A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

"That's because, after suffering this great loss, the Star-Moon Cultists cut off the source of the fire and extinguished the true Holy Flame."

"How...how did you do this?"

"I don't know. Perhaps their gods granted them special powers, or perhaps they provided special guidance, or perhaps the Star-Moon Cultists simply stumbled upon the secret of the sacred fire. In any case, the sacred fire was extinguished. The power that the Mughals were so proud of was thus reduced to dust. And then you know what happened next. After losing their greatest power, the Sassanid Empire fell. Only the ruins of the ancient battlefield remain for future generations to commemorate."

"Then the sacred fire...can't it be lit again?"

"That sacred fire is no ordinary flame. It embodies the power of Ahura Mazda and the embodiment of Mithra. It cannot be easily extinguished, let alone rekindled. At least before the fall of Sassanid Persia, Zoroastrians were unable to find a way to rekindle the sacred fire."

After saying this, Gandalf looked at the young man beside him with some regret.

What a shame! This piece of knowledge alone could have sold for fifty florins, but since I've already agreed, I regretfully won't accept it.

"Ahura Mazda cannot easily set foot outside the world, so why doesn't Mithra help his followers?" Thomas asked.

Gandalf smiled but said nothing.

"Has it become embedded in the world's grassroots power channels...and lost its independent will?" Thomas immediately understood the answer.

"That's how it should be."

"Then, Master Gandalf, is it possible for humans to obtain the authority you speak of?"

"You mean... deification?" Gandalf stroked his beard and smiled. "Theoretically, it's possible."

"Just theoretically, how can we do it?" Thomas was very interested.

Gandalf was no stranger to Thomas's expression. Young people always have some fantasies, don't they?

"Grow stronger!" Gandalf laughed. "Stronger and stronger, until you become the Protector of the Realm! Do you know another name for the Protector of the Realm?"

"Another name for protecting the country?"

"People in Europe call them protectors of the country, but in China, far to the east, they're called exiled immortals. In India and other places, they're called descendants of gods. East of Baghdad, in Samarkand, they're called demigods."

"To become a god, do you have to...become a protector of the nation?" Thomas asked. Become a demigod?

Gandalf smiled again without saying anything.

"So, what happens after you become a protector of the nation? I mean, the road to becoming stronger has an end. You know, human power has a limit; it's impossible to become infinitely stronger."

"Learn to draw strength from sacrifice," Gandalf said. "When you can truly draw strength from sacrifice, you will be a god. You may be only the lowest of gods, perhaps no more powerful than mortals, and even be surrounded and killed by mortals. But within the rules of the world, you already possess the status of a deity; you are a god."

"How do we do this in detail?"

"I don't know the specific method, so this is just theoretical. Those who haven't reached that level are not qualified to explore the mystery. It's like you can't explain color to a blind person."

Thomas recalled the scene of himself wielding the sacrificial knife last night.

Does that count as drawing strength from sacrifice?

Chapter 108: Lord of the Wolf's Den 1

The two of them didn't say goodbye until they returned to Gandalf's hut.

"Master Gandalf," said Thomas. "I have always had a doubt."

"What doubts?"

"You told me before that divination is... a speculative act. It can only be done occasionally. If you rely on divination, or depend on it, it will inevitably backfire. So I thought about oracles. Are oracles also a form of divination?"

"From a magical point of view, obviously yes."

"I've heard that ancient gods, like the Olympians, often grant oracles to their followers. If that's the case, will they suffer backlash from their divinations?"

"In theory, yes. They just don't care."

"Why don't you care?"

"Because they are outside of fate." Gandalf pointed to the sky. "As I said, gods can be embedded in the fundamental forces or laws of the world beneath the surface of the universe. In that state, the backlash of fate cannot affect them. So they don't care at all. They can patiently wait for the waves of fate's backlash to slowly subside."

"In fact, even if they descended to the mortal world, they wouldn't care. Because the gods, or anyone with the title of 'god', are all very powerful!"

"The power of fate is limited. Even the most severe backlash, or 'inevitable death', can be escaped. After all, fate doesn't manifest itself as a physical entity standing before you. It can only bring powerful enemies or bad luck. But if you are strong enough to withstand all enemies, then the backlash of fate will be meaningless to you."

"Can fate assess my strengths and weaknesses and assign me the right enemies?"

"No," Gandalf laughed. "So, in theory, even the simplest divination can actually bring about a backlash from fate. It's just that the bad luck or enemies it brings are very weak, so it's hard to feel it."

Thomas began to understand.

Gandalf said goodbye to Thomas and returned to the cottage to continue his alchemical experiments.

Thomas rode slowly towards Kyiv.

So that’s how it is. Last night was really a dead end.

Thomas closed his eyes and slowly thought about everything that happened last night.

First, he had to get the Wolf Lord's order to spy on the priest. He could go himself or send someone else.

But the evil wolves all disobeyed orders, so if he didn't go himself, there was a high probability that no one would go, which would cause dissatisfaction among the wolf lords.

So he chose to go alone - after all, it was a large-scale sacrifice with tens of thousands of people, so what danger could there be in blending in?

Then he met the kind wolf-skin warrior.

The wolfskin warrior had clearly made a mistake and reminded Thomas to go the other way. Thomas could obey or not.

But Thomas felt that obeying would bring greater rewards and opportunities, so he chose to obey.

Then came the martial arts competition, with exactly seventeen people.

