Eric walked slowly for a few minutes, taking small turns here and there before he reached a quiet road.
The road didn't have many people and seemed abandoned; there were many empty plots of land around.
"This is a construction area," Eric thought.
He had been told by a certain angel spirit in the cross that the church would appear here.
Following its guidance, Eric listened to the directions and came here.
In front of him stood a huge and grand church with white pillars and two massive, multi-coloured windows.
As he stood before it, a very powerful and domineering pressure formed around his body. The white walls began to produce a black, gel-like substance, from which countless eyes with golden pupils emerged and fixed their gazes on him.
It did not feel like they were simply looking at him.It felt as if something was being peeled away—layer by layer—his thoughts, his intentions, even the faintest traces of his past laid bare before them.
For a brief moment, a single thought surfaced in his mind.
Eric was under immense pressure, but just then, he released some of the Imperator's Cross aura by injecting his Meditation Aura into it.
Sensing the aura of this rank 0 relic, all the eyes felt a deep sense of closeness and kinship. Their gazes turned warm and serene, and the pressure on him disappeared.
He slowly walked up the stairs and pushed open the massive white door made of thick wood.
As he entered the church, a warm melody reached his ears.
The walls seemed to breathe faintly, expanding and contracting so subtly that it could be mistaken for an illusion. Even the light inside the church felt responsive, dimming and brightening ever so slightly with his steps.
The melody was like the ebb and flow of a clear lake—the kind of peace one feels while looking at a calm sky on a quiet evening.
Eric's entire body felt light as his mind calmed down.
The restlessness in his thoughts began to fade, as if something was gently suppressing every sharp edge within him.
Eric's eyes narrowed slightly.
He did not resist it—but he did not allow himself to sink into it either.
He looked around. Everything was the same as it had been a week ago.
To his right was a stoup attached to the wall, filled with pure water. Beside it stood a confessional and a brown lectern.
To his left were a brown organ and a pulpit. On either side of the black altar stood stained-glass windows that illuminated the otherwise dim church. Candles lined the walls, casting a warm, sacred glow.
The black altar still held the statue of a scarred old man in tattered grey and white robes.
Eric walked forward along the red carpet beneath his feet and reached the front row before turning his head slightly.
On the far left sat Father Irenaeus, silently reading a book.
He still wore the same greyish-white robe and had snow-white skin, completely unscarred—unlike the figure on the altar. His face matched the statue perfectly. A silver cross hung from his right earlobe, identical to the one Eric wore.
Both of these crosses were rank 0 relics of the Goodness Pathway.
The one Eric had—the Imperator's Cross—had been given to him during his last visit.
Sensing his presence, Father Irenaeus closed his book and looked up.
They exchanged a silent nod of greeting.
For a moment, Eric felt as if Father Irenaeus had already known he would come down to the exact second.
The feeling was faint… but it did not leave.
Eric then grabbed the edge of a front bench on the right side and sat down as the two listened to the gentle melody.
"I wonder if the Imperator's Cross has been helping you well?"
"It has been a great help to me. I can't thank you enough. The number of times this relic has proven its worth is countless," Eric replied sincerely.
Unlike last time, many angel spirits of various sizes floated around the church, playing with one another and making the atmosphere feel more lively.
They cast curious gazes toward Eric.
These angel spirits were young, small, and adorable, most of them having golden, glowing bodies and pitch-black eyes. They lacked the ethereal and terrifying beauty of mature angel spirits.
Normally, an angel spirit is born cute, but as it grows older, its form becomes larger and increasingly awe-inspiring.
They were completely unlike curse spirits, devils, or demons, which appeared grotesque.
Seeing Eric, many of the young angel spirits approached him.
The Imperator's Cross enhanced his natural affinity with them, so they showed no fear.
They curiously touched his face, gesturing and communicating among themselves in soft sounds and movements.
Eric responded gently—pinching their cheeks, catching them between his fingers.
Some baby-sized angel spirits even sat on his lap, making soft "gogogaga" sounds.
Eric felt a warm sensation in his chest as he interacted with them.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered how long it had been since he had stood in a place this… pure.
The thought passed just as quickly. He did not dwell on it.
"How have you been since last time, son?" Father Irenaeus asked calmly.
"A lot has happened since we last met, but I am fortunately doing fine."
Father Irenaeus chuckled softly, a warm smile appearing on his face.
He leaned back and fell silent.
Eric understood that he had to take the initiative. As he looked around, his gaze suddenly stopped.
There was a new black-brown door, sealed with heavy chains and a large silver lock.
"If I remember correctly, that door wasn't there before, right?" Eric asked.
Father Irenaeus nodded.
"That is correct. I have made some additions and removed a few things… since you joined us."
"What do you mean by that?" Eric asked.
Instead of answering, Father Irenaeus extended his hand and presented a charm.
The charm resembled a pair of white angelic wings, emitting a soft glow. When activated, it spread open, and when inactive, it folded shut.
It was a knowledge-storage charm, with a unique ability to expand its capacity when storing information related to the Goodness Pathway.
Eric did not immediately inject his Meditation Aura. Instead, he examined it carefully before looking up at Father Irenaeus with a knowing expression.
Father Irenaeus chuckled.
At that moment, an adult Lysi Nova-level angel spirit emerged from the wall and infused the charm with Meditation Aura.
Eric's eyes widened as he saw the contents.
For a split second, the sheer volume of information pressed against his consciousness like a rising tide, threatening to drown his thoughts.
His breathing hitched slightly before he forcefully pulled himself out.
The angel spirit looked at him as if to say, "Bruh."
Father Irenaeus laughed heartily.
"I have decided to establish an organization," he said. "This charm contains the contents of the treasury. Once the system is complete, members will be able to exchange resources using contribution points."
Contribution points.
Eric's gaze sharpened slightly.
This was a term that was very common in the Universe. Be it any of the three regions, they have a system like this where a member of any organization does missions and can get contribution points according to the effort, losses, and difficulty of the mission.
Using these contribution points, they can exchange for all sorts of materials and stuff.
In the Aura region, Aura stones were the hardest and most valuable currency, and could buy almost anything, but when compared to members of the organization exchanging through contribution points. The latter is always much more beneficial. Every organization has its own contribution points. Be it the Divine Karma, Lumenia, The Organisation, or the Truth Seekers, and now even the church of Serenity.
They have different charms that collect these contribution points of every individual member and even track their progress. These types of charms recommend a mission according to the rank and battle strength of the Aura user and what they can exchange for their number of contribution points.
Even Eric had exchanged for charms and aura stones using contribution points not long ago.
"Father… I don't mean to overstep, but why are you creating an organization when I am the only member?" Eric asked.
And when did I even agree to join? Eric thought.
He showed no change in expression, but a quiet vigilance settled in his mind.
Nothing in this world comes without a price.
And he had yet to see what this one would demand.
Father Irenaeus smiled faintly.
"You are correct—you are the only member for now. But I have had a premonition. More will join us soon… and all of them will be important for the future. So, I am preparing in advance."