Chapter 24: Sequence 2

Chapter Twenty-Four
Sequence 2

“October 29th. The leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, visited me again. He did not mention any specific matter, merely chatting casually for a while. I cannot guess his true intention. Perhaps he simply wants to strengthen communication between both sides and our understanding of each other?

“Having already met two high-Sequence powerhouses of the Churches, I felt Zaratul was stronger and more mysterious than either of them. Thus, without holding much hope, I casually asked what Sequence he was in. In the end, he actually answered me!

“He said he was Sequence 2, Miracle Invoker!

“Sequence 2? According to the Church’s classification, that is the level of angels, a status nearly divine!

“As expected, he is stronger than the Alchemist and the Arcane Scholar I met before!

“However, I intuitively believe Zaratul did not tell the whole truth. Sequence 2 may only be his former position. Or perhaps he is about to advance.

“Miracle Invoker? A master skilled at creating miracles? The name of this potion truly sets one’s imagination running!

“So this is Sequence 2 corresponding to Seer—the Miracle Invoker who manipulates fate?

“I probed Zaratul again, asking whether the so-called miracle was a miracle of fate, and whether the Seer pathway was one that gradually understood fate, grasped fate, and manipulated fate.

“Zaratul skipped over the first question. He told me that fate is only one part of the Seer pathway, and does not even belong to its main body. The pathway that truly represents fate is Monster!

“For this, he gave several examples, all potion names from the Monster Sequence: Sequence 7, Lucky One; Sequence 5, Winner; Sequence 2, Prophet; and that Sequence 1 at the very peak, Mercury Snake! This is also known as the Snake of Fate.

“This is the first Sequence 1 I have ever learned of. It completely struck me!

“From what I know, the Monster pathway should be held by the Life School of Thought. This school seems to also possess certain Sequences of the Apothecary pathway. They advocate a threefold division of the absolute rational world, the world of spirits, and the material world. Mm, quite cool.

“Zaratul told me that the Life School of Thought is skilled at astrology and pursues a path of using medicine, music, light, wine, and fragrance to harmonize the soul and remove unfavorable stars and unfavorable fates. They believe that calamities and diseases result from the loss of balance between humans and nature, and between humans and their own inner minds.

“He then added meaningfully that the Life School of Thought worships the moon.

“Why worship the moon, and not go one step further to the Evernight Goddess?”

This diary entry occupied two pages. Clearly, it too had been copied from the front and back of an original sheet.

“There is so much information…”

Klein sighed sincerely and soundlessly.

This was also the first time he had learned the name of a potion at the Sequence 1 level.

Mercury Snake. Snake of Fate. It really did make one’s heart fill with yearning.

“And this is likewise the first time I have learned of a certain Sequence 2, learned of the Sequence 2 corresponding to Seer… The name Miracle Invoker is not bad. Rich in meaning, with a high status. Of course, compared to Prophet, it feels slightly inferior…

“Fate is only one part of the Seer pathway, and not even its main body. I must remember that point. I need to constantly examine myself against it and avoid drifting toward the side of fate. That might cause my acting to fail… Looking at Zaratul’s words against themselves, there is no obvious problem… The Monster pathway is the true path of fate… So Prophet is actually Sequence 2. Thinking of it that way, I have encountered it before…”

Although Klein’s gaze did not leave the paper, he began seriously pondering matters related to his own Sequence chain.

Because of his experiences digesting the Seer and Clown potions, and because of the progression from peeking at fate, revering fate, to slightly foreseeing fate while still feeling powerless before fate, he had gradually equated the core essence of his Beyonder pathway with deepening involvement in fate. If not for this diary entry, he might very well have used that as the premise to understand and act out later Sequences.

As for whether Zaratul had lied, one point Klein could currently be certain of was this: the Monster pathway was absolutely the Sequence of fate. This matched descriptions he had read from the Nighthawks’ internal files, and also matched the potion name Prophet, which he had heard long ago.

Since a Sequence of fate already existed, the Seer pathway most likely would not duplicate it. That would create a degree of overlap, inconsistent with the distinct traits displayed by the present various Sequences.

Therefore, Klein leaned toward believing Zaratul’s words. He leaned toward believing that fate was only one part of the Seer pathway, and not even its main body.

These two diary pages are immeasurably valuable to me right now… Alchemist and Arcane Scholar should be high Sequences of the Savant pathway. From Roselle’s tone, they definitely do not belong to Sequence 2 or Sequence 1. In other words, one is Sequence 4 and the other Sequence 3… For now, I cannot determine which is Sequence 4 and which is Sequence 3…

Klein withdrew his thoughts and turned the diary pages.

As for why the Life School of Thought worshiped only the moon and did not believe in the Evernight Goddess, who symbolized the crimson moon, he lacked enough corresponding information and could not think deeply about it.

