Chapter 205: The Power of the Mind

Chapter 205: The Power of the Mind

Audrey knew that her mind and spirit were currently being influenced by some Beyonder power. It was only because of the “angelic blessing” provided by Mr. Fool that she had miraculously broken free from that state. Therefore, she decided to reveal a small portion of the truth, using the exposure of a minor secret to numb the other party’s suspicions, conceal the more crucial matters, and gain greater trust.

The reason she did this was not that she lacked faith in the angel, but because she believed that if she could observe the other party, then the other party could likewise observe her.

Although she had always “hidden” in the “dark,” never treated as a Beyonder, and would not arouse suspicion as long as she acted normally, she was still willing to take the members of the Psychology Alchemists a little more seriously. After all, they were professionals, while she could only be considered half inside this circle. Her experience was neither rich nor comprehensive enough, and it was very possible that some problem she herself had not noticed might expose her.

In that case, it was better to “confess” at this opportunity and thoroughly dispel some of the Psychology Alchemists’ doubts.

She referred to the previous descent of the angel and the act of wrapping her in layer after layer of wings as a “blessing.”

Upon hearing Audrey’s answer, Islant and Hampres both briefly showed surprise. For an instant, they even began to doubt their own abilities.

Hilbert, however, merely curved the corners of his mouth and smiled faintly, showing no abnormal reaction at all.

He nodded in satisfaction and said in a gentle voice, “Your honesty is admirable.

“Is there anything else you wish to say?”

Audrey deliberately shook her head in a dazed manner.

“No.”

Hilbert thought for a moment, then asked a few more questions.

“At which Beyonder gathering did you buy the Spectator formula? From whom did you buy it? And where did you obtain the ingredients for the potion?”

Audrey’s eyes shifted slightly as she put on an expression of recollection.

“That Beyonder gathering must be kept secret.

“I couldn’t see what the seller of the Spectator formula looked like, but judging from his speech and manner, he was a believer of the Lord of Storms.”

Hearing this, Hilbert nodded softly, seeming to recall something.

Audrey continued, “Most of the ingredients for my Spectator potion were found in my family’s treasury. The rest came from exchanges with a few friends.”

Two Spectator potions… she silently added.

Most were found in her family’s treasury… Hilbert, Islant, and Hampres chewed over that sentence for a moment and found themselves briefly unable to speak.

A few seconds later, Hilbert nodded to Islant and Hampres, indicating that he had no more questions.

After receiving the same response, the faint gold that had appeared in his eyes quickly faded, and the vertical pupils within them also rapidly disappeared.

Hilbert adjusted the candlewick once more, making the flame suddenly leap.

In the alternation of light and shadow at that instant, Audrey discovered that the strange force affecting her had abruptly vanished.

She gathered away her dazed expression and changed to a look of doubt and inquiry.

“I didn’t expect that you were already a Spectator.” Hilbert laughed softly.

“Ah?” Audrey displayed her astonishment and panic at exactly the right moment.

Knowing what sort of emotional reaction was appropriate for a given situation, and knowing what subtle expressions and body movements should accompany that reaction, was a basic skill of a Telepathist.

Hilbert said with a smile, “There is no need to be nervous. We do not mind this matter. What happened just now was the final examination.

“Congratulations. You have passed every test. From now on, you are an official member of our Psychology Alchemists.”

“All right…” Audrey hesitated briefly, then smiled. “It feels like I just had a dream.”

She immediately rose, lifted the hem of her dress, and curtsied to Hilbert and the others, saying with a bright, shallow smile, “We are now companions.”

Faced with such courtesy from a noble and radiant young lady, Islant and the others immediately found themselves unable to remain seated. They all rose at the same time and returned the gesture.

After both sides sat again, Hilbert organized his words and said, “Miss Audrey, I will now formally introduce the Psychology Alchemists to you.”

“All right.” Audrey smiled. “You may simply call me Audrey.”

Hilbert nodded, leaned back, crossed his right leg, and clasped his hands together.

“In the beginning, the Psychology Alchemists were merely a discussion society of enthusiasts. They all believed that the mind possessed infinite power and infinite wonders.

“Later, this discussion society obtained a treasure map and found the ruins left behind by Hermes.”

“Hermes, as in Hermes script?” Audrey asked with interest.

“Yes. He was one of humanity’s earliest masters of mysticism. The ancient Hermes language he created possesses the miracle of directly resonating with the forces of nature. He was active during the dark Second Epoch, when humans were merely servants and slaves of giants.” Hilbert spoke with reverence.

He gently exhaled and said, “The earliest members of the Psychology Alchemists found many things in those ruins. They discovered that Hermes was a master of mysticism in the domain of the mind, and that the subjects of his research were the dragons who ruled the skies in the Second Epoch—more accurately, the dragons of the mind faction.

