“You both have done an excellent job on your mission,” Fernandez said, sitting steadily behind his desk with a relaxed posture. He took a sip of the steaming tea, his gaze sharp and penetrating as it slowly swept over Buck and Veronica, who were seated across from him. The office was simply decorated, yet dignified, with bookshelves filled with ancient books and scrolls lining the walls, giving off the scent of age.


    “You even completed someone else''s task as well,” Fernandez raised an eyebrow, a note of approval in his voice.


    “It was just a convenient thing to do,” Buck shrugged lightly, his tone easygoing, as if completing such a challenging task were a mere trifle. He wore a brand-new hunter''s outfit, his posture upright, his face stern, exuding an air of composure.


    Veronica continued, “The alchemist who was robbed was actually just a projection created by the forbidden object. The real Julius didn’t lose any of his potions; he just retrieved the liquefied thunder from the projection with Dick’s help. As for Dick, who turned into a monster…”


    “I understand. No need for further elaboration.” Fernandez raised a hand and gently tapped the task report that Veronica had filled out, the paper yellowed with age and covered in dense writing detailing the mission''s progress. “Your report is thorough, Hunter Veronica.” His voice was deep and forceful, echoing throughout the office.


    “What will the Church do with Julius?” Buck leaned forward slightly, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.


    “He won’t be punished.” The old man sighed softly, a complex expression crossing his face. “Although he used the forbidden object without authorization, he also created a remarkable invention. He has now submitted the formula for liquefied thunder to the Church and the Royal Family. Given that he voluntarily handed over the forbidden object, and since this incident didn’t cause a major disaster, with the two monsters also successfully dealt with, Julius will not face any punishment. He will remain the highly respected alchemist he has always been.”


    Buck nodded thoughtfully. He wasn’t surprised by this outcome. In his view, Julius''s invention was of undeniable value to the Church and the Royal Family, and considering that, this handling seemed reasonable.


    “Then, both of you, I, Fernandez, hereby officially declare that your hunter trials have come to an end. From this day forward, you are officially hunters,” Fernandez said, rising from his seat, his expression solemn and his voice firm.


    Veronica could not contain her excitement, her face lighting up with a radiant smile, tears of joy gleaming in her eyes. After all the hardships she had faced, she was finally being recognized as a true hunter. How could she not feel overwhelmed with emotion?


    Buck remained calm, his expression unchanged. In contrast to Veronica’s excitement, he was more concerned about what had been previously mentioned—the “rights only granted to official hunters.” “Lord Fernandez, may I ask when I can undergo the second stage of the Goddess Blessing Ceremony?” Buck asked, his voice steady as he looked directly into the old man’s eyes.


    Fernandez looked at Buck, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and let out a soft laugh. “You haven’t even completed the first stage of the ceremony yet. Without that, you can’t advance.” He returned to his chair, leaning back slightly, his hands crossed over his chest.


    “Not completed?” Buck furrowed his brow, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.


    “That’s right. Once the ceremony is initiated, it cannot be interrupted. You think it’s just a matter of collecting a few materials and reciting a chant to complete it?” Fernandez’s gaze grew deep as he patiently explained. The so-called transcendent promotion ceremony was a long process intricately tied to the growth of the transcendent. It couldn’t be interrupted.


    In theory, the promotion ceremony for all paths could be divided into nine stages, corresponding to the hunter levels from 1 to 9. However, among the hunters currently living in the Empire, there was no one above the seventh level. As Buck had seen with Olivia, she was already one of the top-tier transcendents among hunters, and such individuals were extremely rare.


    This situation arose because the promotion ceremony was highly complex, and the higher the stage, the more difficult it became. If a hunter failed to meet the requirements for the ceremony at any point, they could spend hundreds of years—or even longer—without advancing.


    “To reach the second stage, you must first complete the subsequent steps of the first stage Goddess Blessing Ceremony, allowing the blessing of the Goddess to fully integrate with you. Here’s a suggestion: you can try going to the church to pray sincerely, praising the Goddess who granted you the blessing, or offering true blessings to others until you can deeply understand the power of the ceremony. In fact, you can apply for the second stage promotion ceremony at any time, but whether you succeed or not depends entirely on you.” Fernandez explained at length, adding, “You’re lucky, boy. The Goddess Blessing Ceremony is the only complete nine-stage ceremony provided by the Church. As long as the Goddess continues to favor you, perhaps you can reach a level no one has ever achieved before.”


