The Ascension of the Celestial Priest

14; Planning Ahead.

Lukas's eyes lingered on the door long after Aria left. It then occurred to him that from the moment he met her to the moment she left through that door that Aria was a year younger than him. But it was hard to tell since she was surrounded by unimaginable expectations due to her talent and her mana strength was way higher than his that he subconsciously treated her like an adult. He sighed to himself. There is always a tragic story hidden when a child is forced to grow beyond his/her years.

After a day full of twists from meeting his new family, to his unexpected event in his soul altar, to discovering the utmost joy of a breakthrough and realize that he may also have enemies in the dark, suffice to say Lukas was spent. He slept deeply and soundlessly the whole night before he woke up in the morning and automatically started doing his basic workout almost by habit before realizing that he may have better looks in his new body but it was nowhere fit like his old one back in earth.

And so he only warmed up sweating so much that he silently cursed the profound weakness of his previous host. After cleaning up, making a mental note to refill water later, he collected himself and then started to plan exactly how to spend the next days and weeks increasing his prowess in all things magical.

First and foremost he needed the basic memories on how this place worked, and so he tried this time to summon the respective memories by purpose. The previous host's memories were just too many too jumbled especially as Lukas has inherited 16 years worth of memories before his untimely death. With such a database inside his head, he needed specific triggers to memories containing the specific information he needed.

After rushing through the memories containing the basic knowledge of the Outer Sector of the Cathedral of light, he immediately likened it to boarding schools. The outer Sector housed the new chosen apprentices, either taken in after the awakening ceremonies, or automatically admitted due to their family members though it still needed a final recommendation of a higher elder from within the Cathedral itself.

The Outer Sector housed a lot of compartments which are nearly never filled because The Cathedral prioritizes young apprentices who have awaken the elemental light to train and foster. And though there are countless more mages of various elements from fire to wind, The Main Heritage of the Cathedral is suitable and reserved for Light Mages and in uncovering their potential for them to be the Brightest and the Strongest of Priests in the continent of Lush.

His focus then shifted in the layout. Built as a fan shaped area, the outer sector was filled with various halls for various purposes. From Training halls like Casting Halls were mages can practice their spell casting to Physical halls were paladins and other physical vocations can practice their newly learned skills. All these were made freely available all so they can build a good foundation for their lower mages to become stronger and thus increase the admittance rate to the Inner Sect quicker. There was a large mess hall, desirable quality food and The Hall of Insight (which acted as library Lukas presumed) which possessed 3 levels, with it's 1st level freely available to lower mages.

But all these free stuffs came with a catch. With the Cathedral's strict admittance, the ones who are able to cross the threshold either from luck or their own abilities and talent, the facilities were made free so that all the younger mages had to worry about was to advance in rank easier and quicker. The catch came in the time limit given. The foundational mages (basically the beginners of mages) had 2 maximum years provided for them to breakthrough to Mortal Rank. This especially applied to all Light Mages as a form of preference. After all there can only be so many Mages of light all over the continent while the rest of the mages were given only 1 year limit.

And this worked great for the previous host as according to his memories he barely made the mark with his C rank elemental Talent. This and coupled with limited comprehension and lack of knowledge it was by pure luck that he achieved his Mortal status while his sister left him far behind with her Earth Rank Cultivation.

Lukas took a deep breath before he opened his eyes. Before he began with anything notable he first needed to do his chores. He took an iron bucket and then walked to the nearest well placed just beyond their sleeping quarters in order to fill the empty containers in his compartment.

The sun hadn't arisen fully yet and there were also some outer disciples walking around in total silence, absorbed in their own thoughts and too busy to even enjoy the crispy and cold morning. The cathedral of Light had a code for certain robes in order to differentiate from the apprentices and the higher mages according to their hierarchy.

The Outer disciples in the foundational stages (meaning Apprentice mages and Mortal mages) wore a full unblemished white robe, with a few adornments and decorations that included insignia of the Cathedral with winged patterned at the edges. White and Gold were for Inner Sect disciples while White and Diamond were for Elite Inner disciples. White and obsidian were for the Holy Sons and Holy daughters of the Sects though nearly no one has ever laid eyes on them.

The Inner Sect was cordoned off from the Outer Sect and strict rules were placed that forbade any of the Outer Sect disciple from entering unless on very special reasons and occasions.

Finishing his morning chores, he wore another white robe making a mental remainder to order another pair since the last one was destroyed in the forest. Ready and feeling confident, he walked out of his compartment, closed the door behind him with a simple spell with a plan in his mind on exactly where to go and how to spend the rest of the day.

He first visited the casting halls as he planned to come here and familiarize with the spells he learnt from the memories to the spells he desired to master before the upcoming mission. From the various kinds of dummies and automatons that could attack and some defend suffice to say it covered all the basics. Adding the mysterious runes that covered all of the halls in small domes meant for safety reasons, from preventing harm to one self to halt any stray spells that could hurt nearby people and many other functions like privacy and soundproofing the incantations.

He then passed the physical halls and what he saw was remarkably similar to the gyms in his past life. Except their equipments became artifacts with various shapes and forms that confused Lukas's on their intended purpose.

Not one to linger, Lukas then familiarized himself with mess hall, which he discovered they provided food only twice a day. The Hall of Insight which acted as the Library for the Outer and Inner sect disciples; to the rest of the teaching halls where various subjects were conducted weekly. From the Basis of Spell casting to Beginner's knowledge on Runes to Survival Lessons in The Wild, most of the beginner level lessons were priced for free while the more advanced classes were placed behind a certain price proved if the disciples themselves can afford them.

He rushed through every crook and cranny and after having an idea of where everything was he then decided to officially visit the Hall of Insight. He needed to know the real specifics of this new world and how he fit in the whole grand of things.

*Sect & Sector are used interchangeably for creative and sanity reasons.