Chapter 56: Pages
Gray stared at the library in awe.
To say there were many books was an extreme understatement.
Franz pointed at a box near the entrance.
"Inside it there's a book containing a bit of our culture. Most of it is entry-level, so it doesn't contain much information, but being familiar with it is a must."
Franz scratched his head.
"Oh and by the way—in some cases—we may find ourselves with objects imbued with Nephilim abilities and pure Quintessence alike."
"In those instances, leave the objects to Felix or the other more experienced colleagues to deal with them."
"Oh and by the way, give me your communication—I'm going to input my contact inside it so we can communicate about our matters."
He chuckled.
"Well, I will leave you here for now. Have a good read!"
…
Gray stared at the box, thanking both Franz and Casanova in his mind, grateful for having been granted this chance.
Everything had led up to here…!
He grabbed one of the books with his trembling hands, placing it on the wooden desk.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the first page.
Occultum—Introduction to the World Beyond your Own.
I, the Ten-Thousandth Ascender of Assiah, Berelith Urayh, hereby offer this work, a compilation of true stories and legends from the world I am about to leave behind.
This Manuscript is the collection of my forefathers and I—use it as you wish.
…
In the Beginning there was an Egg.
After 1.888.888 Years, 18 Months, and 18 Days, the Egg hatched, splitting in half.
From its insides, a being named Pangu emerged.
As he opened His eyes, He realized that the Universe wasn't to His liking.
He separated the lower part of the egg—the Yin, from the upper part of the Egg—the Yang, and, since their pull was inevitable, something that would surely make them reunite, He stood between them, pushing the Sky above, and the Earth below.
Every single day, the Sky rose higher—and 333.333 years later, the Heavens were created.
Every single day, the Earth sank—and 666.666 years later, every Circle of the Underworld was completed.
As he saw that His work was fulfilled, He became pleased with his Toil.
Both the Heavens and the Underworld were consolidated, they did not need His push anymore.
He lay down to rest, soon dying in His sleep.
Thus His Left Eye became the Moon; His right one the Sun; His Last Breath became the Wind, the Mist, and the Clouds; His last ragged noise became the Thunder; His Body became the Mountains and the Extremes of the World; His Fur became the Forest and Bushes; His sweat became Rain, the Rivers, and the Sea; His Sperm became Life; His Facial Hair became the galaxy and the stars; His bones became Salt; the Fleas who lived on His body became the Animals roaming the land; and finally, his last Dream became Malkuth.
"Let those who have Eyes See; Let those who have Ears Hear."
Unknown Nephilim.
The paragraph finished with these mysterious words, hinting at some knowledge Gray wasn't yet aware of.
Every culture and race had a kind of creation myth, it wasn't unnatural for the Nephilim to have their own.
But this really wasn't what Gray was more interested in.
Rather, what caught his eye was the author, Berelith, and their words.
It went without saying—they were a Nephilim.
But what did they mean by:
Leaving this World Behind?
Could it mean dying?
Gray thought otherwise.
After all, before introducing their name, they said they were the Ten-Thousandth Ascender of Assiah. Could 'Leaving this World behind mean,' ascending to a higher plane of existence?
It also connected to Franz's words, saying that the Patrons were beings of an higher plane than ours.
Hence, this Berelith could've been a Nephilim on their way to become a Patron or an existence alike to them.
And while it was plausible that the myth had some concealed information or meaning hidden inside it, Gray had no interesting opinions about it.
One thing he was curious about was the part before the mysterious ending.
"His Last Dream became Malkuth."
'Malkuth…'
Gray repeated this word inside his mind.
This word mixed with its paragraph greatly reminded him of the Eternal Landscape of the Begotten Self. It's likely that the original author of this legend was hinting at it.
He turned the page, but many pages of the manual had been torn.
Being an old book, Gray figured it would be normal.
As a result, he turned the pages again and again until he finally found other texts.
Materials.
While every material is born from Quintessence, some specific elements bond with pure Quintessence more than the others.
One example is Salt.
This element is so common that even Humanity could figure out its special spiritual and mystic properties.
Some Humans initially used it to disinfect their wounds, foolishly believing that infection was a byproduct of their enemies' spirit lying inside their wounds.
Soon after, The Shamans—many being long-lost disciples of the First Nephilim—tried to replicate the rituals they had seen from their Masters, but, unaware of their True Abilities, used the only remaining leftover of the rituals for their purposes.
After 300 years of Trial and Error, they discovered Salt's main mystical properties.
After ingestion and immersion inside Salt, they saw that a possessed individual could gather a small portion of their sanity back.
This was Salt's Aspect of Spiritual Cleansing.
Similarly of how Salt could preserve meat, they discovered it could not only preserve the corpses of other Nephilim, but their last Emanation of Quintessence, allowing them to access it.
