The Pretended Failure

Vyadlin nodded, put away the remaining waymarkers, and found another small black bottle in the cabinet behind him.

This time, he did not use a dropper to draw out a few drops. Instead, he slowly poured it directly into the groove of the Undying Fire waymarker.

"This is Luminous Essence Elixir of the 'Candle' Phase. Activating a waymarker once requires approximately ten milliliters."

A blazing, pale golden yellow began flowing through the symbols. It was neither quite liquid nor quite gas, and like the purple liquid before it, it was almost light.

The entire room became dazzlingly bright, as though the electric lights had been switched on.

"Uh..." Watching the elixir being poured, Fan Ning suddenly felt there was another important question.

"How much does this... probably cost?"

"Which one are you asking about?" Vyadlin's hands did not stop moving. "Luminous Essence Elixir is an essence of inspiration extracted from the Migrant Surge. One milliliter is worth roughly ten to fifteen pounds, though the price fluctuates according to the current supply and demand of different phases."

"That's only the official price. You should know that black-market prices are often impossible to understand."

So the house he lived in would only buy one small bottle...

"As for the waymarker... Because transactions between strangers are inherently untrustworthy, its value is difficult to estimate. Assuming its authenticity is confirmed, the closer it is to the core of the Migrant Surge—the Radiance Tower—the higher its value. Of course, the risks of exploration are also greater. This 'Candle' waymarker would be valued at a little over four hundred pounds."

The Luminous Essence Elixir steamed into a glowing mist. The phantom symbol of the Undying Fire appeared above the tabletop, while the coordinate arcs on its outer ring spun rapidly.

"Close your eyes and imagine your spirit passing through this phantom image before you, like your body passing through a doorway." Vyadlin spoke in a low voice. "I'll continue assisting you with the sleep-inducing Mystic Ritual."

With that, he took another single-candle stand and fitted it with an essential-oil evaporator.

Amid the tranquil fragrance, Fan Ning followed his instructions. His consciousness drifted away as if pulled along, and before long, he entered a meditative sleep.

In his dream, Ufransel's gloomy drizzle vanished.

Sunlight lazily spilled across the campus lawn. A breeze swept past, casting broad patches of swaying shade, while young men and women stood in groups of two or three in the distance.

The unknowing emotions in the dream were like those of his student days in his previous life—a Friday afternoon spent skipping class to bask in the sun.

There would be a game at the internet café that night, followed by the weekend. Summer vacation was not far away, and the days stretched endlessly ahead.

Where could there be a time like this anymore? This is a dream.

Fan Ning was already quite skilled at testing and recognizing his dreams. He made his body rise slightly off the ground.

The phantom image ignited by the waymarker transformed into a subconscious direction. Fan Ning leaped rapidly, rising ten meters with every step.

His figure darted between the trees and buildings, while the surrounding scenery turned into increasingly blurred streaks.

Amid the unreality of sunlight and breeze, a towering building resembling some sort of library stood ahead. Its middle section was fitted with one enormous pane of reflective glass that emitted a blue glow.

He felt the inspiration of the "Candle" burning, yet it remained extremely abundant, and his mind was exceptionally clear.

He could even sense the will of the world beyond the glass drawing him toward it.

This was the edge of the Astral World.

As long as he controlled himself and flew up to smash through it, he could tear open the membrane, enter the Migrant Surge Layer, and become a Knower.

But he chose to let himself fall. He gave himself the sensation of weightlessness while shifting his attention to the other things in the dream. Before long, he lost his lucid consciousness.

Fan Ning opened his eyes in the room.

"Sorry, Lord Viadlin. I almost tore open that barrier just now." Fan Ning put on an apologetic expression. "I may need to try a few more times."

"That's all right. I've already transmitted the necessary Hidden Knowledge to you, and your own inspiration should be sufficient as well. In my estimation, becoming a Knower would naturally require several attempts."

Vyadlin rose after speaking. "That's all for today. After you return,

you can practice finding the edge of the Astral World a few more times in Clear Dream, but be careful not to break through it. It would be very dangerous without a waymarker."

"After Anton's funeral, you can come back and continue trying. Once you successfully become a Knower, I'll formally invite you to join the Guidance School—if you're willing. We can also provide a reasonably well-paid job here."

"All right, Lord Viadlin. Thank you very much."

In truth, many other organizations of Knowers existed. He knew neither how powerful the Guidance School was among them nor what sort of relationships these organizations had with one another.

But he trusted Teacher Anton's recommendation.

Besides, he was very curious about exactly how much "reasonably well-paid" meant according to Vyadlin...

What university student about to graduate would not care about that?

"No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Anton. In a sense, he was the guide and foundation of your path to becoming a Knower. I merely helped kick the door open at the last moment at an old friend's request." Vyadlin spoke calmly.

Fan Ning said nothing more and simply bowed sincerely in thanks.

