Chapter 130: Level 1 Dossier (1/3)

At this moment, Zhao Xu noticed that the specific level values on his character sheet had begun to change.

[Character Level: 2 (Dual Elite)
Class Path I: Level 2 Wizard
Class Path II: Level 1 Cloistered Cleric / Level 1 Archivist]

Simultaneously, the Archivist ability "Dark Knowledge (Tactics)" appeared quietly on his character panel. This sudden sense of clarity and breakthrough made Zhao Xu feel as if it were somewhat unreal. Looking back, he realized the Goddess of Magic did not seem to have any class levels in Archivist. In fact, the Archivist class appeared more like it was poaching talent from gods and all divine spellcasters alike. If not for the fact that Archivists themselves contributed to the study of divine magic, they would likely be as infamous as "Blasphemous Invokers," a class specialized in stealing divine power.

The object known as the "Ancient Slate" vanished into thin air after Zhao Xu finished observing it, as if it had never existed in this world. Zhao Xu said nothing, merely watching Antinoya, who had orchestrated this sudden reversal for him.

"It seems you have become an Archivist; that is somewhat beyond my expectations." Antinoya looked at Zhao Xu, already aware of what had transpired.

Zhao Xu had been studying intensely for several days to obtain this ability. He had spent nearly twenty hours a day online in the Scholarly Library, pouring over knowledge-based skills until his mental state was pushed to the brink. Even during the limited time he spent offline, his mind remained occupied with the lore of Archivists, constantly scrutinizing every clue. He had even gone to the Biography Hall in the Floating City to look up the lives of spellcasters suspected of being Archivists. He knew that the Archivist class would not be as easily mastered as Wizard or Cleric, and he had been prepared for a long, grueling struggle.

So, when he heard Antinoya remark that his progress was faster than expected, Zhao Xu felt a mix of emotions. It was as if he had prepared to repeat a grade for an entire year, only to be told he had been accepted the moment he went to pay his tuition. It felt almost too neatly arranged.

Seeing Zhao Xu lost in thought, Antinoya did not offer comfort or congratulations. Instead, she continued in her clear, ethereal voice: "Do you know? The Archivist is not a native class of this world."

"From another dimension?" Zhao Xu’s voice rose slightly; his emotions were still in flux. It would be a lie to say he wasn't excited. He couldn't even bring himself to put on a show of humility by claiming he hadn't expected to become an Archivist.

"Is it from an outer plane like the Abyss or the Twin Paradises?" Zhao Xu guessed, drawing upon his Knowledge (Planes) skill.

"No, what you speak of is essentially part of the world of Aether. When I say 'other dimension,' I refer to other multiverses. You could even consider your Earth to be a type of multiverse."

Hearing this, Zhao Xu understood. Aether and all the planes connected to it—the Great Wheel cosmology he had seen—all belonged to the same world. On the Prime Material Plane of Aether, he could use "Teleport" to reach other locations within the world. But to reach other planes, like the Abyss where Demogorgon resided, he had to use a spell like "Plane Shift." The principles behind these two types of transportation were different. Only a few spells, like the ninth-level "Gate," could decide whether to open a portal locally or to another plane. However, in all the spells Zhao Xu knew, there was none that led to another multiverse. Otherwise, the wizards of Aether could have teleported to Earth long ago. It was only after the transition in eleven months that they would become truly real.

Currently, their projections could neither reproduce nor did they need to eat or sleep. The implications of a method to bridge two worlds were self-evident. Thus, hearing that the Archivist class originated from another world left Zhao Xu utterly stunned.

"That is why we say we do not know who the first Archivist was; they were not native to Aether, but a visitor from another world, much like you," Antinoya explained.

Upon hearing this secret, the row of Knowledge skills on Zhao Xu’s character panel trembled slightly. He knew he had touched upon the most hidden information in Aether.

"The world that person came from was a dark, terrifying, and inexplicable place, filled with pollution and blood. That world also had wizards, but no clerics; instead, they had Archivists. After that Archivist arrived in Aether, out of a love for the peace here, they taught us this foundational class."

"Later, another wizard from that world visited Aether. Based on our understanding, the 'Corruptor' prestige class they possessed was quite powerful." Antinoya glossed over the turmoil of that era.

Zhao Xu felt a bit bewildered. "Mentor, your description is too simple. What is the name of that world? And are there more details?"

"I don't think you should know right now, so I don't want to pique your curiosity." Antinoya smiled.

