LOM: Lord of Mysticism

"You must understand that once you consume a Sequence potion, there will be no room for change." Dunn spoke.

"I know, but I'll follow my intuition." Klein said.

First, Sleepless does not meet my requirements. It is the same for Spectator, which I heard from the Tarot Club. By the same logic, Corpse Collector was eliminated as well, leaving the two choices—Mystery Pryer and Seer.

Under the premise that potions of the same Sequence were equally dangerous, while being unsure when I would come into contact with Beyonders and obtain more information on other pathways, as well as the fact that both Mystery Pryer and Seer met my requirements, then regardless of whether Emperor Roselle was making a passing remark or if he really regretted not choosing Apprentice, Marauder, and Seer, it was enough to move my heart.

Furthermore, I could tell from the diary that as long as I figured out the true essence of digestion and acting, I would be able to avoid the negative effects the potion would bring to a significant extent. As for the murmurings and illusory enticements that drive people to corruption and madness, I could find a solution later.

"Alright." Dunn stood up. "Follow me down."

Klein nodded. Both of them ventured down, their footsteps echoing through the stairwell and passageway.

Klein tried to find a topic of conversation. "Captain, you mentioned that taking the potion would not directly give me the corresponding knowledge on mysticism and that I'll only have the qualifications to learn. Then, where does the basic knowledge of mysticism come from? Did our predecessors risk their lives for it or obtain it via other means?"

Dunn answered, "One of them is, as you said, experimentation, summarization, and enhancement. Second, the bestowal of the gods. Third, heh. The dangerous murmurs that others can't hear do not only growl and roar senselessly—at times, they will describe some matters regarding mysticism. But according to what I know, people who truly listen to the murmurs on a long-term basis have gone mad without exception. Or they would fall to corruption and become monsters. Of course, we must also thank them, as the notebooks they've left behind are precious treasures in the field of mysticism."

At the intersection, Dunn did not proceed toward Chanis Gate, nor did he turn to the weapons, materials, and archives section. Instead, he took Klein towards the Saint Selena Cathedral.

Midway, he stopped, and a secret door opened.

"This is our Nighthawk team's alchemy room. I will get Old Neil to retrieve the Seer potion formula and the corresponding materials from inside Chanis Gate.

Heh, you have pretty good luck. The Goddess has blessed you with 'Her' favor—we should still have the materials needed for two Seer potions. If not, you would have to wait a long while." Dunn pointed at the room. "Wait here. Later, watch Old Neil concoct the potion—it's the most basic part of mysticism studies. Oh, do not randomly touch things in there. They are either very dangerous, expensive, or both."

With that said, Dunn added. "Oh right, I forgot something again. You becoming a Beyonder is a result of you having to face danger and the need to find the notebook. The contribution was only a part of it; therefore, you will not be a member of our team for the time being. You will still be a civilian staff member with a corresponding salary and will do what I instructed you to do previously. One additional thing is to learn more about mysticism with Old Neil. You can arrange the time with him."

"Alright." Other than feeling a little disgruntled by the lack of a pay rise, Klein was in full agreement with the rest.

According to Dunn, there was still the process of learning and grasping one's powers after consuming the potion. If I were to become a formal member immediately and participate in paranormal missions, the chances of me dying would be higher.

Dunn turned around and walked two steps towards the intersection when he turned back. "Another thing."

"We got something out of the Secret Order's actions," Dunn said with his usual expression. "It's unlikely they will provoke you in the near future, but don't be careless. It has to do with them being temporarily unable to confirm whether the Antigonus family's notebook is important to them. From what we discovered, they have preserved some of the ancient customs related to the Solomon Empire and the corrupted nobles of that period."

"Got it. Thanks, Captain," Klein said.

This was also one of the reasons why he did not wish to wait to grasp the chance of becoming a Beyonder.

As he watched Dunn leave, Klein slowly walked into the alchemy room.

The room had long tables with tubes, pipettes, scales, and crucibles. Other than that, there was a huge cauldron, a darkwood ladle, a translucent crystal ball, and other items. The Dark Sacred Emblem and other strange emblems were visible everywhere.

Klein looked with interest, but he was not stupid enough to touch anything. After a while, he heard footsteps. Old Neil carried a tiny silver chest with complicated patterns, wearing his classic black robe that seemed anachronistic, matched with a felt hat with a rounded edge of the same color.

"Lad, I never expected you to choose Seer." Old Neil put down the chest. "Your personality is just like mine when I was young, not wanting to follow the masses. Not bad. Light these few gas lamps and close the door."

"Alright." Klein lit each gas lamp in the alchemy room.

