Alchemy Principles of Type-Moon World

"Although the Age of Gods has completely retreated, that doesn't mean that their magic is completely useless," Kenneth smiled faintly, his face brimming with confidence. "There are three important factors that contribute to the difference between modern magic and the Age of Gods' magic—"

"—Contract, environment, and throat."

"The change in the contract is the most direct and fundamental issue in the decline of magic in the Age of Gods." Kenneth raised his glass, the pale golden liquid swaying in the crystal glass. "During the Age of Gods, magicians made some form of contract with the gods, thereby performing miracles on their behalf and utilizing fragments of their power—"

"For example, in the Age of Gods, runes represent Odin's power."

"Modern magic arose precisely because the gods left the surface of the world after the Age of Gods retreated," Kenneth paused, spun the cup in his hand, and looked through the liquid in it at Xing Qingjiu before continuing, "As a result, magicians were unable to continue to make contracts with the gods, and thus were unable to perform magic from the Age of Gods."

"...Wait, what you mean is," Xing Qingjiu accurately grasped the key point of Kenneth's words, "if we find a way to maintain the contract with God in modern times-"

"--Then even now," Kayneth continued, "you can continue to use Age of Gods magic."

"Let's continue with the runes as an example. Not long ago, there was a Japanese... someone named Orange or something." He seemed to be trying to recall, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. After a moment's thought, he continued, "She rebuilt rune magic, whose foundation had declined, and magically regenerated the twenty-four common runes that served as its foundation. Rumor has it that she even deciphered several original runes from the Age of Gods."

"Runes are Odin's power. With the fading of the Age of Gods, magi can no longer make contracts with Odin, and so rune magic from the Age of Gods can no longer be practiced in modern times." He raised his hand and tapped his forehead, continuing to try to recall. "And long ago, someone tried to downgrade the magic of the Age of Gods to modern magic—"

"--Make the runes into a magic base?" Xing Qingqiu took over the conversation and asked.

Kenneth nodded slightly. "Well, since we can't make a pact with God, we must find a way to preserve the effectiveness of magic. We must rebuild a magic base that can continue to be used in the modern era, and use the base to perform magic, rather than the magus who made a pact with God. In other words, we are making a pact with the magic base."

"And that orange guy... oh, I remember, his name seems to be Aozaki." He put down his wine glass and tapped the table lightly. "The original modern rune magic foundation has long since declined, but that guy named Aozaki rebuilt it, making it possible to use runes in the modern era-"

"—But that's not the point. The point is the primordial runes from the Age of Gods that she was rumored to have deciphered.

Xing Qingjiu picked up the whiskey, gently stroking the sides of the glass with his fingers, feeling the liquid swirl within. He brought the glass to his lips and slowly took a sip. The strong, peaty flavor flowed through his throat, rolling hotly and bringing a refreshing stimulation. He half-closed his eyes, carefully savoring the warmth of the strong liquor and sorting out his thoughts.

"You mean," Xing Qingqi continued after a long pause, "that this can be used to renew the contract with God?"

"That's just speculation. After all, renewing the contract in modern times is nearly impossible." Kennis shook his head, a hint of helplessness between his brows. He turned his gaze out the window, the nightscape of Mexico City hazy and distant in his view. "After the Age of Gods faded, the gods retreated. Any attempt to renew the contract is just a wild guess."

"However, through the analysis of the runes of the Age of Gods, I believe there is a possibility of recreating this contract." Kenneth said, reaching out to take the whiskey bottle from Xing Qingjiu's hand, tilting the bottle, and slowly pouring the amber liquid into his glass. "In the modern era, if you want to continue to practice magic from the Age of Gods, you must have a contract to maintain it, but magicians from the Age of Gods do not need it."

"So," Xing Qingjiu reached out and picked up a few ice cubes and placed them in Kenneth's glass. The moment the ice cubes entered the glass, a slight crisp sound was particularly clear in the silence between them. He looked at the ice cubes gradually melting in the glass and asked, "Could the God Age Runes possibly become the object of this contract?"

Kenneth took a sip from his cup, then shook his head, his tone somewhat helpless. "This is just my speculation. I haven't made any progress in my research on magic in the past three to five years. Perhaps this information is a bit outdated—"

"—But when I think about how, even so, none of my students can stand shoulder to shoulder with me…" He brought the glass to his lips, paused for a moment, then drank the whiskey in one gulp. As he put the glass down, he sighed, "Alas, there really isn't a single one who can be called talented."

