Backlund, Loen.
No. 13 Grove Street, Cherwood Borough.
Alistair Augustus rubbed his temples, feeling the headache lessen as sweat dripped down his forehead.
The corruptive knowledge of 'Above the Sequence' that had exploded inside his mind had gradually receded, preserving his fragile sanity.
Looking down at the body that clearly didn't belong to him, Alistair laughed dejectedly. The chaotic memories swirling in his head revealed clearly exactly where he was.
"To think that I of all people would actually be transmigrated into Lord of the Mysteries."
Previously, Alistair was just an ordinary pre-law student, attending his first year of college. He had come across the donghua and binged the entire first season before continuing with the first book.
But unexpectedly, he had woken up in this unfamiliar place, in a body that wasn't his own.
Relying on the memories possessed by the original body, he determined that he had somehow come to possess the body of Alistair Augustus, a half-Beyonder of the Justiciar pathway. This was a similar situation to Klein, but he obviously wasn't originally a character in a book!
Sorting through his memories, he was able to slowly gain an understanding of his newfound identity.
Alistair Augustus lived in a rather large 2 story home in Backlund's Cherwood Borough, near the Holy Wind Cathedral.
His mother, Mabel Reese, was a minor noble from the Baron Reese family, while his father was Viscount Burgess Augustus, a distant royal cousin of Prince Jevington.
While his father didn't exactly hide the knowledge of Beyonders to Alistair, he also didn't actively expose Alistair to the world of Beyonders.
Occasionally, Alistair would learn tidbits of Beyonder knowledge and mysticism, but only to the extent of Burgess's Pathway and his own half-Sequence 9 Arbiter. The old Alistair knew of the potential dangers that potions posed, which is why he chose not to become one.
Overall, he lived a comfortable life as a somewhat minor noble son. As the only child, he didn't face any drama or competition over inheritance.
Confirming that this wasn't a dream, Alistair had accepted that he really had entered one of the most dangerous worlds he had seen.
According to the original Alistair's memories, the current date was December 21st, 1348, right around the time people were preparing for Winter Gifts Day.
Curiously, he hadn't died from corruption, which is what he had expected upon digesting the memories of the original owner of the body.
Even just subconsciously recalling their existence was enough to bring corruption.
The corruption from Above the Sequence was so strong that even a Saint couldn't withstand it.
Whatever had allowed him to survive was a great boon, at least for now. He didn't have to worry about suddenly dying from corruption.
Whatever hidden dangers could be left for future him to resolve, when he had the backing of the Fool.
Having gathered his thoughts, Alistair could focus on the issues at hand.
"My pathway should be an Arbiter, but I'm not a full Beyonder. This means if I can get my hands on potions, at least until Sequence 5, I will be an Arbiter."
While this wasn't necessarily bad, he would have preferred to at least have the option to choose.
Though, thinking about it, Alistair realized that the only viable options would be Red Priest, Black Emperor, Justiciar, and Hermit. All other pathways had either a god or were nigh impossible to progress to Sequence 0.
Knowing of the impending apocalypse and world war that was to come, he naturally wanted to strengthen himself. He didn't have any unrealistic ideas about becoming a Justiciar or The Anarchy, but at least reaching Sequence 2 before the Apocalypse should be doable, right?
While it was unfortunate that he'd be competing with Xio, that wouldn't be an issue until at least Sequence 2.
Leveraging his knowledge, especially if he could join the Tarot Club, his performance should be no worse than Xio's.
At the very least, his starting point should be much better hers. Even better than Klein's, as he had a proper channel for information and potions. His family was relatively wealthy, and he bore the surname of Augustus.
Now, Alistair had to become a proper Sequence 9 Beyonder.
Having no other choice than the Justiciar pathway, the best way would likely be to seek Burgess's help.
Seeking out wild Beyonder circles was a foolish idea, as it could possibly bring danger, or he could end up buying fake formulas and ingredients. Not to mention, he had no idea where to find such gatherings.
Having a trusted, official source such as his father prepare a potion was the safest route.
Of course, asking him to prepare the potion would tie him to the royal family and make him an official Beyonder of Loen's military agencies.
His father mostly stayed in West Borough and Hillston Borough for various matters and official business, so he rarely saw him.
The next time they met would be the eve of Winter Gifts Day. He would be able to ask Burgess for help in becoming a Beyonder.
But until then, Alistair had no choice but to wait.