Four Elements

The two of them arrived on the second floor, which was likewise covered in dust. Rather than heading to the Third Floor, they looked down the corridor. Windows lined one side, while a row of rooms occupied the other. The sanatorium's main building was U-shaped, and they were currently at the center of one of its longer wings.

The Doctor said:

"Miracle. If you can inscribe a Miracle Spirit Rune, it will certainly be a golden Spirit Rune. All miracles come from the stories and power of gods. Remember, the five Orthodox Gods are the only benevolent gods still remaining."

"The only ones?"

Shade was good at grasping the key point. He also understood why he had first come into contact with "Miracle."

"Yes. Many gods existed in past eras. If you join the Academy, this is covered in the Theology College's basic courses. But most of the powerful gods of the past have disappeared. Perhaps they fell, perhaps they departed, perhaps they were sealed away. In any case, only five Good Gods remain here, and they are called the Orthodox Gods. Moreover, gods can interfere with the Material World; they are not merely symbols. Do not regard them as powerful Ring Arcanists. They are truly higher-dimensional beings. I hope you understand what I mean."

Shade's lips twitched. Of course he understood.

"Most Ring Arcanists of the Orthodox Church specialize in the Miracle Element. But aside from the Orthodox Gods, the Old Gods of the past left many traces throughout the world. By coming into contact with those traces and learning the stories of the Old Gods, one can likewise extract Miracle Spirit Runes with the help of 'Another Me.'"

The Doctor had finally mentioned the "voice in one's head" essential to Ring Arcanists.

"The voice in your head is actually another you. It is the you who is not truly you, yet it is indeed you."

The Doctor emphasized the concept once more, while a woman's laughter again echoed in Shade's mind.

"This is the Miracle Spirit Rune I inscribed at one ring."

White mist appeared behind the Doctor again. Part of his brass Wheel of Fate emerged, revealing a golden Spirit Rune.

Enduring the pain in his temples, Shade interpreted the rune as well. Its meaning was dust. He had seen it once before.

"A miracle left behind by the Old God, the God of Dust, also known as the World Serpent. I learned Its story through the Academy's channels and thus obtained this Spirit Rune."

The golden light flickered and shone upon the floor ahead. A string of Footprints appeared before them.

"But I am not suited to this miracle, so I only developed such a simple Thaumaturgy. The powers developed from Spirit Runes are called Thaumaturgy, while the universal powers of Ring Arcanists are called spells. This will be introduced in class."

The two followed the Footprints forward. It Seemed their target was on the second floor.

"But remember, gods are dangerous. It is not that They bear malice toward humanity, but that Their very status is too high. Coming into contact with any information related to gods may harm you under the oppression of Their essence. It is like how staring at the sun damages one's eyes."

The Doctor reminded him, then continued:

"Blasphemy. If you can inscribe a Blasphemy Spirit Rune, it will certainly be a silver Spirit Rune. All blasphemies come from foul concepts and evil gods. But remember, not the five Orthodox Gods, not those vanished Old Gods, but the Old Gods that still exist.

"Among the gods of old who have survived to the present, aside from the five powerful Good Gods, there are also a small number of evil gods. But these gods are comparatively weak. They are terrifying things born from concepts and blasphemy. They truly are gods, gods acknowledged by the Orthodox Church. It is simply that Their power is far weaker than that of the Orthodox Gods.

"This is not the Orthodox Church boasting. It is fact."

"So, the Orthodox Gods are acknowledged, existing, powerful Good Gods. Old Gods include vanished Good Gods, evil gods, and the evil gods that still remain. Are evil gods frightening?"

Shade summarized.

"Of course they are frightening. Though They are weak compared to the five Orthodox Gods, ordinary people may go mad merely from learning of Their power. The Church's primary duty is to suppress the occasional evil god and the ever-present Cultists. But Blasphemy Spirit Runes are not rejected. Aside from evil gods, some knowledge from the Fourth Epoch can also yield Blasphemy. Secret books record those terrifying stories. This is also the mainstream way of extracting Blasphemy Elements. Both Miracle and Blasphemy are related to gods, and must be related to gods."

The present was the Sixth Epoch. None of the books Shade had seen recorded this; books and calendars only recorded years. But Shade knew it was the Sixth Epoch, because the voice in his head had explained this when it first appeared.

This seemed to once again demonstrate the other party's uniqueness.

"This is the Sixth Epoch, while the Fourth Epoch was an age of darkness and Chaos. It was terrifying, exceptionally terrifying."

The Doctor spoke softly, as though afraid of disturbing some existence. A silver Spirit Rune flickered amid the thick mist behind him, still revealing only part of the Wheel of Fate. Shade interpreted the beautiful rune as emotion.

