CHAPTER 681: CHAPTER 676: THE OLD PRIEST AND CONTROL RIGHTS

"Ah, Costate..."

Not long after, the church doors opened.

The person who opened the door for Ronald and his companion was an elderly man with white hair.

Ronald’s first impression of the man was his clean and pure Magic Fluctuation, combined with the gentle expression on his face, which gave off a benevolent priestly aura.

The only thing Ronald particularly cared about

was perhaps the old man’s hands; the thin fingers of both hands were all adorned with rings. Considering the man as a Caster, these were likely important tools for casting spells.

However, it didn’t take long.

The old man soon proved that the personnel stationed in the church at Kurpis were not ordinary.

After greeting Costate,

he shifted his gentle gaze to Ronald, and his tone became puzzled:

"Adler..."

"No, the same body, but a different soul..."

Recognizing something special about Ronald at a glance, the old man then turned his head towards the maid beside him:

"Miss Costate, what is this...?"

Faced with the priest’s confusion, Costate remained calm and spoke evenly:

"The Adler family lineage has thus come to an end."

"From now on, this gentleman is my new master."

"..."

A look of undisguised shock appeared on the old priest’s face.

His eyes measured the two at the door several times, and it seemed he eventually came to an understanding, as he did not ask any further questions. After simply inquiring how to address Ronald, the old man stepped aside to welcome the early morning visitors into the church.

Leading the way,

the old priest began to mutter as if he had guessed something:

"With Kurpis having changed hands, it is indeed time for you to come here... Mr. Ronald, although it might be presumptuous given my position, I still hope that you will treat everything in this town with kindness."

Ronald’s expression remained noncommittal.

The three of them continued ahead with quiet steps.

The church, not very large, followed the world’s mysterious tradition by constructing a basement solely for mystical purposes behind the chapel.

The basement was not very spacious; Ronald surveyed it in a glance. Aside from the basic desks and chairs, there was a small altar in the center of the room resembling a rook from a chess set.

After bringing them here, the old priest skillfully and effortlessly infused Magic Power into the altar.

Swoosh—

A soft sound.

A small yellow orb of light emerged from the top of the activated altar.

The old priest then turned to Ronald and explained:

"Mr. Ronald, please infuse your Magic Power into it to complete the authentication."

"By doing so, the ownership of this town will be transferred into your hands."

"..."

Ronald stepped forward and promptly infused his Magic Power.

Their Magic Powers mixed together, and the yellow orb quickly completed authentication, then returned to the small altar. Simultaneously, Ronald felt a heavy sense of weight within him.

Only a few seconds passed.

He then vaguely sensed that he was connected to a complicated underground Array, gaining full control over it.

The Array was not small, it more than covered all of Kurpis. The controller could freely manipulate the Array to either enhance themselves or weaken enemies, becoming the true overseer of this land.

"..."

Ronald quietly felt this power surge through him.

While gradually understanding everything in his mind, he also turned his head and looked toward Costate:

"Wasn’t that person... verified before?"

This was Ronald’s remaining doubt.

He could feel how powerful this Array was.

If the original owner of this body had control over it, there was no reason to be driven to attempt Taboo Magic by some simple matters.

Costate explained calmly:

"Sir, this powerful Spell originates from the Dark Age and demands a lot from its holder. The young master, being under twenty years old, with his age, it was difficult for his soul to bear the burden of this Spell, so I had been temporarily taking his place over the years..."

Ronald nodded slightly:

"I see."

After completing the ritual for the Array, Ronald and his companions walked out the way they had come.

During this time, he gained a preliminary understanding of this small church in Kurpis and its sole priest.

How should I put it...

This priest, named Hopkins, also had an extraordinary background.

His aged face was a result of his actually prolonged lifespan.

Thirty years ago, this seemingly kind old man was actually a top Caster rampaging within a sinister sect of the mysterious realm. However, after a series of complicated and twisted life experiences, he had a sudden change of heart, converted to the church, and finally was assigned here to live in seclusion while guarding this remote chapel.

Unless something unexpected happens.

In the foreseeable century, Hopkins would continue to reside here, guarding this remote small-town chapel and some secrets not suited for disclosure.

Besides, the old priest also asked Ronald some questions.

Among them, the more important ones concerned the causes and effects of the previous celestial and terrestrial changes.

Although most people in Kurpis maintained a calm disposition, facing such a massive global change, there were still quite a few who took great interest in it.

The conversation upon leaving did not last very long.

He bid farewell and left the church, then prepared to head toward Yizi Forest.

It was then that Ronald suddenly remembered something—

Just after he had arrived in this world, during the time he worked for the Bureau in Burenwigh, Nicole had told him a story.

It was thirty years ago.

A very dangerous sect had suddenly risen in this world.

The core ability of the sect’s Casters was to craft a Spell ring and then transform it into a terrifying Spell of evil spirits.

"Ah..."

Ronald couldn’t help but look back.

The first ray of morning sunlight had not yet shone on this land.

But the church in the darkness was still so quiet and peaceful, seemingly without a hint of danger.

Yet, if he thought again about the rings on the old priest’s hands earlier.

Those ten full rings...

Ronald suddenly had a realization that appearances can be deceiving!

Quickly shaking his head, he cast aside those irrelevant thoughts, and immediately turned his gaze to the maid beside him:

"Costate, shall we go to the forest to find that dangerous tome?"

Costate immediately suggested:

"Sir, I think it would be better for us to enter the forest on foot."

"The influence produced by that tome is not small, and if we fly there as before, I fear it might cause some undesirable outcomes."

Ronald naturally nodded:

"Since it’s my first time here."

"I’ll take your advice then."