“Dear Mother, hope this letter finds you well.
“…As I write this letter, there are still four days until the arrival of September. The weather is turning cold, I hope you take care of your health.
“…Following what you said in your last letter, I have already purchased winter clothing and quilts. My savings are still more than enough, you don’t need to attach a hundred-coin note every time you send a letter; I think you can buy more things you like for yourself.
“…My work at Lamifa University has gotten on track. The students are all very polite, and the topic for the thesis I have been researching recently has also made new progress. I hope you can also be happy for me because of this.
“…I have joined the History Society in Lamifa City and am researching an extremely interesting topic. I have also made several friends in the History Society.
“…At the end of October, I will have a two-week vacation. At that time, I should be able to go home and accompany you.
“…
“Wishing you a good mood every day.”
Siles copied the contents of the letter to his mother onto the stationery, then placed it in the envelope. Subsequently, he took off his glasses and closed his eyes.
As he expected, the glasses of this era were pince-nez. A thin chain was attached to one side of the glasses, allowing him to hang the glasses around his neck. It couldn’t be called too troublesome, but his nose bridge would occasionally be pinched, leaving a faint red mark.
Therefore, Siles didn’t quite like wearing glasses. He only wore them when reading and writing, and always paid attention to the duration of use.
Fortunately, in the latter half of August, his schedule had become somewhat looser.
He tidied up the desk, turned off the wall lamp, and then stood by the window, gazing at the landscape of Lamifa University. As time approached September, the weather was gradually becoming cooler.
The entirety of September was probably the most comfortable period in the latter half of the year. They would welcome the autumn season, accompanied by cool breezes and warm sun. And soon, the continuous drizzle of the rainy season would fall, and the cold north wind would bring pure white snow.
Siles had also changed into long-sleeved loungewear.
There were two items placed on the windowsill. One was the potted plant he bought. It was a small pot that could be wrapped up with one hand. Siles felt he was raising it pretty well. Hopefully, this bit of greenery could last until winter.
The other item was a set of dolls he had previously purchased at the underground trading fair in the Old City.
Previously, when Lorenzo came to his room to visit, he noticed that set of dolls and asked him in great surprise where he got them from.
From the mouth of this scholar majoring in archaeology, Siles finally understood that the crafting process of this set of dolls was not simple; perhaps it even had a long history. Lorenzo said he had once heard Professor Dunlop mention some information regarding dolls, but couldn’t remember clearly.
If he remembered at some point, he would ask Professor Dunlop for related materials again.
Siles held no illusions about this matter.
Having known Lorenzo for this long, Siles had also slowly come to understand the true colors of this roommate.
He was a friendly, outgoing, and extremely easy-to-get-along-with person, but correspondingly, his temperament contained a significant component of playfulness. Siles often found that Lorenzo would leave early and return late, or even not return all night.
Occasionally, when he casually asked, he would find out that Lorenzo went to the tavern to drink and chat, or to other places to enjoy himself.
In short, if Siles was a research scholar submerged in countless archives, materials, and ancient books, then Lorenzo was a playboy submerged in singing, dancing, alcohol, and laughter.
Lorenzo usually went out to play twice a week. It wasn’t considered too indulgent; at least, Siles had never seen him in a drunken state, at most just slightly tipsy. Lorenzo often felt that Siles didn’t seem like a young man in his twenties, so he would egg him on to go out and play together.
Siles had never agreed. He wasn’t interested in the things Lorenzo liked.
At such times, Lorenzo would always tease Siles, especially when he put on a suit and went to give classes to the students with a cold face. He would say, Do you know how the students describe you behind your back now?
Siles thought to himself, Of course I know.
Even if he didn’t know at the very beginning of the semester, a month had passed; he ought to know by now. Of course, even so, he wouldn’t be soft-hearted when assigning homework.
This matter made the students even more trembling with fear in front of him.
