Transaction

"Don't be so serious," the cat said, gently swaying its slender tail. It leaped lightly from the cabinet and said with an elegant feline gait:

"I just came to remind you that you're being a bit too obvious."

"..." The girl's relaxed body suddenly tensed, and then she stared intently at the cat, saying:

"What did you say?"

"It's just about this acting thing, isn't it? Even if you're harvesting the lifespan of the dying, you're being too direct. At least kill one before preparing the next. You're preparing them in batches like this, your flaws are too obvious! Even someone plucking wool can't just pluck from the same spot!

And why do you think a witch has to create death? If witches curse others, then aren't diviners also witches? Or, to be extreme, the key to acting is to be disliked, feared, and rejected. Killing is just a means to achieve that effect... Oh, I get it, you're enjoying the thrill of taking lives? Or are you just afraid of trouble? Tsk tsk... I think being raided by the Night Watcher will be more troublesome. Don't forget, you're just acting."

The cat spoke with a high-pitched voice, like a little girl, delivering old-fashioned lines. The girl immediately showed an expression of disbelief:

"You really know? How could you possibly know! I've only just started preparing!"

"How could I not? If you can counter-divine, can't others counter-counter-divine? Nothing in the mystical world is absolute. You've changed your hiding spots so many times, and I can still find you? Listen to me, don't be too hasty, or you'll easily be influenced by the mental imprint in the potion.

You're just acting, not trying to become who the potion points to. Of course, if you want to become a woman from body to mind before you turn back into a man, then forget I said anything."

The cat circled the girl, occasionally lifting its head to glance under her skirt, then making a "tsk tsk" sound.

The girl didn't get angry at the cat's lewd behavior. She simply sat back down on the chair in front of the vanity. Although she was looking down from a higher position, she asked in a somewhat timid voice:

"Do I really have a chance to turn back into a man?"

"Don't play the victim with me. I've already made it very clear. Except for the Orphan Sequence of the Monster Pathway, all Extraordinary Pathways have at least one adjacent pathway. When advancing from Sequence V to Sequence IV, adjacent pathways can be swapped. And a Sequence IV of a certain adjacent pathway of the Assassin Sequence happens to allow females to become males." The cat easily climbed onto the vanity, maintaining eye level with the girl, and continued:

"I'm just your trading partner, not your sugar daddy, and I have no intention of tasting a Sorceress. So if you want more information, please pay me the corresponding price, or figure it out yourself."

"I helped you get that Fourth Epoch notebook before! That's a high-level extraordinary item that can substitute for extraordinary materials!" the girl said, glaring. The cat dismissively flicked its tail:

"Girl, speak with a conscience. I even told you clearly where to hide and when to make your move. You just took advantage when both sides were injured. Giving you a way to act as the Joyful Sorceress that doesn't violate your male mindset is already breaking the rules, not to mention I just gave you the Witch's Acting Core for free!"

"Hoo..." The girl listened to the cat's words, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. After repeating this several times, she adjusted her mindset and gazed at the cat, saying:

"Tell me, what do you need for you to tell me the name of that pathway adjacent to the current pathway, and what exactly is that Sequence IV."

"Do you have anything else to trade?" the cat tilted its head dismissively, its eyes scanning the girl as if considering what remaining value could be extracted.

"The potion formulas for the Assassin Pathway, from Sequence IX to Sequence VII," the girl said solemnly, gazing at the black cat before her. The cat turned its head, revealing a human-like smile, "Do you think I lack potions?"

"You can use them to cultivate subordinates," the girl looked directly into the cat's eyes. "The Assassin Potion is top-tier in terms of versatility among all potions, both in functionality and... sexual function."

"..." The cat fell into a brief silence upon hearing the girl's words. After a moment, it raised its head and said, "Alright, consider it my investment. Write down the formulas. My reputation should be good enough."

This time, the girl didn't delay. She picked up a pen from the table and quickly began writing.

The cat watched the girl write, while on the other side, Snow was simultaneously copying the formula's content.

"This potion formula is real," Snow silently recited in his mind. At the same time, he communicated with his spirituality and tossed a gold coin high into the air. As it landed heads up, the cat on the other side also revealed a smile—

"Very well, the transaction is complete. The pathway adjacent to the Assassin Pathway is the Hunter Pathway, and the name of Sequence IV is Iron-Blooded Knight."

"Iron-Blooded Knight?" The girl nodded, but still stared at the cat, saying:

"What about the bonus gift?"

"Huh?" The cat wore a bewildered expression, but the girl said earnestly:

"Don't you always give me a bonus gift when we trade?"

"Please, I give you bonus gifts because I'm in a good mood, not because every trade comes with one!" The cat helplessly spread its front paws, but the girl narrowed her eyes and said:

"So? Are you going to give me one?"

"No!" The cat tilted its head. The girl suddenly stood up, holding the hem of her skirt with both hands, and said, "Then, if I make you feel a little better, will you give me a bonus gift?"

"Put away your affected tricks! I'm a cat now, human female seduction is useless on me! And if you're going to try to seduce me, at least show a little more. The way you're lifting your skirt like this, not even showing your knees, shows no sincerity!" The cat disdainfully glanced at the transformation expert. Seeing her face clearly starting to blush, it changed the subject:

"All the materials for an Assassin Potion, and I'll tell you some secrets closely related to the Sorceress Cult. I'll also give you the identity of an Iron-Blooded Knight. Of course, after all, he's a demigod, so whether you can hunt him is up to you."

"Closely related to me?" The girl didn't pay attention to the so-called Iron-Blooded Knight position, but focused on the "closely related" part.

Ever since she met this cat on the night she became a witch, they had conducted many transactions. Although the cat's personality was incredibly unpleasant, its credibility was quite good. If it said it was closely related to her, the problem was likely not small.

"Yes, simply put, it's why the Sorceress Cult is so obsessed with feeding men Assassin Potions. By the way, you are their most satisfactory work so far!"

Hearing the word "work" deliberately emphasized, the girl immediately had a bad premonition. She nodded and said:

"The materials for the Assassin Potion aren't rare. I can get them from Tingen's black market. Even if they happen to be out of stock, I can requisition them from the Sorceress Cult under the guise of cultivating subordinates. At the latest, in three days, let's meet somewhere..."

"You can sacrifice to My Lord to..."

"No, either you give me an address, or come and get it yourself!" The girl forcefully rejected the cat's suggestion. The cat spread its paws, helpless:

"Is praying to My Lord really that unacceptable?"

"A false god that I've never even heard of, even a complete novice in mysticism wouldn't easily pray to them, would they?"

ps1: The original work specifically mentioned that in the Ancient God Era, because there was no concept of Sequences, they would choose extraordinary characteristics with similar abilities and devour them indiscriminately. For example, after possessing the ice power of a witch, they would devour the characteristics of a living corpse; because they had the notarization ability of the Chanter Pathway, they would devour the characteristics of the Inquisitor Pathway; the Monster Pathway devoured the characteristics of the Diviner Pathway, and so on.

ps2: Those who thought of the Sphere-Splitting Paradox are very perceptive, but this involves spoilers, so I can't say (laughs).