A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

Then, for the first time, the man turned and looked at Thomas.

It was a very impressive face.

This wasn't to say the Knight Commander of Blasphemy was ugly—in fact, by Thomas's standards of male beauty in his previous life, he was, if not handsome, at least delicate (by the standards of this era, he was even a bit effeminate). His features were soft, and in fact, his face wasn't very hairy. He didn't look like a warrior of this era, but more like one of those celebrity celebrities Thomas had seen in his previous life.

The kind on the poster.

But what is more impressive than his appearance is his expression.

A very cold face.

It almost instinctively reminds people of the lifelike models that they occasionally saw in stores in their previous life.

The Blasphemous Knight didn't even offer a fake smile, remaining as calm and indifferent as a machine. He simply glanced at Thomas and nodded slightly, a greeting.

Holy crap! Is this guy...really a human?

It’s about to trigger the uncanny valley effect!

"In that case, I understand," the Blasphemous Knight said. "I'll go back and sort it out and come to your place tomorrow."

He said to Thomas. After saying this, he opened the door and left without waiting for Thomas to answer.

"Grandmaster!" Thomas watched the man walk away, then turned back to face the Grandmaster. "He's... a wanted criminal!"

"The Blasphemous Knight." The Grand Master said with a smile. "I know."

"That……"

"He's no longer a wanted criminal," the Grand Master said. "He's just an ordinary mercenary now."

"why?"

"The Grand Duke granted him a special pardon," the Grand Master replied. "We can't control other countries, but at least in Kiev, he's no longer a wanted criminal. Of course, the paperwork will take some time to process, but that won't matter."

"He was... pardoned?"

"Well, of course there are many reasons behind this. I'll tell you more about it later. Anyway, he's now a valuable helper we've found for you."

"But... he's an apostate!" Thomas thought the Grand Master had gone mad. "Apostate!"

Can such a person be trusted?

Not to mention that the mission assigned to Thomas was a secret mission that could not be made public!

"Don't worry, the Blasphemous Knight can be trusted," the Grand Master said. Looking at Thomas's face, which clearly showed he wouldn't compromise until he explained clearly, he could only sigh. "Well, to put it simply, he's one of the least likely people in the world to reveal a secret. Especially on a secret mission!"

"Huh?! The story about him betraying his faith multiple times is fake?"

"No, it's true," the Grand Master said. "But I've confirmed this repeatedly. And now that you've met him, you should have a feeling... Our Blasphemous Knight Boris is not a normal human."

Indeed, Thomas had only seen that kind of numbness and indifference in robots or realistic plastic models before.

"For some reason... we can't explain, maybe even God's will, he was born without emotions."

"Yes, you're right. In other words, his emotions are much less intense than those of ordinary people. Therefore, his desires are also very mild. He is not as keen on power, beauty, or money as ordinary people."

The Grand Master smiled at Thomas's surprise.

"Do you instinctively feel that... this is a natural-born cultivator?"

Christian spiritual practice, at least superficially, is about reducing all human desires. Christian theory holds that desire is the root of all disasters and is humanity's original sin.

The talent of the Blasphemous Knight is simply... what is it... a natural born saint!

"Then...why did he betray?"

"Because he's a genius," the Grand Master sighed. "He possesses all sorts of extraordinary abilities, gifted by God. Perhaps this compensates for his emotional indifference. He kills not out of hatred or anger, but simply because he thinks killing you is easier."

It cannot be judged by common sense!

Thomas understood instantly. This Blasphemous Knight's mindset was different from that of a normal person.

You think it's blasphemy, betrayal, and evil, but in his mind it's completely different. It's just "less effort" or "simpler."

A... normal madman?

Chapter 124 Blasphemous Knight 2

“So that’s how it is…” Thomas began to understand.

"Then...what happened this time? Why did the Grand Duke pardon him?"

Although in theory the Grand Duke can pardon any criminal at will, in reality, he must pay hidden costs, such as a reduction in his own prestige.

In other words, the Grand Duke would not do such a thing for no reason. He would only do it if there was a benefit.

Could it be that the Knights fought for it?