Zhao Xu grumbled internally; if she described the Corruptor as powerful, of course he would be curious. If she didn't want him to be, she shouldn't have mentioned it at all. However, listening to this, he understood why the Archivist was so potent. It was not a product of this place, so it was naturally not subject to the constraints of Aether's origins. As for why everyone could use the same spell system, it was not hard to understand—just as any civilization on another planet would eventually develop mathematics and physics similar to Earth's because the universal constants are the same. Aether and that terrifying world likely shared a common source, unlike the multiverse containing Earth.

"But Mentor, what does this have to do with my recent promotion?" Zhao Xu asked.

"Oh, you just saw a slate, right?"

"Yes, the so-called 'Ancient Slate'?" Zhao Xu nodded.

"Correct. That was actually the 'Ancient Cursed Slate,' which records the weaknesses of various monsters. Only those who have witnessed this slate can awaken the Archivist's 'Dark Knowledge' ability."

"According to that Archivist, all the Archivists in their world had to endure great hardship, entering the legendary Hall of Dark Knowledge to witness this slate before they could advance. The survival rate was likely less than one in ten."

Hearing that, Zhao Xu felt that their environment in Aether for learning professional skills was actually quite comfortable. As for his own circumstances, they were a high-end, pampered version of that process.

"Then what was that slate just now?" Zhao Xu continued. If countless Archivists in that other world risked their lives to see the slate, it couldn't be carried to Aether so easily, could it?

"A historical projection," Antinoya replied.

Zhao Xu’s mind immediately flashed to the "matryoshka" style abilities of a certain famous Cthulhu-mythos protagonist from Earth.

"That otherworldly Archivist used a legendary spell to summon a projection of the Ancient Cursed Slate. After we witnessed it, we have used this ability to pass down the Archivist tradition," Antinoya explained.

"Mentor, if one can summon a historical projection, why did the Archivists of that world still have to go to the Hall of Dark Knowledge?" Zhao Xu caught the key point immediately.

"It is simple: you cannot summon a historical projection of something that still exists, or the timeline will be corrupted. The Ancient Cursed Slate does not exist in the world of Aether, so it can be summoned."

Hearing this, Zhao Xu finally connected all the dots. It sounded logical enough.

"As for why I made you study bitterly for several days, it was to make you fall into despair. It is easy to obtain Dark Knowledge; seeing the slate will automatically grant it. But those who have not struggled in despair cannot truly awaken as an Archivist."

"I originally thought that because of your experiences over these past few days, you would be moved upon seeing the slate. I expected you to repeat the process two or three times before you could awaken. But you awakened in an instant; that was somewhat beyond my expectations."

"You have known despair at such a young age?" Antinoya asked softly.

Zhao Xu smiled and shook his head. He hadn't expected his experiences from his previous life to be the catalyst for his becoming an Archivist. It made sense; how could the foundational class of a terrifying world be awakened so easily? He just wondered how terrifying the "Corruptor" prestige class would be.

"Mentor, do we have a way to go to other multiverses?" Zhao Xu asked with a glimmer of hope. If it were possible, perhaps there would be a new turning point before Earth was destroyed.

"Certainly, otherwise that Archivist would never have reached Aether. If you work hard for a few years, it is achievable. Keep at it."

After explaining this, Antinoya stood up and turned to organize the bookshelf behind her.

"Legendary spells?" Zhao Xu asked tentatively. As entities beyond ninth-level spells, only legendary wizards could cast them.

"Yes." Antinoya hummed in response.

Zhao Xu nodded, but as he did, a question arose. "Mentor, aren't legendary spells for legendary wizards? Where would an Archivist get legendary spells?" He realized he had been foolish; he hadn't noticed the loophole in Antinoya's initial words.

"Who told you that only wizards can cast legendary spells? Divine spellcasters, provided their Knowledge (Religion) skill reaches a certain height, are also qualified to cast legendary spells."

"But I haven't heard of any cleric casting one?" Zhao Xu pressed.

"That is because the gods do not grant them." Antinoya’s words were heavy with meaning.

Zhao Xu stood in silence. Indeed, the gods did not grant clerics legendary spells, and few clerics could ever reach the legendary level. However, Archivists transcribed spells on their own, free from such restrictions. Zhao Xu had already deduced from Antinoya that the number of legendary spell slots a wizard had was the integer of their Knowledge (Arcana) level divided by ten. Therefore, when his character reached level 21, the Wizard class would grant him two legendary spell slots. By that same logic, the Archivist class would also grant him two legendary spell slots. His total number of legendary spell slots would be twice that of other wizards of the same level.

The only problem was that he had no legendary spells yet.