Chapter 13

The two arrived at the second floor, which was also covered in dust. Without heading to the third floor, they looked down the corridor. On one side of the corridor were windows, and on the other side was a row of rooms. The main building of the sanatorium was in the shape of a concave, and at this moment, the two were in the middle of the long side.

The doctor said:

"Miracle, if you can engrave the [Miracle] spirit rune, it will definitely be a golden spirit rune. All [Miracles] come from the stories and powers of the gods. Remember, the five major benevolent gods are the only remaining benevolent gods."

"Only remaining?"

Xiaode was good at grasping the key points and understood the reason for his first encounter with "Miracle."

"Yes, in the past, there were many gods. If you join the academy, you will learn about this in the basic courses of the Theological College. But most of the powerful gods of the past have disappeared, perhaps fallen, perhaps left, or perhaps sealed. In any case, only five benevolent gods remain, known as the righteous gods. And gods can interfere with the material world, not just as symbols. Do not treat them as powerful ring mages; they are true high-dimensional beings. I hope you understand what I mean."

Xiaode's lips twitched; he certainly understood.

"The ring mages of the righteous gods' church mostly specialize in the [Miracle] element. But besides the righteous gods, the old gods of the past have left many traces in the world. By coming into contact with these traces and learning the stories of the old gods, with the help of 'the other me,' you can also extract [Miracle] spirit runes."

The doctor finally mentioned the "voice in the mind" that is essential for ring mages.

"The voice in your mind is actually another you, not the real you, but indeed you."

The doctor emphasized this concept again, and Xiaode heard the woman's laughter in his mind once more.

"This is the [Miracle] spirit rune I engraved at the first ring."

Behind the doctor, white mist appeared again, revealing part of the bronze fate ring, and a golden spirit rune became visible.

Xiaode endured the pain in his temples and interpreted the rune, which meant [Dust]; he had seen it once before.

"The old god [Dust God], also known as [World Serpent], left this miracle. I learned about His story through the academy and thus obtained the spirit rune."

The golden light flickered and illuminated the ground in front of them, and a series of footprints appeared:

"But I am not suitable for this miracle and have only developed such a simple spell. The power developed from the spirit rune is called a spell, and the general power of ring mages is called a curse. This will be explained in the course."

The two followed the footprints forward, and it seemed their goal was on the second floor.

"But you must remember, gods are dangerous. It's not that they have ill will toward humans, but their status is too high. Coming into contact with any information related to the gods may cause harm due to the oppression of their essence, just like looking directly at the sun can damage your eyes."

The doctor warned and continued:

"Blasphemy, if you can engrave the [Blasphemy] spirit rune, it will definitely be a silver spirit rune. All [Blasphemy] comes from impure concepts and evil gods. But remember, not the five righteous gods, not the old gods who have disappeared, but the existing old gods.

The old gods that have survived to the present, besides the five powerful benevolent gods, include a few evil gods. But these gods are relatively weak, terrifying things born from concepts and blasphemy. They are truly gods, recognized by the righteous gods' church. However, their power is far weaker than that of the righteous gods.

This is not the self-praise of the righteous gods' church, but a fact."

"So, the righteous gods are the powerful benevolent gods recognized and existing, the old gods are the benevolent and malevolent gods who have disappeared, and the existing evil gods. Are the evil gods very terrifying?"

Xiaode summarized.

"Of course, they are very terrifying. Although they are relatively weaker than the five righteous gods, for ordinary people, even knowing their power can drive them mad. The main task of the church is to suppress the occasional appearance of evil gods and the constant appearance of heretics. But the [Blasphemy] spirit rune is not rejected; besides the evil gods, some knowledge from the Fourth Age can also extract [Blasphemy]. Secret books record those terrifying stories. This is also the mainstream way to extract the [Blasphemy] element. Both [Miracle] and [Blasphemy] are related to the gods and are necessarily related to the gods."

It is currently the Sixth Age, a fact not recorded in any book Xiaode has read, as books and calendars only record years. But Xiaode knew it was the Sixth Age, as the voice in his mind explained this when it first appeared.

This seemed to further highlight the special nature of the other party.

"It is now the Sixth Age, and the Fourth Age was an age of darkness and chaos, extremely terrifying."

The doctor whispered, as if afraid to disturb something. Behind him, a silver spirit rune flickered, still only revealing part of the fate ring. Xiaode interpreted the beautiful rune as [Emotion].

