Elements, Bell Ringing, Ignition, Propulsion, Hymn

"Taking up the position now?"

Hearing the doctor's words, Shade suddenly grew nervous. He hadn't expected things to be so direct.

"Here?"

"Of course. Is there a problem with a doctor's clinic? And aren't the seventy-two hours almost up?"

The blonde writer, Miss Louisa, did not understand what was going on, but Doctor Schneider understood what Shade meant.

"Of course it's here. Oh, Shade, let me emphasize this once again.

Remember, we are correspondence Ring Arcanists. Saint Byrens Comprehensive College and us do not actually share any special emotional connection—only responsibilities and obligations. Do you understand? As for helping you, it's because I need a fifth Ring Arcanist in the group, and the Academy rewards us for introducing new Ring Arcanists. It isn't because I'm some kind-hearted person."

The doctor looked at Shade very seriously, a warning in his blue eyes.

"You have little common sense about this world, so I will give you the most important warning: do not trust others too easily."

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

The lady at the side shook her head as she spoke.

Shade nodded cautiously, though he agreed with Miss Writer's assessment. Doctor Schneider was a decent man—at least, so far.

"Louisa, for the next procedure, all you need to do is observe and prevent any unforeseen accidents. Please do not speak."

"No Problem. We've already gone through this process twice. Wasn't it the same when Annette and Augustus took up their positions?"

Miss Writer said, signaling Shade to listen carefully.

"For a gifted person to awaken their Destiny Ring, they must first come into contact with the Four Elements. This is difficult for ordinary people who know nothing.

This is the Sixth Epoch, not the dark and chaotic Fourth Epoch, nor the Fifth Epoch ruled by the Witch Emperors. In this age where the supernatural is not apparent, steam and machinery are the theme. There is not so much mystery here. Even if one knows that mysteries exist, it is difficult to come into contact with them. Besides, ordinary people simply cannot imagine the dangers of encountering mysteries."

The doctor held up four fingers.

"So, Shade, how many of the Four Elements have you encountered so far?"

"Only Blasphemy related to evil gods was missing."

Shade told the truth, and Doctor Schneider did not ask further.

"Look at my Destiny Ring."

Three silver runes flashed at once. Shade interpreted their meaning as Wrath, the mire of the heart, and malice.

You have encountered 'Blasphemy.'

Immediately after those words, the whispering voice spoke another passage.

Sixth Epoch, Common Calendar 1853, summer, Day of Silver Moon's Dark Radiance. You have encountered all Four Elements. Outlander, the door to the supernatural is about to open, and the path of ascension lies ahead.

"Did 'Another You' give you a prompt?"

The doctor let the Destiny Ring behind him dissipate into steam, then asked.

"Yes. It gave me a prompt, telling me that I had encountered all the elements and that the door to the supernatural was about to open."

The doctor nodded in satisfaction.

"Another Me is the core of the Ring Arcanist system. It is the reverse side of your soul. It is you, yet it is not you. He shares your knowledge and memories. But he can sense and see more, so he can serve as a bridge between a Ring Arcanist and the world, preventing us from directly encountering knowledge and information that would contaminate the soul. Now, I'll repeat this once more. I hope you remember it well."

"In other words, Another Me cannot know knowledge that I do not know?"

Something stirred in Shade's heart, and he asked the question.

The doctor nodded affirmatively. Shade blinked. He had long guessed that his "Another Me" was definitely abnormal.

"That is actually you, but you do not know it. He is the same gender as you, so the voice in my mind is male, while the one in Louisa's mind is female."

The lady beside them nodded in confirmation.

"He shares your memories, but he does not need sleep, so perhaps he knows more about what happens at night than you do. But fundamentally, you and Another You merely differ in your ways of thinking and perspectives. That is why you sometimes hear inexplicable words. He can see more in the ordinary world."

The doctor spoke again, and Shade blinked once more.

In his heart, the woman's soft laugh seemed to nourish his soul, driving away the last traces of the Poet Level relic's influence.

"Who exactly are you?"

He asked in his heart.

Outlander, at least for now, I am you.

"Gathering Elements" is merely the first step. After that come four more: "Bell Ringing," "Ignition," "Propulsion," and "Hymn." The complete five-step process is the most orthodox method of Ring Arcanist awakening, used by both the Orthodox Church and the Three Great Academies.

"Bell Ringing" means shaking the soul and allowing it to undergo its Beginning ascension. It sounds complicated, but it simply means drinking a potion.

The Three Great Arcane Academies and the five Orthodox Churches all had different formulas for the "Bell Ringing Potion." The doctor said that Serkeses Higher Medical College's potion was supposedly the best-tasting, orange-flavored and very sweet; while the potion of the Church of Nature and Evil Thoughts, devoted to the Lord of All Things, was the worst, somewhat like chewing dry tree bark.

The Academy had sent over the "Bell Ringing Potion" directly through a manuscript. It was in a conical glass bottle, purple and bubbling. It felt a little cold to the touch, but warm going down.

But Shade felt that he had not tasted anything at all.

"Look behind you."

The doctor reminded him.

