Fullen believed he was fortunate.
After all, he had surpassed the vast majority of people and become a Beyonder—someone who possessed capital far beyond ordinary humans. Yes, the most solid kind of capital.
Fullen also believed he was unfortunate.
Because he had stepped onto the Apprentice Pathway, commonly known as one of the "Three Cowards." And among those three, the Apprentice was considered the weakest—not because its Sequence abilities were weak, but because its representative figures were.
The Seer Pathway had Klein, Zaratul, Antigonus, and Flegrea.
The Error Pathway had Amon and Pallez Zoroast.
But the Apprentice Pathway only had Mr. Door, Bethel Abraham—a man with high prestige who practically knelt the moment he appeared.
But even this wasn't the true reason Fullen considered himself unfortunate.
The real reason was that his name was Fullen Abraham.
If nothing unexpected happened, the greatest height he could reach was Astrologer… and then he would either grow old and die, be driven to lose control by Bethel's ravings, or seek refuge in an evil god—or a true god.
Fortunately, this morning, the Trier Daily he bought contained a piece of news:
"Congratulations to the Great Governor, the Steam Child, His Excellency Rosell Gustav, on the Eleventh Anniversary of his Governorship of the Intis Republic."
This news filled Fullen with joy. He looked at the date printed at the top of the page:
July 5, 1183.
As a loyal reader of Lord of the Mysteries, he knew very well the significance of this date to every Abraham Family member on the Apprentice Pathway.
It meant that Bethel's "Full Moon Call" would soon be connected.
Bethel Abraham—ancestor, glory, and nightmare of the family. His shouts were the source of their suffering and the reason they survived. During Roselle's "Full Moon Call," the emperor would chat with Bethel extensively.
Right now, it was July 5, 1183.
Roselle connected the hotline on November 18, 1183.
Roselle died in 1198.
But Roselle and Bethel's long conversations would only grow shorter each year, never reaching a full fifteen years. During this period, Bethel would still shout, but the intensity of his ravings would likely weaken as Abraham Family members advanced rapidly thanks to this unique era.
"Spirit World Observations" was created during this period. Its author was likely a Scribe, perhaps even a Traveler—though for some reason they could not become a demigod.
This was further proven when Fors advanced to Secrets Sorcerer. She nearly lost control under Mr. Door's ravings. Fortunately, she had good luck—and Klein watching over her—so she survived.
For true Abraham members, advancing to demigod was much more difficult. Fors wasn't a real Abraham; she was simply an Apprentice drawn into the family's curse.
Thus, Fullen believed that if he wanted to become a demigod—or even an Angel, or higher—he must reach demigod within fifteen years. Even with the acting method, such digestion speed bordered on fantasy. It meant that for the next fifteen years, he had to keep moving: stirring up events, accumulating experience, and constantly digesting potions.
If he only wanted to survive, doing nothing for fifteen years and stopping at Astrologer was acceptable. But people grow old. When energy fades and one can no longer restrain oneself… that is when an Abraham dies without even a burial.
So Fullen had no choice. He could only reach demigod within fifteen years—or live every day in fear.
And even then, maintaining self-awareness during the demigod advancement, while enduring Bethel's endless ravings, was a colossal challenge. Still, he could only search for a solution as he progressed.
The Abraham Family's resources were enough to push him to Angel without issue. As for Sequence 1, Fullen felt he could consider the "Attendant of Mysteries" potion belonging to the out-of-control Zaratul. That was his only realistic chance of becoming Sequence 1—and an Angel.
Back to reality, though—one cannot become fat with a single bite.
Fullen Abraham—currently single, unmarried, a young man with his own house, deceased parents, and no younger sister—fit the typical web-novel protagonist template perfectly. An ordinary rentier, the kind who could make a poor god cry.
He held 2% of Trier Commercial Bank's shares, earning an annual interest of 3,000 pounds.
He owned a property at 34 Koson Street, Gold Hansdon District—firmly in a wealthy neighborhood.
He had 20,000 pounds in bank deposits, generating 800 pounds yearly, and 1,342 pounds in cash.
There was no need to calculate whether he was rich or poor. It wasn't very important. His assets placed him in the lower segment of the upper class—but still wealthy enough to make a poor god weep.
The Apprentice Sequence was the foundation of a mage school, so learning—especially mystical learning—was indispensable. Western mages, modern Chinese sorcerers, and mystics around the world were believed to possess knowledge beyond mortals.
Knowledge was power, and Fullen believed he needed to read.
Fortunately, as a member of a fallen Angel Family, his father had left behind plenty of mystical texts. For anything else, he could visit the Trier Library.
Conveniently, Trier had a library famous across the Northern Continent: the Trier National Library, a holy land for seekers of wisdom, its collection spanning countless fields.
Fullen felt he needed practical knowledge—knowledge to prepare for higher Sequences. The Apprentice Pathway's Sequence 9 to Sequence 0 were:
Apprentice → Trickmaster → Astrologer → Scribe → Traveler → Secrets Sorcerer → Wanderer → Planeswalker → Key of Stars → Door
Apprentice to Traveler was the mortal stage.
Secrets Sorcerer to Wanderer was the demigod stage.
Planeswalker to Key of Stars was the Angel stage.
Door was a god.
During Fors's advancement to Secrets Sorcerer, the acting principles of Trickmaster, Astrologer, and Scribe were clear and easy to digest. Fullen believed that knowledge of magic, divination, travel, and geography would aid his own acting.
Reflecting on the Apprentice potion, he felt the Sequence likely required actual practice in learning. Klein's potion digestion showed a consistent internal logic: from reverence for fate, to wielding it, to hiding oneself before seeking growth.
As for the Apprentice Pathway, concepts such as guidance, keys, and freedom seemed crucial.
The one closest to Door—Bethel Abraham—the ancestor who dragged the family into ruin, bore the honorific:
"The Great Door of Myriad Doors, the Guide of the Endless Cosmos, the Key to All Mysterious Worlds."
A god's honorific implied the acting principles of their Pathway—and the authority it held.
In the mystical world, this was common knowledge:
Knowledge is power.