Eren stared at the scroll. His heart pounded wildly at the runic symbols on its surface. It was Ræzoňic. His second native language.
This confirmed his suspicions. Psions and Ræzoň were truly one and the same. It also answered how they learned to wield Ræzoň, how they became proficient enough to create rudimentary technology to detect it despite it only having ten years of existence in this world.
They learned it from cultivators!
Eren scratched his palms as his mind began to wander. Numerous questions flashed through him, each opening up myriads of topics and issues that he had no answer for.
"Don’t worry about trying to understand what’s written in this manual. Our best translators in the world are working hard to decipher its meaning, but even now we still haven’t cracked the code.
All you need to do now is imprint the symbols in your mind. Concentrate on it so much that you can see it even as you close your eyes.
If you’ve done it correctly, the technique will automatically enter your mind and the scroll will burn into ashes."
It even worked the same. There was no mistaking it. This was from their world.
Ræzoň was all-powerful, both in physical and in written form.
It could not be simply read like most knowledge. One must absorb it through the body and the mind and the soul.
The proper way to learn techniques was through the tutelage of a master. However, cultivation masters usually had thousands of students at the same time. Imparting wisdom like this wasn’t truly feasible.
Even with lifetimes spanning millennia, these cultivators didn’t have the time nor patience to personally teach every single one of their students.
So, they chose the easier way. They imprinted their Ræzoň technique onto a special piece of paper, imbuing it with their power so that those who gazed upon it would experience the technique in their minds, and therefore learn its secrets entirely.
The only downside was that they were consumable. Only one person per scroll.
"...we don’t know why Ascension Arts are the way they are. But that’s just how it is."
Dr. Reid basically told him the same thing. They knew how these scrolls worked almost perfectly.
"It’s also the reason why we have to test your talent first before giving you this Art. If your Psionic talent isn’t up to par to the requirements of the Ascension Art, you’d experience a great backlash if you tried to absorb its contents.
Some people theorize that it’s because of the natural power of Psions that makes it so inaccessible to most. While some believe it’s a defensive mechanism made by those who created the technique themselves."
"It’s both," Eren whispered to himself.
"What was that?"
He took the scroll from her. "This is an Ascension Art given to everyone who has a 5-star talent?"
She nodded after taking a second. "It’s a good foundation. Compatible with most techniques. This way, once you progress through your Awakening, you can learn other Arts without having to worry about the techniques conflicting with each other."
True enough, Eren thought. But there were simply far better alternatives that gave better performance without compromising compatibility.
The Art of the Volcanic Mantra was compatible with most techniques because its effects were simply nonexistent. Negligible. It was inoffensive to a fault.
No wonder they were giving this Ascension Art away for free.
"There are better techniques," Dr. Reid said, noticing the disappointment in his face.
He should have hid his emotions better.
"If you had shown greater talent, you could have gotten better options. Unfortunately, we can’t change that.
But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with this forever. If you perform well during raids and show your worth to the United Governments, they may award you with better, rarer Ascension Arts."
What did they consider ’better’ techniques, Eren wondered, if their knowledge about Ræzoň was so limited?
"Can I get Ascension Arts elsewhere?" he asked. Did the United Governments hoard all of them, was his real question.
"You can purchase it from select stores. But most of the time, the quality you can find there leaves a lot to be desired.
And those... prominent families keep the best Ascension Arts to themselves, so your best bet is with the United Governments."
It was brief, but he saw a twinge of emotion show on Dr. Reid’s face. A hint of resentment. This was his window to press for more information.
He let the dissatisfaction show on his face. "I want to be like those superheroes you showed me earlier. Why can’t I?"
He acted pitiable. He wanted that hidden emotion within her to emerge. He wanted her to be furious at those people who prevented a young child from fulfilling his dreams of becoming a superhero. It worked.
Dr. Reid’s eyes unfocused as her memories began to unfold. The creases on her face became more prominent.
"During the early days of the Cataclysm, the first Awakeners found the ruins of an ancient civilization. That’s where they found the scrolls.
Most of those Ascension Arts, they shared. While the rest, the rarer and more powerful ones, they kept to themselves.
Now, only their descendants and loyalists are able to learn those techniques. Finders keepers, they said.
But are such things important when the fate of the world is at stake? Our United Governments can’t get them to budge—"
She stopped abruptly, noticing her emotions and opinions leaking out. "I’m sorry. Don’t mind me. It was the ramblings of an old woman who’d seen too much."
Her face turned professional once more. Not a hint of that pent-up anger she showed just a second ago. "Anyway, like I said, it’s better for you to ally yourself with the United Governments."
She rested her hands on his. "Orphans... orphans like us don’t have anyone to rely on but ourselves. We must take what we can and do our best with what we have."