Chapter 15: [Relic] Grade

Even from half a room away, Shade could sense the danger emanating from the object in the hands of the slumbering young man. It was as if the box were out of place in this world, carrying an aura capable of causing all things to decay. This was a [Relic]; the moment Shade saw it, he knew he would never mistake it again.

The doctor surveyed the room and continued

"Relics can be tangible objects, but they can also be events, or even just a piece of information or a single sentence. The hierarchy of [Relics] established by the Church of the Orthodox Gods has also been accepted and recognized by the Academy. There are five grades in total—

Poet Grade (Grade 5): Its information can even be sung by poets, but it will only be regarded as street gossip or legends. The standard benchmark is [The Manuscript of Poet Cohen];

Scribe Grade (Grade 4): Information regarding such [Relics] must be recorded in detail and sealed. The information can only exist on paper and must not be easily circulated. The standard benchmark is [The Unknowner's Thesis];

Keeper Grade (Grade 3): Strictly trained Keepers are dedicated to guarding the information of a specific [Relic]. Unless under special circumstances, such items must be contained and used with extreme caution. The standard benchmark is [The Keeper's Eye];

Sage Grade (Grade 2): Only Great Sages are permitted to know their information and containment status. Once an uncontained item of this grade is discovered, according to protocol, the Academy and the Church of the Orthodox Gods must immediately notify each other. The standard benchmark is [The Philosopher's Stone];

Angel Grade (Grade 1): Extremely dangerous. The descent of an Evil God and the loss of control of an Angel-grade [Relic] are generally considered events of the same magnitude. I am merely a fifth-year correspondence student; I will not learn the characteristics and containment methods of such items until the next grade. The standard benchmark is [The Heart of the Malignant Angel]."

"What is a standard benchmark?" Shade asked.

"A standard benchmark is a reference used when grading a [Relic]. Once the danger level exceeds the benchmark, it immediately enters the next grade."

Shade nodded in understanding, but since even the highest Angel Grade had a standard benchmark, it seemed to imply...

He didn't ask, because Dr. Schneider most likely didn't know either.

He followed up with a quiet question, his voice somewhat muffled because he was holding his breath

"Then, what are we facing this time...?"

"A Poet-grade (Grade 5) [Relic]. I have already investigated; it is the [Life Countdown Pocket Watch].

Yes, it is the thing inside that box over there; he didn't dare touch it directly. By offering flesh and blood, the pocket watch allows the holder to rotate it within a certain range. By pointing the face of the watch at any living being, a 'Life Countdown' status is added to that being depending on the angle of rotation. The shorter the countdown, the more flesh and blood is required. That is why Spyro Hamilton had such a long time."

The doctor instructed Shade to wait at the door. Stepping through the blood-soaked mud on the floor, the doctor entered the room and took the box containing the [Relic]. Only after returning to Shade's side did he open it, instructing Shade beforehand to concentrate and not be influenced by the power of the [Relic].

As the doctor opened the box, a heavy, thick scent of blood immediately rushed out. To Shade's surprise, the box was filled with a pool of bloody water.

After pouring out the blood, the silver pocket watch fell into Dr. Schneider's hand.

The doctor did not open the watch cover. Shade could only see that gruesome skulls were engraved on both the front and back of the watch. A ring of runes surrounded the cover—symbols he had never seen before, yet Shade, as expected, deciphered them once again. This confirmed that he truly could understand all the written languages of this otherworldly realm

[The price of life is the mystery of flesh.]

At that moment, he actually tasted blood in his mouth, as if he had just bitten into raw meat... Shade truly gagged this time. Fortunately, since he hadn't eaten breakfast, there was nothing to throw up. The doctor promptly placed the pocket watch back into the box and tucked it into his personal briefcase.

"Is this the thing that killed Detective Spyro?" Shade murmured to himself after a long while, once he had regained his composure. After all, the detective had brought the original owner out of a life of vagrancy and left him his entire inheritance; Shade was glad to be able to avenge him.

