Preparations for the Hunt

Sunday morning, in a two-bedroom apartment in the Saint George District.

A sleepy-eyed Xio Derecha struggled to get out of bed, quickly sobering himself up with cold water, and changed into the clothes he would use for disguise.

She glanced at another closed door, preparing to go out and investigate Lanevus.

"Snap."

With deliberate control, the door closed gently.

Xiu turned around, preparing to hail Hired Carriage by the roadside, when he suddenly saw the figure next to the mailbox and immediately began to doubt whether he was still dreaming.

Ten seconds later, confirming it wasn't a hallucination, she strode over with a dark expression. "How did you find this place?"

Of course, what she really wanted to say was "Are you a clingy pest?", but out of respect for Fors, she held back from saying it.

"Of course Fors told me. Do you think I was secretly following you?" Looking down at Hugh, whose tone was unfriendly, Lorry chuckled and nodded, "Good morning, ma'am."

"I have something very important to discuss with Fors, please pass on my message."

"Wait!" Hugh said, turning and going inside.

"Why is this guy always so volatile?" Lorry thought to himself, but then he suddenly remembered the look in the other person's eyes earlier and realized something was off.

Something's not right. Besides her displeasure and wariness, she seems surprised and guilty. I can understand the surprise, but guilty? What is she guilty about?

He stroked his chin, gradually falling into deep thought.

About twenty minutes later, the door to the two-bedroom apartment reopened.

Hugh stood on the steps and said impatiently, "Come in."

Lorry nodded, picked up the Milk, muffins, and toast he had bought on the way, and followed Hugh into the house, where they sat down in the Restaurant area.

Fors looked at him with a resentful expression. "What's so important? I only slept for three hours—"

"There are no cell phones in this world, and you don't even focus on writing your book. I really don't know what you're doing staying up all night every day—" Thinking this, Lorry put the things on the table. "Then you can eat something before you sleep."

After saying that, he turned to look at Hugh: "I bought enough for three people."

Between sleep and food, I would definitely choose the former—I'd rather sleep hungry until noon— Fors protested silently in his heart.

Trying to bribe me with Breakfast —humph, you think that will stop me from getting close to Fors?—No, it will only backfire.

I won't let you, a playboy, hurt her—she's a girl who likes to daydream, and she doesn't have much experience dealing with bad people.

They smell so good—uh, I am getting a little hungry—no, no, as Emperor Roselle said, eating other people's food makes your mouth soft—

I cannot be bought off by his small favors—Hugh considered turning away, but his body seemed unwilling to obey.

At this moment, Fors tilted her head and said, "Hugh, let's eat together too. Don't just grab something to eat outside."

"Okay." Hugh nodded and sat down.

"Fine, for Fors's sake—and I must see you leave this place with my own eyes—" she thought to herself, her mood gradually calming down.

"By the way, what is it that's so important?" Fors, taking small bites of a muffin with her fork and looking at the customer opposite her.

Lorry wiped his mouth and smiled, "Do you remember the valuable Mysticism knowledge I shared last time?"

"Of course!" Fors' eyes lit up. She was very interested in the Mysticism and subconsciously put down her fork.

Upon hearing this, Xiu immediately swallowed his food and prepared to get up and leave.

Lorry tilted his head slightly. "You can stay and listen too."

"However, you'll need the Potion Formula of the Arbiter ' and the Sheriff ' in return. Believe me, they're absolutely worth the price."

After saying that, he added with a smile, "You can listen first."

"If you are not satisfied after listening, you do not need to pay for the Formula."

After thinking for two seconds, Xiu nodded emphatically. "Okay!"

"You said it yourself, I won't be looking at it later—"

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed a strange look in the other person's eyes. Realizing something, she cleared her throat and resumed her usual deep voice. "I won't give Fors face then."

I never expected Hugh's voice to be so childish, it sounds like a little kid's—haha, it's hard to believe such a voice, no wonder she has to pretend—

Lorry chuckled inwardly, then tapped the table. "I have two pieces of knowledge to share."

First: Acting Method.

"The key to Potion is not mastery, but assimilation! Not excavation, but role-playing! The name of Potion is not only a symbolic core, but also a concrete image and the key to assimilation."

"Playing the role correctly can greatly help us digest the Potion and reduce the risk of losing control. But remember, you're just playing the role!"

After he finished speaking, the Restaurant fell completely silent.

Both women looked shocked, as if they had realized something.

"It's digestion—it's playing a role—" Hugh kept repeating in a low voice, then suddenly asked, "So when you stole money in the East Borough, you were actually playing the role of a ' Marauder '?"

"Uh... Huh!"

Fors hissed in embarrassment, then looked at Lorry guiltily. "Sorry, we didn't mean to follow you. She just saw you stealing money from poor people and was curious about what you were doing."

No wonder I felt like someone was spying on me that day, but I couldn't find the spy; it was those two—no wonder Xiu felt guilty when she saw me—

Lorry shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "----Never mind, I didn't do anything shameful."

After saying that, he looked at Hugh: "Your guess is correct, I am indeed playing the Marauder."

Then he continued, "The second piece of knowledge is called the Law of Indestructibility of Beyonder Characteristic. Beyonder Characteristic are not destroyed or diminished; they are simply transferred from one carrier to another."

"For example, when Mystical Item is shattered, it can slowly revert to its Beyonder Characteristic; and after a period of time following the death of Beyonder, their Beyonder Characteristic will also be released from their body."

So that thing had Beyonder Characteristic! Damn it, I sold it for only 10 pounds! Hugh remembered it as her spoils after defeating an enemy sometime during a battle.

It turns out that the keepsake Mrs. Anlisa gave me was a testament to her own Beyonder Characteristic.

She has always been with me— Fors thought of his experience of becoming Beyonder, clutching his chest, a faint warmth welling up in his heart.

Lorry coughed, interrupting the ladies' thoughts. "Gentlemen, please keep this a secret and don't divulge it to anyone else. Otherwise, you and I will, in a sense, become prey for other Beyonder beings."

Hugh boldly drew Crimson Moon on his chest. "I swear in the name of the Goddess, I will never reveal these to anyone else."

Q

"I won't tell anyone else either," Fors added, a beat behind.

"Here's the Formula you wanted." Hugh turned to look around, quickly grabbed a pen and paper from the shelf next to him, wrote something down, and pushed it over.

Lorry glanced at it casually, folded it up, and put it in his pocket.

Twenty minutes later.

The three of them finished all the food. Fors and went back to her room to catch up on sleep, while Lorry, under Hugh's wary gaze, left the two-bedroom apartment with her.

"Smack!"

With a crisp crack of the whip, the Hired Carriage Hugh was riding in slowly started moving.

Lorry stood by the roadside, suddenly looked down at the White Bone Ring, chuckled softly to himself, and muttered, "Old Gentleman, were you satisfied with the knowledge I just gained?"