5. A Chance Encounter

Carol’s words sparked countless associations in Siles’s mind.

He didn’t rush to ask questions, instead observing Carol, pondering the definition of a Revelator and waiting for more information.

Miss Clayton, however, lacked such patience. Upon hearing Carol’s words, she immediately blurted out, “Recreate?!”

“Exactly, Miss Clayton.” Carol snapped his fingers with a smile. “All our power comes from events that occurred in past times.”

From the gazes of those present, he could tell they hadn’t fully grasped his words.

So, he gave an example: “Simply put, say three hundred years ago, someone used a cleaver to kill a person. Three hundred years later, you learn of this event and obtain a related item—say, that cleaver.

“Then, with the power of a potion, you can use that cleaver to attempt a killing. That’s the process of recreation. If you successfully recreate it, you can borrow the ‘strength’ of that previous killer.

“This effectively enhances your constitution and strength, making it easier for you to kill.

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“Mbkp kp vbl pkxrzlpv yrrzknyvksd. Xq nswapl, R esd’v bsrl vbyv yqvla clnsxkdt Slhlzyvsap, usw’e wpl vbkp fwpv vs jkzz uswa ldlxklp. Myjkdt zkhlp kpd’v vbl oyu vs pszhl rasczlxp.”

Uyasz pyke okvb y pxkzl, rzlyple vs pll lhlausdl dseekdt vbswtbvqwzzu.

Tl sqqlale ydsvbla lmyxrzl: “Myjl vbkp cssj usw pll dso. Ebu nyd R pbakdj kv?”

Mbl uswdt csu, zkjlzu sdzu pkmvlld sa plhldvlld, lytlazu ypjle, “Ebu?”

Uyasz nyalqwzzu rwzzle y pxyzz rklnl sq ulzzsole ryrla qasx bkp rsnjlv yde pyke, “Mbkp cssj, ol nyzz kv vbl ‘Jsm sq Idsozletl.’ Mbl saktkdyz yde qkapv lekvksd yal jlrv cu vbl Ubwanb sq vbl Vypv, obkzl obyv R byhl blal kp xlalzu y nsru qasx vbl Fsnklvu.

“Gde vbkp rklnl sq ryrla kp ryav sq vbl lyazklpv ryrla wple kd vbl nalyvksd, oakvkdt, yde qsaxyvksd sq vbl Jsm sq Idsozletl. Mbkp kp y vkxl vaynj.

“G vkxl vaynj kp vbl vayflnvsau sq vkxl, prlnkqknyzzu vkle vs yd scflnv—zkjl vbyv xwaelaswp nzlyhla sa vbkp rklnl sq ryrla qasx vbl rypv. Mblal yal svbla vbkdtp, cwv R osd’v ts kdvs vblx blal.

“…Fs, nyd ydusdl wdelapvyde obu R nyd pbakdj vbl cssj?”

The group exchanged glances.

The elderly woman, with her aged voice, said slowly, “It’s not shrinking… it’s reverting.”

“Exactly!” Carol nodded approvingly. “This small piece of paper was torn from the earliest Box of Knowledge. Back then, the Box of Knowledge was just a small booklet, far less bulky than it is now.

“As long as I recreate the ‘folding’ or ‘writing’ related to it, the ritual’s power acts on the Box of Knowledge itself, allowing it to revert to its earlier form.

“And once that power is severed, the Box of Knowledge returns to its current state.”

With that, Carol took a piece of paper and a pen from a nearby drawer, marking an ink dot on each side of the paper. He then folded it, aligning the two dots.

“This is the power of a Revelator! We can fold time and space, allowing old powers to be recreated at this moment in time!”

Miss Clayton’s eyes sparkled with excitement. She hurriedly asked, “Can any past be recreated?”

Carol smiled and explained, “A Revelator’s power comes from three components: potion, time track, and ritual. The process of making potions is complex, so I won’t explain it now.

