The Acting Method and the Secret Gathering (8k)

Chapter 41: The Acting Method and the Secret Gathering (8k)

Ron had no intention of letting this opportunity pass and immediately pressed his advantage.

"What... is digestion?"

"What are you digesting? Magic power, Potions, or the supernatural?"

"Do you have to digest them before you can advance normally?"

"Well..."

Idrila realized she had misspoken and instinctively covered her mouth. After hesitating for a moment, she said,

"This is actually a secret."

"It may not be that important, but—"

She looked around and cautiously glanced about a few times. Only after confirming that no one was paying attention to them did she lower her voice.

"But we still have to respect the Secrecy Act... We should go inside before discussing it."

As she spoke, her expression turned serious, and she carefully warned him,

"Mr. Ron, you clearly don't know much about the supernatural world..."

"That hidden existence may not care about trivial mortal affairs, but although you are Its follower, you have yet to transcend the mundane world."

"In the future, it would be best not to discuss anything related to the supernatural in such an unsecretive environment—at least not in the Frankish Empire."

The Frankish Empire? So I'm inside an empire right now?

And the Secrecy Act...

So in the Potion Era, supernatural matters had to be hidden in the shadows and regulated by law?

Ron pondered this inwardly. For the first time, he understood the concept of secrecy surrounding the supernatural in this era.

For Idrila to be this serious... it seemed the state organizations of the Potion Era had no simple enforcement agencies.

Seeing that Ron had clearly taken her words to heart, Idrila finally relaxed and was no longer as stern and earnest as before.

"Come with me... I'll go see Chairman Elvis first."

"After we've met Chairman Elvis, I'll exchange for a study permit and teach you this secret..."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and pushed open the somewhat weathered oak door.

The bell jingled. As the two entered the bookstore, Ron immediately felt a wave of warmth wash over him.

The dusty cast-iron heating pipes, clearly neglected for a long time, drove away the winter chill. The steam valve emitted a faint hiss, apparently leaking due to years of disrepair. A little steam, hot enough to scald flesh, escaped from it and was caught by the body of a man in black robes.

That person seemed terribly cold. He leaned against the heating pipe as though he wished he could press his entire body against it.

Near a bookshelf not far from him stood a small oak table, where a kindly-looking old man sat.

He wore a scarf patterned with grass and leaves and a cashmere overcoat. There was a prominent callus on the side of his middle finger. Holding a quill pen, he was scribbling something in a diary.

Only when he heard the bell did he look up, adjust his glasses, and turn toward the newcomers—

"Oh, it's Little Ily. Why haven't you come to the Society for so long? It's been ages since I've seen you..."

He rambled on. Though his words sounded slightly muddled, his pace was moderate and his voice gentle, making him easy enough to understand.

"You stopped coming after getting angry over the mechanical carriage design last time... I thought you'd quarreled with Elvis and decided never to come back here out of spite."

"I've just had some things to deal with lately, Teacher Charles..."

Idrila clearly did not wish to speak too much with the old man. Charles adjusted his glasses and shifted his gaze to Ron.

"Then let's not talk about those unpleasant matters from the past... But Little Ily, I think you should introduce this handsome gentleman to me."

He smiled at Ron, his tone carrying an unmistakable note of inquiry.

"Although I'm old, my eyesight is failing, and I can't remember things well—I sometimes even mistake your faces... I haven't retired yet, after all."

"As a guard of the Truth Society and a guide for seekers of knowledge—I can't just watch an unknown supernatural being of uncertain depth enter."

"Otherwise, Elvis will call me a useless old fool again."

"Well... actually..."

Idrila was momentarily at a loss for words and looked to Ron for help.

She had only just met Ron herself. How was she supposed to explain exactly who he was to Charles?

Even the things she did know were not suitable to say aloud...

For instance, the matters involving the hidden existence and the trial—Idrila absolutely did not dare reveal those so casually.

Ron could admit that he was a follower of a hidden existence himself, but if she said it, who knew whether it would count as overstepping?