This would occasionally remind Siles of things on Earth, reminding him of the courses he spent together with professors and classmates during his university days. That was already extremely distant from him; of course, Earth was already extremely distant from him as well.
This was Friday night. Siles stood by the window, looking at the night scenery outside. The peaceful and silent night could always bring to mind some deeply buried thoughts.
Siles took a deep breath, warning himself that there were plenty of things to do tomorrow, and he had no time to waste emotions here.
He went to the bathroom to wash up and then fell asleep early. Early the next morning, he likewise went out early. After mailing the letter and eating breakfast, he took a public carriage to the History Society.
He now came to the History Society twice a week. Once for the meeting with Grenfield on Wednesday morning and once on Saturday. On Saturdays, he would spend the entire day at the History Society; on the one hand, for the matters of the research department and, on the other hand, for the gathering with his companions.
Just as Grenfield and Carol had said, the moment Siles entered the research department, he received massive appreciation, especially after he proposed the three elements of physique, spirituality, and will.
The topic he was recently researching was also related to this aspect. If possible, he would publish a paper this year—exclusively for Revelators. That might bring him a massive reputation.
However, this topic had also aroused some criticism within the History Society.
At eight o’clock in the morning, Siles arrived at the History Society. He ignored the faint glances cast by some Revelators in the behind-the-door space and walked straight toward the corridor of the Research Department—if arranged in order, this should be called the Fourth Corridor, while the Council of Elders was the Fifth Corridor.
However, these two branches were usually not given the “Corridor” title. The Research Department was the Research Department, and the Council of Elders was the Council of Elders.
As Siles’s figure disappeared into the corridor of the Research Department, a wave of light discussion suddenly erupted in the lobby of the behind-the-door space. Many people had heard of the topic Siles was recently researching.
Some rumors and gossips made people both anticipate and revere his topic, mixed with a subtle sense of fear and unease.
Siles was fully aware of this.
He walked into Room 55, which was the main entrance of the Research Department. From here, it was more convenient to go to the other rooms of the Research Department. Inside Room 55, some Revelators were sitting in twos and threes, and when Siles entered the door, they nodded at him as a form of greeting.
For a Revelator who had just joined the Research Department, this scene appeared extremely strange. After all, his seniority was still so shallow. And the gazes these Revelators cast upon Siles carried a meaning similar to those of the Revelators in the lobby of the behind-the-door space.
They also felt a subtle entanglement because of the ideas Siles proposed.
A young man walked toward Siles and said, “Good morning, Professor Noel.”
In the History Society, Siles was equally called “Professor Noel.” It was hard to say whether this was because of his identity as a professor at Lamifa University itself, or because of the conjecture he proposed after coming to the Research Department.
“Good morning, Aneurin.” Siles nodded.
This young man was the assistant the Research Department assigned to him, named Aneurin Moore.
Aneurin was just twenty years old this year. Coming from a poor family background, he couldn’t attend university. He accidentally discovered he possessed the aptitude of a Revelator, and thus joined the History Society.
He was actually a member of the First Corridor, but after Siles came to the Research Department, he was assigned to Siles, temporarily acting as Siles’s assistant, helping to handle some trivial affairs and schedule arrangements.
…The Wednesday before last, when Siles met with Grenfield, he mentioned some of his thoughts and asked Grenfield whether it was necessary to openly and honestly research this topic in the Research Department.
And Grenfield, after being silent for a long time, gave the answer: It is necessary.
At the time, Grenfield said, “If you want to research the three elements, if you want to research how to break free from the Old God pollution, then the best method is to tell the History Society that you are researching these. Otherwise, you fundamentally cannot obtain enough resource support.”
Thus, on that Saturday—when he was in the Research Department on Monday, they agreed that Siles would come to the Research Department once every Saturday—Siles proposed the statement that “Will affects and reduces Old God pollution.”
And when the Revelators of the Research Department scrambled to ask him why he was so certain, Siles only hesitated for a moment before frankly stating his thoughts.
