexpected gains. Moreover, he was intelligent; he understood that deep down, his mother hoped for him to become a hero, a truly significant person.

"Who I am is not important; I will not appear again in the future. Strictly speaking, I am the other half hidden deep within your heart," the voice said

My Richard, soon you will enter the hall of the goddess Elucia to receive enlightenment about your destiny. You will likely have two or three choices, and if so, you may choose..." At this point, Elian suddenly shook her head and changed her words: "My Richard, choose whatever you wish; pay close attention to the voice of the goddess, and then follow the choice of your heart.

Richard hesitated and struggled, yet he walked step by step towards the Seventh Statue. "The world is balanced; every gain has its price," Richard recalled a teaching from the scriptures, and balance is one of the core tenets of Elusia's doctrine. So, what kind of price would he pay for gaining the second ability?

The attic is usually a place for storing miscellaneous items, yet it is also kept impeccably clean. Elaine moved aside a box, revealing a small altar behind it. The altar is made of stone, with its base intricately and precisely outlined with a complex magical array. However, the spot where a statue should be placed is now empty

However, the voice that appeared in Richard's consciousness, along with the seventh statue that had never been recorded in the scriptures, completely overturned Richard's understanding. Suddenly, Richard had a feeling that this... was very much like the temptation of the devil. But how could the power of the devil manifest in the sacred ritual of the Moon Goddess

Elian meticulously cleaned the altar, wiping away even the tiniest specks of dust until it was spotless. Only then did she stand up, her gaze falling upon a thick book casually placed on a nearby box. This book was remarkably thick, likely containing nearly a thousand pages, and was equivalent in size to four ordinary spellbooks, weighing at least several kilograms. The bronze cover gleamed with a luster, pristine and free of dust, clearly having been frequently handled. Elian was taken aback; she hadn't touched it in a long time, so it was evident that Richard had been reading it. She hadn't expected that the little fellow would read it so often and with such enthusiasm.

Just before Richard, the altar once again shone with light, and three goddess statues appeared! In addition to "Wisdom," there was also the critically important "Elemental Affinity" in the realm of magic. This ability allows mages to communicate more easily with external elements, enabling them to cast spells with less consumption. To put it more directly, a mage with the "Elemental Affinity" talent can have one to three more spell slots than a mage of the same level. This is a terrifying talent that becomes more powerful as one advances. The other ability is "Nature's Envoy," which provides a more intuitive and thorough understanding of nature. It not only significantly enhances stealth capabilities and speeds up movement in complex terrains, but also grants a power boost to various nature spells and higher resistance to toxins.

"Do you not wish to possess another ability?" The voice sounded again

You may call it reality. It allows you to observe the world from another perspective, and at the end of this path, you might see something else

At this point, all six types of abilities have been presented before Richard

Richard nodded in a dazed manner. As the gentle sound of Elaine's prayers rose behind him, his consciousness gradually became hazy, as if he were withdrawing from the world before him

"This... this..." Richard had already opened his mouth wide, unable to utter a word. His little mind was in a state of confusion, completely unable to comprehend what was happening before him. The only reasonable explanation was that everything he saw was an illusion? Otherwise, what else could it be? This was completely different from what he had read in books and what his mother had told him.

The cover of the book is made of genuine bronze, heavy and cold, exuding the weight of time. Elaine knew that within the bronze, countless crystal particles were scattered like stars; when they were activated simultaneously, they would form a miniature altar. When the user is sufficiently devout and powerful, they could even listen to the voice of the Moon Goddess Elucia through it

The Seventh Divine Art is fundamentally recorded only in the sacred texts, yet no one has ever been able to wield it; this is the Divine Art of "Lucia's Confusion": the Dark Side of the Moon

Richard finally did not forget the purpose of this journey, and tremblingly extended his hand towards the statue of the goddess representing "Wisdom." In front of the statue, which stood over ten meters tall, the small Richard could only touch the feet of the goddess. This also embodies part of the significance of the ritual; bowing down to touch the feet of the goddess symbolizes a humble attitude. When Richard's hand made contact with the statue, a crisp sound of shattering suddenly echoed in his consciousness, and the entire world seemed to become more real and clear.

The divine art: Enlightenment, is the birthday gift for Little Richard's tenth birthday

"Impossible!" Little Richard exclaimed decisively. His mother had said that his heart was very pure and would not be tainted by all sorts of chaotic things. Moreover, after conversing with this voice for a few moments, his fear gradually dissipated. The children in the mountains are very brave; their initial fear was simply because they did not know what was happening, caught off guard.

"What about the other things? What are they?" Richard asked curiously

Looking at the seventh statue, Richard truly hesitated. Two different voices were fiercely debating within his consciousness, neither yielding to the other. To take it, or not to take it

The vast space imposed an almost unbearable pressure on Richard, causing his heart to race faster and faster. He no longer dared to glance around, but instead sprinted towards the temple. He ran for a long time, crossing the entire square and climbing the thousand stone steps before finally standing at the entrance of the temple. If it weren't for the fact that children from the mountains are strong and have great endurance, Richard would have collapsed long ago. Once he started running, he couldn't afford to pause even for a moment; the enormous square filled his entire field of vision, and the dazzling light seemed to dance, as if the entire space was not static but moving according to some unseen rules. Richard had the illusion that if he stopped even for a moment, the whole square would tilt, and with the mirror-like ground offering nothing to grasp, he would helplessly and despairingly slide off the square, plunging into an abyss without end.

