A Guide to Becoming a God Starting from a Monastery

Of course, this is also normal. If one wants to rely on his own strength to cultivate to the level of half-step protector of the country, then talent, character and luck are all indispensable.

Without extraordinary talent and extreme self-discipline, it is extremely difficult to reach this level.

Such a person is self-disciplined, self-aware, and ambitious, which is perfect for him.

He is much better than his other apprentice, Lorenzo.

Lorenzo is too Buddhist. Even if he possesses the power to protect the country, it is useless. He must undergo a complete transformation of his three views and a major change in his character before he can use it.

But for that child... it was a little too cruel.

Although Leo XI was not without the heart, people are all made of flesh and blood after all... If possible, he would not be willing to do it.

But this Thomas is much better, he is simply a gift from God.

Even the divine enlightenment technique can be saved!

"Do you know now?"

"Thank you, teacher." Thomas took out several semi-finished products from his arms one by one. "I finally know what these things are used for. But I can't use them. Can you please help me deal with them?"

He didn't understand before, but now he knows the identity of his teacher.

This little favor is absolutely no big deal for the church.

Many magicians can create magical items, but the real leader in the production of magical items in this world comes from the church.

"How do you want to deal with it?" Leo XI naturally had no objection to this request.

"It would be great if it could be converted into money directly," Thomas said.

"This is easy. Five thousand florins each. This price is very fair and it will be easy to sell."

"Okay." Thomas had no objection to the price the teacher offered.

"By the way, isn't there another one?" asked Leo XI.

He was also a little curious. He could recognize these items as semi-finished magical items - although he couldn't tell their specific uses - but he couldn't recognize the strange prismatic crystal.

It wasn't any kind of crystal he knew, but there was a subtle surge of energy.

"Just now in the basement," Thomas said, not wanting to hide anything. "That strange voice told me it could be used to make a flag."

"A magic flag, that's a good thing." Leo XI understood. "And it's rare too."

"Then, teacher, may I..."

"Yes, but next time I'll only give you half the time, five minutes," Leo XI said. "The spirit imprisoned here... is extremely powerful. It possesses the power to seduce and control mortals. Spending even a short time in there will easily lead to its demise... These are all lessons learned through blood."

"You must wait six months before you can reenter and stay there for ten minutes. If you wish to reenter within a short period of time, the time must be halved. This is an ancient rule, and even I cannot violate it."

Now Thomas understood.

It turns out that this unknown guy... has been trapped for more than ten or eight years.

That's normal.

"Also, come with me."

"Okay, teacher."

The two of them walked one in front and one behind, and soon they arrived at a very simple quiet room.

The surroundings were clean, without any decoration, and there were only the simplest tables and chairs - not even a sofa.

Someone had prepared a drink on the table, but Thomas could tell at a glance that it was just simple water.

If it weren't for the huge map spread out on the table, it wouldn't look like a room the Pope would choose.

"Thomas, do you remember what I told you before...about the things above the Protectorate?"

"Yes, Master. Above the defense of the nation...how do we ascend?"

Thomas thought the other party would take out a book or ask a patriot to explain it to him.

But in fact there was nothing, Leo XI smiled slightly.

"Ascend? What a fitting word... As we all know, according to the fifteen-level classification, the Protectorate can also be divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels..." Leo XI said. "But this Ascension above the Protectorate is completely different from the previous ones."

"How?" Thomas asked carefully.

"Live on," Leo XI replied with a smile. "If you live long enough, you will ascend!"

"What?!" Thomas was slightly startled.

"There is no way to advance in the defense of the country. You just have to wait slowly. The longer you live, the stronger you will be." Leo XI laughed.

This is actually just a window paper. Those who are promoted to protector of the country will naturally understand this point, whether it is a long time or a short time.

However, it is extremely difficult for outsiders to understand this without the guidance of Huguo.

"I heard... after being promoted to Protector of the Nation, one will become a magical creature." Thomas finally understood a little.