As a supernatural being who had cultivated in secret society for years, Idrila had studied the Secrecy Act and the fundamental principles of mysticism. She maintained absolute reverence toward every untouchable mystery...

She could not tell Charles that Ron was a follower of a hidden existence.

And if she said Ron was an ally she had tried to recruit in order to fight Suul, Idrila was unwilling to do that either...

After all, the Scorched Earth Sanctuary had raised her. Even now, she did not understand why Father Suul had suddenly gone mad, so she naturally did not want to air the Sanctuary's ugliness before outsiders.

At the very least... she did not want to tell an ordinary Society guard.

After all, this was not merely a matter of the Scorched Earth Sanctuary's reputation. It also involved an obviously dangerous incident.

At the very least, she had to exchange information with Chairman Elvis and determine the situation before considering whether to tell anyone else...

Ron immediately read the hesitation in Idrila's eyes. Knowing she did not dare speak carelessly, he chuckled and helped her out.

"My name is Ron. I'm a traveler who came from another continent."

"I heard about the Society from Miss Idrila. As for why I came here..."

He turned his gaze toward Idrila. She immediately caught on and continued for him.

"To attend the next gathering! Mr. Ron wants to seek an opportunity to advance to Sequence 7, so he asked me to bring him to the Society."

"Oh, so we have a new guest..."

Charles adjusted his glasses and scribbled in his diary with the quill pen.

"Hmm... I've made a note of you. Your name has been temporarily added to the Society's records, so you may come and go freely from now on."

As he spoke, he looked at Ron, his expression turning solemn.

"May the light cast down by the Truth Tower illuminate the road ahead of you—welcome to Evening Bell City, Mr. Ron."

Welcome me to Evening Bell City? Well, it looked like he really believed I was some traveler from another continent...

Maybe my black hair and black eyes are too distinctive—but Charles doesn't seem surprised?

Could intercontinental travel already be fairly common in this era?

Perhaps the Potion Era is more advanced than I imagined because of supernatural abilities...

Ron pondered this as Idrila led him deeper into the bookstore.

They passed the black-clothed man leaning against the cast-iron heating pipe. As Ron passed him, he distinctly felt a chill.

This was not some psychological sensation, but genuine cold—a cold that faintly carried a sense of loneliness.

This guy doesn't seem simple...

Ron thoughtfully glanced at the silent, motionless man in black warming himself against the cast-iron pipe, then quickly followed Idrila.

Before long, they reached the depths of the bookstore, stopping before a bookshelf covered in dust and cobwebs.

Moisture had seeped into the cracks of the oak shelf, leaving damp traces on the spines of the old books.

A gas lamp beside it flickered erratically, illuminating the cramped corner with its damp, chilly atmosphere.

Ron surveyed the surroundings with interest and noticed several clear handprints on the dusty bookshelf.

The new book in the third column of the sixth row, with its gilded spine, did not have a speck of dust on it. Countless finger marks had also been wiped into the dusty shelf board beside it—

There was clearly something suspicious here...

Ron's guess proved correct. Idrila stood on tiptoe and barely managed to reach the unusual book.

She merely pulled the book outward slightly, as though she had touched some mechanism or activated a ritual. The bookshelf before them actually began to fade...

Gradually, it became an extravagant illusion. Then Idrila's swiftly moving figure scattered it apart completely, revealing the spiral staircase behind it.

What was that... a supernatural ability from which Sequence?

Ron could not help being stunned—he had just confirmed that the entire bookshelf truly existed!

And yet, it had now genuinely vanished on a physical level.

It did not look like spatial teleportation, but true disappearance, as though the very nature of its existence had changed...

Ron pondered this. Seeing him standing there in a daze, Idrila urged him,

"Come in first, Mr. Ron... This door won't stay open for long. It will close soon, and then we'll have to wait a while before it opens again."

Ron came back to his senses and hurried after Idrila, unable to resist asking,

"What was that bookshelf just now... Was it some Sequence's supernatural ability?"