Ironically, the first Necromancers weren't Nephilim.
They were Human.
This was Salt's aspect of Incorruptibility.
Following the Aspect of Incorruptibility, Humanity hoped they could live forever inside circles made of Salt.
Albeit their hopes would soon be proven wrong, they discovered that spirits couldn't affect the individuals inside these Circles of Salt.
This was Salt's Aspect of Protection.
Berelith Urayh.
Gray was stuck in thought.
First of all, this record was something written by Berelith Urayh, the Ascender of Assiah. Secondly, his words made it seem as if he had personally seen these events.
How old could this Nephilim really have been?
The lifespan of a Nephilim was something Gray had never paid much attention to. But now, reading of how Berelith could seemingly note down the progress of humanity lasting hundreds of years, he couldn't help but wonder about this fact.
For that reason, he started to think about the reasons for this remarkable lifespan.
Maybe it was caused by Berelith's personal ability?
It could've very well been the most plausible option.
But.
What if it was something caused from Quintessence itself?
Would Gray have to see the people he loved die of old age?
He shook his head.
'Even if Quintessence lengthens lifespan, I don't have enough to have my body be significantly altered by it.'
'My mind however...'
Gray's brows furrowed.
Wanting to avoid the fear of losing himself, he turned his attention towards Berelith's words once again.
Gray truly had no idea that Salt was so important.
He promised himself that, when Casanova sent him his pay, he would make sure to buy tons of it.
What really drew him was also the particular part detailing Salt's Aspect of Incorruptibility.
To think that the Nephilim could be exploited even after death was terrifying.
Gray turned the page, hoping to see other interesting materials.
…Those specific pages had been torn too, however.
'It really is entry level…' Gray sighed before looking for other information.
The first Realm—the Astral Plane.
Where Imagination comes true, such place is the Astral Plane.
Many harmless creatures born from a child-like Imagination roam freely inside the upper layers of this inconspicuous dimension.
Fairies, Dryads and Pixies are just some of the more common examples.
It's said that, if one possesses an eye capable of seeing inside the upper layers of the Astral Plane, one may see such creatures have a civilization and a culture of their own.
Reports say that a group of Nephilim is developing a method to pry into the Astral Plane, but nobody knows whether it will work.
Enough said—every coin has two sides.
While harmless creatures are born from pure, childish Imagination, there are different cases.
Such are the creatures born from hate.
It's said that, if many beings pour their hate and frustration onto an abstract thing, that thing may sprout life inside the Astral Plane.
They retain the name of 'Egregore.'
However, this isn't only the case for creatures that are yet to be born.
If believed that an harmless creatures belonging to the Astral Plane is a malicious one, the creature will change according to the Collective Consciousness' belief in them.
An example of this is The Cubes of Endrion.
First believed to be gentle spirits who accompanied the dead to a voyage filled with their most cherished memories; a naive, common belief made them change into amorphous beings, creators of eternal, personal hells filled with everything their prey fears.
They're almost extinct, quasi forgotten by most, but some still lie in the shadows of the deeper layers of the Astral Plane, awaiting their prey.
From one Nephilim to the other, avoid the places where many people have died.
Unknown Nephilim.
Gray was extremely hooked by this unnamed manual.
While it was true that he was still scared, especially after reading the last paragraph, he felt tremendously more knowledgeable than the days before!
He turned the page once more.
Nephilim Biology and Curiosities.
"Blessed by Quintessence yet Cursed by Fate."
An ominous feeling emanated from this phrase.
Yet he kept on reading.
The anatomy of the life-form known as 'Nephilim' can be rather peculiar.
Upon awakening, their organs retain the same level and capacity, being undistinguished from those of a normal person.
But, after a certain amount of time, different for every Nephilim, I've noticed many components of their brain and organs swell up.
A part of these components is the Pineal Gland, located in the Epithalamus, near the centre of the brain; the Amygdala, a paired nuclear complex inside the Cerebral Hemisphere; and the Hypothalamus.
Curiously, if their Pineal Gland is calcified—a symptom very common among the older fellows—these deposits of calcified salt shed away.
Furthermore, since their Amygdala is extremely developed, it makes them beings with an extreme perception towards danger; an enhanced memory; and increased primal instincts.
But while the Hypothalamus controls many automatic processes such as Hormonal Regulation, Temperature Control, Fatigue, Sleep, Hunger and Thirst, I feel as if there is something else underneath it.
More information is required.
…
…I've reached a small breakthrough.
I came into contact with a Friend of a Friend, and he posed to me the answer to my questions.
Though…unscientific, I decided to listen to his rambles, knowing that checking different sources could allow me to gain more insight.
Thus, I came to know about this.
