Chapter 5 : Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun
"Do you have a plan?" Lin Qi asked, looking at Elaine, who had calmed down and was sitting on the sofa.
"I plan to go check on the Moer family tomorrow," Elaine said, looking back at him.
"Do not worry, I will be very careful. Do not underestimate me; I am a Stargazer, after all."
The Star Pathway, Sequence 9: Stargazer.
"Fine. Tomorrow, I will go to the Roland Manor to see if I can dig up any useful information for you. We will meet back here in the evening." Lin Qi let out a sigh.
Lin Qi helped Elaine get settled in his bedroom while he moved to the master bedroom where his father used to sleep.
Lying on the bed, he suddenly remembered that he still had new system notifications to check.
The moment he thought of it, a semi-transparent screen appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations! You have successfully met the requirements to become a Transcendent of the ** Pathway: Romance Pathway: Sequence 9 The Matchmaker.]
[Main Quest Unlocked: The Final Chapter of Romance]
- Sequence 9 The Matchmaker LV10/LV10 (Completed)
- Collect three units of mid-sequence Sacred Pathway mystical substances (Incomplete)
- Comprehend the bonds of kinship (Incomplete)
[Main Quest Completed!]
Rewards: 1500 Experience Points, 50 Silver Coins, Elaine’s Favorability.
[Main Quest Issued:]
Please help Elaine uncover the reason why the Black Syndicate from the slums is hunting her.
Rewards: 2000 Experience Points, 30 Gold Coins, C-Rank Forbidden Object: Fireworks.
No way. Looking at the two new tasks, Lin Qi was hit with a wave of excitement.
He did not even need Transcendent Knowledge to advance to the next sequence!
Because of the system interface, even though Lin Qi was technically a local, he could enjoy the same perks as a player.
If a local wanted to ascend to a high sequence, they had to possess the corresponding Transcendent Knowledge. A player, however, only needed enough experience points and the completion of a class advancement quest to move to the next sequence.
Lin Qi functioned like a player!
He only needed to reach a sufficient level and complete those two system tasks to advance to Sequence 8.
This was absolute gold!
The mystical substances from the Sacred Pathway would be easy enough to acquire; he could simply buy them if he had the money. But as for "comprehending the bonds of kinship"...
How was he supposed to do that?
In his previous life, he was an orphan, and in this life, both his parents had already passed away when he arrived.
Was this not intentionally making things difficult?
He looked at the next quest, which was even better.
The Black Syndicate was just a gang made up of ordinary people. He could just charge in, give them a solid thrashing, and walk away with a Forbidden Object!
This was fantastic!
But on second thought, it might not be that simple.
The reward for the first side quest Lin Qi completed was quite generous—2000 experience points. That situation had been extremely dangerous since he was still just an ordinary person at the time.
It made sense that killing two professional assassins would yield such a reward.
The main quest to help Elaine resolve her current trouble rewarded 1500 experience points, and that was a task Lin Qi could have handled relatively easily even if he had not become a Transcendent.
Therefore, system rewards should be proportional to the difficulty of the task.
Logically, two Transcendents raiding a gang of ordinary thugs should be a walk in the park. Yet, the reward was 2000 experience points and a Forbidden Object.
This meant the Black Syndicate was definitely not simple; they must have Transcendents among them!
With that thought in mind, Lin Qi drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, the two of them tidied up briefly, had breakfast, and headed to their respective destinations.
Elaine planned to probe the Moer family regarding their attitude toward the massacre of the Morning Star family, while Lin Qi went to the Roland Manor to ask Alden for detailed intelligence on the Moers.
Even though Lin Qi had seen it several times in Isaris’s memories, the scene before him was still breathtaking.
In the center of Kissmark Town, the undisputed noble district, there stood such a massive estate!
A tower was built every ten meters along the manor’s outer wall, each featuring a narrow window where guards rotated on watch every day.
At the heart of the manor was a three-story main building. The crest of the Roland family—a rose—hung above the entrance.
Under the guidance of the butler, Lin Qi entered the main building. The grand hall occupied the entire ground floor.