Theoretically, after humans become protectors, they will become highly close to the magic network and become magical creatures.

You don't need to do anything, you will become stronger due to the influence of the magic network, and your lifespan will be greatly extended.

Others may not understand, but Thomas, who also practices magic, clearly understands the benefits of being close to the magic network.

When you touch the third layer of the magic web, you will feel something. When you touch the fourth and fifth layers of the magic web, your physical condition will be significantly improved. When you touch the seventh layer of the magic web, you can also become a magical creature (as long as there is enough time).

"That's right." Leo XI smiled. "Now you understand. There are no shortcuts to advancement above the Protectorate. The longer you live, the stronger you become. According to records, it usually takes thirty to fifty years to advance from the Beginning Protectorate to the Intermediate Protectorate. As for how long it takes to advance from the Intermediate Protectorate to the High Protectorate, I'm not sure. However, these records can only be used as a guide, after all, everyone's physique varies greatly."

"Of course, if you insist, there are ways to speed up the ascension," Leo XI continued.

“What’s the solution?” Thomas asked.

"Powerful magical infusions. For example, divine inspiration!" Leo XI said. "One divine inspiration can save five to ten years... roughly speaking."

One million florins in exchange for five years...this is really not a good deal!

But Thomas suddenly thought of something else.

"Then... the golden apple, okay?"

Leo XI laughed. "Of course! You know there are two kinds of golden apples, right? One is a relic from the mythical era, and the other... a modern product that anyone with money can afford. The former is just as effective as divine revelation, while the latter isn't even one-tenth as effective! But if you were given a choice, I suggest you go with divine revelation... I can get you a discount, maybe 80% off!"

Chapter 46 Unfavorable Situation

98% off… Thomas’ mouth twitched.

Although my teacher is very good, it seems that some issues are not negotiable.

Forget it, it doesn’t matter anyway.

"So, what's special about reaching the middle level of National Defense?" Thomas asked again.

The ability to distinguish between "intermediate level" and "beginner level" means that there is a qualitative change between the two.

Thomas had seen two Protectors of the Nation so far, but both were likely only at the beginner level. Their power was already incredibly formidable, truly worthy of the title of "one man against a thousand."

"This can only be said to be far superior to the beginner level. In addition, the status is further improved and more stable. It will no longer be lost due to poisoning, injury, etc."

"So, it's difficult for beginners to beat intermediate ones?" Thomas asked.

"You're overthinking this. Thomas, you're also a martial artist, so you naturally know that since you can tell the difference, there must be some obvious difference between the two. I can't say one will definitely win, but it's certain that the latter has a significant advantage over the former."

"In short, when it comes to defending the nation, be careful when you see older enemies. Within this context, youth no longer holds an advantage."

Thomas began to understand. After the Protectorate, the rule of "young and strong are better than strong" no longer applied. After all, we were all magical beings, and our true strength depended on how much power we harnessed.

"Then... Teacher, how many protectors are there in this world?" Thomas asked again.

On the surface, at least in the official rhetoric of various countries, there was no national defense in this era. The so-called national defense was only in legends and history books.

But Thomas knew this was a wrong view—if nothing else, he had seen two Protectors with his own eyes.

Others may not be able to answer this question, but as the Pope's teacher, he is definitely an insider.

Leo XI sighed deeply.

"I know what you want to ask...but I can only tell you that the situation is not optimistic."

"what do you mean?"

"There is more than one protector of the country among the Star-Moon Cultists!" When the old man said this, he sighed.

"More than us?"

“More than us!”

Thomas was speechless. Rome's divine revelation skills were renowned, even sold to foreign countries (though the prices were a bit exaggerated), so how could their defense of the country not be as great?

"Why?" Thomas couldn't help but ask.

"Because...what seems simple is actually very difficult," the old man said. "Divine enlightenment doesn't work for everyone."

"Teacher, do you mean... half a step to protect the country?"

