Chapter 24: Words of Sublimation |
"Investigators," or more aptly "Temporal Explorers," are not exclusive professions tied to St. Byrons Comprehensive College. Any Ring Warlock whose core Spiritual Rune is related to 【Time】 concepts, or who has acquired a 【Time】-related Spiritual Rune, can utilize the relic known as 【Time Key】 to traverse time. These relics allow exploration of past epochs preceding the Sixth Epoch.
The 【Time Key】 is a single-use relic, and each key corresponds to a different historical period. All known 【Time Keys】 share a connection to the fallen Old God, 【Father of the Infinite Tree】.
The Origin of the Time Keys
【Father of the Infinite Tree】 was an immensely powerful Old God aligned with the benevolent pantheon. Engaging with traces or knowledge of him offers a chance to acquire the golden 【Miracle】 Spiritual Rune. According to legends and ancient stone inscriptions, he perished during the chaotic Fourth Epoch. However, leveraging his concept of "infinity," he fused his essence into the continuous fabric of infinite time and space, bridging the past and the future.
The 【Time Keys】 are relics left behind by this fallen Old God. As his existence permeates endless timelines, these relics enable temporal leaps not confined to the Fourth Epoch or earlier. However, no 【Time Key】 has ever been found that permits travel to the past within the Sixth Epoch. This peculiar limitation remains a significant topic of study among Ring Warlocks researching the nature of time.
Xia De’s Core Runes
Dr. Schneider instructed Xia De to sketch the two core Spiritual Runes he had acquired: 【Time-Space】 and 【Silver Moon】. While transmitting this information to St. Byrons College, the doctor provided Xia De with foundational knowledge about these runes.
Spiritual Runes are remnants of ancient, unique languages. Unless one has encountered identical runes before, it is nearly impossible to fabricate them, making them a reliable means to verify the truth.
Before Xia De could ask questions about "temporal stability" or "the risk of paradoxes," the College's response arrived surprisingly quickly:
Discussion of the Offer
"What does this mean?" Xia De asked, puzzled, as he turned to Dr. Schneider.
"It means they value your talent but won’t change your status as a correspondence Ring Warlock," the doctor replied, shrugging. "As a key cultivation target, you’ll have fewer mandatory practice credits, discounts on books at St. Byrons, and the Secret-Keeper-grade (3rd-level) relic is... exactly what it sounds like."
Dr. Schneider leaned back. "The College is generous to the talented but remains strict about its rules."
"Should I accept, then?" Xia De asked hesitantly.
"Unless you have a reason to refuse," the writer interjected, brushing a strand of golden hair aside. "Each year, a few students are designated as key cultivation targets. It’s hardly a bad deal."
With that, Xia De decided to accept the offer, officially becoming a first-year correspondence Ring Warlock under St. Byrons’ School of History.
Advancement as a Ring Warlock
To awaken as a Ring Warlock, one must contact the Four Mystical Elements. Similarly, advancing through the Rings requires these elements.
Each ascension requires the engraving of one of each type of Spiritual Rune onto the Life Ring:
- Golden 【Miracle】
- Silver 【Blasphemy】
- Brass 【Enlightenment】
- Iron-black 【Whispers】
This ensures sufficient spiritual energy for ascension.
Key Concepts for Ring Warlocks:
- Spiritual Energy Limits: Each Ring has a maximum capacity for spiritual energy. Engraving four runes is equivalent to engraving four hundred before advancing.
- Rune Balancing: Engraving too many runes can hinder future progress, as each advancement requires that all required runes be engraved within the current Ring.
- Rings and Tiers:
- Low Rings: 1st to 4th Rings
- Middle Rings: 5th to 8th Rings
- High Rings: 9th Ring and beyond
Progression isn’t merely numerical; it requires fulfilling specific conditions at major milestones:
- At the 4th and 8th Rings, all runes from prior stages must form a coherent "Sublimation Phrase" linked to the core rune.
- Failure to meet this criterion halts advancement indefinitely.
Dr. Schneider himself, a 5th Ring Warlock, shared an example of his own Sublimation Phrase, constructed during his advancement from the 4th to the 5th Ring:
Sublimation Phrase:
【The Light’s Hound Runs Through the Malice of Dreams.】
This was composed of the following runes:
- 1st Ring: Black Iron 【Running】
- 2nd Ring: Silver 【Malice】
- 3rd Ring: Brass 【Hound】
- 4th Ring: Golden 【Light】
- Core Rune: 【Dreams】
Such phrases, often documented in a Compendium of Sublimation, serve as guides for Ring Warlocks. However, Xia De would need to wait six months before accessing this resource, as the College required additional time to verify his commitment as a correspondence student.
With his enrollment and status confirmed, Xia De’s path as a Ring Warlock began in earnest. He now faced the daunting challenge of balancing his studies, tasks, and the mysteries of his runes while charting his own journey through the mystic arts.
This classification isn’t merely numerical; it hinges on the ascensions at the 4th and 8th Rings. Beyond the requisite four runes for these stages, all sixteen runes of the phase must form a meaningful connection to the Warlock’s core rune, creating what is known as a Sublimation Phrase.
