Chapter 57: Deciphering the Mechanism

Lothe remained crouched before the small opening, his eyes fixed on the strange mechanism hidden within the wall.

At first glance, it looked almost ordinary. Several stone plates had been embedded into the wall, each engraved with unfamiliar symbols, while thin grooves connected them in a complex pattern that extended deeper into the stone.

Lothe reached out and brushed his fingers across one of the plates.

Cold.

The mechanism was ancient. The stone’s surface had been worn smooth by time, yet the structure was still functioning.

His [Inspect] remained active, but no notification appeared.

Lothe frowned.

If even Inspect can’t identify it, then whatever is hidden inside this mechanism is beyond my current skill.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Let’s see..."

Lothe slowly released a thin thread of Void Qi from his fingertip.

The moment it entered the mechanism—

Buzz!

A faint vibration traveled through the stone.

Lothe’s eyes widened.

Something had changed.

The faint purple glow in his eyes intensified as he focused on the mechanism. The Qi wasn’t moving randomly. It was flowing through the structure.

One stream entered a small rune before splitting into two channels. One moved upward, while the other curved toward another rune.

From there, the Qi divided again, passing through several interconnected paths before converging at the center.

Lothe’s breathing slowed.

"So that’s how it works..."

He didn’t understand the individual runes. He didn’t know their names or meanings.

But he could see how they were connected.

Each rune served a different purpose. One controlled the direction of the Qi, another regulated its intensity, while a third redirected the flow toward another section.

The grooves between them acted like veins, carrying Qi from one rune to the next.

Lothe’s eyes gradually widened.

This is an Array.

He had read the system’s explanation before, but seeing one function in front of him was completely different. It was like reading about the human heart and then watching one beat beneath a surgeon’s hands.

"So this is how Arrays work..."

His voice was barely a whisper.

He continued following the flow.

One rune.

Then another.

He memorized their positions and studied how the Qi entered each one, rotated around its center, and flowed through the narrow channels toward the next.

Lothe slowly raised his finger.

A tiny thread of Void Qi entered the first channel.

Nothing happened.

He frowned and adjusted the amount slightly.

The Qi moved.

His eyes brightened.

"There."

He had found something important.

The amount of Qi mattered.

Too little, and the mechanism wouldn’t respond.

Too much—

Lothe’s expression turned serious.

A faint tension began building inside the mechanism. The stone beneath his fingers trembled slightly.

A wrong move could trigger something.

Lothe immediately withdrew his Qi.

"There’s something else..."

His gaze moved across the runes.

The mechanism wasn’t simply designed to open the door. It was also protecting it.

Judging from the tension hidden within several channels, other functions were connected to the structure.

Weapons.

Traps.

Perhaps even something worse.

He couldn’t be certain, but one thing was obvious.

If he forced the mechanism open incorrectly, the consequences wouldn’t be limited to the door remaining closed.

Whatever was hidden inside could activate.

And they were standing right beside it.

Lothe swallowed.

Sweat slowly formed across his forehead—not from exhaustion, but from concentration.

His mind raced as he tried to understand the pattern.

He didn’t know what the runes represented. He didn’t know the principles behind them or whether the structure was a defensive Array, a sealing Array, or something entirely different.

But he could observe.

He could learn.

And most importantly, he could see how the Qi moved.

Lothe carefully inserted another strand of Void Qi.

The first rune lit up.

Then the second.

Then the third.

His finger shifted slightly.

The Qi rotated.

One channel connected.

Then another.

Lothe’s heart began pounding.

"Come on..."

He followed the flow.

Left.

Down.

Right.

Then back toward the center.

He adjusted his Qi again.

A faint metallic sound echoed from within the wall.

Click.

Lothe froze.

His eyes widened.

The mechanism had reacted.

But he wasn’t finished yet.

One final channel remained. He could feel it. The entire structure was waiting for that final connection.

Lothe took a slow breath and carefully guided his Qi into the last channel.

The energy flowed through the rune.

It rotated once.

Twice.

Then—

CLICK!

A deep vibration traveled through the wall.

The strange runes dimmed one after another. The tension inside the mechanism disappeared, and the triangular section of the enormous stone wall slowly shifted inward.

Silence filled the cavern.

Lothe stared at the opening.

He had done it.

He hadn’t destroyed the mechanism or forced the door open through brute strength.

He had deciphered the Array.

Ping!

[Ancient Qi Mechanism successfully deciphered.]

[Ancient Qi Mechanism unlocked.]

[+200 EXP gained.]

Another notification appeared.

[Host has successfully deciphered an Ancient Qi Mechanism.]

[Would the Host like to choose the Array/Talisman Subclass?]

