CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 34: DISASSEMBLING THE RELIC

Ivan.

Mind Path, profession is psychologist.

Shawn is the most unique Transcendent he has encountered in the real world so far. Whether it’s a psychologist or Mind Path, both are high-risk professions in the Bizarre Realm, as they can hear ancient, unspeakable whispers. Mind paths can alter memories, implant thoughts, and plant mind suggestions that ordinary people cannot perceive.

"It’s best to keep a suitable distance from him."

Shawn never thought of pinning his hopes on a psychologist; he prefers to temper his own will. Plus, the creepy ability to modify and delete memories makes him very wary.

However, investigators do indeed delete some memories.

In some eerie events, investigators’ minds have been severely damaged, and psychologists perform Mind Surgery on them, deleting a day’s memories or certain terrifying memory fragments. If it’s just regular mental contamination, a simple mind suggestion is planted to stop them from focusing on it.

Most of the investigators and Night Watchers don’t have close relations with psychologists, which Ivan should be used to by now.

——"Those who manipulate minds, in the end, are also manipulated by minds."

When Mind Path advances to the late stage, nine out of ten end up going insane.

Building 3, 12B.

Shawn returned to his residence, closed all the doors and windows, and started preparing the ritual.

The rituals taught by Ms. Hecate are very simple, without all sorts of flashy elements. You don’t even need offerings, not even requiring the three essential elements needed for most rituals. Shawn only has to set up the most basic ritual track.

Normally, completing a ritual needs three core elements: the first is Extraordinary Essence (Relic), the second is the correct ritual track (activating power), and the third is the designating of an honorable name (which can be a phenomenon or an ancient existence).

Most rituals are borrowing external power.

In order to increase the success rate of the ritual, many Transcendents prepare extra offerings to appease certain existences (sacrifices, spirit offerings, blood offerings, etc.).

However, the rituals taught by Ms. Hecate don’t have the last step, meaning Shawn only needs two elements: Extraordinary Essence and the correct ritual track.

Rituals are pointless without a response and don’t possess any Supernatural Power.

The honorable name the ritual ultimately targets can be many, even targeting oneself, but Ms. Hecate did not teach Shawn anything about this aspect.

"The debts you owe now, you’ll have to repay later," Ms. Hecate said.

A cluster of ghostly blue flames appeared.

Shawn suspects that the ritual knowledge he learned ultimately targets Ms. Hecate herself, otherwise, it’s hard to explain why he doesn’t need to gather the core three elements even for advancement rituals.

As they say.

Shawn feels Ms. Hecate has arranged an internal route for him without him even noticing.

This is probably the treatment a disciple of a big figure gets.

"In the early stages, one must rely on rituals for decomposition; later, you can refine casually," Shawn muttered to himself.

Within the cluster of ghostly blue flames, the roots of Touch of Flesh and Blood began trembling, and they dissolved at the center of the ritual. Shawn faintly heard a piercing shriek; the Extraordinary Relic at the ritual center squirmed like maggots, decomposing, then a pool of dark red flesh flowed out, merging into the surrounding runes of the ritual.

These are all decomposed Extraordinary Essence, driving force for the ritual power.

Wizards don’t want these.

Shawn gently raised his fingertip, accompanied by the mysterious knowledge flowing from his brain, the runic marks of the ritual began glowing with pale purple light. The knowledge cheered, spreading along the rune traces, eventually fully enveloping the remnants at the center of the ritual.

The knowledge began to digest them!

This Extraordinary Relic was broken down bit by bit before Shawn’s eyes. The sections possessing unique Supernatural Power were consumed by the knowledge he had, with the law contained within the flesh transformed by countless pieces of knowledge into operational methods Shawn could understand.

The entire ritual process lasted about three minutes.

Once the Extraordinary Relic in front of him was completely decomposed, the flowing mysterious knowledge returned to Shawn’s brain, and he also gained a new Spell in his memory.

——Damage Transfer (2 rings).

This process was not Shawn learning a Spell but the mysterious knowledge devouring the Spell; the power it possessed was transformed into the power Shawn possessed.

"The Spells in this world are indeed a bit insane," Shawn murmured.

He picked up the dining knife and slashed open his left palm.

A thread of fresh blood seeped out.

The next moment.

As Shawn activated the mysterious knowledge in his brain, Primitive Magic Power began flowing through his body. The wound on his left palm instantly appeared on his right palm.

"The execution speed of a Tier Two Spell is a bit slower," Shawn keenly noted.

Although the old world’s Order was completely shattered.

Still, one old tradition remains: Wizards from the Wizard Path, before fully digesting the Extraordinary Essence of the first stage, are not recommended to personally venture into combat. In the Old Era, they were Wizard Apprentices who hadn’t officially graduated yet, considered extremely rare resources, generally studying basic knowledge under the protection of their mentors.

Not until they mastered Tier Three Spells could Wizard Apprentices be considered to have officially graduated, possessing somewhat considerable combat strength (graduating at about 5 Extraordinary Levels).

As for vocational paths on the combat side, it’s fine; throwing them out for grind boosts progress faster.

Night fell.

Shawn poured himself a cup of black tea and leaned against the balcony to digest today’s knowledge gained with Reading Magic Memory.

"I currently have a handful of survival skills."

"I should boost attack power a bit."

Shawn toyed with the revolver in his hand; firearms work alright against flesh-side eerie monsters but are quite lacking against those unspeakable illusions.

"There are currently two ways."

"One is to continue accelerating the accumulation of mysterious knowledge, directly jumping to the Enchantment phase, enchanting the bullets of firearms, endowing them with Supernatural Power."

"The second is to learn and master other combat Spells, filling the shortfall in combat Spells."

Children only do multiple-choice questions.

Shawn wants them all!

With knowledge from his previous life on Earth as accumulation, his learning capacity far exceeds other Transcendents on the Wizard Path, so Shawn’s speed of improvement will be faster, and accomplishing both is still feasible, though he’ll be slightly more exhausted.

"I still owe Benjamin 1000 dinars."

Shawn took a sip of black tea, looking at the workers leaving their night shift, musing: "I wonder if he caught that wandering poet using Charming Ability to lure noblewomen?"

The Wizard Path also has Charm Spells, but Extraordinary Relics are rare.

High Sequence Wizard Spells include Transformation Technique, allowing Wizards to have combat abilities equivalent to combat-series Transcendents, except that during transformation, they can’t cast other Spells.

"A bit short on money!"

Shawn rubbed his forehead, muttering: "A salary of 3000 dinars a month is indeed a bit low."

"I must think of ways to explore on my own."

Looks like being a Mage isn’t that easy.

Shawn has just been promoted, yet he’s feeling financial pressure.

He got up and looked in the mirror.

"Hmm."

"Very handsome, resembling a young version of Keanu Reeves," Shawn stroked his chin, looking into the mirror, black hair, brown eyes, sharp gaze, well-defined features, high nose bridge, somewhat like the protagonist in The Matrix.

"How about I capitalize on my strengths and first find a young, beautiful wealthy widow?"

.........

(PS: Wrote smoothly so I added it in advance, not leaving it for the release extra Chapters. Please keep following.)