Chapter 16

After agreeing to meet a little later, Dr. Schneider gave Shade a file bag containing the academy’s information. He then hurriedly left the room, looking as if he truly had something to do.

After the doctor left, Shade did not open the file bag but instead leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. As he had said, he could not make a decision immediately. He summarized the events of the day, recalling every detail in his memory:

"The worst-case scenario is that everything is a scam, and the doctor is actually a cultist trying to recruit me for a sacrifice. But that’s unlikely."

He patted his head, thinking to himself:

"What do you think?"

[You can trust him.]

"But can I trust you? For example, can you tell me who you really are?"

[I am you.]

"You are definitely not another part of my inner self as a Ring Mage. I’m sure of that."

Shade looked at the ceiling pattern made of colors and geometric shapes with a melancholic expression, then at the rather nice crystal chandelier. He speculated about Mr. Bill Schneider’s income and realized how much gold pounds it would amount to.

"Regardless, the information in my hands is still too little, or rather, there is no information channel, so I can only listen to others."

In Shade’s mind, the doctor was trustworthy. All the information from this morning until now had not contradicted or been illogical.

Moreover, the doctor was right; it was not easy to find a force willing to guide ordinary people into the extraordinary and mysterious. Shade had already gained a preliminary understanding of this era, where the extraordinary and the mysterious were not prominent, and the light of human civilization had allowed the steam industry to flourish. The mysterious and the extraordinary were just a small part of the shadow of civilization.

From this perspective, Shade was grateful to the doctor. The doctor had revealed those valuable pieces of knowledge without asking for any money.

Shade knew he was interested in St. Baryons Comprehensive Academy, and he would not deny it. The three major Magic Academies and the five orthodox divine churches were the only official paths to becoming a Ring Mage, and he would only consider these options.

The academy and the church each had their pros and cons, and now the academy had approached him first. Moreover, Shade was also concerned about his identity as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "transmigrator" or "穿越者" in this context). Compared to the relatively loose management of Ring Mages, the church was more likely to see through his identity, especially since the doctor had explicitly said that gods truly exist.

He did not yet know the power of the deities, but he could not rule out the possibility that they were "omniscient."

"I can accept St. Baryons Comprehensive Academy, but I still need to see what information the so-called [Relic] can provide."

He made up his mind, knowing that this choice might not be the best, but he would not regret it. It was his own decision.

"Let’s take a look at this."

Just as he was about to open the file bag, the door suddenly opened. Since it was opened without knocking, Shade thought the doctor had returned early. However, the person who opened the door was a young woman, and she was also surprised to see Shade sitting there.

"Sorry, I thought Dr. Schneider—"

She looked to be around 20 years old, the most beautiful girl Shade had seen since coming to this world. She had long golden hair and green eyes, a genuine "blonde with blue eyes." She seemed very quiet, like a student or a teacher. She was wearing a simple dark blue dress, and her only accessory was a butterfly-shaped hair clip.

"Sorry."

The blonde lady apologized immediately after her surprise. She was about to close the door again but paused, her emerald eyes looking at Shade with some confusion, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

"Is that glow a sign that you are a Talent Awakened?"

Now Shade understood why the doctor had noticed him at the newspaper office yesterday. It seemed that the vision of a Ring Mage was different from that of an ordinary person.

"Really a Talent Awakened?"

Although surprised, the blonde lady remained calm. She looked at Shade with her beautiful eyes, a smile forming on her lips.

"Bill actually found a Talent Awakened? When did he get so lucky? Did he use some strange [Relic] to advance his luck?"

"I—"

Shade wanted to say something, but she shook her head at him.

"Sorry, only the fifth-year doctor in our group has the right to recruit, so I can’t reveal any information to you before you officially enroll. It’s part of our contract with the academy, and we must follow the rules."

She took a step back, holding the door handle, a kind smile on her face.

"But the conditions at St. Baryons Comprehensive Academy are really good. It’s quite lucky that you met the doctor within 72 hours. You can think about it carefully. Oh, and if you really join St. Baryons, remember, don’t choose the Chemistry Department."

With that, she nodded and closed the door from the outside.

"One of the four people in Dr. Bill Schneider’s correspondence Ring Mage group—was this really a coincidence, or was it a performance for me?"

Sometimes Shade thought he had a suspicious mind, but in a completely unfamiliar world, he believed this would help him survive better.

"But a school that teaches mysticism actually has a Chemistry Department?"

He untied the string of the file bag and saw the more detailed information about the academy. On top was the promotional page the doctor had shown him this morning, followed by the actual admission documents of the academy.

Shade flipped through the thick stack of documents, finally understanding. St. Baryons Comprehensive Academy had 10 specialized colleges, each with different learning methods and professional knowledge—

- Chemistry College, specializing in herbal and potion making;

- Mechanical College, skilled in psychic abilities, cultivating alchemical abilities;

- Astronomy College, the training ground for diviners and astrologers;

- Ancient Literature College, interpreting and analyzing spirit runes and ancient languages;

- Mathematics College, the college of rituals, spells, and magic;

- Folklore College, researching the history before the Sixth Age, collecting ancient and modern literature, proficient in the [Inspiration] element;

- History College, training investigators and time-travelers, proficient in the [Blasphemy] element;

- Library Management College, training keepers and guardians, responsible for containing [Relics], the strongest department of St. Baryons Comprehensive Academy, proficient in the [Whisper] element;

- Theology College, teaching theology, researching the history of old gods, proficient in the [Miracle] element, and usually responsible for cooperation with the orthodox divine churches;

- Political and Economic College, not open to correspondence Ring Mages, so there was no information.

The reason for using ordinary academic names for the specialized colleges under St. Baryons, rather than simple names like "Containment College" or "Magic College," was to allow correspondence Ring Mages to reasonably explain their studies in the ordinary world, reducing the possibility of the academy being exposed to the public.

It was through these documents that Shade realized the doctor had omitted some important details in his explanation of the Ring Mage system.

For example, once a Ring Mage is fully awakened, they will generate a spirit rune based on their soul’s characteristics, also known as the "core rune."

The core rune is engraved in the central hollow of the Ring of Destiny, not on the ring itself, which is related to the advancement of the Ring Mage. The content of the core rune is also the basis for the academy’s recommendation of a specialized college.

For example, Dr. Schneider, Shade guessed, likely had a core rune related to "psychic" abilities, so he probably belonged to the Mechanical College.

"So, before becoming a Ring Mage, I can’t decide what I will study. But, can I actually travel through time?"

He shook his head, feeling the culture and system of this steam age again through these admission documents.

He carefully flipped through them, carefully noting down important information, and then put the documents back into the bag. He got up to place it on the desk in the reception room.

This reception room was only for important guests, and the desk was scattered with many papers. The doctor probably hadn’t had time to tidy up, and he wasn’t afraid that Shade would snoop, as most of the papers were about the clinic’s operations, and a few were not in the common language of the Northern Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Shade, for some reason, could actually understand those strange characters. He indeed had the special ability to understand writing.