Patrol Bureau Work, Digesting the Potion (7k)

The icy blade came at her like a storm. Idrila could feel her flesh splitting open, as though a sword edge would slash across her neck the next second. Death was close at hand.

But she knew that what she needed most now was endurance.

The [War] Potion had always been violent. The blessing from the Lord of Strife arrogantly tested those who received it, ensuring that from the moment they drank the Potion, they would have to endure the erosion of corruption—yet corruption was also part of the blessing.

Just like the Fire-Chasers of ancient legend—

They embarked on a long journey, pursuing the rebel kings who had stolen divine fire, hunting them down and turning them into kindling.—

The hatred of the Fire Kings surged within the flames. The Flame Seed was reclaimed by the Fire-Chasers, but the curse often remained with them.

But in the end, this violent power was still completely tamed, becoming another bundle of kindling for the Fire-Chasers on their long journey.

Idrila knew that as long as she endured and withstood the damage from the invisible blades, she would successfully accept the power of the [War Overseer] and advance to Sequence 7.

She endured it.

Having long since completely digested the foundation left behind by the [War Chaplain], Idrila had enough leeway to draw upon sufficient spirituality to resist the corruption within the Potion. As she fought back, the invisible blades gradually faded and fell still.

She could feel her torn flesh and tendons burning. The Potion's power merged into her blood, surged through it, overflowed, and repaired her wounds.

But at that moment—

She had clearly survived the corruption. She had clearly brought the Potion under control. Yet a strange sensation rose from the depths of Idrila's heart.

She felt as though her mind was beginning to blur and her thoughts were becoming chaotic. Along with that, even the Potion she had just brought under control, the Potion that had merged into her blood, inexplicably began to stir again!

A sharp chill struck her. Even in her dazed state, Idrila's spirituality frantically warned her that if she failed to block that piercing cold, the Potion she had already controlled would surely go out of control. She would go mad and be corrupted into a twisted monstrosity.

But—what could she do?

She desperately tried to open her eyes and use the extraordinary abilities of the [War Overseer] to block that piercing chill.

But it was as though she had suddenly fallen into the deep sea hundreds of meters below. An unimaginable pressure, in the mystical sense, crushed Idrila's spirituality, leaving her unable to move even an inch.

Idrila could only remain frozen there, despairingly feeling that icy force which would drive her out of control rushing toward her. Was she really going to lose control here without even knowing why?

This was the heart of the Society, and Mr. Ron was right beside her. If she lost control—yet just as the thought emerged, she suddenly heard a subtle sound, like a bubble popping. "Pop."

In an instant, the crushing pressure on her spirituality and the cold vanished, as though warm sunlight had fallen over her, instantly dispelling the chill.

Idrila opened her eyes and saw Ron stretching out a hand, grabbing a gray arrow glimmering with cold light and crushing it in an instant.

The cold gray mist trembled and dissipated. In her daze, Idrila seemed to see Ron lose all his magic power in that instant, becoming as ordinary as a mortal—

Yet at that same instant, his spirituality seemed to explode and rapidly expand, profound and immense like the starry night sky!

But it lasted only a moment. After swallowing that gray mist arrow, the power abruptly vanished as though it had never existed.

Ron also returned to his previous state. The magic power of Sequence 8 steadily shone within Magic Vision.

Idrila's chaotic thoughts had settled once more. Looking at Ron now, she found him staring at her solemnly, his eyes full of doubt.

Thinking back to her muddled state just now, as well as that inexplicable gray mist arrow, Idrila immediately realized what had happened.

"This is... the extraordinary ability that controlled me before?"

After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Did you... use the power that person bestowed upon you?"

To ordinary people of the Potion Era, the incomprehensible power of [Fantasy Dissolution] truly differed little from a blessing bestowed by a hidden existence.—

Ron nodded. "That's right. I used that person's blessing again."

"He blessed me so that I would not be confused by others or eroded by magic power. This is already the second time I've used this power on you."

He studied Idrila and asked in a grave tone,

"And this gray mist, capable of confusing hearts and controlling thoughts, has also appeared for the second time."

