9. Foundations of the Blessing

Lissandra went pale at his answer.

Adolin was starting to think the whole church situation was more serious than he’d assumed. It wasn’t really his fault. He hadn’t done anything like that since his first day in this world. Eduard had been serious about it too.

Did they both think he had a backer?

That was the only explanation for why Lissandra went pale when he told her he didn’t have one.

It took Lissandra a moment. “They’re already searching for you,” she said.

“What do they want?” Adolin asked.

Lira looked confused at first, then a hint of fear crept onto her face.

“The church controls almost all priests. But not all. Twenty-three years ago, they banned unsanctioned healing. The penalty is death if caught. Since then, the church has executed over a hundred priests,” Lissandra said, keeping her voice calm.

“I’m not a priest, so it doesn’t matter,” Adolin said.

“Yes, of course. Just a level ten with a healing spell. I’m sure they won’t bother you at all once they find that out,” Lissandra said, with a slight edge.

Adolin chuckled.

That made sense. If the spell got out, the church would suffer. Most of their power came from healing. He had noticed that no one really liked the church. It was just that they didn’t have another choice. At least not in the capital.

Lissandra set her cup down a little harder than before.
“You’re still not taking this seriously.”

Adolin leaned back slightly.
“I mean, if anything happens to me, the church will burn. It’s in their best interest to leave me alone,” Adolin said.

That was the truth. If they did something he couldn’t defend against and he got hurt, it was over for the church. It might not happen now, but they would be doomed. His party was filled with monsters.

Monsters that protected their own.

There were a few factions and noble houses in his old world that didn’t understand that.
It hadn’t ended well for them.

Lissandra looked at him, speechless. “You said you didn’t have a backer.”

“Well, it’s not a backer. It’s just my old party,” Adolin said.

“Old party?”

“Well, current party. I’m just… taking a break from them.”

They looked at him questioningly.

Adolin had no idea how to explain it. He would’ve had the same reaction in their place. A sixteen-year-old talking about a party that could burn the church. He wasn’t even sure why they were taking him seriously at all.

Well… it was probably because he could heal. And because they thought he had a backer.

Was it worth telling them he was an otherworlder? Did this world even have them? There had been quite a few in his old world. They might panic. Or they might understand him better.

It was a risk.

Adolin didn’t really care. But this wasn’t the right time to take one.

Maybe later. Once he got to know them better. And once he understood how this world treated otherworlders. If it was normal, like in his world, he would tell them.

“Everyone is… similar to me, I guess,” Adolin said.

He wasn’t proud of that answer.

“The best thing you could do is leave the city. Stay away for a while,” Lissandra said.

“Where would I even go?” Adolin asked.

Lissandra lingered for a moment. “You can take an adventurer quest. Escort a caravan. But… you’ll have to take Lira with you.”

Lira looked at her mother, something like hope flashing in her eyes—then it faded.

“Who would look after Telian if I go?”

“Me?” Lissandra said, rolling her eyes.

Lira giggled quietly.

Adolin still wasn’t sure if he should leave. But he had to admit he had been a bit too arrogant with his current mana. It was hard to get used to it. Getting himself killed wouldn’t be that difficult.
He was certain he could cause a lot of damage. But afterward, he would be useless. His body wasn’t strong either.

He clicked his tongue.

He didn’t like that feeling.

It was time to shift his priorities. Getting stronger had to come first. Just like the rest of his party. He was fairly sure Luc was already fifty levels ahead. Aylinth wasn’t too far behind either but she was probably rich by now.

“Can we even take quests? I’m only bronze.”

“I’ll arrange everything. A quest and party members. A few of my students formed a party. They can take care of themselves,” Lissandra said. “I will make it look like it's a punishment for Lira, so they won't dig too deep.”

That made sense to him, but he didn’t have enough gold for the trip. He needed to earn more coin. There were too many things he had to do. It was hard starting a new life from scratch.

It wasn’t even from scratch. It was worse.

“Works for me, but can I get the tea spell before we go?” Adolin said, licking his lips.

Lissandra chuckled. “Glad you liked it. I’ll get you a copy.”

