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Chapter 18: Knowledge II

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It's the thickest book of the four as it contains the most important knowledge within. That's what scholars around the world call Words Of The World.

It perfectly describes 2169 Nether words seekers use to cast ether arts. How they're spelled, the different frequencies, the ether path needed to perform perfect punctuation.

Of course, only obsessed scholars learn all the words. Most seekers never lay their hands on the Nether book their entire lives.

It's simply unnecessary. When one learns an ether art, they usually find all the needed information within the books or scrolls, including the nether words needed to perform the ether art.

The nether book has too much information. Each word has different states and frequencies, and all of them are available in the book.

Val then turned his attention to two of the other books, both about formations.

'Interesting, these are his notes. Well, I already knew he's a formation master but never knew his level. I guess I can get a general idea now.'

'Solitary Formations' That's the name of one of them while the other one has none. The latter is the notes taken by Alvion while studying the book.

'That's a strange name, and I would imagine anything about formations would be extremely expansive and sought after. How did he get his hands on it?'

Val narrowed his eyes. He was thoughtful for a moment before picking up the alchemy book. The first book to read before the other three.

The Nether book is too big and not too useful for him currently.

The bare minimum for diving into the world of formations is after one finishes creating the output runes. Moreover, the requirements for becoming a formation master are quite high.

Alchemy is different. As long as one has enough funds, they can learn a significant part of it without even being a seeker, being one of course helps a lot. It becomes necessary in the advanced stages of alchemy.

Furthermore, with Val's aspirations, he knew it's something he would have to learn sooner or later, especially with the incoming test Alvion is preparing for him.

Alchemy centers around the creation of potions, powders, pills. There are numerous types of herbs, materials, and many other things used in the process of production.

The best products are usually created by using the best base materials, the most known are ether herbs and other ether materials.

It's not just sentient beings that can absorb ether variants. Other things can absorb it instinctively. They're requirements such as the environment, the types of ether variants around.

Seekers have incredible resistance to many things. That's the greatest part of their power besides ether arts.

Val learned about something he misunderstood before from the previous Val's memory, mainly because the latter read very little about the theories of how the ether work.

The misconception was that he wasn't actually getting stronger. At least, his raw body was only a bit stronger because the ether does help a bit in that.

Seekers simply gain more resistance to reality. That includes several things such as sleep, hunger, thirst, and even the air. That naturally also increases their defense and force, thus why he felt so much stronger.

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That resistance is why Val found himself staying up many nights without feeling the need to sleep at all. He even rarely feels hunger. However, who could say no to delicacies?

Moreover, food accelerates the strengthening of his body. It deteriorated only a bit when he spent so much time in prison due to being a seeker, but that's still a problem.

He wants to get his body to its absolute peak before... 'Hmm, I will likely only face a weak specter, so all I will need is a specter contact potion and a few types of powders. That should all be provided to me when the time comes, but it wouldn't hurt to craft them myself.'

Like that, a sleepless night passed for Val whose attention was taken by the sound of crowing sounds of roosters, 'Hmm? We don't have roosters in here. Did I imagine that?'

Val's eyes seem to haze a bit as he reminiscent about his past, 'I remember when I visited the countryside for peaceful purposes. I think I heard their cries for one morning, but then it disappeared.'

'That's nostalgic.' Val's brows suddenly shot up as he remembered something, 'I think I gave the orders to... Well, whatever. Hmm, I suddenly desire a chicken and eggs skillet.'

Val however didn't let his stomach control him. He started practicing in swordplay first.

He picked his lovely and exquisite rapier, admiring its beauty, "I will definitely make a better one. First, however, I will make a better bow."

Val knows, of course, he does. That's why his next words sounded as if he had never wielded a rapier before when in reality, he's its master.

"It's a sword, so it shouldn't be too different from the saber I used before. Well, I will just mimic the moves from the book for now..."

Rapiers were never popular in times of war, they could even be called a civilian weapons. In his previous world that is.

The situation here is different, the ether and embers made them much more practical and deadly. They're still not that popular though.

An hour passed, and all Val did is thrusting his rapier into his imaginary opponent. Slashing? He knows no such a thing.

All he did was stab with his rapier. That's where they excel. A single stab to one's head is all that's needed.

At one point in his practice, he found himself a perfect stance, a bit similar to the archery stance. Even the thrusting motion became similar to the movement of arrows.

He seemed to be heading in a bizarre direction, and no amount of regret can fix what's already happened. That's a lesson Alvion will come to understand later.

Val then took a long comfortable bath while wondering to himself, 'I mean, am entertained but am also puzzled. My new life so far was wonderful. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened yet.

That shouldn't be the case. I know I am in the middle of a conspiracy, but shouldn't the orchestrators drive me to become stronger somehow?

For example, killing people close to me so that I seek revenge. Well, I guess they know I don't function that way. Do I even...'

His thoughts were again interrupted by the warm drops of water falling on his pale skin. Instead of completing his previous thoughts, he went on to something else.

'Perhaps something is happening, but I have yet to detect it. Matters not, I pity them, watching the game without the chance to participate... I should fix that. My kindness wouldn't allow anything like that.'

The unknown, arguably the scariest word to ever exist. It looms over him, yet a small gentle smile never left his beautiful face, seemingly the incarnation of an angel, untouchable.

His chaotic thoughts ended by the end of his bath as he headed to the dining table for his chicken and eggs breakfast.

He never found it in him to eat anywhere else but there. It's in his blood and the ethics he dearly likes. That's something his new family doesn't share with him.

Alvion, he rarely sees. Rhys is obsessed with his sabers, so he mostly eats with them... somehow? Noah and Nious are library freaks.

He finds himself in the room with the servants and the chef. They grew accustomed to him to a strange point, and he knows that.

It's easy for someone to worship you when they are beneath you. Val loves this quote. It has so many meanings and numerous truths. Moreover, how can he not love a quote he stated himself.

Humans believe in god and worship him because they know they're beneath him. Across history, they worshiped more than 10000 gods, truly a silly joke.

'I find that about them fascinating. It's easy to understand but still just as interesting. Moreover, good jokes are entertaining.' Val again conversed with himself. His thoughts were seemingly starting out of nowhere.

"Louis, bring me the ingredients for these potions and powders as well as the necessary alchemy tools." Instructed Val to the unseen Louis.

However, he knows that just like Rhys and the twins, he has a personal servant, Louis. He also knows that another person is watching over him.

He saw the clues and interpreted many things, 'Moreover, Louis would hate to watch over me in prison, it's not his style. Father would likely respect his choice...'

Val's delicate hands were elegantly working while he thought of that as he used the silver knife to cut the chicken and the fork to bring it to his smiling mouth.

'Delicious! And it's quite nostalgic. I remember that we also had rooster meat back then. At least, I didn't let their sacrifice be in vain.'