"You'll know when you see him tomorrow." The Grand Commander laughed, but brushed the subject off. "Let's not talk about that, Knight Commander Thomas. I'm glad you accepted this special mission... Please take a seat."

This time Thomas sat down in the same place where the Blasphemous Knight had sat before, facing the Grand Commander.

"I know you have many questions," the Grand Master said. "So you can ask them first."

"Grand Commander... first of all, I want to know... who proposed this matter? What evidence makes you believe it is feasible?" Thomas asked.

The Grand Master nodded. "Your question is as expected. Follow me."

He stood up, picked up a lamp in his hand, and walked to a door at the back. After opening the door, he motioned Thomas to follow.

That's a path leading to the basement.

At the end of the road is a door.

A simple and solid door.

Thomas was a little surprised, but the Grand Master had already pushed the door open. The creaking and dragging sounds spread like ripples through the underground layers, as if at any moment they would awaken those ancient beings long sealed by time.

"This is..." Thomas was surprised by what was behind the door.

What caught his eyes was a maze of bookshelves - the towering bookshelves became blocking walls, isolating the limited space into a real maze.

"My collection." said the Grand Commander.

In the bookshelf maze, there are rock-carved bookshelves, common wooden bookshelves, and even iron bookshelves. The bookshelves are not only filled with common bound books, but also with parchment scrolls, scrolls, stone slabs, and so on.

Thomas even spotted a human-skinned book on a distant shelf… hanging in the dim light. He had to admit that he had to suppress his curiosity and not look in that direction a few more times.

Indeed... for this era, it is a rather exaggerated collection.

But it's not just the collection that's exaggerated.

What the naked eye sees are just books of different materials, but what Thomas senses through his spiritual field is something more than simple.

A large part of the book exudes a mysterious and powerful aura.

The scroll exudes a magical aura, the parchment emits rune light, and even the stone slab reflects the patterns of knowledge in the limited light. People with strong perception can feel the power contained therein.

Damn... these things... are the real stuff! They're not ordinary books; they were imbued with power when they were written.

"Perhaps it's a natural talent," the Grand Master smiled as he stepped into the maze of bookshelves. "I have a gift for deciphering ancient tomes. Because of this, I've collected a vast collection of books. Although many in the Church disagree with my approach, believing that some blasphemous knowledge should be destroyed, I believe only fools would fight their enemies with complete ignorance. Understanding demonic knowledge doesn't equate to joining their ranks; it's about better fighting them."

Thomas completely agreed with the Grand Commander's opinion.

Thomas followed the Grand Master and glanced at the nearest bookshelf.

The first book on the bookshelf was filled with a strong scent of death. If it were in a game, it would either be a death knight's diary or a lich's research notes.

The feeling was so strong that even though Thomas knew it was a harmless book, he deliberately stayed away from it.

"Among all these ancient books, I'm most interested in those about angels, spirits, and demons!" the Grand Master continued. "Although this may sound boastful, my pen name is one of the most renowned among scholars of this era. I wouldn't say it's known to the highest officials, but whether it's the Pope, the Emperor, or other dignitaries, there's a good chance they know my name."

The Grand Master picked up a book and handed it to Thomas.

Thomas instinctively took a step back, not daring to take it.

"It's okay, I wrote it." The commander said with a smile.

Thomas then took it, opened the cover, and saw the title of the book: "Some Reflections on the Gods of Olympus".

His pupils dilated uncontrollably as he saw the author's signature at the bottom of the book.

Not a normal signature, but initials.

Thomas was impressed by this abbreviation.

Long ago, when Thomas was still at the monastery, he had read several letters from Prior Conrad.

Vice Dean Konrad cracked the secret of the Red Maidens' treasure, attracting the covetousness of Count Jaromil. It can even be said that all the tragedies of this vice dean originated from this.

He was plotted against, coerced, and nearly murdered.

The key to his ability to decipher the secrets lay in his connection to a distant, unknown scholar. It was that scholar who had deciphered several crucial secrets about the treasure. And the scholar's letter was signed with this initials.

Damn! This... this... no wonder, with just a letter of recommendation from the monastery, Thomas was able to join the Knights Templar.

The two sides are not even from the same sect!