The Will of Alucia: Divine Art: Judgment

However, that voice was completely unaffected by Richard, stating in an unchanging tone: "Now, go choose what you wish to obtain."

"Sword of Alucia" Divine Art: Silver Moon Armament

The temple lacks a dome, instead being surrounded by a circle of tall, pure white stone pillars. In the center stands an altar, with three indistinct goddess statues surrounding it. Each statue has a different pose, and the spacing between them varies. There should be six positions for goddess statues around the altar, each representing a different ability. The more goddess statues Richard can see, the more abilities he can potentially awaken during the enlightenment.

The sound faded away, leaving no response

However, having three options at https://m.hetushucom.com is also quite good; Mother only hopes to have more than one choice. In fact, what Elaine did not tell Little Richard is that among those who have been enlightened, most only see an empty temple.

"Do you want more power?" A voice suddenly echoed in Richard's ear

At least it must surpass the prominent figures of Baron Tucker

Richard felt a slight disappointment; in fact, he had already made a choice in his little heart, which was to greatly enhance his intelligence with "wisdom." Because a true man needs wisdom

Wisdom allows people to see the world more clearly. This is a phrase from the scriptures, and now Richard has finally come to understand its meaning

This book, which appears unremarkable aside from its substantial weight, is none other than the most treasured artifact of the Elven Court, the Holy Scripture of the Moon Goddess Elucia

On the day of Little Richard's birthday, at the stroke of midnight, he was called to rise and taken to the attic, where he knelt before the altar. The sacred text before Richard had been turned to a specific page, revealing several lines of prayers he had never seen before. It was in the ancient Elvish language, a complex and obscure tongue that Richard had mastered as proficiently as the common tongue. The content of the prayers was still a praise and supplication to the Goddess of the Moon, but as Richard silently recited them in his heart, he suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if his body was becoming transparent. In the depths of his being, something that had been aimlessly wandering seemed to have suddenly discovered something and flew towards him, plunging into his body. Richard felt a stream of ice surge within his chest and abdomen, rapidly extending and spreading to his limbs and lower abdomen. This sensation was fleeting, though exceptionally vivid; however, experiencing unusual feelings during a divine or magical ritual was quite common. Many rituals even required enduring intense pain, so Little Richard said nothing but continued to gradually clear his mind as his mother had instructed.

Richard nodded vigorously and ran back to his room. However, judging by his excited demeanor, he would most likely be unable to sleep tonight. Elaine smiled and shook her head, carrying the magic lamp as she climbed up to the attic

Elian placed her hand on the sacred text, quietly sensing the lingering divine aura within it. At this moment, the fifth moon hung high in the sky, and the cool moonlight streamed through the skylight, perfectly illuminating her figure. A trace of divine power hidden within the moonlight quietly seeped into her body, accumulating in preparation for the ceremony a few days later.

When Richard touched the statue of wisdom, all the goddess statues disappeared simultaneously. Logically, this should signify the end of the enlightenment ceremony, yet the temple did not vanish.

On the front page, a long poem praising the Moon Goddess Elucia is beautifully inscribed in ancient Elvish. To this day, Elian still remembers every syllable of this hymn. As she casually flips through the richly textured pages, they flow like water between her fingers, featuring either large passages of Elvish text or vivid illustrations. Unlike human scriptures, the content contains only a small portion dedicated to the teachings of the Moon Goddess, instead recounting many tales of Elucia before her ascension to divinity. Thus, in addition to the continent of Norland, it encompasses a wealth of information from many other continents and even from alternate planes. Young Richard likely treats it as a comprehensive geographical compendium, which is why he reads it with such delight.

The scriptures also record the unique divine arts of the Goddess of the Seven Moons, but only those who have received the Goddess's approval can see and use them. In her earlier years, she was able to wield five of these arts. Apart from the Grand Druid of the royal court, she was the priestess who comprehended the most divine arts. This not only represented strength but also the Goddess's recognition. However, now, even at a great cost, the only divine art she can invoke is one that relies on the power of the scriptures themselves.

Little Richard's memory is exceptionally outstanding, and he quickly identifies the powers represented by the three goddess statues. These are the "Extraordinary Divine Power," which can bestow great strength upon the enlightened; the "Life Torrent," which possesses strong vitality and the ability to heal; and the "Wind Speed," which enhances speed and agility.

Upon awakening once more, Richard found himself before an immensely vast and lofty temple. The place where he stood was a gigantic square, measuring several thousand meters in circumference, and within it, Richard felt as small as an ant. The square was paved with silver-gray stone, shimmering with a faint, mysterious glow. As he looked around, he was met with an endless starry sky, with twinkling stars so close that they seemed within reach. The square and the temple were suspended alone in the starry expanse. As he looked around, he was met with an endless starry sky, with twinkling stars so close that they seemed within reach. The square and the temple were suspended alone in the starry expanse

There are two divine arts, one of which is the "Heart of Elucia" divine art: foresight, which she has also been unable to master

Little Richard was taken aback, looking around, but saw nothing. The voice came suddenly, mechanical and monotonous, filled with a cold, metallic indifference that instilled a deep sense of fear in him