Chapter Fourteen: The Four Elements

The two ascended to the second floor, where dust also lay thick. They did not proceed to the third floor but instead looked down the corridor. On one side of the corridor were windows; on the other, a row of rooms. The main building of the sanatorium was shaped like a hollow square, and at that moment, the two stood in the center of the longer side.

The doctor spoke:

“Miracle—if you can inscribe a ‘Miracle’ spirit rune, it will inevitably be golden. All ‘Miracles’ stem from the stories and power of the gods. Remember, the five great true gods are the only benevolent deities remaining.”

“Only remaining?” Shade seized upon the key point and understood why he had encountered ‘Miracle’ for the first time.

“Yes. In past eras, there were many gods. If you join the academy, the foundational courses at the Divine Academy cover this. But most of the once-powerful deities have vanished—some fallen, some departed, some sealed away. Only five benevolent gods remain here, known as the true gods. And these gods can intervene in the material world; they are not mere symbols. Do not think of them as powerful ring mages—they are truly higher-dimensional beings... I hope you understand what I mean.”

Shade’s lip twitched slightly; of course, he understood.

“Ring mages of the True God Church mostly specialize in the ‘Miracle’ element. But apart from the true gods, the old gods of ancient times have left many traces in the world. By encountering those traces and learning their stories—with the help of the ‘Other Me’—it is also possible to extract ‘Miracle’ spirit runes.”

The doctor finally mentioned the indispensable “voice in the mind” of ring mages.

“The voice inside your mind is actually another you—not the true you, but indeed you.”

The doctor emphasized this concept once again, and Shade’s mind echoed with the woman’s laughter.

“This is a ‘Miracle’ spirit rune I inscribed during the first ring.”

White mist swirled behind the doctor once more, revealing part of a brass-colored wheel of fate, with a golden spirit rune shimmering. Shade suppressed the throbbing at his temples and deciphered the rune’s meaning: “Dust.” He had seen it once before.

“The old god ‘Dust Deity,’ also called the ‘World Serpent of Dust,’ left this miracle. I learned its story through the academy and thus obtained this spirit rune.”

The golden light flickered, casting a trail of footprints before them.

“But I’m not suited to this miracle; this is merely a simple magical art I developed. The power derived from spirit rune development is called magical art, while the general power of ring mages is called incantation—this will be introduced in coursework.”

The two followed the footprints forward; it seemed their destination was indeed on the second floor.

“But remember, gods are dangerous. Not because they bear malice toward humans, but because their very nature is so exalted that any contact with divine matters can harm you due to the oppressive essence of the gods. It’s like staring at the sun—it injures the eyes.”

The doctor warned, then continued:

“Desecration—if you can inscribe a ‘Desecration’ spirit rune, it will be silver. All ‘Desecration’ comes from impure concepts and evil gods. But remember, not the five true gods, nor the old gods who have vanished, but the old gods who still exist.”

---

Some of the ancient deities have survived to this day. Besides the five powerful benevolent gods, there remain a few evil gods. These deities are comparatively weak—horrible entities born from concepts and desecration. They are indeed gods, recognized as such by the True God Church. Yet their power pales in comparison to the true gods.

“This is not empty boasting by the True God Church but a fact.”

“So, the true gods are acknowledged, powerful benevolent deities; the old gods include vanished benevolent gods, evil gods, and the still-existing evil gods. Are these evil gods terrifying?”

Shade summarized.

“Absolutely terrifying. Although they are weaker than the five true gods, even ordinary people who learn of their power often go mad. The church’s primary task is to suppress the occasional appearance of evil gods and the ever-present cultists. But ‘Desecration’ spirit runes are not rejected—apart from evil gods, some knowledge from the Fourth Era can also be used to extract ‘Desecration.’ Secret books record those dreadful stories. This is the mainstream method of extracting ‘Desecration.’ Both ‘Miracle’ and ‘Desecration’ are linked to gods, inevitably so.”

It was currently the Sixth Era. None of the books Shade had seen recorded this; books and calendars only noted the year. But Shade knew it was the Sixth Era—the voice in his mind had told him so when it first appeared.

This seemed to confirm the other’s uniqueness once again.

“This is the Sixth Era. The Fourth Era was an age of darkness and chaos—terrifying, extraordinarily so...” The doctor spoke softly, as if fearing to disturb some presence. Silver spirit runes flickered in the mist behind him, once again revealing part of the fate wheel. Shade interpreted the beautiful rune as “Emotion.”

“‘Emotion’ is a fairly powerful spirit rune, originating from a dreadful story in the Fourth Era, one I have not forgotten. I have developed multiple magical arts from this element, the simplest of which is detecting creatures nearby with emotions.”

