Chapter 656: The Perception of Totemology
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 656: The Perception of Totemology
Sister Teryx had departed.
The clamor of the tavern returned as the dominant melody of the moment; no third party had noticed that a conversation had even taken place here.
I stood up, clutching the coin in my hand.
Even I was surprised by the information Sister Teryx had revealed during our brief time together. Even now... I felt a bit dazed.
The main issue was the Luck Seed. The fact that it was still within me was what truly gave me a headache.
Did that mean all my previous efforts had been in vain?
"Don't you think it's a bit pointless to question the meaning of past efforts based on present results?"
"I suppose... at the very least, I expressed my choice to the world." Hearing the Knowledge Shadow say that helped me clear my head.
Many things only reveal their true meaning once you've experienced them firsthand, and the same applies to things that happened in the past. Even if I had known the truth back then, I would have made the exact same choice without hesitation. Since I have no regrets, there is no need for self-doubt now.
"So? It all comes back around in the end, doesn't it? You know what I'm talking about," the Knowledge Shadow spoke again.
"Mm-hmm, maybe."
I gave a perfunctory response and left the tavern.
I had originally planned to stay the night, but after everything that happened, even though I had worked through my thoughts, I chose to fly through the night air. I needed the wind to cool my head and settle my mind.
After a while in the night breeze, I did indeed feel much calmer.
My previous irritation had mainly stemmed from how "Luck" seemed so utterly inescapable. And, of course, a sense of disgust toward the Main World Consciousness.
However... once I accepted the concept of "What I do is none of your business," I quickly came to a realization.
When levels of existence differ, the weak have no choice. Right now, I am weak and have no choice; I accept that.
But when I become powerful and you are the one without a choice, you will have to accept it too. That is the only way to be fair.
This wasn't me accepting the world's standards of judgment—never!
I was simply choosing this method to pay them back. If the other party endured it in silence, I might even feel a shred of respect for them. If they grew frantic, well, they would certainly deserve it.
"Ah... I seem to have forgotten to ask what kind of existence a World Will actually is. If I get stronger in the future... I'll definitely make this World Consciousness work as my laborer."
Having made that silent vow, I took out the Book in the Box. As I sped through the night sky, I absorbed the nourishment of knowledge to pass the empty hours of the night.
The only comfort of the night was knowing that at least one clone was back in the blankets, keeping Sister Bai company...
Time trickled away, and a new day quietly arrived amidst the darkness. As a sliver of sunlight illuminated the earth in the distance, it announced the arrival of a new dawn.
I did something rare and closed the book in my hands to watch the sunrise. Though it was a perfectly normal and rhythmic natural phenomenon, it still carried countless meanings. Perhaps it represented a new beginning, or perhaps it was a welcome to a new unknown...
Of course, there was a reason I was feeling so sentimental today. I had traveled the Expansion Realm for so long and seen so many sunrises and sunsets; why was this one so poignant?
Because I had spent the entire night studying Totemology.
I had been warned about the knowledge of Totemology by several Witch sisters, which was proof enough of its difficulty.
I chose to start learning it now mainly because many other matters had reached a stopping point. Runology, Soul Depiction techniques, Wisdom Granting techniques, and even the matter of Luck.
If I had to say there was anything urgent... there really wasn't. So, approaching new knowledge in this state was actually an excellent choice.
The concept of Totemology is incredibly ancient. According to the records I had obtained, the concept of the "Totem" was the enlightenment stage of life's research into the Transcendent path.
This meant that Totems predated the Rune system.
The book used case studies from various worlds to describe the original form of Totems. They were seen as patterns with symbolic significance. For primitive, ignorant lifeforms, Totems were a form of mystical worship toward the Transcendent. Most were fashioned into totem poles for sacrificial rituals.
With the birth of such behavior, Totemology and the Rune system diverged.
Totems represent the objective mystery of the Void's Transcendence and the worship of life. Sacrifices represent the rituals performed by life based on their understanding of the unknown.
These rituals are interpreted and utilized by life; Runes are the subjective interpretation and depiction of Transcendent power.
But precisely because the angles of interpretation differ, the responses received also differ. This is why the Rune system continues to expand the boundaries of its concepts even today. This discovery will continue for a long time because there are infinite angles from which to interpret the unknown.