Lothe was still breathing heavily. His mind buzzed from everything he had just experienced.

He had barely understood the Array, yet he wanted to learn more.

"Yes."

Ping!

[You have chosen the Array/Talisman Subclass.]

[Congratulations, Host.]

[You have entered the First Stage of Array/Talisman Mastery.]

[Stage One: Qi Sight.]

[Qi Sight allows the Host to naturally perceive the flow of Qi within the environment and identify basic Qi pathways.]

[The Host can now manipulate Qi and construct basic Runes.]

Lothe’s eyes widened slightly.

Before he could process the information—

Ping!

[Subclass integration beginning.]

[Qi Sight integrating.]

[Array/Talisman foundation established.]

Suddenly, everything went black.

"Urgh..."

Lothe groaned as his consciousness was pulled into a strange darkness.

Seriously? Again?

He had experienced something similar before, but this darkness felt different.

It wasn’t empty.

It was vast.

Endless.

Then—

A faint purple light appeared in the distance.

Then another.

And another.

Soon, the darkness brightened.

Thousands of strange, star-shaped objects floated before him, each glowing with a faint purple light.

Silver threads connected them, forming a massive and incomprehensible network.

Some threads were thick.

Others were so thin they were almost invisible.

Lothe stared in astonishment.

"What is this?"

He instinctively reached toward the nearest star and touched one of the silver threads.

He pulled.

Snap!

The thread broke.

The star trembled before dissolving into countless specks of purple light.

Ping!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

A strange, transparent energy flowed into Lothe’s body. He shivered as he felt it sink deeper into his consciousness.

Into something he couldn’t see.

His soul.

Lothe stared at his hand.

"Soul energy..."

He reached toward another thread.

Snap!

The second star dissolved.

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Lothe’s eyes narrowed.

So that’s what these things are...

He didn’t understand where he was or what the stars represented. But his instincts told him that this place was connected to his soul.

And somehow, he could dismantle these strange connections.

He reached for another thread.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Another.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

And another.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Lothe continued extracting the threads.

——————————

In the real world, Seana stared at the newly opened passage.

The enormous stone wall had shifted inward, revealing a small triangular doorway.

They could finally leave.

Yet Lothe hadn’t moved.

He remained completely motionless with his eyes closed.

"Lothe?"

There was no response.

Seana frowned and stepped closer. She placed two fingers against his wrist.

His pulse was steady.

His breathing was normal.

Nothing seemed wrong.

She checked again.

Still normal.

"Did he... gain some kind of enlightenment?"

Seana could only sigh.

She hoped that was the case.

——————————

Inside Lothe’s consciousness—

Snap!

Another silver thread fell.

Then another.

And another.

Hundreds of broken threads now lay scattered around him.

But the process was beginning to affect him.

His consciousness trembled. His vision blurred, and his movements became slower.

Still, he continued.

He reached for another thread.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Another.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Lothe’s hand trembled.

He took one step.

Then another.

His consciousness felt increasingly unstable.

Ping!

[Warning.]

[Host’s consciousness is approaching its stability limit.]

[Continued extraction may result in severe spiritual damage.]

Lothe ignored the warning.

He reached for another thread.

Snap!

[+2 Soul Energy.]

Another step.

Another thread.

Snap!

His vision flickered.

Ping!

[Warning.]

[If the Host continues, the probability of consciousness collapse is increasing.]

[Estimated consequence: Permanent spiritual damage.]

Lothe clenched his teeth.

Still, he didn’t stop.

One step.

One thread.

Another step.

Another thread.

"Huff..."

His breathing became ragged.

"Huff... huff..."

Even in the real world, Seana noticed.

Lothe’s chest had begun rising and falling heavily.

Her expression changed.

"Lothe?"

She placed her hand against his chest.

His heartbeat remained steady. There was no sign of physical pain, injury, or unstable Qi.

Then why was he breathing like that?

Seana could only watch helplessly.

Inside the darkness, Lothe’s consciousness flickered.

Most of the thousands of stars had disappeared.

Only a few remained.

Lothe stared at them.

A faint grin appeared on his exhausted face.

"That should be enough..."

He knew he couldn’t continue.

His consciousness was already unstable. If he stayed any longer, he might not be able to return to his body.

Lothe reached for one final thread.

Snap.

The star dissolved into purple light.

[+2 Soul Energy.]

His vision turned completely white.

His consciousness began to dissolve.

At least I learned something.

Then his consciousness returned to his body.

Lothe’s eyes suddenly opened.

The first thing he saw was Seana’s worried face.

She immediately leaned closer.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Lothe stared at her for a moment before slowly sitting up.

"I’m fine," he said, though his voice was tired. "I just learned something new."​