Tak! The secret door was closed. Klein turned back to see the white-haired Old Neil using a bunch of strangely tied tree branches to scrub the black cauldron.

"The concoction of a Sequence potion is extremely simple, at least for Sequence 7 and below—there's no need for a special flame or any additional ritual, much less an incantation, and there's no need for one to participate in it spiritually. All one needs to do is accurately follow the formula's steps, add the precise amounts, and mix it. That will be all." Old Neil's said.

"For real?" Klein questioned.

"Perhaps it's a gift of the gods. Praise the Lady." Old Neil drew a haphazard circle over his chest and then opened the silver chest, pulling out a goatskin parchment that exuded antiquity.

The yellowish-brown goatskin was unfurled, revealing the words on it. Klein looked and realized it was in Hermes—a language he was familiar with.

It was written in ink that resembled blood, seemingly having its fluidity remain intact. But other than that, it did not seem extraordinary in any way.

"Seer: 100 milliliters of pure water, 13 drops of night vanilla liquids, 7 gold mint leaves..." Klein silently recited the formula's content, but the rest of it was blocked by Old Neil's wrist, preventing him from reading it.

"Pure water is water that is repeatedly distilled. Thankfully, I made some previously, so there's no need to waste time on it." While Old Neil gave the introduction, he took a large sealed glass bottle from the table and took off the stopper, pouring pure water into the cauldron.

"13 drops of night vanilla juices. This can be extracted and stored as an essential oil ahead of time." He took out a tiny brown bottle from the silver chest and, with a pipette, dripped 13 drops into the cauldron in a relaxed manner.

"7 gold mint leaves." He picked up a silver-patterned can, removed its lid, and picked up a few leaves, scattering them into the cauldron.

"4, 5, 6, 7. Perfect." Old Neil looked at the potion formula on the goatskin. "3 drops of poison hemlock. This isn't something you should drink randomly, as it can cause your entire body to numb to the point of death. In ancient times, it proved to be the best option for committing suicide."

I'm not silly enough to drink that… Klein lampooned.

Old Neil changed pipettes and dripped the poison hemlock into the cauldron. "9 grams of dragon blood grass powder." He pulled out a transparent test tube with black powder inside and used a beaker and a scale to measure 9 grams of powder, pouring it into the cauldron, and then stirred the mixture twice with the darkwood ladle.

The laidback process of making the concoction made Klein a little worried.

"In fact, the materials from before were just supplemental. The exact amount doesn't really affect the final outcome. Should I put a little bit more?" Old Neil made a joke. "The last two are what's crucial. The amount can be slightly lowered, but it cannot be too far from the requirement, or your 'enhancement' can fail. Oh, the quantity cannot be any more, even just by a bit. If so, you will have to be treated for mental problems, and you might also die immediately."

Klein immediately tensed up as he saw Old Neil pull out a black glass bottle from the silver chest.

"Lavos Squid's blood, 10 milliliters. This kind of squid is considered an extraordinary biological species—it is clearly mutated. Its blood will rapidly break down under sunlight and lose its unique qualities, so it has to be stored in opaque material." Old Neil carefully retrieved 10 milliliters of blood with a test tube.

The blood was sky blue. From time to time, it produced illusory bubbles as though it were connected to the spiritual world.

The moment the blue blood entered the cauldron and made contact with the liquid from before, it produced bubbling sounds. The surrounding light was dyed with a light blue tinge, making Klein feel a strange sense of distance but also familiarity, elevating a human's soul.

"The final item. Star Crystal. 50 grams." Old Neil's said, making Klein look at the table.

In his hand was a piece of pure crystal that appeared gelatinous, reflecting bits of light as it seemed to contain a resplendent void of stars within.

"This crystal is useful for the creation of divination crystals... Just a little less in consideration of any mistakes." As Old Neil measured, he used a small patterned silver blade to extract a piece of the crystal, pouring it into the cauldron.

"Pure water, night vanilla, gold mint leaves, poison hemlock juice, dragon blood grass, Lavos Squid blood, and Star Crystal make up a Seer." Klein recalled the formula.

Sizzle! Illusory fog instantly spewed forth, turning the alchemy room into a blur.

Klein seemed to see a vast array of stars amid the fog and felt like he was being observed by an invisible existence.

A moment later, the fog dissipated. Old Neil used the darkwood ladle and scooped out some sticky dark-blue liquid with strange characteristics—gooey and inseparable. Not one bit was left in the black cauldron.

The dark-blue liquid was poured into an opaque cup before Old Neil pointed at it. "It's done, your Seer potion."