"That bookshelf?" Idrila briefly explained. "It is a door—in the mystical sense, a simple boundary between secrecy and non-secrecy."

"Inside the door, every mystery may be brought into the open. Outside it, you must speak and act carefully, or you will suffer mystical backlash."

"Most doors like this, constructed by specialists and imbued with permanent supernatural abilities, exist only within major churches and supernatural organizations."

"As for which Sequence's supernatural ability this door contains..."

Idrila shook her head. "Other than knowing it came from a Sequence 7 supernatural being, I don't actually know much else."

As they talked, they descended the spiral staircase.

The staircase was long, but the brass handrail was not very dusty, much cleaner than the bookshelf that served as the door. People clearly used these stairs often.

It did not take them long to reach the bottom of the spiral staircase and arrive at a rather magnificent hall.

White marble pillars, paintings covering the walls and vaulted ceiling, and glowing clusters clearly created by supernatural abilities, fluttering around the pillars like fireflies...

If it were not underground, lacking bright sunlight and carrying a faintly dark, confined feeling, Ron might have thought it no different from some royal banquet hall.

But aside from these decorations, the hall was empty. Only a huge round table stood in the center.

A book floated above the round table. From time to time, it opened by itself, its pages rustling as they turned, before closing again.

What was this, the Knights of the Round Table's meeting hall?

Ron looked around curiously and discovered that the hall also connected to numerous corridors, clearly leading to many rooms.

This was practically a noble estate built underground!

The Truth Society truly did things differently...

Idrila led Ron toward one of the corridors and said as they walked,

"Chairman Elvis's office is over there. Once we've discussed the Fire-Chasing Ritual, I'll exchange for a study permit and teach you how to suppress contamination and loss of control..."

As she spoke, they soon arrived outside Elvis's office.

But there was no response when she knocked.

Idrila looked puzzled. She tried the doorknob, and after confirming that the door was locked as well, she could not help sighing.

"He's probably gone off to attend some Academic Salon again..."

She was clearly frustrated—after finally escaping the Sanctuary's tower, Idrila was at her most lost and uncertain.

Why had Father Suul wanted to sacrifice her? What had gone wrong during this Fire-Chasing Ritual? What had controlled her...

And most importantly—what exactly did Chairman Elvis know?

Idrila wanted to investigate all of it, yet though the answer had seemed so close at hand, she now discovered that Chairman Elvis was not here...

But she soon regained her spirits.

If she merely had to wait... it was no big deal.

She looked at Ron. "It seems we'll have to wait for Chairman Elvis. In the meantime, I can teach you some mystical knowledge that normal supernatural beings ought to learn."

As she spoke, Idrila led Ron back to the hall and stopped before the floating book.

"This is the Society Codex. Society members can use Academic Points to exchange for many useful things from it—and the secret art I want to teach you is one of them."

As she spoke, she stirred the spirituality within her body and touched the floating book before her.

The book immediately opened in midair and swiftly flipped to a certain page with a rustle.

Glowing words floated out and landed in Idrila's hand, transforming into a bottle of luminous ink.

"Come on, let's go to my room. I'll write it out for you in Old Rodlandic..."

Idrila shook the bottle of luminous ink in her hand. Ron froze slightly, then immediately asked,

"What is Old Rodlandic? Why not just tell me directly? Why do you have to write it down?"

He did not even know Old Rodlandic?

Idrila was a little stunned. After all, there were not many people like Ron who knew so little basic knowledge yet had become supernatural beings.

No church would allow someone who did not understand even the most basic mystical knowledge to become a supernatural being.

After all, once such a person consumed a Potion, it would not take long before their lack of mystical knowledge caused them to violate all kinds of taboos and lose control in madness.

Yet Ron seemed perfectly fine. He had not been affected in the slightest, and he had even advanced Sequences out of thin air, changing from Sequence 9 to Sequence 8 right before her eyes...

