Chapter 298: The Absolved [Proxy]
“We in Lian City have also dispatched an investigative legion. This matter is of great importance and could very likely lead to extremely serious consequences. Once the Cup appears, there is absolutely no possibility that it will be limited to just a few individuals. It spreads like an extremely virulent plague—impossible to guard against.”
“It’s not just you. Other students will also be learning about the Cup in their classes today.”
The moment Xu Zhi heard that Lian City had sent troops, she was almost certain—
What happened at Minjiang was absolutely a conspiracy.
She did not care much about the maneuvering between cities. What concerned her more was whether they knew that the [Cup] had never truly disappeared.
The teacher at the podium continued:
“You do not know what the Cup is, because it was already eradicated. Even history contains no record of its existence. That was done precisely to prevent it from making a comeback.”
“Unfortunately, even erasing its existence entirely could not prevent the Cup’s regeneration.”
Regeneration.
Xu Zhi caught that word. It seemed this teacher believed the [Cup] had been reborn—rather than never having died in the first place.
“You have never encountered the Cup before. In this lesson, I will teach you what the Cup truly is, how to identify believers of the Cup attribute, and why the Cup must be eradicated!”
Xu Zhi straightened slightly, listening more intently.
Although she could be considered the person in the room who understood the [Cup] best, she had never studied it systematically. Perhaps she would hear something new.
The teacher began with distinctive traits—such as the pitch-black eyes of low-level believers, the peculiar hierarchy among believers, and most of the outward characteristics Xu Zhi already knew.
“Take note: unlike other attributes, which repel one another and are absolutely incompatible, the Cup is unique—and the most dangerous. It possesses corrosive properties.”
“I’ve said before that the Cup attribute cannot be called an extraordinary path. That is because once someone awakens the Cup attribute, their self-awareness ceases to exist. They become completely reduced to a believer of the Cup. Their past memories, human ethics and moral values, even their sense of self and soul—none of it remains. They can no longer be called human. Therefore, they cannot be called extraordinary individuals.”
“However, even as extraordinary individuals, under certain circumstances we can be infected by the Cup—transforming from extraordinary into believers. This is something no other attribute can accomplish. And once the corrosion is complete, it is irreversible.”
Once complete.
Which meant that if the transformation was not yet finished, there might still be hope.
“Of course, this alone was not enough for the extraordinary world of the past to fear the Cup to the extent of eradicating it entirely. The most evil and intolerable aspect of the Cup is this—”
“They feed on flesh and blood.”
“Human flesh and blood, in particular. Even more so, the flesh and blood of extraordinary individuals is considered the finest delicacy to them. Consuming living beings grants them power, repairs their bodies, or simply satisfies hunger.”
“Thus, they are the natural enemy of all living creatures.”
The teacher’s words fell, and several students exchanged looks of disbelief.
They had never imagined such a… “special” attribute.
Was the [Cup] truly just another extraordinary attribute?
“We’re informing you in advance because once the Cup reappears, no one can say how many believers might still be lurking in the shadows. No one knows what they are planning or where danger may emerge from. But one thing is certain—the Cup will never do anything good. On the contrary, they are devoted to destroying all order in the world.”
“So during the upcoming intercollegiate league, you must be extra cautious.”
“And of all times, the league lowered its entry threshold. Who knows whether certain things might slip in unnoticed?”
“Remember—stay away from anything red that emits an ominous aura or the scent of blood!”
If the [Cup] wished to expand its influence, it would have to preach and convert more believers. What better occasion to cause chaos than the league?
But…
Xu Zhi thought of the blood offerings that had suddenly appeared in her room.
Was there a connection between that and the [Cup] finally “openly” reappearing in the world?
“Additionally, I’ll briefly explain another distinctive feature of the Cup.”
“Their method of advancement differs from that of ordinary extraordinary individuals.”
“They do not follow the conventional progression path. Some believers of the Cup are born extremely powerful, though they do claim to have their own system.”
“The lowest rank is called the Fanatic. They possess no rationality—only strong physical bodies. They exist purely as tools and cannon fodder.”
“Next are the Absolved. Believers at this stage possess rationality and extraordinary abilities. The gap in strength at this level is significant. Roughly speaking, they range from Tier Three Comprehension to early Long-Lived.”
“Above that are the Envoys. It is said that believers at this stage can hear the voice of the Cup. Their strength ranges from Long-Lived Second Tier to Named. Some Envoys are even capable of standing toe-to-toe with powerful Named.”
“Above them lie the most special existences within the Cup’s path.”
Xu Zhi’s gaze shifted slightly. She had a feeling she knew what the teacher was about to say.
“Archbishops.”
“Unlike our Named, of whom there can be many—each walking the path toward Ascension—the Cup’s believers, though many Envoys may be Named, have something particularly unique: the Archbishops.”
“If one must describe them, Archbishops are the Cup’s most loyal hounds. They possess immense strength and status. They can directly converse with the Cup and command all believers beneath them.”
“Furthermore, the number of Archbishops is limited—generally no more than ten.”
“These Archbishops can often rival the strongest Named. In fact, due to the peculiar vitality of the Cup attribute, they are especially difficult to deal with.”
So Archbishops were that formidable?
“There is one similarity with our extraordinary system. Once Cup believers enter the Envoy stage, they will receive their own name. The same applies to Archbishops. Usually, if we learn the name of even one Archbishop, we can deduce how many exist in that generation and what their names are.”
“For example, in the last era—when the Cup was completely eradicated—there were seven Archbishops.”
The teacher did not specify which seven.
But Xu Zhi knew.
“And beyond that—”
The teacher’s tone shifted, as if she were about to reveal something of great importance. Her gaze slowly swept across the seven students below.
“You all know that extraordinary individuals pursue power, radiance, supreme authority. All of this can be summed up in one phrase—”
“Ascension!”
“To become a god is the ultimate destination of this path. But each attribute has only one Ascension slot—only one god.”
As she spoke, complex circuits engraved into the classroom walls, floor, and ceiling suddenly lit up. They seemed to be warding off something—or concealing something.
“The Named possess the qualification to enter the final competition. But above the Named, there exists an even more special position.”
[Proxy]
“One who acts on behalf of a god’s authority, carries out Their will, and walks the mortal world in Their stead—that is called a Proxy.”
“Each attribute has only one Proxy. They are the ones closest to godhood—the god’s right hand—and the closest to Ascension.”
Xu Zhi’s expression remained calm, but her heart trembled faintly.
She had never heard any of this before.
Yet as the teacher explained, the path she had been walking—dimly and half-blindly—suddenly became clearer.
It was as though she could finally see, through the fog, the end of the road and the milestones along the way.
Ascension.
An interesting term.
Perhaps she could try for it.
The teacher did not pause, as if determined to tell them everything at once.
“You are the most outstanding and talented students of this generation. You could even be called the future of the Light Institute. Normally, you would only learn these things after graduation. But there is no time.”
“No one expected the Cup to reappear so suddenly. You must learn this in advance.”
“And remember—within the Cup, there is also such a figure.”
“It is called—”
“The Archbishop.”
“Every time the Cup is born into a new era, a Archbishop will inevitably appear. Now that the Cup has reemerged before the public eye, it means that the Archbishop already exists in this world.”
