Chapter 11: The Chalice

Chapter 11: The Chalice

Inside the inn’s modest guest room, Dorothy sat quietly in a wooden chair, her brows slightly furrowed as she studied the booklet in her hands. Her eyes traced the handwritten text with utmost focus, her thoughts wandering through the strange knowledge laid out before her.

“Six kinds of spirituality… huh?”

"Lantern," "Shadow," "Stone," "Chalice," "Silence," and "Revelation."

According to the booklet, every single thing in this world—seen or unseen, known or unknown—contained a form of spirituality. And this spirituality manifested in six attributes, each abstract, ill-defined, and lacking a standardized name. The booklet only offered brief descriptions for each.

If spirituality truly divided into six types, did that mean there were six paths toward the extraordinary?

The booklet seemed to lavish particular praise on one of them—the spirituality of the Chalice.

“Could it be… the path that organization walks is based on the Chalice?”

The word "Blood Chalice," and similar terms, had appeared before—in Eldrick’s letters. Back then, she hadn’t understood what they meant, assuming it was some secret code or rallying cry used by the group. That’s why, when she forged the letter to the Serenity Bureau, she’d deliberately included mentions of the “Chalice,” hoping it would catch their attention.

Now, it seemed, the “Chalice” was far more than a slogan.

It could very well be the source of their supernatural power.

With this new understanding, Dorothy continued reading the booklet laid on the desk, flipping carefully to the next pages. After the section on spirituality, the text delved deeper…

. . . . . . .

To set foot on the path to beyond, one must first choose a single type of spirituality. Selecting and consuming a specific spirituality was considered the first step for any who sought elevation.

Of course, don't assume that the world beyond only contains six paths—these six are merely the beginning. What lies beyond… is not something you need to concern yourself with. Not yet.

There is no doubt—our society is built upon the spirituality of the Chalice. If you wish to join us, you too must partake of it.

You may ask:

Where does the Chalice’s spirituality reside?

As stated before, spirituality exists in all things—in objects both visible and invisible, in events, even in concepts. The only difference lies in its concentration.

And the spirituality of the Chalice is no exception.

The Chalice resides in life itself. It exists within you, within me, within every bird, every beast, every fish that swims.

In their blood.

In their flesh.

“Behold! The Chalice is everywhere! It surrounds you! It fills your vision!”

You may find yourself overwhelmed by the realization—thinking the Chalice’s essence is easy to obtain, scattered all around you.

But beware.

The spirituality within the meat and blood of ordinary beasts is thin, crude, and hard to digest. It is inefficient to consume.

Only we, the apex of all life—humans—Only our flesh and blood contains the richest, purest essence of the Chalice.

That flavor… unforgettable.

Incomparable.

. . . . . . .

Dorothy slammed the booklet shut, her breath catching slightly, heart thudding in her chest.

Her eyes locked on the faded, Chalice-shaped symbol embossed on the cover.

Her expression grew heavy—darker than before.

She was still trying to fully process what she had just read. After a few moments of silence, she reopened the book, flipping through the pages again, just to be sure.

There was no path of beyond described here.

Every page… every single crooked line of text scrawled across the paper…

It all repeated the same phrase:

"Praise the Blood Chalice."

No matter how she read it, no matter the angle—it all boiled down to the same horrifying meaning.

Cannibalism.

Yes, in the biological, literal sense of the word—Eating humans.

The introduction was over.

From this point onward, the rest of the booklet became a gruesome guide on how to extract the spirituality of the Chalice from human blood and flesh.

In simple terms:

How to consume humans to become extraordinary.

How to kill? How to prepare? How to eat? How to drain the blood? How to carve the flesh? How to debone?

Which parts are the most spiritually rich? Which ones are worthless?

There were even recipes—complete with additional materials to enhance flavor and spiritual absorption.

The booklet may have been thin, but it was disgustingly thorough.

To make things worse, it was filled with detailed diagrams—step-by-step illustrations so graphic and vivid that Dorothy felt her stomach churn violently.

This… This is a damn cannibal cult…!

By the time she reached this section, Dorothy finally had a rough grasp of what this mysterious organization was—and the true nature of the so-called "Spirituality of the Chalice."

More than anything, she felt a deep, cold relief that she hadn’t fallen into Eldrick’s hands.

She still didn’t know exactly what the organization wanted from her, but judging from this book… falling into the hands of a group that feeds on human flesh was a guaranteed nightmare.

“Phew… This world is far more dangerous than I thought…” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

It was now clearer why the government had established an agency like the Serenity Bureau. An organization like this—worshipping blood, eating humans in pursuit of power—they were nothing less than anti-human terrorists.

The spirituality of the Chalice was soaked in blood and cruelty.

Were there others who walked this path? Were all Chalice-seekers… cannibals?

And what about the other spiritualities—Lantern, Shadow, Stone… Did they have their own followers? Did they come with horrors of their own?

Trying to suppress the nausea rising in her throat, Dorothy rapidly flipped through the cannibal’s manual, scanning past the grim illustrations until she finally reached the end.

There—A few final paragraphs, written specifically for Eldrick.

. . . . . . .

Now… by this point, you should have gained a clear understanding of our glorious path. You must be eager to join us.

But don’t be hasty.

For someone like you—who already holds an extraordinary artifact, who possesses a certain level of social standing, and who has passed a crucial test—we have a special reward, as promised.

Open the small wooden box inside the crate. Your reward is within.

. . . . . . .

Dorothy froze. Her eyes slowly drifted toward the still-unopened wooden box lying inside the crate beside her.

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out, took the box into her hands, and carefully opened it.

What lay inside made her inhale sharply.

A small, sealed glass jar sat nestled in velvet lining. Inside it sloshed a thick, dark red liquid—blood, unmistakably.

And floating in that viscous fluid were three cleanly severed human fingers—each one cut mid-knuckle, pale and grotesque in the murky crimson.

“Monsters…” she muttered under her breath.

Next to the jar was a slip of paper.

Dorothy picked it up and began to read.

. . . . . . .

These three fingers are the result of a sacred, profound ritual. Each one contains the condensed Chalice spirituality extracted from three adult humans.

It is a rare and potent source of high-density spiritual essence.

Consume them all, and the Chalice’s spirituality within your body will reach the required threshold.

Once you’ve done so, come to us in Igwent, and we shall perform the Rite of Ascension.

You will be reborn as an initiate of the Chalice Path—your first stage of beyond:

“The Thirster.”

You shall become an Apprentice. One of us.

. . . . . . .

Dorothy lowered the note in stunned silence, her gaze slowly returning to the jar, to the lifeless human remains drifting in blood.

Eat all three… and I can cross into the extraordinary?

She stared at her own faint reflection on the glass jar’s surface.