Chapter 40: Astrology

“I saw it.

I thought I was dreaming.”

“In a way, you really were dreaming,” Mr. Slone said.

“Because Dreamland is a place that mortals can only reach through dreams.

And that tree you saw—”

He paused.

“It is called the Tree of Eternal Permanence.

Its essence is the embodiment of all Mysteries.

And where it resides is Dreamland.”

Lein chewed on those words several times in his mind.

The embodiment of all Mysteries.

That meant the tree he had seen when he completed the ritual was a truly existing entity, formed by the convergence of all Mysteries.

He had assumed it was merely an illusion or a product of the dream, but now it seemed he was wrong.

“Each branch of that tree represents one category of Mystery,” Mr. Slone continued, reaching out and gesturing in the air.

“Note that it’s a category, not a specific one.

According to ancient alchemical texts, Mysteries are divided into six major categories based on their Inner Essence Aspect and similar domains.”

“Six?”

“Correct.

You’ll learn more specifics later, as long as you manage to walk this path without dying.”

Mr. Slone paused and looked at Lein.

“And the Spark’s Initial Mystery you completed belongs to the ‘Inner Essence’ Aspect among those six categories—the domain of core, driving force, and invisible flame.

This type of Mystery explores ‘why I move,’ concerning the inner drive that comes from the self.”

Why do I move?

Lein’s eyes widened unconsciously.

He had never seriously pondered that question, but when he heard those words, a corner deep in his heart felt as if it had been touched by something.

“The full name of the Starfire Mystery is the Spark of a Billion Rays,” Mr. Slone’s voice pulled Lein back from his thoughts.

He bit down on his pipe and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

“The Higher Being it belongs to is unknown in name.

The more commonly accepted view is that this Mystery originates from the first fire and light at the dawn of the universe.

It is the Mystery symbolizing ‘Knowledge,’ ‘Enlightenment,’ ‘Reason,’ and ‘Curiosity for Learning.’”

Mr. Slone cast a meaningful glance at Lein.

“In certain ancient eras, it was also called Astrology.”

Astrology?

Lein had always been good at history, so he could easily recall that before the even more ancient times predating the Long Night Era, three great arts—or powers—had once circulated on the ground: Alchemy, Astrology, and Spiritualism.

Nowadays, the more common view was that Alchemy and Astrology were probably early prototypes of chemistry and astronomy, while Spiritualism was more likely a case of ancient people mistaking hallucinations for some kind of power after consuming hallucinogenic herbs.

But according to what Mr. Slone was saying now, the three great powers of antiquity might have been Mysteries.

He absorbed these pieces of information bit by bit, his mind racing.

The Starfire Mystery’s symbols are knowledge, enlightenment, reason, and the thirst for knowledge.

This was indeed a Mystery very suited to him—perhaps even perfectly aligned with his heart.

From a very young age, Lein had realized that knowledge was the foundation for changing one’s fate.

He scrimped and saved to pay Mr. Slone just to read books.

He taught children to read and write at Night School because he believed that education could bring even the slightest change to those at the bottom.

But the question was—had the being controlling him known this from the start?

Had it made him complete this Mystery precisely because it knew it was the most suitable for him?

Lein pushed these thoughts down.

There was no point dwelling on them now.

“Mr. Slone,” he looked up.

“Since Mysteries exist in multiple forms, how many kinds of Mysteries are there in the world?”

Mr. Slone’s expression shifted.

He gave a cold laugh.

“With the little money you’ve given me, you don’t deserve to know that yet.”

Lein didn’t argue.

“Hmph.

Just like you can’t see the part of an iceberg below the water’s surface,” Mr. Slone’s tone softened a little, but still carried that condescending arrogance.

“The exact number of Mysteries has always been unknown.

There is no answer.”

With that, the old man turned his face away, sat down smugly, tapped his pipe on the table leg, and tipped out the ashes.

“Oh, and one more thing you need to remember.”

“What?”

“Everyone who has completed the Initial Secret Ritual is a Transcender,” Mr. Slone’s voice wavered slightly.

“But for certain reasons, the relationships among Transcenders are not harmonious.

Those who share the same Aspect, or even the same Mystery like me, are fine.

But if you encounter Transcenders from other domains, don’t expect to coexist peacefully.”

Lein’s brow furrowed.

“Why?”

“Why?”

Mr. Slone gave another cold laugh.

“What do you think Mysteries are?

A shared hobby where everyone sits down for tea and chat?

Different Mysteries originate from different Higher Beings, and the entanglements between those Higher Beings run far deeper than you imagine.

You walk the Starfire Path while the other walks a different path—between you two, there is an inherent kind of…”

He paused, as if searching for the right word.

“…a kind of incompatibility.

Not hostility, but something deeper, like water and oil—they can’t mix.”

‘No wonder I’ve never heard any related rumors,’ Lein thought.

If the relationships among Transcenders were really that tense, then those who were lucky enough to obtain and complete Mysteries would probably choose to keep their secrets.

No one wanted to expose themselves before their own kind, especially without knowing whether the other was friend or foe.

“Of course, don’t think that becoming a Transcender means you can do anything,” Mr. Slone’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“There are plenty of beings in this world more powerful than you.

You’ve merely been fortunate enough to pass the Initial Secret Ritual.

To some extent, you’ve only just taken the first step over the threshold of the Transcendent World—a beginner, nothing more.”

“Initial Secret Ritual?”

Lein caught the term.

“What does that mean?”

Perhaps because of that one gold pound, Mr. Slone didn’t mock him this time.

Instead, he patiently explained.

“Mysteries are deliberately divided into multiple stages.

The Initial Secret Ritual is the first stage.”

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from a drawer, spread it flat on the table, and drew a line on it with messy handwriting, marking several nodes along the line.

“The Initial Secret Ritual is the first step.

After completing it, you gain some basic abilities—like your Spirit Vision, and like the power you obtained through the Choice.

Be grateful; the first Choice won’t exact too great a price from you.

This is the first Minor Ascension.”

Choice?

What was that?

Lein blinked.

He was starting to not understand what Slone was saying.

Mr. Slone didn’t notice Lein’s expression.

His finger tapped on the paper.

“After that comes the second Minor Ascension, then the first Major Ascension.

And further on, the third, the fourth…

Each step is more dangerous than the last, and each step requires a greater price.

Of course, to continue ascending, you need to obtain a deeper-level Mystery—that is extremely difficult.”

Lein sorted through the information revealed in Mr. Slone’s words in his mind.

Initial Secret Ritual, Minor Ascension, Major Ascension, deeper-level Mysteries…

It meant that supernatural power had a ladder, and he was only standing at the very bottom now.

But at least, he had stepped onto it.

Lein asked a few more details.

Although Mr. Slone had a sour face the whole time as if asking ‘why aren’t you leaving yet,’ he still answered intermittently.

When Lein was sure he had squeezed dry everything the old man could offer, he stood up.

“I’ll be going now, Mr. Slone.”

“Go on, go on,” Mr. Slone waved his hand impatiently, the pipe nearly falling from his mouth.

“Next time you come, remember to bring the money.

Don’t think you can weasel out.”

Lein didn’t reply.

He turned and walked out of that cramped little office.