Meanwhile, Klein maintained his inscrutable seated posture, but inwardly, his thoughts were already churning.
Protection? Me? he grumbled inwardly. Me, fighting Ankewelt, the Dragon of Imagination? I'd win, probably in my dreams.
Wait, he's a Mind Dragon. I probably couldn't beat him even in a dream.
But he quickly calmed down. Since Temperance was almost certainly Lin Chuan and had even greeted him, there was no way the other man was unaware of his actual circumstances.
Yet that warning had sounded entirely genuine. In other words, reciting certain secret names could indeed draw an unknowable gaze. Then the protection probably came not from him, but from being here Above the Gray Fog, where that connection could be severed.
Klein pondered inwardly. So the true nature of this gray fog... is far beyond what I imagined. It can serve as a barrier, even offer some kind of protection? The thought made him regard the origins of the gray fog with even greater seriousness.
Audrey paused slightly when she heard Lin Chuan's words, clearly not expecting Mr. Temperance to pose such a question out of the blue. Her emerald eyes blinked, her long lashes casting delicate shadows in the faint glow of the gray fog, as though she were carefully weighing the significance of his words.
Then Audrey's lips curved into a smile, bright and confident in a way unique to a young girl. Rather than answering immediately, she first nodded gracefully to Lin Chuan in thanks before speaking:
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Temperance. You're right. This is indeed a major decision, one that might even affect my entire life. By any reasonable standard, I should be more cautious and learn about all my options before deciding."
"But... I think some things may not require quite so much deliberation. Just like when I first heard those stories of mysteries and miracles as a child, I somehow felt, 'Ah, this is the world I want to learn about.'"
"And a Spectator is exactly the sort of Beyonder I once imagined becoming."
"Even if another pathway might be a little better, I don't want to give up a choice within my reach to chase some elusive possibility."
"After all," she blinked, "I can't have every option, but at least I can seize the one that makes my heart stir."
Hearing this, Lin Chuan was silent for a moment before chuckling softly. There was no mockery in his laughter, only a touch of appreciation.
"A very interesting answer," he said. "Since you've already reached that resolve, I won't try to dissuade you any further. I believe Spectator is the pathway best suited to you."
"Go ahead without worrying."
He turned to Alger. "Ghost Shark blood, right? Please continue."
Alger nodded and looked at Audrey.
"If you can obtain Ghost Shark blood, have someone deliver it to the Warrior and the Sea bar on Pelican Street in the White Rose District of Pritz Harbor. Tell the owner, Williams, that it's what the Captain requested."
"Once I've confirmed receipt, would you rather give me an address so I can mail you the potion formula, or have me tell you directly here?"
Audrey considered it for a while, then smiled.
"I'll choose the more confidential method, right here, though it will certainly test my memory."
Alger gave the Fool, shrouded in gray fog, a long look before turning back and saying steadily:
"Then I'll tell you the Spectator potion formula now. I trust that with Mr. Fool and Mr. Temperance as witnesses, no one would dare break the agreement."
Lin Chuan smiled and gave a slight nod, accepting Alger's inclusion of his name.
"Let me prepare. All right, please begin." Audrey took a breath and focused all her attention.
At the same time, Klein secretly pricked up his ears, mustering the concentration he would bring to a future job interview, determined to memorize the first Beyonder potion formula he had encountered since coming to this world.
Does this count as freeloading? He felt a little guilty, but soon straightened his back and thought with perfect conviction, How can running a platform be called freeloading? If I hadn't brought them up here, how would Audrey and Alger have had the chance to trade? Even a broker charges a fee.
Of course, the main reason was still that he really had no money...
Alger clearly had never imagined that the mysterious and powerful Mr. Fool might not know a Sequence 9 formula, so he began explaining it directly to Audrey:
"Preparing low-sequence potions is very simple. Just add the ingredients in the order given. But you must remember: it's better to use too little than too much. Too much can cause serious problems. You must have heard about Beyonders losing control, so I don't need to repeat that, do I?"
Alger explained the precautions first. Audrey nodded lightly. "I understand completely."
As she spoke, she turned her head to glance at Mr. Temperance, wanting to know whether this knowledgeable and helpful gentleman had anything to add. Unfortunately, as far as she could see, Temperance merely listened calmly. Perhaps he considered such common knowledge unnecessary to mention.
Mr. Fool remained as inscrutable and taciturn as ever, sitting quietly like a statue.
Alger thought for a moment and said, "Using a little less doesn't mean deviating too far... If you don't have anyone to help you, I suggest spending some time familiarizing yourself with chemistry experiments first."
"I have a tutor for that," Audrey replied without any concern.
Alger went on to explain the maximum permissible deviations and other matters before smoothly reciting:
"Spectator, a Sequence 9 potion: 80 milliliters of pure water, then 5 drops of Colchicum Essence, then 13 grams of ox-tooth peony powder, then 7 petals of elf flower, then a pair of eyes from an adult Manhal Fish, then 35 milliliters of horned blackfish blood." He added, "The last two are the main ingredients. Both come from supernatural marine species, so you must be careful."
"Mm." Audrey began repeating it as she recalled the words. "80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of Colchicum Essence, 13 grams of ox-tooth, ox-tooth..."
"Peony powder," Alger prompted. With his help, Audrey gradually memorized the formula in the correct order, but she still felt uneasy and kept murmuring it under her breath, repeating it over and over.
"Do you know how to meditate?" Seeing Audrey nod, Alger continued, "I don't know what the meditation you're familiar with is like, so let me describe it first... After consuming the potion, begin meditating as soon as possible to bring your spirituality and power under control... You must practice every day to truly master the potion's power and uncover its symbolic meaning and further mysteries. Only then can you minimize the risk of losing control. The key to a potion's symbolic meaning lies in its name, such as 'Spectator'!"
Klein quietly listened to their exchange, simply memorizing and learning, while Audrey listened attentively to Al-
ger's explanation. She was just about to ask about a few details when she suddenly heard a light tapping on the table.
Before you continue