“The materials he left behind indicated that mind dragons had already traveled extremely far along this domain, reaching accomplishments equivalent to deities.”

I know. The Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt, was an ancient god… Audrey thought with a little pride.

Hilbert sighed.

“Those materials laid the foundation and direction for our Psychology Alchemists’ research.

“We believe that the mind contains countless secrets, each hidden in very deep places and difficult to grasp. Heh, please forgive me for using the adjective ‘deep.’ In my view, it is the most fitting term.

“When exploring those secrets, even a slight mistake can cause irreparable harm to oneself. Audrey, you must remember to be cautious about matters in this field.”

After Audrey nodded, he continued, “If we can understand the mysteries of the mind, then on one hand we can excavate the power hidden deep within consciousness and accomplish many wondrous things. On the other hand, we can influence or even control the minds of others.

“After reaching that level, what lies ahead is the ocean formed from the gathering of the collective subconscious. That is the place we yearn for most. Of course, ‘collective subconscious’ is not an accurate enough description. I prefer to call it the mind world of all living beings. It has a concealed and wondrous connection to the spirit world.”

“If one can master this mind world, what kind of Beyonder powers would they possess?” Audrey appropriately displayed her curiosity and her shallowness in this regard.

Hilbert smiled.

“You should have noticed certain wondrous phenomena in the real world. When we wish to obtain a certain item, it happens to appear. When we want to visit a friend, he happens to knock on the door. When we long for something to happen, it happens to begin at that exact same moment.

“You might say these are coincidences, but when there are too many coincidences, our research shows that such coincidences often originate from unconscious, miraculous mental influence.

“When you can master the mind world—the ocean formed by the collective subconscious—you will be able to master ‘coincidence,’ turning wondrous accidental phenomena into echoes of your mind, making them appear whenever you wish.”

“That—this is truly miraculous.” Audrey had heard the Sun mention how terrifying the Nightmare Dragon was, but his explanation had not been nearly as detailed as Hilbert’s.

Hilbert laughed softly.

“At our level, it is better not to discuss such profound matters. They can easily cause one to lose oneself. I will continue introducing the Psychology Alchemists.

“The discovery of the ruins marked the organization’s establishment. The earliest members originally hoped to maintain their previous state of purely academic discussion, but whenever they encountered problems, they needed help. The same was true when they lacked items or research materials. Because of this, the Psychology Alchemists slowly developed rules and transformed into a true secret organization.

“However, compared to other secret organizations, our structure and relationships remain quite loose.”

“That is precisely what I like,” Audrey said.

After explaining the main rules, Hilbert summarized at last, “When your level is high enough, you will be able to meet other members.

“I will now give you the Sequence 8 Telepathist potion.”

As expected, they prepared the Telepathist potion… Audrey felt both fortunate and proud.

After seeing the bottle of potion with its dreamlike, dazzling colors, she hesitated briefly.

“I would like to take it after returning home.”

She still doesn’t quite trust us and wants to make confirmation… Hilbert read Audrey’s thoughts and responded with a smile.

“Very well.

“With your performance, drinking the Telepathist potion should not pose any problem.”

Audrey bloomed with a smile and thanked him, then tentatively asked, “Can you give me the formula for the Psychiatrist potion? I want to gather the ingredients in advance so I won’t waste time.”

…The reason most people join the Psychology Alchemists, aside from hoping to obtain formulas, is to apply for corresponding Beyonder materials from within the organization, isn’t it? Who would so casually say, I want to gather the ingredients myself ahead of time? Hilbert, Hampres, and the others looked at the young lady whose tone was perfectly ordinary and, for a moment, could not say a word.

After several seconds, Hilbert finally forced a smile.

“I will first help you apply.

“Normally speaking, this requires merit. Merit comes from the tasks we assign, the research contributions you make, and the new materials and items you collect.”

“All right. I will work hard,” Audrey said lightly.

After leaving Islant’s home, she remained quiet the whole way and said very little. It was only after she returned to her room and temporarily sent away her personal maid Annie and the others that she turned her head toward the golden retriever and said with a smile,

“Susie, your potion is here!”

What a pity. The seven-colored lizard dragon Alfred found can’t be used after all. It’ll have to be sold for money… Audrey sighed inwardly.

Susie looked at the bottle of Telepathist potion and wagged her tail happily.

Around her neck, Audrey had playfully hung a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

…

Hillston Borough, inside Isengard Stanton’s home.

Klein had been invited to share breakfast. Aside from him, Kaslana was also present.

After taking a bite of the soft potato cake, Klein praised, “Mr. Stanton, your cooking is excellent.”

With graying temples, Isengard smiled.

“This is a specialty from Lenburg. And for Beyonders of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, being versatile is a common trait. Further up, Sequence 6 is called Polymath.

“The corresponding potion is quite prone to making one lose control. Even now, I have no confidence in advancing.”