The silver light flickered on the brass fate wheel, and the doctor discerned:

“He is inside, afraid. Looks like he knows we have arrived.”

The enemy couldn’t not know; the doctor made no effort to hide his voice.

“If the voice in your mind keeps warning you of nearby ‘Desecration,’ don’t hesitate—turn and run immediately. This element is extremely lethal.”

The doctor continued imparting basic knowledge as they pressed forward. Shade understood why he himself had only encountered ‘Desecration’ but not yet ‘Miracle.’

“Inspiration—if you can inscribe an ‘Inspiration’ spirit rune, it will be brass-colored. All ‘Inspiration’ comes from civilization itself. Yes, civilization: history, legends, religion, heroic tales, even fictional knightly adventures. Through certain media, ‘Inspiration’ can be extracted. It is the element of civilization, symbolizing the light of our world.”

Though easy to say, it certainly wasn’t as simple as reading a few knight novels.

The spark that flared in the stranger’s eyes the moment he observed the world was precisely because he had encountered the ‘Inspiration’ element at his doorstep.

“And it’s not just our civilization, nor merely human civilization—civilizations from past eras can also yield ‘Inspiration.’ ‘Inspiration’ can coexist with ‘Desecration’ and ‘Miracle,’ for the history of civilization cannot be without divine power. The gods have never taken their gaze from civilization.”

From the mist behind the doctor, a corner of the fate wheel appeared again, revealing a brass-colored rune named “Sweet Dream.”

“This is the spirit rune ‘Sweet Dream.’ Its origin is inconvenient to explain now, but I have a good affinity with it. Now, I will use magical art to send the other party into a dream.”

A faint glow spilled forth. Shade could not see the specific effect but trusted the doctor would not fail.

They finally stopped advancing and turned into an unmarked room. It was clean inside, but no one was in sight.

The doctor remained calm:

“Lastly, Whisper—if you can inscribe a ‘Whisper’ spirit rune, it will be black iron in color. ‘Whisper’ has broad origins. Generally, ‘Inspiration’ is considered the light of civilization, whereas ‘Whisper’ is the darkness of the world. Whisper is almost a natural phenomenon, echoing throughout the material world. It is obtained through contact with evil god knowledge or through certain ‘Relics.’”

A detective had died because of a certain ‘Relic,’ which is why Shade could access the ‘Whisper’ element at that moment.

The black iron rune appeared, its meaning “False Reality,” the most complex of the four spirit runes the doctor had displayed.

“This rune was obtained a year ago when resolving a level 3 ‘Relic’ case, known as the ‘Confidant’ class. I don’t fully understand its power yet; it is mainly used to dispel illusions.”

Under the glow of the black iron rune, the clean room began to reveal its true nature. Newspapers and wooden boards blocked the drafty window. The floor and walls appeared coated with a layer of blood plasma, emitting a foul stench. Glass containers filled with human organs were scattered about, arranged as if for an exhibition...

With the disguise gone, the bloody stench hit them like a wave. Shade’s stomach churned; now he understood why the doctor had deliberately forbidden him breakfast.

Enduring intense discomfort and mental pressure, Shade’s eyes scanned the almost blood-red room and found a young man sleeping soundly in the corner.

He did not look like a vagrant but rather a student—his clothes clean, features refined, attire proper. One hand held a pistol; the other gripped a brass box. He slumped there.

“Byde Morod, 19 years old, a student at the Lorax Mechanical Academy in Tobesk City. A year ago, he accidentally came into contact with a level 5 ‘Relic’—the Poet class—and was driven mad by the ‘Whisper’ element within it. His personality changed drastically, and he gradually became a kidnapper and murderer of young women... This world is, after all, far too dangerous for ordinary people.”

“So, what exactly is a ‘Relic’?” Shade controlled his fear of the scene and suppressed his nausea. The doctor appeared calm—either well in control of his emotions or accustomed to such scenes. Both hesitated to step inside, remaining at the room’s threshold.

“‘Relics’ are remnants of the past, curses from the first five eras. Some form naturally; others were crafted by powerful beings of old.

Remember, only the first five eras can produce ‘Relics.’ There are no records of any ‘Relics’ originating in the Sixth Era. But if you were to find one, that might be enough for a whole year’s worth of practical credits... ‘Relics’ are easy to distinguish from other alchemical items. Only they can bear the ‘Whisper’ element—no human method can artificially imbue an item with ‘Whisper.’”

Together, they looked at the metal box in young Morod’s hands—that was the ‘Relic.’