Chapter 514 - 478: Arcane Enlightenment: Introduction to Primordial Resonance

Chapter 514: Chapter 478: Arcane Enlightenment: Introduction to Primordial Resonance

"Arcane Enlightenment..."

As the words on the cover came into focus, Roland’s pupils contracted. His breathing became shallow, almost unconsciously so.

Those two words held an extraordinary meaning for him.

Previously, on his Professional Panel, one of the requirements for advancing to the High Tier Spellcaster Profession of [Aurora Disciple] was to undergo an "Arcane Enlightenment."

Since then, Roland had taken every opportunity to search for clues within the vast sea of books in the Imperial Academy’s library.

He had originally assumed that since it involved a seemingly basic term like "enlightenment," related information would be quite common.

However, the reality was the exact opposite.

He had scoured every relevant book but couldn’t find any reliable records that directly and systematically explained the nature and methods of "Arcane Enlightenment."

It was as if the term had been invented solely for the Professional Panel.

This had led him to temporarily give up on advancing to [Aurora Disciple]. He never expected...

...to stumble upon it here, in this top-secret facility.

His heart hammered in his chest, its rhythm quickening uncontrollably.

Roland took a deep breath, calming the surge of excitement and anticipation, and carefully opened the deep blue-covered tome.

The pages weren’t made of ordinary paper. They felt smooth and warm to the touch, possessing a subtle affinity for Energy. Even after the passage of countless years, they showed no obvious signs of becoming brittle.

The script was an elegant and clear handwriting. Although it was peppered with technical jargon, it was far more comprehensible than those lab reports.

After the title page, the book began with an introduction filled with philosophy and poetry.

"Magic is not a mere heap of Spells and gestures; Arcane Magic is not the enslavement of Energy and formulas."

"True knowledge begins with listening; Power is born from resonance."

"All things in this world, be it the fury of the Elements, the whisper of starlight, the ripple of time, or even the Echo of a concept, possess their own unique ’string-tone.’"

"To be ’enlightened’ is not to be granted something from without, but to polish the mirror of your own heart, allowing it to reflect and find the ’string’ that best resonates with your soul. From that moment on, your will becomes the true guide, and your path is one you compose yourself."

Roland’s spirits lifted. This passage perfectly encapsulated the fundamental concept of the so-called "Arcane Enlightenment."

It wasn’t about learning a fixed system of Magic, but a process of looking inward and connecting outward.

He continued to read.

The book elaborated on the theoretical basis of "Primordial Resonance."

It posited that the universe is filled with countless "Primordial Marks" or "Echoes of Law." These could be concrete material Elements, such as fire, water, wind, earth, Positive Energy, Negative Energy, and so on.

They could also be abstract concepts like time, space, Order, chaos, life, and death.

Or even the characteristic frequencies of certain indescribable higher-dimensional beings or collective consciousness fields.

A Caster’s Spiritual Power, soul characteristics, life experiences, and even subconscious tendencies determine which "Primordial Marks" they have a potential affinity for.

The process of "enlightenment" involves amplifying this affinity—either actively or passively through specific Meditation, rituals, or serendipitous events—to establish a clear and stable channel of spiritual and energetic resonance with a corresponding "Primordial Mark."

Once successful, a Caster is no longer just "drawing" or "shaping" non-attributed Magic Power from the environment. Instead, they can interact deeply with the "primordial source" that resonates with them.

The book emphasized that this was not a simple "Elemental Mastery," but the foundation of one’s path.

One who resonates with the Mark of "Fire" might find their Arcane Magic path leading toward Destruction and purification, or perhaps toward creation and change.

One who resonates with a fragment of "Time" might glimpse the secrets of prophecy and acceleration, or they might touch upon the Domain of stasis and decay.

The object of resonance provides the "pigments" and "tendencies," while the final "masterpiece"—the specific manifestations of Magic, combat style, and even philosophical beliefs—is determined by the Caster’s own will, understanding, and subsequent exploration.

The book also mentioned the possibility of "multiple resonances" and the different effects brought about by varying depths of resonance.

As he continued to read, Roland became completely engrossed.

Many of his previous, vague questions about the nature of Magic were now answered with clarity.

He also understood why the Imperial Academy had no such records.

This was likely one of the core secrets of the Crystal Era’s training system for High Tier Spellcasters—forbidden knowledge, strictly prohibited from being shared without authorization, that had all but vanished with the collapse of the era.

"So..."

After skimming through it, Roland closed the book, a thoughtful light glinting in his eyes.

’My "affinity"... what would it point to?’

Thanks to his Professional Panel, he had an obvious affinity for many Traits.

[Time Traveler], [Heart of the Furnace], [Lonely Barrier], [Shadow Dance Form]...

’What kind of "Primordial Mark" would these factors lead me to?’

Just as Roland was lost in thought about "Arcane Enlightenment" and his own path, his fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the book’s pages.

Suddenly, a yellowed, brittle piece of paper, tucked away in the latter half of the book, slipped silently from between the pages and spiraled to the floor.

Roland’s eyebrow twitched. He immediately crouched down and gently picked it up.

The paper was thinner than the book’s pages and of ordinary quality, clearly inserted carefully by someone at a later time.

The handwriting on it was somewhat messy, a stark contrast to the neat, academic script in the book. It was written in the same language but carried a distinct personal emotion.

He quickly scanned its contents.

"Another day. The ’Veil Disturbance Coefficient’ is stable, below the threshold. No progress. No, I should say ’It’ remains silent—an eternal, maddening silence."

"What in the world are we doing? Using the most advanced arrays to ’listen’ to the Void? Using living consciousness to ’map’ the unnamable? The higher-ups call it the ’Great Dialogue,’ a staircase to ultimate truth. But all I see is a madness that strays further and further from our original purpose."