"Don't say that," Xing Qingqi smiled. He was used to Kenneth's cocky attitude and didn't take it seriously. He shook the ice in his glass and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I think Weber did a pretty good job, didn't he?"

"Weber's experience isn't enough," Kenneth frowned slightly, "That's why I want him to come to South America as well."

"Wow, it turns out to be outdoor teaching."

"Let's not talk about this anymore, let's move on," Kenneth gently put down the wine glass in his hand, and the sound of the bottom of the glass hitting the table echoed clearly in the silence.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his arm on the edge of the table, and slowly continued to explain: "The second is the environment. The ether of the Age of Gods was the 'Fifth Truth', and after the Common Era, it became the 'Fifth Fiction'—"

"——According to my research, I found evidence in the records that even in the post-Christian era, there was still a lot of evidence of magic being released by the Age of Gods."

"If that's true," Xing Qingqi tilted his head, frowning slightly, "then the theory that 'Age of Gods magic requires True Ether to be released' must be overturned. Is there any conclusive evidence?"

"There's no direct evidence at this time, but there is a great deal of indirect evidence." Kenneth shook his head slightly, his eyes dimming slightly. "This evidence suggests that after the Common Era, the use of the fifth ether can also unleash Age of Gods magic, though its effectiveness will be greatly reduced."

"Following the principle of 'Sagan's Razor,' we can't be completely certain of this claim," Xing Qingqi sighed, tapping his fingers lightly on the wall of the cup, making a series of soft, crisp noises. "We still have to keep looking for evidence. Let's put this one on the agenda as well. Maybe we can get some clues in Peru."

Sagan's Razor: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

"That's why I had to come to South America after hearing your description." He paused, "Next is the third one, which is 'throat'."

"Throat?" Xing Qingwu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Actually, the so-called 'throat' refers to the fact that the way magicians from the Age of Gods performed their magic was completely different from that of modern magicians." He stretched out his fingers and tapped the table lightly. "I've read a lot of records and found that some of the spells used in magic from the Age of Gods are simply not something that modern magicians can cast—"

"—That's why I call it the 'throat.' Perhaps due to differences in the throat's structure, modern people are unable to fully reproduce the spells of the Age of Gods." Kenneth paused, then continued, "But even so, magic from the Age of Gods still exists in modern times."

"If we agree with this proposition," Xing Qingjiu listened quietly, taking a sip of wine thoughtfully, "it proves that even without the same release method as the Age of Gods magic, we can recreate the Age of Gods magic."

"That's right," Kayneth said, "and if we consider the Peruvian Sun Festival to be a ritual of magic from the Age of Gods—"

"——There must be a contract object, is that right?" Xing l asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, the magic of the Age of Gods was unleashed through a contract with the gods. Magicians of the Age of Gods were able to perform magic because they were the ones who had made the contract with the gods. If that contract could be transferred to an object, perhaps even ordinary priests would be able to perform magic."

"If you think of it this way, their annual sacrificial ceremonies perfectly conform to the ritual rules of magic." Xing Qingqi nodded slightly, his fingers gently rubbing between a few kernels of corn. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the kernels in his palm. "Perhaps the original ritual form was not like this, but due to the retreat of the ether of the 'Fifth Truth', the effectiveness of the magic of the Age of Gods has been greatly weakened, and it can only be presented in this incomplete form—"

"——So the only effect left before us is this level." Xing Qingfu said with a sigh and a sigh, but the rubbing action of his fingers did not stop.

"That's right," Kenneth nodded in agreement. "Our goal is simple: to find the contracted object and confirm that it is Age of Gods magic."

"This can also prove the correctness of your theory. Ha, killing two birds with one stone." Xing Qingfeng smiled and shook his head. "I always feel like I'm some kind of armchair detective now."

"Let Weber handle detective work." Kenneth snorted and curled his lips, but a hint of impatience could not be concealed in his eyes. "I'm not interested in that kind of thing."

Xing Qingqi's gaze lingered on the corn kernels on the table. He raised his hand and put them back into the small cloth bag, his movements gentle and familiar. He tied the bag's string and placed it back into his seemingly casual yet sturdy worn canvas bag.