The third page of the diary described Roselle’s mental journey while inventing a practical steam engine. One moment, he worried that others would suppress him; the next, he feared his achievement would be seized by great figures. Between the lines, there was a strong impression that everyone wanted to persecute him.

I never imagined Emperor Roselle, who believed himself the protagonist of his era, also had such an anxious and worried side…

The corner of Klein’s mouth moved. He turned to the fourth diary page.

“April 18th. Matilda is pregnant.

“This was within expectation. I can even clearly say during which lovemaking she conceived, because at that time, I felt my Beyonder characteristics decrease.

“Once conception succeeds, my own Beyonder characteristics will follow a mysterious connection and transfer a portion to my child.

“After that time, I asked Archbishop Van Austin in worry. He told me this was a normal phenomenon. At Sequence 7 and below, Beyonder characteristics will not be inherited by descendants, but this is not absolute. Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 will naturally pass down a portion, but not much. It will not affect the parent’s own strength too greatly, while that child will be born with certain Beyonder abilities, close to Sequence 9, and the corresponding excess characteristics must be expelled once adulthood is reached. Otherwise, the child’s body will easily run into problems.

“Once one reaches the high Sequences, the inheritance of Beyonder characteristics becomes something controllable. One can choose to pass them on or not pass them on. One can also choose to pass down a little, a third, half, or all of them.

“In other words, the child of a high-Sequence powerhouse may be born a Beyonder. As for which Sequence, that is decided by his father or mother.

“I wonder whether the descendants of deities are also like this…”

After finishing this diary entry, only two phrases remained inside Klein’s mind: the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility and the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Conservation.

So this is the rule for the continuation of those supernatural creatures? No wonder some magical animals only give birth just before death… No wonder certain creatures develop increased bloodlust and desire to kill after reproduction, with their targets being their own kind, even their mates. They are replenishing Beyonder characteristics… According to this logic, if it is traced all the way upward, where did the earliest and most original Beyonder characteristics come from? Did they appear out of thin air? The Creator who created everything?

Because Miss Justice had already advanced to Telepathist, Klein controlled the impulse to nod and continued flipping through the pages.

The fifth diary page was Roselle’s complaints. He grumbled that no one here could appreciate his popular music and that they considered him to be making noise. At the same time, he sighed that “feel-good” fiction was a shared pursuit across different worlds and different peoples. His novel, plagiarized from The Count of Monte Cristo, had become extremely popular, allowing the newspaper he founded to flourish.

…Emperor, is there anything you did not do?

With a smile on his face, Klein turned to the sixth page, which was also the final page.

“November 10th. I secretly received the great pirate Savigny Solomon at the White Maple Palace. I hope that he will plunder my opponents along the new shipping route, striking at Feysac, Loen, and Feynapotter ships.

“In return, I promised to help him advance to a high Sequence.

“The potion names of the Black Emperor Beyonder pathway are as strange as those of the Demoness pathway: Corruption, Chaos, Fallen, Disorder Slayer… However, in order to echo Black Emperor, they arbitrarily added suffixes: Baron of Corruption, Mentor of Chaos, Earl of the Fallen, Prince of Abolition.

“To make Savigny worthy of the name in the future, I decided to secretly ennoble him as a court earl.

“Savigny has a child named Nast Solomon. My intuition tells me that in the future, he will range across the five seas.”

Nast Solomon… King of the Five Seas Nast? Nast, who claims to be a descendant of the Solomon Empire? He was actually born during Roselle’s time!

Klein was stunned for a moment.

Because Roselle mentioned the phrase “new shipping route,” Klein easily determined the corresponding year.

The discovery of the new shipping route and the Southern Continent had happened in 1194, while Roselle was assassinated in 1198. The diary entry just now could only have been written between those two dates.

In other words, it was from 151 to 155 years ago.

If King of the Five Seas Nast truly was the Nast Solomon mentioned by Roselle, then he was nearly 160 years old… Is that because of some other reason, or do high-Sequence individuals naturally obtain a certain extension of lifespan…

Klein pondered silently.

Restraining all manner of guesses, he let the diary disappear from his hand and looked toward Justice and the others.

“You may now freely trade or communicate.”

Mr. Fool has no common knowledge to tell us today…

Justice Audrey felt slightly disappointed. Then her gaze shifted, and she looked toward The Sun diagonally across from her.

“May I exchange with you for information related to dragons?”

She clearly remembered that Mr. Sun had called the Spectator pathway the Dragon pathway and had said that it originated from the dragon race.

“Yes. I would like to obtain the Sequence 8 potion formula of the Bard pathway,” Derrick, who had remained silent all this time, answered hesitantly.

Originally, he had wanted to use this in exchange for information about the world where Justice and The Hanged Man lived, so he would not have to keep failing to understand what they were talking about. But seeing that his digestion progress was close to completion, he still placed advancement first.