"I ’accidentally’ glanced at the ’Energy Extraction’ experiment report from the adjacent Sector Three... That’s not ’extraction,’ it’s desecration! They call it ’Divine Remains’... Ha! What an ’academic’ and ’noble’ term to gloss over the dismemberment and exploitation of something utterly beyond comprehension."

"The light of Silver Radiance City shines upon all races, the knowledge of the Crystal Era benefits all life... Such beautiful propaganda. But here, in the depths untouched by that light, in the cellars of this Ideal Kingdom, we ’elites’ are engaged in activities that would put even the most depraved Cultists to shame. Greed, wrapped in the guise of civilization and reason, is more nauseating than naked savagery."

"I’ve had enough. Every day I walk into the ’Sanctuary,’ I feel like another layer of my soul is being peeled away. My reason tells me that some doors, once opened, can never be closed. Some ’foods,’ once tasted, will forever change the nature of the one who eats. We... Silver Radiance City... are opening that door. We are trying to taste that ’food.’"

"I can’t... at least, I can’t stay in this core project any longer. I am not a butcher, not a gravedigger. Tomorrow, I will submit a transfer request. I heard the ’Seventh Observation Station’ is conducting some relatively ’cleaner’ research on Power Cores. At least... that still looks like it’s for ’survival’ and ’development,’ not for transgression and... consumption."

"Let me go fiddle with cold metal and streams of Energy. At least they won’t torture me with that eternal, indifferent ’gaze.’"

The journal entry ended abruptly there, with no name and no date.

Roland pinched the light piece of paper, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Divine Remains..."

"Energy Extraction..."

"The dismemberment and exploitation of something utterly beyond comprehension..."

All the clues slammed together in his mind at that moment.

This was the core research area for the Divine Remains Fusion Device.

Or rather, the key base for the initial experiments in "contact," "analysis," and "Energy Extraction."

That twisted building was likely the main structure for the so-called "fusion" or "connection," or perhaps...

’The containment unit or manifestation of that unnamable thing they called the "Divine Remains"?’

"Besides that..."

Roland’s gaze lifted from the paper, and he subconsciously glanced at his inconspicuous Wrist Armor.

The subtle characteristics of the handwriting on the paper—the habitual hook at the end of certain letters, the angle of the connecting strokes, and even the restrained yet turbulent feel of the writing—were a perfect match for the inscription inside his Wrist Armor.

It seemed the researcher who wrote this journal entry was the same person who developed the Wrist Armor.

’I hope your years at the Seventh Observation Station didn’t force you to witness even deeper Darkness...’

After a soft sigh, Roland once again quickly and carefully searched the entire archive area.

After confirming there were no other obviously valuable physical materials that hadn’t been transferred or destroyed, he decisively summoned the Secret Imprisonment Dice.

He sent the book, *Arcane Enlightenment: Introduction to Primordial Resonance*; a few crystal plates that seemed to contain important diagrams or fundamental theories; and several other relatively complete journal fragments into it all at once.

Once that was done, he walked to a broken observation window in the archives and gazed into the distance.

The bizarre, twisted building, a mix of pale and dark reds, stood silently like the heart of the subterranean space.

Although the journal’s description of the building was unsettling, Roland felt it was necessary to investigate.

He had to at least figure out what that thing was and whether it was connected to the time loop he was currently experiencing.

After all...

Looking around, the vast, enclosed underground cavern had no other obvious entrances or exits besides the vertical shaft above his head, which was slowly "healing."

This was undoubtedly the best, and possibly the only, time to explore.

If he missed this chance, getting back in would be next to impossible.

His mind made up, Roland’s figure once again merged into the Shadow. Like a silent, dark current, he crept toward the building, using the deep shadows cast by massive Energy pipes and the gaps between abandoned equipment.

As he drew closer, the strange smell in the air—a cloying sweetness mixed with rot—grew stronger, almost tangible, causing a slight dizziness and a nauseating feeling deep in his throat.

Just as he was about to cross a final, relatively open "gateway" formed by huge metal struts and step into the central plaza where the building stood, his keen Perception suddenly caught a strange Energy disturbance and...

’The sound of breathing?’

’Someone’s here?’

Roland froze instantly, tucking himself perfectly into the acute-angled shadow formed by a thick support pillar and the ground.

Holding his breath, he shot a lightning-sharp gaze in the direction his Perception indicated.

It was a wide alloy corridor on the other side of the strange building, just as covered in dust.

A figure had appeared at the end of the corridor at some point and was now walking slowly toward the twisted building.

But the distance was too great for Roland to make out the person’s face or attire.

Their stride was steady, without a hint of hesitation or fear, as if they were simply walking toward a familiar workbench.

They finally stopped about ten meters from the building’s base, tilted their head back slightly, and seemed to be "gazing" at the pulsing, vein-like patterns on its surface.

They just stood there silently, their posture...

It was as if they were listening, or perhaps...

’...talking?’

Doubts swirled in Roland’s mind.

’A member of the Cleaner squad?’

’Doesn’t seem like it.’

’Their aura is completely different.’

’A researcher who was left behind?’

’But this place has clearly been abandoned for a very long time.’

With these thoughts, Roland carefully shifted a tiny step out from the shadows.

He tried to adjust his angle to get a look at the person’s profile or any other identifiable features.

The instant he moved...

Without any warning, a series of cold "words" invaded his mind, as if they had grown directly from the inside of his skull.

*"Prisoner of time... wanderer of space... you have finally... come here..."*

*"Do you see it? This perfect scar... this eternal hunger... We are all... abandoned fragments... searching for the right pieces... in the wrong cycle..."*

*"Come closer... I can give you... the ’answers’ you want... I can also give you... endless ’freedom,’ as long as you are willing... to offer a little... ’resonance’..."*