In Dr. Schneider’s group, he alone, as a 5th Ring Warlock, has completed four ascensions. His 4th to 5th Ring ascension was based on the following Sublimation Phrase:
"The Light’s Hound Runs Through the Malice of Dreams."
This phrase was formed using:
- 1st Ring: Black Iron 【Running】
- 2nd Ring: Silver 【Malice】
- 3rd Ring: Brass 【Hound】
- 4th Ring: Golden 【Light】
- Core Rune: 【Dreams】
Although runes are not restricted to specific categories for the Sublimation Phrase, the Doctor happened to meet the four-type requirement. Failing to meet the criteria for a Sublimation Phrase makes progression beyond the 4th or 8th Ring impossible. Since the four runes must come from different Rings, there is no opportunity to compensate for a missed step.
Organizations maintain Compendiums of Sublimation, containing thousands of examples for crafting phrases. These are among their most closely guarded secrets, and Warlocks use these records to prepare starting from the 1st Ring. The availability of past examples greatly influences the ease of crafting a Sublimation Phrase.
For Xia De, six months must pass before he gains access to St. Byrons’ compendium. This delay ensures correspondence students are genuinely committed and reliable. The College also recognizes that Ring Warlock advancement is inherently difficult, and such a waiting period is not considered a significant hindrance.
While each Ring theoretically allows for unlimited runes, obtaining runes is extraordinarily difficult. Academic progression at the College requires mandatory academic credits through exams, practical credits via tasks, and alignment of one’s Ring count with their academic year.
It is not unusual for students to spend two to three years per grade level. If the required runes for a planned Sublimation Phrase at the 4th Ring are not found, Warlocks often delay their advancement even if other conditions are met.
Preparations for Xia De’s Next Steps
In three days, St. Byrons would finalize Xia De’s textbooks, curriculum, and cultivation plan. During this time, the other members of the group would convene to provide guidance and help Xia De acclimate to his new role.
After confirming his enrollment in the School of History, Dr. Schneider declared that Xia De could leave for now.
“Leaving already?”
Still absorbing this new wealth of information, Xia De asked in mild surprise.
“Do you have anything else to do?” Dr. Schneider asked with equal curiosity.
“I mean, now that I’ve joined the College, isn’t there...?”
Miss Luisa, more perceptive, quickly understood his hesitation.
“Mr. Hamilton, the enrollment process is indeed this simple. Let me reiterate the Doctor’s point: we are correspondence Ring Warlocks. Our connection to the College is minimal. We are responsible for our own training, extracting knowledge from the College, and completing tasks to fulfill credit requirements. That’s all.”
“Alright then,” Xia De replied, rising after spending nearly the entire afternoon in the clinic. Dr. Schneider and Miss Luisa stood as well, escorting him to the door.
As they reached the entrance, Dr. Schneider suddenly spoke again.
“One more thing: there are two taboos you must remember. St. Byrons Comprehensive College strictly forbids all Ring Warlocks from setting foot on the New Continent. This is an absolute prohibition.
“The second is universal to all Ring Warlocks: suicide is forbidden. Stepping foot on the New Continent results in automatic expulsion, and a Ring Warlock’s suicide creates a crisis comparable to the loss of a Secret-Keeper-grade relic.”
About the New Continent
Fifty years ago, the New Continent was discovered during a geographic exploration reminiscent of earlier-world colonial eras. Unlike the current "Old Continent," the New Continent is devoid of human inhabitants but boasts incredible natural resources.
“Why?” Xia De asked, puzzled.
“The College’s reasoning remains unknown. As for suicide…” Miss Luisa glanced at the Doctor.
“Dr. Schneider believes it may be related to the ‘Other Me.’ If we die, the Other Me might... do something.”
The Doctor shrugged.
“That’s all we know for now. We haven’t encountered any Ring Warlocks who have committed suicide.”
Dr. Schneider continued with practical advice. “Remember, three days from now—Wednesday at 10 AM—you’ll need to return. We’ll cover the curriculum, regular group study sessions, and this term’s fixed tasks. In the meantime, explore your runes. This notebook should help.”
From a locked drawer, the Doctor retrieved a black, weathered notebook and handed it to Xia De.
“This contains notes on developing miracles with runes. It won’t be easy for someone newly awakened, but it’s worth trying. Your most important task right now, however, is rest. Awakening as a Ring Warlock takes a toll on both the soul and body. Expect to be in bed for three days. You’ll likely sleep until noon tomorrow.
“Oh, and don’t forget—you owe me ten pounds by the end of the month.”
Xia De felt the goodbye was abrupt but recognized he had taken up too much of their time. Gathering his thoughts, he responded sincerely.
“Three days from now then, Dr. Schneider, Miss Luisa… thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I was just here as a witness today,” Miss Luisa said with a lighthearted tone, clearly in good spirits.
“And don’t thank me either,” the Doctor replied quietly, his blue eyes meeting Xia De’s. “I told you—I only want to secure a fifth Ring Warlock for our group.”
With that, Xia De stepped out of the clinic, taking his first steps into the extraordinary world of the Ring Warlocks.
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