He said, “Humans possess the three elements of Physique, Spirituality, and Will, while Gods possess the three elements of Divinity, Divine Title, and Divine Name. Physique corresponds to Divine Title, Spirituality corresponds to Divinity, and Will corresponds to Divine Name.
“The pollution of the Old Gods comes from the Will of the Old Gods. Only the Will of humanity can resist the Will of the Gods.”
This passage of his almost instantly sent the brains of the Research Department’s Revelators into a collapse.
“The Will of humanity… the Will of the Gods…”
For that entire day, Siles could hear Revelators muttering to themselves over there. The entire Research Department fell into a bizarre silence. No one had the mind to research their own topics anymore; they were all pondering over Siles’s idea.
In reality, if Siles hadn’t learned in advance from the setting of the role-playing game about the existence of these three basic attributes—Physique, Spirituality, and Will—he probably wouldn’t have been able to make the connections so smoothly either.
In the Fisher world, although Revelators already had the concepts of Spirituality and Will, they had never integrated these concepts—most crucially, they had failed to connect them with the Gods.
And it was precisely when Carol mentioned Thaddeus that Siles learned that the extraordinary powers of this world actually similarly possessed the two concepts of Spirituality and Will.
And the dice’s judgments directly made him realize that “Will” was humanity’s greatest weapon against Old God pollution.
How many among the Revelators were polluted by the Will of the Old Gods? That was probably an incalculable number.
So ultimately, based on various reasons, Siles still completely revealed his thoughts.
However, such a theory seemed too impactful for the Revelators of this era. A few days ago, when Siles met with Grenfield, he heard him mention some disputes within the History Society regarding Siles’s theory.
Such disputes hadn’t yet affected Siles himself, but they would sooner or later. Grenfield didn’t seem to care particularly about this matter. The divergence within the History Society was already severe enough; Siles was merely adding bricks and tiles to it.
But he still reminded Siles to make sure to keep a low profile during the subsequent research process, lest he strike the sensitive nerves of some big shots.
Therefore, Siles was somewhat mentally prepared for the storm he was about to face in the Research Department today. The gazes cast by the Revelators in the lobby and Room 55 were merely one manifestation of such a storm.
“Director Bellow wants to see you, Professor,” Aneurin, following beside Siles, said to him softly.
Edward Bellow was the Director of the Research Department, and also an quite elderly Revelator. Whether Siles’s topic could be officially established and continued to be researched upon probably rested on a single thought of Bellow’s.
In Carol and Grenfield’s descriptions, they mutually mentioned a concept: Edward Bellow’s degree of Old God pollution should already be quite high.
So this was a mad genius old man. Grenfield said that the concept of potion purity was proposed by him. This was a true researcher, and without a doubt, he would appreciate some of Siles’s ideas.
On this point, Siles once again realized that the power of Revelators was actually still in the process of development. Concepts like potion purity that sounded extremely basic, its proposer was actually still alive, and was even the Director of the Research Department… This was truly incredible enough.
Precisely because of this, he suddenly thought: Biological Recording… this kind of technique, couldn’t have been invented by Grenfield, right?
This thought was a bit inexplicable, but Siles just produced this subtle thought. After all, hearing the words “parallel universe” from Grenfield’s mouth had a slightly massive impact on him.
Siles asked Aneurin, “Where is Director Bellow?”
Aneurin said, “Room 77.”
After joining the Research Department, Siles discovered that a major feature of the Research Department was that the room numbers were all two overlapping digits. From 11 to 99, a total of nine rooms, which pretty much symbolized the nine research directions of the Research Department.
Potions, Time Traces, Rituals, Aptitude of Revelators, History of Patrons…
Room 77 was one of them. That was the room responsible for researching Old God pollution, the Shed Skin of Gods, and other such concepts.
Room 77 also had some attached small rooms provided for different Revelators to use. But overall, people could see many Revelators in this field inside Room 77.
