Fainting

"Hmm, no..."

Aaron suddenly realized something. "Lin has already gotten far enough away, and she's good at controlling the scent of blood and flesh and erasing all physical traces. Without mystical tracking, the High Priest shouldn't be able to find her... Can my ability wash away those mystical traces for her?"

For some reason, he felt that it should be possible.

"I still have a little energy left today, not counting my reserves. I can give it a try. If it doesn't work, there's nothing more I can do."

At Aaron's thought, Lin suddenly felt the urgency in her heart vanish.

It was as though some inexplicable threads in the air had been severed.

"Thank you for your protection."

Lin offered her sincere thanks once more, then ended the ritual.

"As expected. If I can wash away the pollution from the one above the moon, I can also wash away Black Sun's mystical connection... But both are only pollution they release on their own, not the result of their direct intervention. I mustn't get arrogant..."

Blackstone Manor.

[Spirit of Crimson... It exists within all living beings of flesh and blood. Since humans are the foremost of all living things, the Spirit of Crimson is most abundant in the human body...]

[Unlike 'Dark,' 'Crimson' requires no ritual assistance to be acquired. It can be obtained simply by eating. Proper cooking and preparation can promote an increase in spirituality...]

Aaron put down his pen and sighed.

He had thought the Black Sun Church's Three Stages of Dark Awakening were already somewhat evil.

But compared to awakening Crimson, they seemed like the most well-behaved children.

At least, the first stage of accumulating Dark involved tempering oneself like an ascetic, rather than obtaining it from the outside.

"By the looks of it, the entry stage of Crimson is going to be rather swift. No wonder Lin grew so quickly..."

Aaron shook the bell to summon Daili. "Prepare some candles, rose essential oil, salt, and a dagger. Silver, if possible..."

He paused, then lowered his voice as he looked at the suspicious maid. "I don't want rumors spreading around my domain that I'm obsessed with witchcraft. Otherwise, I'll punish you. Understand?"

"Please rest assured, my lord. I won't tell anyone."

Daili shook her head quickly, her face filled with fear.

"Good."

Aaron nodded.

A moment later, he closed the door, drew the curtains, and sealed the room before lighting the candles.

The first thing Aaron tried was the Pathfinding Ritual.

Then, unsurprisingly, he failed.

"So it really doesn't work?"

Aaron sighed, removed the original ritual markings and the other items, and redrew the ritual.

This time, he was much less particular.

"The ritual should require spirituality, but according to the High Priest, if you don't have any, your own vitality can still have some effect..."

Aaron's expression gradually turned solemn. He began to call out a sacred name:

"Creator Above the Creator!"

"Absolute Observer Beyond the Many Veils!"

"Spirit of Unknown Void, Absolute Neutral Entity, Silent Observer!"

The first part was the sacred name Aaron had devised for himself; the rest had been confirmed by his followers.

Taken together, they should point to the right entity with great accuracy.

He used the language of another world, his voice rising and falling as he repeatedly recited the sacred name and began to pray.

"Is it not working?"

Aaron felt a little disappointed. The one I'm praying to is right here... Surely something should happen?

He thought for a moment, picked up the silver dagger, cut his finger, and let the blood drip into the candle.

The crimson color slowly spread across the ritual markings.

Suddenly!

Aaron felt a wave of weakness, as though his strength were pouring out through the tiny wound on his finger.

The ritual candle flared brightly.

Then he seemed to hear an echo in his ear, faint and indistinct...

"Wonderful."

Aaron was about to establish a connection, but in the next instant, the world spun around him.

Thump!

He collapsed face-first to the floor.

Through the haze, he seemed to see the maid rushing over in a panic.

By the time he opened his eyes again, Aaron was lying in bed.

The messy floor had been cleaned up, and Daili stood beside him. A fat man sat in front of them: Scholar Albert.

Well, scholars were usually the most learned people in a domain. Albert knew a little about herbalism, so he could serve as a half-doctor.

Aaron had his doubts about that, though. At the very least, he absolutely couldn't accept that bloodletting treatment.

"My lord, it seems you've been working too hard and grown weak... You should eat more nutritious food and drink more deer's blood."

Albert glanced at Daili beside him. "Ahem... You should also be more restrained in your nighttime entertainments."

"Ahem, I know. Sorry for the trouble."

Aaron didn't so much as blush. After sending Albert away, he looked at Daili. "Did you clean up those things? Well done. Remember to keep it secret!"

As he spoke, he tossed her a silver coin. "This is your reward."

"Thank you."

Daili accepted the coin in a low voice, like a startled fawn.

"I'm fine now. Bring me something to eat."

Watching Daili's retreating figure, Aaron fell into thought.

In his final moment before passing out, he had indeed heard a vague summons, but he had fainted before he could establish a connection.

He was simply too weak!

Having understood that, Aaron could only sigh.

To perform a proper ritual, he had to use spirituality in place of vitality.

But... this world had no spirituality...

Once again, everything seemed to be at a dead end.

Aaron sighed and began thinking about what to do next.

"Well, Daili did a good job. The news didn't get out... But even if word of my witchcraft got around, it wouldn't matter much. This isn't ancient China, where anyone caught using sorcery would be executed on the spot. There's no unified, powerful church that would burn witches at the stake..."

"As a lord, I could even offer human sacrifices in my own domain, and Theodore would probably just come to discuss a priest's experiences with me... As long as they confirmed I still worshipped Grandmother Green Banyan, it'd be fine."

"Studying witchcraft is no problem. But if I announced that I was abandoning my faith, then I'd really have to fight a religious war..."

As he let his thoughts run wild, Aaron considered the possibilities of supernatural power in this world.

"The Path of Darkness failed. Crimson... I can't exactly turn into Hannibal... Summoning myself failed too, and that seems to be a dead end as well..."

"Next, perhaps I should study herbs. After all... the mysticism of that world also includes potions. I probably won't be able to brew any spiritual potions, but I should at least try to make something that can strengthen me, increase my vitality, and help me endure rituals for longer..."