Surviving As A Cannon Fodder

Chapter 166

High Priest Thesser was the only one who performed the blessing while the rest of the priests prayed to Goddess Eir.

Unlike the first time when she felt an electric charge run through her body, as High Priest Thesser held her hands, Angelica felt a warm sensation envelop her.

The sense of holy power differed from person to person. For some it felt like the gentle breeze of the wind, for others, it was the warm embrace of the sun, and so on.

For Angelica, it was much like the feeling of being kissed by the first rays of the sun. 

The holy power was far more intense compared to before yet at the same time, it was soothing in its own way.

Angelica opened her eyes that she had unconsciously closed. For what seemed like minutes holy power channeled toward her heart, and before she knew it an entire hour had run by. At the end of which she sensed a weight being lifted off from her body.

'So this is holy power'

Angelica stared at her empty hands in disbelief. As someone who had been on death's more than once, she could understand the significance of holy power in this world.

With enough holy power, a person on the verge of death could be brought back to life much like herself.

"I had a mana outbreak. I know I did. But... I don't have any mana. At least I didn't until that day in Parthellam"

Angelica clenched her fist and turned her gaze toward High Priest Thesser.

"How is that possible? Can mana manifest like that? Just out of the blue?"

"Hmm..."

High Priest Thesser stroked his beard thoughtfully. His brows creased into a frown as if he was contemplating what to say.

"Mana manifests from the soul just like how holy power flows through us clergymen. It is the very essence of life. Even if the vessel changes, the soul perseveres through each cycle of life and so does the essence in it from one incarnation to another"

"So you are saying... I had mana the entire time? Genie in the bottle?" 

Angelica did not appear convinced by his response. Rather, she had more questions than before.

"That is correct. Though I do not know about the genie you speak of" High Priest Thesser elaborated,

"The amount of mana within a soul may vary. For example, for some lifeforms mana is like a droplet of water, mages have mana that could amount to a lake or a river. But yours on the other hand is more akin to an ocean. The possibility of your mana manifesting out of the blue as you said is closer to impossible than any other"

'Akin to an ocean?' 

The thought of her mana being compared to an ocean did not sit right with Angelica. If she had such a vast quantity of mana, would she not have been a mage by now?

It was a known fact that mages were held with high prestige in Orion. A person with such a high intensity of mana would have long been coveted by the mage tower. 

Moreover, from childhood to adulthood, Angelica was surrounded by people with deep roots in magic. Thus, one way or another, it would have been discovered.

Angelica felt a pit in her stomach. Since this was not a topic to be discussed with the priests she barely knew, she chose to end the discussion there.

"I understand"

However, the gloomy look on her face did not go unnoticed by High Priest Thesser.

"Do not worry my child. Wounds of the heart need time to heal"