“In short, a potion is the key to unlocking the power of time. It’s like the force that allows this paper to be folded. After taking a potion, we can freely and ‘safely’ use the power of rituals for a period.

“A time track, as I mentioned, is an object from the past, a trajectory of time. It’s the locator for unlocking time’s power. Without a time track, during a ritual, you can’t determine what power you’re trying to recreate.

“The ritual is the process of ‘recreation.’ If you want to borrow a past power, you must know what happened in the past and reenact it.

“To borrow the power of that murderous cleaver, you must attempt a killing. To revert the Box of Knowledge to its past form, you must recreate the process of its creation.

“…So, does everyone realize the prerequisite for a Revelator to perform a ritual?”

The six new Revelators remained silent.

They couldn’t grasp the “prerequisite,” as in Carol’s explanation, everything seemed to happen so naturally.

Take a potion, use a time track, perform a ritual… and then, past powers reappear in this world. Traces long lost in the river of time resurface in that moment.

What prerequisite could there be?

Suddenly, Siles, who had only introduced his name since entering Room 666, spoke up: “The prerequisite is that you must know what exactly happened in the past.”

Carol burst into laughter, praising Siles’s sharpness and wit, then said seriously, “Yes, you must ensure that when you use any ritual, you are fully aware of what happened in the past.

“Because I know the complete process and steps of creating the Box of Knowledge, I can revert it to its original form. For you, even with this small piece of paper, you couldn’t alter the Box of Knowledge’s form.

“If you’re not clear enough, not precise enough, then don’t use that ritual—and don’t use a time track of unknown origin. These are extremely dangerous.”

The others suddenly understood.

The power was wondrous, potent, but also dangerous and mysterious.

No one could be certain whether the past, hidden in the mists of history, was exactly as they knew it.

When facing and using this power, they had to remain cautious and composed.

Carol elaborated further, sharing stories of improper use of time tracks and rituals, mostly involving novices. Their outcomes were grim—some died, some were injured, some lost their sanity.

This frightened the group, prompting serious and solemn expressions.

Only Siles remained calm and detached.

He suddenly understood why he had received that business card.

His ability to discover Glenfiel’s Antique Bookstore proved he had the potential to become a Revelator. That bookstore was likely akin to the space behind the Historical Society’s door, visible only to Revelators.

Under this premise, his conversation with Glenfiel in the bookstore seemed like a case of talking past each other. Those who entered the bookstore were likely all Revelators, but Siles knew nothing.

Glenfiel probably realized this.

When Siles mentioned studying Silent Era literature, Glenfiel decided to give him the card, likely to ensure he understood the dangers involved.

Studying Silent Era literature inevitably involved contact with traces of the past, such as original manuscripts or documents—clearly artifacts, time tracks.

Siles had the potential to be a Revelator but lacked the knowledge or ability. He might unwittingly “recreate” a ritual tied to a time track, gaining uncontrolled power.

When Carol mentioned potions earlier, he noted their purpose was to allow Revelators to use power freely and “safely” for a time.

Safely?

Why emphasize that?

Likely because, even without a potion, it was possible—dangerously so—to use the power of time. And according to Carol, even with a potion, using a time track or ritual without clear understanding could still lead to disaster.

Uncontrolled power posed immense danger.

Siles organized his thoughts, confident his reasoning was sound.

He felt a touch of relief, grateful that since arriving in this world, he hadn’t encountered dangerous time tracks and had learned of the Revelators before doing so.

Meanwhile, after scaring the group pale with several stories, Carol finally reined himself in, satisfied. “Of course, you don’t need to be overly anxious.

“Time tracks are indeed dangerous, which is why we learn to use and control them.”

“Could we encounter such dangers in daily life?” Miss Clayton couldn’t help but ask. “If we do…”

“Oh, then head to the Church of the Past or the Historical Society for help immediately,” Carol said. “Many matters…” he used vague terms, “are handled by us—and in the future, by you.”

