Looking at the Sequence 7 potion in his hand, Ren was genuinely pleased.
After all, he had been waiting for this potion for quite some time.
Calming himself slightly, Ren pulled out the cork and drank the potion in one gulp.
As the liquid slid down his throat, before he could even register any distinct taste, it had already transformed into pure nourishment, instantly beginning to strengthen his body.
Without needing to deliberately summarize any acting principles, the Magician potion was fully digested the moment it entered.
This result didn't surprise Ren at all.
Many of his past behaviors already contained the essence of acting. With the Fool's Uniqueness, he had further perfected his performance as a Faceless Man.
On top of that, he had frequently used blessings to adapt to the Magician's abilities in advance. In truth, the acting for Sequence 7 had long been complete.
If he wasn't mistaken...
Ren directly retrieved the Sequence 6 Faceless Man potion from Sefirah Castle.
Without hesitation, he uncorked the bottle, tilted his head back, and drank it all.
"Hiccup~"
He drank a bit too fast. It was slightly carbonated, with a sharpness to it. Gulping it all down at once left him with hiccups.
He felt the effects of the second potion almost immediately. It was quickly absorbed into his system, transforming into further nourishment. The Beyonder traits of a Faceless Man began to manifest within him.
The abilities of a Magician and a Faceless Man were quite similar. The Faceless Man's illegal abilities were essentially an enhancement of the Magician's, with the addition of a shapeshifting ability.
This was extremely useful for concealing one's identity.
But after downing two potions in a row, even Ren's body started showing minor discomfort.
An overly abundant spiritual state meant his spirituality was overflowing.
Yet physically, he felt no discomfort at all. Even after two consecutive advancements, both his body and mind were in top form.
He was still in excellent condition.
After checking his physical state and confirming he could handle more, Ren retrieved the last potion: Marionettist.
He uncorked it and drank.
This time, the carbonated texture was even more stimulating. The sensation on his tongue was enjoyable. It just lacked some ice. If it were served chilled, the taste would have been even better.
It felt as though his entire body was immersed in bubbling soda.
The potion circulated through him, gradually slowing until only about a third had been digested.
As expected, unlike Magician and Faceless Man, Marionettist was harder to process.
Spirit Body Threads hadn't been used much—if at all.
After all, once someone was controlled through Spirit Body Threads for too long, they irreversibly became a Marionette.
Even though Marionettes were useful, Ren couldn't go around casually using Spirit Body Threads on just anyone.
Naturally, the Marionettist potion couldn't be fully digested right away.
Still, this result was more than impressive.
The Fool pathway had now jumped three full Sequences from Sequence 8 to Sequence 5, just one step away from the threshold of demigodhood.
And Marionettist, due to its unique Spirit Body Thread abilities, was considered one of the most dangerous Sequences below demigod.
To perceive and manipulate Spirit Body Threads—that was the essence of a Marionettist. Once bound by them, an individual would move steadily toward becoming a puppet. Once that process was complete, they were no longer human.
No Beyonder below the level of demigod was an exception.
As for who this power would be used on...
A certain figure flashed through Ren's mind.
There was no one more fitting.
He took a moment to adjust himself and prepared to lie down for some rest. It was already late.
But then he heard a knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Ren instinctively glanced toward the entrance, activating Spirit Vision, and saw the figure standing outside.
Miyano Akemi.
It was late. Shouldn't she be asleep?
Ren was a little surprised but still walked over and opened the door.
Just as expected, Akemi stood there in the hallway.
Tonight, she wore a simple set of split pajamas, blue in color. Nothing flashy. But even with such modest sleepwear, her figure was more apparent than usual.
"What's wrong?"
"I... I sensed a strong spiritual fluctuation from Lord God's side, so I came to ask if you were alright."
Akemi's eyes were filled with genuine concern.
Ren slapped his forehead.
...He forgot someone else lived here.
He hadn't gotten into the habit of setting up spiritual shielding at home. And this time, caught up in excitement, he had completely overlooked it.
"I forgot there are still two others in the house. I didn't shield the room's spirituality during my advancement."
Hearing this, Akemi finally let out a small breath of relief.
"So that's what it was."
No wonder she'd sensed such unusual fluctuations from his room earlier. She had forgotten that Lord God was preparing for an advancement.
Just thinking about it, Akemi hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Lord God, I think my potion has been fully digested too."
"That fast?"
Ren looked at her in surprise.
"Mhm. Maybe it's because I've been following you around lately. It helped with digestion."
Akemi offered a possible explanation.
"Indeed. The Secrets Suppliant potion digest faster the more contact one has with their worshiped deity. The class itself is highly prone to madness. Hearing the ravings of a god often leads to mental instability, and it's not uncommon for one to lose their mind."
"But if the one you worship is me, then the chances of madness or corruption are far lower. And living under the same roof certainly helps speed things up."
Ren nodded in agreement with her reasoning.
"In that case, your choice of path was indeed excellent."
But right after he said that, something clicked in his mind.
"You're preparing to advance too?"
Exposed, Akemi blushed slightly and nodded, pulling a potion vial from her pajama pocket.
"Come inside first."
Ren smiled, seeing her momentary hesitation.
To fully digest a Secrets Suppliant potion in just a few weeks, Akemi's talent was remarkable. Without true devotion, this speed wouldn't have been possible.
And he fully approved of her desire to grow stronger and gain more power.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)