Chapter 252

Chapter 239: Communication

On the northern outskirts of Tivyán, at the King Campus of the Royal Sacred Crown University.

In the afternoon, within the wide school library, students scattered throughout the seats were engrossed in their books, each maintaining a basic level of quietness as usual, unlike other parts of the school where discussions about the police and suddenly missing students were rampant.

In a corner by the window of the library, Dorothy was sitting in her familiar spot. Beside her were stacks of various books, and in front of her lay an open book with handwritten characters. Clear, distinct words appeared out of nowhere on the blank spaces, which was none other than “Navigation of the Literary Sea.”

“Respected ‘Scholar,’ please forgive my interruption. Today, I still have new questions to ask you. This time, I need to inquire about the function of an instrument. It seems to be a wooden box with a large brass horn attached to it. The box has a drawer containing a black disc with holes. It looks something like this…”

Text and dialogue appeared on the pages of “Navigation of the Literary Sea,” followed by a simple sketch that roughly outlined the shape of the instrument.

Dorothy looked at the diagram in the book and quickly understood what was being described. She immediately wrote back in response.

“Hello, Mr. Kapak. The machine you described is called a phonograph, a device capable of playing recorded sounds. The black disc with holes you mentioned is called a record, a medium for recording sound. With a phonograph, you can play the sounds recorded on the record.”

After finishing her reply, Dorothy watched as her words slowly sank into the paper. After some time, new sentences appeared on the page of “Navigation of the Literary Sea.” Compared to the previous year’s handwriting, these words were slightly tilted, as if the writer had been somewhat agitated while writing.

“A machine that can play recorded sounds? To invent such a machine, the country across the sea must be very smart. Respected Scholar, could you teach me how to use this amazing ‘phonograph’?”

Seeing the new words appearing on “Navigation of the Literary Sea,” Dorothy smiled slightly and began to write again.

“First, you need to install the record correctly…”

Thereafter, Dorothy patiently wrote down instructions on how to use the phonograph in “Navigation of the Literary Sea,” answering one question after another that appeared. Soon enough, the young tribal youth on the other end of the “Navigation of the Literary Sea” seemed to have successfully made his phonograph work.

“It’s true! Honorable Scholar, you’re right! This phonograph really can play recorded sounds! What beautiful sounds, it’s truly magical!”

The handwriting on “Navigation of the Literary Sea” became quite messy. Just by looking at the handwriting, Dorothy could imagine the excited scene of the tribal youth listening to music.

“This Kapak is indeed a curious young man. I didn’t expect this ‘Navigation of the Literary Sea’ would reach the new continent across the sea. Fortunately, such a person obtained the contact text.”

Dorothy thought to herself. On that day, when she communicated with Kapak under the identity of Akka, she had informed him about others like him who held similar texts. Shortly thereafter, Dorothy contacted Kapak under a different identity.

To understand his specific situation, this time Dorothy adopted the pseudonym “Scholar,” reaching out to Kapak as someone who had also received blessings from Akka. Kapak responded with surprise soon after.

Under Dorothy’s persuasion, Kapak quickly believed her new identity. Suddenly, Kapak felt as if he had found a long-lost companion and enthusiastically chatted with Dorothy.

After all, compared to the powerful spirit Akka, whose true nature was unknown, communicating with a scholar who shared similar experiences was easier and more convenient.

During their exchanges, Kapak frequently asked Dorothy about the usage of industrial products. Kapak had collected a lot of industrial items, but not all of them came with usage instructions like medicines. Dorothy often explained to Kapak how to use these things, just as she did earlier.

Of course, while explaining, Dorothy also subtly inquired about Kapak’s own situation. Through several exchanges, she had a general understanding of his circumstances.

Firstly, Dorothy learned that his name was Kapak and that he was located on the continent across the sea. He mentioned that invaders from Prit had come from the east to occupy their land. Based on the map, Dorothy determined that this was the new continent west of the main continent.

In subsequent exchanges, Dorothy confirmed that Kapak was a native of the new continent, a young tribal member who, like many other natives, despised the invaders but was not averse to their things. He was particularly interested in the advanced industrial products brought by the invaders, so Dorothy often explained their uses to him. In return, he explained some situations about the new continent to her.

For example, Dorothy learned that there were many native tribes in the new continent, and Kapak’s tribe was called the Tupa Tribe. They had once been loyal to the same king but later split. For instance, the new continent had many wilderness spirits that the main continent did not have. There were also conflicts among the colonizers…

Every time she explained to Kapak, Dorothy gained some intelligence about the new continent. This time, she hoped to gain a deeper understanding of these tribes’ beliefs or religious practices, especially regarding mysticism.

“Kapak, I want to ask you, do you have any mainstream faiths or worship practices there? I mean, not the worship of wilderness spirits, but the worship of deities, similar to how the colonizers worship the Glimmer Three Saints.”

Dorothy wrote the words on “Navigation of the Literary Sea.” After watching the words on the book slowly disappear, she quietly waited for his reply.

Soon, Kapak’s handwriting reappeared on the page.

“Respected Scholar, you may not know this, but in our culture, there is no distinction between gods and spirits. Everything is a spirit, everything is a god. Although spirits vary in strength, we hold all of them in reverence except for evil spirits.

“We worship wilderness spirits, ancestral spirits… These spirits are close to us, many of them can directly communicate with shamans or even manifest themselves, which is quite different from the concept of the colonizers’ gods.

“If we must say, among the spirits we worship, there is only one that comes closest to the existence described by the colonizers as the Glimmer God.

“On our land, each tribe worships different spirits, but every tribe shows the highest reverence to one existence, known as the ‘Great Soul.’

“He is the place where all souls are born and ultimately return, the ancestor of souls, and also the end of souls.”