“So when do we leave?” Lira asked.

“Tomorrow or the day after. I need to get things ready.” Lissandra looked at Adolin. “We’ll visit you at the Garden. Be ready to go.”

Adolin didn’t like going anywhere without enough time to prepare mentally. But it seemed the world didn’t care. Not this one, and not the last.

“How many party members are we going to have?”

“Three. Two mages. The last one is a warrior, or a hero class, if I’m not mistaken,” Lissandra said.

Adolin looked at Lira.

Lira straightened slightly. “I’m a mage too,” Lira said, a hint of pride in her voice.

“What a balanced party,” Adolin chuckled.

“Well, it’s the best I can do on short notice,” Lissandra said. “They’re good kids. Decent mages.”

“Do I have to do something at the guild?” Adolin asked.

He already had to go to get his ID.

“No.”

Adolin didn’t like that he would have to spend time with another party. But it would probably do him some good. Adventuring was the best way to increase his strength. And he still had another day or two to himself. It would be enough to recharge. They were all kids, so he could avoid them more easily.

“Do you have equipment for the trip?” Lissandra asked.

“Not really,” Adolin said.

“Get some before tomorrow.”

“How much would that cost?” Adolin asked.

Lissandra thought for a moment. “Around a dozen gold coins.”

“Well… that might be a problem,” Adolin said, looking at his teacup.

“Don’t worry about it. I still need to pay you for healing Lira,” Lissandra said.

“No. A loan would be fine,” Adolin said.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. Can you give me some more information about the escort?”

Lissandra paused, thinking for a moment.

“A friend of mine, a merchant. He will be traveling to three villages to restock. After that, you will escort him to the city of Wolk. It is north of here. The whole trip should take about a month, maybe a month and a half,” Lissandra said. “The party is already assigned to his escort. You just need to join them.”

“I’ll send a message ahead to a colleague of mine.” She glanced at Lira. “You’ll go to him.”

“Mage Narith?” Lira asked.

Lissandra nodded. “If it is safe, you will return with the party and the merchant. If not, you will stay in Wolk. There are dungeons there. You can take on local guild quests while you wait.”

They spent the next hour going over a few things for the trip. Then Adolin spent a few minutes playing with Telian and finally left the residence. He hadn’t planned to stay that long. He was a little spent, but he still had a lot to do. From visiting the library to buying gear for the trip tomorrow.

The good thing was that he could buy the gear from the guild, and he had to go there today anyway. That left him a few hours for the library. He hoped they had a private room he could use.

Adolin stood in front of the library. It was only a few minutes’ walk from the academy.

The building was large. Not as massive as the academy, but still impressive. White stone walls, with tall windows lining the front. The glass reflected the afternoon light, giving the whole place a quiet glow.

There were quite a few people coming and going from the library. Adolin didn’t mind. Every library he had ever visited felt like a safe place to him.

It was quiet. Respectful. People read their books, and no one bothered him. It was the perfect place to be.

The moment he stepped inside, the noise of the city faded.

The air smelled faintly of paper and dust. Rows of shelves stretched across the room, packed with books from floor to ceiling. Narrow aisles ran between them, just wide enough for one person.

A few tables were scattered around, occupied by readers who barely moved. No one spoke. Only the occasional turn of a page broke the silence.

Soft light filtered in through the tall windows, giving the place a calm, steady glow.

Adolin exhaled quietly.

Much better.

He should visit the library more often. He added it to the pile of goals he had already set.

Staring at the bookshelves, he felt a bit overwhelmed. What was he supposed to read first? Could he even read?

He took a deep breath.

One step at a time.

“Good day,” he said, greeting the librarian.

“Fifty silver for the day.”

Adolin placed the five large silver coins he had gotten from the inn on the counter.

He picked it up and moved deeper into the library.

Adolin liked the librarian. Straight to the point. No small talk.

He spent quite a while just browsing. The library was huge, and there were too many interesting sections. History, magic, literature, fiction, blessings. Too many to count.

He stopped himself.

Priorities.

