chapter 31 gate and sorcery 2
Rechal :[I suppose, in any way, a Gate and Sorcery can be summed up as a contract,] Rechal's voice echoed within Fighter's consciousness, clinical and rhythmic.
Rechal: [Think of the Gate as the parchment—the medium—and Sorcery as the contract itself. You use your Gate to forge a pact with your higher Path of Stories or other entities. To borrow power from these higher planes is what we call Sorcery, or more precisely, a Lower Sorcery.]
Fighter leaned forward, his focus sharpening. The conceptual layout Rechal was painting felt like a map to a world he had only peered at through a keyhole.
[Sorcery is split into two lineages,] Rechal continued.
Rechal :[First, Life Sorcery. This is the domain of the Society, the Devar Sect, and those Radiant Covenant zealots. Even your own ability, Blessing of the Worms, falls under this category. Then, there is Death Sorcery. Despite the name, it is the sorcery of natural elements—fire, water, air, earth. It is the raw, unblinking energy of the world. Ok?]
Fighter : "So, what type of Sorcery will you teach me?" Fighter asked, his mind racing. "And do you have a manual? Something equal to the system manual to help me open my Gate?"
Internally, Fighter's thoughts grew heavy. I don't think Mr. Doll would be irresponsible enough to leave me with Rechal's flaws without providing a countermeasure. He has to know how vital a Gate is for a Story Bearer. Without it, I can't complete the ritual. Death would be the only thing waiting for me. I need a manual—a high-level one. If the foundation is weak, my future growth will stall.
Rechal's response was immediate.
Rechal:[I was coming to that point. I will teach you Death Sorcery; your first trial is centered around it. Mr. Doll was very specific: never touch Life Sorcery. Ok?]
Fighter sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, observing the shifting mental images Rechal projected into his mind.
[A Gate is a temporary bridge between you and the Path of Stories,]Rechal explained.
Rechal :[By sacrificing your Ethos or offering a tribute through your Gate, you can manifest the power of that Path for a limited duration. By using this logic, you can command Death Sorcery... Ok?]
Fighter : "What are you waiting for?" Fighter burst out, his patience snapping under the weight of his excitement. "Start the trial! Fast, fast... I want to use magic!"
His eyes were bright, his hands shaking with a kinetic energy he couldn't contain. He looked less like a warrior and more like an exhilarated child at a carnival, reaching for a prize just out of grasp.
[You don't even have a Gate yet,]Rechal said, her voice delivering a cold reality check.
Rechal: [You have to open the door before you can walk through it. And for now... your time is over. Ok?]
The air in the room suddenly grew heavy, the temperature plunging. Without warning, a weight slammed into Fighter's lap.
It was a tome of such macabre construction that Fighter instinctively recoiled. The binding was made of unmistakable human skin—pale, porous, and terrifyingly fresh. At intervals, the book seemed to pulse with a faint, rhythmic heartbeat; at others, it felt as cold and stagnant as a corpse. Most unsettling was the dark, viscous blood that seeped from the edges of the cover, staining Fighter's hands.
It looked less like a book and more like an organ harvested from a nightmare.
Etched into the skin of the cover in jagged, dark lettering was the title:[ Empty Heaven Dissipating Sky Manual Sculpture ]
Fighter stared at the bleeding manual. The path to power had just taken a very dark turn.
Ding, Ding, Ding
[You have receive your fast trial ]
[ host has approved the trial ]