Master Of None

Chapter 2980. Languages

”A new language?” Walker spoke up and the archivist looked extremely pleased that the question they wanted asked, had been asked.

”Some of those unique craftsmen and researchers lose touch with what they are and their people. I know a man who studies the movements of the lumen hummingbird. A very small almost insect sized hummingbird that has a lightning affinity. Very strange.”

”The point is, he isolated himself for several years and then came showing his research. All for us to see that he started to change the language he wrote in and made up his own that only he could read and understand. It took three months to decipher and realize that he had the greatest research of that one monster species of any one person thus far.”

”It can be called madness and brilliance. It is a cost and a payment for being able to achieve something we all could call beyond a mastery level of understanding.”

This was not the first time that Walker had heard of geniuses being something close or the same as mad. The insanity that came with entirely dedicating themselves to something had to have drawbacks.

But in craftsmen and researchers? This was entirely unique.

The wandering blacksmith could be called insane for the fact that they wandered the world and put himself at risk to find new materials to test his ideas. He had even crafted using flowing lava and gained his own wounds doing so. He had gone to dragons and crafted for them just so he could learn more about the draconic runes and their materials.

All so that he could become better. But the risks associated had been something no normal blacksmith would ever do.

For a crafter or a researcher to focus and entirely cut themselves off from everything around them but what they studied, then their madness and focus becoming a language they created was not impossible. Besides, there was bigger evidence and histories about those who lost themselves to their research.

He could call the entire immortal chasing race that perfect example.

They had become so focused on immortality and doing whatever the cost to discover it that they went to war with vampires and other ancient races. They had even become part of the reason that the world was grievously harmed by the demon king they directly created. Let alone the immortal king who had been chained in a literal prison of their own making.

”I understand how that might happen. So this researcher studied how to make dungeons so perfectly that they lost their language and created this one. It needs to be translated?” Walker also realized another struggle he would face.

”Yes hero, you must also learn to translate their writing. The systems of existence will not help with this since it is not a language spoken by intelligent races in the past or the future. It was one being that created it and it only worked for them because it was theirs.”

Now Alice and Walker both felt the weight of the added challenge.

Not only was this journal almost entirely destroyed, but the language made was so unique that translation was just a dream to understand it. They would need to take much more time to figure out what else they might be able to learn and generally what might be making up the rest of sentences and so on.

This was an unfinished journal too!

”You removed the moisture so the book will begin to degrade and be gone within the day. Look at the cover.” what might have once been a leather made from an unknown monster was already breaking in to small pieces just sitting there. Walker was a bit sad watching the gift he received after asking for guidance falling to pieces.

He knew that this was the most likely result for this journal since it was so old and so very damaged. But still, he wanted to keep it.

”Do not make that face. The words are copied. The memory still exists. Now you can figure out what this is being made for you. They weren’t human like me after all. They were not anything. I can read that.”

Now Walker and Alice turned their heads. Walker had not looked at and explained to the archivist what or who this creator was. Who the dungeon sculptor was. Who the researcher was. How they had given up everything that they were including their race to be able to study and comprehend dungeon creation and manipulation.

”Surprised that an old man like me already deciphered some things like this? Shouldn’t you as a hero have a riddle deciphering skill? I have a language deciphering skill. It is not a mastery of mine. I strive to store and save knowledge so that it is not forgotten. The skill I used bringing out ink lost to time was a mastery skill for myself.”

Walker had not understood that the pages that seemingly had nothing on them were brought back to bits and pieces of words because of this level of mastery. If he had he would have understood the lengths that this archivist was going through for him and to copy work daily.

To make a mastery of a skill that some would call average for a higher level archivist was something that made this archivist the best of the best. It also explained why Walker found him in the office with the most tools and the best conditions. He had come to this office because he believed the man was here because he was of the higher skills necessary and because he had seen him before.

But having mastered the basic skills to a level that others could not achieve what he did to such a damaged item? That was a legacy of his own and it did not need to be shown or flaunted. It would be left behind in every single damaged book, journal, and letter the man copied for everyone in the future to see and read.

It was even more important. Some would say even a foundational part of Genesis now.

”A few of the younger archists working on learning languages to translate books for others study mystery novels and similar stories with unknowns to gain the deciphering skills they need. Go and study with them. Learn how to decipher language. The meaning of words. The meaning of phrases. You may just find yourself with a few skills related to translation and problem solving. It smoothed out my thinking when I was a younger man.”

The archivist handed over the copied information with far too many blank pages that had smudges of ink on them. Barely any proper words but enough that some pages had entire paragraphs.

”Thank you. Please keep up your hard work. I do not see you ever leaving this archive even after your death. You have clearly made a lasting image for Genesis as a whole here. I will make sure that there is a record of your and the others names to be remembered on the pillars of this archive.”

”I would like that. And for you little saintess, I heard a few of the broken healer’s books were copied recently. I have not read them, but you would be the first other than the translators.” He waved them out with a smile. The older lines seemingly reappeared on his face while he sat down and took another book worn with age to copy.

Walker was left feeling like he had just been given a pat on the head from a grandfather. Enough to know that this older archivist did not care for race or strength. He cared for keeping a record for the next generation with all his heart and soul. An example to be proud and inspired of.

”Who is the broken healer?” Walker wasn’t sure he had heard of this story and wondered why it would be interesting to Alice.

”A healer who killed. They took the life from others to heal another. They were called a demon in human skin when they fought against the demi-humans in a war before peace talks began and they were put to death for their method of healing.”

”She was eventually called a healer who could have been great if they were not abused and tortured by their family. Their healing was not healing, it was stealing from another to stay alive. But her methods were copied and she tried to pass them to others. Her books were banned but some were found and I want to look at them so I can see if she was misunderstood or if I should ban her healing too.”

This was important to her as a leader in the healing world. Walker did not have any comments, he trusted that Alice had the best for everyone in mind and would not do anything that could harm another.

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Repent now and go here,

Drop those golden tickets!