"Idrila, I think you should seriously consider why this power has clung to you like a festering parasite."

"Its range of influence is simply too broad. What Contained Artifact does Father Suul possess to use such power?"

Ron frowned as he drew a conclusion.

"Is it that mask left behind by a Sequence 4 demigod of the [Trickery] pathway, or some other Contained Artifact you don't know about?"

Idrila thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"No. Although the [Trickery] pathway is indeed exceptionally skilled at manipulating people's hearts, and it is said that a Sequence 7 [Master of Persuasion] can influence others' minds through words alone, I can still say with certainty that the demigod's mask could never possess such power."

As she spoke, she said decisively,

"I witnessed that battle which nearly destroyed Evening Bell City, and I also saw the enhancement Bishop received when he took out the mask. According to Bishop, because of that [Trickery] demigod's unique nature, his extraordinary characteristics did not manifest the all-deceiving 'trickery.' Instead, they gave the holder the power to break through the limits of the flesh."

"And a power capable of crossing vast distances, influencing others' minds from nowhere, and even luring them into losing control absolutely did not exist within Evening Bell City's sanctuary."

"Perhaps this power comes from some Contained Artifact Suul acquired recently, one I have never heard of—"

As she spoke, a trace of worry and sorrow appeared in her eyes.

"Perhaps... this is why his temperament suddenly changed so drastically, why he framed and controlled so many people, and why he intends to sacrifice them during the Fire-Chasing Ritual."

Suul's drastic change in temperament was related to this power?

Ron fell into thought, then suddenly asked,

"The Fire-Chasing Ritual... You keep mentioning the Fire-Chasing Ritual, but I still don't really know what it is."

"Can you tell me what the Fire-Chasing Ritual is actually for?"

"It is a custom that imitates the Fire-Chasing Journey of ancient civilization, used to pray to the gods."

Idrila had long grown used to Ron knowing nothing about anything, so she calmly answered his endless questions.

"Back when Old Rodlandic was still a common language, when this land was made up of nothing but scattered city-states, it was said that there existed a divine object known as the First Flame—"

"These flames were believed to be the light that illuminated the world. But at the time, rebel kings who wished to become gods usurped the divine fire, dividing up the flames that illuminated all things and stealing them for their own thrones."

"The heavens and earth fell into darkness from then on. To reclaim the world's light, heroes who chased the flames slew the rebel kings, reclaimed the stolen Flame Seeds, and passed down the First Flame once more to illuminate the world."

"It is said that those Fire-Chasers who inherited the flames eventually became new gods. By imitating the ritual through which they once slew rebel kings and sacrificed blood and fire, one could receive their blessings."

As she spoke, however, she shook her head.

"But those were matters from the previous era, before the Great Cataclysm. Similar stories and legends are sung across the land."

"But in truth, no one has ever genuinely profited from them."

"The [Fire-Chasing Ritual] gradually became a ceremony held only by certain churches—for example, the Scorched Earth Sanctuary."

"Every year at the end of the year, the sanctuary holds a [Fire-Chasing Ritual]. But they have always merely sacrificed condemned criminals guilty of unforgivable crimes. Often, when there are no such sinners, they sacrifice only cattle and sheep—"

"At that time, the whole city participates, singing praises of [War] and giving thanks for the god's protection over the past year—but that is all."

After hearing Idrila's explanation, Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully and managed to guess part of the reason.

Could it be that Suul had become so mad precisely because of this Fire-Chasing Ritual, which supposedly allowed one to "receive blessings"?

Ron had not forgotten what Idrila had been reciting when he first saw her atop the sanctuary tower...

[Great sovereign of war, beating heart of strife, source of all conflict.]

She had been reciting the divine name of [War], praying for his blessing!

But this clearly had not been a genuine prayer. It was more like practice in advance. Father Suul had controlled Idrila and made her rehearse the prayer to [War], intending for her to pray as a sacrifice so that [War]'s blessing would descend!

