Only God-Chapter 534 - 459: Tides of the Era (Additional Double-Length - )

Chapter 534: Chapter 459: Tides of the Era (Additional Double-Length Chapter)

Belvan had divided the path of divine creation into seven ranks, with each rank corresponding to different stages of the same path. He crudely attributed the mere comprehension of the Ancient Language to the First Rank, whereas advancing from the First Rank to the Second required the Ascension Ceremony.

The division of ranks was modeled after the Gods who had apportioned their mighty powers into seven ranks. Although it was an imitation, it did not imply that Belvan’s divisions could correspond directly to the Gods’ powers. According to that Alchemist’s conjecture, the Third Rank of the path might be equivalent to a First Rank Divine being. With every subsequent ascension, the mastery of the Ancient Language’s power was to grow exponentially.

Strictly speaking, the Ascension Ceremony was not entirely Belvan’s own creation.

In fact, as early as the era when Prophet Noen of the True Religion brought the Ancient Language to the world, the Three-eyed Ape People and the Elves had begun to learn to understand the Ancient Language with the aid of external objects.

Among such aids, most commonly utilized were various potions concocted from different herbs and the myriad of auxiliary rituals.

These various rituals aiding the comprehension of the Ancient Language inevitably involved the soul.

Belvan’s Ascension Ceremony was indeed built upon the shoulders of predecessors. He altered some of these rituals, substituted a few potions, enabling one to delve deeper into the soul through the ceremony. Coupled with the content described in the book, one could understand the Ancient Language at the depth of the soul, integrating it, thereby completing the ascension.

Although Belvan had achieved quite a lot in recent days, much of it remained theoretical.

The Ascension Ceremony was, for now, just theoretically feasible. It was deduced by logic, but there were far too many things in reality that did not follow logic.

Therefore, to date, no one had ever attempted the Ascension Ceremony. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Belvan did not dare to let anyone try it lightly, even though his apprentices showed great interest. He disagreed with them ten thousand times.

"Teacher, how are your recent research findings?"

One day, Mura came to his study.

"Not bad, you know, just like before."

Belvan turned, took a sip of malt liquor.

"We... need more findings to present to my father."

Prince Mura said hesitantly.

"What’s wrong?"

As he spoke, Belvan added,

"I must remind you, research cannot be done in such a rush for results."

Prince Mura took a deep breath,

"But this is about the funds for future research.

You may not know, teacher, but recently a craftsman created the first Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine.

The results are simply astounding, and my father has decided to allocate more money to him, but... the treasury is depleted lately, as there are too many machines waiting to be made."

Belvan’s eyes widened,

"Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine... what in the world is that?"

Upon hearing these words, Prince Mura briefly explained that machinery to Belvan.

In short, the original hydraulic forging machine relied on turbulent rivers, waterfalls, and other sources capable of providing a substantial amount of hydraulic power, to hammer steel. The water pressure was applied to one piston and then transferred to another, thereby driving the forging hammer to strike the metal.

Its greatest advantage was in producing iron blocks of similar size and quality in a systematic manner, without being troubled by the varied skills of craftsmen.

In the past, these hydraulic forging machines could only be constructed in areas with abundant water sources and could not be widely distributed in the cities inhabited by Dwarves.

But now, inspired by the Mechanical Book brought by the Wood Stone Clan, steam technology has been applied to hydraulic forging machines, and it may not be long before Steam Hydraulic Forging Machines will be widespread throughout the Dwarf Kingdom.

After listening to Prince Mura’s description, Belvan couldn’t help but marvel,

"This is truly ahead of its time... and extremely practical.

I didn’t expect the world to change so much in such a short time."

Prince Mura nodded and said:

"Indeed it is.

However, Teacher, you feel the change is so vast largely because you remain uninvolved with worldly affairs.

You may not be aware, the Wood Stone Clan presented a Mechanical Book to my father. My father has summoned batch after batch of scholars and artisans to copy and study it. In a few years, the machinery existing in the Mechanical Book will come into existence, and even that which is not in the book will become reality."

Listenting to Prince Mura’s account, Belvan felt a bit dazed. Steam Hydraulic Forging Machines, the Mechanical Book, and his own Nameless Book as well as the path of divine creation, all these unprecedented things were suddenly springing up like mushrooms after the rain.

It was as if...

Some existence, with Its great power, was pushing humanity towards a new era.

"This is truly... astonishing..."

Belvan muttered to himself, feeling swept up in the current of the times.

After a moment, the Alchemist came back to his senses, putting aside all sorts of miscellaneous thoughts, and focused on the most pressing issue.

"Mura, in a couple of days, write up my findings into a manuscript and present it to your father. You must do your utmost to persuade your father.

I have now constructed a rough outline of the Ascension Ceremony. Just one or two years of refinement are needed before we can attempt the first ascension."

Belvan insisted with utmost seriousness.

Lacking funds, or having funds cut, would be a fatal blow to the research.

