Chapter 543: Davon Of Freedom
The Churches of Constellation.
They were a body of devotion that had its history deeply rooted in the beginning of time and had always managed to preserve their importance through generations.
All constellations had a church designated to them, and although the influence of these churches on society in this age had drastically declined, they were still treated as important and revered.
It was more like they were relics that could never be forgotten, and above all of them stood the Church of Ul.
In fact, Ul was a concept of devotion that existed in every church. Right beside every symbol of every constellation was always a statue of Ul.
Northern stood in front of the golden gate of the cathedral.
No one was guarding it. There were a few ladies clothed in white apparel, flowing all around their bodies like garments, with golden ornaments holding it to their waists, walking around the compound.
None of them paid attention to him.
Northern stayed outside for a few more seconds, rubbing his chin with his eyes closed.
'I can't be mistaken. It was right below this place.'
Northern, since the moment he entered the city, had activated Chaos Eyes.
Since becoming a Master, he could now sense the essence of every living being, even down to their emotions. He could also sense hidden presences, but it was necessary for him to reveal his Chaos Eyes.
His normal eyes perceived these things, of course, but when he opened his Chaos Eyes, it was on a different and much more magnanimous scale than what he saw and felt with his normal eyes.
It could be said that when Northern opens his Chaos Eyes, it is when he truly begins to see. However, keeping the Chaos Eyes open chomps down not on his void essence but his stamina. The more he saw with the eyes, the more he felt himself drained.
And that had been the reason for the intense tiredness.
However, in the few hours that he kept Chaos Eyes open, he had meticulously searched every nook and cranny of Arcadia for his mother's presence.
As he stepped into the room and walked towards his window, he finally found it.
There was something right beneath the cathedral. It made him so happy that they were alive. He could feel the familiar essence of his mother, the beauty of her soul.
Then he could feel another one, a newborn of sorts, brimming with an otherworldly essence. Northern immediately understood whose presence that was, and nothing mattered anymore. He would rescue them and finally meet her, because he knew that there was no one, no power, no existence that could stop him from retrieving his mother and sister. He was very happy. Shin's reply, when he heard that it was the cathedral, was very annoying. However, Northern had done a great job reining in his anger.
"So what if it's the citadel? I can feel my mother right beneath their floor."
Northern exhaled and slowly opened the gate. The gate was not closed, and that was how every citadel was; their gates were always open in case anyone wanted to offer their prayers to Ul and the constellations.
Northern walked towards the compound. In the center was a fountain, and in the middle of the fountain was the magnificent statue of a colossal horse.
"Davon," Northern muttered.
Every constellation has an animal that depicts their nature. Northern, at a young age when he learned about them, had thought it to be weird that these animals had a striking resemblance to the animals on Earth.
However, aside from them being used to depict the nature of constellations, they don't exist in the world of Tra-el.
Hence, it was important to note that these were not the constellations' physical forms. As a matter of fact, some intellectual debates had proposed that constellations do not have a physical form, nor do they have an active consciousness.
However, they are a conduit of essence that functions alongside Ul in creating the balance of the world and maintaining it.
Of course, this branches out to several areas when the topic of the 'shape of the soul' is mentioned.
But that was one thing Northern had not been opportune to learn yet. It was not for his level. 'When one becomes a Paragon, their soul gains a personality and a shape that can be traced to any of the constellations... I had thought that to be bullshit, but thinking about it now...' Northern looked up at the towering statue of the stallion raising its forelimb high up, its body coiling with stark muscles.
His mind drifted back to the fight with the Emperor of Luinngard, the speed on his legs, the way those flames wrapped his leg.
It was something he instantly knew that he wouldn't be able to replicate despite having copied the Emperor's talent.
Perhaps when he becomes a Paragon.
'I wonder what the shape of my own soul will be like,' he said to himself as he lowered his
head to take a look at the base of the statue.
Then he read something.
"Davon is found only by souls who know the value of freedom."
"Freedom, huh..." he muttered again after reading and raised his head.
"Do you find yourself wondering what true freedom means?"
Northern was not surprised to hear the voice. He smiled and turned around to face the bald
man with tightly shut eyes and a beaded rosary hanging down his neck.
"If you don't find a way to leave this cathedral right now, the meaning of true freedom will be the least you are worrying about."
The man's eyes widened in terror, but before he could turn to his side, Northern had vanished.
He shivered, feeling an intense cold seep into his blood. The night suddenly felt darker than it
looked.
He looked at the statue in front of him and closed his eyes, clasping his palms together and bowing his head slightly.
"Bless and protect us, Ul. Bless and protect us, Davon."
Following his words, the entire cathedral shook. Ripples of earthquake ran across every part
of the ground.
The man's eyes widened terribly as he saw the cracks run towards the horse statue and destroy
its base.
Slowly but surely, the colossal statue was crumbling towards him.
And all he could do was stare in paralyzing fear, beads of sweat stagnant over his face.