"Emotion. A rather powerful Spirit Rune, originating from a terrifying story of the Fourth Epoch that I still cannot forget. I have developed several Thaumaturgies from this element. The simplest is detecting living creatures nearby that possess emotions."

Silver light flashed upon the brass Destiny Ring, and the Doctor had his answer.

"He's inside. He's afraid. Looks like he knows we've come."

Their enemy could not possibly fail to know. The Doctor had made no effort to conceal his voice.

"If the voice in your head keeps warning you that Blasphemy is nearby, do not think. Turn around and run immediately. This element is extremely lethal."

The Doctor continued explaining the basics as they moved forward. Shade also understood why he had only come into contact with "Blasphemy."

"Enlightenment. If you can inscribe an Enlightenment Spirit Rune, it will certainly be a brass-colored Spirit Rune. All Enlightenment comes from civilization itself. Yes, civilization. Historical legends, religion, heroic stories, even fictional Knight Novels and adventures can, through certain mediums, yield Enlightenment. This is the element of civilization, symbolizing the light of our world."

Though he made it sound easy, simply reading Knight Novels definitely would not be enough.

And the spark that arose the moment the outsider observed the world was precisely why he had come into contact with the "Enlightenment" Element at his doorstep.

"Moreover, not only our civilization, not even only human civilization. Civilizations from past eras can do so as well. Enlightenment may coexist with Blasphemy and Miracle. After all, the history of civilization cannot possibly lack the power of gods, and the gods have never taken Their eyes off civilization."

From the thick mist behind the Doctor, a corner of the Destiny Ring emerged once more, revealing the brass rune Sweet Dream.

"This is the Spirit Rune Sweet Dream. It is inconvenient to explain its origins for now. I have excellent affinity with it, and now I will use Thaumaturgy to make him enter a dream."

A faint glow spread out. Shade could not see its specific effect, but he believed the Doctor would not fail.

At last, they stopped advancing and turned into an unmarked room. It was clean, but there was no one in sight.

The Doctor remained unhurried.

"Lastly, Whisper. If you can inscribe a Whisper Spirit Rune, it will certainly be a black iron Spirit Rune. Whisper has a wide range of sources. The common view is that if Enlightenment is the light of civilization, then Whisper is the darkness of the world. Whisper is almost a natural phenomenon, echoing throughout the Material World. It is obtained through contact with the knowledge of evil gods and through contact with relics."

The Detective had died because of a relic, which was why Shade had been able to come into contact with the "Whisper" Element when he died.

A black iron rune appeared. Its meaning was False Reality, the most complex meaning among the four Spirit Runes the Doctor had displayed.

"This Spirit Rune was my reward for resolving a Keeper of Secrets Level, that is, a Level 3 relic incident, one year ago. I do not fully understand its power. At present, I mainly use it to dispel illusions."

Under the Radiance of the black iron rune, the clean room gradually revealed its true appearance. Newspapers and Wooden Boards sealed the drafty windows. The floor and walls looked as though they had been coated in blood, giving off a foul stench. Glass Containers filled with human organs covered the floor, arranged haphazardly as though an exhibition were being held.

Once the disguise vanished, the bloody stench rushed at them. Shade's stomach churned, and he finally understood why the Doctor had deliberately kept him from eating breakfast.

Suppressing his intense discomfort and mental pressure, Shade swept his eyes across the room, which had nearly turned blood-red, and spotted a young man sleeping soundly in a corner.

He did not look like a vagrant. Rather, he looked like a student. His clothes were clean, his features refined, and he was neatly dressed. One hand held a pistol, while the other clutched a brass box. He sat slumped there.

"Baird Morode, nineteen years old, a student at Rolax Mechanical College in Tobesk City. One year ago, he accidentally came into contact with a Level 5, that is, Poet Level relic. Influenced by the Whisper Element within the relic, he fell into madness. His temperament changed drastically, and he gradually became a murderer who kidnapped and killed young women. This world is ultimately far too dangerous for ordinary people."

"So what exactly is a relic?"

Shade controlled his fear of the scene and suppressed the urge to vomit. The Doctor was quite calm about it, either because he controlled his emotions well or because he had seen similar scenes too often. They stood at the doorway, with neither intending to step inside.

"Relics are remnants of the past, curses from the previous five epochs. Some form naturally, while others were created by powerful beings of the past.

"Remember, only the first five epochs could produce relics. So far, there are no records of relics being born in our current Sixth Epoch. But if you discover one, the Practical Credit for an entire academic year might be enough. Relics are easy to distinguish from other Alchemy Items. Only they can possibly have the Whisper Element attached to them; there is no human method of adding the Whisper Element to an item."

The two of them looked together at the metal box the young Morode held in his hands. That was the relic.