North Shore of Conquest, Truva.
Inside the inn, Dorothy sat in her seat, deep in thought about how to confront the Chalk-tier Stone Gargoyles. If the information obtained from Beverly was correct, then facing these guys alone wouldn't be easy, so she had to come up with a better plan.
'Tsk... The main issue is the tight schedule; there's not much time to prepare, otherwise things would be much easier...'
Dorothy thought to herself. If she had enough time, she could find a way to call for reinforcements. Right now, if either Vanya or Naifnis were here, things would be much simpler.
'Tight on time, short on hands, heavy on tasks. Things are a bit difficult...'
Dorothy rubbed her temples in frustration, then decided to put those thoughts aside for now and attend to other matters, starting with reading the few secret transmissions she bought today.
To be cautious, after discovering that the purchased secret transmissions had Beacon Sigils, Dorothy didn't read them immediately. She waited until the pursuers were dealt with and the general situation was clear before deciding to read these three secret transmissions and extract Spirituality from them.
Dorothy picked up a few old scrolls from the small table beside her seat. She had only torn off the back covers with the Beacon Sigils to set traps, keeping the three secret transmissions with her. Now, she planned to read all these secret transmissions and extract Spirituality. With sufficient Spirituality, she would be better equipped to fight against the Dark Gold Society.
Dorothy picked up the first secret transmission and began reading. Soon, she finished the first one.
...
The first secret transmission had no name. It was a notebook written by a tomb raider named Bralar after years of tomb raiding in North Africa. This notebook recorded his research into the structure and traps of various tombs in North Africa.
In these notes, Bralar summarized his years of tomb raiding experience, analyzed the architectural structures of various tombs in North Africa, and listed many examples. He specifically introduced some ancient tombs with deadly mechanisms, detailing the operating principles and Cracking method for engineering traps such as quicksand, falling rocks, trapdoors, crossbows, sealing walls, and so on, complete with hand-drawn illustrations, making it very detailed.
In short, this could be called a tomb raiding guide, the result of a tomb raider's extensive research in pursuit of treasure. This research focused heavily on ancient tomb mechanisms and was an engineering-based secret transmission. If a tomb raider could thoroughly read and apply it, they would be able to handle the various mechanisms within ancient tombs with relative ease.
Of course, Bralar, the author of the secret transmission, also stated in the secret transmission that being skilled at handling mechanisms does not mean one can freely enter the ancient tombs of North Wu. These ancient tombs contain not only mechanisms but also various dangerous undead, beasts, and curses, which are just as, if not more, dangerous than the mechanisms.
...
'Another tomb raider's notebook... Besides Grandpa Neff's family, there are also tomb raiders who like to keep records, not just roughnecks. They also like to do some research... That makes sense, people who don't like to think things through can't survive in a dangerous environment.'
After reading the first secret transmission, Dorothy thought to herself. She then extracted the Spirituality from this secret transmission, obtaining 3 points of "Stone" and 1 point of "enlightenment".
After extracting the Spirituality from the first secret transmission, Dorothy picked up the second secret transmission and began flipping through it. However, as soon as she opened the first page and finished reading the first paragraph on the page, her brows furrowed slightly.
The handwriting on this second secret transmission was actually the same as the first. Noticing this, Dorothy immediately began to carefully examine the second secret transmission and, as expected, found that the author of these two secret transmissions was the same person, the tomb raider Bralar.
'Both secret transmissions were written by the same person... Did I buy a set of books? This Bralar is quite diligent; he wrote two secret transmissions. This third one couldn't be written by him too, could it...'
Thinking this, Dorothy casually flipped through the third secret transmission. After flipping two pages, the handwriting she saw was indeed the same as the previous two. All three secret transmissions were written by the same person, all works of the tomb raider Bralar.
'Well, this is truly buying a complete set of works by the same author. It seems these three books were kept in one place. That's why when I asked for them, they just handed them all to me at once...'
Dorothy thought this, then put the third secret transmission she was holding back. She then began to carefully examine the second secret transmission first.
...
The author of this second secret transmission was naturally also the tomb raider Bralar, and this secret transmission was also a notebook he wrote, but it had many differences from the previous one.
Dorothy found that the writing time of this notebook seemed to be much later than the previous one. In this notebook, Bralar's handwriting was more neat, his vocabulary was more extensive, and his language was more appropriate and seasoned. Compared to the first one, his literary skill seemed much higher, which appeared to be the result of accumulated years. Bralar seemed older when he wrote this notebook. In terms of content, this notebook was not purely about researching tomb mechanisms but researching ancient architecture in North Wu.
Dorothy could see that in this second notebook, Bralar's key research point had changed. It was no longer just the mechanisms inside ancient tombs, but more about the architectural structure of the ancient tombs themselves, and even various buildings within different ruins in North Wu. The purpose of this research no longer seemed to be for treasure, but purely out of interest in these things.
