Chapter 22: Elements: Ringing the Bell, Lighting the Fire, Driving Forward, Hymn

"Taking office now?"

Hearing the doctor's words, Shade suddenly grew nervous; he hadn't expected it to be so direct.

"Here?"

"Of course. Is there a problem with the doctor's clinic? Besides, isn't the 72-hour mark almost here?"

Miss Louisa, the blonde writer, was puzzled, but Dr. Schneider understood what Shade was trying to express.

"Here, of course. Oh, Shade, let me emphasize one thing again. Remember, we are correspondence Ringwizards. St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy has no special emotional connection to us; there is only responsibility and obligation. Do you understand? As for helping you, it is because I need a fifth Ringwizard to appear in my group, and the Academy provides rewards for introducing new Ringwizards. It is not because I am a kind person."

The doctor looked at Shade very seriously, his blue eyes filled with warning.

"You lack common sense regarding this world, so I will give you the most important warning: do not trust others easily."

"He is actually a good man, but he is always this stern," the lady beside them said, shaking her head.

Shade nodded cautiously, though he agreed with the writer's assessment—Dr. Schneider was a good person, at least for now.

"Louisa, you only need to observe the upcoming process to prevent any unforeseen accidents. Please do not speak."

"No problem. We've already been through this procedure twice. Wasn't it the same when Anat and Augustus took office?" the writer said, gesturing for Shade to listen closely.

"For an Awakened to awaken their Life Ring, they must first come into contact with the four elements. This is difficult for an ordinary person who knows nothing. We are in the Sixth Epoch, not the dark and chaotic Fourth Epoch, nor the Fifth Epoch ruled by the Witch Emperors. In this era where the supernatural is not prominent, steam and machinery are the themes; there is not much mystery here. Even if one knows of the existence of mystery, it is difficult to come into contact with it. Moreover, an ordinary person cannot even imagine the dangers of contacting the mysterious."

The doctor held up four fingers.

"So, Shade, among the four elements, how many have you come into contact with so far?"

"Only the [Profane], which is related to the Evil Gods."

Shade spoke the truth. Dr. Schneider did not ask further.

"Watch my Life Ring."

Three silver runes flashed simultaneously. Shade interpreted their meanings as [Wrath], [Sludge of the Heart], and [Malice].

【You have come into contact with 'Profane'.】

Immediately following that sentence, a whispering voice recited another passage

【The Sixth Epoch, Year 1853 of the Common Calendar, Summer, the Day of the Silver Moon's Dim Radiance, you have come into contact with all four elements. Outsider, the Gate of the Supernatural is about to open; the path of sublimation lies ahead.】

"Did your 'other self' provide a hint?" the doctor asked, letting the Life Ring behind him dissipate into the steam.

"Yes, it gave me a hint. It told me I have contacted all the elements and that the Gate of the Supernatural is about to open."

The doctor nodded with satisfaction.

"The 'other self' is the core of the Ringwizard system. It is the reverse side of your soul; it is you, yet it is not you. It shares knowledge and memories with you. However, it can feel and see more, thus acting as a bridge for the Ringwizard to communicate with the world, preventing us from directly contacting knowledge and information that would pollute the soul. I will repeat this once more; I hope you can keep it in mind."

"In other words, my 'other self' cannot know knowledge that I am unaware of?" Shade's heart stirred as he asked the question.

The doctor nodded affirmatively. Shade blinked; he had long suspected that his "other self" was definitely not normal.

"It is actually you, but you don't know it. It shares your gender, which is why the voice in my head is that of a man, while Louisa's is that of a woman..."

The lady beside them nodded in confirmation.

"It shares your memories, but it does not need sleep, so perhaps it knows more about the night. But essentially, you and your other self simply have different ways of thinking and different perspectives. That is why you sometimes hear inexplicable words; it can see more from the ordinary world," the doctor added. Shade blinked again.

In his heart, the woman's light laughter seemed to nourish his soul, driving away the last traces of influence brought by the Poet-grade relic.

*Who exactly are you?* he asked in his mind.

【Outsider, at least for now, I am you.】

"Collecting elements" was merely the first step. Afterward, four more steps were required: "Ringing the Bell," "Igniting the Fire," "Driving the Force," and "The Anthem." The complete five-step process was the most orthodox Ringwizard awakening procedure, used by both the Churches of the True Gods and the three great Academies.

"Ringing the Bell" refers to shocking the soul, allowing it to undergo its initial sublimation. This step sounded complex, but it was actually just drinking a potion.

The three great Occult Academies and the five Churches of the True Gods had different recipes for the "Bell-Ringing Potion." The doctor said the potion from the Sexus Higher Medical College was said to be the best tasting—orange-flavored and very sweet—while the potion from the [Church of Nature and Evil Thoughts] of the True God [Lord of All Things] was the most unpleasant, tasting somewhat like chewing on dry bark.

The Academy sent the "Bell-Ringing Potion" directly via a manuscript: a conical glass bottle containing bubbling purple liquid. It felt somewhat cold to the touch, but it tasted warm when swallowed.

However, Shade felt he couldn't taste any flavor at all.

