There was a white statue of a beautiful woman with angelic wings inside the church. The statue was smiling kindly, candles were lit around it, bouquets of flowers adored it. Behind the statue was an elaborate stained glass window, casting a plethora of colors on the statue.

Rose was kneeling before it, solemnly praying for the soul of her recently departed dear friend and the victims of the recent cult attack. After she was done, she found Captain Angelo standing silently near the entrance, patiently waiting.

“Captain. I’m sorry for the delay.”

“I’ve just arrived myself, no need for that.”

Rose knew it wasn't entirely true but she stayed silent.

Captain Angelo approached her, he bowed with his right hand on his heart to the statue then continued to look at it before talking to Rose beside him.

“The Grace on Leon’s Valiant Sun Pendant has been broken… no one bound it before.” His tone was heavy with disappointment.

“...I see. Gone was our chance to track it to the cult’s lair.” Rose said, dropping her head.

“And it would have gravely injured the heretic that tried to bind it if not outright kill him. That white mask fellow is quite cautious.”

Rose recalled the mask of Leon’s opponent. The image was faint, because she only saw him briefly, when the three cultists were waiting in the middle of the road.

“Evil might win sometimes, but always loses in the end.” The girl said. Her tone was complicated, almost as if she wanted reassurance.

“True, we will avenge him on the battlefield. The funeral is about the start, let us be off.”

“Yes, Captain.” She watched the back of a man who hid his grief.

Captain loved him like a son… Get it together Rose. I’m not the only one who feels sad.

Clear blue sky greeted them after coming out from the building. To her surprise, a white dove suddenly flew towards her and perched on her shoulder.

“Hoho, a white dove? An auspicious omen. The Radiant Lady bless you, Rose.” Angelo’s dark mood was lifted for a little bit.

The dove nudged her on the cheek a few times with its soft head before flying again to the sky, leaving a single white feather.

“Keep to that. It might be more than it seems.”

Rose nodded and carefully stored the feather after saying thanks to the Goddess softly.

***

A week had passed and for Viers, it was packed with activities.

Training, training, and more training.

Such was how Viers spent the majority of his daily hours. But he understood even the most delicious food in the world wouldn't have that title for long if eaten every day, thus he added variations in his training schedule.

During his day class at the Training Center, he started practicing his throwing skill. Rocks and throwing knives were his staple ammo. His fighting skill was mainly focused in close quarters but Viers wasn't against expanding his enemy-killing repertoire. Besides that, he asked Teldo for sparring.

Mostly it was against a mud doll but the gruff teacher delivered his sparring personally every once in a while. When that happened, Viers ended up getting his ass beaten by his TC teacher. There was never any heavy or permanent injury, but it still hurts getting smacked by a training sword.

At 4 until 5 o'clock in the evening, Viers had his horse riding lesson from the uncle at the town’s stable. It wasn't hard, he just tossed a gold coin for a month of lessons. The uncle accepted that happily, he procured a suitable horse for the beginner Viers and tutored him on the outskirts of the town.

After the sun was set, he trained in the underground base. There was a training area and he paid a crystal and fifty gold for a personal trainer for one month. A hundred fifty times more expensive than his horse lessons but Viers didn’t let the price cloud his judgment.

Level up ASAP, get more achievement in battle, get more crystals from the cult or from the corpse of my enemy. The stronger you’re, the more money you gain. This is one of the most basic laws in video games. This isn't a video game but even in xianxia novels this law holds water.

Viers’s personal trainer was Amay, a skinny man in his late twenties with brown skin and white hair. He was formerly a level 2 but fell a level because of an injury. He needed a lot of money to get medicine to return to his former glory. The premise didn't surprise Viers because he was familiar with the level down concept.

Amay had rich battle experience therefore this cultist had a side-job as a trainer. Or so what was written in the brochure. Viers chose him because he was the most expensive trainer and recommended by the guy in the confessional when he asked about trainers. Amay's last student was lying on the infirmary without one limb so Viers had an opening.

“JOOOOOR! What is your sole purpose in this cult!?”

“To do everything you tell me to, drill instructor?”

“GODDAMNIT, Jor! That is the most PATHETIC answer I’ve ever heard! What use is your sorry excuse for a head? Think for yourself, GODDAMNIT! Did all the nutrients for your brain go into your belly? You’re a GODDAMN idiot, recruit Jor!”

