Chapter 286: Fusion of the Sacred Remains
At Dey Commercial Street, within the shop known as the House of Rest—
Inside the materials room, Gideon stood still with his eyes closed.
Before him floated a skeleton.
Countless faint, thread-like spiritual connections stretched between the two, linking them together.
As a wave of pure holy energy rippled outward, the skeleton was slowly drawn toward Gideon… until, at last, it merged into his body.
"Haa… Finally, the initial fusion is complete."
Gideon let out a long breath.
What he had just performed was the second-tier Holy technique of the "Skeletal" stage—Spiritual Bone Communion.
This ability allowed a cleric to use the bones of others as weapons.
---
Gideon clenched his fist.
In the next moment, three long, sharp bone spikes extended from between his fingers.
"…If I had a cigar, this would really complete the look."
He swung his arm lightly.
A sharp tearing sound cut through the air.
This was only one application of Spiritual Bone Communion.
Through prior testing, Gideon had confirmed something important—
Even if the bones were damaged in combat, he himself would feel no pain.
In other words, he didn't have to worry about backlash from the remains being harmed.
Beyond that, he could also summon the entire skeleton as an external entity.
However, due to current limitations, it couldn't stray too far from him.
Still, in dangerous situations, he could at least use it as a shield—or even throw it forward as a decoy.
---
All of that… was merely the basic functionality of the technique.
More importantly—
The remains still contained traces of Sacred Marrow.
Its capabilities needed no further explanation.
After using a portion of it previously, Gideon had spent considerable time integrating more of it into himself.
This kind of substance—capable of directly influencing the mind—
Was something typically only seen in the fourth-tier Holy technique: Body of Sin.
In other words—
He had struck an unbelievable stroke of luck.
Because of that, he had no intention of using it recklessly.
It would remain his trump card, reserved only for critical moments.
---
As for the third-tier Holy technique of the "Skeletal" stage—
Gideon had already studied the relevant materials.
It was called Bone Resonance.
To perform it, a cleric must establish a connection with other remains using holy power… and then comprehend the "sin" lingering within those bones.
These "sins" could be the evil deeds committed by the deceased…
Or the hatred carried by those who died with resentment.
What Gideon needed to do—
Was to experience those sins, bear them within his own bones, and achieve resonance between skeletons.
---
After some thought, Gideon arrived at a possibility.
This technique… was likely a preparation step for mastering Sacred Marrow.
Judging from the method alone, the process would undoubtedly be extremely painful.
But—
Since he had already fused with the remains of a Saint…
Couldn't he simply use that very skeleton as a vessel to bear those "sins"?
Otherwise, why would this entire sequence of Holy techniques require the fusion of so many remains in the first place?
---
Gideon slowly opened his eyes.
A faint glimmer of contemplation flickered within them.
Gideon decided to give it a try.
As it turned out, his assumption wasn't wrong.
But the weight of "sin" was immense. Ordinary remains would collapse the moment they came into contact with it—they simply couldn't bear such a burden.
And not every cleric was fortunate enough to obtain a complete Saint's remains at the very beginning of their training.
Which meant—
Most of them had no choice but to endure that pain themselves.
---
After finishing with the Saint's remains, Gideon shifted his attention to the interface before him.
---
[Messenger of Sin]
Progress: Tier 3 (407 / 1000)
Ability: Emotional Guidance — Able to perceive the emotions tied to the Seven Deadly Sins, and subtly guide them in a chosen direction.
---
[Divine Eye Restriction]
Progress: Tier 3 (12 / 1000)
Ability: Focused Perception — Allows precise differentiation between simple and complex spiritual particle structures.
---
[Holy Relic Furnace]
Progress: Tier 4 (23 / 1000)
Ability: Devout Blessing — Holy water you create naturally suppresses evil. Current quality: equivalent to 40-year refinement.
---
[Missionary]
Progress: Tier 3 (32 / 1000)
Ability: Soul Cleansing — Your understanding of Holy doctrine surpasses ordinary limits. Each recitation imprints your soul into the world—your very existence embodies truth.
