Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Fifteen True Names

"Why are there so few True Names for the God of Destruction, while others have so many?" Ethan asked.

The first three categories of True Names—Sun, Moon, and Earth—were nearly filled to capacity. The Sun had the most, with eight listed and only one unknown, followed closely by the Moon and the Earth. The others were slightly fewer, but still generally contained five or six. However, starting from the tenth category, the number of known True Names dwindled, with only two known for the God of Destruction. For the final series, the Hyper-Dimensionalist, there was only a beginning; not even the first True Name was recorded.

"Because the world is constantly changing," Clay said, sounding remarkably unlike himself. "Of course, those aren't my words. It was written in an issue of the *Truth Eye* newspaper. Why are the earlier True Names so detailed? Because from the tenth category upward, these are True Names of the Old World. They existed long before the discovery of the New Continent. The first three, in particular, correspond to the three oldest cults of the Old Gods. Their history is vast, dating back thousands of years, so naturally, they have been explored most thoroughly."

"Everything after the tenth category emerged only after the New Continent was discovered. The later they appeared, the less they have been explored. So, the world is constantly changing. Do you understand?"

Though Clay said this, it was highly probable he did not understand it himself. Ethan, however, had his own conjectures.

"So, each series of True Names can be traced up to a maximum of nine?" Ethan asked. The upper limit for every True Name series was nine.

"As far as we currently know, yes. Because for the oldest series, the Sun, the *Truth Eye* has observed that the most powerful is the ninth True Name: The Sun."

At the end of the Sun series, it was indeed written as "Sun" in the common tongue; as for the ancient language, it was certainly absent. It seemed that the ancient language held something of vital importance. Recalling this, Ethan remembered the moment he bestowed the True Name upon Anya. He had granted her the True Names "Violent Believer" and "Master," but what Anya saw was "Black Butler." She did not know the ancient language, so she could not decipher the true meaning of the name. Perhaps this was the secret of the ancient language.

"Where can one learn the ancient language?" Ethan asked, tracing the twisting characters with his fingers.

"I have no idea. The ancient language is knowledge possessed only by truly old sects and organizations, such as the *Truth Eye*. They do not share such knowledge."

This was expected, provided the ancient language truly involved the genuine meaning of the True Names. After browsing through the True Names, Ethan turned to other sections of the paper. Aside from the fact that only a True Namist could read it, the *Truth Newspaper* was not much different from a normal one, save for the fact that it only recorded the affairs of True Namists.

The headline of the issue Clay brought was about news from the Old World. It reported that a small town called Butterflan had shown signs of large-scale cult activity. The Sun Temple had received the report and immediately dispatched the Solar Radiance Guard to take control, subsequently purifying the town. There were no survivors, and no evidence of a cult was found. Of course, that was the Sun Temple's official statement. According to *Truth Eye* intelligence, the town might have been involved in the resurrection of an Ancient God, and the Sun Temple itself might have been complicit.

The affairs of the Old World were too distant for Ethan, so he skimmed past them. Beyond current events, the *Truth Newspaper* contained various rumors: where ancient relics had been unearthed, where witchcraft recipes were circulating, or where demons were wreaking havoc. There were also trading notices—people selling alchemical items, herbs, and special materials, all of which were things Ethan had never heard of.

"Do you have any alchemical items, Clay?" Ethan asked, curious.

"Of course I do." Clay looked somewhat smug as he spoke. He shook his hands, and in the next instant, a pair of gleaming silver knuckles appeared on his fingers. "Mithril Knuckles, a Tier 2 alchemical creation. They possess two properties: 'Indestructible' and 'Carry-on.' The mithril also has a certain ability to repel evil. They cost me quite a fortune." He shook his hands again, and the knuckles vanished.

So, "carry-on" meant they could be summoned from anywhere on his body?

"Can only Ancient Creators make alchemical items?" The Ancient Creator was also one of the fifteen True Names, belonging to the Old World, and one of their True Names was 'Alchemy Researcher.'

"Yes, which is why they are the wealthiest group among True Namists. If you're interested, you can take a look at the next gathering. You might find something you want to buy." Clay continued to show off, making the knuckles appear and disappear.

Ethan stopped looking at him and returned to the newspaper. Secretly, he felt a sense of relief—thankfully, Fred and Joan had possessed no alchemical items, or killing them would not have been so simple.

"Does my father have no alchemical items?" Ethan suddenly wondered.

"He does. Isn't it on your hand right now?" Clay seemed surprised but explained, "He spent a king's ransom to have that forged. It's even more expensive than my knuckles and is also a Tier 2 alchemical creation. Its properties are 'Indestructible' and 'Storage.' It can store a portion of one's True Name power, serving as both a temporary reserve and a legacy."

"Looking at it now, he was quite far-sighted. He truly passed it down to you and saved the entire family."

Ethan finally understood why he had gained the seed of a True Name just by touching the ring. It turned out the ring was an alchemical creation. Gently stroking the ring, Ethan tentatively tried to perceive it with his mind and poured his True Name power into it.

The next moment, he felt a portion of his power being drawn in. What he did not notice for the time being was that as his power flowed into the ring, its dull luster deepened. The thorns wrapping around it grew sharper, and the black mud became thicker.

As the night grew late, Ethan sent Clay away. Clay was somewhat dissatisfied, grumbling, "You brat, when your father was alive, he would always arrange the best room and the finest wine for me. Truly..."

Ethan ignored him. After seeing him off, he returned to studying the *Truth Newspaper*. He focused on the list of True Names. Previously, he had sensed a resonance between the "Name of the True God" and those ancient characters. Now that Clay was gone, he summoned the "Name of the True God" to make closer contact with the ancient language of the True Names.

But there was no further change. He suspected it was because he still could not deconstruct the ancient language.

The ancient language... where could he learn it?