Novel Full Chapter 350:The Realms Beyond
Chapter 350:The Realms Beyond
Ethan leaned forward. “How do you grow all this?”
“There are many methods,” Henna explained.
“The simplest one is growing crops on land rich in mana, like soil near mana veins.”
Ethan felt like a new world had just opened before him.
‘Damn… I really am a frog at the bottom of a well,’ he thought.
‘Doesn’t this mean even my so-called special food stands no chance?’
‘I really need to look into this and improve my estate.’
After Moreno finished eating, he wiped his hands and looked at Ethan carefully.
“You want to know about this world, right?”
Ethan nodded immediately. “Yes. First, how much do you know about realms?”
Moreno raised an eyebrow. “What do you know so far?”
“I only know that after Emperor Knight comes Legendary Knight.”
Moreno rubbed his mustache and paused. He glanced at Henna, who nodded slightly.
“Kid, calm down and listen carefully,” Moreno said seriously. “I don’t want you getting a heart attack.”
“After Legendary Knight comes Mythic Knight,” he continued. “Then Divine Knight. After that is Saint Knight. And then comes Transcendent Knight.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “Is that the end?”
“No,” Moreno shook his head. “Once you cross Transcendent Knight, you shed your mortal shell. Your lifespan expands beyond thousands of years.”
Henna continued softly, “After that comes the Ascension Realms. There are several stages, but even we do not know everything about them.”
Moreno nodded. “Ascension Realm Knights are no longer normal mortals. You can call them Demi-Gods. They live in the upper layers of the world. They stand between mortals and Gods.”
“Upper layer?” Ethan asked, confused.
Henna explained patiently, “There are many layers of heaven where the Gods reside. Similarly, there are many layers of hell.”
“The Upper Realm is a passage that allows one to reach heaven,” she continued. “Once someone reaches the Ascension Realm, they can go there. They are no longer bound by lifespan or worldly matters. They focus only on reaching Godhood.”
A bolt of lightning struck Ethan’s mind.
Reaching Godhood.
Who would not want that?
But was it even possible?
“Can a human really become a God?” Ethan asked, sucking in cold air.
Moreno laughed. “According to old legends, yes, it is possible. But only those old fossils truly know the details.”
“If you manage to survive and reach Transcendent Knight, you can meet them yourself,” Moreno added. “But don’t misunderstand. Not all of them are good people.”
Henna nodded. “They retreated because staying here was useless to them. But that does not mean they have no lingering attachments.”
Moreno suddenly asked, “Do you know why there are only five human Empires?”
Ethan shook his head.
“It’s because each Empire has backing from Ascension Realm experts,” Moreno said. “That is why no one feared Argos too much. If he had acted with his true body, human Ascension experts would have intervened immediately.”
‘Fuck…’ Ethan cursed inwardly.
‘I just came out of my shell, and I already offended an Ascension Realm being.’
“Wait,” Ethan said suddenly. “Isn’t this information extremely precious? Why are you telling me so easily?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re not planning to silence me later, right?”
Moreno and Henna looked at each other, then laughed.
“Kid,” Moreno said warmly, “this information is beyond precious. We are telling you because you are not an ordinary person.”
Henna looked at Ethan with calm eyes. “Even if you do not join the Church of Light, you are someone personally chosen by the Goddess.”
“With that blessing,” Moreno added, “you are under protection. And with enough effort, you can reach the upper echelons one day.”
Ethan fell silent as the wind brushed past them softly.
For the first time, the path ahead looked terrifying.
And unbelievably vast.
“What is your level then?” Ethan asked curiously.
Moreno slowly turned his head toward him and revealed a bloody, sinister smile.
“I am a Half-step Saint Knight.”
Ethan froze.
He stared at the man in front of him with pure shock written all over his face.
“Half-step Saint?” Ethan repeated slowly. “That means you are just one and half steps away from reaching the Ascension stage.”
Moreno snorted. “Of course not.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I have been stuck at Half-step Saint for almost thirty years. I don’t even know how long it will take to fully step into the Saint realm. And as for Transcendent…” He sighed dramatically. “I am already too old.”
Ethan frowned. “Old? How old can you be? You look like a hundred years or perhaps two hundred at most.”
“Hahahaha!” Moreno burst into laughter and suddenly slammed his palm lightly into Ethan’s chest.
“URGH!”
Ethan staggered back, clutching his chest.
‘Damn… it hurts.’
Despite having a body-forging technique, even Moreno’s casual slap made his ribs ache.
“I am close to five hundred,” Moreno said proudly.
“????”
Ethan’s brain stopped working.
He slowly turned his head toward Henna, his eyes wide.
Henna noticed his gaze and immediately blushed. “I am not that old,” she said quickly. “I haven’t even reached fifty yet.”
“I didn’t mean that!” Ethan said hurriedly, scratching his head. “I was just surprised!”
Now it was Henna’s turn to feel embarrassed. She turned her head away, coughing lightly.
…..
After tidying up the remaining matters, it was time for the Church of Light to leave.
They still had many duties elsewhere, and the Saintess traveled frequently. She could not stay for long.
Ethan decided to tag along for a while since they were heading in the same direction. He was tasked with leading them toward the Northwestern Region, and he was also curious about those lands.
However, after everything was settled, Ethan suddenly noticed something strange.
Rathlos was nowhere to be seen.
After returning to the camp, Ethan searched around.
“Rathlos?” he called out. “Where are you?”
He frowned. “Damn… where did this guy go?”
He scratched his head. “Now that I think about it, after the Church appeared, I haven’t seen him at all. Did he leave?”
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a weak voice replied.
“Ahh… I am here…”
Ethan turned around.
What he saw almost made him choke.
Rathlos was crawling out from behind a pile of debris. His body was battered, bruised, and covered in dirt. One wing dragged behind him awkwardly.
“Rathlos!” Ethan rushed forward. “What happened to you?”
Rathlos lifted his head slowly, his eyes filled with grievance and pain.
“Bastards…” he muttered weakly.
Ethan knelt beside him, his expression full of guilt and concern.
“Those bastards from the Church thought I was an evil being because of my darkness element,” Rathlos said bitterly. “They thrashed me without even asking.”
His body trembled as memories of the beating surfaced.
“Thankfully, Albert heard about it and stepped in,” Rathlos continued.
Rathlos shuddered again.
Ethan’s face darkened for a moment, then he sighed deeply.
“Damn…” Ethan muttered. “Those guys from the Church really have holes in their eyes.”
Rathlos nodded weakly. “I told them I was on the good side.”
“And?” Ethan asked.
“They said evil beings always say that.”
“….”
Ethan stared at him in silence for a second.
Then he sighed again and patted Rathlos gently on the shoulder.
“Hang in there,” Ethan said. “Next time, I’ll make sure they beat me first before touching you.”
Rathlos stared at him.
“…What do you mean by that?Do you want me to be beaten again?”
…