Chapter 122: Learning Runes

Ivan was a very adorable person, and Silas could clearly feel that after interacting with him for half an hour.

This 27-year-old young man was introverted and shy, pure and kind, serious and focused, craving others' approval yet feeling shy and embarrassed when praised.

He was very willing to help others but was too shy to speak up because of fear of rejection and unfamiliarity.

A few kind words could cheer him up, and he would wish to treat Silas as his best friend.

Anthony had thoroughly understood Silas's skill at flattering, thinking to himself, "I should remember this. If I encounter similar situations in the future, I can come ask him for advice."

Seeing the two get along so well, Anthony happily said, "Ivan, Silas is very interested in mysticism now. I want him to learn some basics from you. Is that okay?"

"No problem, of course no problem!" Ivan replied enthusiastically while introducing his latest inventions to Silas.

The first meeting went very smoothly. After talking with Ivan for two hours, Silas left, preparing to officially register tomorrow.

"You're coming tomorrow, right?" Ivan said somewhat reluctantly at the church door.

Silas smiled and nodded, "Yes, I will."

As the two walked out the door, before they had taken two steps, Ivan's voice came again.

"Make sure you come! I have good stuff to show you!" Half-hidden behind the door, Ivan stuck out his head and shouted.

Silas smiled helplessly, "I promise! I swear to the Goddess!"

Hearing this, Ivan relaxed and laughed, "You better come!"

Then he turned and closed the door.

Walking along the road, Anthony sighed, "Ivan is a child of hardship. He's been sensitive to mysticism since childhood, born with a mystical constitution. He often encountered mystical incidents and heard strange voices. Because of this, he was shunned by peers from an early age. Eventually, his parents thought he had a mental illness and sent him to the Church's welfare home. At twelve, the clergy discovered him and took him as a key seedling for intensive mystical study and research."

"The coldness he suffered in childhood and the strict control in adolescence gradually formed Ivan's awkward personality. I hope you don't mind."

Silas smiled, "I think he's quite cute. I believe I can become good friends with him."

Anthony smiled reassuringly, "That's good."

After bidding farewell to Father Anthony, when Silas returned to the small chapel, he suddenly felt the heavy feeling in his head had disappeared.

Recalling what he had just experienced, Silas sighed, "People really need to use their brains more. I didn't expect the stimulation and excitement just now would open up my mind."

With his brain back to normal, Silas didn't rush to continue studying but did nothing for a while, letting his mind relax primitively.

Afterward, he didn't stay at the Church but took The Evening Bell of the Secluded Valley back home.

When he returned, the Husky was lying on the ground happily gnawing on a big bone.

"Ada should be volunteering, helping the poor, right?" Silas knew Ada's habits well enough to know her whereabouts without asking.

Silas took off his clothes and lay on the sofa, looking out at the bright sky through the window, slowly closing his eyes to rest peacefully.

After so many days of intense study, even if his spirit and body were not tired, his mindset was.

He needed to pause, even if only for an afternoon.

...

The next morning, Silas said goodbye to Ada, packed some daily necessities, and returned to the Church with the Husky.

The two-day Azure Moon Festival holiday was over; today was the first day back to work.

After a simple freshening up, Silas brought the Husky to Ivan's mystical workshop.

When Silas entered, Ivan immediately ran down and sighed deeply, "Finally you're here. I thought you weren't coming."

Seeing his lack of security, Silas looked at him like a little brother and reassured, "Don't worry. I'll be here with you learning for the next few months. What are we learning today?"

Ivan immediately became excited, his eyes shining with bright light. "What do you want to learn? Familiars, formations, talismans, armaments, magic potions, elixirs—I know them all!"

Silas pondered and realized he was a blank slate in these areas, only knowing some basic theory.

After three seconds of silence, he said seriously, "I want to learn everything!"

Hearing this, Ivan grabbed Silas's hand excitedly, as if he had found a soulmate. "Great!"

"Today, we'll start with the basics: talismans."

Then Ivan pulled Silas along, jogging to a room on the second floor piled with all kinds of books. After rummaging through dust, he took out a big book and said, "We'll start with this one!"

Silas took the book and looked at the simple title: Talismans.

"Talismans—I prefer to call them runes because that better describes their nature."

"Runes can be said to be the source of all mysticism. In ancient times, mysticism was the privilege of indescribable beings. People could only crawl on the ground, waiting for death. Until the first human invented the first rune in human history, people could glimpse a corner of mysticism through runes."

"You should know that many ancient languages and the language of the Old Gods cannot be spoken by normal people. Even hearing such sounds can cause madness."

Silas nodded in agreement.

He had personal experience with this.

"You can't hear or speak them, but you can see them. We don't need to know their meaning or connotation, only their function and effect. So runes, as the embodiment and translation of divine language, became the cornerstone of human mysticism."

"So mastering runes and understanding their connections and powers allows you to calmly arrange magic circles, create familiars, and perform rituals."

"Today, we'll start with basic runes. The main function of basic runes is as an introduction. They are like lively children, with strong affinity for any mystical element, very lively. Currently, there are thirty-three basic runes, called the Cairns Runes."

"We don't know what these runes mean. We only need to remember their shapes and be able to draw them accurately, then learn what effects they have."

Silas nodded, understanding.

It's like using a phone—you don't know its structure or principles, but you know how to use it and what it does. That's enough.

These thirty-three Cairns Runes are just like a phone.