His words suddenly weighed heavily on the native Lamifa City residents present.

As he spoke, Carol folded the yellowed piece of paper twice and tossed it onto the hefty Box of Knowledge. A faint blue halo spread out, and when the light faded, the Box of Knowledge reverted to its initial small booklet form.

The group gasped in awe. Witnessing a ritual for the first time was eye-opening.

Carol said, “Alright, that’s about it for today. Next time you come, you’ll engage with relatively safe rituals—that’s the true entry to being a Revelator.”

“When’s the next time?” Miss Clayton asked eagerly.

“Every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at two in the afternoon, we can meet here. The next time is the day after tomorrow,” Carol said with a nod. “The door handle has memorized you; you can enter Room 666 anytime.”

After a moment’s thought, Carol added, “Before attempting real rituals, I don’t recommend interacting with the Revelators out there. Many of them are… speculators.”

He didn’t elaborate further, nodding and clapping his hands. “Alright, Revelators. Before you lies the gate of knowledge and time. But caution and thoroughness are what we must remember most when stepping through it.”

The group echoed in agreement.

“Then, see you Wednesday,” Carol said. As everyone stood to leave, he added, “Before you go, please sign this agreement. It states you must not actively disclose any information about Revelators to ordinary people.”

He produced a parchment, even more ancient in appearance, with handwritten text.

The agreement was unsurprising and straightforward. Some hesitated, but all six eventually signed. Their names and handwriting lingered on the parchment briefly before vanishing.

Carol, sensing some dissatisfaction, added, “Using power safely is our consistent pursuit. You’ll learn more of the Revelators’ secrets in time.”

Soon, the group dispersed.

As Siles stepped out of the room, he heard the dice in his mind roll softly, but no check occurred. Instead, a prompt sounded.

【Spirituality +1. Knowledge +1.】

This made Siles pause briefly, then continue 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 as a Revelator.

Siles intended to speak more with Carol, but noticing Carol’s lack of intent to linger, he decided to let it go for now. He inadvertently ended up walking with Miss Clayton.

“What mysterious power,” Miss Clayton said with a sigh. “Perhaps this world is just so mysterious and magnificent.”

Siles politely agreed.

Miss Clayton added, “I never knew our world hid such powers.”

“Nor did I, Miss Clayton.”

Miss Clayton said, “You can call me Angela. We’re classmates now, aren’t we?” The young lady winked. “I feel you’ll surely be an outstanding Revelator.”

Siles gave a faint smile but said nothing. He was truly a reserved, quiet man.

On the second floor, Siles bid farewell to Miss Clayton and retrieved his belongings. By the time he left the Historical Society, the entrance was already a scene of quiet desolation.

Fine raindrops began to fall again in the overcast air. The surroundings were filled with bustling traffic and lively crowds. Siles felt as though he had abruptly returned to the real world.

He opened his pocket watch and saw it was nearly four o’clock. By the time he returned to 13 Milford Street, it would likely be past five.

Siles sighed imperceptibly.

The public carriage arrived, and Siles shielded the stack of manuscripts in his arms before boarding. As expected, after a bumpy hour-plus journey, he returned to Milford Street.

The rain grew heavier.

At Logan Market’s bakery, Siles bought a small piece of nut bread and a bottle of goat’s milk for dinner. The glass bottle for the milk had to be returned after drinking, requiring him to register his address at the bakery.

He was already planning to visit Logan Market tomorrow to buy some daily necessities.

Then, with wet hair, Siles hurried back, grateful that his rented apartment provided hot water. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, wondering what energy source this world used.

…It didn’t seem to be coal or steam, like on Earth. Mechanical structures existed, but the air wasn’t heavily polluted.

After a day of running around and gaining much knowledge, Siles was famished, eager to place his manuscripts in his room and then go out for food.

But just as he climbed the second-floor stairs, someone emerged from the room across from his.