Siles nodded, and then turned his head to go to Room 77. The internal side door of Room 55 could directly lead to Room 77. The marvelousness of the behind-the-door space in the sense of “space” could always make Siles sigh slightly.
In Room 77, he met Edward Bellow, as well as some other Revelators. He greeted them.
But upon seeing Siles, Bellow immediately nodded to the others, and then took Siles to another room—his office.
They sat down on the sofa. The time was already approaching eight-thirty; Siles looked at Bellow silently and quietly.
Bellow also looked at Siles. This was an elderly man nearing seventy, with grizzled hair, a face full of wrinkles, and age spots that were already extremely striking. His gaze carried a slightly cloudy meaning, but overall remained clear and vigorous.
Siles couldn’t sense from him whether this old man was truly suffering from severe Old God pollution. At least it couldn’t be seen from his exterior.
After a moment, he said, “Last Saturday, I heard of your concept; that is an area extremely worthy of research. The three elements… the three elements…”
His voice was extremely low and deep, carrying a hoarse, slow temperament of an elderly person.
Siles merely nodded.
Bellow then said, “But I have a curious question. Even if the Will of humanity can resist the Will of the Gods, how exactly do we do it?”
“Name,” Siles said. “You know, human Will corresponds to the Divine Name of a God.”
Bellow asked slightly confusedly, “Name? A human name… You mean, asking for his name?”
“No, what is needed is for him to ask himself,” Siles said. “Outline the image behind this name in one’s heart, confirming its image, personality, and traits; the clearer, the better.
“When the Old God pollution strikes, the Revelator can correspond with the image symbolized by this name. Pay attention to the parts that do not match. That is the place being polluted.
“As long as one can realize the parts that are not right, then one can exclude them.”
Bellow listened quietly, his gaze carrying a subtle caution, scrutinizing Siles.
A moment later, he said slowly, “Professor Noel, do you know what your words mean?”
“I know,” Siles said simply.
“A person may not be able to clearly recognize oneself,” Bellow said meaningfully. “In the usual sense, those who can achieve this, we would call them ‘Gods’.”
Siles shook his head. “This is just a shortcut. For example, Gods; when we mention Antinam, we know this name symbolizes the past and history.
“And what we need to do is let our own names equally link to something.”
For Siles, when he thought of the name He Jiayin, he would realize he was a pure Earthling. This self-recognition as a visitor from another world would instantly shatter the pollution brought by the Old Gods of this world.
Bellow said, “An anchor?”
Siles thought for a moment and ultimately nodded.
For him, there was a simpler solution to this matter. For example, a Revelator suffering from Old God pollution could come before him and pass a Will check… If successful, this Revelator could break free from the pollution; if failed, then continue to endure it.
If it was a Great Success, then congratulations; if it was a Fumble… uh…
So Siles was unwilling to test the bottom line of destiny. He was also unwilling to control the destinies of others. He would rather propose a possible method and research it to determine its feasibility.
An anchor point. This was a concept Earth novelists were very familiar with.
Siles said, “Something sufficient to rely on that can keep oneself clear-headed and rational.”
“…A name.” Bellow said in a low voice.
Bellow seemed to have thought of something, falling into a period of silence. Siles didn’t interrupt his train of thought, equally maintaining silence.
After a moment, Bellow snapped back to reality, smiled apologetically, and said slowly, “When one gets old, it’s easy to fall into one’s own thoughts. I am very gratified that a young person can propose some ideas on ‘breaking free from Old God pollution’.
“In my era, countless people among my companions went mad because of Old God pollution, ending their lives in extreme madness and darkness. I am a lucky person, at least I have lived until now.
“And unfortunately, my companions failed to do so.”
“…I am very sorry.”
“This has nothing to do with you,” Bellow said. “Young people have the world of young people.”
Siles looked at him silently.
“…My wife.” Bellow seemed to be muttering to himself. “She died in such agony. She told me that every moment, she felt as if she was being polluted by a Will from the outside world; she knew she was crazy, but didn’t know where she was crazy.