Shade swallowed the final mouthful, wiped the corner of his mouth, set down the bottle, and turned around. A layer of White Fog had already risen behind him. He vaguely heard bells ringing, though they were unclear.

He truly felt the so-called vibration of his soul, though that might have been nothing more than a stomach hallucination from drinking too quickly.

"Ignition" means igniting the Four Elements you have gathered, allowing the Beginning spark of the soul to burn. This step only requires the assistance of a Ring Arcanist of three rings or above, along with some technique. The doctor pressed his right index finger to Shade's brow. As a cold current slowly entered Shade's body, the bell sounds at his ears became clearer.

He turned his head. The dense White Fog behind him had gained a scorching temperature, and the steam became profound, as though it contained countless possibilities.

"Propulsion" means allowing the soul to drive that faint ignited spark, enabling the Ring Arcanist to sense spirit and gain the ability to manipulate the Four Elements. Specifically, Shade needed to feel power—the idealistic force of the mind influencing matter.

Doctor Schneider then brought over a book without a cover.

"For Ring Arcanists, there are many ways to encounter the Four Elements. But when engraving Spirit Runes into one's Destiny Ring, we do not encourage contact with gods, mysteries, or strange things. Those methods can work, but they are extremely dangerous. The orthodox training method is reading books, reading stories from the past. Other methods can be treated as relying on luck."

"Reading?"

This reminded Shade once again that the supernatural organization he had joined was a school.

"Yes. The Church, Academies, and a small number of Ring Arcanist organizations possess certain special books, recording quite dangerous knowledge and stories from past eras. Those books are copied by hand and translated from dangerous Ancient Language into modern languages, weakening their power. Therefore, reading original forbidden books, or books that have only been copied or translated once, is the best way for Ring Arcanists to engrave Spirit Runes. As for you, this will be enough to let you feel your own power."

He handed the book to Shade.

"This is a handwritten copy of Volume One of the Book of Fire Worship. It is a version copied at least six times from the original, the least dangerous book I possess. There is no chance of obtaining a Spirit Rune by reading it. Spend half an hour reading it through completely. If you do not understand any words, ask me."

Thus, Shade spent another half hour reading. In his heart, he equated progress along his future supernatural path with reading and studying. He had to maintain his current identity, so he could only pause every so often to ask about a few words.

During this time, both the doctor and Miss Writer remained sufficiently quiet. They knew this was an important moment for Shade.

"Finished reading? How do you feel?"

The doctor asked.

"A little hot."

Shade set down the book and answered cautiously.

"Set it on fire."

The doctor handed Shade another sheet of paper. Shade held it and waited for several seconds. When he realized the doctor had nothing else to say, he finally asked.

"Um, did we skip a step? Like an incantation or hand gesture?"

"Do not understand. Feel it, guide that power. Unless your Core Spirit Rune is a concept such as Extinguished Fire, this is not difficult."

Shade closed his eyes. He came from another world, one without the supernatural but with far more knowledge and fantasy. He closed his eyes and relaxed, imagining the warm current inside him flowing with his perception until it reached his fingertips and burst into sparks.

When he opened his eyes, the sheet of paper between his fingers had already yellowed from the heat.

A tremendous roar came from the steam behind him. A black shadow represented the hammer that was about to strike Shade's soul.

"The final step is Hymn. You must acknowledge your identity and announce to the world that you have transcended the mundane."

The doctor's tone grew solemn.

"How do I do that?"

Shade did not understand. His heart pounded as he realized he was about to truly encounter the supernatural and step into the mysterious realm of the Steam Epoch.

"Say anything. I merely recited my name at the time. Louisa recited a very famous short poem. Mr. Latt Augustus prayed to a god. Miss Luvia Annette recited something silently, so we do not know what it was."

To Shade at that moment, the doctor's words seemed to come from a great distance away. He stared at the thick white steam behind him, watching the hammer that was about to fall beyond the dense fog.

The woman's voice began again, reciting the Murmuring Chapters.

Thus, almost in sync with the woman whispering in his heart, Shade silently recited that declaration.

Sixth Epoch, Common Calendar 1853, summer, Day of Silver Moon's Dark Radiance. I came to this world. I pushed open the door to the supernatural and set foot upon the path of ascension through the Four Elements. Shade Suellen Hamilton, the roads of Destiny divide beneath my feet. I will witness, I will experience, I will see all of this.

The giant hammer carried immense wind pressure as it swung out from the Depths of the steam and smashed down behind Shade amid the Gale.

Boom—

His soul was struck, sparks scattered, spiritual light flickered, and elements spilled forth. Within the wildly erupting white steam fog, a brass-colored ring with an unusual luster, like the Sun, gradually became clear.

It spun, scattering sparks in every direction. Its brass body radiated high heat as it fully emerged from the steam fog, the Destiny Ring floating behind him.

At the center of the rapidly spinning ring were two gleaming brass Core Runes, symbolizing Shade's coming Destiny—

Space-Time Silver Moon.

PS: After twenty-two chapters, the protagonist has finally fully encountered the supernatural and become a supernatural being and mystic within this world's system. I hope everyone likes this story. Now, the story has only just begun.