1008 Volume of Silence Part 2 (2/2)
With the Magical Element Tower stationed in Ceylon City at that moment, Saleen took the Volume of Silence in his hand and a grin was seen on his face. Feeling strange about the exchange Nailisi said, ”Master, if that Lance of Order was to be fused with Gray Memory, it would have become a powerful weapon. What use do you have exchanging it for this book? Are you going to give it to that old man?”
”Nicholas can't use something like this. It was taken from Fycro after all,” Saleen said as he opened the book, throwing his grade-19 Star Gathering Needle into it. He also pressed his family badge hard on the Volume of Silence.
Loud, eerie shrieks rang in the heads of everyone within a 100 mile radius inside the city. A golden dot shot out from the book. Saleen had cast a Darkness Shield prior, and then went on to activate his family badge in an instant, absorbing the shining dot into the badge.
Saleen slumped weakly onto the floor; he had given his all into the act, using a grade-9 spell to have his badge devour what was in the book. The badge did not disappoint. What was left in the book was forced out by the needle, and then fell into the trap that Saleen had laid beforehand.
”Gods, pfft!”
The Volume of Silence gradually began to show its original form—a squarish signet. The signet was translucent black in color, and there were ancient divine runes at the bottom of it. On top of the square was a small carving: an unknown magic beast sitting with all four of its claws clinging to the signet. The eyes of the carving were white, as if there was another world within them.
”Master!” Nailisi looked at the signet in Saleen's hand in awe. She was unable to understand how Saleen knew how to return the Signet of Order into its original form. If Saleen had not done what he had done, she would have been unable to tell that the signet had been disguised all along.
Nailisi hoisted Saleen up and let him sit. The Star Gathering Needle shot through the air and landed in his hand. While he was incapable of using the power residing within the needle, it was still capable of automatically breaking all kinds of seals. It was an attribute Saleen was able to use despite being only a grade-2 astrologer.
As to how he knew of the Volume of Silence's secret, it was all too easy for him. Raphael mentioned the equipment in his notes—a hidden godly item, one that was crafted by humans.
”Nailisi, do you have any idea what this is? The material used to make the signet was the divine persona of the greater god. Humans killed a good number of gods during their conquests all those years back. Divine personas, divine fires, and the bodies of most of those gods, were crafted into equipment.”
Nailisi nodded. She knew at least that much. The war between the humans and the gods, put in a plain and unceremonious manner, was fueled by humans' desire to take from others. It was unfortunate for the gods that they were practically living, walking, and talking pieces of precious materials.
While the gods had their eyes on the souls of humans, the humans were eyeing the bodies of the gods. The war had been one that was geared to rob each other of resources. Humans were the ones that were able to provide the gods with the highest level of power of faith among all living beings, while the gods were the most precious and the purest high level alchemic materials available to humans.
The Volume of Silence was a rather renowned equipment back in those days. A human killed a greater god and used said god to craft a signet, the signet was then taken by one of the kings of gods in turn, to be turned into the Volume of Silence. That particular king of gods was then killed by the emperor of the First Dynasty, returning the Volume of Silence to human hands. The book went through many hands throughout the planes, before being lost after the First Dynasty perished.
The item was renowned for its ability to allow any human holding it to disguise themselves as a believer of the gods. The attribute was created by that king of gods instead of humans though.
The secret was entirely lost during the time of the Fourth Dynasty, with next to no one knowing it. Raphael was only able to find it out by chance. When he wrote it in his magic notes, he lamented that if he was only able to find the signet, he would be able to crush the Holy See.
As the signet's attributes were unique, it was able to stop the flow of time. If the attack received exceeded the limit of the signet's current level, it would divert the attack at another target.
After Saleen saw the Volume of Silence, he immediately wanted Lex to get it exchanged for something, whatever that may have been. No one else would be able to do anything about it; no one else but him. What the family badge absorbed was the Seed of Divine Fire. Equipment that was crafted using a divine persona was capable of giving birth to one such seed every 10,000 years. By the time it was 100,000 years of age, the divine fire within would burn again.
Saleen's family badge was empty at the moment, requiring replenishment of all sorts of energies, and the Seed of Divine Fire made one of the best materials there was to serve such a purpose.
The seed that was captured by the badge was disintegrated immediately. The space within the badge seemed to have grown considerably. Saleen was able to feel the change in the badge. The Seed of Divine Fire of a grade-17 god restored more than half of the badge and had gotten the rules of lightning one step nearer to completion.
Only Saleen was able to infuse his mental powers somewhat into the badge to take a look at the space within. Anyone else doing that would have had their souls burned immediately. Lightning filled the space within the badge and the power provided by the seed would have enabled the badge to unleash its strongest attacks.
The power of the lightning unleashed from the badge next time would be equivalent to that of a god's destruction.
Saleen did not pay any mind to the growth in power however. Unless the badge was given a chance to absorb such high-level powers, one attack would reduce it to little more than an ornament for half a year. What he was happy about, was that the seal on the Signet of Silence was able to be easily broken by his Star Gathering Needle. The needle was indeed something invisible, something that would have frightened even the likes of Seed of Divine Fire.
It had been instinctual. If the Seed of Divine Fire had not escaped, there was no certainty that the needle would have been able to locate it.
The Signet of Silence was completely made Saleen's. He would be able to use the signet to comprehend the rules of time. It would prove more potent than lesser prophecy spells. Saleen cradled the signet lovingly in his hands.
If he was able to master that piece of equipment, he would have no need to fear the heroic spirits of the Imperial City of the Abyss. He would be able to make his escape easily if anything untoward was to happen.
”A grade-15 Lance of Order was exchanged for a grade-17 Signet of Silence. No such thing will happen ever again, right?” Despite him only being able to use their powers at grade-9 at that moment, he would be able to circumvent the rules of the Myers Mainland the next time he visited the abyss, allowing him to look into the ultimate power within the signet.
That meant he would have be able to comprehend rules beyond the limit of the plane he was in. No one else, even those with greater talents than him, would have a chance like that!