Thomas can play or choose a bye.

There is a risk of injury when participating in the competition, but a bye allows you to enter the next round without injury.

Thomas opted for a bye.

After three consecutive byes, Thomas faced the Warrior who was selected last.

He can fight, or he can refuse to play and simply admit defeat.

But Thomas chose to fight because he instinctively did not want to admit defeat, did not want to lose face, and did not want his identity to be checked.

If you admit defeat, there is a greater possibility that you will be exposed.

After the opponent admitted defeat, Thomas learned the truth: the winner would get to fight the monster.

He can then choose to escape directly or enter the demiplane to challenge the monster.

If they ran away directly, they would be in danger of death, because everyone present would become an enemy. It would be difficult to deal with so many elite and core soldiers.

But if you enter the demiplane to fight, you will definitely die!

If it weren't for the damaged divine nature, Thomas would have absolutely no chance of survival.

After figuring everything out, Thomas let out a long sigh.

Every choice he made was a smart one, but it was these smart choices that almost led him to an irretrievable disaster.

This is the effect of fate backlash.

In the face of this kind of power, being "smart" is useless.

In other words, destiny depends on your intelligence, which can tighten the noose little by little.

Thomas had broken free this time, but he wouldn't be so lucky next time. There wouldn't be another split divine thought, which could be contained by the damaged godhead.

After a long delay, Thomas entered Kyiv in the afternoon.

He found a hotel to stay in, had a meal, put on makeup, and completed all the miscellaneous tasks before going to the Wolf's Lair.

Inside the wolf's den, everything remained the same. Anna was still on the first floor.

"Master Wolf." She bowed.

In just a few days, the wolf leader's aura changed.

It's like a sharp blade hidden in the darkness, seemingly non-existent, but if you really feel it carefully, you can feel the danger.

He became stronger, but also more submerged.

"I've brought some intelligence," Thomas said. "Send it to the Wolf Lord. Also, how's the communication with the evil wolf going?"

He handed the other party two rolled-up pieces of letter paper, which contained the message the other party wanted.

The hunt for the little Bulgar prince and the mass sacrifices of the pagans.

Thomas was closely involved in the entire process, so naturally he knew everything.

Of course, he would not report those confidential matters that could not be known to others to the Wolf Lord.

"Fire Wolf, Blue Wolf and Snow Wolf have all replied." Anna said.

"Huh?" Thomas was surprised.

"They are willing to wait for you at the temple outside the city."

“Temple?” Thomas frowned.

"There are many temples of foreign faiths in Kiev," Anna explained. "However, not all outsiders can find long-term stability. Some believers of foreign faiths have either voluntarily or involuntarily migrated away, and the temples they built during their heyday have naturally been abandoned, becoming deserted ruins. I know the temple they're talking about, and I can take you there if you'd like."

The leader of the wolves was from another place and wasn't particularly familiar with the local environment, let alone the ruins.

"Okay. When can we go?" Thomas asked.

"They will be here for the next few days. If you wish, you can leave now. Just let us know before you leave."

The smart choice is to delay for a day or two and make some necessary preparations, such as setting up some arrangements at the temple, at least to understand the surrounding environment and prepare an escape route for yourself just in case.

But if this is another backlash of fate, then being smart will only have the opposite effect.

"Okay, let's go now," Thomas said. "Send the information to the Wolf Lord first, and then we'll leave immediately."

"As you command, Lord Wolf." Anna bowed again. "I will notify the three evil wolves immediately."

Chapter 109: Lord of the Wolf's Den 2

Moon stars are rare.

Although the area outside Kiev is relatively well developed, the rivers have created many swamps and forests that are difficult to develop.

There is a river bend here, half swamp and half forest.

There is actually a Buddhist or Hindu temple here. In short, everyone believes that it was built by Indians.

This temple used to be quite large. Although it was located in a remote area, it was estimated that there were dozens of monks.

However, due to various reasons, the Indians who came from afar were ultimately unable to gain a foothold in this unfamiliar land. They eventually left, and the temple naturally could not continue.

The building was then abandoned and became a ruin.

However, this place is occupied by the Wolf's Lair, secretly operating as a temporary base.

It is very convenient when conducting certain special transactions.

At this moment, in the swamp forest, two people were sneaking quickly along the path.

You don't need any special roads, just go straight ahead.

In the summer the place might be a little dangerous, with its swamps full of poisonous insects and the ubiquitous puddles, but in the winter there were really no obstacles except the slippery ice.

Thomas could already see the temple in the moonlight from a distance.

Although I know it has been abandoned, my former glory can still be seen under the moonlight.

The style is indeed that of India.

Thomas still had an impression of this style of architecture in his previous life.

Indians traveled thousands of miles to come here... I can only say that it is indeed a bit far and large-scale immigration is not realistic.

Of course, whether or not this was built by Indians is debatable. After all, India is a country with a wide range of cultural influences, and many countries have been influenced by it.

People of this era were extremely ignorant of the conditions in distant countries, and it was normal for them to mistake other ethnic groups for Indians.

Soon, the two men arrived in front of the temple.

It looked somewhat resembling when viewed from a distance, but when I got closer I realized that it was indeed a dilapidated abandoned temple.

The walls were already black, and the main building was obviously decadent and dilapidated.

Some of the auxiliary buildings were basically destroyed, with broken bricks and collapsed pillars everywhere.