"Look behind you," the doctor reminded him.

Shade swallowed the last gulp, wiped the corner of his mouth, set the bottle down, and turned around. A layer of white mist had already risen behind him, and he could faintly hear the sound of a bell in his ears, though it was not clear.

He did indeed feel the so-called vibration of the soul, but that could also have been a gastric hallucination caused by drinking too quickly.

"Igniting the Fire" refers to igniting the collected four elements, causing the initial spark of the soul to burn. This step only required the assistance of a Ringwizard of the third ring or above and some technique. The doctor pressed his right index finger against the space between Shade's eyebrows. As a stream of cold air slowly entered Shade's body, the bell ringing in his ears became clearer.

He turned his head; the thick white mist behind him had taken on a scorching temperature, and the steam became profound, as if containing infinite possibilities within it.

"Driving the Force" refers to allowing the soul to drive that ignited, faint spark, enabling the Ringwizard to perceive "Spirit" and possess the ability to manipulate the four elements. Specifically, this required Shade to feel power—to feel the idealistic force of the mind influencing matter.

Thus, Dr. Schneider brought out a book without a cover.

"For Ringwizards, there are many ways to contact the four elements. However, the method of inscribing [Spirit Runes] within one's own Life Ring does not encourage contacting gods, the mysterious, or the eerie. While that can work, it is quite dangerous. The orthodox way of cultivation is reading books and studying the stories of the past; other methods can be considered relying on luck."

"Reading books?" This reminded Shade once again that the supernatural organization he had joined was a school.

"Yes. The Churches, Academies, and a few Ringwizard organizations collect special books that record quite dangerous knowledge and stories from past eras. These books are copied by hand, translating dangerous ancient languages into contemporary ones, which weakens their power. Therefore, reading those original or merely once-transcribed or translated forbidden books is the best way for a Ringwizard to inscribe Spirit Runes. For you, this will be enough to let you feel your own power."

He handed the book to Shade.

"This is a handwritten copy of the first volume of *The Book of Fire Worship*, and it is a version that has been transcribed at least six times from the original. It is the least dangerous book in my possession; it is impossible to obtain Spirit Runes by reading this. Read it completely in half an hour. You can ask me about any words you don't understand."

So, Shade spent another half hour reading, equating his future progress on the supernatural path with reading and studying. He had to maintain his current disguise, so he could only pick a few words to ask about at intervals.

During this time, both the doctor and the writer remained sufficiently quiet; they knew this was a significant moment for Shade.

"Finished reading? How do you feel?" the doctor asked.

"A bit hot," Shade replied cautiously, putting the book down.

"Ignite it."

The doctor gave Shade another piece of paper. Shade held it and waited for a few seconds; finding that the doctor had nothing else to say, he asked

"Um, am I skipping any steps... like an incantation or a gesture?"

"Do not try to understand; feel it. Guide this power. Unless your core Spirit Rune is a concept like [Extinguished Fire], this should not be difficult."

Thus, Shade closed his eyes. He came from another world where the supernatural did not exist, but he possessed more knowledge and imagination. He closed his eyes and relaxed, imagining the warm current within his body flowing with his perception, eventually reaching his fingertips and bursting into sparks.

When he opened his eyes, the paper between his fingers had already turned yellow from the high temperature.

A massive roar came from the steam behind him; a black shadow represented the hammer about to strike Shade's soul.

"The final step is the Anthem. You must acknowledge your identity and announce to the world that you have transcended the mundane."

The doctor's tone became serious.

"How do I do that?" Shade was puzzled. His heart was pounding; he understood that he was about to truly contact the supernatural and step into the mysterious realm of the Steam Age.

"Just say something. At the time, I simply recited my name. Louisa recited a very famous short poem. Mr. Lat Augustus prayed to God, and Miss Luvia Anat thought it silently, so we don't know."

To Shade at this moment, the doctor's words seemed to come from a very distant place. He gazed at the thick white steam behind him, watching the hammer that was about to strike from behind the fog.

The woman's voice, the voice reciting the whispering verses, rang out again.

And so, almost in sync with the whispering voice of the woman in his heart, Shade silently recited that declaration

【The Sixth Epoch, Year 1853 of the Common Calendar, Summer, the Day of the Silver Moon's Dim Radiance, I have come to this world. I have pushed open the Gate of the Supernatural and stepped onto the path of the four-element sublimation. Shade Surren Hamilton—the roads of fate diverge beneath my feet. I shall witness, I shall experience, I shall see all of this.】

Carrying immense wind pressure, the giant hammer swung from the depths of the steam, striking behind Shade amidst a gale.

*BOOM!*

The soul was impacted; sparks flew, spiritual light flickered, and elements overflowed. Within that frantic, spraying white steam, a ring of brass with a strange luster, resembling the sun, gradually became clear.

It spun, splashing sparks in all directions. The brass ring body appeared fully within the steam mist, radiating high heat, with the Life Ring hovering behind him.

In the center of the high-speed spinning ring, two brass-colored, shining core runes symbolized Shade's upcoming destiny—

【Space-Time】【Silver Moon】.