If we decide to consider the writings of many Mystical, Shamanic Scholars and believe that the Pineal Gland, the Amygdala and the Hypothalamus are organs capable of letting a life form transcend the Physical Plane and open the gate towards what is 'Beyond,' it means that the Nephilim can be perceptible towards the phenomena science cannot explain!
…
The writing became slightly erratic.
I made a discovery no man of science has ever made before.
Gray hastily turned the page.
…But.
The next page had been torn.
'Haaaaaaa…Why do these pages always have to be torn right where the topic is getting more interesting and detailed…' Gray mused, slightly annoyed.
Having almost finished this book—way lighter than he had expected due to the many pieces of pages missing—he kept on reading through its contents, enjoying the experience.
Amidst the slightly chaotic knowledge of the manual—pertaining only bits and pieces of information—Gray found himself reading seemingly useless information.
One example being of how an ancient Nephilim king had performed a census on his Nephilim subjects, discovering that 45% had a mild allergy to figs; 5% of them lacked a rib, having 23 instead of 24; and 0.1% of them lacked a belly button.
He wondered of why the king hadn't specified about infertility. But, thinking that the passage had probably been removed or torn, he brushed it off.
…
Gray was done reading the manual.
Eager to acquire more information, he grabbed one of the books from the shelves, instantly finding something worth reading.
Alchemical uses for Blood.
Blood…
Blood is the most valuable resource a living being could ever possess…
It is the Gift of Life, Ichor's Antithesis, The Step before the Great Ascension.
All who live under the Sun have it. They have the Seed of Quintessence inside their body, yet they are foolish, disgustingly ignorant.
With my infinite knowledge, I shall impart some of my wisdom unto you, my faithful disciple.
Though impure, if enough quantities are available, blood can be employed as an alternative of pure Quintessence…
If Blood is used in the right manner…
If the Blood is drawn in the corresponding geometrical pattern to replicate the effect Quintessence has over building reality…
If using the right Sigil, you too, can create matter.
It won't be as permanent as the real thing, but, if used for a specific purpose, its effects will last.
I shall teach you the first Sigil.
To begin with the Ritual, you must tame the Quintessence in your body, letting it settle down your blood.
To do so, you must chant this ancient verse.
"Sherishin,"
You must then chant your True Name.
And then follow it with,
"Suktur, sambir, san'blut."
It roughly translates to:
I, offer my blood for the purpose of 'creation.'
Once it has stabilized, mark your Index Finger, shed seven drops of your Blood onto a Linen Parchment.
With your bloodied finger, draw a Five Pointed, Starred Pentagon and encasing it with a circle.
Over the Highest Point, write the Token of Quintessence (Θ) using your blood. The Token of Quintessence symbolizes the unifying element, the Creator of all Things. It shall serve as the basis of the Sigil.
In the Upper Left Point, write the Token of Air (ζ) using your blood. The Token of Air symbolizes the first Breath of Life. It shall serve as the Freedom given by The Creator.
In the Upper Right Point, write the Token of Water (ξ) using your blood. The Token of Water symbolizes the Adaptability of Creation. It shall serve as the Healing Stream of Life.
In the Lower Left Point, write the Token of Earth (Π) using your blood. The Token of Earth symbolizes the Ground of Creation. It shall serve as Protection from the Evils.
In the Lower Right Point, write the Token of Fire (Ψ) using your blood. The Token of Fire symbolizes the Fire of Creation, The Selfish Desire Life has to Destroy Life. It shall serve as the Will to make things True.
As the Ritualistic Sigil is completed, chant the Name of the Element you want to produce.
"Ruach" is the Name of Air.
"Mayim" is the name of Water.
"Eretz" is the name of Earth.
"Esh" is the name of Fire.
This Ritual has a one-time use, but you may draw the Sigil one day and use it for a different one.
The more blood is employed for this Ritual, the more its effect will increase in power. Likewise, the purer the blood, the more Quintessence it contains, the more powerful the Sigil will become.
To successfully amplify its powers, you must form the various Five-Starred, Bloodied Pentagrams and place them together so they may form a Greater Hexagon.
The maximum amount of Five-Starred Bloodied Pentagrams that can be linked together to form a Greater Hexagon is 37.
But, if the blood is taken from many different sources, its likelihood to fail will increase.
Remember, my faithful student, unlike the normal shedding of blood, this Ritual drains your Quintessence; it will be more difficult for you to continue producing the Sigils.
If you decide to rush the process, you may experience fatigue, anxiety, poor concentration, mood changes and anemia.
Until then, study!
Make your Master proud.
Chaldean of Ur.
Gray read this manual many times, absorbing and memorizing the contents.
While this was a highly situational ritual, Gray had a plan in mind.
If everything went right, according to plan…
It could prove to be highly beneficial.