---
[Holy Body]
Stage 1: Skin (Completed)
Stage 2: Bones (Spiritual Bone Communion)
Stage 3: Blood (Not yet begun)
Ability: Chosen of Holy Light — Significantly enhances the efficiency of theological cultivation related to the body.
---
Back when he dealt with the clown in Derry Town, his ability [Holy Water Purification] had already advanced.
After the upgrade, its name now perfectly matched the third-tier Holy technique of the "Eyes" category.
And the new ability—Focused Perception—aligned precisely with this stage of training.
---
Gideon had already consulted Church archives.
Divine Eye Restriction worked by projecting holy power through the eyes, manipulating the spiritual particles in the air.
By controlling these particles around a target, one could restrain or suppress them.
But to advance further—
One had to understand the very structure of these particles.
---
Gideon took out a piece of corrupted material.
Beyond its evil aura, he could now see countless tiny runic patterns on its surface.
These symbols were arranged in intricate formations.
Some were simple—just a single pattern.
But most were incredibly complex, layered and nested with countless spiritual runes.
Understanding them was no easy task.
---
These patterns were the very reason a spiritual entity could exist—
Just as living beings require breath.
If these structures were disrupted, the entity itself might cease to exist entirely.
And Divine Eye Restriction required the practitioner to comprehend and master these rules—
Only then could they manipulate spiritual particles to control their enemies.
This was already a high-level sacred art.
Within the Church, only a handful of elite clerics could master it.
Not only did it demand exceptional talent and vast reserves of holy power—
It also required the practitioner to identify the original rune within a structure and understand it fully.
Only then could they begin unraveling more complex layers.
But if, after prolonged study, one realized that the so-called "foundation rune" was not truly the original—
Then everything they had learned would collapse into error.
They would be forced to abandon all progress and start over from scratch.
---
It was a brutal mental ordeal.
Most who attempted it lost themselves midway—
Either descending into madness, becoming corrupted beings…
Or never recovering their sanity for the rest of their lives.
Because of this, the Church strictly regulated the technique.
No cleric was allowed to study it without explicit permission.
---
But Gideon… was an exception.
With Focused Perception, the runes on the corrupted material appeared with distinct variations.
Some regions were entirely red—so dense and chaotic that the patterns were nearly impossible to discern.
But others glowed faintly with a soft white light.
And with just a glance, Gideon realized—
Those glowing runes were incredibly easy to understand.
They were, without a doubt, the original foundational runes.
"…This is basically a guided tutorial for Holy arts."
Gideon nodded in amazement.
When it came to this technique—
He might very well have the easiest path in the entire Church.
---
Aside from that, Holy Relic Furnace had also advanced quietly.
He could now create items equivalent to forty years of refinement.
At this level—
Even a single piece would make a diocesan-level church envious.
And against evil, the improved quality meant significantly stronger formations.
Ordinary evil spirits would struggle to escape once trapped within his arrays.
Not to mention—
Someone like Gideon, who casually layered formations as if they cost nothing.
---
Ironically, this created a new problem.
He now needed lower-grade sacred items.
After all, casually pulling out high-tier relics every time…
Was a bit too conspicuous.
That alone had cost him quite a sum.
---
Finally—
There was Holy Body.
From the interface, his current progress in the "Bones" stage corresponded exactly to Spiritual Bone Communion.
Previously, in the "Skin" stage, he had already reached the third-tier Holy technique.
Which meant—
To fully complete Holy Body, he would need to advance all three aspects—Skin, Bones, and Blood—to the third tier.
For most people, that would be nearly impossible.
But for Gideon, with the interface at his disposal…
It was only a matter of time.
---
After finishing his theological review, Gideon opened a drawer and took out a letter.
Stamped upon it was the seal of Archbishop Matthew.
Inside, there was only a single line—
"The selection for the Holy Court Clergy Order is about to begin. Return to the academy immediately."