"Yes, although in theory one divine revelation is equivalent to one national protector, in reality, unless one possesses special qualifications, the divine revelation can only create a half-step national protector! In addition, even to be a national protector, one must have sufficient combat experience and skills."

Speaking of this topic, it is no wonder that Leo XI was sad. He had been searching for so many years, but only found Lorenzo.

Lorenzo possessed this special talent and could be promoted to Protector of the Nation immediately. Furthermore, he had a natural talent for combat.

The others were basically half-step protectors of the nation, or were not proficient in martial arts, so there was not much use in ascending.

Although Half-Step Protector of the Nation is only an intermediate state, caused by the drastic changes in body and soul during the ascension process, with a little patience, Half-Step Protector of the Nation can become Protector of the Nation without any other help.

But theory and practice are different because humans don't have enough time to wait.

Over time, the body ages, the Qi and blood decline, and then everything ends. The same applies to old injuries and hidden illnesses.

Of course, Thomas is different. Thomas came to the door on his own, so there is no need to look for him.

At the same time, he also cultivated it by himself, which is different from the divine inspiration.

"Then... how did the Crescent Moon Cultists do it?" Thomas still didn't understand. "The Crescent Moon Cultists don't even have divine revelation!"

Is this really their god appearing?

"I didn't understand it before, but after searching various channels, I finally figured out what was going on," Leo XI said. "They found a natural convergence point of the magic network somewhere in Anatolia."

"There's such a thing?" Thomas was surprised.

"Yes, there are actually many such locations," Leo XI said. "Throughout history, a large number of powerful protectors relied on this method. Compared to divine inspiration, this method is much older. However... there are two problems with this method... It takes hundreds, even thousands of years of accumulation for a natural gathering point to gather enough magical energy to allow a person to ascend to the rank of Protector."

It turned out to be a one-time thing! Thomas finally understood.

"In many legendary stories, a young knight who stepped onto the arena for the first time could surpass all the other knights in skill...or an ignorant farmer could defeat a powerful knight in a conflict. These stories all have prototypes." The old man sighed.

"And the accumulation of this magical energy is extremely difficult to judge. Usually, you want a national protector, but often you only have one elite!"

"So...what did the Star-Moon Cultists get this time?"

"It's a precious node that's never been used," the old man sighed. "Perhaps it's accumulated over tens of thousands of years. Most importantly, it hasn't been destroyed by ignorant individuals, nor has its energy been drained by a bunch of clueless farmers. It's been protected from the very beginning, by a small sect of the Star-Moon Cult."

"what do you mean……"

"If nothing else, based on historical data, this node is likely to produce five to seven Protectorates. I don't know exactly how many Protectorates it has produced, but one thing is clear: it hasn't been exhausted yet."

Thomas found that the muscles on his face were twitching slightly uncontrollably.

What does this equal?

This is equivalent to the divine revelation under the control of the Holy See.

Although this thing is a one-time use and not as powerful as divine enlightenment, but...

The effect over a period of time is no different from divine enlightenment.

"So, what is the purpose of this small sect of the Star-Moon Cult?"

"Alas, their goal is holy war. They want to seize the Holy Land, drive out the Christians... they even want to conquer the world!"

This was even more troubling. Thomas finally understood.

Although a node is not a big deal in the end - there have been many national defenses in history. But in this era, it can be used to start a war and send heroes to the battlefield.

However, Thomas also understood that if this were not the case, Christians in the Holy Land would not be in such a state of decline.

To put it bluntly, there was no Saladin in this era, no Ayyubid dynasty that could unite various forces, and no Ottoman Empire that could conquer the surrounding areas.

The Star-Moon Cult was also a loose alliance, and the forces consumed in internal conflict were far greater than those invested in the holy war.

Everyone is on the same page. Although Thomas believed that Christians would eventually be driven out of the Holy Land, this process could be artificially prolonged or shortened.