"That's about it," he said, shaking his head, a hint of resignation in his voice. "We still have to go to Peru to confirm the specific details."

The two of them were silent for a moment. Kenneth suddenly stood up and walked to the small bookshelf beside the table. He pulled out a stack of handwritten documents and several yellowed maps. He spread them out and motioned Xing Qingqi to come over and take a look.

"These are documents and rumors about ancient South American sacrificial rituals, even including the specific procedures for the Festival of the Sun." Kenneth pointed to a map covered with annotations. "This is a very important area in South America's sacrificial traditions. I've made some estimates and believe these places may have similar contracts or sacrificial vessels."

"Aren't you all ready?" Xing Qingyu patted the documents in his hand and said with a smile, "Then, book your flight for the next day and we'll leave tomorrow."

"Let's go. We'll know what the situation is when we get there tomorrow."

--------------

I overslept. I originally planned to get up at 11 o'clock, but ended up sleeping until 12:30... Fortunately, I made it in time, otherwise I would have missed the perfect attendance and my manuscript fee would have been sent (sad)

I have done a preliminary review of the situation in Peru and inserted the patch on the Age of Gods magic in the event log.

The above is a new book by a new author. Please vote and give me feedback. Thank you!

Volume 3: Symbiosis: . Severed Languages

The plane slowly taxied and landed at Cusco's Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. Outside the window, vast expanses of dark green mountains appeared, their rambling buildings strikingly vivid in the thin highland air. As soon as they disembarked, Xing Qingqi and Kenneth felt a strange chill wash over them, a fresh scent of earth and grass. The air was so thin that it felt slightly sour with every breath.

They walked through the bustling hall and followed the crowd to the exit. Outside the gates was a wide square, buzzing with shouts and chatter. Indigenous women wore wide-brimmed straw hats, brightly colored bundles slung across their backs, laden with mountain produce. Men in khaki jackets laboriously loaded goods onto old pickup trucks. All around, rows of stone-walled stalls displayed Inca-style handicrafts, knitted alpaca shawls, and crude, patterned pottery.

The two of them slowly walked toward the taxi area. Xing Qing looked up. The sky was clear and azure, the clouds so thin that they seemed to break at the slightest touch. Brilliant sunlight filtered through the gaps between the mountains and the city buildings, painting the earth a golden hue. He took a deep breath, taking in the unique aroma of Cusco.

"How do you feel?" Xing Qingyu smiled and patted Kenneth's shoulder.

"Anyway, this place is better than London." Kenneth also took a deep breath. "I think every place is better than London."

"Don't really think this is a vacation," Xing Qingyu warned in a low voice, carefully stuffing the yellowed notebook he had been holding back into his bag. "I'm counting on you to come to C, buddy."

"Then what are you responsible for?" Although Xing Qingyu was mumbling something that no one else could understand, Kenneth still understood what he meant.

"I'm responsible for enjoying this year's trip." Xing Qingwu replied.

"Ha, that's true..." Kenneth shook his head, "Luckily I called Weber."

"Then what are you going to do?" This time it was Xing Qingwu's turn to ask Kenneth.

"Ha, I'm here to enjoy this trip too," Kenneth said with a smug smile. His lemon-sliver-like golden hair was particularly striking in the sunlight. "And to see how capable Waver is now."

"Hmm, looks like Weber has to work overtime again."

As the two men were joking with each other, they hailed a taxi that had just stopped by the roadside. The driver was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion and a weathered face. His features were resolute, and his eyes and eyebrows exuded a calmness. He didn't rush to greet them, but simply gave them a brief, scrutinizing glance before gesturing for them to get in.

As the car drove up the winding mountain road of Cusco, the picturesque scenery of the plateau on both sides unfolded before our eyes. The fields were dotted with herds of alpacas and black and white cattle, and the thatched houses glowed golden in the sun.

——Xing Qingyu always felt that the blond hair looked like Kenneth’s. Ever since he had been mocking Kenneth’s lemon hair for half a year, this guy had grown long hair out of anger.

Then this guy's charm value inexplicably became higher and higher. Whenever the two of them stood together, this guy was always the one being approached, which made Xing Qingqi a little unhappy.