He didn’t have much time. Out of the three hours he had, he had already spent half an hour without picking up a book. The first thing he needed to learn about was the blessing. Or the system. Calling it a system felt wrong somehow, but calling it a blessing left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He needed to know how it worked. What classes were, and how to advance as fast as possible. He also needed to confirm if Dareth’s memories were accurate about what he had already done, which wasn’t much.

So he returned to the blessing section and started looking for a book that might have the answers he needed.

There were a lot of books. Too many. From too many different authors.

The good thing was that he could read. It felt natural.

After a few minutes of searching, he found a book that looked promising.

Foundations of the Blessing

Adolin found an empty seat and opened the book to the first page.

The blessing is granted by the goddess Aurelia to all who reach the age of eighteen. It is said to guide individuals toward growth through learning, training, and effort.

Aurelia.

At least the goddess gave something to the people in this world. The bitter taste in his mouth lingered.

There was a lot in the book he didn’t need. He skimmed through the pages, skipping sections that felt too basic or irrelevant. Most of it was explanations. Definitions. Things he could already knew or didn't need to know.

He turned a few more pages and slowed down.

Attributes.

That was what he needed.

Attributes represent the fundamental aspects of an individual’s body and mind. They determine capability, growth, and the limits of one’s potential. An untrained individual will typically reach a value of ten by adulthood, accumulated gradually from birth. The blessing records all effort. Work, training, study—anything repeated with intent contributes to growth.

Without effort, growth slows. With it, the attributes continue to rise.

That was simpler than he had expected. The blessing seemed fair. Dareth should have tried harder.

Adolin flipped ahead to the section where the attributes were explained.

Strength governs physical power. It determines how much force one can exert.

Agility reflects speed and coordination. It affects movement, balance, and precision.

Endurance represents stamina. It allows the body to sustain effort over time.

Intelligence influences mana capacity and control. It determines how efficiently one can use spells.

Constitution reflects overall resilience. It strengthens the body against damage, illness, and strain.

He had a feeling he was lacking in endurance. It was something he would need to improve. Most of the other attributes could be compensated for with enough mana. He had spells that could help with endurance as well, but he didn’t want to rely on them. Endurance mattered.

It was what had kept him alive long enough to reach the Demon King’s castle in his past life.

The next thing on his mind was spell tiers, and the higher powers in this world. Both were important. He needed to understand them.

A few pages later, he found the section on tiers.

What are spells? What are skills?

Spells are structured applications of mana, shaped through intent and control to produce a desired effect. They are most commonly used by magic-oriented classes, allowing individuals to manipulate mana in precise and repeatable ways.

Alongside spells, there exist skills.

Skills are abilities tied to the body rather than mana, gained through training, experience, and repetition. While spells rely on control and understanding of mana, skills depend on physical mastery and instinct.

Things worked the same in his world, so he already knew most of what was written.

Spell and Skill Tiers.

Spells and skills are divided into twelve tiers.

The tier reflects the complexity and control required, as well as the potential power of the ability.

While spells rely on mana and control, and skills rely on the body and experience, both follow the same progression.

He skipped through most of it.

Spells and skills are divided into tiers, beginning with the most basic applications and progressing in complexity and power.

Tier One to Tier Two — Beginner
Tier Three to Tier Four — Initiate
Tier Five to Tier Six — Intermediate
Tier Seven to Tier Eight — Advanced
Tier Nine to Tier Ten — Elite
Tier Eleven to Tier Twelve — Master

Beyond these, there are mentions of a higher state, often referred to as Grandmaster. Such individuals are recorded only in historical accounts. Whether such individuals truly existed remains uncertain.

Adolin didn’t think the tiers helped him much. Most of his basic spells would already fall into the higher tiers. The highest the system had recognized so far was Mana Control at Tier Nine.

Was that considered elite in this world? Or was there a better way to classify mages?

He wasn’t sure.

Hell. Luc would probably be using Tier Twelve skills from the moment he arrived, assuming he got a decent body.

He did feel like he had wasted valuable time reading this. Except for the attributes. That part had made him more certain about how to spend his points in the future.

There was still the class he needed to understand.

After a few more pages, he found it.

A class reflects an individual’s natural inclination and shapes how they grow, learn, and apply their abilities.