My setting is above yours!

Chapter 41 Role Playing and Secret Gatherings (8k)

Ron wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by, and immediately pressed his advantage, asking:
"What... is digestion?"

"Digest what? Magic, potions, or the extraordinary?"

"Is it only by digesting them that one can be promoted normally?"

"This one……"

Idrisla realized her slip of the tongue, instinctively covered her mouth, and hesitated for a moment before saying:

"This is actually a secret."

"Although it's not very important, but—"

She glanced around cautiously, and only after making sure no one was paying attention to them did she whisper:
"But we still need to respect the Secrecy Law... We should go inside and talk about it."

As she spoke, her expression turned serious, and she cautiously and earnestly reminded him:

“Mr. Ron, it’s clear you don’t know much about the supernatural realm…”

"That hidden being may not care about the trivial matters of the mortal world, but although you are His favorite, you have not yet transcended the mundane world."

"It's best not to discuss anything related to the supernatural realm in such a [not private] environment in the future—at least not in the Fran Empire."

The Franco Empire? So I'm inside an "empire" now?
Moreover, the "Secrecy Law"...

So, in the "Potion Era," supernatural abilities were something that needed to be hidden in the shadows and regulated by law?
Ron seemed to be deep in thought, and for the first time, he grasped the concept of "secret" regarding the extraordinary in this era.

For Idrisla to be so serious... it seems the violent institutions of the "Potion Age" national organization are not simple either.

Seeing that Ron had clearly taken her words to heart, Idrila's expression relaxed, no longer as serious and earnest as before.

"Come with me... I'll go see President Elvis first."

"After I meet with former Chairman Elvis, I will obtain a new learning permit and pass on this secret to you..."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and pushed open the somewhat mottled oak door.

The doorbell rang, and the two walked into the bookstore. Ron immediately felt a wave of warmth wash over him.

The dusty, neglected cast iron heating pipes dispelled the winter chill. The steam valves hissed softly, seemingly leaking steam due to years of disrepair. A little steam, hot enough to scald a wound, escaped from them, which was caught by a man in black robes.

The person seemed very cold, and was leaning against the radiator pipe, as if he wanted to lie down on it.

Not far from him, next to a bookshelf, sat a small oak table, where a kind-looking old man was sitting.

He was wearing a grass-patterned scarf and a cashmere coat, with a noticeable callus on the side of his middle finger. He was holding a quill pen and writing or drawing something in his diary.

He only looked up when the doorbell rang, adjusted his glasses, and looked at the person who had entered.

"Oh, it's little Elizabeth! What's been so long since you've been to the club? It's been such a long time..."

He rambled on, and although his words were somewhat mumbled, his pace was moderate and his voice gentle, making it easy to understand what he was saying:
“You haven’t come here since you got angry about the design of the mechanical carriage last time… I thought you had a fight with Elvis and were determined never to come here again.”

"It's just that some things have been going on lately, Mr. Charles..."

Idrisla clearly didn't want to talk much with the old man in front of her, while Charles adjusted his glasses and turned his gaze to Ron:
“Let’s not talk about the unpleasant things from before… But little Elizabeth, I think you should introduce me to this handsome gentleman.”

He looked at Ron with a smile, his tone clearly inquiring:
"Although I am old, my eyesight is failing, I can't remember things, and sometimes I even mistake your faces... but I haven't retired yet."

"As guardians of the Society of Truth and guides to seekers of knowledge, we cannot simply watch an unknown and unseen extraordinary being go in."

"Then, Elvis will say I'm a useless old man again."

"This...actually..."

Idrisla hesitated for a moment, then looked to Ron for help.

She had only just met Ron, so how could she explain to Charles who Ron really was?

Even if she knew those things, it wasn't appropriate to just say them out loud...

For example, regarding the matter of hidden beings and trials—Idrila would never dare to say such a thing.

