Carol's words sparked countless associations in Ciles' mind.
He didn't rush to ask questions, but simply looked at Carol, pondering the definition of an enlightener, and waiting for Carol to provide more information.
However, Miss Clayton didn't have his patience. After hearing Carroll's words, she immediately blurted out a question: "Reproduce?!"
"That's right, Miss Clayton." Carroll smiled and snapped her fingers. "All our power comes from events that happened in the past."
He could tell from the looks in the eyes of the people present that they had not understood what he was saying at all.
So he gave an example: "Simply put, say three hundred years ago, someone killed a person with a machete. Three hundred years later, you learn about this and obtain some related items—for example, this machete."
"Then, with the help of the potion, you can use this same cleaver to try and kill someone. This is the process of reenactment. Once you successfully reenact it, you can use the 'strength' of the previous killer."
"This is equivalent to enhancing your physique and strength. It also makes it much easier for you to kill someone."
"This is the simplest way to use it. Of course, I don't want you to become the Revelation only to kill your enemies. Killing them is not the solution."
Carroll smiled and said he was pleased to see everyone nodding thoughtfully.
He gave another example: "Take this book you're looking at now, for instance. Why can I shrink it?"
The boy, who was very young, probably only sixteen or seventeen, asked eagerly, "Why?"
Carroll carefully took a small, yellowed piece of paper from his pocket and said, "This book, which we call 'The Box of Knowledge,' was originally kept in the church. What I'm showing you now is just a copy from the church."
"And this piece of paper is one of the earliest pieces of paper used in the process of making, writing on, and shaping the 'Box of Knowledge'. This is the Time Track."
"The so-called time track is the trajectory of time. To be specific, it could be like that murderous machete, or a piece of paper from the past. There are other things as well, but I won't go into detail here."
"...Speaking of which, does anyone understand why I can shrink books?"
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
The old woman spoke slowly, in her aged voice: "That's not shrinking...that's...rewinding."
"That's right!" Carol nodded approvingly. "This little piece of paper was torn from the earliest knowledge box. Back then, the knowledge box was just a small booklet, not nearly as thick and heavy as it is now."
"As long as I reproduce things related to 'folding' and 'writing,' the power of the ritual acts on the knowledge box itself, which can allow the knowledge box to revert to its earlier form."
"And once this power is disconnected, the knowledge box will return to its current state."
As he spoke, Carroll took out paper and a pen from a drawer and made a dot of ink on each side of the paper. Then, he folded the paper in half so that the two dots overlapped.
"This is the power of the Revelation! We can fold spacetime and allow the old powers to reappear at this point in time!"
Miss Clayton's eyes lit up, and she quickly asked, "Can any past be recreated?"
Carol smiled and explained, "The power of the Revelation comes from three parts: potions, timelines, and rituals. The specific process of making potions is quite complicated, so I won't explain it now."
"In short, potions are the keys to unlocking the power of time. In comparison, this is the power that allows a blank sheet of paper to be folded. After taking a potion, we can use the power of rituals freely and 'safely' for a period of time."
"The Time Track, as I said, is something from the past, a trajectory of time. It is a locator that leverages the power of time. Without the existence of the Time Track, you cannot be certain what power you are trying to reproduce during a ritual."
"Ritual is the process of 'reproduction'. If you want to use the power of the past, you must know what happened in the past and reproduce it."
"If you want to use that murderous knife, then you have to kill someone; if you want to recreate the past appearance of the knowledge box, then you have to recreate the process of making it in the first place."
"...So, does everyone realize the prerequisites for everything before the Revelation performs the ritual?"
All six newly appointed Revelationists remained silent.
They failed to recognize the so-called "premise" because, according to Carroll, everything seemed to happen so naturally.
Taking the potion, using the timeline, performing the ritual… and then, the power of the past reappears in this world. Those traces of the past that had vanished into the river of time see the light of day again.
What are the prerequisites?
Suddenly, after entering room 666 and only introducing himself, Celes said, "Only if you know what happened in the past."
Carol immediately laughed twice, praising Ciles's keenness and wisdom, then put on a serious face and said, "Yes, you must make sure that when you use each ritual, you are fully aware of what happened in the past."
"Because I know the complete process and steps involved in making the knowledge box, I can trace it back to its original form. For you, even if you get this little piece of paper, you can't change the appearance of the knowledge box."
"If it's not clear or specific enough, then don't use that ritual—and don't use timelines from unknown sources. These are very dangerous things."
The others then realized what was going on.
Power is magical and mighty, but it is also dangerous and mysterious.
No one can know for sure whether the past, hidden in the mists of history, is exactly as they know it to be.
When facing or using power, they must remain cautious and calm.
Carol goes a little further on this issue, telling several stories about the inappropriate use of timelines and rituals, mostly from beginners. Their fates are not so friendly; some die, some are maimed, and some lose their minds.
This startled everyone present, and they couldn't help but show serious and solemn expressions.
Only Cyrus remained calm and indifferent.
He suddenly understood why he was able to get that business card.
His ability to discover the existence of Grenfell's Antique Bookstore first and foremost proves his potential to become a Revelation Being. That bookstore might be similar to the space behind the doors of the Historical Society, something only a Revelation Being could discover.
Under these circumstances, his conversation with Grenfell in the bookstore seemed somewhat like talking to a brick wall. The people who entered that bookstore were probably all enlightened beings, but Cyrus knew nothing about it.
Grenfell probably realized this as well.
When Cyrus mentioned his research on Silent Period literature, Grenfell decided to give him this business card so that he—at least—would understand the dangers involved.
