Chapter 24: Chapter 024 Ceremony
"WTF!"
Looking at the thing in his hand, Roger almost blurted out an expletive.
"Mysticism fragment?"
"Just this thing?"
He flipped and turned the object in his hands several times, then looked at Amanda with a puzzled face.
"Are you sure you didn't get it wrong?"
"Nope, what's wrong?"
Roger's face was indifferent regarding the question; he did not even want to answer it.
When he initially obtained the Soul Transference Book, even without opening it, solely by the special material of the book and the feel of its weight and antiquity, Roger could tell that this was no ordinary item.
When he truly opened the book, although he couldn't understand the text inside, for some reason, he could sense an odd rhythm between the lines.
Indescribable, yet mysteriously profound.
But what was this thing in front of him?
Scribbles made with a ballpoint pen.
And some dubious annotations.
Roger felt a sense of powerlessness; suddenly, he thought that if he showed some things from the Soul Transference Book to these guys and bluffed a bit, they would probably believe him if he told them that he was the reincarnation of a Spirit Child.
After all, the contents of the Soul Transference Book were genuine Mysticism knowledge.
"It's nothing."
Roger replied vaguely, "I've never seen this kind of thing before, it's indeed astounding to look at for the first time."
He laughed and gave a hearty chuckle, then passed the paper back to Amanda.
"Feeling surprised is the correct reaction."
Amanda nodded with an air of seriousness.
"Even I, who have studied Mysticism knowledge for so many years, was inevitably surprised when I first laid eyes on this fragment."
Amanda spoke with earnest, "Most people are skeptical about Mysticism, but I can tell you unequivocally, there are things in this world that science cannot explain."
"When I was little, I once..."
"Amanda!"
Just then, a shout came from afar, interrupting what Amanda was about to say next.
"Get ready; we're about to start!"
Betty shouted loudly.
"Come join us, let me show you the secrets of this world."
Amanda said to Roger.
"Uh... no need."
Roger waved his hand,
"I don't understand any of this, and I wouldn't want to disturb you if I just watched from aside." Knowing the authenticity, Roger naturally had no interest in partaking.
With just a brief glance, he could confirm that the things recorded on that paper were all fakes.
His own skills were limited, but he had a genuine Soul Transference Book in his hands.
Thinking about it, Kant had prepared so many things for that ritual: a specific time, complicated formations and spells, as well as the necessary triggers.
But what had Amanda and the others prepared?
A cow leg bone bought from a butcher's shop, crow feathers, and... a moldy loaf of bread?
There was nothing Roger could say about such a ritual.
Why would he join them, to see five young men and women awkwardly performing in a cave?
He wasn't that bored.
"Alright then."
Amanda didn't insist, and in fact, such a mystical ritual indeed wasn't convenient for others to watch; even if she had been willing, the others might not have agreed.
"I'll arrange a meal with Betty for you next time." Amanda smiled and patted Roger's shoulder. "I know you've had your eye on her for a while!"
Following that, she gestured to the others in the distance and turned to leave.
Roger sat in front of the temporary camp, shaking his head helplessly. Two important issues laid before him: the first was to find the new location of the Hunter's Cabin as soon as possible.
The second was to discover his true identity.
Various signs indicated there was a significant issue with his identity, and if there was a conspiracy behind all this, Roger, who knew nothing at the moment, was far too passive.
This was not a normal world after all!
On the other side, Amanda hurried to the entrance of the cave.
"He won't disturb us, will he?"
Simpson adjusted his glasses and asked in a soft voice.
"Don't worry, I've already talked to him."
"Having him there to guard will help us drive away the squirrels and rabbits in the mountains."
Amanda replied.
"Then let's get started."
Everyone nodded their heads, a look of eagerness showing on their faces, even Bob who had previously not been too interested in the matter displayed some curiosity.
There were too many legends and stories passed down among the people, and most were quite interested in such mysterious events after being exposed to them.
"Lucy, start a fire here."
"I'll draw the Array around the flames."
Simpson held what he called the mysticism's fragment in his hand, his expression solemn and he looked quite imposing.
The way the bonfire was constructed was special, with three pieces of charcoal as the base, offset by another three pieces on top, and so on and so forth, until a complete, rotating pile of fire was built.
Flames rose up.
Amanda and the others stood at five different positions, with Simpson holding a piece of Soft Fragrant Wood, he started from Amanda, went past Betty, Bob, Lucy, and finally drew it under his own feet.
The Array was completed in one go.
Simpson looked nervous until he finished drawing the Array, then a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"The most difficult part is done."
"Let's form the contract, and then recite the Spell."
He bit his finger and pressed it onto the fragment, then passed it down, with everyone else doing the same with their fingerprints.
They exchanged glances.
"Are you ready?"
Everyone nodded.
"Hear my call, ancient sleeper..."
Simpson threw his handful of salt into the flames, and the others followed suit, throwing their items into the fire that cast a strange and solemn light on everyone's faces.
Simpson's voice grew louder and more forceful, the other participants raising their hands, and as he shouted the final phrase, the fragments in their hands fell, fluttering into the flames.
Boom!
A single page ignited the flames, leaping up half a meter high, and as the fire consumed the paper, the text burned and twisted, peeling off.
And then new text appeared.
Strange, twisted fonts, intricate patterns, and five fingerprints congealed upon it!
Meanwhile, Roger, who was sitting idle in the distance, suddenly felt a burning pain in his chest; he pulled open his shirt to find the amulet he had obtained from the island clinging tightly to his skin, trembling uncontrollably!
"What's going on?"
Roger's face suddenly changed, and then it seemed he thought of something, he sprang up and dashed towards the distant cave at high speed!
"What have you done?"
As Roger burst into the cave, the trembling of the amulet reached its peak.
The group turned around, looking at Roger who had abruptly entered, with faces full of surprise.
"Stop it right now!"
Roger yelled loudly, stepping forward to pull Amanda away, then pushed past Betty.
"What are you doing?"
Simpson shouted angrily.
A crude Array, a mess of various offerings, Roger's face darkened, then his gaze sharpened as he noticed a nearly burned fragment of the page on the fire.
He saw the strange text on the fragment, and a faint triangular symbol in the corner!
"Three Holy Spirits?"
Without a moment to spare, Roger stepped forward and kicked it!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone