The sacrificial ceremony lasted for more than an hour. During this time, the priest Paul continuously preached the doctrine of the Lord of Holy Light, never pausing, never repeating himself. Every sentence was deeply moving, shaking the soul, which made James Carter admire him immensely.

Paul's ceremony finally ended, and James Carter also temporarily set aside the tangled reasoning in his mind.

“No clues at all. It seems the information I’ve gathered is still too little. I’ll have to take it slow.” James Carter felt a bit exhausted. The series of calculations just now had already been very restrained, and the terrifying near-death experience from last night did not recur, but the energy drain on his body was still enormous. Now, he was extremely hungry.

He stood up and followed Paul from a distance into the back hall of the temple.

The Holy Light rune stone was no small matter; suppressing the undead in the cemetery was absolutely necessary. Otherwise, if the undead escaped from the cemetery into the city, it would definitely cause panic and deal a blow to the temple’s prestige.

Therefore, this matter was handled personally by Paul, and James Carter was fortunate enough to come into close contact with a true upper-class figure of this otherworldly society.

Paul was already waiting for him in the back hall. He looked to be in his fifties, his hair white but meticulously groomed, his expression gentle. The luxurious ceremonial robe he had worn was now replaced by a pure white priest’s robe, making him appear holy and serene.

When he saw James Carter enter, his previously relaxed brows suddenly furrowed in an unusual way, his gaze falling on the leather robe James Carter was wearing. In his eyes, this garment was shrouded in black energy, filled with resentment—a most ominous thing!

This black energy was the death aura formed by the lingering obsessions of sentient beings at the moment of death, entwined with elemental forces. It usually appeared in burial goods, and if a living person wore it for too long, their constitution would deteriorate until they suddenly died.

“Carter, where did you get this garment?” Paul's tone was extremely stern. He suspected that James Carter had stolen it from the cemetery, digging it up from a grave.

That was the act of a grave robber, and once caught, a grave robber would be hanged immediately. After death, their corpse would be burned by the temple, and their soul would never be reincarnated!

Seeing Paul's expression, James Carter's heart skipped a beat. He realized he might have violated some taboo in this world, but there was no mention of such a thing in the fragments of the boy’s memory, so he could only act in a way that minimized his losses.

“What’s wrong, is there something wrong with this robe, Priest Paul? I bought it from Kent’s clothing shop, spent five silver coins on it.” James Carter looked confused, his tone filled with fear and respect.

Hearing James Carter's words, Paul's brows relaxed a little. He believed the boy was telling the truth, since this was easy to verify—just go to Kent and confront him, and the truth would come out. So Carter had no reason to make up such an easily exposed lie.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just asking.” As he spoke, Paul took out a Holy Light rune stone as usual, preparing to hand it to James Carter, but at the last moment, he pulled his hand back.

He thought for a moment, put away the rune stone, and instead took out another one with more complex patterns and finer craftsmanship, handing it to James Carter.

“Take this Justice rune stone. The activation method is the same as the Holy Light rune stone, but remember, you must place your leather robe underneath the rune stone. Don’t forget!” Paul instructed.

This child was an orphan, and it wasn’t easy for him to buy a piece of clothing. Paul didn’t intend to take the robe back for purification, but instead lent a small helping hand. As for Kent, the one who sold the robe… thinking of this merchant, a cold glint flashed in Paul's eyes.

This robe was indeed a big problem, enough to attract the attention of a temple priest, but James Carter was not alarmed—instead, he was delighted. A more complex rune stone meant he would obtain more detailed information about rune stone operation, which was exactly what he urgently needed to understand.

“Alright, I’ll remember, Priest.” James Carter's performance was flawless—humble, meek, and obedient. This attitude made Paul very satisfied.

He then took out a money pouch and handed it to James Carter: “This is your salary for this month. From now on, it’s four silver coins a month.”

James Carter was in a great mood. Although he didn’t care about the money, it was always nice to have someone give it to him. So he expressed his thanks once again.

“May the Lord of Holy Light watch over you. Go now, child.” Paul waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Chapter 8: Eye of the Elements

After leaving the temple, James Carter immediately returned to the Hoyt tavern. He was starving and urgently needed food to replenish his energy.

“Hoyt, I want five pieces of black bread slathered with butter, and a mug of ale!” As soon as he entered the tavern, James Carter found a seat and plopped down, then lay motionless on the table. Heaven knows how he made it back to the tavern—he was nearly exhausted.

Hoyt was still drinking. Hearing James Carter's words, he almost spat out his drink. He slammed his mug heavily on the table and shouted angrily, “Kid, are you trying to eat me into bankruptcy?”

“I’ll pay!” James Carter took out a silver coin and waved it in his hand, grinning.

“Pay my ass! Save that money for when you get married. Go find Anna in the kitchen yourself, and stop getting in my way.” Hoyt glared and puffed out his beard, making the tavern patrons burst into laughter.

James Carter could only drag his limp, noodle-like body, swaying as he made his way into the kitchen. He looked as if a gust of wind could knock him over.