Knowledge and Transaction

"The last type, and also the way of transcendent awakening you will almost never encounter, is [Apostle Selection]."

"Apostle? As far as I know, isn't that a rank of transcendence?"

"It is a rank, but it is not just a rank."

Nodding first and then shaking her head, Emma recalled the records of the Moore family and explained: "In a general sense, we call the Fifth Seal an [Apostle]. The first reason is that the power they wield can be called astonishing, akin to heroes in myths. The miracles they perform are magnificent, nearly acting as proxies for great powers. Compared to natural disasters, they still possess human form, are more fragile, yet even more powerful."

"Regarding this point, you, having had close contact with an Apostle, should know better than I do."

Recalling the [Storm Burnt Offering] that could have engulfed the entire Birmingham if not stopped, and Saliba, who could freely manipulate storms and thunder in the borderlands that resembled an alien world like a god descending to earth, Horn nodded with lingering fear.

Although nominally he had teamed up with Veronica to take down a quasi-Immortal, Horn's greatest achievement was actually burning out the many despairs accumulated in the Blood Pool, cutting off Saliba's endless life cycle for a moment, and then holding onto the non-combative Saliba until the end. Only then did he give Veronica the chance to reveal her true divine form and open the Gate of the Underworld.

Otherwise, if a ritual planned for so long had been destroyed so carelessly, Saliba would never have survived the internal competition within the [Blood Cup Cult] long enough to be struck by the Prevention and Suppression Bureau, let alone ascend to an Apostle.

And Emma's explanation continued.

"The second point is the [Selection]. Immortals have already transcended the shackles of the seals, though some call them the Seventh Seal. The existence of an Immortal is fundamentally different from that of a mortal. In this era, their power and lifespan can already be called gods of the earth and great spirits of the manifest world. And even such existences have further desires."

"I don't know the specific selection process. But what is certain is that a mortal chosen by an Immortal or a higher existence can leap forward, possessing the power of the Fifth Seal without the corresponding desires. This is the original meaning of [Apostle], Apostolos (one who is sent), a mission-bearer selected from among the disciples."

Feeling the unmistakable feedback of the First Seal, [Blood Scorcher], within his body, Horn felt slightly relieved about the [Flame of Destiny] and asked.

"Then, what is a seal? And where is the distinction between an Apprentice and a Scholar?"

"Good question! These two doubts can actually be reduced to a single explanation. And to explain it, we must start from the most basic knowledge."

The candlelight in the depths of her eyes swayed happily. Emma, having received feedback from the path, was pleasantly surprised. Looking at Horn's clear eyes, the urge to preach and teach took the upper hand, and she couldn't help but teach further, deeper knowledge.

Emma felt an itch in her heart, longing to impart knowledge!

"Apprentices often say that knowledge is power. And the Hooded Aristocrats call their libraries the [Tomb of Lies], which leads people to foolishly mistake that the Aristocrats are all full of lies."

"But its true meaning is [Truth flourishes where lies are extinguished]. And the Aristocrats never say 'knowledge is power', but rather 'power is knowledge'."

"The distinction between an Apprentice and a Scholar lies in the way they use power. That is, the two paths: [Formless Secret Arts] and [Great Knowledge]. Regarding transcendent knowledge, we do not call it 'magic'; magic is just stories, or what people do with rabbits in public."

"Have you ever thought that the world shouldn't be like this? If our world were exactly as we see it, then this knowledge would be useless. However, it works."

"The following knowledge should have been taught by the mentor who guided you to contact the transcendent, but since you are a self-awakened one, let's ignore these formalities. This knowledge has no weight, but it still has its value."

"'Secret knowledge must be exchanged for secret things.' Now, you shall offer any item of value, trade it with me, and complete the most basic ritual."

Extending her hand toward Horn, Emma opened her palm, signaling Horn to place the item for trade upon it.

So she was waiting for me here.

Feeling a slight absurdity at this seamless arrangement, Horn took out the [Mist Spider] pouch he had previously obtained from Veronica and placed it solemnly on Emma's palm.

Weighing the unexpectedly light pouch with satisfaction, Emma declared solemnly.

"With this item as proof, I beseech the [Pale Dawn], the God of Meticulousness."

Responding to the syllables of her declaration, a wind suddenly swirled in the room, carrying the cold chill of early morning. Rising to close the door, the spirituality belonging to the principle of [Candle] intertwined and locked; Emma used the action to conceptually seal the place. She then lit a scented candle she carried with her, and amidst the swirling fragrance and flickering candlelight, her voice sounded as if it were coming from afar, buzzing.

"First, clench your fist, and the muscles move beneath the skin. Similarly, power surges beneath the skin of the world, likewise invisible, but more powerful: a light visible only in dreams; the first words spoken by fire, or even the shattering of a sword."

"Above the skin of the world is the world belonging to reason and logic, the world we live in. Some call it the Manifest World, some call it the Material World, while secret historians prefer to call it: [Waking World]."

"Because beneath the skin of the world, or rather, above the world, there exists a place higher than the world—the Dream Realm. The Dream Realm does not exist within dreams; on the contrary, it is a place we can only reach through dreams, hence it is called the Dream Realm."

"The Dream Realm, which is the Hidden Temple, the House of the Sun, and the Pantheon. Its porch is the angle of time, and its walls are vast starlight. All miracles originate here, all souls belong here, and all light sources take this as their source."

"Scholars proficient in [Illumination Art] define its highest point as Radiance, and scholars well-versed in [Woodland Studies] view what is beyond its walls as the Woodland. And scholars who study all histories know that the Dream Realm has no walls."

"Surrounding the Dream Realm, establishing boundaries, or what might be called walls, are the eight great principles. The thoughts, influences, and characteristics contained in these principles are the foundation of all [Formless Secret Arts] and the root of all [Great Knowledge]. Apprentices act in accordance with the principles, and Scholars analyze the secrets of the principles."

"Principles are like gravity in the Waking World; they are objectively existing laws with their own internal operating rules, containing truths that can be understood."

"--Ultimately, [Formless Secret Arts] and [Great Knowledge] are both sciences and arts that change things through one's own will."

Taking a handful of dull-colored powder from a pocket at her waist, Emma used her thumb and index finger to sprinkle the powder evenly over the leaping candlelight, while chanting an incantation with a strange rhythm:

"We beseech the [Pitch-Black Flax], the God of the Unknown."

"I use this item as a sacrifice, praying for the shroud of the veil to protect the secrets of seeking knowledge."

The light surged and leaped in an instant, but after contacting the [Mist Moss], it curled up with the powder into a tiny glimmer the size of a finger, burning quietly. A scent of moss after rain drifted, bringing Horn an inexplicable sense of peace. Everything around was covered in a pale gray hue, as if behind a silent and tranquil veil.