Well, as expected of an agent called upon by a hidden existence, someone who could casually embark on the supernatural path.

He truly was free.

Idrila could not help recalling stories of hidden existences she had read in ancient texts—

It was said that a follower of a god had once descended upon the earth. His sacred nature remained pristine, as pure and flawless as an infant's.

The god's blessing allowed him to shatter all suffering and darkness. In the new world, which was overrun with evil ghosts, he swept away every evil and established a new Order Cathedral for the new world.

Knowing nothing, yet possessing unimaginable divine favor and power...

Ron seemed no different from that saint.

It was said that the saint had now been elevated by the god and become an Angel attending at the side of Order...

What position would Ron reach in the future?

Idrila sighed inwardly, then opened the Society Codex again and exchanged for another symbol. She carefully explained to Ron,

"In the field of mysticism, much knowledge cannot be conveyed through the common tongue."

"For example, this secret art—even if its usage can be clearly explained orally, learning it that way will never produce the effect of dispelling contamination."

"Because in the field of mysticism, you have not truly received this knowledge. Naturally, it cannot take effect on a mystical level..."

"Old Rodlandic is one language capable of carrying mysteries. It was spoken in ancient times, when there were only city-states across the land."

"Because it can carry mysteries and is relatively easy to learn, it has now become the common mystical language used by most supernatural beings."

As she spoke, the new symbol in her hand transformed into a small glass bottle containing an azure liquid that glittered with tiny specks of light.

"Here, this is a Rodlandic Proficiency Potion, a medicine made by a Sequence 9 Apothecary of Life. Drink it, and you'll learn Old Rodlandic."

It looked rather fantastical, like a starry sky...

Ron accepted the Potion, looked at the azure liquid in the small glass bottle, and tipped his head back to drink it in one gulp.

A bitter taste streaked across his throat, followed immediately by a fiery, stinging burn.

The increasingly intense bitterness churned in Ron's stomach, surging toward his throat as though trying to escape.

Ron immediately scrunched his face up like he had bitten into a bitter melon.

Perhaps because Ron had always acted so calm and indifferent, occasionally even saying things with the solemnity of a fanatic, this expression was simply too much of a contrast...

The corners of Idrila's mouth actually twitched, despite her previously heavy mood.

Holding back her laughter, she led Ron to her room.

Only after watching Ron gradually suppress the churning bitterness and regain his normal complexion did Idrila take out a sheet of paper. She dipped a quill into the small bottle of ink and began writing on it with focused calm...

Elegant lettering flowed from Idrila's quill. Though the magical ink glowing with faint fluorescence had filled an entire bottle, it was completely used up after writing just one line of small text.

Ron looked toward the mysterious script he had never seen before, only to find that although it was unfamiliar, he understood its meaning perfectly—

[The key to Potions is not mastery, but digestion! Not excavation, but acting!]

At that moment, Idrila's voice reached his ears as well:

"Sequence Potions, the grace of the gods... Their names are not merely core symbols of their respective Sequences, but concrete images as well—"

"Only by acting out the role that the Potion is trying to turn you into can you gradually make the power flowing through your blood obey your control and completely digest the Potion."

As she spoke, Idrila pointed at herself.

"For example, I am a War Chaplain. If I want to digest my Potion, the best way is to become a true War Chaplain—to heal my comrades in war and learn to control the Potion's power..."

That line of mysterious writing shimmered with enigmatic colors, reflected in Ron's eyes.

Acting? Digestion?!

Like a clear spring washing over his face and sweeping away all the haze, Ron instantly understood after hearing Idrila's explanation.

No wonder! No wonder his [Potion Sequence] had been so prone to losing control!

It turned out he had never digested the Potion's power at all and had simply used it so violently—

How could a Beyonder ability filled with such contamination possibly avoid losing control?

To reduce his Loss of Control, what Ron needed to do now was act as a Gravekeeper and Corpse Collector, completely digesting the Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 Potions of the [Death] Sequence...