Dorothy could clearly see that Bralar, who was originally a tomb raider, seemed to have gradually developed an interest in the ancient tombs themselves during the process of researching ancient tomb mechanisms. Then, his interest gradually expanded to the architecture of the entire ancient North Wu civilization. In his notebook, he constantly marveled at the astonishing creations of the ancient North Africa people. After witnessing various amazing engineering feats, he developed a great interest in the engineering and architecture of ancient North Africa civilization. This second notebook is the result of Bralar's research after traveling to various architectural ruins in North Wu.
...
'Damn... A tomb raider became a scholar through researching mechanisms, transitioning from researching ancient tomb mechanisms to researching ancient civilization architecture. This change is quite significant... Is this considered learning changing destiny...'
After finishing the second secret transmission, Dorothy thought to herself. After evaluating this tomb raider named Bralar with interest, she began to extract the Spirituality from the secret transmission.
From this second notebook, Dorothy obtained 4 points of "Stone" and 2 points of "enlightenment".
After extracting the Spirituality, Dorothy put the second secret transmission aside and picked up the third secret transmission, also by Bralar. After opening it and reading for a while, Dorothy's expression became increasingly solemn.
...
This third secret transmission notebook by Bralar seems to have been written many years after the second one. In this notebook, Bralar's writing is completely that of a scholar between the lines. It is difficult for people to imagine from the words of this notebook that its owner was once a tomb raider.
After an unknown number of years, Bralar, who wrote the third notebook, had become a pure scholar researching the ancient civilization of North Africa. Therefore, this third notebook is the one with the strongest academic flavor. What Dorothy didn't expect was that this secret transmission didn't just research ancient North Africa architecture.
Through this third secret transmission, Dorothy saw that Bralar, who seemed to have entered old age, had researched ancient North Africa architecture for half his life. In his later years, he seemed to have gained a very deep understanding of ancient North Africa engineering. In his old age, after in-depth research, Bralar turned his interest and conducted in-depth research into another field of knowledge that supported engineering: mathematics.
Yes, although this third secret transmission notebook superficially researches ancient North Africa engineering, engineering is actually just the entry point. What is truly researched in this third secret transmission is ancient North Africa mathematics.
In Plarar's records, he referred to the ancient Ufija civilization as the First Dynasty, and pointed out that the First Dynasty once possessed an extremely brilliant and glorious culture. This glory was not only reflected in the large number of magnificent ruins beneath their yellow sands, but also in the advanced engineering and even mathematics that enabled them to carry out such grand constructions.
Yes, according to Plarar's research, he found that the First Dynasty's achievements in mathematics were exceptionally high, even surpassing those of today's industrial age.
In Plarar's research summarizing his years of experience, he discovered that the First Dynasty possessed a mathematical system completely different from the present one. This system was so profound that Plarar could only barely decipher a portion of it. In the process of interpreting the First Dynasty's mathematical system, he also found that this unique mathematical system was closely related to the First Dynasty's beliefs; they called their mathematical system 'Holy Numbers'.
The religion of the First Dynasty was not fanatical or blind; on the contrary, it was rational, logical, and rigorous. The First Dynasty revered 'Holy Numbers,' believing them to be crucial tools for operating and structuring the world. They believed that by fully understanding the Holy Numbers, one could deconstruct the world and analyze all things, even deities.
Plarar wrote in the secret transmission that in the mythology of the First Dynasty, there is an account of the origin of the Holy Numbers. It is said that these were a gift from the deity, the Judge of Heaven, to the early people of the First Dynasty. The mythology of the First Dynasty contains the following description:
"Our ancestors were once mired in ignorance, eating raw flesh and blood, acting like beasts, until the heavenly light split the void and shattered the turbidity.
"The Judge of Heaven used the firmament as a curtain, lightning as a brush, and thunder as a voice to enlighten our ancestors. The lightning reflected in the sky was the first writing.
"And the Holy Numbers were the part taught first among all writings. The first peal of thunder also signified the number one among the Holy Numbers. All study of the Holy Numbers is also a prayer to the Judge of Heaven."
...
Sitting in her seat, Dorothy finished reading this third secret transmission notebook, having seen Plarar's research findings on the First Dynasty's mathematics. Her expression then turned thoughtful. At this moment, various thoughts were rapidly swirling in her mind. The content of this secret transmission truly surprised her.
'The First Dynasty, the Judge of Heaven... So the ancient Ufija civilization was called the First Dynasty, and this Judge of Heaven was the deity they worshipped. This so-called Judge of Heaven was also mentioned in the secret transmission from that mummy who cursed Neff's whole family.
'Looking at this, this Judge of Heaven should be a deity in the 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) domain. According to the First Dynasty's mythology, the Judge of Heaven gave enlightenment to human ancestors through lightning. The first writing, the first numbers, the first counting were all taught to humanity by the Judge of Heaven through the evolution of lightning on the sky curtain. This Judge of Heaven is both a thunder god, an enlightenment god, and a mathematics god. What else could it be but a God of 'Qi'?'