Ron himself could admit that he was a follower of a hidden being, but if she were to say it, who knows if it would be considered an overstepping of his bounds?
As a superhuman who has cultivated in a secretive society for many years, Idrila is well-versed in the Law of Secrecy and the basic principles of various occult disciplines, and maintains absolute respect for all untouchable mysteries...

She couldn't possibly tell Charles Ron that he was a hidden being's chosen one.

However, Idrila was reluctant to admit that Ron was an ally she had recruited to fight against Sue.

After all, the Scorched Earth Sanctuary had nurtured her, and even now she didn't understand why Father Suer had suddenly become so insane, so naturally she was unwilling to tell outsiders about the sanctuary's sordid affairs.

At least... I wouldn't tell an ordinary academic guard.

After all, this is not just about the reputation of the Scorched Earth Sanctuary, but also about a clearly dangerous incident.

This kind of thing should only be discussed with others after exchanging information and confirming the situation with Chairman Elvis...

Ron immediately sensed the hesitation in Idrila's eyes, knowing she wouldn't dare to speak rashly, and chuckled to help her out of the predicament:

"My name is Ron, and I am a traveler who has come from another continent."

"I heard about the academy from Miss Idrila, as for why I came here..."

He turned his gaze to Idrila, who immediately caught on and spoke up for Ron:
"It's for the next gathering! Mr. Ron wants to find an opportunity to advance to Sequence Seven, so he asked me to bring him to the Academy."

"Oh, so you're a new guest..."

Charles pushed up his glasses and scribbled in his diary with a quill pen:

"Hmm... I've noted you down. Your name has been temporarily added to the academic record. You can come and go freely from now on."

As he spoke, he looked at Ron, his expression becoming serious:

"May the light falling from the Tower of Truth illuminate your path—welcome to Evening Bell City, Mr. Ron."

Welcome to Evening Bell City? Well, it seems he actually believes I'm some traveler from another continent...

Perhaps it's because his black hair and black eyes are so distinctive—but Charles doesn't seem surprised at all?

Does this mean that intercontinental travel has become quite common in this era?
Perhaps the development of the "Potion Era," due to the existence of extraordinary abilities, is actually more advanced than I thought...

Ron seemed to be deep in thought as Idrila led him into the depths of the bookstore.

The two passed by the man in black leaning against the cast-iron radiator pipe. Ron clearly felt a chill as he passed by the man.

This isn't a psychological feeling, but a real coldness—a coldness that makes you vaguely feel lonely.

This guy seems a bit complicated...

Ron glanced thoughtfully at the man in black who was silently and motionless, leaning against the cast-iron radiator for warmth, and then quickly followed Idrila's footsteps.

Soon, the two walked to the depths of the bookstore, to a bookshelf covered in dust and cobwebs.

Moisture seeped into the cracks of the oak bookshelf, leaving damp marks on the spines of the old books on the shelf.

The gas lamp beside it flickered, illuminating this somewhat damp and cold, cramped corner.

Ron looked around with interest and noticed several distinct handprints on the dusty bookshelf.

The new book with its gold-embossed spine in the third column of the sixth row on the bookshelf was not dust-free, while the dusty shelf next to it was covered in countless fingerprints.

There's clearly something fishy going on here...

Ron's guess was right; Idrila stood on tiptoe and barely managed to reach the unique book.

She simply pulled the book outwards, as if she had triggered some mechanism or initiated some ritual, and the bookshelf in front of her began to blur...

Gradually, it vanished like a fleeting bubble, finally shattered by Idrila's hurried figure, disappearing completely and revealing the spiral staircase behind it.

What is this... which sequence of supernatural abilities?

Ron was somewhat taken aback—he had just confirmed that the entire bookshelf was indeed "present"!
But now, that bookshelf has truly disappeared, physically.

It doesn't look like "spatial teleportation" at all, but rather a true disappearance, like a fundamental shift in the nature of some kind of "existence"...

