Chapter 40: Life Sect

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Life Sect

Doumu’s Spiral was the most difficult script to learn in the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Civilization Basics—at least, it was for Chen Qi.

In truth, Chen Qi had always been curious about Divination Text, Rope Text, and Doumu’s Spiral. ’Why are they so completely different from other ancient scripts?’

According to the research of ancient script experts, Divination Text is believed to have originated from divination and sacrificial rituals. Legend has it that it shares a mysterious connection with human Consciousness.

As for Rope Text, though it originated from the practice of tying knots to record events, in excavated ruins it more often represents control over the movements of heaven and earth.

In the context of Energy, knots symbolize a stable, unalterable state.

The origins of Doumu’s Spiral, however, were a bit more mysterious.

Because its characters resemble human fingerprints, most paleographers believe ancient humans created the script by modeling it after their own prints.

In the occult, Doumu’s Spiral is generally associated with the physical body and contracts.

However, some paleographers held a completely different view.

They believed that Doumu’s Spiral was created in imitation of the Divine Artifact, the Mother of All Things.

Human fingerprints, they claimed, were merely the patterns branded onto the Human Ancestor when they wielded the Mother of All Things.

In the era before the birth of V5, the major Sects dominated the human world.

As the Sacrificial Artifact of the Life Sect, the Mother of All Things naturally became the origin of Doumu’s Spiral.

Doumu’s Spiral thus became the exclusive script of the Life Sect.

It was only because the Life Sect had since faded into obscurity that the former viewpoint became the prevailing one.

This information went far beyond the scope of basic knowledge. It didn’t come from the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Civilization Basics, of course, but was rather an "unexpected windfall" for Chen Qi.

Previously, Chen Qi had tasked Leiteri with acquiring a "Secret Technique for concealing one’s Life Magnet Field" on the dark web. The results had been disappointing, as he received no responses at all.

However, his actions did attract the attention of an "interested party."

Someone then offered to "sell" an occult Notebook to Leiteri. After consulting with Chen Qi, Leiteri immediately spent a fortune to purchase it.

The knowledge Chen Qi had about the origins of the three ancient scripts came from this very Notebook.

The Notebook’s owner, who called himself a "Scholar," claimed to specialize in the study of ancient civilizations.

To Chen Qi, the entire Notebook felt like one big exercise in bragging.

For example, the Notebook’s owner boasted endlessly about the "Scholar" profession, practically elevating them to the saviors of humanity.

"Every ancient script humanity has mastered was deciphered by Scholars!"

"Every script from other civilizations that humanity understands was also deciphered by Scholars!"

"Even the Oracles passed down by ancient Divine Spirits are translated by Scholars!"

’These aren’t "Scholars,"’ he thought. ’They’re basically Prophets for humanity.’

Unfortunately, the Notebook’s author wasn’t nearly as great as his boasts suggested.

The guy was still slogging through the Comprehensive Guide to Ancient Civilization Basics, and he wasn’t even making as much progress as Chen Qi.

The most valuable part of the entire Notebook was the account of the origins of the three ancient scripts, which was of dubious value at best. It was no wonder someone had ended up selling it on the black market.

This incident, however, made Chen Qi realize something.

’If even someone as pathetic as Jomoya Chris knew about the King’s Game, then a considerable number of "apprentices" must have been drawn here.’

’But there are only fifty-four game Cards. What happened to the unlucky ones who didn’t qualify to play?’

’If they were unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire and die here, wouldn’t they have left some things behind?’

The author of the Notebook was probably one of those unlucky souls.

This inevitably gave Chen Qi an idea. He could try to buy a few more of these relics, or perhaps trade for knowledge with the apprentices who were still alive.

’Of course, not right now,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, I’d just be an NPC serving myself up on a platter to be slaughtered.’

Chen Qi planned to have a good look around the Lanyu Kingdom after his Awakening.

With less than two years until the next Judgment Day, he didn’t have much time left.

...

Just as he had expected, learning Doumu’s Spiral became much simpler after Chen Qi mastered Rope Text.

Although the characters still looked like constantly spinning and shifting fingerprints, with the aid of the bronze dice, Chen Qi activated his "Super Learning" mode.

In just seven days, Chen Qi conquered the ancient script that had given him the most trouble.

The moment he completely mastered all fifteen ancient scripts, Chen Qi’s entire body seemed to turn into a lightbulb, with light glowing from his very pores.

The strangest thing was his hair; it went CRACKLE, CRACKLE, flashing with electric sparks as if a static field had been activated.

Whenever Chen Qi went near electronic devices, their signals were disrupted; he had practically become a walking electromagnetic field.

Fortunately, this phenomenon lasted only for an instant, and the affected devices quickly returned to normal.

’My life level just now must have been infinitely close to 6!’

’A shame. Without achieving my Awakening, I can never cross that threshold.’

Chen Qi wasn’t alarmed by what had just happened.

It was simply that his Life Magnet Field had become so powerful that it had briefly interfered with the surrounding natural fields.

More accurately, everything that had just occurred was well within Chen Qi’s expectations.

Because only by reaching this state could he upgrade his String Strangulation skill.

At LV1, the String Strangulation skill only possessed a sharp cutting ability, making it far from comparable to Body Control.

In fact, the skill’s very creation had been an accident.

It was only because Jomoya had been careless while studying the Red Heart 7, allowing it to nearly Devour the Source Ore.

’But this is the reality of the situation,’ Chen Qi reasoned. ’I can’t delete the skill, so my only option is to enhance its potential.’

’A sharp cutting ability will be of limited use in future fights, and I can’t think of a way to improve it, either.’

’Should I have it keep devouring the rest of the Source Ore? That would be an incredible waste. Besides, I can’t even get it out right now.’

’The metal strings are a physical manifestation of Puppet Threads. In that case, I should develop the skill in that direction.’

’The metal strings can’t control flesh, but maybe they could transmit electromagnetic signals to control machines.’

This was Chen Qi’s development plan. His experimental subject, of course, would be a Biological Radar.

This device was the most suitable artificial object Chen Qi had seen for developing his abilities. He would undoubtedly face many enemies going forward, and he couldn’t afford to be at a disadvantage when it came to reconnaissance.

’Everything is ready. All that’s left is the final experiment!’

Inside the laboratory, seven obsolete models of Biological Radar were arranged in a neat row.

For the first time, Chen Qi’s "superpower"—money—had failed him.

There were five models of Biological Radar in total, and small, ordinary nations could only obtain the E-type.

Many of which were the most outdated and obsolete versions of the E-type, at that!

The ones available on the black market were mostly the same, and often second-hand.

According to Taruno’s investigation, the only D-type in the entire Lanyu Kingdom was a decommissioned unit from another country, now in the possession of the military.

If Chen Qi wanted to obtain a model other than an E-type, his only hope was his good friend, Westin.

Fortunately, these obsolete models were sufficient for Chen Qi’s current development needs.