However, the one who received the blessing would surely not be Idrila. As the sacrifice, she would certainly die during the Fire-Chasing Ritual, while only Father Suul, the ritual's host, could remain alive to accept the blessing.

And after receiving the blessing, Father Suul would presumably have another chance to advance to a higher Sequence. How lamentable... Was this what an extraordinary person with no chance of advancement for so long looked like after going completely mad?

"Perhaps he simply hasn't accumulated enough merit for advancement for too long, and fantasized about sacrificing all of you through this so-called Fire-Chasing Ritual to pray for [War]'s blessing."

Ron shook his head and stopped dwelling on Father Suul. Instead, he looked at Idrila, who was clearly deep in thought and somewhat anxious after being frightened by that gray mist arrow, and comforted her.

"You don't need to worry too much. The fact that he chose to use this method to remotely control you means the Society truly is untouchable to him."

"The Lost Church we will visit later is the same. He probably would not dare invade the territory of any orthodox god's church. Father Suul failed to catch us when we escaped and can now only resort to these petty tricks. He poses no real threat to our safety. We should be happy instead."

Ron casually patted Idrila's slender shoulder and encouraged her.

"Instead of worrying about this, why not be happy and think about your advancement just now?"

"You are now a Sequence 7 [War Overseer]. You are on the same level as Suul, another [War Overseer]. What do you have to fear?"

That was true.

I'm already a [War Overseer].

Listening to Ron's comfort, Idrila let out a relieved breath and completely cast aside the tiny bit of idealization she had once held toward Suul.

They were both Sequence 7. Without considering the influence of Contained Artifacts, there was not much difference between Idrila and Suul at all.

And President Elvis would soon return. Once he did, there would be even less to fear. Seeing Idrila's expression relax, Ron chatted with her while calculating the strength they could currently call upon.

A newly advanced Sequence 7, President Elvis returning tomorrow, and his own Lv.3 [Vector Manipulation], which he could use again after returning to Ideal City and resting briefly...

Even if President Elvis chose not to act, Ron and Idrila alone should be able to defeat Father Harvey, right?

After all, no matter how much foundation he had, he was only a Sequence 7.

That meant that as long as Ron returned to Ideal City to rest, the future Potion of Sequence 7 in the [Death] pathway was within reach.

Even so, Ron was not in such a rush to return to Ideal City immediately. Instead, he quietly waited until the next day, then sat at the bookstore entrance with Idrila, who had long been unable to contain her anxiety, waiting for old President Elvis, whom Charles said would soon return.

"Ding-ding-ding~"

The brass doorbell rang crisply as an elderly gentleman in a dark blue robe pushed open the door, leaning on a cane.

He had a kind face and wore glasses. His long silver-white beard hung down to his chest, its ends curled into delicate spirals.

His silver hair fell loosely around him, giving him an indolent air of someone content to let things drift.

The moment he entered, he saw so many people sitting by the door watching him and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Soon, his gaze fell upon Idrila, and obvious delight appeared in his eyes.

But the next moment, he calmed down. His gray-blue eyes, like they held a sea of clouds, scrutinized Idrila, and his voice carried clear wariness.

"Oh—a [War Overseer]?"

As he spoke, the gemstone pendant at his waist, shaped like a star and moon, lit up unnoticed.

"Suul, I do not recall you having any ability to change your appearance. Selvis Bookstore does not welcome guests who hide their identity. Until you release our honorary member, do not appear before the Truth Society."

His tone was stern, and faint light seemed to gleam within his gray-blue eyes.

Ron could see the surging radiance of magic power on the old man's body—stronger than that of anyone he had ever seen!

Though they were all Sequence 7, neither Idrila, Harvey, nor Suul possessed magic power radiance stronger than this man's!

"No—President Elvis, it's me."

Idrila shook her head and took out a glowing page-cross pendant. "I advanced to Sequence 7."

Elvis pushed up his glasses and carefully examined the pendant. Only after confirming that the spirituality attached to it had not changed did his expression relax.

The glowing Star-Moon Pendant dimmed. Elvis sat beside the others, set down his cane and top hat, and was clearly quite delighted.