Although Vyadlin had made light of it, he knew very well how priceless all that help tonight had been.

"You can slowly repay the consumables you used with your future salary and spending money. Don't get too comfortable. The only thing I'm treating you to is that meal."

"Uh..." Fan Ning finally began to feel uneasy.

When would he ever earn enough to buy a house?

No, what house money? That bankrupt art museum still had plenty of unpaid debts that had not been settled.

"I'll see you downstairs." Vyadlin waved a large hand.

It was already very late. The two of them left the meeting room one after another. Beside the black telephone on the reception desk, a blond young man was snoring. He sprang to his feet, called out "President" first, then ran over to greet Fan Ning.

"Hi, I'm Vimod. Are you the new clerical worker? We look about the same age."

"Good evening. You can call me Caloen. I'm at Saint Leniya Conservatory and haven't graduated yet." Fan Ning smiled warmly.

"Caloen will probably be a member of our Guidance School soon. You can get acquainted ahead of time. You'll be working together in the future," Vyadlin said.

"Such a young Knower..." Vimod's eyes widened. "Caloen, I'm on duty today. Normally, I handle the finances and logistics here. If you need to submit a reimbursement claim or collect supplies in the future, just come to me. My office is the second room at the very end of the western corridor."

"Uh... I'm not one yet." Fan Ning awkwardly rubbed his hair. He had not expected Vyadlin to speak with such certainty.

"All right, you can continue chatting later," Vyadlin said. "It's late. Let's go."

Fan Ning smiled at Vimod, his peer, once more, and the two waved to each other.

As they descended the stairs, Vyadlin asked, "You know you were followed when you came here, right?"

"I've always had a sixth sense," Fan Ning said. "You noticed it too? Will I have any trouble going back now?"

"Your inspiration is quite good. As for those people from the Special Inspection Office... No matter how overbearing they are, they still have to give us a little face." Vyadlin snorted. "As long as you don't conduct illegal Mystic Rituals or spread forbidden objects and Hidden Knowledge, they can only act according to the rules. You can go back..."

"Caloen, let me remind you one last time: never come into contact with other Hidden Knowledge without protection. Don't read it, don't listen for it, don't think about it, and don't rashly enter the Migrant Surge without a reliable waymarker. I don't want Anton's tragedy to happen again."

"Once you become a Knower, I'll slowly tell you about many other matters."

"All right. Thank you." Fan Ning politely bade him farewell at the door.

After Fan Ning left, a voice devoid of any discernible emotion drifted out from some corner of the room:

"So what do you think of him?"

Vyadlin did not turn around. Watching the snow drifting along the street outside, he replied, "A university student who hasn't graduated, yet composed a work at the level of a Romantic master through improvisation, and endured three times the expected duration during his first glimpse into the Migrant Surge. I think someone like that is one in ten thousand."

The voice in the corner was silent for a while before speaking again:

"There's still some time before the fortieth Harvest Art Festival. Continue observing how he performs in the art world after graduation."

Fan Ning walked along the lightly snowing street, his shoulders hunching slightly from the cold.

He slipped his hand into the inner pocket of his tea-colored trench coat and rubbed the Migrant Surge waymarker he had taken from the art museum with his fingertips.

Today, under unavoidable circumstances, he had pretended to fail this advancement.

That was because when a newly advanced Knower entered the Migrant Surge for the first time, the Radiance Society would grant their spirit "a gift."

Although the "gift" was random, it was related to the Lord of Witnesses and phase indicated by the waymarker.

The "Light of First Acquaintance" from the first time would also establish the foundation for how he sensed the will of the world in the future.

He would have only one chance.

His waymarker had been hidden so carefully that he had to choose it as the direction for his advancement to Knower.

Even if he desperately wanted to gain supernatural power immediately, he had to endure it for now.

When he had chosen those four waymarkers earlier, he had actually hesitated over whether to tell Vyadlin the truth.

After all, Teacher Anton was someone he trusted absolutely. Moreover, he had learned that "Vyadlin was the piano mentor of Hiran's late elder sister."

But after that, he considered one particular circumstance and abandoned the idea.

He had discovered that his father had once been a member of the Special Inspection Office!

Who knew where this Migrant Surge waymarker had truly come from? Who knew what obscure, indescribable connections existed between these people and events?

He could only wait until he had investigated the truth and brought it somewhat more clearly to light before honestly telling him.

What sort of witness symbol were those four golden-yellow zigzag lines?

Based on his previous intuitive experience, golden yellow should fall within the "Candle" phase's range of colors.

A directed reference? But it surely could not be that of the true god, the Undying Fire.

A vague reference? That did not seem right either. By common sense, the symbol of the "Candle" phase should be a candle, should it not?

"Which Lord of Witnesses does this point to?"

Fan Ning kept thinking about this question until he opened his front door.