Chapter 50: The Mystery of Time

Professor Garcia truly looked as though he were giving a lecture at this moment. St. Hilde thought that he should perhaps turn the gas lamp up just a bit to make the room feel more like a classroom.

"Regarding the rules of the Time Key, this was covered in your course *Basic Theory of Time Travel*. Furthermore, do not worry about any trouble caused by time travel. Our world is not as fragile as you imagine, and mortals are not as powerful as they believe themselves to be. In a world where thoughts can influence matter, the world itself is the most powerful force of all. Now, please retrieve the key from the basin."

With a single explanation, he resolved all of St. Hilde’s doubts. Probably every student attempting time travel for the first time had similar questions.

"A basin?"

St. Hilde looked at the basin shimmering with a soft radiance. He squatted down, dipped his hand into the water—which was inexplicably somewhat warm—and truly retrieved a key.

It was a wooden key, so tiny that it was not even as wide as St. Hilde’s thumb. The flat key had an ordinary shape, with teeth on one side and a very smooth surface on the other. The wood grain on the surface of the key was exceptionally distinct. Upon careful rubbing, he discovered a line of carved text smaller than a grain of rice.

Although he had learned his lesson last time with the [Box of Darkness], this time was clearly safe. Therefore, St. Hilde once again exercised his translation talent, interpreting it as:

[The World Tree shelters you within the flow of time.]

"The World Tree?"

St. Hilde felt a surge of astonishment inwardly, but his expression remained largely calm.

"The Academy has various ways of transmitting [Relics]. Poet-grade manuscripts are the most basic method. Although the method being used now is costly, it is much safer, and the grade of the objects that can be transmitted is higher."

Professor Garcia continued as if lecturing:

"The grading of [Time Keys] ranges from Poet-grade (Level 5) to Unknowable-grade (Level 0), originating from the God of the Past, the [Father of the Infinite Tree]. Because this is merely instructional coursework, the [Time Key] provided this time is of Poet-grade."

The professor did not use the term "Old God," but rather the vague "God of the Past," which caught St. Hilde's attention.

"Do you know anything about this deity?"

The pointed-ear professor asked.

"I only know the name."

"The [Father of the Infinite Tree] is a very unique deity. What makes Him special is that He Himself is also the World Tree."

If Professor Garcia had spoken before St. Hilde deciphered the carvings on the key, St. Hilde's astonishment at that moment might have been more sincere.

"You do not need to understand the World Tree for the time being. As for using the key, aim it at the keyhole of any door, turn it, and push the door open to travel to a point in the past. Before opening it, you can know the corresponding time for each key. The technique is to place the key under your pillow before sleeping, and the dream will reveal the information left behind by the [Father of the Infinite Tree] within the key. We search for major events involving the Old Gods based on the era corresponding to that information, thereby determining the grade of the key."

"Then which period of the Fifth Epoch does this one correspond to?"

St. Hilde's fingers stroked the wood grain on the surface of the key.

The Fourth Epoch, the Era of Chaos, was far too dangerous, and keys from the first three epochs were strictly forbidden for Ring-Warlocks below the 9th Ring to use, so this key could only belong to the Fifth Epoch.

"Autumn of the 1068th Year of the Fifth Epoch. The time point corresponding to every key is bound to be related to the Old Gods. Therefore, the School of History is proficient in the [Blasphemy] element, because only the School of History has the opportunity to safely acquire the silver [Blasphemy] element without contacting existing evil gods themselves."

St. Hilde did not think traveling through time was safe at all.

"We are time travelers, investigators. Entering past time, we cannot carry any items possessing extraordinary power. Even if you try to bring them, they will fall away before you step through the opened 'door'."

Professor Garcia looked at St. Hilde, who hurriedly shook his head to indicate he was carrying nothing of the sort right now. Whether it was the vampire ring or the twenty-sided Die of Destiny, they were both left behind in the study.

"Upon entering a point in the past, a large amount of white mist will exist in our field of vision. 'The other me' will also provide prompts regarding the time point and event information obtained from the fallen god's relic key.

Throughout the investigation, the white mist will not dissipate, and investigators can only move toward locations free of mist to witness what is transpiring. During this period, as long as you do not actively interact with the past, no one will notice you. We are investigators, witnessing and recording past events, and bringing those things back to supplement the missing history before the epochs."

"You mean we are essentially going to watch a very realistic elect... opera?"

St. Hilde offered an analogy.

"A very good metaphor."

A smile finally appeared on Professor Garcia's face. Although this professor with slightly pointed ears looked stern, he was a very nice person:

"On extremely rare occasions, the fallen [Father of the Infinite Tree] may issue some tasks to you, but the probability is negligible... So, Mr. Hamilton, let us begin now."

"Now?"

St. Hilde swallowed hard and looked toward the bedroom door. Little Mia was probably tired, so the sound of claws scratching at the door hadn't been heard for a long time.

"Is there anything else you need to prepare? Oh, do not worry. Each opened passage of time allows you to linger for a maximum of three hours. And when you return to the correct time, you will only appear three seconds after you vanished."

"I mean... isn't this too rash, this sort of thing..."

St. Hilde had thought his advisor would provide some systematic training, not expecting such a simple introduction.

"A Ring-Warlock must rely on himself—and of course, upon 'the other me,' but never upon others. There is no need to hold paper and pen for recording; any matter you bring into the past spacetime will revert to its original state when you return. Even if you truly possess the ability to interfere with past time, you will only be a tiny ripple in the long river of time. Do not underestimate time and the world."

"Very well then, Professor Garcia."

He stood up, walked to the bedroom door, and let the brass-colored gas light on the side wall shed its illumination over his head and shoulders.

He aimed the tiny key at the keyhole, surprisingly managing to slip it right in, though the two were clearly mismatched.

"Remember, you must recite the incantation as you turn it—any language may be used to chant it: *The World Tree shelters me within the flow of time.*

Mr. Hamilton, see you in three seconds. Please relax; the Academy has specifically investigated, and in the 1068th year of the Fifth Epoch, no dangerous events occurred. It is very safe. Please cherish your first journey through time; it will be a highly memorable and interesting trip."

"Alright, see you in three seconds, Professor Garcia."

With a sense of lingering anxiety in his heart, St. Hilde gently turned the wooden key in his hand and chanted:

"May the World Tree shelter me within the flow of time."

A sharp click sounded, though there was no possibility of his own bedroom door lock making such a noise.

St. Hilde took a deep breath and finally pulled the door open.

Yet behind the door were not the tired orange cat Mia and the bedroom; thread-like wisps of white mist slowly writhed behind the doorframe, revealing a mist-filled gateway shrouded in hazy fog.

He swallowed hard, heard Professor Garcia's encouragement once more, and keeping thoughts of his cat in his heart, bravely stepped inside.