What was a Historian?
A Historian was someone who could manifest a portion of the ancient information within the Celestial Library to reality.
This information would turn into a Historical Projection in the present.
However, to access any information in this Library, one required the corresponding knowledge.
The more knowledge one possessed, the further integrated they needed to become to the Celestial Library, allowing their body to better be able to project more to reality.
’But I can’t even consider myself a Historian, since I am still at Sub-Integration. Although I have the mind and corresponding knowledge of a Historian, my Anchor is still lacking...’ Lazarus had thought about this problem already.
But he suddenly had an idea, one that used this same logic to its extreme.
Any Integration Level below 10 Percent was considered Sub-Integration. This was what Squires, those at the bottom of the Historian ranks, possessed. Once they reached 10 Percent, they would officially become Scholars and officially start their journeys as Historians.
’Right now, I can be considered a Squire... although barely...’ He sighed, looking at everything that he summoned on his desk.
All of these could be considered Historical Projections.
However, they existed in this secluded domain that only belonged to him.
’What if...?’ Lazarus had a rather ingenious idea, so he decided to put it to the test. He stirred his mind and conjured something unbelievable.
—Himself!
It was a Historical Projection of the Lazarus who had just established a connection with the Celestial Library with a Sub-Integration of 1 Percent.
The Historical Projection also had one special trait that the current Lazarus did not.
—His memories were limited.
’This Lazarus will only have memories of his own life, and not my own. This is because it is the Historical Projection of the current Lazarus, one that has not had me fully awaken inside him. If it were him, he wouldn’t be assimilated into the Celestial Library.’
Lazarus nodded at the Historical Projection, who appeared lifeless and dull.
This was within expectations.
’A Historical Projection will only come alive when they enter reality. Right now, this mass is nothing more than a mass of knowledge that I conjured up.’
Such a thing couldn’t act on its own.
’I can probably control it like a puppet, but that’s about it...’ Lazarus nodded solemnly while considering what he could do next.
The first and most obvious choice was to find a way to send this Historical Projection to take his place in the present. That way, he could control this being as his avatar and allow it to interact with the material world in his place.
But, while this was a rather bold and interesting idea, there were too many problems with it.
For one, there was no guarantee that it would work.
Even if he could somehow find a way to send this Historical Projection to reality, how would he be able to remotely control it all the way from the Celestial Library?
Also, Historical Projections were static, in the sense that they could never grow or learn new things. As such, this Historical Projection of himself would remain Sub-Integrated at 1 Percent forever, and it would never be able to develop into a fully realized Historian.
That wasn’t something Lazarus wanted to see.
There was also the fact that experienced Historians would be able to easily detect that it was a mere Historical Projection and not the real person.
Many more problems surged in Lazarus’ mind, giving him a big headache.
It just wouldn’t work.
’All of this is even assuming I can conjure a gateway to reality at any moment...’ As Lazarus thought of this, a sudden door of light erupted in front of him.
He felt an inexplicable connection to the gateway.
And, beyond the door of light, he could see the happenings of the material world.
It was the present.
’Eh? Is that... me? I’m frozen in place, while giving a blank look?’ Lazarus saw his motionless body, which was staring at the crowd in confusion. He also looked around and noticed the crowd, some of which kept giving him strange and mocking glances.
’They’re talking shit about me again...’ Lazarus groaned silently. ’I wonder what they are saying.’
At that moment, an incorporeal barrier suddenly diminished, causing sounds to flow out of the door of light. Lazarus could suddenly hear the countless murmurs of the Aspirants as they openly discussed many things, some of which concerned him.
"Pfft! Look at his blank expression..."
"He must have been so shocked that he only reached 1 Percent. But what did he expect? Even his parents were untalented. Did he think he would be any better?"
"What a joke..."
"Hey, do you think we should poke him? He has been standing lifeless like that for a while now."
"Ignore him... He probably wants attention."
"Yeah. Maybe he wants someone to pity him. Doesn’t he know that we all have our own circumstances to worry about?"
"Honorable Sir Winston keeps glancing in his direction. I wonder if Lazarus is trying to get his attention with this act..."
As the sounds overlapped, turning overwhelming, Lazarus hurriedly muted everyone.
He could no longer stand the blabbering of fools.
Despite his disgust at their constant bickering, he couldn’t argue with some of the sentiments they displayed.
For one, the talent of this current Lazarus was too poor.
As a trite standard among Historians, those whose Sub-Integration fell between 1-2 Percent were deemed talentless. They had a very bleak future as Historians. Average talent is anything above that to around 4 Percent. Those considered talented started off with a Sub-Integration of 5 Percent or higher.
’In my past life, my Sub-Integration was 6 Percent. I was decently talented, yet it still took me hundreds of years to finally reach Legendary Rank. I was also reaching the end of my lifespan, with the possibility of attaining Mythic Rank impossible, even if I hadn’t died in battle.’
That impossible height belonged only to the geniuses!
Those with a Sub-Integration of 7 to 9 Percent.
Merely thinking about this was enough to make anyone depressed, so Lazarus set the thought aside and focused on another aspect.
’Honorable Sir Winston, huh? Has he noticed my abnormality?’ His thoughts stirred and he found himself shifting the perspective of what the door of light displayed.
He quickly realized that he could zoom in and out, but this view only at about a 300 meters in range. Any further, and the screen beyond the door of light would turn blank. After he experimenting for only a few seconds, Lazarus brought the Historian to his line of sight and noticed something—something abnormal.
"This...?!" His pupils shrunk to pin size as he noticed a sinister aura slowly spreading across the Historian’s body.
He instantly knew what that was.
Corruption!
This Historian had been corrupted!
’I can also vaguely sense his connection to the Celestial Library. He should be around Professor level. That’s Rank 5... yet he cannot sense this corruption? Just what kind of Nameless infected him?’ As Lazarus had this thought, he couldn’t help but shudder at the realization.
Moments before, he had let this Historian into his Mind’s World.
What if that Nameless had also found its way into his own mind, infecting him too?
Lazarus quickly searched his Mind’s World, but found no corresponding clues.
He was of the Legendary Rank in his past life, and while many aspects of his capabilities had been suppressed thanks to his current body, his ability to detect any corruption in his Mind’s World remained unhindered.
After thoroughly investigating his mind multiple times and finding no signs, he concluded that the corruption didn’t spread to him.
’It must have been because the old man only stayed at the periphery of my mind. Even then, some Nameless are rather impatient and would still jump into another mind to corrupt it. I suppose I was rather fortunate in this regard...’
Lazarus quickly realized that he had yet another reason to return to reality.
If he couldn’t find a way, and fast, the Aspirants in the hall were in immense danger. If the danger wasn’t quickly contained, then those in the hall next door would also be implicated.
’The rate at which the corruption is spreading is rather fast...’
Lazarus brought his face closer to the door of light when he observed a sudden change.
The pitch-black corruption within Sir Winston stopped spreading, and the squirming darkness suddenly focused on him!
Indeed!
The entity within the old Historian had cast its sights onto the door of light.