Studying the literature of the Silent Era inevitably leads to encountering traces of the past, including original manuscripts and handwritten notes from different periods, which are clearly a kind of cultural relic—a record of time.
Ciles possesses the qualities of a revealer, but lacks the knowledge and abilities of one. He might "reproduce" the rituals corresponding to the timeline at any time, gaining uncontrollable power.
When Carol mentioned potions earlier, she said that the purpose of potions was to allow the Reveler to use his power freely and "safely" for a period of time.
Safety?
Why emphasize this point?
This is likely because, even without taking a potion, it's possible—and correspondingly dangerous—to use the power of time. Furthermore, according to Carol, even with a potion, trouble can still occur without understanding the specific meaning of timelines and rituals.
Uncontrolled forces can pose a great danger.
Ciles organized his thoughts and finally became convinced that there was nothing wrong with them.
He couldn't help but feel a little fortunate, fortunate that he hadn't come into contact with any dangerous timelines since coming to this world, and that he had learned of the existence of the Revelation before actually coming into contact with them.
On the other hand, after telling several stories that terrified everyone present, Carol finally calmed down a bit, satisfied: "Of course, you don't need to worry too much."
"Time tracks are indeed dangerous, which is why we must learn to use and control them."
"Would we encounter such dangers in our daily lives?" Miss Clayton couldn't help but ask. "And if we did..."
"Oh, then hurry and go to the Church of the Past, or the Historical Society, for help," Carroll said. "Many things…" he used some vague words, "are for us—and you in the future—to solve."
These words suddenly carried a heavy weight for the few native residents of Ramifa present.
As Carol spoke, she casually folded the yellowed piece of paper in her hand twice and tossed it onto the heavy knowledge box. A pale blue halo then spread out, and when the light faded, the knowledge box returned to its original form as an ordinary booklet.
Everyone gasped in amazement. It was the first time they had ever witnessed such a ceremony, and it broadened their horizons.
Carol said, "Alright, that's about it for today. Next time you come here, you'll be able to access some relatively safe rituals, which is the true beginning of the Revelation."
"When is the next time?" Miss Clayton asked eagerly.
"We can meet here every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 2 PM. The next time is the day after tomorrow." Carol nodded with a smile. "The doorknob has memorized your names, so you can enter room 666 at any time."
After thinking for a moment, Carol added, "I don't recommend that you make contact with those Revelationists outside before trying the real ritual. A considerable number of them are... opportunists."
Carol didn't elaborate on the matter, simply nodding and clapping her hands: "Alright, Revelation Creators. What is about to unfold before you is the door to knowledge and time. But caution and thoroughness are the things we should remember most when stepping through this door."
Several people present echoed this sentiment.
"Well then, see you on Wednesday," Carol said, and as everyone stood up to leave, he added, "Before you leave, please sign this agreement. It states that you must not proactively disclose any information related to the Revelation to ordinary people."
He took out a parchment that looked more ancient and whose writing was entirely handwritten.
The appearance of this agreement was unsurprising, and its content was quite simple. Some hesitated for a moment, but in the end, everyone signed it. The names and handwriting of the six people lingered on the parchment for a moment, and then disappeared.
Carroll, perhaps sensing the discontent in some people's hearts, added, "Using power safely has always been our pursuit. You will learn more about the secrets of the Revelation later."
Soon, the group dispersed.
As he stepped out of the room, Ciles heard the dice in his mind spin softly, but no judgment was made; instead, a prompt was given.
[Spirituality +1. Knowledge +1.]
This caused Ciles to pause slightly, but he continued walking without changing his expression.
He still hadn't found a way to communicate with the die... He wondered if it was related to his initiation into the Revelation.
Sirius intended to exchange a few words with Carol, but noticing that Carol had no intention of staying, he decided to give up for the time being. He inadvertently ended up with Miss Clayton.
"What a mysterious power," Miss Clayton exclaimed. "Perhaps this world is just so mysterious and magnificent."
Ciles politely agreed.
Miss Clayton added, "I never knew before that such a power was hidden in our world."
"I had no idea either, Miss Clayton."
Miss Clayton said, "You can call me Angela. We'll be classmates from now on, won't we?" The young lady blinked. "I feel you must be an excellent facilitator."
Ciles smiled slightly but said nothing. He was truly a man of few words, indifferent and calm.
On the second floor, Sirius bid farewell to Miss Clayton and then went to retrieve his belongings. By the time he left the History Society, the entrance was already deserted.
A fine drizzle began to fall again in the gloomy air. All around were congested traffic and bustling crowds. Ciles felt as if he had suddenly returned to the real world.
He glanced at his pocket watch and saw that it was almost four o'clock. By the time he got back to 13 Milford Street, it would probably be past five.
Ciles sighed almost imperceptibly.
The public carriage arrived, and Ciles, clutching the stack of manuscripts in his arms, boarded it. As he expected, after a bumpy ride of more than an hour, he finally returned to Milford Street.
The rain intensified.
Ciles bought a small piece of nut bread and a bottle of goat's milk from the bakery at Logan Market for dinner. He had to return the glass bottle that contained the goat's milk after he finished drinking it, so he had to register his address at the bakery.
However, he had planned to go to Logan Market tomorrow to buy some necessities.
Afterwards, Ciles hurried back with his hair still wet, thankful that his rented apartment provided hot water. A fleeting thought crossed his mind as he pondered what kind of energy this world used.
...It doesn't seem to be like Earth, made of things like coal or steam. Mechanical structures are present, but air pollution isn't as severe.
Having spent the day traveling and gaining much knowledge, Ciles was starving and only thought of putting the manuscript back in his room before going out to find food.
However, just as he was walking up the stairs to the second floor, someone came out of the room opposite his.