"Correct." The Butcher sat down and calmly said, "During the Dark Era of the Third Epoch, the sun extinguished, the entire world fell, and humans were the sole survivors."
"There are some things you can't know for now because you're too weak."
"Just knowing all this, you'll be targeted by Them."
Shawn nodded silently. The other mentioned humans as the sole survivors, which implied there were other races in this world before.
"What is the 'Clockwork Nirvana Twelve Realms'?" Shawn stared at the clock pattern before him.
The Butcher picked up a pen and wrote out a row of characters—Life, Death, Nature, Courage, and so on. He pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "It is a barrier protecting the real world."
"Just like the 'Confusion' you wear; you can't see Them, and naturally, They can't see you either."
"The Third Epoch."
"The final seventy-two Destiny Legends of humanity completed the miracle of this world, composed of twelve marks. The clock symbolizes Time, Nirvana represents Rebirth, and the Twelve Realms correspond to the twelve Path of Myth of the Transcendents."
"Our current location corresponds to the Path of Death within those twelve Path of Myth."
"That's why there are more dead people here than living ones."
Shawn worked hard to absorb this mysterious knowledge because his mind was elated. He continued to ask, "Destiny Legend? What is that?"
The Butcher glanced at him, thought for a moment, and said, "Destiny is destiny."
"If, one day, you set foot on the path of destiny, you will know what destiny is."
The Butcher seemed a bit impatient as he checked the time.
Shawn keenly sensed this and promptly asked, "How should I become a Transcendent?"
As an ordinary person, he couldn't possibly survive here.
Just the things he saw unconsciously were enough to kill him many times over.
How to obtain the ability to protect oneself.
This was the most important question!
The Butcher was not surprised. He gazed at Shawn silently and slowly said, "Strictly speaking, you are already a Transcendent."
"Like you, a person who needs 'Confusion' to obscure their intuition."
"Born to be a Transcendent."
Shawn was taken aback upon hearing this.
"The talent of each Otherworld soul is different, though ones like you are rare," the Butcher said, opening a cabinet and picking up a book, which he placed in front of Shawn. "You are already a Transcendent, but you still don't know how to use your abilities."
"Do you know how to read?"
Shawn was a bit surprised, nodding, "I do."
The Butcher opened the book; it was a geography book. He motioned to Shawn, "Read."
Shawn wanted to look at the words by relying on the fused memories in his mind to recognize them, but suddenly the Butcher blocked the page with his hand, saying sternly, "Not with your eyes."
"With your brain."
Shawn was a bit confused about not using his eyes to read. How else could he read this book?
"Recall how you felt when you met Morty Laine," the Butcher gazed at Shawn, saying slowly, "Those living pieces of knowledge."
"In this absurd world."
"Knowledge isn't how you originally understood it! They are also living entities, phenomena, power, and resource."
"Understand them."
"Knowledge is right in front of you. As a Transcendent, you do not need to read them with your eyes. You just need to understand the way they exist and then command them."
The Butcher's words struck Shawn's brain, giving him a sense of trance.
Subconsciously.
He stopped looking at the characters on the pages but focused on the book itself. Then he saw the knowledge engraved in the book; they were not active, completely different from the knowledge he saw in the Soul Resonance corridor.
They were lazy, indifferent, unconsciously lingering on the pages.
Finally, they began to respond to Shawn, obeying him, entering his mind without using his eyes to read, becoming part of the knowledge he mastered.
This knowledge had no owner.
When Shawn came back to his senses, he had already finished a third of the book.
He could even completely memorize it.
It was amazing!
Shawn took only a few minutes to memorize more than thirty thousand words of content deeply, almost photographic memory.
"Very good."
The Butcher nodded, his fierce visage softened considerably, acknowledging, "It's a 0-ring reading trick. Not a real Transcendent spell, but you mastered it very quickly."
"No wonder Morty Laine noticed you."
0-ring trick?
Is this not considered genuine Extraordinary Power?
Shawn was slightly mentally tired, yet excited, because he had just memorized tens of thousands of words of geographical knowledge in three minutes.
The mind was delighted!
Because it was real knowledge to satisfy the hunger of his impoverished brain.
"The power of the 'Death' path has many forms."
"Clearly, you're not suited to the Path of Death I control. I will find another mentor for you," The Butcher glanced at the time again, speaking sternly, "Next is a bit of general knowledge for today."
"Regarding Evil Objects."
"Which are the monsters you saw."
"Evil Objects are indescribable illusions, the rot of the Earth, the mutations of flesh pollution, the hatred and agony of the world."
The Butcher's pace of speech quickened slightly, low and pressing, ominous, as he gravely said, "There are many types of Evil Objects, though the most common are just a few."
"Indescribable illusions, things that do not truly exist."
"For example, the great detective—Morty Laine."
"They were creations that never truly existed before; you can understand it as some falsehoods becoming real, entering reality."
At this, the Butcher glanced at Shawn and slowly said, "They have targeted you."
"So you must be careful of all illusions."
Shawn murmured, "Careful of all illusions?"
The Butcher nodded and continued, "Next."
"The rot of the Earth pus, which you need not worry about. They are all outside the high walls, the miracle of destiny has isolated them; as long as you do not leave the 'Clockwork Nirvana Twelve Realms,' you are unlikely to encounter them."
"My work yesterday involved handling the thing called Pillar of Flesh and Blood, which is the rot of the Earth pus."
"The last one."
"Mutations of flesh pollution you have actually seen, the corpse of that Otherworld soul is flesh's mutation."
"Within the gray mist."
"All other races besides humans have been infected with flesh's mutation; this you will rarely encounter, but you will understand in the future."
Upon hearing this, Shawn couldn't help but say, "Isn't there one more?"
The world's hatred and pain.
The woman also said the same, but the Butcher omitted the last one.
"The world's hatred!..." The Butcher seemed to fall into recollection, slowly saying, "If you unfortunately encounter Them, you will know."
"The only thing you can do is one thing."
"Run!"
"Run as far as you can!"
The Butcher checked the time, seemingly lacking the desire to continue the conversation, and sternly said, "Alright. Today's general knowledge ends here."
Shawn hesitated to speak, finally nodded, "What should I do next?"
The Butcher snapped his fingers, "Work!"
Huh?
Shawn froze for a moment, silently standing up.
The Butcher's last words came so quickly, seemingly not wanting to waste work time.
"Here, even the dead must work." The Butcher said seriously.
.........