"[Emotion], a very powerful spirit rune, originating from a terrifying story in the Fourth Age. I still remember it vividly. I have developed multiple spells from this element, the simplest of which is to detect surrounding creatures with emotions."

The silver light flickered on the bronze fate ring, and the doctor had an answer:

"He is inside, in fear. It seems he knows we are here."

The enemy could not possibly be unaware, as the doctor made no effort to hide his voice.

"If the voice in your mind continuously reminds you of [Blasphemy] nearby, don't think, just turn and run. This element is very lethal."

The doctor continued to impart basic knowledge as they moved forward. Xiaode also understood why he had only encountered [Blasphemy].

"Enlightenment, if you can engrave the [Enlightenment] spirit rune, it will definitely be a bronze spirit rune. All [Enlightenment] comes from civilization itself. Yes, civilization, historical legends, religions, and hero stories, even fictional knight adventure novels, can extract [Enlightenment] through certain mediums. This is the element of civilization, symbolizing the light of our world."

Although it sounds easy, it's definitely not as simple as reading a knight novel.

The spark produced by the foreigner's observation of the world was the reason for his contact with the [Enlightenment] element at his doorstep.

"Moreover, it's not just our civilization, not just human civilization, but even the civilizations of past ages. [Enlightenment] can coexist with [Blasphemy] and [Miracle], as the history of civilization cannot be without the power of the gods, and the gods have never taken their eyes off civilization."

Behind the doctor, the mist revealed another corner of the fate ring, and the bronze rune [Dream] became visible:

"This is the spirit rune [Dream]. I can't explain its origin for now, but I have a good affinity with it. I am about to use a spell to put the other party to sleep."

A faint light spread out, and although Xiaode couldn't see the specific effect, he believed the doctor wouldn't fail.

They finally stopped moving forward and turned into a room with no signs. The room was clean, but no one was in sight.

The doctor was calm:

"Finally, Whisper, if you can engrave the [Whisper] spirit rune, it will definitely be a black iron spirit rune. [Whisper] has a wide range of sources. Generally, [Enlightenment] is the light of civilization, so [Whisper] is the darkness of the world. Whisper is almost a natural phenomenon, echoing throughout the material world. It can be obtained by coming into contact with the knowledge of evil gods or [Relics]."

The detective died due to a [Relic], which is why Xiaode could contact the [Whisper] element when the detective died.

The black iron rune revealed its meaning as [False Reality], the most complex of the four spirit runes the doctor displayed.

"This spirit rune was obtained a year ago when I resolved a Level 3 [Relic] incident, the Keeper level. I don't fully understand its power, but I mainly use it to dispel illusions."

Under the light of the black iron rune, the clean room gradually revealed its true appearance. Newspapers and wooden boards sealed the drafty windows, and the floor and walls were covered in what looked like blood, emitting a foul odor. Glass containers filled with human organs were scattered on the floor, arranged like an exhibition.

After the disguise disappeared, the bloody smell hit them. Xiaode's stomach churned, finally understanding why the doctor deliberately didn't let him eat breakfast.

Enduring the intense discomfort and mental pressure, Xiaode's eyes swept over the room, which was almost turning red, and saw a young man sleeping soundly in the corner.

He didn't look like a homeless person but more like a student, with clean clothes, a gentle appearance, and proper attire. He was holding a gun in one hand and a bronze box in the other, slumped there.

"Bide Morod, 19 years old, a student at the Rolax Mechanical College in Tobask City. A year ago, he accidentally came into contact with a Level 5, Poet-level [Relic] and was driven mad by the [Whisper] element within it. His personality changed drastically, and he gradually became a kidnapper and murderer of young women. This world is ultimately too dangerous for ordinary people."

"So, what exactly is a [Relic]?"

Xiaode controlled his fear of the scene and suppressed his urge to vomit. The doctor remained calm, either very good at controlling his emotions or used to such scenes. Neither of them stepped into the room.

"[Relics] are remnants of the past, curses from the first five ages, some naturally formed, some created by powerful beings of the past.

Remember, only the first five ages can produce [Relics]. There are no records of [Relics] from our current Sixth Age. But if you can discover one, it might be enough for a whole year's practical credits. [Relics] are easily distinguishable from other alchemical items, as only they can be attached with the [Whisper] element. There is no way for humans to attach the [Whisper] element to items."

The two looked at the metal box in young Morod's hands, which was the [Relic].