“And a madman who knows they are mad, can they still be called a madman? She agonized over this her whole life, yet was always unable to break free… or rather, attain release.”
They both fell into quiet thought.
Bellow said, “I hope you can find a suitable method. A…” He said meaningfully, “Ritual. That is what Revelators should do.”
Siles nodded.
Bellow then pointed at the brooch at his collar: “This was given to you by Grenfield, right? That is a ritual he invented.”
Siles subconsciously said, “Biological Recording?”
“Yes.” Bellow nodded. “That is his discovery, his creation. However, besides himself, no one else is able to replicate this… marvelous power.”
Siles suddenly realized Grenfield’s powerful strength.
Bellow said, “Grenfield back then also wanted to break free from Old God pollution. He and the Vice President… had some contradictions on this issue.”
Siles listened attentively. He knew Grenfield had some conceptual divergences with his teacher, Vice President Joseph Morton of the History Society, but Grenfield had never seriously talked about these matters with him.
And the elderly man in front of him happened to know the inside story.
“Your concept has attracted some attention, and some discussion, within the Society.” While Siles was curious, Bellow changed the subject and suddenly mentioned Siles’s matters. “And your situation is extremely similar to Grenfield’s back then.”
Siles froze slightly.
Bellow said, “I am old, and about to die. So, I am unwilling to participate in such disputes over concepts. However, I want to ask you a question.”
“Please speak.”
Bellow said, “Do you think humans can become Gods?”
Siles froze. At that instant, he abruptly understood where the conceptual divergence between Grenfield and Joseph Morton lay, and exactly where his proposed statement of the three elements had touched the nerves of certain Revelators.
This was a world that truly had Gods. This was a world that truly had believers following the “power” of Gods.
Just as he had thought when Alfonso mentioned that mysterious tribe, Can God be defined? Can the power of God be deconstructed? Can the power of God be used by humans?
Because of Siles’s dream, Grenfield had once asked him to attempt to master the power of Gods. Although after that, Siles hadn’t continued to dream of that scene, he knew that in Grenfield’s heart, the power of Gods was nothing more than a power.
But, clearly, in the hearts of many people, especially those “antiquity-venerating” people Carol had once mentioned, the power of Gods—the focus of these words lay on “Gods”.
They believed God was God, and human was human. Such a chasm was uncrossable and indisputable. Gods were forever high above, and humans were forever believers crawling before them.
This was the Era of Mist. The Old Gods might have already fallen. However, the Gods in the hearts of certain people had never fallen.
Siles took a deep breath.
Finally, the human from Earth gave his own answer: “Of course.” He raised his eyes to look into Bellow’s aged eyes, “This is the era of humans, not the era of Gods.”
Thus Bellow chuckled softly and said, “Professor Noel, you are a brave person.” He muttered to himself, “When my wife died, I failed to be this brave.”
Bellow’s wife was polluted by an Old God—which Old God? In the History Society, were there His believers?
These two questions arose in Siles’s heart, but he didn’t mention either in front of Bellow. He just remained quiet, waiting for Bellow’s answer.
“…The Research Department will fully support your topic.” Bellow said, “Whatever you need in the future, you can tell Aneurin. He will convey your needs to me.”
Siles felt a sigh of relief in his heart, understanding he had already obtained Bellow’s support.
His concept, the three elements of humans and Gods, would cause controversy within the History Society; its use and purpose were conversely not the focus. If Siles really had just said “the Will of humanity can resist the pollution of the Old Gods,” there wouldn’t have been a problem instead.
What truly brought the problem was that he precisely deconstructed the “title of God,” he precisely placed human and God in opposition for comparison. He said Gods likewise had the three elements of Physique, Spirituality, and Will.
For some people, this appeared as if “humans can be mentioned in the same breath as Gods.”
