Together, they arrived at the Church of the Goddess of Light, the place where they had first entered this world. The building still looked imposing; its gothic architecture made it stand out among the many other structures surrounding the block.

They climbed the wide staircase until they stood before the massive broken double wooden doors. There, Ellegaard stopped and looked at Mitsuki.

"We’ll use this place since it has a high spiritual concentration due to the prayers offered to the Goddess of Light."

"That makes sense," Mitsuki muttered.

Ellegaard tapped the door with her magical staff, and it opened. She walked forward, and Mitsuki followed behind her.

"In ancient times, before the Four Great Mysteries, churches were used to pray to the gods, especially the ones who were benevolent toward people. Since it turns out you’re not from our world, maybe these are things your tiny brain can’t comprehend."

"There are churches in my world too, and humanity believes in hundreds of gods, but none of them have shown their existence the way they have in this world."

"How ridiculous. Why would people in your world believe in something whose existence they can’t confirm?"

"I don’t know. That’s just how people are, I guess."

Ellegaard shook her head and kept walking. Once they reached the area where the statues that formed that ominous wall were supposed to be, all they found was a massive pile of ash.

Ellegaard seemed indifferent to it, but Mitsuki became thoughtful.

’They vanished... Could it be because the curse no longer exists in the kingdom?’

There was no way for him to know since he hadn’t even been able to see what happened in Holylight after his intervention.

In any case, he pushed those thoughts aside and continued until they reached the transportation magic circle. Once there, the elf raised her staff, and the cathedral’s great windows shattered into tiny crystals that took the shape of colorful crystalline butterflies.

The butterflies gracefully and delicately fluttered toward the floor. When their fragile wings touched the ground, they turned back into shattered glass that scattered along the sides of the walls.

Sunlight poured into the cathedral through the windows, giving a better view of the once gloomy establishment.

Mitsuki assumed she had used such a beautiful spell to keep the glass from bouncing everywhere, but he also thought she probably just did it to show off. What little he knew about this woman told him that much.

"Stand in the center of the circle," she said.

Mitsuki calmly obeyed. He positioned himself in the middle of the bright and ethereal magic circle. A strange chill ran through his bones, like the soft touch of that World of Ethereals they had visited before.

"What else do I need to do?"

"Sit down and close your eyes. This will be similar to when you learned to perceive prana, but even more complicated."

"I see."

He sat down and closed his eyes. He heard Ellegaard approach him; she was only one or two steps away, making her presence feel quite overwhelming. Then her staff touched the ground with a soft wooden sound.

"We’ll start with the basics," Ellegaard said.

Her explanation was as follows:

[ The Vital Principle, as its name suggests, is what gives life to the body. It is the force that keeps physical existence functioning; what allows the heart to beat, the mind to think, and emotions to exist. Without the Vital Principle, the body becomes nothing more than an empty vessel. It is the part of the soul connected to consciousness, emotional impulses, and human rationality. It is also what defines a person’s mental state. When the Vital Principle weakens, the mind begins to fracture alongside it.

Spiritual Essence is different. It is not tied solely to the body, but to something far older and deeper: the very origin of the universe itself. It is the immortal part of the soul, a transcendental energy that exists beyond flesh and time. Spiritual Essence is what allows one to use magic, manipulate supernatural forces, and wield power that surpasses human limits. Every individual possesses a different Essence, shaped by their nature, emotions, and experiences. That is why no spiritual power is exactly the same as another.

While the Vital Principle sustains life, Spiritual Essence sustains power.

Both concepts exist together, functioning as a single structure. One keeps the body stable; the other allows it to transcend. Separating them would be like trying to divide a flame from its heat.

That is why, when someone says a soul is broken, they are not referring only to emotional damage. It means both the Vital Principle and the Spiritual Essence have fractured simultaneously.

A person with a broken soul may continue living, but they will never feel whole again. Some lose the ability to feel empathy. Others watch their emotions slowly fade until they become empty shells. And in extreme cases, the spiritual fracture alters the individual’s very essence, distorting their powers or consuming them from within. ]

Mitsuki already understood it, but this information was far more complete than what Monar had explained before. It even sounded worse than he had imagined, but there was a solution for it... right?

"To heal the soul, you must first understand it," she said while pointing her magical staff at Mitsuki. "And now that you understand the concepts, the difficult part begins: controlling those concepts."

"And how do I do that? Is there something specific I need to do?"

"Spiritual Essence... You’ll have to support your soul with your power. It’s easier than starting with the Vital Principle, so you’ll need to focus."

Mitsuki nodded.

"Learning to do this could take days... weeks, months... even years, but since you’re the Herald of the Nameless One, you already possess the ability to adapt quickly. That’s why I think you may be able to do this fast; faster than anyone."

’Why so many compliments? This is starting to feel suspicious.’

It was, but Ellegaard had no such intention. In fact, she was being completely serious about it, something Mitsuki couldn’t notice.

"Use your prana perception. Visualize the energy particles filling this world."

Mitsuki nodded.

[ The skill "Prana Perception Lv. 2" has activated. ]

[ The skill "Prana Perception" has leveled up. ]

[ The seal of a locked skill has begun to tremble. ]