Such was Viers’s first exchange with his instructor. Viers was baffled because of the disparity with the film but he could make peace with that. After all, life was like a box of shit; you never knew what you were gonna get. Sweet, juicy, warm, kind of shit or the bitter, disgusting, smelly, kind of shit. Which was all bad in Viers’s opinion.

Although Viers had his affinity raised, he didn't flaunt his sudden and suspicious strength gain to his teachers and classmates on the surface as any sane person would.

Yep, someone with a brain definitely will choose to hide his/her talent. Although some MCs did not and then there’s no repercussion whatsoever. Oh, how easy it must be to reincarnate in a world like that.

Viers hid his true capability so he mostly only trained his basics on the surface. Sparring without using his Victa and honing his basic swordsmanship.

Viers’s training with Amay was about various ways of killing and fighting by sparring with the man. The difference about sparring with Teldo, Viers used his full capabilities when fighting Amay.

Empowered by his new moon pendant, his Victa situation was somewhat better. Now Viers had a habit of saving a little of his Victa to the ‘Victa piggy bank’ for emergencies.

Muahahah! There really was something inside this pendant! The handler said it was something vicious too. It’s a good thing I’m a careful fellow.

Every time he fought with Amay he pushed himself to the limit, something he couldn't do on the surface. Level 1 Amay might be, but he was a former level 2 so his bodily specs and techniques were far more polished than Viers’s.

At least his money was spent productively, Amay had real skills which Viers was eager to steal. The quality of lessons he got from Amay was worth every copper he put in Amay’s pocket.

One thing worthy of note, Viers trained himself for casting Arte without shouting their name out loud. He still had a sense of shame and every time he shouted his technique names, he inflicted unseen damage to his modern Earth sanity. In this endeavor, he hadn't yet achieved success.

When he asked Teldo and Amay about this, they said he shouldn't bother. For the people in this world, shouting their Arte was considered normal and nothing to be embarrassed about. Amay said there were negatives but there also were cases where shouting Arte's name embedded more power than it supposed to be which was a positive thing.

If one’s level was high enough, they could cast low-level Arte as easy as breathing without saying the Arte name so most people didn't see the need to do what Viers did. Viers was shocked by the culture clash but he stood by his code. Viers kept training to cast Arte without the Japanese eighth-grader syndrome.

Other than training with his dear instructor, Viers also filled his head with knowledge in the library. All of his training was highly taxing for his body so he always kept his healing factor on. Which meant his crusade against the Fat Invaders was put on halt, he had higher priorities than looking slim and pretty.

It's time I learn more Arte to increase my versatility.

That was his plan but it didn't go smoothly, most Arte worth its salt wasn't free. It might be called the library but the cultists had to pay for most of the book here. He may be able to buy one or two high-end Artes with the money he had now but then he would be a pauper, which was unacceptable for him. Not to mention, he didn't need to.

The expensive ones are all combat Artes. I could create them myself so I don't really need it. What I need is the utility kind.

So Viers searched for those and purchased several.

Ignore Pain? Pain rejected my friend request so the practicality of this could not be overstated. I know a healer turned hunter turned sentinel and the things she has done with no pain and healing magic. Naizeee!

No Taste? I don't know how people could create something like this but I need it. Raw monster meat shall trouble me no longer! Supeeerr!

Sharpened Hearing? Good, but I also need the opposite of it! I don't know how Sups did it but hearing everything loud all the time is a recipe for insomnia and insanity.

Deaf? My super-hearing is starting to become a problem so this Arte is a godsent elixir. This Arte is supposed to be a counter for Sound path Path-seeker but I could also make use of it to sleep soundly.

Erase Presence? ‘Nuff said. Pity, it doesn't turn me invisible but hey, I can always snatch Harry’s cloak. There’s bound to be something similar in this world.

Deodorant? Eh, why not. The cult managed to track my scent in the past. Having this could be a game-changer in the future.

None of the Arte he bought was for direct combat so Viers was deeply considering creating his first personal Arte. When he returned to his personal cult room, there was a letter.

He opened it and read it. Then, Viers sagely nodded.

Apparently, it's time for the newbie cultist tournament arc. I bet NO ONE saw that coming.