Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

The two reached the second floor, which was likewise covered in dust. Instead of heading to the third floor, they looked down the corridor. One side of the corridor had windows, while the other side was lined with rooms. The main building of the sanatorium was shaped like a concave letter, and at this moment, they were in the middle of the long side.

The doctor said,

"Arcane Technique, if you could engrave a 'Arcane Technique' Spirit Rune, it would definitely be a golden rune. All 'Arcane Techniques' stem from the stories and powers of deities, remember, the Five Great Deities are the only remaining benevolent gods."

"Only remaining?"

Shard was quick to grasp the essence and also understood the reason for his first contact with "Arcane Technique."

"Yes, in past eras, there were many gods. If you join the Academy, in the foundation courses of Divinity Academy, you will learn this part. But most of the powerful gods from the past have vanished, perhaps fallen, perhaps departed, or perhaps sealed. But as it stands, only five benevolent gods are called True Gods, and their ability to intervene in the material world is not merely symbolic.

Don't view them as powerful Circle Sorcerers, they exist in a truly higher dimension... I hope you understand what I mean."

Shard's mouth twitched; he certainly understood.

"The Circle Sorcerers of the True God Church, mostly specialize in the 'Arcane Technique' element. But besides the True Gods, traces of the Old Gods still remain in the world. By touching these traces and learning the stories of Old Gods, with the help of 'another me,' you could also extract 'Arcane Technique' Spirit Runes."

The doctor finally mentioned the essential "Voice in the Mind."

"The voice in the mind is actually another you, not the real you, but indeed you."

The doctor emphasized this concept again while Shard heard the woman's laughter in his mind once more.

"This is the 'Arcane Technique' Spirit Rune I engraved when I was at the First Ring."

Behind the doctor, dense white mist appeared again, a part of the Brass Life Ring surfaced, revealing the golden rune.

Shard also endured a headache to interpret the rune, which meant "Dust Particle," something he had just seen.

"The miracle left behind by the 'God of Dust,' also known as 'Earthly Giant Serpent,' is one I learned through the Academy's path by knowing Its story, hence obtaining the Spirit Rune."

The golden glow flickered, illuminating the ground in front of them, where a series of footprints appeared:

"But I am not suited for this miracle, having developed only such a simple Arcane Technique. The power developed by a Spirit Rune is called Arcane Technique, while the commonly used power by Circle Sorcerers is called Sorcery, which will be introduced in the courses."

The two followed the footprints onward, with their goal apparently on the second floor.

"But remember, gods are dangerous. Not because They bear malice toward humans, but because Their presence is of such a high rank that merely touching any information related to Them might cause harm due to the oppressive nature of Their divinity. It's like how looking directly at the sun can damage the eyes."

The doctor cautioned, then said:

"Desecration, if you can engrave a 'Desecration' Spirit Rune, it will surely be silver. All 'Desecration' comes from those polluted concepts and Evil Gods. But remember, they are not among the Five Great Deities or those vanished Old Gods, but are existing Old Gods.

From the ancient deities that persisted to today, aside from the five powerful benevolent gods, there are a few malevolent gods. These deities are relatively weak, born from concepts and desecration, and are terrifying beings indeed. They are truly gods recognized by the True God Church. It's just that Their power is far less than that of the True Gods.

This isn't the True God Church boasting, but a fact."

"So, the True Gods are the recognized and existing powerful benevolent gods, Old Gods are the vanished benevolent and evil gods, and current malevolent gods. Are the Evil Gods very terrifying?"

Shard summarized.

"Of course they're terrifying, although They are weaker compared to the Five Great Deities, even knowing Their power can drive an ordinary person mad. The main mission of the Church is to suppress the occasionally emerging Evil Gods and the ever-present cultists.

However, 'Desecration' Spirit Runes are not shunned, aside from the Evil Gods, some knowledge from the Fourth Era can also extract 'Desecration,' the secret books record those terrible stories. This is also the mainstream way to extract the 'Desecration' elements. Both 'Miracle' and 'Desecration' are related to gods and must be connected to gods."

It is currently the Sixth Era, a fact not recorded in any of the books Shard had seen, which only listed the years. But Shard knew it was the Sixth Era, as the Voice in the Mind had clarified this point the first time it emerged.

This seemed to further confirm the other's uniqueness.

"Now it's the Sixth Era, while the Fourth Era was an era of darkness and chaos, very terrifying, exceedingly terrifying..."

The doctor whispered, as if afraid of disturbing some presence. In the dense fog behind him, the silver Spirit Rune flickered, still revealing only a part of the Life Ring, with Shard interpreting the beautiful rune as "Desire."