"Yes, this is it. Those under the countdown status know their life expectancy but cannot reveal it to anyone, otherwise they will die instantly. However, this [Relic], which originated in the Fifth Epoch, is very dangerous to ordinary people, but a Circle Practitioner has plenty of ways to neutralize its influence. Thus, it is only the lowest grade, Poet Grade.

The Life Countdown effect is countered by various elements of [Miracles] and [Enlightenment], so its danger level is not high; it can only be considered an ordinary Poet-grade Relic... Unfortunately, Mr. Spyro Hamilton was only an ordinary person."

Dr. Schneider shook his head with regret.

"Actually, I have been tracking this relic for several months, so I could understand your situation in a single night. But there were too many victims. Although I saved a few, I ultimately failed to reach Detective Spyro Hamilton in time. He seems to have passed away on the morning we met. It is truly a pity..."

What followed was simple. The two searched the nearby rooms. Using the methods of a Circle Practitioner, the psychologist neutralized the hallucinations brought by the Poet-grade [Relic] and located all the piles of human remains, confirming they had found the right killer.

Subsequently, after Shade refused to commit murder, the doctor killed Byte Morod directly through a dream. To Shade's eyes, the entire process took only a second.

Having finished, they left together. When the doctor visited Shade in the morning, he had already written an anonymous letter, which was delivered through special channels at noon to the Ridgewick Field in Tobesk City—the Tobesk City Police Department. Soon, the police would discover this place, thereby drawing the attention of the Church of the Orthodox Gods.

"This area is under the jurisdiction of the Church of the Sun God. They act very quickly, so we must leave promptly."

The doctor even joked as they boarded the carriage waiting for them. But Shade was in no mood to talk. Although the outsider had no ties here, witnessing such a bloody scene inevitably left him feeling unsettled.

It made him profoundly aware of the cruelty and strangeness of this world.

They returned to the city together and ate at a goose restaurant in the East District of Tobesk City. Of course, the doctor treated him. Shade did not eat much; the images he had seen on the second floor of the sanatorium would likely haunt him for a long time.

Afterward, they arrived at the doctor's psychological clinic, located on Rinchen Avenue in the East District of Tobesk City—the wealthy district. Although it was not as bustling as the city center like St. Delan Square, the neighborhood was beautiful.

Bill Schneider's psychological clinic was flanked by an antique shop and a high-end tobacco shop. The clinic was divided into three floors: the first two were for consultations, and the third floor was the doctor's private residence.

The clinic was quite large. In addition to Mr. Bill Schneider himself, there were five employed doctors on duty, as well as receptionists, cleaners, tea ladies, and so on; it was quite professional.

The doctor invited Shade to rest in his second-floor reception room, a consultation room used only by important patients. Only after the servant brought tea could the conversation continue.

Rather than a reception room, it felt more like a study. The curved walls were lined with dark brown bookshelves packed with leather-bound volumes. An imposing desk stood upon a red carpet; one could tell the owner's wealth just by looking at the fountain pens on the pen stand.

The combination of the sofa and tea table was less formal than that of a detective agency, but the home-style tea set was very effective at making visiting guests relax and reveal their troubles and secrets.

"How did the trip feel?"

The doctor asked naturally, leaning back into a single leather armchair, his right hand resting on the armrest with his finger against his chin.

Shade, meanwhile, sat on a fabric sofa—the kind typically used by Dr. Schneider's "patients."

"Thank you very much."

"For helping you resolve the hidden danger?"

"Yes," Shade said, though the troubles in his heart did not diminish.

This trip had merely been to avenge Detective Spyro, which also indicated that Spyro's death was due to a detective commission and did not involve the task he had assigned to Shade. In other words, Shade still did not know what secrets Spyro Hamilton truly held.

The current guess was that Spyro Hamilton possessed a mysterious identity outside of being a detective, but due to an accident involving a detective case, he had been forced to find someone to temporarily take his place. However, that secret identity was likely unrelated to the supernatural; otherwise, the detective would not have known of his impending death yet remained utterly unable to save himself.

Of course, there was no need to explain this to Mr. Bill Schneider. Although the morning's excursion had caused Shade to fundamentally trust the man, he had not yet completely lowered all his guard.