As the car continued up the mountain, the view gradually widened. Ancient Inca buildings loomed among the mountains, as if the gods of the past still tried to protect this land. Layers of blue-grey stones were piled up to form tall walls, reflecting a quiet light in the sunlight.

The air in the taxi was strangely chilly. The driver, after studying them for a moment, finally spoke. His voice was hoarse and deep, as if from constant exposure to the elements. "Are you here for tourism?" he asked in slightly stilted English. Although they were in South America, his accent was typical Spanish. "There's nothing much to see at this time of year."

"Actually, I've heard a lot about the Sun Festival, so I came here to learn more about it in advance." Xing Qingfeng smiled slightly and replied in fluent Spanish, "I also hope to see the legendary Sun God with my own eyes."

A rare glint flickered in the driver's eyes; Xing Qingjiu's words completely relaxed him. He cleared his throat briefly, his face etched with the solemnity only found in elders recounting stories.

"Did you know? Cusco is more than just a city. It was once the heart of the entire Inca Empire." He spoke reminiscently as he drove, his language switching from English to Spanish. "Legend has it that Inti, the sun god, gave the Incas life and wisdom. He taught them to grow corn, weave cloth, and revere the earth. He sends down sunlight from the sky every day to illuminate our land, giving life to the mountains, rivers, and streams here."

He raised his hand slightly, gesturing towards the distant mountain range. "Back then, the Inca Emperor Pachacuti built Cusco and decorated the Temple of the Sun, Coricancha, with gold bricks. Beneath those golden walls, people worshipped and chanted, and even the air was filled with the aura of the gods." He paused, his voice deepening. "But what about now? Most of the gold has long been looted, and only a portion of the temple remains, now part of a church... The myth has gradually faded, leaving only the celebration of the Festival of the Sun. The people of this land still believe that the gods still exist, blessing this land."

A flicker of nostalgia flashed in his eyes as he continued, "Every June, on the Day of the Sun, you'll see Cusco transformed. People dress in traditional costumes, hold golden flags, and gather in front of the Coricancha, dancing and singing until midnight. At that time, everyone raises their heads in prayer, asking the sun god for a good harvest and for his protection and favorable weather."

Xing Qingyu listened quietly, occasionally nodding in response. The atmosphere between the two of them became increasingly heated.

Kenneth, listening with only a vague understanding, could only watch the two chat away. While Kenneth knew far more languages than the average magician, his Spanish, with its South American accent, was still a bit over the top. He could only roughly discern what the two were saying, staring out the window at the passing scenery.

As the taxi passed through a majestic hillside and headed towards the towering center of Cusco in the distance, the driver's narration gradually stopped. He pointed to the majestic church and the Temple of the Sun nearby and said:

"Over there is the Sun Temple, Korikancha. Every year during the Sun Festival, thousands of people gather here to pray for the sun's blessing."

Xing Qingfu narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the golden Korikancha, nodded thoughtfully, and secretly thought about the itinerary in his heart.

The car slowly stopped near their destination. After paying the fare, Xing Qingfeng patted the driver on the shoulder with a smile. "Thank you for the introduction," he said in Spanish. "When we have time, we will definitely go to Corican to check it out."

They arrived at the small inn they had booked. It was a two-story building at the end of a quiet cobblestone street. The exterior was painted a warm reddish-brown. Several pots of brightly colored flowers hung at the entrance, swaying gently in the morning breeze. The innkeeper was an elderly woman wearing a hand-woven shawl.

"Welcome to Cusco," the old woman said in heavily accented English, leading the two to their respective rooms. "This is the plateau, and it gets very cold at night. Remember to close the windows and cover yourself with plenty of blankets."

Xing Qingfeng nodded in thanks, opened the door, and walked in. The room was small, with hand-woven tapestries hanging on the walls. The brightly colored patterns outlined ancient Inca totems. From the window, one could see the distant mountains, dyed a deep orange-red by the afterglow of the setting sun.

"What's going on?" Xing Qingwu suddenly said, "Why haven't I heard you complain yet?"

"Huh?" Kenneth quickly understood the sting in Xing Qing's words. "Do you think I have to stay in a high-end hotel?"

"Hey, are you guys okay? Go ahead and disperse. Please don't hesitate. Let's go." Xing Qingyu didn't give a direct answer, but just made a strange sound to acquiesce.

