Bluffing

After a moment of silence, Cyril found a topic that fit the persona he had established:

"You've already come into contact with the real mystical world, but it seems you haven't become a Beyonder yet. Are you preparing a potion?"

"How did you..." Owen looked at him in surprise, but quickly figured it out himself. "Right, you weren't particularly surprised from the very beginning."

"So you've also come into contact with the real mystical world and may have even become a Beyonder already. Is that why you didn't take part in that evil ritual Welch shared?"

Cyril leaned back against the sofa and nodded slightly. "More or less, but I haven't become a Beyonder yet."

Owen was not surprised by this. "That's normal. Potion ingredients are too expensive. If it weren't for the inheritance my parents left behind, I also..."

After pausing, he abruptly changed the subject. "Did you obtain a complete potion formula?"

Cyril nodded, his tone somewhat wistful. "Of course. Unfortunately, it doesn't suit me."

Not only do I have a complete potion formula, I even possess an entire Beyonder Pathway, including the acting principles. What a pity. I'm sitting on a treasure mountain and can't use any of it.

It's all because Adam left too quickly back then. Otherwise, I could have applied to join the Twilight Hermit Order. He has the second Blasphemy Slate, after all, though he might not have agreed.

...∑(°△°|||)︴

Only afterward did Cyril realize what he had done, and his expression suddenly stiffened... Careless again. Sorry, boss. Please ignore me...

He then looked around uneasily. Although he saw nothing, he somehow felt that a pair of eyes was watching him from the corner, from behind him, from the glass window, from somewhere he could not see.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Cyril's strange reaction, Owen instinctively looked around as well, but found nothing unusual in his home.

Cyril gave a dry laugh and shook his head. "Nothing. A bit of PTSD..."

Owen said, "Huh?"

To keep his thoughts from wandering and dwelling on things he should not think about, Cyril hurriedly changed the subject.

"When did you come into contact with the mystical world? How is your potion preparation going?"

Whether their earlier experience had brought them closer, or whether Owen's long solitude instinctively made him want a companion he could open up to, after Cyril asked, he told him about his situation without concealing anything.

"At first, everything I knew about the mystical world came from notes my father left behind. I only found them among his belongings after he passed away, but unfortunately, there wasn't much information in them."

"It took me a full two years to learn more from the mysticism circles I came into contact with. At the same time, I purchased the Beyonder materials needed to brew the Apprentice potion. This potion formula also came from my father's belongings."

"Hehe, I'll tell you a secret. They say this Pathway was once controlled by an ancient Fourth Epoch family. It must be one of the strongest among the twenty-two Pathways."

"According to the mysticism knowledge I've mastered, on nights of the Full Moon, the Spirit World and reality overlap the most. That is when spirituality flourishes most, making it the best time to consume a potion and advance."

"That means tomorrow, I'll become a real Beyonder."

Cyril stared silently at Owen. His words gave him an intense sense of déjà vu, as though he had heard them somewhere before.

Was this guy a character who appeared in the story? Why don't I remember him at all?

Apprentice, Full Moon, ancient family... I think I remember something... It can't be such a coincidence, can it? The still-living Master Key?

It's August 1349 now. Counting the time, it seems to line up... But I don't believe there wasn't some kind of arrangement behind this. Still, this is exactly what I need.

Owen shifted slightly. Cyril's gaze was making him uncomfortable.

Just as he was about to remind the other man that such staring was rude, Cyril suddenly withdrew his gaze and said seriously:

"Have you considered changing Pathways, or choosing another time to consume the potion?"

"Why?" Owen asked in surprise, then explained on his own.

"The Apprentice Pathway was passed down through our family... by my father. We have relatively complete potion formulas and accumulated knowledge. If I choose this Pathway, advancing further will be much easier."

"Besides, the Full Moon is the most suitable time to advance. I performed a divination."

Mr. Door is still whispering during the Full Moon. What room do you have left to advance? You might as well change Pathways. Maybe the ravings during the Full Moon will be quieter that way.

After muttering that inwardly, the look Cyril gave Owen gradually became earnest and grave.

He decided to bluff the man a little. Not only could this save an unlucky fellow who would commit suicide during a Full Moon, it could also get him the Apprentice Pathway potion formula he needed.

More importantly, he only had 10 pounds, 13 soli, and 2 pence in savings. This was the living money he had painstakingly saved during his time at Backlund University. After all, he had no inheritance from his parents.

There was no way he could become a Beyonder with that little money, so he could only play the Swindler and scam some starting capital out of Owen.

Besides, he was saving the man's life. What was wrong with taking a little money?

Under Owen's confused and wary gaze, Cyril's expression grew increasingly solemn and serious. Only when panic appeared on Owen's face did he give a soft laugh and speak.

"There are not many forces that possess the Apprentice Pathway. Across the Northern and Southern Continents, only four relatively well-known organizations do. Among them, the Aurora Order, the Gnosis Society, and the Tamara Family only possess part of the Apprentice Pathway."

"The one that truly possesses the complete Apprentice Pathway characteristics and formulas is the Abraham Family, one of the great noble families of the Fourth Epoch Tudor Empire."

"Even among the many Angel families of the Fourth Epoch, the Abraham Family was one of the greatest noble families, without equal."

Owen subtly lifted his chin, his face filled with pride.

"I know this part of history. Don't forget, I'm a history student too."

Though he often skipped class, that was only to come into contact with the mystical world and take part in the circles of those Beyonders.

Cyril chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't deny that you're connected to the Abraham Family?"

Owen, who had just been holding his head high in pride, was instantly doused with cold water and froze in place.

"Uh, perhaps. More than a thousand years have passed from the Fourth Epoch to now. It's perfectly normal for some potion formulas to have spread out."

"Though sometimes I do wish I were the descendant of such an ancient family, bearing a sacred mission and accomplishing great things, the truth is that my ancestors have lived in Backlund since the beginning, and my surname is Garcia."

Cyril looked at him expressionlessly. "You're explaining a little too much. Also, I remember the last time I met your father, he told me that he had left his hometown and come to Backlund to make a better life for himself."

"..."

Owen's expression stiffened again. He gave a dry laugh, trying to brush it off. "You have quite a good memory... That was several years ago."

Cyril nodded lightly. "It's alright. After all, we weren't this distant back then."

"Don't be so nervous. So what if you're a descendant of the Abraham Family? As you just said, over a thousand years have passed since the Fourth Epoch. Who doesn't have a prosperous ancestor somewhere in their lineage?"

After a pause, once Owen's expression had eased somewhat, he asked again:

"Do you know about the Antigonus Family and the Nation of the Evernight?"

Owen nodded lightly. "Of course. Like the Abraham Family, the Antigonus Family was one of the great noble families of the Fourth Epoch Tudor Empire. There were also the Amon Family, the Jacob Family, and the Tamara Family."

"As for the Nation of the Evernight, it was an ancient country located in the Hornacis Mountains. It seems to have been destroyed sometime during the middle to late Fourth Epoch."

Cyril nodded and said something that sounded completely unrelated. "Do you know, the name Cyril means a tranquil night in my hometown."

"A tranquil night?" Owen was stunned for a moment, unable to react.

A moment later, shock suddenly appeared on his face. "They say the Nation of the Evernight was founded by the patriarch of the Antigonus Family and Mother of Heaven. They revered Evernight and tranquility, and believed in the ancient Mother of Heaven."

"Are you a descendant of the Antigonus Family from the Nation of the Evernight?"