"Captain, would you mind if I brew a potion for young Klein before departing?"
Dunn furrowed his brow and cast a questioning glance at Lin Ruo.
Lin Ruo nodded upon seeing this and replied, "Although Mr. Neil is not in the best condition, a cup of potion won't hurt."
Dunn nodded in agreement and said, "Your Excellency, if it's not too much trouble, please watch over them here. I'll get in touch with the church."
He turned to leave after speaking, paused a couple of steps away, turned back, and added, "Oh yes, there's one more thing: I'll inform Leonard to come here. Klein, remember to explain the situation to him."
"Um, sure, I'll let him know," Klein nodded quickly. Dunn turned around again, this time without stopping, he concluded, "That's all."
Once Dunn had left, Klein's gaze fell upon Old Neil, a mix of concern and hesitation evident in his eyes. "Mr. Neil..."
"Don't look at me like that, young Klein. It's not as dire as you think! The situation hasn't reached the point of no return. The church will surely have methods to address it," Old Neil said, casting aside the emotions of earlier and lightly smiling to reassure Klein.
"Moreover, I'll be preparing a Seer potion for you soon. That should lift your spirits, shouldn't it?" Old Neil continued, his expression shifting significantly.
Klein hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Thank you for your help, Mr. Neil."
"No trouble at all, it's simply my duty!" Old Neil carried a box into the alchemy room. Klein followed closely behind. Suddenly, he lowered his voice and asked, "Lin Ruo, do you think Mr. Neil will be alright?"
"I can't make any guarantees..." Lin Ruo refrained from exaggerating. He softened his smile and added, "After all, I'm not a True God..."
"Can gods save Mr. Neil?" Klein's voice was barely audible when he posed this question.
"Perhaps..." Lin Ruo neither confirmed nor denied it. His gaze turned distant, reminded of the gods who were threatened by madness and loss of control in the original world. He spoke in a hushed tone, "But ultimately, it's humanity that can save itself."
Lin Ruo suddenly felt a surge of anger and sadness deep within him. However, the feeling vanished almost instantly, leaving him to question whether it was even real.
It must have been an illusion...
He reasoned as though he was emphasizing an undeniable truth he was unwilling to believe in.
In the meantime, Old Neil unpacked the box, retrieved the materials for the Seer's potion, and began explaining the potion's specifics to Klein as he prepared it.
Being a diligent student, Klein paid close attention. Lin Ruo stood by with a faint smile, his thoughts momentarily drifting towards the price he'd demand from Klein for the continuation formula of the Seer's potion.
But this thought was short-lived, as Klein's promotion to a Seer triggered a shift within Lin Ruo himself.
Something seemed to have loosened, and Lin Ruo's mind was enriched with newfound knowledge.
This information revealed that he now had the ability to freely transition his spirit form between Tingen and Backlund, as opposed to the surprise transformations he had experienced earlier.
However, this freedom wasn't absolute. Lin Ruo could only maintain his spiritual state for up to two hours a day, albeit with an unlimited number of transitions, but shorter durations than before.
Nevertheless, this was a significant improvement compared to his prior lack of control.
Simultaneously, Lin Ruo noticed changes in his supernatural abilities.
-The functionality of his supernatural ability remained unchanged, but the upper limit of its capabilities had increased.
To provide a simple analogy, whereas Lin Ruo could previously sustain his demigod simulation for 60 seconds, he could now manage it for at least 90 seconds.
This was a notable advancement!
Historically, Lin Ruo had made leaps in his supernatural abilities only when he comprehended the nature of these powers. Ordinarily, his supernatural abilities would slowly evolve with consistent use—unlike the enigmatic world that required potions for progression, Lin Ruo's supernatural abilities would naturally grow with practice.
However, this time around, the situation was different. Klein's promotion had sparked growth in Lin Ruo's supernatural abilities.
This revelation altered Lin Ruo's perception of Klein.
Previously, Lin Ruo's desire to train Klein as the Lord of Mystery had been fueled primarily by curiosity and a sense of duty to address the impending catastrophe. Now, Lin Ruo was more resolute than ever in nurturing Klein into the Lord of Mystery. After all, becoming a Sequence 9 had triggered such notable changes in Lin Ruo's supernatural powers—what further heights could he reach if Klein became the Lord of Mystery?
Lin Ruo acknowledged that he still favored his accustomed supernatural abilities over the hunting capabilities of his current vessel.
Although this progress was neither logical nor secretive... Lin Ruo grumbled internally, a mixture of excitement and caution. Ultimately, he suppressed his emotions.
"Lin Ruo?"
At that moment, Klein's voice broke Lin Ruo's thoughts. He noticed that Klein was looking at him with a curious expression, having successfully entered the Seer state while activating spirit vision.
Lin Ruo raised an eyebrow and grinned, "Why the surprise? Haven't you been looking at me in the mirror for a long time? I'm not a stranger."
"It's not the same," Klein retorted without hesitation, his gaze fixed on the young man before him—the person he had known for some time now but was seeing in the flesh for the very first time.
It's hard to put into words, but the youth in front of him felt more real than the reflection in the mirror. Previously, Lin Ruo had remained quietly suspended beside him, gazing with obsidian eyes as tranquil and gentle as ever, sporting a slight helpless smile on his lips.
This was Lin Ruo!
This was his fellow countryman!
Klein suddenly felt an urge to laugh, so he did. He said, "Do spirit bodies not need to change clothes?"
"Why would a spirit body need new attire when it doesn't require a bath?" Lin Ruo rolled his eyes playfully and then asked with a smile, "So, how does it feel to be a Seer?"