Dorothy thought this to herself. As it seemed now, this Judge of Heaven should be a deity closely related to her, and also the first God of 'Qi' she had come to know. Dorothy hadn't expected to learn about it in this former tomb raider's notebook.
'The First Dynasty... that should be from the Second Epoch, right? This means this Judge of Heaven is at least a deity from the Second Epoch, quite ancient. But it's likely fallen by now, I wonder how it fell...'
Looking at the secret transmission in her hand, Dorothy sighed like this. Just as she was about to extract Spirituality from this secret transmission, she suddenly realized something else and was troubled again, because it seemed she couldn't extract the ""Stone"" Spirituality she needed from this secret transmission.
'Speaking of which... this can't really be called a ""Stone"" secret transmission anymore, can it? Although this guy started by writing about ancient Ufija architecture, approaching it from an engineering perspective, the rest of the entire book is about mathematics, ancient mathematics from the First Dynasty from who knows how long ago. If the field of engineering can be considered ""Stone"", then mathematics is completely the domain of 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment). This third secret transmission isn't a ""Stone"" secret transmission, but a 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) one...'
Looking at the secret transmission before her, Dorothy thought with some vexation. This secret transmission seemed to have been directly classified as a ""Stone"" secret transmission by a classifier who didn't read the full text carefully, simply because its first two volumes were ""Stone"" secret transmissions and this one had a tiny bit of architectural engineering content at the beginning. Its essence should be an ""enlightenment"" secret transmission. This time, Dorothy had bought the wrong book.
If Dorothy were to extract Spirituality from this, she would gain a lot of ""enlightenment"" Spirituality. However, what Dorothy lacked least was ""enlightenment"". So, in her opinion, extracting Spirituality this time seemed like it would be a great loss, which is why she wasn't in a hurry to extract.
'Using this 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) secret transmission to extract Spirituality... it feels like it would be very uneconomical... Should I try exchanging it for knowledge from another world? But what kind of stuff could I exchange it for?'
Looking at the secret transmission in her hand, Dorothy thought confusedly for a moment. Generally speaking, the knowledge she exchanged for had a connection. And she didn't know what kind of things this secret transmission, which recorded mathematics and a little thunder god mythology, could be exchanged for. In the past, she had used a lot of knowledge she read in the library to exchange, but most of the knowledge she got back was useless.
"Tsk... Mathematics... Thunder god mythology... What kind of knowledge could a secret transmission with this combination be exchanged for?"
Touching her chin, Dorothy pondered. And after a while, a flash of inspiration struck her mind.
'Right, when I helped Natsuki before, didn't I exchange for knowledge from that world? Regarding numbers and lightning... isn't there a brilliant piece of knowledge there? It would be great if I could exchange for her knowledge. I just happen to lack methods to deal with that group of black merchants.'
Tapping her palm, Dorothy thought this to herself. At this moment, an idea of performing a targeted knowledge exchange sprouted in her mind. She wanted to purposefully exchange for a specific piece of knowledge.
'To exchange for a certain piece of knowledge... I must increase the relevance between the knowledge I have and that knowledge. The current relevance is probably not enough, I can manually add some more.'
Dorothy thought this, and immediately took action, adding content to the secret transmission that served as her bargaining chip in her mind.
Plarar's third secret transmission primarily contained the mathematical knowledge of the First Dynasty, with secondary content being the thunder god mythology as the source of this mathematical knowledge and the engineering content applying this knowledge.
What Dorothy had to do now was to learn the mathematical knowledge within it, and then try to use this mathematical knowledge to analyze her ability to control lightning. That is to say, she tried to understand from a mathematical perspective how she discharged electricity, and how to discharge it well and accurately. After a while, Dorothy summarized her experience with her electrical discharge ability from a mathematical perspective, and then added this experience to Plarar's original secret transmission, making it part of the application of the First Dynasty's mathematics. Then Dorothy specifically removed the engineering content that served as an introduction.
The secret transmission that Dorothy had now organized and adapted in her mind was primarily a secret transmission of mathematical knowledge. Besides mathematical knowledge, the secret transmission also contained knowledge of controlling lightning and discharging electricity interpreted and calculated with mathematics, as well as a small amount of thunder god mythology.
'Mathematics, calculation, electrical discharge... Okay, these elements should be enough. With this secret transmission as a bargaining chip, I should be able to exchange for the knowledge I want.'
'In the previous exchange, I also connected with that world, so I should be able to exchange for other knowledge from that world as well. With the elements gathered so completely, it shouldn't go wrong, right...'
'No ten-pull, only one draw. Come on, single draw for a miracle!'
Like drawing cards in a mobile game, Dorothy began a new exchange.