Ron seemed lost in thought. Seeing him standing there in a daze, Idrila urged him on:
"Come in, Mr. Ron... This door won't be open for long; it will close soon, and then it will be a while before it can be opened again."

Ron snapped out of his daze, quickly caught up with Idrila, and couldn't help but ask curiously:
"What was that bookshelf all about...? Was it some kind of supernatural ability sequence?"

“That bookshelf?” Idrila explained to Ron simply, “It’s a ‘door’—in a mystical sense, a simple boundary between the hidden and the open.”

"Within the 'door,' all mysteries can be brought to the forefront, but outside the 'door,' one must be careful with one's words and actions, or one will suffer the backlash of mysticism."

“These kinds of ‘doors’, which are built by specialists and have solidified permanent supernatural abilities, mostly exist only in major churches and supernatural organizations.”

"As for which sequence of extraordinary abilities is on this 'door'..."

Idris shook her head. "Aside from knowing that this is a Sequence Seven superhuman, I don't really know much else."

They chatted as they walked down the spiral staircase.

The spiral staircase was long, but the brass handrails were not dusty at all, much cleaner than the bookshelves that served as "doors," indicating that people often walked on the stairs.

The two walked for a short while and reached the end of the spiral staircase, arriving at a rather magnificent hall.

The pristine white marble pillars, the colorful paintings on the walls and ceiling, and the clusters of light that seemed to dance around the pillars like fireflies—clearly created by extraordinary abilities…

If it weren't for the fact that it was built underground and lacked bright sunlight, giving it a dark and cramped feel, Ron would have thought that this place was no different from a royal banquet hall.

However, apart from these decorations, the hall seemed empty, with only a huge round table in the very center.

A book floats on the round table, opening and closing by itself every now and then, the pages turning with a "rustling" sound.

What is this, the meeting room of the Knights of the Round Table?
Ron looked around curiously and noticed that, in addition to the main hall, there were many corridors that led to numerous rooms.

It's like building some kind of luxury villa underground!

The Truth Society really doesn't follow the usual path...

Idrila led Ron down one of the corridors, saying as they walked:
"President Elvis's office is over there. After we finish discussing the Fire Chasing Ritual, I'll exchange it for a learning permit and teach you how to control pollution and loss of control..."

As she spoke, she quickly arrived at Elvis's office.

But when they knocked on the door, there was no response.

Idris was puzzled. She turned the doorknob and, after confirming that the door was locked, couldn't help but sigh.

"He's probably attending another academic salon somewhere..."

She was clearly a little depressed—having finally escaped from the tower of the sanctuary, Idrila was now feeling lost.

Why did Father Sue sacrifice her? What went wrong during this fire-chasing ceremony? What was controlling her?

Then, and most importantly—what exactly does Chairman Elvis know?
All of this made Idrila want to explore, but now that it was so close, she discovered that President Elvis wasn't there...

However, she quickly regained her spirits.

If it's just a matter of waiting... it's not a big deal.

She looked at Ron: "It seems we'll have to wait a while, President Elvis—now's the perfect opportunity to teach you some mystical knowledge that a normal superhuman should learn."

As Idrila spoke, she led Ron back to the hall and to the floating book.

"This is the secret manual of the academy. Members of the academy can use [Academic Points] to exchange for many useful things in the manual—the secret technique I'm about to teach you is one of them."

As she spoke, she activated her inner spirituality and touched the floating book in front of her.

The book suddenly opened out of thin air and quickly flipped to a page with a "whoosh".

Glowing words floated out and landed in Idrila's hand, turning into a bottle of fluorescent ink.

“Come on, let’s go to my room. I’ll write it down in Old Rodland…”

Idrila shook the bottle of fluorescent ink in her hand. Ron was slightly taken aback and immediately asked:

"What is Old Rodland? Why not just tell me directly instead of writing it down?"

You don't even know Old Rodland?

Idris was somewhat taken aback. You see, there aren't many people like Ron who don't understand many basic things yet still become superhumans.

