"I Forgot."

Alice finally arrived at the Underground Market.

After covering their noses as they passed through the Dragon Bar and entered the hidden door, they went through several more rooms before finally reaching the legendary Underground Market.

Some people had set up stalls, some were asking prices, and others wandered through the crowd in search of items that interested them.

Alice followed behind Leonard with great interest, listening as he explained the rules here.

"All profits must give one-twentieth to Swain. He's the Boss of the Dragon Bar and the former captain of the Punishers team. Also, if you haven't brought enough money, you can borrow from Swain, but..."

He Paused for a Moment, and Alice naturally understood what came after that "but." "He also lends at usurious rates?"

"Obviously." Leonard agreed with Alice.

"The people setting up stalls here..." Alice had been about to say something when she abruptly stopped. She heard a vague whisper and instinctively turned her head. In a corner stood a pale young man in ragged clothes, staring at her blankly. There were still traces of undried blood in his eyes.

With a Thought, Alice Realized that this might be that unfortunate Monster. She halted and turned toward the young man.

The young man's gaze was unfocused, yet his eyes followed Alice's movements until she stopped in front of him.

Alice examined him. It seemed as though something had stolen his attention; he gazed at her just like that, yet it also seemed as though he was looking through her at some kind of existence. Alice Does Not Doubt At All that, if no one reminded him, he could stand here until he became a statue.

"What did you see?" Alice softly asked, looking into those eyes that seemed to rest on her and yet not rest on her at all.

"...I forgot." The young man spoke slowly and gently, as though afraid of disturbing something. His gaze remained fixed on Alice, but Alice had an inexplicable feeling—this man was Absolutely Not looking at her.

"Why did you forget?" Alice continued asking patiently. She intuitively felt that this man must have seen some crucial information on her, but she could not turn her gaze upon herself—looking in a mirror did not count as looking at herself.

"..." The man remained silent for a long time. Only when Alice gradually lost patience and considered leaving to look elsewhere did she hear his voice. "Because of chaos."

Because of chaos? What did that mean? Alice wanted to ask more, but the man had already Looked Away. His eyes remained unfocused, yet he strode away with firm determination. Alice stood where she was and watched him until he disappeared from sight, never once turning back.

Monster. For the first time, Alice took this word seriously—or rather, this Pathway, this Sequence. She began to hesitate over whether she should Find a Way to seek out a Beyonder of the same Pathway to look at her.

"If I want to find a Beyonder of the Monster Pathway, where should I go?" Alice Looked Towards Leonard, who might Know About This.

"The School of Life. Only the School of Life has the beginning of this Pathway." Leonard answered with a frown. "You want to...?"

"I want to know what they can see on me." Alice Dropped those emotionless words, then wandered leisurely among the various stalls As If Nothing Happened.

The School of Life... Alice slowly recalled the information she Knew About This organization.

This secret organization appeared at the beginning of This Epoch. Its precise origins were unknown, and it primarily relied on master-disciple inheritance.

Their specific theories and beliefs were likewise rarely shared outside the organization. Alice only knew that they divided the world into three layers: the World of Absolute Reason, also known as the World of Absolute Truth; the World of Spirit; and the Material World.

Alice Remembered that this organization had once produced a Soothsayer. Soothsayer... The name made Alice think of the Monster's abilities. Then, thinking of the three Sequences that currently seemed entirely unrelated, she suddenly Realized something. "Generally speaking, can the abilities of different Sequences in one Pathway be completely unrelated?"

"Generally speaking, the Sequence abilities of the same Pathway are progressive." Leonard gave his answer. "But according to the captain, Madam Daly once proposed a theory. Aside from conventional progressive Sequences, perhaps there are also cases where each Sequence possesses one ability, and then they combine at a certain Sequence."

"...Sequence Four?" Alice naturally thought of Sequence Four, the starting point of High-Sequence and the beginning of a change in one's essence of life.

Leonard nodded.

Alice thoughtfully remembered this, then asked him, "Don't you have anything else to do?"

"...I only Came To here once yesterday." The implication was that he truly had nothing else to do.

Alice said nothing else either. She simply stood there, staring wide-eyed at Leonard, as if they were playing a game to see whose eyes could open wider. Leonard was the first to lose patience. "...Go look around by yourself for a while."

Only after watching Leonard leave this area did Alice begin wandering through the Underground Market alone.

Alice stopped before a stall selling talismans. In this Underground Market, which was full of Counterfeit Goods, talismans with even the slightest effect stood out clearly to Alice's spirituality.

Alice crouched down and selected two talismans that emitted a faint glow—these were the only two among them that had fortunately been inscribed with the correct incantations.

"Would you like to buy them, Miss?" The Boss became excited the moment he saw a potential sale. "If you buy both, I can give you a discount. Just..."

"No." Alice interrupted him. Then, under the Boss's confused gaze, she picked up another exquisite silver talisman. "I want this one."

The Boss's delighted customer-service smile was Restored. "Ah, this one... I made it with great care. It..."

"It has no effect at all." Alice calmly interrupted him.

"Then why are you buying it?" The Boss's eyes were filled with the question, Are you here to ruin my business?

"Mm... because it's pretty." Alice gave her answer Without Hesitation. "Name a price. Don't price it as a talisman."

The Boss stared at Alice for a while. He Realized that the person before him might not merely be a Mysticism Enthusiast. She knew something about mysticism—perhaps she might even be a Beyonder.

"Three sol." This realization calmed the Boss considerably. He chose not to price it according to talisman standards, but according to silver jewelry standards. Naturally, he habitually left room for bargaining, but...

Alice had no intention of bargaining. She directly took out the money, then left the stall.