As long as he did that, he would no longer lose control so easily, nor would Beyonder Loss of Control affect the advancement of his Personal Reality again!

Just as Ron completely understood what the [Acting Method] was,

A crisp manual notification sounded beside his ear—

[Detected that you have been affected by a special Mysticism Influence and have learned a new piece of mysticism knowledge. Extracting setting.]

[Setting Extracted: Acting Method.

After the gods bestowed Potions that elevated mortals, all people began walking predetermined paths.

Act like Them, understand Them, become Them... This is the path every Beyonder must walk!

"The key to reaching the highest heights is the Potion itself..."

—Sequence 3 [Error Aggregate], Madman Sainz.]

[After loading this setting, you may reduce the Loss of Control from Beyonder Loss of Control by acting out the symbol of the Potion Sequence you have loaded.]

It had even been extracted as a setting?

Ron froze slightly, unable to suppress a surge of delight.

Could it be... that secret knowledge like the [Acting Method] could also be extracted into settings?

If so, then the knowledge that could be explored in the Potion Era was itself a reward that could not be overlooked...

Ron fell into thought. Seeing his enlightened expression, Idrila could not help but feel moved.

He understood it so quickly...

One had to know that the inheritance of mysticism knowledge was not so simple.

In this era, knowledge itself possessed magical power.

In most cases, even relatively simple secret knowledge like the Acting Method had to be repeated several times before it could be passed on to someone else, allowing them to accept that special magical power.

Yet Ron had understood it so easily, grasping it completely in one go...

Was this the favor of a hidden existence?

A trace of reverence rose in Idrila's heart. She had no idea that Ron had merely used the manual to directly extract that knowledge into a setting...

And at that moment, after completely understanding the Acting Method, Ron suddenly realized a problem.

The Acting Method... In other words, if he encountered a Potion Sequence that was difficult to act out, digesting the Potion itself would instead become the obstacle to advancement.

For instance, the [Death] Sequence...

How was Ron supposed to act as a Gravekeeper and Corpse Collector?

It seemed he could only find work at a cemetery and genuinely do that job...

With that thought, Ron immediately probed indirectly.

"Miss Idrila... Does Evening Bell City happen to have any cemeteries recruiting Gravekeepers or Corpse Collectors?"

"Gravekeepers or Corpse Collectors?"

Idrila was somewhat stunned, immediately realizing why Ron had asked. "You are of the [Death] Sequence?"

Ron nodded, then saw a hesitant expression appear on Idrila's face.

"That... really will be difficult."

"In every city, aside from the cemeteries established by the major churches themselves, all other cemeteries are entirely controlled by the Lost Church."

"And the [Death] Sequence is a Sequence possessed by the Lost Church—and one possessed only by the Lost Church..."

"In Evening Bell City, only the Scorched Earth Sanctuary still has a cemetery of its own. Aside from that, there are only the cemeteries contracted by the Lost Church."

At this point, Idrila spread her hands.

"So... unless you join the Lost Church, there is nothing I can do."

Why did there have to be this kind of trouble too...

But fortunately, I still have a backup plan!

Advancement did not necessarily have to rely solely on the [Death] Sequence...

Ron asked again, "How difficult is it to act out the [War] Sequence?"

"The [War] Sequence?" Idrila frowned and solemnly warned him, "Mr. Ron, I must seriously remind you—Beyonders must never consume Potions from other Sequences."

"In the Beyonder world, if you consume Potions across Sequences and cause the powers of two Sequences to conflict, at best you become a madman whose abilities have lost control; at worst, you are contaminated by the Potion's power and become a monster ordinary people cannot comprehend!"

As expected, after consuming a Potion from one Sequence, he absolutely could not consume one from another Sequence...

But who told me I have the Dimensional Update Manual?

What conflict of powers? Can't I just unload the setting?

Ron did not care and casually said,

"I was just curious. I wanted to ask..."

Curious?

Why did that sound so strange...

