"Is it time to start now?"
Hearing the doctor's words, Shade suddenly grew tense. He hadn't expected things to move so quickly.
"Here... in this place?"
"Of course. Is there an issue with doing it at the clinic? And isn't the 72 hours almost up?"
The blonde writer, Miss Louisa, seemed puzzled, but Dr. Schneider understood the hesitation in Shade's question.
"Of course, it's here," the doctor said, his tone firm. "Oh, Shade, let me stress this once more."
He stared at Shade seriously, his blue eyes filled with a warning.
"Remember, we are correspondents of the Ring Sorcerers, and St. Byrons Comprehensive Academy holds no special bond with us beyond duty and obligation. Do you understand? As for helping you—it's because I need a fifth sorcerer for the group. Additionally, the Academy offers rewards for introducing new Ring Sorcerers. I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart."
Dr. Schneider's gaze pierced into Shade's, as if to drive the point home.
"You lack common sense about this world, so here's the most important piece of advice I can give: Don't trust anyone too easily."
"He's actually a good person, but he's always this strict," the lady beside him shook her head, half amused.
Shade cautiously nodded, though inwardly, he agreed with the writer's assessment. So far, Dr. Schneider seemed to be a good man—at least for now.
"Louisa, for the next part, you just need to observe and make sure nothing unexpected happens. Please don't speak."
"No problem. We've gone through this twice already—Anat and Augustus' initiations were done the same way, weren't they?" Miss Louisa smiled, signaling Shade to pay attention.
"For an awakened individual to form their life ring, they must first encounter the Four Elements. This is extremely difficult for someone unaware of the extraordinary world."
"This is the Sixth Era," the doctor continued, holding up four fingers, **"Not the chaotic Fourth Era or the era of the Witch Emperors in the Fifth. We live in a time where steam and machinery dominate, not the supernatural. Even knowing about the arcane is rare, let alone touching it. Moreover, the dangers of touching the mysterious are far beyond what ordinary people can imagine."
Shade felt the weight of Dr. Schneider's words and nodded slowly.
"Now, Shade, of the Four Elements, how many have you encountered so far?"
"Only one remains—the Desolation element connected to the Blasphemous Gods."
Shade answered honestly, and the doctor didn't probe further.
"Look at my life ring," Schneider said.
Three silver runes began to flicker simultaneously, and Shade interpreted their meanings: [Rage], [Muck of the Heart], [Malice].
[You have encountered the Desolation element,] a whisper echoed in his mind.
Immediately after, the voice recited another passage:
[The Sixth Era, Common Calendar, Year 1853, Summer, on the Day of the Silver Moon's Faint Light, you have touched all Four Elements. Outsider, the door to the extraordinary is about to open; the path to ascension is before you.]
"Did your 'other self' offer any insight?" the doctor asked, allowing his life ring to dissipate into the steam.
"Yes, it said I've encountered all the elements and that the extraordinary door is about to open."
Satisfied, Dr. Schneider nodded.
"The 'other you' is the core of the Ring Sorcerer system. It is you, but also not you. It shares your knowledge and memories, yet it can perceive and feel far more. It serves as a bridge between you and the world, preventing your soul from being polluted by dangerous knowledge and information. Let me repeat this once more—make sure you remember it."
Shade's mind wandered for a moment, a thought emerging.
"So, does that mean this 'other me' cannot know something I do not know?"
Dr. Schneider nodded in confirmation. Shade blinked; he had suspected that his 'other self' was not as normal as it seemed.
"It's you, but different. It shares your gender, which is why the voice in my head is male, while Louisa's 'other self' is female," the doctor explained.
The lady nodded in agreement.
"It shares your memories, but it doesn't need sleep, so it might know more about what happens during the night. In essence, the difference between you and your other self is in how you think and perceive the world. That's why you might hear strange things—it sees more than you can in the ordinary world."
Dr. Schneider continued, and Shade blinked again.
A soft, feminine laugh echoed in Shade's mind, gently washing away the last remnants of the relic's influence.
"Who are you, really?" Shade asked inwardly.
[Outsider, for now, I am you.]
The process of gathering the Four Elements was just the first step. What followed were four more stages: Ring the Bell, Ignite the Fire, Push Forward, and finally, Sing the Hymn. Completing these five steps would awaken a Ring Sorcerer's life ring, a process used by the Church and the three great academies alike.
"Ring the Bell" refers to shocking the soul, causing its initial ascension. Though it sounds complicated, it really just means drinking a special potion.