It was this detail that got Siles’s topic more attention. Otherwise, a topic that hadn’t yet reached a conclusion couldn’t possibly cause a massive uproar in the History Society.
If this was the era when the Old Gods were still present, then just by Siles proposing this concept of placing humans and Gods side by side itself, he might be charged with the crime of “blasphemy”.
He now finally understood why Grenfield had been silent for so long back then. Probably that teacher was considering how he was going to clean up the mess for his student in case this matter blew up.
Fortunately, the subsequent developments were still within a controllable range.
“An arrogant, newly initiated Revelator proposed a bizarre theory.” This was perhaps the label attached to Siles before he reached a conclusion for his topic, which could also be said to be a layer of protective coloring.
Thank the tolerant Antinam and the Church of the Past. Siles silently recited in his heart.
Now that things had come to this, he actually felt a bit of belated nervousness.
Siles was silent for two seconds, letting himself collect his thoughts, and then he said, “I need a few Revelators who are suffering from Old God pollution for experiments, is that okay?”
“Of course, there are many people within the History Society willing to cooperate with you,” Bellow said. “However…”
He hesitated.
Siles waited patiently.
“On the surface, I’m afraid you must first have some seniority before you can do this,” Bellow said. “Seniority within the History Society.”
Siles didn’t fully understand what the “seniority” Bellow mentioned was, so he asked, “What do I need to do?”
“Go participate in a few faculties, go help the Second Corridor investigate a few cases, go try to join other topics in the Research Department, and make some contributions,” Bellow thought about it and said. “That’s it.”
Siles sighed secretly, feeling it was a bit troublesome. He asked, “And meanwhile, can my experiments proceed simultaneously?”
“Of course.” Bellow nodded, comforting him, “That is just the icing on the cake. If you can truly find a method to solve Old God pollution, then this seniority is fundamentally not important at all.
“Next week, you can get the experimental helpers you want.”
Siles expressed his thanks.
Bellow hesitated for a moment, and then said, “There are some… Revelators in the History Society suffering from the torture of Old God pollution. I don’t know how much feasibility your theory has, but, they will probably madly pursue any tiny bit of possibility.
“And for a very long time in the past, the topic of how to break free from Old God pollution… has been in a state of stagnation. Many people have researched it before, but failed to research a suitable—universal, method.
“So, perhaps next week, or perhaps the week after—if your experiment has any progress in a positive sense—you will face some of them. You might be their only hope, so they… I mean…”
Siles looked at him slightly confusedly.
Bellow coughed and said, “Do not feel afraid.”
Siles froze slightly, then smiled slightly: “I understand.”
After finishing talking about Siles’s topic, Bellow also looked somewhat relieved.
He said, “If you have free time, you can also participate in other people’s topics; this can also be considered a part of the ‘seniority’ I mentioned before.
“…I might be a bit talkative, but, you should have heard during the introductory course about the process of a Revelator becoming a regular member within the History Society. And in fact, ability is the first priority.
“When your results are enough to prove yourself, seniority and such are not that important either. It’s just that right now, we still need to…”
He rambled on and said some things.
Siles listened earnestly and gave his thanks.
He knew what Bellow meant. His topic had already brought some criticism right when it was first proposed, so right now it was best for him to keep a slightly low profile. When he truly researched some results, perhaps he wouldn’t need to be so timid.
…At least, that was how Siles understood it.
The conversation with Bellow lasted for a long time. Because Siles’s topic was affiliated with Room 77, Bellow also casually mentioned some topics of other Revelators in Room 77.
One of the topics attracted Siles’s attention.
“Sealed Artifacts?” Siles was somewhat interested in this term. “Refers to out-of-control Time Traces?”
Bellow said, “Strictly speaking, it refers to controllable ‘out-of-control Time Traces’.”
Siles began to ponder.
“After Time Traces acquire human activity, these Time Traces will manifest an ‘activity’. You must have heard of this matter. But this activity will make the Time Trace actively present the traits of a ritual, as if…”
“…A soul is sealed within it.” Siles said, “So that is why it is called a Sealed Artifact?”