No church would allow someone who doesn't even know the most basic mystical knowledge to become a superhuman.

After all, such a person, after taking the potion, will inevitably break various taboos due to a lack of knowledge of mysticism, and thus go out of control and become insane.

Ron, however, seemed completely unaffected, even advancing in rank out of thin air, changing from rank nine to rank eight right before her eyes...

Well, as expected of an agent who can easily embark on the path of the extraordinary, drawn by a hidden being.

They are free.

Idrila couldn't help but think of some hidden legends she had once read in ancient books—

It is said that a divine being descended to earth, whose holy nature was as pure and flawless as a newborn baby.

Divine grace dispelled all suffering and darkness, eradicating evil in a new world teeming with demons and establishing a new order, a sanctuary for this new world. Knowing nothing, yet possessing unimaginable divine grace and power…

It seems that Ron and that saint are not so different.

It is said that the saint has now been elevated by the gods and become an angel serving as an attendant to [Order]...

Who knows where Ron will end up in the future?
Idris sighed, then opened the secret manual of the academy again, selected another character, and earnestly explained it to Ron:

"In the field of mysticism, much knowledge cannot be contained in a common language."

"Take this secret method for example—even if you can explain its usage verbally, you still can't achieve the effect of eliminating pollution after learning it."

"Because you haven't truly accepted this knowledge within the field of mysticism, it naturally won't be effective in that field..."

“And the ancient language of Rodland is a language that can carry mystery—it was the language spoken in ancient times when there were only city-states on earth.”

"Because it can carry mystery and is relatively easy to learn, it has now become the common term for mysticism used by the vast majority of extraordinary individuals."

As she spoke, the new character transformed into a small glass bottle in her hand, containing a deep blue liquid that shimmered with tiny, fluorescent lights.
“Here, this is the Lordran language common knowledge potion, a potion made by the 'Pharmacist' of Sequence Nine of [Life]—drinking it will allow you to learn the ancient Lordran language.”

It looks quite magical, like a starry sky...

Ron took the potion, looked at the azure liquid in the small glass bottle in front of him, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

A bitter taste lingered in my throat, followed immediately by a burning sensation.

The increasingly intense bitterness churned in Ron's stomach, assaulting his throat as if trying to escape.

Ron immediately scrunched up his face like a bitter gourd.

Perhaps it was because Ron had always maintained a nonchalant demeanor, and occasionally uttered words that only a fanatic would say, that his current expression was such a stark contrast…

Idrisla's lips twitched, even though she was in a rather heavy mood.

She suppressed a laugh as she led Ron to her room.

Seeing that Ron gradually suppressed his surging bitterness and his expression returned to normal, Idrila took out a piece of paper, dipped a quill pen in the small bottle of ink, and calmly wrote on the paper...

The elegant handwriting flowed smoothly from Idrila's pen tip, and the shimmering, fluorescent magic ink, though a whole bottle full, was completely used up after writing just one line of small characters.

Ron looked at the mysterious script he had never seen before, and found that although he had never seen it before, he completely understood its meaning—

The key to potions isn't mastering them, it's assimilating them! It's not digging them out, it's playing the role!

At that moment, Idrila's voice also came from beside her:

"Sequence potions, divine blessings... their names are not only the core symbol of the sequence, but also concrete images—"

"Only by playing the role that the potion is trying to make you become can you gradually bring this power flowing in your blood under your control and completely digest the potion."

As Idrila spoke, she pointed to herself:

"Take me for example, a 'military chaplain.' If I want to master potions, the best way is to become a real military chaplain, heal my comrades in war, and learn to control the power of potions..."

The mysterious characters shimmered with an enigmatic light, reflected in Ron's eyes.

Playing a role? Digesting?!

Just as a clear spring washes away all the haze, Ron suddenly understood after hearing Idrila's explanation.

