Steam Age: I Fight Against Divine Authority with Otherworldly Tales

Chapter 36 Speculations on Ritual

In the dimly lit room, Suren recalled the scene of the battle that afternoon, when the "Mirror Demon" suppressed the growth of the flesh buds.

In Suren's original world, the "Mirror Demon" did indeed have a suppressive nature, but its main manifestation was suppressing people's actions.

"Perhaps the suppression of the 'Evil in the Mirror' is stronger than I imagined? Maybe there's another possibility, such as the essence hidden behind the 'Evil in the Mirror,' that strange power."

As Suren pondered, after this period of experimentation, he became increasingly convinced that the power that had suppressed and corrupted the "General Knowledge Manual" was not the "Evil in the Mirror" itself.

"If that's the case, then is there a conflicting or neutralizing relationship between it and the power source of the current world? This would explain why advancement can suppress the 'Evil Spirit in the Mirror'."

Suren nodded, increasingly convinced that his guess was on the right track. However, this idea was too general to be verified using the "Manuscript of the Truth Speakers."

"Regardless of the reason for suppressing the granulation tissue, it at least proves that it has the ability to suppress it." After making up his mind, Suren picked up Cole's "Bridge of the Deceased" with his left hand and began to activate "Source Knowledge" in an attempt to activate it.

As Suren's "Source of Knowledge" poured in, the "Spirit Bridge" began to emit some light. Scattered silvery-white threads suddenly appeared in Suren's eyes. Following a few of the threads, Suren discovered that their source was in the adjacent rooms. The remaining threads belonged to him, and compared to the others, his threads were brighter and thicker.

At the same time, Suren felt a stinging pain in his forehead, and some memories that did not belong to Suren began to surface.

Before Suren could even process these memories, his left hand turned deathly pale again, and the "Spirit Bridge" in his hand began to tremble slightly.

Not long after, Suren seemed to hear an invisible scream, after which the "Spirit Bridge" stopped trembling and returned to normal. The fragmented memories in Suren's mind also disappeared.

Suren deactivated the "Spirit Bridge" ability. Although the negative effects of the Spirit Bridge were removed, he couldn't be happy. Because on the surface of the "Book of Secrets" deep within his consciousness, a slippery tentacle had reappeared.

Compared to the direct use of the "Mirror Demon's" power to corrupt, the current level of corruption may only be one-third, but this is still unacceptable to Suren.

Using such a small amount of erosion as a price to erase the negative aspects of an item seems quite worthwhile. However, the intensity of the erosion is likely to increase as the difficulty of erasure increases, since Suren did not feel any obvious signs of erosion when she removed those granulations in the afternoon.

"In other words, if I were to erase the negative aspects of a high-level 'blasphemous creation,' I might be directly devoured by the 'mirror demon.'"

Suren shook his head; this ability could only be used in times of crisis.

Recalling the fierce and tragic battle that afternoon, Suren couldn't help but take out the "Tears of Ellie." Whether it was a misperception or not, Suren could always see Ellie's shadow in this necklace.

Unlike other items, it did not seem to have the negative effects that would occur if carried as a 'blasphemer.' When he held it tightly, some images appeared in Suren's mind.

These images mostly foreshadow growth and recovery.

Suren guessed that its main function was probably to treat injuries and promote recovery.

"This item looks rather unusual, so let's not experiment with it rashly. Let's ask Professor Derwent later; perhaps he knows something." After making up her mind, Suren put the necklace into the "Mandala Ring".

Thinking of Ellie's death, Suren set herself another goal: to uncover the hidden truth behind the church. Although Suren had been investigating before, it was more about survival; now it was different, this goal held a deeper meaning.

This doesn't conflict with Suren's goal of becoming an "Awakener." Rather, it's more accurate to say that only by becoming stronger can one uncover more of the truth.

But for Suren to become an "Awakened One," besides the expensive materials, the biggest problem was the ascension ceremony. The ascension ceremony recorded by the church was most likely unworkable.

Although Suren used the Church's version of the incantation to advance to "Knowledge Seeker," he felt that the reason he was able to succeed was entirely because the Book of Secrets replaced the function of establishing a connection in the original ritual.

However, the subsequent promotion principles are completely different, and Suren cannot afford to gamble. He must quickly understand the essence of the ritual and construct his own.

Recalling the ritual Ellie performed this afternoon, logically speaking, Ellie lacked so many materials that she shouldn't have been able to succeed under these circumstances. However, she successfully established a connection with the power behind it, which may be a breakthrough.

Suren tapped the table, trying to find the key. According to his original analysis of the ritual, an ordinary person needs a "demonic heart" as guidance to become a "seeker of reason".

"Perhaps not all rituals require a 'demon's heart,' but rather the church's incantations are not precise enough, thus requiring a 'demon's heart' with corresponding abilities for anchoring?"

Suren felt he had grasped the key. Recalling the ritual, Suren hadn't actually used the "Heart of the Demon." He had directly established a connection through the "Book of Secrets." Therefore, it was highly likely that Ellie used the same principle as him.

"So, the incantation Ellie recited was extremely precise, pointing to an existence or source. Then, the reason she failed was because she didn't transform the 'Source Knowledge Condensate' into the 'Source Knowledge Essence'?"

An idea popped into Suren's mind, but he immediately dismissed it. A folk book contained numerous records of extraordinary individuals directly using "Source Knowledge Condensation" to perform rituals.

Compared to other superhumans who advance using "Source Knowledge Condensation," releasing their abilities is more difficult for them, but after a period of time, they will become like normal superhumans.

So what is the root cause of Ellie's mutation?

Suren racked her brains, her mind a jumble of thoughts, but she couldn't piece together an answer that would convince herself.

Just then, two images flashed through his mind: Alf and the man who was chasing him; both of them had also been transformed into demons.

Could it be that...?

Suddenly, an idea popped into Suren's mind. Instead of using the "Manuscript of the True Words," he directly opened his own "Book of Secret Knowledge."

A thick book lay open before him, and as his thoughts turned, a line of blood-red text appeared:

[Common Secret: The life god that Ellie prayed to possesses a power that humans cannot bear. Anyone who attempts to establish a connection with it will turn into a monster → Secret Tier: C]