Jace stepped out of the chamber after being called by the two women.
Looking at them now, he noticed that the Spectator had removed her disguise, revealing the appearance of a young woman with delicate features and neatly tied black hair.
The host looked different now as well.
She had loosened her hair, letting the dark strands fall freely over her shoulders. Her black robes were slightly open, revealing that underneath she wore a simple shirt and fitted vest that outlined her tall and athletic figure.
The sight made Jace's mind wander for a moment.
But he quickly suppressed the thought.
After all, there was a Spectator in the room.
Wait…
No.
No, she did not.
Jace turned his head to look at the Spectator.
Did she figure out that I was attracted to Natalie and asked her to use it against me?
He sighed and shook his head.
"Spectators…" he muttered under his breath.
Sarah seemed to realize what he was thinking.
Her cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment as she realized her intentions had been noticed.
She quickly turned her head away and cleared her throat.
"Ahem… we forgot to introduce ourselves."
"I am Sarah Walker."
She then gestured toward the woman beside her.
"This is Natalie Rogers."
Natalie nodded calmly.
"Hello."
The two women then looked at Jace for a moment, clearly waiting for him to introduce himself.
Jace sighed quietly.
"Hello. My name is Jace Liebert. I'm from the Seer pathway."
Jace didn't want to expose his identity, but he figured it might be better to establish some real connections within the Beyonder world.
Besides, Jace believed that after hearing the "wisdom" he had just shared, the two women would not easily let go of the opportunity to maintain contact with him.
"Jace," Natalie spoke after a moment.
"As you have probably already realized, we would like to establish a cooperative relationship with you. Your knowledge of the mystic world clearly surpasses ours."
She leaned slightly back in her chair as she continued.
"In the Beyonder world, information is often more valuable than artifacts or money. What you shared today could very well save lives."
"Our gathering is still young. We intend to slowly expand it and turn it into a reliable trading circle for Beyonders in this region."
"But gatherings like this require more than just participants. They require people with knowledge—people capable of guiding discussions, identifying valuable information, and preventing dangerous misunderstandings."
Her eyes rested on Jace.
"That is where you come in."
"We hope that you will continue to attend our gatherings and cooperate with us. In return, we will ensure that any information or transactions involving you remain confidential, and we will prioritize your requests when rare ingredients, artifacts, or information appear."
"Our cooperation should be beneficial to both sides."
Jace listened carefully and thought for a moment.
"Alright," he finally said. "I'm fine with that."
Sarah then walked over to Jace and handed him a stack of banknotes.
"This is for our first transaction."
"It was quite fruitful. We doubt we could have found the information you shared anywhere else."
Jace accepted the money and placed it inside his cloak without counting it.
"Thank you."
Natalie then said,
"I think that's enough business for today."
"We will arrange another gathering in about two weeks."
"We'll meet again then… and discuss a few other matters."
---
It was midnight.
A crimson moon hung high in the sky, casting a dim red glow over the quiet streets of Cherrywood.
Jace walked alone along the empty road toward his apartment. The wind rustled softly through the narrow alleys, and the occasional flicker of gas lamps illuminated the stone pavement.
Thinking about everything that had happened today, many thoughts ran through his mind.
He had made connections with two Beyonders.
He had earned 600 pounds.
And he had successfully shared the Acting Method.
But he also realized something else.
Being a Beyonder was far more difficult than he had originally imagined.
After all, he didn't have plot armor like Klein Moretti.
I mean… Jesus Christ.
That guy could literally resurrect after dying.
Of course, that was thanks to the power of Sefirah Castle.
Jace looked up at the crimson moon for a moment.
Maybe I could take it from him.
After all…
They were from the same pathway.