"Oh, I never expected it really was Little Ily. It seems Kurt safely delivered the letter to you?"

"So Kurt was that messenger... No, he didn't deliver it to me."

Idrila murmured, shaking her head as she pointed at Ron beside her.

"The reason I was able to escape was all thanks to Mr. Ron—"

"Oh? This gentleman was the one who delivered the secret letter to you?"

Elvis looked at Ron, not expecting this unfamiliar face to have become the greatest help in Idrila's escape from the tower.

"Then Kurt now—"

Elvis asked instinctively. Ron omitted how he had pretended to be an Angel to deceive Kurt and briefly explained Kurt's situation. "I'm afraid he is still trapped in the Corpse-Limb Prison of the Scorched Earth Sanctuary—"

After hearing Ron's words, Elvis's expression quickly turned grave. "If Kurt is in the Corpse-Limb Prison now—children, I don't think we should continue chatting here."

He gripped his cane, shook the snow from his scarf and top hat, and stood up again.

"I'll bring him back right away. Kurt is not like Little Ily. He is only a Society member and has no reason to be detained by Suul."

No! He absolutely could not go!

Seeing Elvis look so confident, Ron knew that he had no idea about the demigod's mask.

After all, that was the Scorched Earth Sanctuary's own secret. If Elvis truly trusted in his own strength and rashly tried to rescue Kurt, he would get himself trapped as well.

Idrila naturally understood the danger too, but since they were not inside the "door," she could not reveal the secret openly and could only try to dissuade him indirectly.

Fortunately, Elvis was a smart man. Seeing Ron and Idrila hesitate to speak, the elderly man, who looked quite wise, immediately understood what they meant. He led them down to the underground hall and into his office.

Only then did Idrila dare to tell Elvis the details about the demigod's mask.

Taking the opportunity, Ron also briefly described Father Harvey's commission and explained the unusual gray mist that might be the source of Suul's power.

After carefully learning about the current situation from Ron and Idrila, Elvis sat behind his oak desk and silently pondered for a long while.

After some time, he finally looked at Idrila and Ron and spoke seriously.

"If Suul possesses a Contained Artifact formed from the extraordinary characteristics of a Sequence 4 demigod from the [Trickery] pathway, then I do not think this matter will end so simply."

"In truth, I do not know much about Suul's situation. I merely happened to discover that he was slandering and detaining innocent extraordinary people, and that he had controlled Little Ily, preventing you from coming to the Society even once for over a month. Though I can infer from his actions that he is connected to the Fire-Chasing Ritual, whether he truly seeks [War]'s blessing still requires discussion."

"After all, [War] does not grant blessings so easily. According to the descriptions in many texts, if one wishes to receive [War]'s blessing, no choice is better than participating in a war and earning military merit."

As he spoke, he sighed, removed his glasses helplessly, and wiped them.

"We cannot figure it out through guesswork alone. I will report this to the Society in Fog City and send a letter to the sanctuary's Inquisition as well. This matter is temporarily beyond what we can handle."

"As for the other matter you mentioned—"

He shook his head and said earnestly,

"I am the president of the Evening Bell City branch of the Truth Society. Before Father Harvey truly shows hostility, I cannot possibly act against him."

"Though I will protect you from behind the scenes and make sure you do not truly encounter any danger—"

As he spoke, he looked toward Ron and said tactfully,

"But I must tell you, Mr. Ron—although Father Harvey may seem a little difficult to approach, he truly is a good man."

"I think there may be some misunderstanding between you two. Perhaps we can discuss this after completing the commission. Maybe it truly is only my misunderstanding, but ultimately, we must see how Father Harvey behaves."

Ron shook his head, ending the subject.

He knew Elvis wanted to ease his view of Father Harvey, but he did not actually care about that.

Whether it was a misunderstanding was not important. Ron had never cared whether Father Harvey was hostile; what he cared about was whether he could obtain the extraordinary Potion of Sequence 7 in the [Death] pathway.

The reason Ron had not directly returned to Ideal City but waited until now was to obtain Elvis's promise.

