Chapter 21

"Current employment?"

Upon hearing the doctor's words, Xade suddenly became nervous; he hadn't expected such a direct approach:

"Here?"

"Of course, is there a problem with the doctor's clinic? And isn't it almost 72 hours?"

Miss Louisa, the blonde writer, was confused, but Dr. Schneider understood what Xade was trying to express:

"Of course, here. Oh, Xade, let me emphasize this again.

Remember, we are correspondence Circumventers. The Saint Baryons Comprehensive Institute has no special emotional connection to us, only responsibilities and obligations. Do you understand? As for helping you, it's because I need a fifth Circumventer in the group, and introducing new Circumventers to the institute will earn rewards. It's not because I'm a kind person."

The doctor looked at Xade seriously, his blue eyes filled with a warning:

"You have no common sense about this world, so I give you the most important warning: don't easily trust others."

"He's actually a good person, but he's always so strict."

The lady beside him shook her head and said.

Xade nodded cautiously, but he also agreed with the writer's opinion. Dr. Schneider was a decent person, at least for now.

"Louisa, you only need to observe the next process to prevent any unexpected incidents. Please don't speak."

"No problem, we've gone through this process twice before, when Annette and Augustus were employed, wasn't it the same?"

The writer said, gesturing for Xade to pay attention.

"Talent awakening requires contact with four elements, which is very difficult for an ordinary person who knows nothing.

Now it's the Sixth Era, not the chaotic Fourth Era, not the Fifth Era ruled by the Witch Empresses. In this era of the extraordinary, steam and machinery are the themes, and there is not much mystery. Even if you know that mysteries exist, it's hard to come into contact with them. Moreover, the dangers of contacting mysteries are beyond the imagination of ordinary people."

The doctor extended four fingers:

"So, Xade, how many of the four elements have you come into contact with so far?"

"Only the [Blasphemy] related to the evil gods is missing."

Xade spoke the truth, and Dr. Schneider didn't ask further:

"Look at my life ring."

Three silver runes flashed simultaneously, and Xade interpreted their meanings as [Rage], [Mud in the Heart], and [Malice].

"You have come into contact with 'Blasphemy.'"

Following this sentence, a whispering voice recited another line:

"In the Sixth Era, the Common Calendar year 1853, summer, on the day of the Silver Moon's Dark Radiance, you have come into contact with all four elements. Stranger, the door to the extraordinary is about to open, and the path of sublimation lies ahead."

"Did 'the other you' give you any hints?"

The doctor let the life ring behind him dissipate into steam and then asked.

"Yes, it gave me a hint, telling me that I have come into contact with all the elements, and the door to the extraordinary is about to open."

The doctor nodded in satisfaction:

"The 'other you' is the core of the Circumventer system. It is the reverse side of your soul, it is you, but it is not you. It shares knowledge and memories with you. However, it can perceive and see more, so it can serve as a bridge between Circumventers and the world, avoiding direct contact with knowledge and information that can pollute the soul. I will repeat this again, I hope you can remember it well."

"Does that mean the 'other me' cannot know what I don't know?"

Xade's heart stirred, and he asked this question.

The doctor nodded affirmatively, and Xade blinked. He had long suspected that his 'other me' was definitely not normal.

"That is actually you, but you don't know. It is the same gender as you, so the voice in my mind is male, and the voice in Louisa's mind is female."

The lady beside him nodded in confirmation.

"It shares the same memories as you, but it doesn't need to sleep, so it might know more about the night. However, fundamentally, you and the 'other you' are just different in thinking and perspective, so sometimes you might hear inexplicable words. It can see more from the ordinary world."

The doctor continued, and Xade blinked again.

In his heart, the woman's light laughter seemed to nourish his soul, driving away the last bit of influence from the poet-level relic.

"Who are you?"

He asked in his mind.

"Stranger, at least for now, I am you."

"Collecting elements" is just the first step. After that, there are four more steps: "ringing the bell," "lighting the fire," "pushing," and "singing." The complete five steps are the most orthodox Circumventer awakening process, used by the orthodox church and the three major colleges.

"Ringing the bell" refers to shocking the soul, allowing the soul to undergo its initial sublimation. This step sounds complicated, but it's actually just drinking a magic potion.

The three major magical colleges and the five orthodox churches have different formulas for the "bell-ringing potion." The doctor said that the potion from the Sercyse Higher Medical College is said to be the best-tasting, orange-flavored, and very sweet; while the potion from the orthodox god [Lord of All Things]'s [Church of Nature and Malice] is the hardest to drink, somewhat like chewing on tree bark.

The college sent the "bell-ringing potion" directly via manuscript, a conical glass bottle containing purple, bubbling liquid. It felt cold to the touch but warm when drunk.