“Yes.” Bellow nodded.
Siles suddenly understood.
Those original Time Traces were merely objects; they needed Revelators to trigger the ritual before their power could be used. And if they turned into Sealed Artifacts, then the ritual was as if it became an active skill inherent to the Sealed Artifact, which could be triggered directly without the Revelator performing a cumbersome ritual.
An inspiration flashed vaguely in Siles’s heart, but he failed to catch it. He didn’t think much about it, only turning to think about another question: Does such a Sealed Artifact seem somewhat… cruel?
If it was just recovering these Sealed Artifacts after the Time Traces went out of control, that was still passable; but Siles suspected, if someone knew of the existence of Sealed Artifacts, would they deliberately try to manufacture such weapons?
…For example, the underground gangs? Old God followers?
What those Old God followers called the “Shed Skin of a God”… the antiques those underground gangs were collecting…
Siles generated some associations, but he warned himself not to overthink it.
Furthermore, he also received a document from Bellow.
Previously, on the day Siles came to the Research Department, he received a document listing many basic rituals, which was called Basic Rituals; however, this time wouldn’t be like the introductory course, where Revelators taught them hand-in-hand how to perform rituals.
They needed to self-study; if lucky, they could get guidance from seniors.
And this document Bellow gave him was called Advanced Rituals. According to Bellow, the vast majority of the rituals within it were from the power of Patrons.
Introductory, Basic, Advanced. Siles thought. Could there be a High-level? Higher Rituals after this?
However, whether it was Basic Rituals or Advanced Rituals, the History Society only provided related descriptions and explanations, and did not provide Time Traces and potions.
Starting from the completion of the introductory course, every Revelator needed to find the path for their future themselves. There were no shortcuts to take.
Bellow told him that some Time Traces could be found over at the Salon. Of course, whether some Time Traces could be found depended entirely on luck.
These listed rituals were indeed safe and secure, but it wasn’t guaranteed that every ritual could be put to use immediately, because a Revelator might not be able to find the corresponding Time Trace.
On the Wednesday before last, when Grenfield learned that Siles had completed the introductory course, he had already informed Siles of these matters. However, Siles didn’t voice this out at this time, merely listening quietly to Bellow’s instructions.
Soon, Siles ended his conversation with Bellow, left Bellow’s office, and returned to Room 77. The other Revelators saw him leave with a calm face and instantly discussed spiritedly, but Siles’s face was as if frozen in ice, not letting anyone pry into his mental activities.
The Research Department assigned Siles a separate room, which was Room 390. He found Aneurin here, and informed him that people participating in the experiment would come over next Saturday.
Aneurin was a gentle and introverted person, but he still couldn’t help but ask, “Professor, did your topic pass?”
Siles nodded.
Aneurin couldn’t help but laugh, “That is wonderful!” He looked at Siles and took the initiative to say, “Revelators like me always worry that it would be terrible if we got polluted by Old Gods one day.
“So, if you can truly research a method to solve Old God pollution, that would be wonderful!”
“I will do my best,” Siles said in a low voice.
After ending the conversation with Aneurin, Siles temporarily had nothing to do in the Research Department. The other Revelators of the Research Department each had topics they needed to research, and couldn’t spare the time to interact with him.
In reality, for ordinary Revelators who had just completed the introductory course, they usually chose to follow a senior after joining different departments.
For example, in the Research Department, newly arrived Revelators would choose to join one of the ongoing topics.
However, Siles was considered an exception.
When Bellow asked which topic Siles wanted to join, or whether he had any ideas for a topic himself, although Siles knew the latter option was just said casually, he still chose to research a topic himself.
He didn’t want to waste time. He wanted to verify his theory as soon as possible.
Thus, he spoke of the statement regarding the three elements, and ultimately possessed a topic of his own.
This made him breathe a massive sigh of relief.
