Chapter 3The Language of Raymond and the Silver Key
1167 Words
The two of them sat in silence until breakfast came to an end.
Once the meal was finished, the maid quietly cleared the plates and any leftover food.
Have you thought about the direction of the sequence route? It’s time for you to take the potion and ascend to Sequence 9, said Marquis Bach, his hands clasped as he calmly regarded his son.
According to the Empire's laws, to inherit a title, you need to be at least at Sequence 8. That shouldn't be too difficult. Will you choose the Knight path supported by the government or the Mage path?
Hodge hesitated for a moment before responding, Father, I haven’t decided yet. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?
"Very well. Make your decision quickly; once the potion is consumed, it cannot be changed, Marquis Bach nodded slightly. "And how well do you grasp the Ancient Lemond Language?"
The Ancient Lemond Language was a mysterious tongue originating from the Third Era, said to be a fusion of the Giant Language, Elf Language, and Dragon Language, crafted by one of humanity's great sages, Raymond. It possessed the ability to communicate with nature and manifest the extraordinary, making it the most commonly used language in the supernatural world.
Spells for the Mage sequence and the enchantment enhancements for the Knight path were adapted from the Ancient Lemond Language. Because this language was so otherworldly, it wasn't suited for everyday communication. Raymond had since improved it, leading to the creation of the more mundane Lemond Language, which became a cornerstone in the evolution of human speech.
The language Hodge and his father, Marquis Bach, were discussing, Salomian, was also derived from the Lemond Language. It was precisely because their current language lacked the power to invoke the mysteries of nature that Marquis Bach felt safe to utter the names of the dark gods.
If one were to speak the names of such entities in a language that could conjure natural mysteries, they would risk immediate and horrific transformation—becoming a writhing mass of flesh or a puddle of blood, victims of the dark gods’ attention. Such supernatural languages were generally reserved for sacrifices, prayers, and the casting of specific spells and incantations.
"I’ve grasped the basics," Hodge replied.
"Good," Marquis Bach said with a slight hum. Remember, the Ancient Lemond Language should only be used to cast abilities or interpret ancient texts. Otherwise, avoid using it; even casually speaking, it can draw the attention of certain mysterious entities, leading to madness or transformation.
After acknowledging his father's words, Hodge stood up. Understood, Father. I’ll go to the library now.
"Alright," Marquis Bach nodded slightly.
As Hodge ascended the staircase, Marquis Bach remained seated, his voice devoid of emotion as he asked, "Has the young master met anyone in recent days?"
"Master, the young master has stayed in the mansion these past few days, only taking strolls in the garden and fishing in the viewing pond," a weathered voice emerged from the shadows.
"Investigate the people in the mansion," Marquis Bach commanded after a moment of silence.
"At once," replied the shadow, which swiftly darted away.
What is happening? Even your father cannot speak of it… Marquis Bach narrowed his eyes slightly and walked towards his study.
In the library of the Blue Sky Marquis's estate, Hodge carelessly pulled a book from the shelf and placed it on the table. As he read, he absentmindedly jotted down notes.
Is the Eternal Magic Cult that dangerous?
That person claimed to be one of the Seven High Priests, brutally powerful, and within a single night, he had breached the marquis' estate, capturing my father, mother, and slaughtering everyone in the castle.
According to him, I bear the aura of that "Master," yet I have never sensed anything unusual.
Could it be due to my status as a transmigrator?
Or is it connected to that mysterious key that seemingly caused my transmigration?
Recalling the pained, frantic screams of the Lazy High Priest, Hodge opened the drawer, rummaging through the clutter until he uncovered an ancient, silvery key. Its surface was rusty, making it appear quite ordinary.
As he gazed at the key, memories of his previous life flooded back: alone and struggling, he had finally landed a job at a prominent internet company, only to die suddenly under the pressures of a relentless work culture, ending a rather pitiful and dull existence.
This silver key, however, was something he had bought by chance while accompanying his boss to an antique shop in an old street.
Upon entering this new world, it had been the first familiar object he encountered, and Hodge's initial reaction was to treat it as a potential "golden finger."
Thus, he had conducted a series of experiments—burning it, dripping blood on it—hoping for something extraordinary, but aside from adding more rust, he had seen no results. Eventually, he tossed it aside into the drawer of the library, forgetting about it.
At that time, Hodge had learned a lesson: he wasn't the protagonist of a wish-fulfillment story; he didn't possess a "golden finger."
Online novels were deceiving.
However, after being brutally slain by the Lazy High Priest and experiencing a strange rewind to seven days prior, he realizes that something special indeed lay within him. At the very least, the power to reverse time, the aura spoken of by the Lazy High Priest, and the mysterious nature of the silver key were all undeniably real.
Hodge picked up the silver key and scrutinized it closely, but still found nothing extraordinary.
He set it aside and picked up a quill, beginning to write in Chinese on a sheet of dark yellow paper, listing the information he had gathered in hopes of finding a way to break through this situation.
Having lived in this world for a year, he had long adapted to life with his parents and as the son of a marquis.
The lonely existence of his previous life—without family or support—meant he would not allow anyone to take everything away from him again.
Current known intelligence:
· The date of the attack was likely shortly after the banquet ended seven days ago.
· The attackers, including the Lazy High Priest, numbered at least twenty.
· Their specific strength could be around Sequence 5 or even as strong as Sequence 4, possessing the ability to breach both visible and hidden defenses of the estate and infiltrate the castle.
· The motive for the attack remains unclear.
Hodge's gaze was calm and steady as he meticulously documented the information.
Thanks to his experiences as a programmer in his past life, Hodge believed that there were no impenetrable codes and no unsolvable problems. Similarly, in the face of this sudden, insane attack, there had to be a way to break the situation.
"The information is still too sparse…"
After a moment of thought, Hodge sighed softly as he gazed at the words on the paper.
- Writer
