Adyr honestly hoped to hear Primora. Knowing soone else could follow this path would make him feel less special, but it might also finally give him answers about his own mysteries.
But unfortunately, it was not called Primora.
"It is a path called the Blood Path." Zephan sighed, looking pitifully at the five figures. "When they first awakened, they were all followers of the Ignis path like every other Lunari Practitioner. But after advancing to Rank 4, their
personalities changed, their beliefs shifted, and they all beca followers of this Blood Path.
It has now beco our curse. Whenever a Lunari reaches Rank 4, three out of four suddenly change belief, character, and everything. It is as if sothing dormant inside us awakens and tries to claim us. They turn into Blood Path followers."
He then glanced at the other two Rank 4 Practitioners beside him. "We are the lucky ones who advanced without changing, but there is no guarantee it will stay that way. Perhaps, like what happened to our ancestor, once we reach Rank 5, this curse will taint us as well. We may beco Blood Path followers and end up in the sa state as them."
It truly was a curse, one that blocked the entire race's evolution path. No matter how hard they worked or how much they tried, this was their ceiling. Their peak. Their limit, with no way to grow further.
"I see," Adyr said quietly, sounding as if he understood their pain and fear, then continued speaking, "To be honest, I do not have any way or any power to cure them."
He admitted it plainly, making Zephan's expression, as well as the others, turn grim.
But he did not leave them hopeless. "But I might have a way to lift this curse from you, so you will not have to fear becoming tainted by the Blood Path in the future."
"Please, tell us," Zephan said imdiately, his voice rising with a spark of desperate excitent.
He was well aware that there was no hope of saving his family anymore; this was sothing he accepted long ago, but if he could secure the future of his race, and especially his daughter, who would soon reach Rank 4, it would still be a trendous gain.
"You might not like my solution," Adyr warned seriously, eting each of their eyes.
"Please tell us, Lord Adyr," Eryndor said as he dropped to his knees without hesitation.
The other Rank 4 Elder followed, kneeling as well. "You cannot imagine how many thods we tried already, how many things we hated ourselves for doing. We will accept whatever solution you offer."
Finally, Zephan lowered his head deeply. "Be assured we will not hold you accountable, even if your thod fails. We just need to try sothing before our lineage ends with us."
Now that Adyr saw what he needed, their determination and their willingness to sacrifice anything for their future, he finally spoke.
"The only way for to lift this curse from your bloodline is..." He paused, letting his gaze sweep across each face lying on the stone beds one by one as the words ford on his lips. "...I need to kill every one of them."
"They need to die?" They hated the words imdiately.
Even if their minds had been gone for centuries, even if they were little more than breathing husks, these were still their family and ancestors. Accepting their deaths was far from easy.
Adyr tried to make them understand. "Unfortunately, that is the only way. As you should know, people do not choose their paths. The Gods choose their people."
He began weaving together everything he had read and studied about the Paths, molding it into sothing that sounded ancient and sacred.
Seeing they were listening intently, he continued, making his voice calm and wise. "I know it is not your ancestor's fault that his belief shifted from Ignis to the Blood Path. But the sin is still his. To strip this sin from your lineage and seek forgiveness from God Ignivar, you must offer a sacrifice and cleanse your past through a ritual."
He spoke like a seasoned cult bishop, perfectly matching the beliefs of this world and performing the role flawlessly, while having everything one would expect from a fraudster.
However, to the eyes and ears of these three Rank 4 Practitioners, he did not look like a fraud at all. He looked like soone deeply knowledgeable and spiritually enlightened.
The reason was simple. Adyr was not an ordinary Practitioner. His background and bloodline carried the scent of sothing higher, sothing divine, a man blessed with the privilege of walking more than one path, one of the legitimate children of the Gods.
Whether he spoke truth or made-up crap, his words carried weight and forced them to believe him.
Nevertheless, even if they knew he was lying and toying with them, there was no other option for them to choose and no other man whose door they could knock on for help.
So they chose the difficult decision. "If this is the only way... We will follow it."
Hearing their decision, Adyr felt a flicker of excitent inside, though outwardly he showed only deep sorrow. "Do not feel down. I believe this is also what they would want. To save the future of their children, sacrificing themselves is sothing any parent would do without regret and without hesitation."
This ti, his words were completely true, born from his own experience. The way his mother and father died, yet still tried to protect their children until their last breath, was a mory he would never forget.
"Please tell us what has to be done," Zephan asked, waiting for instructions. The other two rose to their feet as well, ready to hear how they could help carry out this ritual they knew nothing about.
"Do not worry. I will handle the difficult part, since I cannot allow you to spill the blood of your own family and ancestors." Adyr spoke with gentle, noble sincerity, making all three look at him with newfound gratitude.
"What I want you to do is gather all the Lunari Practitioners and join the public sermons. Pray to your God and rember His teachings. Just be sincere about your sins and seek forgiveness from Him."
Hearing this, Zephan looked doubtful. When he first heard the word "ritual," he imagined sothing physical and extre, like bathing in the blood of their ancestors or using a Spark skill to cleanse themselves.
But Adyr was only asking them to pray. It sounded so simple that all three began to wonder whether it would really work.
Seeing their doubts, Adyr smiled, easing their hearts. "The Four Gods are the highest of the high, the creators of everything. Do not worry. As long as they will it, their words hold more power than any Spark skill. There is no problem in existence that their will cannot resolve."
His way of speaking about the Gods, as if he knew them personally, made them relax at once, their doubts clearing instantly.
No wonder he is of their direct bloodline, Zephan thought silently, feeling his respect shift into sothing closer to reverence for the young man standing before him.
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