Translator: CinderTL
Staring at the golden text in his vision, which displayed the number of his followers, Roland quickly regained his composure after the initial shock, his mind racing.
Another area has reached the exalted level of Reputation.
It seems this is a critical threshold, like unlocking some hidden permission that activated this faith-based statistical function?
He pondered, trying to decipher the logic behind this sudden system feature.
As for the number of followers...
Roland frowned slightly, racking his memory.
The survivors at The Granary Hall, even counting all the elderly, women, and children, number no more than a thousand. It's impossible for them to reach over 2,300.
This means the follower count isn't just counting the survivors at The Granary Hall, but... it's aggregating everyone who holds faith in me at the "exalted" level, regardless of their location?
And besides The Granary Hall, where else could my followers be?
Could it be the soldiers and civilians of the Golden Valley Kingdom that he had saved from the demons?
Or the drow whose destinies he had altered?
Or perhaps—
Other places he had yet to discover?
He closed his eyes and focused his internal vision, trying to sense if the so-called number of believers could yield any tangible feedback.
Yet, just like the previous Reputation System, he found nothing.
The number 2314 floated quietly there, conveying only this information without any discernible energy flow or attribute changes.
Perhaps—
The Resonance Rate hasn't reached 100% yet?
Roland refocused his attention on the [ Faith ] column.
Perhaps only when the Resonance Rate reaches 100% will the true effect of the [ Number of Believers ] manifest?
At that time...
Several conjectures arose in Roland's mind.
Would he be able to truly harness faith power like the legendary gods, transforming it into his own divine spark or some immortal foundation?
Or perhaps condense an authority or divine office related to his path?
For example, could it be a domain strength related to "guardianship," "struggle," or "hope"?
Or perhaps it allows him to transcend space, vaguely sensing the prayers or hardships of his followers, even responding or intervening to a limited extent?
Could it serve as a stable "anchor," making his very existence more difficult to erase?
And what if it provided an extra layer of protection against attacks that manipulate space-time or cause-and-effect?
Regardless of the possibility, all these paths pointed to a realm far grander and more mysterious than the ordinary class system.
"Hey! Roland! Ouch!"
Just as Roland was lost in thought, a muffled groan reached his ears.
He looked down to see Black Wind snorting in displeasure, his dark eyes rolling with a look of grievance.
"Sorry, old friend. I was distracted."
Roland murmured softly, easing the pressure of the brush in his hand.
Watching the black horse obediently nibbling on a Rock Core Block, he couldn't help but sigh softly.
This mount, originally gifted to him by Darco, was already superior among ordinary horses.
As Roland's strength grew, Black Wind gradually struggled to keep pace with the increasingly intense battles. Moreover, the mount enhancement effects from his resonance with the [ Knight's Squire ] class repeatedly made Roland consider replacing his steed.
However, the presence of his [ Animal Companion ] complicated matters. Though Black Wind's spiritual awareness was far inferior to Squirrel Joe's, they had forged a deep bond through years of companionship. Taking it to battle would likely endanger its life, yet abandoning it left him with no suitable place to leave it.
This dilemma tormented Roland.
"Roland! Joe's finally awake! He's much more lucid this time—come see!" Avril's clear voice rang out from the direction of the ship's cabin, interrupting Roland's thoughts.
"Got it, Avril," Roland replied to the elf girl. He crumbled the Rock Core Block by Black Wind's mouth into smaller pieces and casually stroked its thick mane.
Forget it... he thought to himself. If it comes to it, I'll keep it by my side and treat it like Joe—a mascot. As for a mount...
Roland picked up a rag and wiped his hands.
His original plan was to capture a magical beast with higher intelligence, such as a lion or a unicorn. These creatures, renowned for their wisdom and potential as mounts, should have been the ideal choice.
But precisely because of their intelligence, they were adept at evading danger. Despite Roland's extensive inquiries, he only managed to gather vague rumors and never found any concrete traces.
"If all else fails, I'll capture a shadow wolf after we leave here," he thought, turning toward the ship's cabin.
"Though it's less intelligent and powerful than legendary creatures like griffin, it's still far superior to Black Wind—"
The moment he stepped into the cabin, a furry figure leaped into his arms, nuzzling affectionately against his chest.
"Hey, Joe!"
Roland smiled, stroking the squirrel's increasingly glossy but slightly coarse fur, and carefully cupped the little creature in his palm.
If his strength hadn't increased so dramatically these days, he probably wouldn't have been able to support this little guy with just one hand.
Noticing that Joe had clearly gained some weight, Roland asked with concern, "How are you feeling now, old friend?"
The squirrel's black eyes, still as lively and bright as obsidian, darted about as it chirped merrily, as if humming a little tune. It scratched its head with a tiny paw and spoke.
"For some reason, ever since we came to this land, my head hasn't felt as cloudy, and I don't feel as sleepy as I used to."
"That's good," Roland replied. As he spoke, he activated his keen senses, carefully probing Joe's internal condition. Only when he confirmed that the little creature was not only healthy but even more vibrant than before did he finally relax.
The two of them, along with the squirrel, began a relaxed conversation. As Roland fed Joe a Rock Core Block from his pack, he turned to the elf girl.
"Avril, how's the study of the book on Crystal Era ranger techniques going?"
At the mention of the book, Avril, who had been playfully teasing the squirrel, her eyes lit up.
"The content in the book is truly astonishing," she said, her voice brimming with excitement.
"Even in the ancient texts of the elf race, I've never encountered anything like this—these techniques of natural resonance and elemental coordination..."
She shook her head gently, her face alight with fascination. "This knowledge has opened a completely new door for me."
"Honestly, this book has elevated my understanding of the ranger's path to an entirely new level."
Just as Avril was about to demonstrate her newfound skills to Roland, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.
The cabin door burst open, and Galvis rushed in, his face flushed and his eyes blazing with fanaticism. The bard strode quickly to Roland's side, spreading several thick tomes and a stack of parchment across the table.
Judging by the still-wet ink, these were clearly his recently completed... reading notes?
"Galvis!" Avril frowned, her expression displeased. "Couldn't you have knocked first?"
The bard's earlier enthusiasm deflated like a pricked balloon. He chuckled sheepishly and sidled up to Roland's side, skillfully avoiding the elf's disapproving gaze.
"Please forgive my rudeness."
He lowered his voice. "But I've discovered some astonishing records."
"According to the Chronicles of Silverglow City, the sages of that era conducted research far beyond our wildest imagination. Not only did they create the miracles we've seen, but they also..."
As he spoke, the bard began to excitedly detail his findings from the books, his voice rising with enthusiasm.
Roland, however, merely flipped through Galvis's manuscript, his expression calm.
Having explored several ruins, he was already aware of the Crystal Era's awe-inspiring technological level. These discoveries didn't surprise him.
After his lengthy explanation, Galvis snatched a piece of parchment from Roland's hand and pointed to a passage.
"Moreover, Roland, according to A Study of Forbidden Arts, they even attempted to unravel the essence of the gods, create strength rivaling theirs, and ultimately replace them."
"To this end, they didn't hesitate to construct some kind of... uh... device? Machine? In any case, they tried to probe the very source of divinity."
As Galvis finished speaking, Roland's gaze fell upon the passage he had indicated, his brow gradually furrowing.
"A Divine Corpse Fusion Device...?"
The dense annotations on the parchment revealed that ancient scholars had conducted a series of disturbing experiments.
Moreover, it briefly described the structural principles and operational logic of that massive device.
The arrogance and danger radiating from the text gave Roland a sense of unease.
(End of the Chapter)
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