The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 278: The Knight Scroll (2)

Chapter 278: The Knight Scroll (2)

Hex absorbed the information like a sponge. It was a lot yet it was also a little.

The knowledge in the general section could put the archives of information traders to shame. The baron gave Hex access to intelligence few had. Each subsection had something that shook his mind.

Stages were missing from the human system. This asymmetry in progression stages stood out but he didn’t dwell too long on that. He still had some way to go before it became relevant for him. What shocked him was the fact that there were quite several Sinners and Taboos in the world. He didn’t expect so many.

’The information about the Ages is interesting. There is no mention of the Sixth Age. I assume we are still in the Fifth Age then.’

Hex used to believe that Heaven existed since the beginning. Perhaps it did. The Scroll spoke about its awakening. It either was in slumber or not mature enough before the Fifth Age.

Eager to learn more, Hex dove back into the Scroll. The many gaps left him confused and frustrated. He suppressed those feelings though. It wouldn’t help. Only time and continuing to step forward would solve the issue. He knew time was running out.

Within one year, the Divine Lord and Heaven appeared in the world. Was the Sixth Age around the corner? He didn’t know. What he did know was that he wouldn’t be able to hide. He was entangled with both. He never forgot he, or rather his body was prepared as the Vessel of the Divine Lord. With the Stone Heart inside him, he believed he would sooner or later have to survive against Him.

As far as Heaven went, it existed within Althea. Or Althea was Heaven. He didn’t know if there was a difference. Even if there is a difference, would it matter? To free the baron from the Vault, he would have to face Heaven, or Althea, or Fate, or whatever other identity it or she had.

He browsed through the categories of Element cultivation and Element control. Both categories focused on the elements and how to increase their effect and control over them. A Refined Knight mastered an Element but it didn’t mean all its secrets were unraveled.

The mastery implied he could mold and use the respective element as he wished but to a certain extent. According to the Scroll, there was a stage above mastery, known as Law. The Law stage had three substages: Sensing, Understanding, and Unity.

Only those who ascended to the Transformed Stage or beyond that could reach the Law Stage. Hex read this in one of the smaller notes below the summary of Element cultivation.

Element mastery and gaining an element circle is the maximum a mortal can reach. The mortal soul is too weak to learn about Laws. In fact, if someone below the Transformed Stage somehow managed to Sense the Laws, it would spell that person’s doom. His or her soul would crumble, erasing it for all eternity.

Only those who survived the Transformation of their souls have the strength to Sense. There was also the issue of limited lifespans. It takes decades to Sense the tiniest fragment of Laws. A mortal soul was able to remain a century or two at most in the world.

Only a Heaven Chosen would stand a chance to complete the Sense stage in that time frame. Others would perish before they could finish their Sensing.

The Transformation of the three: body, soul, and energy, transcends a soul from the mortal to the immortal realm. They don’t gain eternity but longevity. In the old days, those who reached this realm were known as demigods. Those in this realm could easily live for five to seven centuries. And those were only at the Transformation Stage.

Hex felt his breath quicken at this passage. He never considered his mortality. He disliked the idea of dying before reaching his goal, yes, but he didn’t think about the time left to live. Perhaps it had to do with his youth. Even then, learning that with one more ascension, he would gain centuries of lifespan excited him.

’Centuries to live but these morons pursue death with so much passion,’ Hex scowled when he thought about the Divine Lord and Heaven. Why couldn’t they just wine and dine, enjoy life, and let him live in peace?

He didn’t sense the passage of time as he perused the Scroll. The Element control section taught the various ways to control and train with Elements. He scanned quickly through them. He was happy to see the Baron included tips for several Elements.

Due to his special circumstances, he could absorb and train in all the elements. Hex planned to do so with as many as there was a chance for. He skipped the rest and went straight to the section with Ice and Space elements.

With two completed element circles, he would be a fool not to prioritize improving his control over them. Hex knew that he gained those two more due to luck than ability. And even then, his control over Space was basic at best.

He studied the tips about these two elements with great focus. With the upcoming trouble, he expected the Space element to give him an advantage. Lord Red Hare didn’t sense his Space element circle. During their meeting, it had been empty and Hex didn’t know how to hide it.

’One of these topics is on charging the Space element, even without a crystal containing it. According to it, Space and Time are the building blocks of the world. It can be accessed from everywhere. But it also warns that even a minute mistake could be fatal.’

With the tips and advice, he could charge and hide the fluctuations of his circles. Through the open window, Hex heard the people in the castle start to wake up. It was still dark but most people moved at the first ray of the sun.

There were still two categories he had to check: Techniques and Methods.

’The other team should have returned by now. I am sure Sterling will rest before he bursts into my room. I still have the energy to finish those two categories. As long as I don’t delve too deep into them, I can finish them on time.’

The door could be locked. But Hex knew even a slight clue would alert someone as smart as Sterling. And he didn’t wish to do that.

Hex was about to move to the category of Techniques when his eyes fell on a block of text. This block was scribbled on the page. It almost seemed to have been added at the last moment.

Remember, choose the sequence of Elements with care. The more circles you create, the harder the next one will become. And even if you can gain all of them, don’t create opposing ones next to each other. Best case, they will weaken each other. Worst case, you won’t exist anymore.

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