After establishing the information channel, Dorothy no longer needed The Literary Sea Logbook to communicate with the unknown person on the other side. Instead, she directly sent a voice message through the channel.
"Offer knowledge, bestow knowledge."
Since she was trying to deceive the other party into offering up valuable knowledge, Dorothy needed to sound mystical and authoritative, convincing them to submit without question. To make the message sound more profound and enigmatic, she processed the audio, altering it so that it carried no discernible gender, no hint of age, and had a deep, resonant quality.
After all, if she were to use her natural youthful voice in a voice chat, it would hardly be convincing—hence the need for a voice changer.
Meanwhile, inside a humble tent, Kapak was staring at the strange phenomenon unfolding in the picture book before him, unsure of what to do. He wondered if this book contained a powerful spirit that had gained sentience. He considered bringing it to the tribal priests for inspection but hesitated, fearing that such an action might anger the entity within.
Just as Kapak was contemplating what to do with this mysterious picture book, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind. It was an unfamiliar voice, neither male nor female, neither young nor old—deep and resounding. The unexpected intrusion startled him.
"Who?! Who is speaking inside my head?!"
Gripping his weapon tightly, Kapak warily surveyed his surroundings, muttering in his own language. However, he could not understand the words that had just rung in his mind—the language was completely foreign to him. His knowledge of Pritt Common was far from proficient enough to comprehend what had been said.
Kapak’s mutterings were transmitted through the active information channel, reaching Dorothy’s ears. However, to her surprise, she could not understand his words.
"I can’t understand this... Could this be that so-called Spirit Glyph Language? Why is he using this language to communicate with me? Could it be that Pritt Common isn’t his native tongue?" Dorothy pondered this before sending another message:
"Use Pritt Common."
Back in the tent, Kapak was even more confused when he heard the strange voice speaking again in a language he couldn’t comprehend. He could only respond with more self-muttering:
"Who are you?! I don’t understand your words!"
"Damn… this guy’s Pritt Common is terrible. Looks like he’s no linguist."
Inside the library’s restroom, Dorothy couldn’t help but grumble internally after hearing Kapak’s response. Initially, when he had provided a translation comparison between ignorant in Pritt Common and the Spirit Glyph Language, she had assumed he was a linguist. But now, it was clear he wasn’t. He was more like someone who only knew a handful of Pritt Common words, with Spirit Glyph as his native tongue.
"So your Pritt Common is trash, huh… In that case, I’ll teach you first, then charge tuition later."
With that thought, Dorothy immediately retrieved all the Pritt Common-related knowledge she had, copied it, and transmitted it through the information channel. She engraved all of her Pritt Common knowledge directly into the other party’s Soul Codex.
That’s right—Soul Codex wasn’t just for recording mystical knowledge; they could store ordinary knowledge too. As long as the Soul Codex had enough capacity, it could instantly allow someone to master a subject. In one go, Dorothy imprinted thousands of Pritt Common vocabulary words and complete grammar structures into Kapak’s Soul Codex.
"Urgh…!"
Inside the tent, Kapak suddenly felt his mind go blank. He instinctively clutched his forehead as a wave of dizziness washed over him—but it lasted only for a moment. When it faded, he noticed that something had changed. His mind was suddenly filled with a vast amount of new information.
"This is… a language? It’s called… Pritt Common?"
After briefly inspecting the newly acquired knowledge in his mind, Kapak muttered to himself. Then, as if struck by a realization, he hurried over to his small collection chest, rummaging through its contents. Before long, he pulled out a small book.
Flipping it open, Kapak was shocked to find that he could now understand every single word. What had once been a confusing mess of letters and sentences was now perfectly clear. A quick glance revealed that this book, which he had treasured for so long, was actually an instruction manual for a steam engine.
Just minutes ago, Kapak had known only a handful of Pritt Common words. Now, he could read a full-fledged technical manual fluently. His Pritt Common proficiency was practically indistinguishable from that of a native speaker.
"Unbelievable…"
Staring at the manual in his hands, Kapak muttered in disbelief. He spent some time digging through his collection, checking every document that contained written language—and found that he could understand them all. Words and phrases that had once been incomprehensible were now crystal clear.
"What… what is happening? How am I suddenly able to understand everything? How have I instantly mastered the language of the invaders—the language of those called the Pritt Common?"
Kapak struggled to believe it. His mind raced, searching for an explanation. It didn’t take long for him to link this miracle to the strange picture book and the mysterious voice that had spoken in his mind.
"Could it be real? Is there truly a powerful spirit residing in this book? Did that spirit just speak to me and grant me the ability to understand a foreign tongue?"
Kapak’s thoughts swirled. On this vast land, there were countless wandering spirits of varying strength—spirits of nature, ancestral souls—roaming the forests, galloping across the plains, or dwelling within objects. Ordinary people could not perceive them, only the shamans of each tribe had the ability to communicate with and harness their power.
At this moment, Kapak was convinced that this picture book contained—or was linked to—a powerful spirit. He had just used this book to communicate with that being.
As a member of his tribe who had once assisted the shamans, Kapak knew that spirits must be treated with respect. And a spirit that could bestow power—such a being demanded the utmost reverence.
"Oh mighty spirit, whose presence lies beyond my understanding, I am deeply grateful for your gift. I wish to know what will must accompany this offering—how may I repay your generosity?"
Kapak knelt before the picture book, bowing sincerely in a manner akin to his participation in tribal rituals. He made sure to use the language he had just been granted, for he knew that when shamans sought the aid of spirits, offerings were often required.
"Phew… finally, I can understand him."
Far away, in the Grand Library, Dorothy sighed in relief upon hearing the familiar language. Now that Kapak was fluent in Pritt Common, proper communication could begin.
"A powerful spirit? Looks like this guy thinks I’m something else entirely. Well, whatever, he can believe what he wants. As long as he approaches me with reverence, that’s all that matters.”
"Besides… this guy seems to have a good sense of gratitude. He received a benefit and immediately thought about how to repay me. That saves me the trouble of asking for payment myself."
Dorothy smirked and sent another processed message through the information channel.
"For knowledge, trade knowledge…”
"The price of language—is language itself."