Aylin leaned back against the pillows, a faint smirk on her face. "Then there's the rare one—Spirit Essence. It governs the mind and soul. It can influence mental strength, spiritual techniques, illusions... even conjuring objects. It's incredibly rare, and it glows gold when it's used." Her expression grew more serious. "I've only ever seen a few people use it in my world, and it's usually tied to chanting words or prayers. That might explain what the Cardinal did."
Jiang tilted his head. "But I thought you said humans here couldn't use any powers from your world?"
Aylin gave a small shrug, her expression puzzled. "That's... mostly correct. No human should be able to use the Tri Anima's energy—the essence of mind, body, and spirit combined. But something's different here. Maybe it's tied to me being here... or even you."
Jiang groaned, rubbing the back of his head, confused. "I don't get it... and I just woke up in my human form again. One minute I'm a penguin, and now... this. It's strange. Maybe it's because the Yokai siphoned off my energy? Or maybe burning all of mine out caused the change."
Aylin glanced at his arm and gave a slight smile. "Well, at least it's not broken anymore. Looks like being human again has its perks."
At that moment, the Cardinal stood up slowly, walking toward them. His steps were cautious but deliberate, and despite his injuries, there was a certain strength in his posture. "I'm glad you both are awake," he said, his voice calm but serious. "We have a lot to discuss."
Jiang looked up at him and took a deep breath. As he did, his system interface flickered before his eyes. The numbers displayed were stark and unforgiving—16 hours and 30 minutes remaining.
"We're running out of time," Jiang muttered, rubbing his temples. "Whatever we do, we need to do it fast. Do you have any idea how you were able to summon those chains, Cardinal?"
The Cardinal shook his head, a frown creasing his face. "No," he admitted, his voice thick with uncertainty. "I was hoping maybe you could explain it. It felt like... God's grace, allowing me to do what I did. I'll pray on it, but I won't dwell too much. If I need to use it again, I'll be ready. But for now, I intend to keep it quiet. I haven't told anyone yet, though the damage to the cathedral is being investigated."
Jiang nodded, though his eyes remained on the Cardinal. The power the man wielded was too strange to ignore, but they didn't have time to linger on mysteries. The urgency of the ticking clock gnawed at him.
The Cardinal hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "What surprises me most is that you know about the shrine rod," he said. "It took me over two hours of searching through old texts to even find a mention of it. How did you come to know it would help with the Yokai?"
Jiang rubbed the back of his neck, his mind flashing to the strange, god-like presence he'd encountered when he died. The memories were still foggy, and he could hear the echoes of that being's voice in his head. Don't reveal me. He swallowed, choosing his words carefully. "After I was injured, I had... visions. Possibly God even led us to you."
The Cardinal studied him carefully, then gestured toward a cluttered table nearby. "I've been going through some old texts since you arrived, and I found something. These scrolls—they might shed light on what you're dealing with. They're from different periods, each offering a glimpse into a time when the world wasn't the way it is now."
Jiang exchanged a glance with Aylin, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What exactly did you find?"
The Cardinal picked up the first scroll, the parchment yellowed and cracked with age. "This one is the oldest, written by an unknown scholar. It's... fragmented, but it speaks of a time before magic was 'erased.' Only, they didn't call it magic back then. They saw it as something far more natural—an energy that permeated the world, flowing through everything and everyone."
He slowly unrolled the scroll, his fingers tracing the faded text. "It's difficult to translate directly, but the writer describes a... shift. They mention a 'breaking point,' when everything changed, though the specifics are lost to time."
Aylin leaned forward. "What kind of shift?"
The Cardinal squinted at the text. "It seems... there was some kind of conflict. Not between armies, but between different... ways of thinking. One side believed in harnessing this energy, using it to advance their society. The other side wanted to limit its use, arguing it was too dangerous for common people to control."
Jiang raised an eyebrow. "So, a battle over power."