Oak beams spanned the domed ceiling, and tapestries depicting the family history hung upon the walls.
"What brings little Isaris here?" A gentle male voice drifted down from the upper floor as a figure dressed in a formal suit approached slowly.
"Uncle," Lin Qi greeted him.
Alden nodded to him and then turned to the butler. "Brew a pot of black tea and bring it to the study."
"Yes, Master." The butler bowed and exited the main building.
"Uncle, why are there so many fewer people in the manor?" Lin Qi asked as he followed Alden upstairs.
"...After your mother passed away, I drove out all the members of the collateral branches and dismissed the unnecessary servants.
Your uncle is quite lonely now. Little Isaris, why don’t you move back in? All the people you hated are gone." Alden smiled at Lin Qi, who was walking behind him.
"I think I will pass, Uncle. I am fine living on my own." Lin Qi shook his head.
The two of them arrived at the study on the second floor.
The room was shaped like an irregular circle, with oak bookshelves lining the walls like a curved fortress.
There were not many books on the shelves, but every single one was secured to a metal plate with iron locks.
"Sit." Alden walked behind the desk and sat down, gesturing to the seat opposite him.
The moment Lin Qi sat down, he heard Alden’s voice again.
"What brings you to your uncle today?"
"I was just interested in that communication device from before. You mentioned it was an industry of the Moer family?" Lin Qi asked, getting straight to the point.
"To be precise, it was a joint venture between the Moer family and other nobles. However, that family ran into some trouble, and now the industry belongs entirely to the Moers.
Do you want one? I will give you one as a gift."
"Thank you, Uncle. So, who is more powerful, the Moer family or the Roland family?" Lin Qi did not decline this time, instead steering the conversation forward.
"The Roland family, of course. The Moer family are just ordinary nobles; they possess no Transcendent inheritance or secret arts." Alden shook his head with a smile.
Right! The Roland Secret Sword! That skill displayed on the system interface was a secret art of the Roland family!
A knock came at the door.
"Enter."
At Alden’s command, the butler entered the study carrying a tray. He poured a cup of tea for both Lin Qi and Alden before stepping out.
"I remember the butler being someone else before?" Lin Qi looked at the exiting butler with some confusion.
"The previous butler grew old. This is a new one hired a few years ago. Hmph, you brat, how long has it been since you visited the manor? You do not even come to see your uncle." Alden took a sip of the black tea.
"Hey, come on. I am here now, aren't I?" Lin Qi’s curiosity had been piqued.
No wonder the Roland family could occupy such a large plot of land in the city center; they were far from ordinary nobles.
In the Viridian Kingdom, there was undeniably only one top-tier noble house.
The Royal Family, the Solar family.
The reason they could become the Viridian royalty was simple: they possessed a Transcendent Sequence inheritance.
Sacred Pathway: The Sun Sequence.
In the world of Epoch of the End, there were twelve standard sequences and three hidden sequences.
The difference lay in their churches.
The twelve standard sequences were also known as the twelve Church Sequences.
The Sun Sequence’s Orthodox Church was the state religion of Viridian!
Although all twelve Orthodox Churches were present within the borders of the Viridian Kingdom, the most popular and numerous was undoubtedly the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, which shared its sequence with the Solar family!
Beneath the Royal Family were the nobles who could pass down various secret arts, such as the Roland family.
The level below that consisted of ordinary nobles like the Moer family.
Having figured this out, Lin Qi was about to take his leave when Alden stopped him.
"What is the rush? Stay and have lunch with your uncle before you head back."
Faced with Alden’s request, he had no choice but to remain at the manor.
"The more I walk around, the bigger this place feels."
Lin Qi wandered freely through the main building. Previously, this would have been strictly forbidden; the members of the collateral branches would have scolded him for his lack of etiquette.
He walked to the end of the corridor on the third floor.
Before becoming a Transcendent, he wouldn't have noticed anything, but now...
He looked at the longsword hanging on the wall at the end of the hall.
This thing was actually a Forbidden Object!