Totemology, however, seems to have "stagnated." It uses mystery to interpret mystery and the unknown to express the unknown.
Yet even now, Totemology still holds profound guiding significance for Runology.
Some books describe it as follows: Totemology can be defined as the discipline of studying and understanding the role Totems play in spells, magic, life, social structures, and other related systems.
Furthermore, there is another Transcendent system closely related to Totemology: Mysticism.
In truth, I was quite confused when I first tried to understand the definition of Totemology. It permeates every corner of the Transcendent system, yet I hadn't noticed the presence of Totems in spells.
It wasn't until I finished browsing most of the materials on Totemology that I understood why.
General spells are built upon the Rune system, but that doesn't mean they have nothing to do with Totems. One only needs to perform a "Source Tracing" on a spell to discover the influence of Totems upon it.
Spells cannot be supported by Totemology alone, but the Rune framework within a spell can receive the empowerment of a Totem.
In those research books, I saw a very vivid metaphor.
If a spell is like a sentence composed of Runes, then the act of "Source Tracing" is to completely understand the meaning of that sentence—analyzing its grammar, the context of its application, the meaning it expresses, and the desired feedback.
Totem empowerment is like translating and annotating that sentence using the language of "Totems" underneath it.
The meaning expressed by the sentence is the Rune system; the annotations below are the Totem system.
Combined, they form a spell ritual with Totem attachment.
The reason a spell cannot discard the Rune system and be expressed solely through Totems is similar to how a sentence cannot discard its main body and rely only on the annotations below to convey its meaning. If you did that, others wouldn't understand the sentence. For a caster, this corresponds to being unable to release the spell because they lack an understanding of it.
Therefore, the significance of Totemology to spells is a form of "empowerment" rather than the core subject.
Unless we were not living beings but the Void itself, we could never understand the full meaning of a Totem.
Even so, Totemology remains a discipline worshipped by those pursuing higher limits. It is a system with a ceiling even higher than that of Runes, possessing a vast future.
During this time, I used some Transcendent materials to craft several palm-sized totem poles. However, according to the records in the alchemy notes, the totem poles I produced didn't display a single shred of Transcendent power.
Even the most ordinary Rune, when carved somewhere and guided by Transcendent means, will trigger a fluctuation of Transcendent power—unless the Rune is a meaningless one used for composite connections. These totem poles did nothing, even when I guided Transcendent power into them.
This could only mean one simple thing: Totems and Runes are different.
The fundamental way of thinking for Runes is that Transcendent power condenses into a Rune to produce an effect, which is then categorized and summarized.
Clearly, Totems do not follow this method. They do not produce an effect, so naturally, they cannot be summarized in that way.
I skimmed through the books again but found no records that were particularly useful. After all, these books on Totemology were just supplements included with the Runology notes. There wasn't much content in total; with my speed of learning and comprehension, I had basically mastered it all in less than a night.
I assumed Witch Belica and the others must have researched many other things. Judging by the records of failures in the notes, she had omitted many meaningless attempts and studies, ultimately recording only certain lines of thought.
I have to admit, these thoughts did provide me with a lot of inspiration, and they included several prototype drawings of Totems.
However, during my brief research, while I accepted the analogies of "language," "translation," and "annotation," I was also thinking about other problems.
The greatest fear in learning is being prejudiced; that is a shackle you place on yourself.
Since the materials in my hand were the products of unsuccessful research, following them would only lead to half the result for twice the effort. These contents were meant to help me understand; once I understood, I should discard them and establish my own cognitive system.
Since Sister Belica and the others had always emphasized the importance of Talent, it indicated that conventional learning methods were not applicable to Totemology.
Why not try a different approach?
So, after gaining a "shallow" understanding of Totemology, I prepared to construct a simple perception of it.
I planned to discard all the analogies to pictographs or phonetic alphabets and look at the relationship between Totems and Runes from a different angle.
After my initial contact, I realized that the Rune system seemed similar to applied technology; once Transcendent power intervened, a corresponding reaction occurred.
So, what role did Totems play?
Totems were more like the theoretical foundation. They provided guidance for applied technology but could not exist independently. Just as we cannot create a physical product relying solely on formulas and theorems, Totems need to be combined with practice to exert their true value.