The doctor explained that each academy and major religious group had different recipes for the Bell Potion. The one from Serkxes Higher Medical Academy was said to taste the best—orange-flavored and quite sweet. Meanwhile, the potion used by the Church of Nature and Malice, under the god known as the Lord of All, was the worst, tasting like chewed tree bark.
Shade received his potion in a conical glass bottle. The liquid inside was purple and bubbling, cold to the touch, yet warm as it slid down his throat.
But to Shade, it tasted like nothing at all.
"Look behind you," the doctor reminded him.
After finishing the last sip and wiping his mouth, Shade turned around. A layer of white mist had risen behind him, and faint, indistinct bells chimed in his ears.
He did feel a tremor deep within his soul—but it could also have been the potion unsettling his stomach.
"Ignite the Fire" is the next step," the doctor said, touching his finger to Shade's forehead. "It involves igniting the Four Elements you've gathered, sparking the first flame of your soul. This step requires the assistance of a Ring Sorcerer of at least three rings, using a specific technique."
Shade felt a cool stream of air entering his body, and the bell sounds grew louder.
As he turned around, the mist thickened and began radiating heat. The steam itself seemed to hum with possibilities, charged with energy.
The next stage was Push Forward, meaning Shade's soul had to drive the newly ignited flame, enabling him to perceive and manipulate the Four Elements. In practical terms, this meant learning to feel the power within and channel it.
The doctor handed him a book, one with no cover.
"Reading the past is one of the safest ways to engrave runes into your life ring. Contact with gods, the mysterious, or the bizarre may also work, but it is highly dangerous. The safest method is reading."
Shade took the book carefully, his mind immediately connecting his path as a Ring Sorcerer with studying.
"This is a hand-copied version of the first volume of The Book of Sacred Flames. It's been transcribed at least six times from the original, so its danger is minimal. Take half an hour to read it through. If you come across unfamiliar words, feel free to ask me."
For the next half-hour, Shade buried himself in the text. He had to keep up appearances, so he occasionally asked about a few words to maintain his disguise.
Meanwhile, the doctor and Louisa remained silent, knowing how important this moment was for him.
"Finished? How do you feel?" the doctor asked.
"A bit warm," Shade replied cautiously.
"Ignite it," the doctor instructed, handing him a piece of paper. Shade waited for a moment, unsure if he had missed something.
"Isn't there a step missing? A chant, or some sort of hand gesture?"
"Don't overthink it. Just feel and guide the energy. Unless your core rune is something like [Extinguished Flame], it shouldn't be difficult."
Shade closed his eyes, focusing inward. Though he came from a world without the extraordinary, he had a rich imagination.
He let his consciousness sink into the warmth within him, guiding the flow of energy to his fingertips. When he opened his eyes, the paper had already turned yellow from the heat.
Behind him, the steam roared, and the sound of a hammer striking his soul reverberated in the air.
"The final step is Sing the Hymn. You must declare yourself, announcing to the world that you have transcended the mundane."
Dr. Schneider's voice turned grave, full of authority.
"And how exactly should I do that?" Shade's heart raced;
He realized that he was about to truly step into the world of the extraordinary, venturing into the mysterious realms of the steam age.
"Say something. I simply spoke my name back then. Louisa recited a well-known short poem. Mr. Augustus offered a prayer to the gods, while Miss Luvia Ananat merely whispered something, so we don't really know what she said," the doctor explained casually.
For Shade, the doctor's voice seemed to come from a distant place. His focus was on the thick, white steam swirling behind him, and the hammerhead that was about to descend through the fog.
The woman's voice—soft, as though reciting a whispered poem—echoed once more in his mind.
In that moment, Shade found himself chanting in sync with the woman's voice, almost unconsciously, as he whispered the words of a declaration:
"In the Sixth Epoch, Common Calendar Year 1853, during the dim glow of the Silver Moon, I arrived in this world. I have opened the door to the extraordinary and now step onto the path of ascension through the four elements. Shade Solen Hamilton, at this crossroads of fate, I will witness, I will experience, and I will behold everything to come."
The massive hammer, carrying a tremendous force of wind, swung down from the depths of the steam. In the stormy gust, it struck the space right behind Shade.
Boom!
His soul trembled under the impact. Sparks burst out, spiritual light flickered, and the elements surged wildly. Amid the chaotic eruption of white steam, a strange light began to emerge. Gradually, a brass-colored wheel, shining like the sun, became clearer in the mist.
The wheel spun, scattering sparks in all directions. Its brass frame, glowing with heat, fully materialized within the fog. The Ring of Fate floated behind him.
At the center of the rapidly rotating wheel, two brass-colored runes shone brightly, symbolizing Shade's next steps in destiny—
[Time] and [Silver Moon].