Hearing his teacher’s words, Mura replied with some excitement:

"Teacher, so you have already constructed a rough outline of the Ascension Ceremony. I will share this achievement with others, especially with Kagu. He has always been very concerned about it."

Facing the excited Mura, Belvan showed a kind smile and said:

"Kagu is indeed the most suited to share in this surprise."

..............

Two nights later, deep into the midnight hour.

Kagu, shrouded by the night, stealthily infiltrated the Palace, a layout he had come to navigate effortlessly over the years.

He adeptly avoided the patrolling guards cloaked in darkness and made his way across familiar corridors, heading towards the study of his mentor, Belvan.

Two days earlier, Kagu had learned from Mura that the Ascension Ceremony was nearing perfection.

The arrival of this news was like a thunderbolt to Kagu, who yearned for power.

After all these years, he had finally had the chance to grasp the strength he needed for vengeance.

Standing at the door of the study, Kagu carefully took out the key he had prepared well in advance, unlocked the door, and tiptoed into the study.

He reached the teacher’s desk, and after a thorough and quiet search, he finally found what he was looking for.

It was a series of manuscripts, a thick stack of them.

Kagu’s breathing quickened,

"The Path of the Traveler, it’s this."

He cautiously hid the entire stack of manuscripts on his person.

Faced with the two paths discovered by Belvan, Kagu made his choice.

To kill a demigod, he didn’t need power that fully matched that of a demigod.

He just needed... power enough to catch them off guard.

And between the Path of the Traveler and the Scholar’s Path, Kagu knew, having spent time around both, that the latter had almost no combat ability, whereas the former possessed certain skills suitable for assassination, theft, prying, and other such dirty deeds.

..............

It just so happened to be a Saturday when Belvan heard the swearing of the Dwarf Craftsmen while he was praying in the Temple.

Dwarves often do not stint in concealing their emotions, even within the solemn confines of the Temple. Although the dwarves would restrain themselves to an extent, when they couldn’t contain it any longer, they would still express their feelings.

"Those hammerheads, those water-powered hammerheads, are all inanimate objects!"

"They are lifeless, something even dogs would ignore! They have no soul!"

"Damn that Rogelio, curse that Rogelio! Hiris curse his whole family!"

A series of curses reverberated in the corner of the Temple, Belvan glanced over and saw a group of craftsmen chattering. As they talked, they became enraged and cursed someone named "Rogelio."

Belvan tried to recall, and he remembered that Rogelio seemed to be the inventor of the Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine.

The Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine had won the favor of King Kafu the Sixth and looked to have a very promising future. Why, then, would these craftsmen curse its inventor?

Belvan listened more carefully for a while until the Temple priests shooed the gossiping craftsmen away.

He came to understand the crux of the matter.

Apparently, these craftsmen saw a crisis in the Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine, a threat to their status.

In the past, nearly all the ironware, steel tools, and various metal products in the Dwarf Kingdom were hammered out by the dwarves, stroke by stroke. Now with the advent of the Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine, it would not be long before it supplanted their original place.

That’s why they were cursing so fervently.

Belvan shook his head; he understood the craftsmen’s thoughts and was also glad that he was not a craftsman but an Ancient Language Scholar. With his current research results, he might be somewhat like Rogelio, the inventor of the Steam Hydraulic Forging Machine.

He was also a pioneer of the times.

"Will there be a day... when I too am cursed so vehemently?"

Belvan murmured to himself,

"Let’s take one step at a time."

After praying, Belvan walked back to the Palace and returned to his study. He planned to review his previous works today and organize the recently written manuscripts.

It would have been fine not to organize them, but as soon as he did, Belvan’s expression turned rigid. He frowned deeply and searched everywhere, unbelieving.

"Where has the Path of the Traveler gone?!"

Belvan muttered continuously, searching everywhere but unable to find the manuscript of the Path of the Traveler Ascension Ceremony.

"Damn it, it must have been those servants carelessly entering my study!"

Belvan was so flustered that his face turned beet red and his beard trembled continuously.

Fortunately, the missing manuscript was recently written, and he still remembered its content and could rewrite it.

After searching for nearly an hour and still not finding it, Belvan, boiling with anger, threw open the door, charged out of the room, and, without distinction, scolded a servant on duty for a good while before returning to his study, ready to rewrite the manuscript.

.............

Kagu had already collected the materials required for the Ascension Ceremony.

According to the content left on the manuscripts by Belvan, the fundamental Ascension Ceremony didn’t require any particularly rare materials; their role was mainly supplementary.

Sitting in his own room, Kagu merely had to look up to see the corpses hanging from the ceiling.

They were his clansmen, their ghastly faces a constant reminder of that day’s utensils.

Kagu held a potion bottle in his hand, which he had concocted based on the content of the manuscripts.

He drew the ceremonial circle on the ground, took a deep breath, and with a sudden lift of his head, downed the potion in his hand, then slowly his pupils dilated, turning milky white.

When he opened his eyes again, all he could see was an azure Sea of Souls.

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