So, what was practice?
The Rune system was the practice of Totems—a manifestation of life understanding and then utilizing Transcendence.
Therefore, my definition for Totems was... "Knowledge."
My definition for Runes was "Power."
Knowledge should have a corresponding domain, and power should have a space to be exerted. Based on my current "personal definition," it was foolish to expect a Totem to have a reaction under the intervention of Transcendent power.
So, I needed to try two directions: one was to attempt "Source Tracing" on spells, and the other was to understand exactly how Totems were "formed."
Once I understood these two aspects, I believed I would have the correct way to open the door to Totemology.
Although making such a bold conclusion right after encountering Totemology seemed arrogant, would those cautious, step-by-step studies truly push the development of Totemology forward?
If one lacks confidence in doing something, then there is even less motivation to put it into practice.
Regardless of right or wrong, only by experiencing and practicing can one constantly correct their path. No one can reach the destination in one step without trying anything.
It was just like my Tree of Great Knowledge. I had never completely understood its [Transcendent Knowledge] and still haven't mastered it to this day, yet I have been groping for its characteristics through constant practice, perfecting it according to my expectations.
At this moment, many things came to mind. It was as if my past accumulations were giving me another push, making me firm in my choice.
"Xiao Han? Hey—! You there, are you Sister Xiao Han?"
With that shout, I snapped out of my perception of time. The broom I was riding rapidly slowed down.
In the distance, a figure I had left far behind in an instant "leisurely" flew toward me.
"You are..." I asked as the person approached. I was quite surprised; the probability of being noticed while flying so fast over the Expansion Realm was incredibly small.
Moreover, I noticed that the girl had white hair, just like me. Plus, she knew my name... I had a feeling I had run into a member of my fan club.
"Are... are you really Sister Xiao Han?" The girl looked at me with an expression of disbelief as she drew near. "You're not someone pretending to be her, right?"
"I don't think anyone would be pretending to be me, would they?" As I said that, I felt something was slightly off.
"That's not necessarily true! But that's not important... Are you really Sister Xiao Han? I... I'm so excited to meet you here! Do you still remember me?" The girl looked at me with expectant eyes, as if praying that I still had an impression of her.
Just as I was about to use the Ley Line Identification Art to see where I might have met her, I suddenly realized she looked familiar...
"Luo Yun?"
"You really do remember me! Um, I'm so sorry about last time. I didn't recognize you then and thought you were another senior sister from the fan club... I only found out after people pointed it out when I posted on the Academy Network..."
The girl named Luo Yun covered her face in shame. During their first chance encounter, she hadn't even recognized her own idol! There was nothing more embarrassing than that! Her friends had teased her so much she wanted to crawl into a hole!
"Sister Xiao Han, you really didn't say a word that time..."
"But I also said then that if we met again, it would be fate. I can only say you didn't seize the opportunity."
"Right! You're right! Um... I remember you said if we met again, maybe I could get your contact info... Ah, I didn't mean it like that, actually... actually..."
"Here. Meeting in a place as large as the Expansion Realm is indeed a form of fate." I handed her one of my business cards. As for the value of this card... she would have to discover that for herself in the future.
Luo Yun looked at the exquisite business card and looked like she was about to faint from joy. If she hadn't been flying on a broom with some level of instinct, she probably would have fallen out of the sky.
"Thank you, Sister Xiao Han! Thank you! I... I actually got Sister Xiao Han's business card! Ah..."
I smiled with satisfaction at the girl's reaction. Through Heart Sense, I could feel the fiery emotions and power coming from her, which gave me several new inspirations.
After venting her joy without restraint, Luo Yun finally realized she was being unseemly.
"I'm sorry... I was just too excited!"
"I understand, so there's no need to apologize."
"Mm-hmm... Um... Sister Xiao Han, may I ask where you're going?"
"Back to Ninglan New City."
"Then... can I go back with you? You have no idea how much Ninglan New City has changed since you left! And, and... Sister Xiao Han, your fan club has flourished in Ninglan New City too! Um... would you like me to tell you all about it?" Luo Yun immediately began to offer her services eagerly.
"Sure, I'll leave it to you then."