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    Indeed, the ceremonies offered by the Church did not all include nine complete stages. Most transcendent paths lacked the subsequent steps after reaching higher levels. People had little knowledge of how to obtain those more mysterious and profound powers…


    After leaving Fernandez’s office, Buck suddenly realized why he had felt a warm power emanating from the light wings within him when praising the Goddess. It turned out that this was part of the ceremony’s subsequent steps. According to his understanding, he must deeply merge with these wings, to the point where he can always feel the continuous flow of warm power from them, in order to meet the promotion conditions. This did sound somewhat mystical...


    ...


    Before leaving the Church, Buck and Veronica had to visit the Church’s workshop to receive the iconic equipment marking them as true hunters—the “Hunter’s Blood” recovery potion. The silver vial had left a deep impression on Buck; it was called the second life of a hunter and was considered a powerful weapon against evil, second only to the blood bullet gun.


    Additionally, it was only today that Buck learned that this recovery potion required the hunter’s own blood to be drawn and mixed. What delighted Buck even more was that the recovery amount of the potion was not based on a fixed life energy value, but rather restored a percentage of health! For someone like Buck, with several hundred thousand health points, the effect was almost absurdly powerful.


    Furthermore, the potion’s effects were linked to the hunter’s ceremony rank. High-ranking hunters could use more complex methods to add various unique effects to the Hunter’s Blood potion. This meant that its uses were far beyond just healing.


    After a series of blood draws and potion preparation processes, Buck received his own initial version of Hunter’s Blood from the pharmacist. The silver vial was only the size of a thumb, small and exquisite, attached to a delicate chain that could be worn around the neck and kept close.


    When used, the potion could be injected into the body via the silver needle at the bottom of the vial. Currently, Buck’s Hunter’s Blood potion could restore health equivalent to 30% of his maximum life energy, which was more than enough for him.


    ...


    In the days that followed, Fernandez did not assign any tasks to the newly promoted hunter. Each morning, Buck would immerse himself in studying the various knowledge that hunters needed to master, all of which was provided by the Church.


    The study room was filled with a faint smell of books, and sunlight filtered through the window, casting light on the pages. Buck was absorbed in it, eagerly soaking in the nourishment of knowledge.


    In the afternoon, he would walk into the Church’s cathedral. The cathedral was solemn and majestic, with colorful stained-glass windows reflecting dazzling light under the sun. Buck knelt reverently on the floor, closed his eyes, and pressed his hands together, continuously feeling the warmth radiating from the light wings within him.


    It is worth mentioning that in the past, he could only restore his spiritual energy by fulfilling the desires of evil spirits. But after receiving the power of the ceremony, praying to the Goddess or to the light wings could also slowly restore his spiritual energy. This finally freed him from the awkward situation of having to spy on two maids to replenish his spiritual energy...


    At night, Buck was far from idle. He began to explore the dark side of the vast imperial capital, starting from the shadowy corners of Michelin Avenue, and gradually extending into the underground world of the southern district.


    Let’s not forget, he also had another way to strengthen himself: devouring more arms from cultists or monsters. Buck was convinced that many hidden evil entities lurked in the darkness of this city.


    Doug could come in handy at this point. With his years of experience helping noble young masters access the underground black market, he could easily sniff out the scent of those places. Furthermore, Buck had another, more important purpose for exploring the dark side: investigating God’s Corpse''s Hand. That dark-red arm, which served as his trump card, was the very source of Buck’s entry into the realm of the transcendent. He had to find a way to uncover more information related to it.


    “I’m leaving these matters to you. Remember, you must infiltrate those circles as someone pursuing power, with no connection to me as a Church hunter. If the black market people discover that you were sent by me and turn against you, I won’t intervene,” Buck warned Doug before he left.


    “As long as you successfully complete the task and establish a stable channel for black market transactions, I’ll grant you your freedom and let you roam as you please.”


    Upon hearing this, Doug’s face immediately lit up with a grin as if pardoned, his eyes flashing with excitement. He could hardly wait to dive into the night and show off his skills.


    Buck thought for a moment, then, just before Doug left, said, “Good luck, Doug.”


    Doug’s smile slightly froze, but quickly returned to normal. Meanwhile, Buck felt a warm sensation surge in his chest. It seemed that blessing others could also activate the power of the ceremony.


    He nodded in satisfaction and waved Doug off. Then, he took out a piece of paper from the drawer and began writing a letter. It was a letter addressed to His Highness the Fourth Prince. The letter began with a direct request: “Your Highness, I need a method to lift the slave memory seal, whether it be a potion or another ceremony.”