"The last one is Fujiwara."
Chika stood up when her name was called, her usual bright smile on her face.
"The first thing I got was a potion. After drinking it, I gained special abilities. Amamiya and I belong to the same power system."
But then her smile gradually faded, replaced by a hint of fear and unease.
"Well... the only problem is that there was a deviation when I gained the power. The symptoms of losing control that Amamiya mentioned... I experienced them too. I don't really know why, but I saw a very strange scene."
"Are your powers and Amamiya's really that dangerous?"
Aizawa Sakuya couldn't help but ask with curiosity.
"They are quite dangerous."
Chika pressed her forehead in distress. She clearly didn't want to experience that feeling again.
"Back then, I saw the collapse of the world. All the colors blended into one chaotic mass. I felt like I was being swallowed by it, my consciousness disintegrating piece by piece. It was as if I could clearly sense that I was about to die."
"I could feel... myself going insane."
Recalling that moment, even Chika's usually cheerful face twisted slightly, her expression showing subtle cracks, like lingering trauma.
Seeing her like that, the others instinctively swallowed nervously.
They hadn't experienced it firsthand, but they could imagine the despair behind her words—"going insane."
After working hard to suppress the aftereffects, Chika forced her expression back to something resembling a smile.
"I'm okay now. Really, it's all okay."
She repeated herself, trying to reassure them. Her mood did seem to return to normal quickly.
But everyone could tell something was still off. Almost unconsciously, they turned to the one person they could rely on.
Ren shook his head slightly, signaling that everything was fine for now.
Once they received that reassurance, everyone relaxed.
"The potion system isn't exactly safe. Becoming a Beyonder always carries the risk of losing control. And aside from losing control of yourself, there's also corruption caused by forbidden knowledge."
"You can compare it to the ancient gods from the Cthulhu mythos. When mortals gaze upon them, they can't comprehend the knowledge and information being broadcast to them due to the limits of human cognition. This results in corruption by the ancient gods' revelations. Their minds collapse, and their bodies begin to mutate."
To avoid misunderstandings, Ren briefly explained.
"This... this is way too messed up!"
Aizawa Sakuya immediately raised her voice in protest after hearing Ren's explanation.
"Yeah, it definitely sounds problematic. But in practice, this situation can be controlled. During Fujiwara's first use of the potion, she did lose control and was affected, but I managed to handle it."
Ren answered calmly in response to Aizawa's concern.
"I'll take responsibility for Fujiwara's safety. When she advances next time, I'll be there too, making sure she doesn't encounter any uncontrollable accidents."
Hearing this, Aizawa Sakuya relaxed slightly, though her brows were still furrowed.
"What about you?"
"No need to worry about me. I've been aware of the risks of the potion path from the start. That's why the diary gave me a special precondition, allowing me to avoid the negative side effects of the potion system."
Ren patiently explained.
That explanation gave Aizawa Sakuya some relief. She had always been good at reading others' emotions, probably because she had taken care of many younger siblings in the past.
That's why she could so clearly see what Chika was hiding beneath her broken expression.
Still, it was good that Ren didn't have any major problems. As long as he was stable, Chika would likely be safe too.
But if something ever went wrong with Ren, they'd be powerless to stop it.
Aizawa Sakuya still trusted Ren. He was reliable, didn't spout nonsense, and was very grounded. She believed he truly had the capability to handle things.
After the short conversation with Sakuya and earning her trust, Ren shifted the topic back to Chika.
"Fujiwara took the lowest-level Sequence 9 potion… But even if it's just a low-level Sequence, it already grants abilities far beyond those of ordinary people."
"The potion's name is Spectator. This path won't directly strengthen your body, but it maximizes your mental acuity and powers of observation. Just as the name implies, the Spectator specializes in watching and analyzing."
"For a Spectator, your role is to observe the world around you at all times. Observe everyone's reactions, discern what they're truly feeling or trying to express. So this is something I want to remind you of, Fujiwara. You are just a spectator. You're not an actor. You don't need to participate. You just need to watch."
Ren's final words were specifically directed to Fujiwara.
"Now, there's a key point that every Beyonder walking the path of Sequences must know."
"The key to potions is not mastery, but digestion. The power you gain from a potion isn't enhanced by refining or studying it, but by how much of it you can digest."
"And one of the ways to digest a potion is through acting. Acting means aligning yourself with the essence of the potion, living your daily life in a way that matches that core concept. The more in tune you are with the essence, the more smoothly you'll digest the potion."
"Fujiwara, remember this clearly. You're just acting. Don't get too immersed. If you get too caught up, you won't be the one digesting the potion. The potion will be the one assimilating you."
This was one of the most important truths of the Sequence path, something every Beyonder had to understand and internalize.
"Got it."
Chika listened carefully and firmly memorized everything Ren had said. She nodded.
"Amamiya, if I'm a Spectator, then what are you?"
No one had asked that before. But now that she was walking the same path, Fujiwara Chika felt she could finally relate.
"Seer, Marauder, and Apprentice."
Ren thought for a moment and answered with the three paths he had taken.
(To be continued.)
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