Ares watched the dim glow of his Aetheric fire flicker and die in his palm. His control over it was still weak, unpredictable at best. The system had helped him channel the energy, but the exact mechanics were still beyond him.

  He turned his focus back to the ruins. The deeper he went, the more the walls seemed covered in symbols—some carved, others etched with a precision that hinted at lost craftsmanship. There were diagrams too, some depicting humanoid figures surrounded by swirling patterns, others showing lines that converged toward a central point.

  As he ran his fingers along the carvings, System flickered to life with a garbled alert.

  [STRUCTURE FUNCTION CROSS-REFERENCE: INCOMPLETE DATA MATCH]

  [PRIMARY PURPOSE… RESEARCH & ????]

  [SECONDARY PURPOSE… SUMMONING ???]

  Ares frowned. Summoning?

  His gaze shifted to a massive circular diagram covering an entire wall. It resembled a ritualistic pattern, layered with complex symbols. This wasn’t just a place for research—it had been used for calling forth something.

  “What were they summoning…?” he muttered.

  System: [INSUFFICIENT DATA]

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  His jaw tightened. "Of course."

  He turned his attention to another set of carvings—rows of strange letters forming structured sequences. Unlike the other symbols, these were written with deliberate spacing, like sentences or commands.

  A notification flickered.

  System: [TEXT PATTERNS MATCH KNOWN LINGUISTIC STRUCTURE]

  [LIKELY FUNCTION: INCANTATIONS]

  Ares’ eyes widened.

  The ancient researchers had used spoken words to trigger Aetheric Energy. He leaned closer, scanning for any recognizable symbols. A few of them resembled the ones near the Aetheric diagrams, hinting at connections between specific energy types and the required incantations.

  His thoughts raced. So they needed words to activate their abilities. But… I didn’t.

  When he had first produced fire, it had happened instantly, directed by the system. No chant. No preparation.

  A chilling realization crept over him. I’m bypassing something fundamental.

  His mind snapped back to the wall. If incantations were necessary for normal people, then that meant Aetheric Energy wasn’t just raw power—it was something that needed to be guided.

  As System continued analyzing, a fragmented list of Aetheric Energy classifications appeared.

  System: [ENERGY TYPE CLASSIFICATION… PARTIAL DATA RECOVERED]

  [Thermal Aetheric Energy – Fire, Heat, Cold]

  [Kinetic Aetheric Energy – Force, Speed, Acceleration]

  [Elemental Aetheric Energy – Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning]

  [Sensory Aetheric Energy – Perception, Invisibility, Clairvoyance]

  [Spatial Aetheric Energy – Gravity, Compression, Expansion]

  [Biological Aetheric Energy – Regeneration, Strength, Adaptation]

  The list was incomplete, but it was enough to confirm that Aetheric Energy wasn’t just one thing—it had categories, each with different applications.

  Ares exhaled, processing the information. People needed incantations to shape this energy into specific forms, meaning spoken words acted as commands for the Aetheric Organ.

  Then why could he use it without them?

  His stomach tightened. What makes me different?

  Before he could dwell on it, a new notification appeared.

  System: [NEW DISCOVERY: RUINS SERVED AS SUMMONING SITE Confirmed]

  [WARNING: UNKNOWN FACTORS DETECTED]

  Ares’ breath slowed.

  This place wasn’t just an Aetheric research center—it was also a summoning site.

  And whatever they had summoned... something told him it hadn’t gone as planned.