I thought it was a bit unbelievable at first, but now I understand the truth.

And this great leader...

In the perception of spiritual power, the commander-in-chief is just an ordinary person.

There was no sense of threat from him at all, and it could even be said that he was probably not even a core player.

The Grand Master did not give Thomas a chance to take a closer look. Instead, he took the book from Thomas's hand and put it back on the bookshelf.

"All the evidence points unequivocally to us—the reason those demons and spirits are able to seduce and corrupt people," the Grand Master continued walking. "Besides their inherent treacherous evil, it's also because they possess immense power, and even more so, because they can bestow that power upon their followers. And as we all know, few can withstand the allure of money, and the allure of power far surpasses that of money... You know, the New Testament clearly records that some people used the Ghost King to exorcise demons and cure illnesses. Some even spread rumors and slander, portraying the Son of God as such a depraved and evil person..."

At this time, they had already walked into the deepest part of the maze of books.

In front is the largest and most unique bookshelf.

If the previous books only revealed a certain special temperament, then the temperament of the books on this bookshelf has subtly distorted reality.

For example, the scroll high above seemed to exude a certain aura of decay and corruption. This aura had transformed into a luminous green light visible to the naked eye. Those who knew it would say it was a book, while those who didn't would mistake it for a nuclear waste container.

A book below exudes a faint fragrance. The subtle aroma can be smelled from afar, and many charming thoughts emerge in my mind.

Fortunately, Thomas had made great progress in practicing the secret art of Steel Soul, so this level of distracting thoughts did not have much impact on him.

The Grand Master didn't seem to have any intention of approaching the final bookshelf, and he stopped at a considerable distance. Thomas naturally couldn't cross, so he could only follow behind the Grand Master.

"So, you understand now." The Grand Master turned and looked at Thomas. "This is my conclusion! Of course, I also met with all the branch masters to discuss this matter. We all agreed that this is feasible!"

Chapter 125 Blasphemous Knight 3

It turned out that this matter was strongly advocated by the head of the group.

Now Thomas understood everything.

With the Grand Master's attitude, it is not difficult to convince the top leaders of the Knights Templar.

Apart from anything else, after walking around here, Thomas had to admit that he was convinced.

At least half convinced.

"However, I am not questioning your knowledge and insights, Grand Commander, but this matter... this matter..." Thomas hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.

This is not even the ordinary concept of killing gods.

But it is to control and dominate a god!

"I understand. Are you wondering if this has never been done before? I can answer that question immediately," the Grand Master said. "I'm not the first to come up with this idea. In fact, I'm simply following the wisdom of my ancestors."

"what do you mean?"

"That's right!" The Grand Master grinned and began to walk towards the exit. "I, I mean, we, aren't the first to do this. In fact, countless others have succeeded before us. At least I can clearly verify that there are more than one! I know this is hard for you to believe, but the truth is..." He paused.

"Many great empires were established, and many incredible achievements were achieved because they successfully controlled and subdued an elf!"

“But you know, those great empires have all fallen,” said Thomas.

"Yes, because while the power of the elves is immense, it has its limits. Human greed has overdrawn the elves' strength," the Grand Master said. "This will lead to the collapse of the elves' very existence. Therefore, this isn't a once-and-for-all solution that will be passed down through the ages. But," the Grand Master's voice shifted. "Even so, it's still worth the risk, isn't it?"

He paused again. "Thomas, you must know that becoming a core warrior is easy, but becoming an elite warrior is hard! Even someone with decent talent can reach the core level if they persist for ten years. But... becoming an elite warrior is much harder. To make the transition from core warrior to elite warrior requires a life-or-death struggle. Only one in a hundred succeeds in crossing this barrier! This greatly limits the number of elite warriors."

"But if we rely on the power of these demons and spirits," he continued, "it won't be difficult to become an elite. We might even have a good chance of entering the Protectorate!"

As they were talking, they had already walked out of the basement and returned to the Grand Commander's office.

"Knight Commander Thomas, we have no doubt of your piety, wisdom, and cunning," the Grand Master continued. "Our only concern is that you might not be strong enough to face the challenge. That's why we've hired the most reliable mercenaries."