"I never refuse to stay in a place that has a local feel. I'm not one to get angry or picky about the quality of a place," Kenneth said. "On the contrary, I'm disgusted by places that have no historical roots or cultural atmosphere. They're just ugly pigsties with rented, copied sensibilities and superficially elegant decorations."

"So where do you choose to book a hotel every time you go to a place?" Xing Qingwu suddenly asked.

"Of course, the top floor of the best hotel in the area. Any questions?"

"No wonder," Xing Qingyu nodded in sudden realization, "That's fine, no wonder you feel like your living place is not good most of the time."

"?"

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore," Xing Qingfeng took out a map and notebook from his backpack, obviously starting to get into the swing of things. "Let's prepare the rules for tomorrow."

"Shit, I feel like you're mocking me again," Kenneth leaned over and watched Xing Qingqi unfold the map on the table. "Where do we start?"

"Let's meet the guide I found tomorrow," Xing Qingqi said. "He'll take us to all the Inca ruins that are normally accessible, as well as two that are not open to tourists. Is there any objection?"

"No," Kenneth nodded, "but I think we should make some extra preparations."

"Did you find anything?"

"The language here," Kenneth said, "remember the 'throat' I mentioned in the three components of magic?"

"Well, one of the differences between the magic of the Age of Gods and modern magic is that there are tones that are almost impossible for modern people to produce."

"Haven't you noticed?" Kenneth continued, "I've been listening to the language used by the people around me along the way—"

"—It's all Spanish or English," Kenneth emphasized. "This means that from a secular perspective, the language and culture here have been completely cut off."

"Wait, if this influence is reflected in the magic system..." Xing Qingfu took over the conversation, "Does it mean that the colonizers not only cut off the local culture, but also eradicated the basic inheritance of magic?"

"Indeed, completely eradicating a language would undoubtedly greatly increase the difficulty of inheriting the magic base and system. Remember the runes I mentioned?" Kenneth nodded and continued, "The loss of runes in the secular world has increased its mystery to a certain extent, but it ultimately led to the decline of its magic base."

"I'm not sure if the mystery of this land has faded as easily as the runes," Kayneth speculated, "but if the language hasn't been completely eradicated, but is instead passed down in secret by a small number of people—"

"—The mystery surrounding the native language will be greatly increased."

"Wait a minute," Xing Qingjiu suddenly interrupted Kenneth's speculation, "I remember that at the Sun Festival ceremony, the language used by the priests was still Spanish."

"Hmm..." Kenneth pondered for a moment before continuing to mutter, "Language distortion..."

"What do you say?" Xing Qingjiu chimed in with a few words at the right time, like a supporting actor.

"Different languages use different descriptions to express the same thing," Kenneth explained. "For example, the Chinese word 'apple' and the English word 'apple' are completely different in pronunciation and writing, but they refer to the same thing."

"But this is only the most basic 'vocabulary' used to refer to objects. As language develops along with cultural systems, different cultural systems will extend the vocabulary referring to the same object differently—"

"For example, in Europe, the apple can be extended to mean the fruit of wisdom in the Garden of Eden, and thus be given the symbol of leading to human depravity," Kenneth continued to explain. "But if we simply translate it as 'apple' in Chinese, without understanding the original context, we will have no way of knowing this implication, because this extension does not exist in the Chinese cultural system—"

"—During this translation process, the meaning of words is inevitably lost or misunderstood. This phenomenon is called language distortion."

"But even if distortion occurs during translation, the languages won't become two completely different things," Kenneth paused and continued, "just like Apple and App Store can ultimately refer to the same thing."

"But whether it's 'apple' or 'Apple', they don't refer to 'a certain one', but rather any object that fits the meaning of the word. To a certain extent, it can be called a symbol-to-symbol relationship, and this relationship also leaves room for the language of magic to change."

"Ha..." Xing Qingfeng nodded thoughtfully. "My opinion is that natural language is really troublesome."

"I've tried my best to explain it in terms you can understand." Kenneth curled his lips.

"So," Xing Qingfeng sighed, "natural language is really troublesome."

"Forget it, these are just speculations. We'll have to conduct an on-site investigation to confirm them." Kenneth shook his head. "What is this called in the secular research world?"