No wonder! No wonder his [Potion Sequence] went out of control so easily!
It turned out that he hadn't properly absorbed the potion's power at all, and had used it so roughly—

It would be a miracle if such a corrupted supernatural power didn't get out of control!
To reduce the risk of things spiraling out of control, Ron's current task is to act as both gravedigger and mortician, thoroughly digesting the [Death] Sequence Nine and Sequence Eight potions...

If he does these things, he will be far less likely to lose control and will never again let extraordinary loss of control affect his personal career advancement!

It was at this moment that Ron fully understood what "role-playing" meant.

A crisp manual notification sound rang in my ears—

[Detected to have been influenced by a special occult practice and has learned a new occult skill; extraction is currently underway.]

[Setting extracted: Role-playing method.]

After the gods bestowed the potion that elevated mortals, everyone embarked on their predetermined path.

To play Him, to understand Him, to become Him... this is the path every extraordinary person must take!

"The key to reaching the highest realm is the potion itself..."

—Sequence Three [Error Set], Madman Sainz.

[After loading this setting, you can reduce the degree of loss of control due to the supernatural by embodying the symbolic potion sequence you have loaded.]

It's even been extracted and made into a setting?

Ron was slightly taken aback, and a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

Could it be that... even hidden knowledge like the "role-playing method" can be extracted and made into a setting?

Therefore, the knowledge that can be explored in the "Potion Age" is also a significant gain...

Ron seemed to be deep in thought. Seeing his sudden realization, Idrila couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Such a quick understanding...

It's important to understand that the transmission of occult knowledge is not so simple.

In this era, knowledge itself possesses a magical quality.

In most cases, even relatively simple secret knowledge like "role-playing" requires repeated practice several times before someone can accept this special magic.

I didn't expect Ron to understand it so easily, he grasped it in one go...

Is this the hidden, favored one?

Idrila felt a sense of awe, completely unaware that Ron had simply extracted this knowledge from the manual and turned it into a setting...

At this moment, having fully grasped the art of acting, Ron suddenly realized a problem.

The role-playing method... In other words, if you encounter a difficult potion sequence to play, digesting the potion itself will become a major obstacle to advancement.

For example, the [death] sequence...

How should Ron play the roles of gravedigger and mortician?

It seems the only option is to find a job at a cemetery and actually take on this kind of work...

Thinking of this, Ron immediately probed indirectly:

"Miss Idrila... does anyone know if there are any cemeteries in Evening Bell City that are recruiting gravediggers or morticians?"

"Gravekeeper or mortician?"

Idris was somewhat taken aback, but immediately realized why Ron had asked that question: "Are you part of the [Death] sequence?"

Ron nodded, and then he saw Idrila give him a hesitant look:
"This... is really difficult to handle."

“In all cities, apart from the cemeteries established by the major churches themselves, all other cemeteries are controlled by the Church of the Lost.”

"And the [Death] sequence is the sequence that the Church of the Lost possesses, and that belongs solely to the Church of the Lost..."

“In Evening Bell City, only the Scorched Earth Sanctuary still has the church’s own cemetery; the only other cemetery left is the one contracted by the Lost Church.”

At this point, Idrila shrugged:
"So... unless you join the Church of the Lost, there's nothing I can do."

How could there be such trouble...?

Fortunately, I still have a backup plan!

Promotions don't have to be based solely on the "death" sequence...

Ron then asked, "How difficult is it to play the [War] sequence?"

“The War Sequence?” Idrira frowned and solemnly reminded him, “Mr. Ron, I must solemnly remind you—superhumans must never take potions of other sequences.”

"In the realm of the extraordinary, if one takes a potion from a different sequence, causing the powers of the two sequences to clash, at best one will become a madman whose abilities are out of control, and at worst one will be corrupted by the potion's power and completely transformed into a monster that ordinary people cannot understand!"

Sure enough, after taking one sequence of potions, one was completely unable to take another sequence...

But what can I do when I have the Dimensional Update Manual?