Siles organized his train of thought and ideas in Room 390, writing them down in his notebook—to be safe, he used Chinese.
Aneurin was right in the office, quietly handling his own affairs. Occasionally, he would notice Siles’s notebook and be curious about the contents of the manuscript.
Siles noticed his gaze and said, “These are some thoughts related to my topic, including the three elements of humans and Gods, Old God pollution, and so on… Perhaps they will be used in the future.”
Aneurin immediately nodded and said softly, “Those are truly extremely important things.”
Subsequently, a little past eleven in the morning, Aneurin bid farewell to Siles. Siles had to pack up his things, so he was one step behind Aneurin. Siles left the History Society and went to eat near Atherton Square.
The weather was gradually turning cold, and the tree-lined path was also slowly piling up with fallen leaves. Siles stood at the edge of Atherton Square, gazing at the center of this city.
…After the incident with Brewer Darrow, Siles never saw that painter who always stood at the edge of the square, painting quietly, again.
He cared somewhat about this matter, but then felt it might just be his overly rich imaginative ability making him connect two completely unrelated things together.
After taking a walk around the square for a while, Siles returned to the History Society again, going to Room 666.
A little past one in the afternoon, the five Revelators were fully gathered.
They still sat in a circle around the coffee table. Now they each had fixed seats. Siles was accustomed to sitting on the single sofa directly facing the bookshelf, and opposite him was Darrell.
On his left hand was a double sofa; Mrs. Fuller and Angela usually sat close together here. On his right hand was Eric, who was equally sitting on a single sofa.
They greeted each other, and then Angela first said to Siles, “Professor, you must pay attention to your safety.”
Because Angela was Siles’s student at Lamifa University, she habitually called Siles ‘Professor’. And this title had a tendency to spread within their five-person group; at least now Mrs. Fuller and Eric both called him that.
Young Darrell didn’t call him that. He usually called him by his first name, except when facing Mrs. Fuller.
Angela’s straightforward remark made Siles freeze slightly. He said, “Because of the topic matter?”
Angela nodded and said seriously, “Several old men in the Council of Elders have heard of this matter, and then expressed dissatisfaction while chatting, because of what you said, the three elements of Gods.”
Siles pondered for a moment.
Darrell was indulging in practicing fighting all day and didn’t know much about this matter yet, hurriedly asking about it, so Siles roughly retold his concept and ideas.
Darrell immediately scoffed at the old men of the Council of Elders: “Honestly, it looks like the History Society is not even as enlightened as the Church of the Past.”
Angela then asked curiously, “Is this what you heard from your brother?”
Darrell thought about it and said, “Because my brother would also chat with me about some matters regarding Revelators. The Church of the Past side seems to feel that Revelators are a kind of… ‘Power of God’?”
“Because the power of Revelators originates from Antinam,” Angela said. “…I understand. Because the power of Revelators originates from Antinam, they would definitely feel that the power of God can be used by humans.”
Mrs. Fuller also nodded, saying peacefully, “Power does not distinguish between high and low.”
They each pondered for a while.
Finally, Darrell said very briskly, “So annoying! It’s just doing a research study, yet one has to be so timid and overcautious.”
After entering the Third Corridor for training, this young boy’s personality seemed to become increasingly straightforward and cheerful, and his way of speaking had also become simple and rough.
Siles said in a low voice, “Don’t worry. My topic will still continue, but perhaps it will lean more towards the direction of ‘how to break free from Old God pollution’. As for the topic of Gods, perhaps it won’t be involved too deeply.”
Eric hesitated time and again, and finally said, “That can also be considered a solution.”
Siles nodded.
He had no intention of making too many enemies for himself at this time. The content of the topic research in the future could be decided by himself, but the external statement didn’t necessarily have to be linked to the power of Gods, finding trouble for himself for no reason.
Their topic of conversation quickly shifted to other matters.
Eric said, “That matter with the watchman from before, there’s a result now.”