With old President Elvis's protection, Idrila having just advanced to Sequence 7, and Ron himself—

The Sequence 7 [Death] Potion was now within reach.

As long as he completed Father Harvey's commission, Ron would certainly obtain the Sequence 7 [Death] Potion. Whether they had to become enemies in the process would not affect the final result.

Everything was ready. All that remained was to return to Ideal City and rest.

This time in the Potion Era, Ron had truly exhausted everything, wearing down nearly all the settings of the Superpowered Era to their limits.

It was time to go back.

Watching over Idrila's advancement had taken a full day and night. Ron also needed a proper rest.

With that thought in mind, Ron tapped the handbook's light screen and selected [Enter World Save].

[Current World Saves: Superpowered Era, Potion Era (loaded)]

[World Save "Superpowered Era" selected. Joining world—]

Ron's vision went black for an instant.

The next moment, the familiar room appeared before him. He sprawled lazily across the bed, removed all his settings, and plugged the Ability Amplifier in to charge—but instead of resting immediately, he picked up his phone and browsed the job platform. Even with the [Death] Sequence 7 Potion within reach, Ron no longer dared to drink it unprepared as he had before.

After watching Idrila drink the [War Overseer] Potion and suffer so many wounds carved by invisible blades, Ron had fully realized the risks one had to endure when taking a Potion.

Even Beyonders like Idrila, who had long since digested their Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 Potions, would suffer such injuries. If Ron kept advancing mindlessly without caring about digestion...

Then it probably would not be Beyonder Loss of Control holding back the growth of his Personal Reality. He would lose control completely and be warped by the Potion's corruption into some kind of death monster!

So, while repairing his settings, Ron planned to honestly digest the Potion through the Acting Method, avoiding the awkward situation where he would not dare drink a Potion to advance because he had not fully digested it.

But things did not go as planned.

Early in the morning, Ron yawned hugely with dark circles under his eyes, staring at the job listings on his phone in despair.

Noah Pharmaceuticals. It was all Noah Pharmaceuticals!

In Ideal City, corpses counted as a precious resource, so professions like Gravekeeper and Corpse Person were closely tied to pharmaceutical companies. And Noah Pharmaceuticals, which monopolized Ideal City's pharmaceutical industry, also monopolized all the crematoriums and cemeteries!

Ron had searched all night and still could not find a single similar position unrelated to Noah Pharmaceuticals.

At first, Ron refused to believe it and called Ms. Irina, only to learn that when Heavenly Hearing Media had tried to enter the funeral industry years ago, Noah Pharmaceuticals had easily crushed them in the market.

So, even though jobs like Gravekeeper and Corpse Person had no particularly high barriers to entry, Ron still could not get a safe job.

And Noah Pharmaceuticals—how could Ron possibly work for Noah Pharmaceuticals?

Never mind the contract with Heavenly Hearing Media—even if Heavenly Hearing Media was willing, Ron would not dare gamble with his life!

For all he knew, on his first day at Noah Pharmaceuticals, only a few hours after his personal information was entered into the work system, he might die inside from a "workplace injury." Could it be that I can only complete the acting and digest the Potion in the Potion Era?

Just as Ron was feeling helpless, a call notification suddenly popped up on his phone.

He answered it, and Xia Zhi's somewhat weary voice came from the other end.

"Good morning. How did you sleep last night?"

"Pretty well," Ron replied instinctively, before realizing why Xia Zhi had called. "Wait, have you already wrapped up the case over there?"

"That's right. We just accompanied the forensic department while they examined the corpses, waited in the morgue all night, and wrote up some case reports. There's nothing much to do for now..."

Xia Zhi yawned and forced herself to stay alert. "So, do you have time now?"

"I can't say whether there'll be more trouble later, so I'm planning to bring you into the Patrol Bureau now—"

Before she could finish, Ron interrupted her.

"You said... the forensic department? The morgue?"

He keenly caught the key points in Xia Zhi's words, and all drowsiness vanished from his mind.

"Sister Xia Zhi... does our Patrol Bureau happen to need a Gravekeeper?"