Idrila gave Ron a suspicious glance, then sighed.

"[War]... is the easiest Sequence in the world to advance through, and also the hardest."

"As its name suggests, Beyonders of [War] must throw themselves into war if they wish to digest their Potions—"

"Starting as a Sequence 9 [Soldier], becoming a [War Chaplain], then advancing into a [War Overseer]..."

"For Beyonders of the [War] Sequence, all they need is military merit!"

As she spoke, her expression grew complicated. She stroked the scars on her arm, a trace of nostalgia appearing in her gaze.

"Ten years ago... I took part in the Field Battle. Although I was only a medic, that one month allowed me to advance easily from [Warrior] to [War Chaplain]."

"I heard that during that battle, one lucky fellow fired a shot that happened to hit the enemy commander's warhorse. It threw the commander from his horse on the battlefield, and then he happened to be trampled by the hooves of allied cavalry..."

"By relying on that military merit, he advanced directly from a Sequence 9 [Warrior] to a Sequence 3 [Leader of Ten Thousand Armies]—

The Sanctuary promoted that incident for an entire year. Leader of Ten Thousand Armies was also the only Sequence 3 Potion title I had ever heard of..."

"That really was... fortunate."

Ron curved his lips into a polite smile, deciding not to believe a single word of it.

One shot hitting the enemy commander's warhorse, leading to the commander being trampled to death, could make someone Sequence 3?

Sequence 4 had already surpassed Lv.5. Sequence 3 was at an even more unimaginable level...

If some lucky person could advance with a single shot, why wasn't the world full of Sequence 3s?

There was probably some extremely deep secret hidden behind the incident. That was the key to why that so-called "lucky fellow" had become a [Leader of Ten Thousand Armies]!

Still, none of that had anything to do with Ron.

The [War] Sequence required participating in war, something Ron would never do.

Even without considering anything lofty, the terror of war itself was enough to make Ron recoil.

He was only Sequence 8. If he truly became a Soldier and entered the battlefield, what if some high-level Beyonder on the other side casually threw out a massive fireball and burned him to ashes?

And if he returned to Ideal City, something like "war" would be even more impossible—did people really think the three giant corporations were pushovers?

It seemed that Minotaur's Heart really would have to become the initial capital for trading Beyonder items...

Joining the Lost Church was not impossible. Even if it did not work out, Ron still had Ideal City!

Though it would be a little troublesome, couldn't he solve the problem by becoming a Gravekeeper and Corpse Collector at a crematorium in Ideal City?

He put the matter of the [War] Sequence aside and asked Idrila,

"But back to the point—"

"The revelation bestowed upon me by that great being told me that as long as I entered the Truth Society with you, I would have an opportunity to reach Sequence 7..."

"Miss Idrila, do you know where I should look for Potion formulas of higher Sequences?"

"Right here..."

Idrila took a calendar from beside her and tapped a date.

"Tomorrow night, the Society will hold its monthly Academic Salon as usual—"

"Though it is nominally an Academic Salon, a gathering that invites scholars to exchange knowledge... in truth, it is essentially a secret gathering for Beyonders."

"At that time, many Beyonders in Evening Bell City who have good relations with the Society will come. They will post commissions at the gathering, trade secret knowledge, Beyonder items... and even Potions themselves!"

As she spoke, she tapped the tabletop with her finger, producing a crisp sound.

"And the Gravekeepers of the Lost Church... happen to have quite a good relationship with the Society."

"If there happen to be a few whose faith is not so firm and who are in desperate need of money, perhaps you will find an opportunity to advance..."

The update was so late because, as I mentioned yesterday, I adjusted my schedule...

I had already written four thousand words by noon and was ready to post them, but then I thought four thousand was too little, so I wrote until I had eight thousand before updating.

I will not update in the middle of the night again. Absolutely not. My schedule has already been adjusted.

I'll write some backlog today and try to set up a scheduled release time tomorrow. From now on, updates will be at a fixed time. Over.

(End of Chapter)