Chapter 5 An Encounter

Chapter 5 An Encounter

A single sentence from Carol sparked countless associations in Celes's mind.

He didn't rush to ask questions but simply gazed at Carol, pondering the definition of an Enlightener while waiting for Carol to provide more information.

However, Miss Clayton lacked his patience and blurted out a question as soon as she heard Carol's words: "Reenactment?!"

"Exactly, Miss Clayton," Carol said with a smile, snapping his fingers. "All our power comes from events that occurred in the past."

From the looks on the faces of those present, he could tell they hadn't understood him at all.

So he gave an example: "To put it simply, three hundred years ago, someone killed a person with a machete. Three hundred years later, you learn about this event and obtain some related items—say, the machete itself.

"Then, using the power of a potion, you can attempt to kill someone with the same machete. This is the process of reenactment. If you successfully reenact it, you can harness the strength of the original killer.

"This way, your physical constitution and strength are enhanced, making it easier for you to kill.

"This is the simplest use. Of course, I don't hope that after becoming an Enlightener, your only goal is to kill your enemies. Taking lives isn't the solution."

Carol smiled, pleased to see everyone nodding thoughtfully.

He gave another example: "Take this book you're looking at now. Why can I shrink it?"

The young man, who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, couldn't wait to ask, "Why?"

Carol carefully took out a small piece of yellowed paper from his pocket and said, "This book is called the 'Box of Knowledge.' The original edition and manuscript are kept in the Church of the Past, and what I have here is just a copy from the Historical Society.

"This piece of paper is part of the earliest paper used during the creation, writing, and formation of the Box of Knowledge. This is the Time Track.

"The so-called Time Track is the trajectory of time, specifically referring to items like the killing machete or a piece of old paper. There are other things, but I won't go into detail.

"...Now, does anyone understand why I can shrink the book?"

Everyone looked at each other.

The elderly woman slowly spoke in her aged voice, "That's not shrinking... It's reverting."

"Exactly!" Carol nodded approvingly. "This small piece of paper was torn from the original Box of Knowledge, which was once a small booklet, far less thick than it is now.

"If I reenact the processes of 'folding' and 'writing,' the ritual's power acts upon the Box of Knowledge itself, allowing it to revert to its earlier form.

"And once I stop this power, the Box of Knowledge returns to its current state."

With that, Carol took out paper and pen from a nearby drawer, dabbed ink dots on both sides of the paper, and then folded it so the dots overlapped.

"This is the power of an Enlightener! We can fold space-time, bringing old powers back to the present!"

Miss Clayton's eyes sparkled as she asked eagerly, "Can any past be reenacted?"

Carol smiled and explained, "The power of an Enlightener comes from three parts: potions, Time Tracks, and rituals. The specific process of making potions is complex, so I won't explain it now.

"In short, potions are the keys to unlocking the power of time. They enable the paper to fold. After consuming the potion, we can freely and 'safely' use the power of rituals for a period.

"Time Tracks, as I've said, are objects from the past, the trajectories of time. They are the locators for the power of time. Without a Time Track, you cannot determine which power to reenact during a ritual.

"The ritual is the process of 'reenactment.' To borrow the power of the past, you must know what happened and recreate it.

"To borrow the power of the killing machete, you must kill; to revert the Box of Knowledge, you must recreate its original form.

"...Now, do you realize the prerequisite for an Enlightener before performing a ritual?"

The six new Enlighteners remained silent.

They hadn't realized the "prerequisite," as everything seemed to happen naturally according to Carol's explanation.

Consume the potion, use the Time Track, perform the ritual... and the past power reappears in the world. Traces long lost in the river of time reemerge.

What prerequisite?

Suddenly, Celes, who had only introduced himself by name after entering Room 666, spoke up: "The prerequisite is knowing exactly what happened in the past."

Carol laughed heartily, praising Celes's sharpness and wisdom, then turned serious and said, "Yes, you must ensure that when you perform each ritual, you clearly understand what happened in the past.

"Because I know the complete process of creating the Box of Knowledge, I can revert it to its original form. For you, even with this piece of paper, you cannot transform the Box of Knowledge.

"If you are unclear or uncertain, do not perform the ritual—nor use Time Tracks of unknown origin. That would be very dangerous."

The others finally understood.

The power was wondrous, powerful, yet also dangerous and mysterious.

No one could be sure if the past hidden in the mists of history matched their understanding.

When facing and using power, they must remain cautious and calm.

Carol elaborated further, recounting several stories about improper use of Time Tracks and rituals, mostly involving beginners. Their endings were not pleasant—some died, some were injured, and some lost their minds.

This frightened everyone present, causing them to look serious and solemn.

Only Celes remained calm and indifferent.

He suddenly understood why he had received that business card.

His discovery of Grenfell's Antique Bookstore proved his potential to become an Enlightener. The bookstore might be similar to the space behind the door of the Historical Society, visible only to Enlighteners.

Given this premise, his conversation with Grenfell in the bookstore seemed somewhat nonsensical. Those who entered the bookstore were likely Enlighteners, but Celes knew nothing.

Grenfell probably realized this.

When Celes mentioned his research on the literature of the Silent Age, Grenfell decided to give him this business card, at least to make him understand the dangers involved.

