Sitting at her desk, Dorothy was perplexed by the system’s response echoing in her mind. She rubbed her temples and thought to herself.
“Interface? The essence of the system is an interface? What does that even mean? An interface between what and what? Hey, system, can you explain a bit more about this so-called interface?”
Dorothy continued asking the system in her mind, but this time, there was no response. She found herself questioning the void.
After trying various phrasings without success, Dorothy temporarily gave up on uncovering the system’s nature and shifted her focus to the immediate priority: the advancement ritual.
Now aware that the system could relay prayers and guide blessings, a thought arose in her mind.
"Perhaps... I could try this. And tomorrow’s the weekend, too."
She murmured to herself.
Ending her mysticism research for the evening, Dorothy packed the forbidden materials into her school bag, changed into her pajamas, and turned off the lights to sleep.
The next morning, bathed in the radiant sunlight of a clear dawn, Dorothy woke from a deep slumber. She climbed out of bed, rubbed her eyes, and opened her door, only to find the living room empty. Since there were no classes today, she had slept two hours later than usual. By now, Gregor had already left for work.
In this era, the concept of a two-day weekend hardly existed. Most professions required people to work year-round, with breaks only on religious holidays. Gregor’s job was an exception due to its special nature, his hours varied greatly. Sometimes he left late and returned early, other times he was gone for days, and occasionally, he had entire days off. Dorothy knew his schedule depended entirely on the timing of his assignments.
Many schools, influenced by religious customs, adopted a weekly rest day inspired by the myth of the Savior’s six days of world-saving work and one day of rest. Dorothy’s school, Saint Amanda’s, went even further. Thanks to its reformist principal, Aldrich, the school not only accepted female students but also added practical and artistic courses to its traditional curriculum. He even advocated for additional time for extracurricular activities and family visits, granting students a second rest day on weekends. Dorothy fully enjoyed her two-day weekends as a result.
Determined not to waste the principal’s thoughtful reforms, Dorothy decided to use her Saturday for some “extracurricular activities.”
After freshening up, she ate the slightly stale breakfast left on the table, changed into casual clothes, and set out with her backpack. She took a carriage straight to the market.
Alighting at the market, Dorothy began gathering the materials on her pre-written shopping list. Once she had most of the items, she headed to the luxury shops on the commercial street to buy the rest. After spending 15 pounds, she boarded another carriage and headed to the western outskirts of Igwynt, arriving at a small forest.
Once vast and teeming with game as a hunting ground, the forest had been reduced to a shadow of its former self due to overhunting and urban expansion. Though the remaining trees held little economic value, an old woodcutter’s hut still stood there. A year ago, the hut had even been the site of a murder, with the killer hiding the body inside. The police had only found the corpse after apprehending the suspect and securing a confession.
Dorothy had learned about this from her usual chats with carriage drivers during her commute. She now found this isolated location ideal for her purposes.
Getting off at a riverside fishing spot about a kilometer from the woods, Dorothy donned her cloak and walked to the small forest. Navigating deeper within, she soon found the abandoned woodcutter’s hut.
Yes, Dorothy had decided to perform her advancement ritual here. Given Gregor’s occupation, she dared not hold a mystic ceremony at home. Other hidden corners of the city risked encounters with the Crimson Eucharist. Here, however, the site’s recent history suggested it was untouched by cultists; a body wouldn’t have been hidden here otherwise.
The hut was dark and empty, the air heavy with the stench of decay. Unbothered by its grisly past, Dorothy began setting up her ritual.
"Phosphorescent lime powder... redwood shavings... shadowleaf grass..."
From her bag, Dorothy retrieved the mineral powders, wood shavings, and herbs she had bought. Mixing them into a fine powder, she carefully traced a simple circular array as depicted in the mystical knowledge. She surrounded the array with six candles and placed three small brass incense burners outside, filling them with rare fragrances imported from the New World.
As the fragrant smoke filled the room, Dorothy moved on to the final preparation: inscribing her spiritual symbol at the center of the array.
Pricking her finger with a needle, she let a drop of blood fall into the remaining powder and stirred it. Using this mixture, she drew the symbol with great care.
In Aldrich’s mystical teachings, all spiritual symbols were meticulously recorded.
The symbol of "Lantern" is a vertically upright scepter, with eight evenly distributed lines radiating outward from the top, representing rays of light. It resembles a scepter crowned with a glowing lamp or a sun at its peak.
The symbol of "Shadow" is a curved dagger, its blade forming a perfect arc, much like a crescent moon in the night sky.
The symbol of "Chalice" needs no elaborate description—it is an ancient chalice with a wide brim, a tapered body, and a small base. On the chalice is an inverted triangle symbol.
The symbol of "Stone" is not related to gemstones, rocks, hammers, or chisels. Instead, it is a coin marked with the design of an equilateral triangle.
The symbol of "Silence" is quite simple: a closed eye.
The symbol of "Revelation" is equally straightforward: an open eye.
Dorothy intended to perform the "Revelation" ritual. She carefully inscribed the open-eye symbol at the array’s center.
Once everything was ready, Dorothy set aside her tools, knelt before the array, and began reciting an incantation.
"I vow to follow this path... to revere this principle... to explore the sea of knowledge... to seek out truths... I shall be the compass... and the course..."
Her soft murmurs echoed in the small room, stirring the air. The fragrant smoke coiled around the array, and the candles flickered as if in response.
Finishing her incantation, Dorothy began her prayer.
"I seek to tread the path of ’Revelation,’ yet the way is obscured. Here I pray, beseeching the great divinities of the unseen realm to part the clouds and show me the way..."
As she concluded her prayer, an echo of her words resonated in her mind.
"Beseeching the great divinities of the unseen realm to part the clouds and show me the way..."
Moments later, a translucent dialog box appeared before her eyes.
"Received a request for initial guidance. Do you wish to proceed with guidance?"
Dorothy’s lips twitched into a faint smile. Using her intent, she clicked "Confirm."