"Emotion, a very powerful Spirit Rune, originating from a terrifying story in the Fourth Era that I can never forget... I've developed various Arcane Techniques with this element, the simplest of which is detecting creatures with emotions around me."

The silver glimmer flashed on the Brass Life Ring, and the doctor had his answer:

"Inside, he's afraid. It seems he knows we've come."

The enemy couldn't possibly be unaware, as the doctor made no attempt to hide his voice.

"If the Voice in the Mind keeps reminding you of a 'Desecration' nearby, don't think, just turn around and run immediately. This element is very deadly."

The doctor continued to impart basic knowledge as he and Shard moved forward. Shard also understood why he had contact only with 'Desecration.'

"Enlightenment, if you can inscribe an 'Enlightenment' Spirit Rune, it would definitely be a brass-colored Spirit Rune. All 'Enlightenment' comes from civilization itself.

Yes, civilization—historical legends, religious and heroic tales, even fictional knight adventure stories, through certain mediums, can all extract 'Enlightenment.' This is the element of civilization, symbolizing the light of our world."

Although it sounded simple, it certainly wasn't as easy as just reading a knight's novel.

The moment a Foreigner views the world and sparks firelight is indeed why one contacts the 'Enlightenment' element right at their doorstep.

"And not just our civilization, not even just human civilization but also civilizations of past eras can do so. 'Enlightenment' may coexist with 'Desecration' and 'Miracle,' after all, the history of civilization can't exist without the power of Deities, and the gods have never taken their eyes off civilization."

From the dense fog behind the doctor, the corner of the Ring of Fate emerged again, revealing the brass-colored rune 'Beautiful Dream':

"This is the Spirit Rune 'Beautiful Dream.' It's not convenient to explain its origin now. I have good affinity with it; I'm about to use an Arcane Technique to put our foe into a dream state."

A slight glimmer scattered, Shard could not see the specific effect, but he trusted the doctor wouldn't fail.

They finally stopped moving forward and turned into a room without any markings. The room was clean but devoid of people.

The doctor, unruffled:

"Finally, Whisper. If you can inscribe a 'Whisper' Spirit Rune, it will surely be a black iron-colored Spirit Rune. 'Whisper' has a wide range of sources, and it's commonly believed 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 acquired through contact with knowledge of Evil Gods and by accessing 'Relics.'

The detective died due to a 'Relic'; hence, Shard could contact the 'Whisper' element upon his death.

The black iron rune appeared, signifying 'False Reality,' the most complex of the four spirit runes displayed by the doctor.

"This Spirit Rune was acquired a year ago while resolving a Keeper of Secrets Level, that is, Level 3 'Relic' incident. I don't quite understand its power; it's mainly used to break illusions for now."

Under the glow of the black iron rune, the clean room gradually revealed its true appearance. Newspapers and wooden planks sealed the drafty windows, the floors and walls appeared as if covered with a layer of plasma, emitting a foul smell. The floor was filled with glass containers with human organs, haphazardly displayed as if in an exhibition...

As the disguise disappeared, the stench of blood hit them. Shard's stomach churned, finally realizing why the doctor had purposely told him not to eat breakfast.

Enduring the intense discomfort and mental pressure, Shard's eyes swept over the room that was nearly turning blood-red and spotted a young man sleeping soundly in the corner.

He didn't resemble a vagrant but rather a student; his clothes were clean, his appearance gentle, and his attire proper. He held a pistol in one hand and a brass box in the other, slumping there.

"Bide Morode, 19 years old, a student from the Rolax Mechanical Academy of Tobesk City. A year ago, he accidentally came into contact with a Level 5, that is, Poet-Level 'Relic', and fell into madness due to the 'Whisper' element within the relic. Consequently, his temperament changed drastically, slowly descending into a kidnapper and murderer of young women...

This world, after all, is too dangerous for ordinary people."

"So, what exactly is a 'Relic'?"

Shard controlled his fear of the scene, suppressing the desire to vomit. The doctor, on the other hand, appeared quite calm, either having controlled his emotions well or being accustomed to similar scenes. The two stood at the doorway, with neither intending to step inside.

"'Relics' are remnants of the past, stemming from the curses of the First Five Ages. Some form naturally; others were made by powerful entities of the past.

Remember, only the First Five Ages could give birth to 'Relics.' To date, there are no records of 'Relics' from our current Sixth Era. However, if you can discover one, maybe an entire academic year's worth of practical credits would be enough...

'Relics' can easily be distinguished from other alchemical items; only they could possibly carry the 'Whisper' element, and there's no man-made way to add 'Whisper' to an item."

The two gazed at the metal box held by the young Morod; that was a 'Relic'."