Researching the literature of the Silent Age inevitably involves encountering traces of the past, including original manuscripts and documents from different periods. These are clearly artifacts—time tracks.

Celes possesses the qualifications of an Awakener but lacks the knowledge and abilities of one. It's uncertain when he might "re-enact" the rituals associated with time tracks, thereby gaining uncontrollable powers.

Earlier, when Carol mentioned potions, he said their purpose was to allow Awakeners to use their powers freely and "safely" for a period.

Safe?

Why emphasize this point?

Perhaps it's because even without taking potions, one could still use the power of time—dangerously. And according to Carol, even with the potion, if one doesn't understand the specific meanings of time tracks and rituals, accidents can still happen.

Uncontrolled powers bring extreme danger.

Celes organized his thoughts and finally confirmed that his understanding was correct.

He couldn't help feeling somewhat relieved that since arriving in this world, he hadn't encountered dangerous time tracks much and had learned about the existence of Awakeners before truly coming into contact with them.

On the other side, after scaring everyone present with several stories, Carol finally seemed satisfied and reined himself in: "Of course, you don't need to worry too much.

"Time tracks are indeed dangerous, which is why we must learn to use and control them."

"Would we encounter such dangers in our daily lives?" Miss Clayton couldn't help asking. "If we did..."

"Oh, then hurry to the Church of the Past or the Historical Society for help," Carol said. "Many things..." he used vague words, "are handled by us—and by future you."

This statement suddenly made the few residents of Ramifa City, who were born and raised there, feel a heavy weight.

As Carol spoke, he casually folded the yellowed piece of paper in his hand twice and tossed it onto the thick book of knowledge. Then, a faint blue aura spread out. When the light faded, the book of knowledge returned to its original form as an ordinary booklet.

Everyone was amazed. Witnessing the ritual for the first time opened their eyes.

Carol said, "Alright, let's wrap it up here today. Next time you come, you'll be able to experience some relatively safe rituals—that's the true entry into being an Awakener."

"When is next time?" Miss Clayton asked eagerly.

"On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, at two in the afternoon. The next time is the day after tomorrow," Carol nodded with a smile. "The doorknob has memorized you; you can enter Room 666 anytime."

After thinking for a moment, Carol added, "Before attempting real rituals, I don't recommend interacting with the other Awakeners outside. Many of them are... opportunists."

Carol didn't elaborate further, nodding and clapping his hands, "Alright, Awakeners. What lies ahead is the door to knowledge and time. But caution and thoroughness are what we should remember most when stepping through this door."

Everyone present agreed.

"Well, see you on Wednesday," Carol said. As everyone stood up to leave, he added, "Before you go, please sign this agreement. It states that you cannot voluntarily disclose any information related to Awakeners to ordinary people."

He took out a more ancient-looking parchment with handwritten text.

The appearance of the agreement was expected, and its content was simple. Someone hesitated for a moment, but eventually, everyone signed. The six names and signatures lingered on the parchment for a moment before disappearing.

Carol noticed some dissatisfaction and said, "Using powers safely is our constant pursuit. You'll learn more secrets about Awakeners later."

Soon, everyone dispersed.

As Celes stepped out of the room, he heard the dice in his mind turn lightly, but no judgment occurred. Instead, a prompt sounded.

"Spirit +1. Knowledge +1."

This made Celes pause slightly, then he continued walking without changing his expression.

He still hadn't found a way to communicate with the dice... He wondered if it was related to his entry into being an Awakener.

Celes intended to talk more with Carol, but noticing that Carol had no intention of staying, he decided to give up for now. He inadvertently walked alongside Miss Clayton.

"Such mysterious powers," Miss Clayton sighed. "Perhaps this world is indeed mysterious and magnificent."

Celes politely agreed.

Miss Clayton continued, "I never knew our world hid such powers."

"Neither did I, Miss Clayton."

"You can call me Angela. We're classmates now, aren't we?" the young lady blinked. "I sense you'll be an outstanding Awakener."

Celes smiled slightly but didn't say anything. He was a quiet, reserved person.

On the second floor, Celes bid farewell to Miss Clayton and retrieved his belongings. By the time he left the Historical Society, the entrance was already deserted.

The gloomy air was once again filled with fine raindrops. Around him, the streets were crowded with traffic and bustling crowds. Celes felt he had returned to the real world.

He opened his pocket watch and saw it was nearly four o'clock. By the time he reached 13 Milford Street, it would probably be past five.

Celes sighed imperceptibly.

The public carriage arrived, and Celes protected the stack of manuscripts in his arms as he boarded. As expected, after over an hour of bumpy travel, he finally returned to Milford Street.

The rain grew heavier.

Celes bought a small nut bread and a bottle of goat's milk for dinner at the bakery in Logan Market. He had to return the glass bottle after drinking it, so he registered his address at the bakery.

However, he planned to visit Logan Market the next day to buy necessities anyway.

Then, with wet hair, Celes hurried back, grateful that his rented house provided hot water. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, wondering about the energy source used in this world.

...It seemed not like coal or steam as on Earth. Mechanical structures existed, but the air pollution wasn't severe.

After a day of running around and acquiring much knowledge, Celes was famished, only wanting to put away the manuscripts in his arms and go out to find food.

However, just as he was walking up the stairs to the second floor, someone emerged from the room across from his.