Chapter 380: Forty-five, committing sins, oh
After receiving Daniel’s confirmation, Hewinia was even more astonished.
From Silver Rank to Golden Rank, could it really be feasible? But if that were the case, why then were Golden Notes still so rare?
Moreover, Ascension Magic was also Taboo Magic.
Then there was only one possibility.
Hewinia asked, “Is it because the success rate is very low? Or perhaps, is the price to pay too great?”
Daniel laughed, “You are indeed very clever, Miss Hewinia. Yes, the reasons why Ascension Magic is Taboo Magic are exactly those two you mentioned… Yes, it’s not only difficult to succeed, but the price is also substantial.”
Saying so, Daniel brushed off the last bits of snow from himself, once again restored to the elegant gentleman from before, and then made a gesture inviting her to join him.
“May I have the pleasure of breakfast with you, Miss Hewinia?”
Hewinia did not refuse the invitation; moreover, she wanted to gather more information from Daniel.
Thus, the pair walked together through the snow in the early morning, with Daniel casually introducing Ascension Magic to Hewinia.
“This is a very ancient magic; the person who developed it has been dead for at least a hundred years,” Daniel said leisurely, “He was also the first to successfully ascend from Silver to Golden Rank. At that time, he believed this magic could change the whole Holy Sound, and an era where everyone could become a Golden Note was coming.”
“It seems he failed.”
“Obviously.” Daniel said with a smile, “As for the reasons, they are precisely those two you mentioned earlier. First, let’s talk about its price. This is indeed a very cruel magic.”
“Yes, because it involves direct sculpting and elevation on the musical scale. It’s like a person with a twisted face wanting to become beautiful, needing to cut directly into the face. To enlarge small eyes with a knife, to shorten a large bridge of the nose with a knife,” Daniel said matter-of-factly, “And all of this has to be done without using magic to numb the pain, because once used, it’s very likely to affect the pattern of the scale and cause failure… Hmm? What’s wrong?”
Daniel saw Hewinia suddenly cover her nose, speaking in a muffled voice, “Just hearing you describe it makes me feel the pain.”
“Is that so? Ha ha, I apologize, I should not have been so straightforward; I’ll be more careful in the future.”
Hewinia lowered her hand and sighed, “Well, it’s been said, there’s no sense in being careful now, but at least it helps me understand.”
“Alright then, I’ll continue,” said Daniel, “You understand this point, so it’s easier to explain why it is so prone to failure. It’s like when cutting around the eyes; the slightest carelessness can blind you. If the sculpting and elevation of the scale are overdone, it can lead to irreparable consequences. Even the most basic functions become unusable, in other words, one would lose the identity of a Player.”
…Once failed, one is no longer a Player?
Hewinia thought of Orenna again.
“No wonder the success rate is so low,” Hewinia said softly, “The price is too great; a mere slip can lead to irreversible doom.”
“Indeed it is so,” Daniel nodded slightly, “Moreover, if the goal is to ascend in rank, the difficulty increases many fold.”
“Hmm?” Hewinia blinked in slight surprise, “Aren’t we always talking about Ascension?”
“Yes, but Ascension is only the ultimate goal,” Daniel continued, “Do you remember what I just mentioned? Essentially it’s intended to improve the tone, and improving the tone doesn’t necessarily mean ascending in rank. If it’s a Silver Rank with a poor tone, Ascension Magic can be used to elevate it to a better and more complete level. If that’s all, the success rate is much higher than trying to ascend, just like if someone only wants to widen the corners of their eyes a bit, they won’t touch the most important part of the eye.”
“And what if one wants to ascend in rank?”
“Then the difficulty doubles. Because fundamentally, ascending a rank is more like changing the entire face; it’s not something that can be finished in one or two attempts,” Daniel explained, “And the original scale will strongly resist this complete transformation, continuously trying to heal itself. That is to say, until the rank is completely elevated, the scale is like a pool that is simultaneously filling and draining water. Throughout this period, the Spellcaster is in constant, bleeding pain, and the slightest mishap can lead to permanent ruin.”
After listening to Daniel’s explanation, Hewinia fell into a long Silence. After a while, she spoke softly, “Indeed very… surprising. Is this also why it’s listed as Taboo Magic?”
Daniel nodded, “Miss Hewinia, I remember your family also has a Seed District, right? With that in mind, you should know that in Holy Sound, Silver Rank Players are already rare. And with such great risks involved in this spell, it can easily destroy a Silver Rank Player entirely. Therefore, in many families, even the academies, this magic is not permitted, of course, in most cases, even if Silver Rank Players know it exists, they wouldn’t dare try it lightly.”
Hewinia picked up on the keyword in Daniel’s lengthy speech: “In most cases?”
“Yes, in most cases, Silver Rank Players know that it is too difficult to become a Golden Rank using this, and the risk is too great for merely enhancing the tone, with not much to gain. So there is really no need,” Daniel said slowly, “But, it’s different during the grand ceremony. In the past, adding that touch of tone had no effect, but in the grand ceremony, it could be the key to getting into the Inner Song.”