Chapter 52: Digging the clues

"Ah.Yes." Alex responded as he took long steps to match up with Ray's pace. He was taken aback by the sudden turn of conversation but still decided to follow his friend's decision.

Ben, on the other hand, looked at them going away with a sharp smile on his face until Freya walked near him and asked, "Don't tell me you are planning to stay in the village."

Ben stopped, looking at the screen. Although he was physically present in the conversation, mentally he was somewhere else, 'How many points did you generate so far?'

[ UPDATE ]

[Beast core synthesis is now complete: 12x Basic Tier Beast Core]

[Extracted: +12 points in magic]

[Note: You can only use the magic powers after you have leveled up to level 5].

[ Host still needs 88 MP to unlock an elemental affinity. ]

'I see,' Ben responded. Earlier in the conversation, Ben came to know that he could collect Beast cores from beasts of different levels to convert them to MP.

Though it may be helpful, with how things were going. At least to Ben, it didn't look like he would gain magical affinity before the whole village quest.

"If I will stay or not, it truly depends on the answer to my question," Ben said as he walked past Freya, in the direction of the broken church he had once observed massive energy from.

"But didn't you ask the question already? Wait..." Freya was now more conflicted with Ben's answer as she followed him to walk in the same direction.

"Well, I never expected the exact answer from them in the first place. " Ben responded to Freya's question while rubbing his hands together. "That's why I decided to find out the answer on my own."

"If you had to find the answer on your own, then why did you ask them in the first place?" Freya asked again; the more Ben answered, the more confusion it got for her.

"I just wanted them to know what the question is," Ben responded, but a notification sound attracted his attention, so he continued to answer while operating the status window. "Curiosity is an infectious disease; as long as there is a question, the human mind will crave its answer."

Freya was somewhat understanding of what Ben was planning to do, but there were still so many questions in her mind that she asked, but somehow Ben seemed too busy swiping his hands in the air and scratching his chin to listen to Freya's question.

"Weirdo.." She responded in a low tone, an annoyed expression on her face.

Closing the status screen, Ben stopped walking and looked at the structure before him. With a frown on his face, he said, "We have reached."

Freya too looked at the building before her, a dilapidated old church with algae sprouting on its walls. The fallen structure barely clung to its remaining pillars, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

An uneasy feeling settled in her gut as she peered inside the massive structure, sensing that there was more to this place than met the eye. "So there is the answer to your question?" She asked.

"It's just a hunch, but I think the existence of this church here is a bit off." Ben rubbed his chin, observing the peculiar energy emanating from the structure. He carefully scanned the surroundings, finding no immediate threats besides the eerie aura of the church itself.

"What's off about a crumbling church from a past city? Isn't it clear that it was the result of war that the church is broken?" Freya recalled the history she had heard about the village, unable to discern any peculiarities about the building.

"That's exactly what's off," Ben stated, unsheathing the long katana blade from his back. Assuming a defensive stance, he cautiously stepped into the structure, ready for any surprises.

"The first thing that strikes me as odd is the location of this church. Why build it 700 meters outside the city?"

"If the story holds, then the ruins in the north were once part of the original city. So why would someone construct a church here under such circumstances?" Ben pondered aloud, his keen instincts prodding at the mysteries of the place.

"And even if the church was built for some reason, why would invaders, especially demons, go out of their way to destroy a remote building with seemingly no strategic value?"

Freya was taken aback by Ben's observations. His words highlighted the inconsistencies in Ray's account, casting doubt on the credibility of the information they had received.

She assumed a defensive stance, following Ben into the structure, her senses heightened and alert.

Inside the church, an unsettling aura enveloped the space. Unlike any place of worship Ben had seen in his previous life, this church defied the norms.

The black-tiled floor reflected his image, painting the interior in darkness. Above, on the wall, a symbol of the shining silver empire flag caught their attention—a woman riding a dragon, an emblem that stirred further intrigue and confusion.

Ben cautiously surveyed the interior of the church, seeking any anomalies or peculiarities. However, what he discovered left him astounded.

The red energy he had been tracking wasn't emanating from any living beings or powerful entities; instead, it seemed to originate from the very structure of the church itself. Every wall, fallen stone, and even the tiniest pebble seemed to pulse with this enigmatic energy.

'But how is it possible? Isn't Blood Vision meant to track only living beings? Does this mean the church is alive?' Ben pondered silently, his face reflecting his surprise.

[ It seems that there is more to this church than we can see from the outside... ]

"What do you mean by that?" Ben inquired mentally.

[ Your Blood Vision is designed to detect life energy emanating from any living being, essentially a skill inspired by the System's 'Soul Seeker' skill.]

[ The fact that your Blood Vision is revealing the presence of life energy within this structure suggests that it's a 'Cult' or a 'Fane.' ]

"A Fane?" Ben thought. He was slowly getting closer to one of the quests he received. Maybe this was the place related to the old god Ben needed to gain favor.

[ For a simplified understanding, a Fane is somewhat akin to a cult. And for a cult to exist, there must be a group of followers, regular ones at that. Without any followers, a god will cease to exist. ]

"So, you're saying that there must be people directly or indirectly associated with this place. I just need to confirm their presence, and that will validate our suspicion," Ben concluded, his eyes gleaming with newfound insight.

Suddenly, something struck Ben's mind and a sharp smile appeared on his face, "Let's go Freya we won't find anything here right now."

"Right now?" Freya asked.

"Yes, the floor seems too clean to find any clues," Ben said pointing at the floor of the building, reflecting his image.

At first, Freya didn't get Ben's point but looking above at the broken, open roof and falling structures, she instantly understood what Ben meant.

'This place is taken care of, by humans.'