But Xade thought he didn't taste anything.

"Look behind you."

The doctor reminded him.

Xade swallowed the last sip, wiped his mouth, put down the bottle, and turned around. A layer of white mist had already formed behind him, and he could faintly hear the sound of a bell, but it wasn't clear.

He indeed felt the so-called vibration of the soul, but it could also be a hallucination caused by drinking too quickly.

"Lighting the fire" refers to igniting the collected four elements, causing the initial spark of the soul to ignite. This step only requires the assistance of a Circumventer of the third ring or higher and some skills. The doctor touched Xade's forehead with his right index finger, and as a cold current slowly entered Xade's body, the bell sound became clearer.

He turned his head, and the dense white mist behind him became hot, the steam deepened, and it seemed to contain countless possibilities.

"Pushing" refers to allowing the soul to drive the weak spark that has been ignited, making the Circumventer perceive the spirit and have the ability to manipulate the four elements. Specifically, Xade needed to feel the power, the idealistic power of the mind influencing matter.

So, Dr. Schneider brought a book without a cover:

"For Circumventers, there are multiple ways to come into contact with the four elements. However, the method of inscribing [Spirit Runes] in one's life ring is not encouraged to involve contact with deities, mysteries, or the bizarre. Although this can be done, it is quite dangerous. The orthodox training method is to read books, read past stories, and other methods can be considered as relying on luck."

"Reading books?"

This reminded Xade again that the extraordinary organization he joined was a school.

"Yes, churches, colleges, and a few Circumventer organizations have some special books that record dangerous knowledge and stories from past eras. These books are copied by hand and translated from dangerous ancient languages into contemporary languages, weakening their power. Therefore, reading the original or books that have been copied or translated only once is the best method for Circumventers to inscribe spirit runes. For you, this is enough to make you feel your own power."

He handed the book to Xade:

"This is the first volume of the hand-copied 'Book of Fire,' and it is a version that has been copied at least six times from the original, making it the least dangerous book I have. Spend half an hour reading it completely, and you can ask me about any words you don't understand."

So, Xade spent another half an hour reading the book, equating the advancement of his future extraordinary path with studying. He had to maintain his current identity, so he could only ask about a few words at a time.

During this period, the doctor and the writer lady remained sufficiently quiet, knowing that this was an important moment for Xade.

"Finished reading? What do you feel?"

The doctor asked.

"A bit warm."

Xade put down the book and answered cautiously.

"Light it."

The doctor gave Xade a piece of paper. Xade held it and waited for a few seconds, but when he realized the doctor had nothing else to say, he asked:

"Um, did we skip any steps, like incantations or gestures?"

"Don't try to understand, just feel and guide this power. Unless your core spirit rune is something like [Extinguished Fire], this shouldn't be a problem."

So, Xade closed his eyes. Although his world didn't have the extraordinary, it had more knowledge and imagination. He closed his eyes, relaxed, and imagined the warm current inside his body flowing with his perception, eventually reaching his fingertips and bursting into sparks.

Opening his eyes, the paper in his fingers had already turned yellow due to the high temperature.

A huge rumbling sound came from the steam behind him, and a black shadow represented the hammer about to strike Xade's soul.

"The last step is the hymn. You need to acknowledge your identity and announce to the world that you have transcended the mundane."

The doctor's tone became serious at this moment.

"How do I do that?"

Xade was puzzled, his heart pounding. He understood that he was about to truly touch the extraordinary and enter the mysterious realm of the steam age.

"Just say something. When I did it, I said my name. Louisa recited a famous short poem, Mr. Lat Augustus prayed to a god, and Miss Louvia Annette whispered, so we don't know what she said."

For Xade at this moment, the doctor's words seemed to come from a distant place. He looked at the thick white steam behind him, seeing the hammer about to strike through the mist.

The woman's voice, reciting the whispered poem, sounded again.

So, almost in sync with the woman's whispered voice in his mind, Xade silently recited the declaration:

"In the Sixth Era, the Common Calendar year 1853, summer, on the day of the Silver Moon's Dark Radiance, I have come to this world, I have opened the door to the extraordinary, and I have stepped onto the path of sublimation through the four elements. Xade Suren Hamilton, the path of fate diverges at my feet, I will witness, I will experience, I will see all of this."

The giant hammer, carrying a huge wind pressure, swung out from the depths of the steam and struck behind Xade in the wind.

Boom~

The soul was impacted, sparks flew, and the elements overflowed. In the chaotic white steam, a strange, sun-like brass ring gradually became clear.

It rotated, splashing sparks in all directions, and the brass ring, glowing with high temperature, fully appeared in the steam.

At the center of the rapidly rotating ring, two brass core runes, symbolizing Xade's future—

[Time and Space] [Silver Moon].