The Secret of the Acting Method Involving a Deity

"No need to be so agitated," Mr. Devil said, gently waving his hand.

"Actually, I only have a partial understanding myself."

"No matter how small the clue, please tell me!" The Little Sun pleaded earnestly. Mr. Devil, under everyone's gaze, suddenly turned his head to look at Mr. Fool, as if asking, "Can I say it?"

"Why are you looking at me? I don't know what you're going to say."

Klein felt a bit awkward seeing Mr. Devil's gaze, but from Mr. Devil's attitude, he recalled something—

When Miss Daly had previously asked him to hint at the Acting Method to the Captain, she had mentioned that all members of the Church of the Night Mother who understood the Acting Method were required to swear an oath not to reveal it to others.

And since Mr. Hangman was suspected to be a member of the Storm Church and also didn't know the Acting Method, did this mean that all existing deities held the same attitude of "secrecy" towards the Acting Method?

So, when Mr. Devil heard that The Little Sun's entire group of over two thousand people knew the Acting Method, he had determined that their faith's god had a problem?

Thinking of this, Klein couldn't help but become curious. Thus, he maintained his persona as Mr. Fool and nodded gently, giving his permission.

After receiving Mr. Fool's approval, Mr. Devil seemed relieved and shifted his gaze to Mr. Hangman.

"Mr. Hangman might have also suspected why such a simple method that can greatly reduce the probability of Loss of Control for low-level Extraordinarys is being sealed by the Church."

"Why are you bringing me up again?" Mr. Hangman frowned, feeling that things were not simple. However, he had indeed considered this question, so he nodded. "That's right. The Church has stood for thousands of years; there's no reason they wouldn't have summarized the Acting Method, yet they didn't inform low-level Extraordinarys."

"Let me correct that," Mr. Devil said, raising a finger and gently shaking his head. "The seven major True God Churches not only haven't informed them but also provide an oath to all official Extraordinarys who comprehend the Acting Method, requiring them not to spread it in any way."

"Why is that?" Miss Justice asked subconsciously. Mr. Devil smiled slightly at her.

"Because it is disadvantageous to the Gods."

"Gods?"

Everyone was shocked. How could the Acting Method of mere low-level Extraordinarys affect the Gods?

"Since you know the Acting Method, do you know its principle?" Mr. Devil didn't answer directly but asked a question instead.

Miss Justice immediately repeated the example Mr. Fool had previously given about disguising oneself to enter a castle. Just as Mr. Fool was worried his example was incorrect, Mr. Devil said with a smile, "A very clever analogy, but have you ever considered where the guards in the castle came from?"

"This..." Miss Justice was momentarily speechless. Mr. Devil continued on his own, "Every Potion, or rather, every Extraordinary material, contains a special imprint. You can think of it as the consciousness of another existence. The higher the Sequence of the Potion, the stronger this consciousness becomes, as it often mixes in a portion of the 'previous owner's' Mental Imprint. Therefore, it is usually referred to as Mental Remnant. In a sense, it can be considered the main culprit behind an Extraordinary's madness or even Loss of Control."

"Is this Mental Remnant the guard?" Miss Justice said thoughtfully. Mr. Devil nodded. "That's right, but the problem with the Acting Method is also here—by using the Acting Method, you bypass the guards, which means these guards were not defeated. Hmm, right, a very important key to the Acting Method is 'You are only acting.' Hmm, Mr. Sun, did your Silver City teach this?"

Mr. Devil suddenly changed the subject, but it didn't make Miss Justice or Mr. Hangman feel uncomfortable, because the words "You are only acting" had already given them a new understanding of the Acting Method.

Hearing Mr. Devil's words, The Little Sun immediately nodded.

"Yes, we emphasized it in our general studies class. The only thing to pay attention to in the Acting Method is 'You are only acting'."

"That's good," Mr. Devil said with a relieved expression before continuing, "The Acting Method is about merely acting, because if you get too immersed, to the point of forgetting your original self, then these Mental Remnants might take advantage of the opportunity, merge into your spirit, and make you no longer yourself. Hmm, in a sense, this is also a form of madness. To explain with that example, it's like you're acting so well that after getting the treasure, you forget to leave, and instead, the castle guards forcefully put you in the guest's position, becoming a true 'guest'."

Hearing this, Miss Justice thought of herself, who only knew how to hide in dark corners and observe others, and shivered. She then asked nervously, "So the Church is concealing the Acting Method because they're worried about this situation? But what does this have to do with True Gods?"

"Not exactly," Mr. Devil shook his head. "In fact, you can imagine the Mental Remnant as a branch of a giant tree. The influence received by each low-level Extraordinary is merely at the very end, a twig, a leaf. And True Gods also have to fight against madness."

"True Gods also have to fight against madness?" Klein felt this piece of information was a bit overwhelming, and he almost reached out to pinch his brow.

With the conversation reaching this point, even Miss Justice dared not speculate casually. Mr. Devil continued on his own, "Every Potion, though seemingly independent, is connected on a mystical level. Low-Sequence Extraordinarys are influenced by high-Sequence ones, and high-Sequence ones are also influenced by low-Sequence ones. Of course, due to the difference in strength, this influence is usually negligible."

At this point, Mr. Devil's tone changed, carrying a slightly malicious tone. "Miss Justice, you said earlier that the Acting Method is like disguising yourself as a guest to sneak in and steal treasure. Have you ever thought about where the castle and guards would go after the treasure is stolen?"

"Could they go to high-Sequence Extraordinarys... or even True Gods?" Miss Justice made what she considered her boldest guess. Mr. Devil, however, shook his head and pointed to his chest.

"It's still in your body, lurking in the Potion. Even if you die, a portion of your Mental Remnant will join, even strengthen this Mental Remnant, and affect the next person who consumes the Potion."

Audrey, who was unaware of the law of the indestructibility of Extraordinary Characteristics, did not notice the implication of the next person who would consume the Potion. However, Mr. Hangman and The Little Sun, who understood this knowledge, felt a slight stir in their hearts.

But then, Mr. Devil dropped an even bigger bombshell—

"Because everyone uses the Acting Method, in a sense, your mental state will approach the Potion's Mental Remnant. This means that after people who learned the Acting Method die, the Mental Remnant in the Potion will not change, and may even be 'repaired.' Hmm, Mr. Hangman, do you know how Extraordinarys who don't understand the Acting Method 'master' Potions?"

Hearing Mr. Devil's question, Mr. Hangman instinctively replied, "Ordinary Extraordinarys stabilize their minds through meditation, suppressing the... hmm, Mental Remnant in the Potion, like taming a wild beast, suppressing it, domesticating it..."

As Mr. Hangman spoke, he suddenly felt a key point being unlocked. He realized he was gradually understanding everything—

"You mean, ordinary Extraordinarys 'mastering' Potions without using the Acting Method weakens the Mental Remnant in the Potion? This would reduce the influence on True Gods?"