What's with all this talk of conflicting forces? I'll just uninstall the system and that'll be fine.

Ron didn't care and casually said:

"I'm just curious and wanted to ask..."

curious?

Something feels off...

Idris looked at Ron with some suspicion, then sighed and said:

"[War]...is the easiest sequence to advance in the world, and also the hardest to advance in the world."

"As the name suggests, those with the [War] ability must engage in war to digest the potion—"

"Starting as a soldier (rank nine), becoming a chaplain, and then rising to the rank of commander-in-chief..."

"As extraordinary individuals in the [War] sequence, all they need is merit!"

As she spoke, her expression was somewhat complicated. She rubbed the scars on her arm, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes:

"Ten years ago... I participated in the Battle of Field. Although I was just a medic, that month allowed me to easily be promoted from [Soldier] to [Military Priest].

"I heard that in that battle, a lucky guy fired a shot that hit the enemy commander's horse, throwing him to the ground where he was trampled by friendly horses..."

"Based on this achievement, he was directly promoted from Sequence Nine [Warrior] to Sequence Three [Leader of the Army]—"

The Sanctuary has been publicizing this for a year, and "Leading the Charge" is the only title I've ever heard of for a Sequence 3 potion...

"That's really...lucky."

Ron gave a polite smile, deciding not to believe a single word of those words.

Can you become a Sequence Three by shooting the enemy commander's horse and trampling it to death?

Sequence four has already surpassed Lv.5, and sequence three is nowhere near its current level...

If advancement is just a matter of luck, then why isn't everyone in the world at Sequence 3?

There's probably some deep secret hidden behind this incident, and that's the key to this so-called "lucky one" becoming the leader of the army!

However, none of this has anything to do with Ron anymore.

The [War] sequence requires participation in war, something Ron would never do.

Leaving aside any lofty ideals, the sheer horror of war itself was enough to make Ron back down.

He was just a Sequence 8. If he really became a warrior and stepped onto the battlefield, wouldn't he be afraid that a high-level superhuman would suddenly appear on the other side and burn him to ashes with some kind of super fireball?
And if we return to Ideal City, there is no possibility of "war"—do they really think the three giant corporations are pushovers?
It seems that the Minotaur's heart really will have to become the seed money for acquiring extraordinary items...

Joining the Church of the Lost is not out of the question, and even if it's not, Ron still has the Ideal City!

Although it's a bit troublesome, he can solve the problem by becoming a gravedigger and mortician at the crematorium in Ideal City.
He put the matter of the [War] sequence out of his mind and asked Idrila:
"However, let's get back to the main point—"

"In the revelation that great one gave me, he told me that as long as I followed you into the Society of Truth, I would have the opportunity to achieve Sequence Seven..."

"Miss Idrila, do you know where I should look for higher-order potion recipes?"

"right here……"

Idrisla took out a calendar from the side and pointed to a date:
"Tomorrow evening, the association will hold its monthly academic salon as usual—"

"Although it is nominally an academic salon, a gathering that invites scholars to exchange knowledge... in reality it is a secret gathering for the extraordinary."

"At that time, many extraordinary individuals from Evening Bell City who had good relations with the Society would come to the gathering to post commissions and trade secret knowledge, extraordinary items... and even the potions themselves!"

As she spoke, she tapped her finger on the table, making a crisp sound:

"And the gravekeepers of the Lost Church... happen to have a very good relationship with the Society."

"If there happen to be some guys among them who lack firm beliefs and desperately need money, you might find an opportunity for promotion..."

　The update is late because, as I mentioned yesterday, I adjusted my sleep schedule...

　　I had already written 4,000 words and was ready to post it at noon, but I thought that 4,000 words was too little, so I wrote 8,000 words before posting it.

　　I will no longer update at midnight, never again. My sleep schedule has been adjusted.

　　I'll write some drafts today, and try to schedule a fixed time for updates tomorrow. From now on, I'll update at a fixed time every day. Over.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)