Chapter 38: Priest Augustus of the Church of Dawn

Beyond the study of his core wonder-runes, Shad also experimented with other "simple" techniques mentioned in the doctor’s notebook. Dr. Schneider had pointed out that the power possessed by a ring-bearer is the power of the mind to influence reality; thus, even without learning any specific arts or spells, one can still utilize their own power, a concept known as "mind over matter."

The spontaneous use of power derived from core wonder-runes was, after being systematized in ancient times, collectively termed "Wonder Arts." The spontaneous use of power related solely to the mind, once organized, became known as "Spells."

Of course, the Academy maintains that the classification of "Spells" also encompasses "Divine Arts" related to the True Gods, which originate from faith and the direct bestowal of those deities. However, Shad and the doctor’s studies do not involve these. The Church, conversely, insists that "Divine Arts" should be categorized separately from spells, as they are fundamentally different.

In the early years of this epoch, following continuous and heated debates within the academic circles of ring-bearers, the "Divine Arts" of the five True Gods and the surviving Evil Gods were formally placed alongside "Wonder Arts" and "Spells" as the primary manifestations of the ring-bearer power system. Meanwhile, the Divine Arts of the long-extinct Old Gods remain classified as "Spells," as their believers lack any voice to argue otherwise.

Therefore, the spell "Echo of Blood," which Shad obtained from the Old God "Blood Duke Lual," is, in essence, one of that Old God's Divine Arts; without the power of that deity, it would be impossible to learn through ordinary means.

Thus, the core of the ring-bearer system consists of [Wonder-Runes], while the system's power is manifested through [Wonder Arts]—which are powerful and effective but must be learned via runes—[Spells]—which are low-priority but accessible to all—and [Divine Arts], which pertain to gods and faith.

"Advancing one's ring level requires one each of the four types of wonder-runes: Miracle, Profanity, Enlightenment, and Whispers. Wonder-runes are to spells, divine arts, and wonder arts what the 'Dao' is to 'Technique.' Indeed, balancing the acquisition of wonder-runes with the study of wonder arts is a very important matter." This was the Outlander’s understanding.

Shad’s attempt to ignite a piece of paper using his fingers was a prototype of a simple spell. During his experiments that day, he also successfully achieved the ability to move extremely light objects using the power of his mind, a feat known as "telekinesis."

He seemed to have a great talent for this way of using his spirit. Aside from nearly popping a blood vessel in his eyes just to move a tuft of Mia’s fur and a tarot card, when he focused his mind on a target and struck out with a clenched fist toward the heavy pirated omnibus, "Detective's Elegy," he was able to make the dictionary-thick book slide several centimeters, rather than simply having it knocked over by the wind.

This pirated detective novel was not a frivolous purchase by Shad; it was a relic left behind by the previous detective. It was among the few books he owned, along with "The Queen and Her Lovers," "The Silver Knight," and "Gleanings from the Western Front." The first was a racy court novel, the middle one a traditional knightly adventure, and the last a work leaning toward documentary literature. Detective Sparrow Hamilton had often thumbed through these books; the inadvertently dog-eared pages and tea stains proved that they were his hobby.

As for the only [Relic] in his possession, the document-grade relic known as the "Blood-Sucking Ring," Shad could not test it on any living person and thus could not understand its specific effects. However, he had removed the chain from his pocket watch and fashioned the ring into a pendant to wear around his neck. This did not count as "wearing" it, so as long as it wasn't worn 24 hours a day, the impact on him would not be particularly severe.

Shad planned to consult the doctor and others tomorrow; those correspondence-course ring-bearers with their wealth of experience would surely be able to provide excellent advice.

Wednesday finally arrived, but Shad did not wake up early out of excitement; he was startled awake by a nightmare of having a heavy weight pressing down on his chest. It was barely dawn in the summer morning, with the faintest possible light filtering through the tightly drawn curtains. When Shad awoke, he still felt a tightness in his chest, and after about five seconds, he realized that a cat was lying there.

There was currently only one foster orange cat in Shad’s home, so it was indeed little Mia who had awakened him. She stared at him with amber eyes, lying on the quilt over his chest. Seeing that he was awake, she immediately jumped off the bed. Judging by the *patter-patter-patter* of her feet, she was running toward the door.

"You knew it was coming after only one day? The milkman won't be here for another half hour." Shad called out to the cat. Imagining the books and lessons worth 50 pounds he would obtain today, he filled his heart with passion before finally leaving his bed.

Room 1 on the second floor of the apartment was quite large, but it only had two bedrooms. Shad lived in the smaller one, which had also been the dwelling of the previous owner, whose mind was not quite right. The larger room was where the former detective had died. Shad did not feel particularly afraid of it, but he had no intention of moving in there. He would only consider moving into the large bedroom after he had contacted a dealer to take away the bed and had asked Dr. Schneider about methods for detecting ghosts.

Leaving little Mia at home to watch the house and ensuring he had left enough cat food in her bowl, Shad set out. The time agreed upon with the doctor was ten o'clock in the morning, and the clinic was quite a distance from St. Deran Square. Shad thought he would be able to arrive around nine-thirty, but perhaps due to his excessive anticipation, he saw the sign for the Schneider Psychological Clinic one minute before nine.

Without going anywhere else to kill time, Shad walked straight in. The doctor had already instructed the receptionist that Detective Hamilton, who was "plunged into melancholy due to his uncle's death," would be arriving, so Shad was directed straight to the psychological consultation room on the second floor.

After he knocked, the doctor opened the door immediately, but someone else was already in the room. An elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a decent black suit, stood up and nodded slightly, smiling at Shad with a gentle warmth that was quite endearing. His eyes were a common gray, his face etched with wrinkles, and while he appeared to be over fifty, he looked very energetic. He was slightly taller than the doctor but shorter than Shad, with a medium-to-thin build, and he did not appear to be very wealthy.

Shad’s eyes were drawn to the ornament hanging on the old man's chest; it was a brass-colored, notched ring hanging from a silver chain. This was the holy symbol of "Mr. Dawn," the god of light and shadow, and wearing a holy symbol on one's chest was common practice for church clergy.

"Hmm? Clergy? Although the Academy is not hostile toward the True God churches, but..." Shad wondered inwardly.

"Let me introduce you." Seeing Shad's confusion, Dr. Schneider said enthusiastically, "Shad, this is Father Lath Augustus, a second-ring practitioner in our group and a devout believer in Mr. Dawn. Although he is a priest of the church, he did not become a ring-bearer through church channels; he is a rare case of someone who awakened his talent at an old age and joined the Academy due to a twist of fate. He has no prejudice against the Academy, and as long as we do not harm the Church of Dawn, he will not disclose our identities to the church. He is trustworthy."

Although ring-bearer talent can theoretically appear at any age, it is generally concentrated between the ages of 16 and 40, making the elderly Father Augustus a very rare case.

"Rest assured, I can swear on my own honor as Bill Jean Schneider that Father Augustus is absolutely trustworthy. His joining us was vetted by three people, including myself, as well as the Academy. With Father Augustus here, some of our actions will be very convenient," the doctor added. The gray-haired old priest took the initiative to walk over and shake Shad's hand. Shad naturally trusted the doctor's word and reached out quickly. The old man’s palm was broad and quite powerful.