I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

The one diligently running was Lis, who had been persistently training; he appeared considerably stronger than he had three months prior.

Lis, originally somewhat impatient, realized that this second trial wouldn't end anytime soon and that even his own mindset was the key to the trial, so he steadied his heart and fully immersed himself in the process of enduring and polishing his body.

Since his rebirth, apart from mastering the Warrior Professional Specialization "All Martial Arts Mastery," Lis had never trained his body so seriously.

When learning with Joyce, it was more about advancing his combat skills.

Though this body was not his own, Lis discovered his past inadequacies through training.

Perhaps focusing on learning skills and techniques, he had not fully mastered control over his body and strength. The Lis of the past was already quite exceptional for an ordinary Mage, but for Lis, who aimed for all-around development, any deficiency had to be addressed.

Lis had also guessed that the flow of time in this dream trial must be different from the outside world; otherwise, undergoing a trial for half a year, his body outside would have long starved to death.

So, having set his mind, Lis seriously began to refine his body, taking the intensity he had for arcane research and practicing in tranquility.

With top Body Refining Techniques and abundant experience in his memory, Lis's progress was remarkably swift, and he now looked like a completely different person from the sprout-like figure he once was.

Casually wiping the sweat from his forehead with his clothes, Lis followed behind Priest Kelly and entered the temple.

Rory and Akhar had long been unable to keep up with Lis's rapid advancement, so Lis began to train on his own.

"Come, stand here."

Kelly pointed in front of the Divine Statue, just like the scene months ago when Lis first underwent the temple's test.

The moment was finally arriving!

Lis calmed his somewhat excited heart and obediently stood as Priest Kelly had asked.

Kelly was very pleased with Lis's performance; he could now be considered a miniature version of a muscle man, and it's possible that one or two adults couldn't beat Lis as he was now.

"The reason I rejected your application to learn Divine Arts was that the power of My Lord is too mighty, and your body might not have been able to bear it."

"Wait, you should pay attention to..."

Lis listened carefully to every word of Kelly's admonition.

The Divine Arts of the Wisdom God, or rather, that Legendary Arcanist's specialty, were too unique, and Lis's previous experience was entirely ineffectual.

However, Lis had developed some ideas over the past half year based on the clues he had.

This special Divine Art likely required a high physical standard from the user, where the user needs to withstand the conversion pressure between Divine Arts and Spells, with the power provided by the Wisdom God.

"Come, center yourself."

Priest Kelly spoke with the gentle voice he had always used.
Explore stories on empire

Led by Priest Kelly, Lis prayed to the Wisdom God:

"Oh great and loving Wisdom God Sphinx!"

"You are the embodiment of wisdom in this world!"

"You are the guardian deity of Snow Ridge Town!"

"You are the leader and pioneer for Mages!"

"Your faithful follower prays earnestly here,"

"Begging for you to bestow a miracle,"

"To grant your follower newfound strength!"

...

As Lis's prayers concluded, the Divine Statue began to emit dreamlike, multicolored light.

Gradually, all the colors of light converged into a crystalline orb, hovering in mid-air, slowly drawing closer to Lis's body.

In the end, it merged into Lis's brow.

Just as the orb merged into Lis's body, he felt a sudden heaviness, as if an invisible special pressure had been placed upon him—not just physically but also spiritually, almost making him feel as though he might fall over.

This...

Lis clenched his teeth tightly, but his heart wasn't panicking; instead, he was rapidly thinking.

Rather than pressure, it felt more like bearing a burden that exceeded the power of his own rank.

It was just like how ordinary people felt in the presence of a divine being, who, even after retracting their divine pressure, were still too much for mortals to withstand.

This must be... the handiwork of that Legendary Arcanist!

Lis couldn't help but raise his hand to touch the center of his forehead, feeling the special spherical object hidden within.

It wasn't a physical entity but seemed more like a phantom carrier of power.

"Do you feel it?"

Priest Kelly looked at Lis's somewhat heavy expression and said with a smile.

"This is My Lord's blessing, as well as the foundation of our power."

"As long as we pray to My Lord, His blessing will help us cast different Divine Arts."

"However, the higher the level of the Divine Art, the greater the pressure one needs to bear, which is why I asked you to refine your body."

This was equivalent to an ordinary person harboring Legendary-level power in their body, and even though that being had done their best to contain it, the residual pressure was still not something an ordinary person could easily bear.

Feeling the pressure at the center of his forehead, Lis nodded.

"Right now, you might only be able to cast the simplest 'Light Technique', but don't be too discouraged. As you improve, the Divine Arts you can master will also become more and more numerous."

"Let me first teach you the method of casting it."

...

"Indeed, Lis, you are a genius, the most talented follower of My Lord!"

Kelly patted Lis on the shoulder and said with a laugh:

"It's an unpleasant feeling, isn't it? You should head back for today and rest well."

Anxious to thoroughly study the special power at the center of his forehead, Lis hurriedly nodded, said his goodbyes, and headed for home.

As he stepped through the snow that reached his ankles, his steps uneven, Lis's mind was fervently and swiftly in motion.

He had discovered that the special spherical object at the center of his forehead was actually an extremely intricate and profound Magic Array!

More crucially, this Magic Array was emanating an aura of the Power of Faith!

This was a miracle!

How on earth did that Legendary Arcanist achieve this!

It was practically using arcane to replicate the power of the divine!

Feeling as if he had touched upon the Hidden Divine Level, Lis's heart couldn't stop pounding.

Damn it, which Arcanist could resist such temptation!

Lis, who had just successfully cast 'Light Technique' under the guidance of Priest Kelly, now had a general understanding of the Magic Array at the center of his forehead.

Its principle seemed to be absorbing the Power of Faith generated by Lis's prayers, using a special transformation to build a stable channel for the transmission of Extraordinary Power, guiding the power from the Wisdom God into Lis's body, making it possible for the magic to be cast and take effect.

And the power from the Wisdom God was the Magic Power Lis had felt before!

This series of operations might look simple but were in fact extremely precise to the point that the slightest mishap could severely injure Lis in an instant.

However, be it the Power of Faith or the power of spells, both were as tame and gentle as meek sheep under the guidance and control of the Magic Array, operating smoothly and effectively.

There were no words besides miracle to describe it!

Lis lifted his head, looking at the snowflakes that had started to fall from the sky again.

If he could unravel the secrets of this Magic Array, then even if he left the ruins now, it would have been worth it!