Phew...
When Selina heard Crestet Cesimir's announcement, she let out a breath of relief despite being mentally prepared for it. It felt surreal, as though it was a dream.
She had assumed that the examination would be tougher and lengthier, but thinking about it at a clear point, she thought that what happened is the normal procedure.
I overanalyzed it. Investigating my friends, delving deeper into my past, but I guess this is to expected, perhaps that was already done? I'm really just overthinking it, don't overthink don't overthink! Selina sighed, flashed a sincere smile at the Archbishop.
"Thank you, Your Grace. Praise the Lady!"
Crestet nodded gently and said, "To advance is to serve the Goddess better, so that you can protect our fellow believers better. You must remember this—trust me—it'll help you fight the temptation of losing control."
"Temptation..." Selina ruminated over the word.
Crestet sized Selina up with his green eyes and said sternly, "The 'acting method' can help you digest the potion and lower the risk of losing control, but it's not the be-all and end-all. To a certain extent, you can even confuse playing the role and your own existence. You know, there are many actors in the theater that develop severe psychological issues. At a certain level, you might really go insane."
Remember that you're only acting... The only point of note concluded by the City of Silver is identical to what Deacon Cesimir said... Selina nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
"In addition," Crestet emphasized, "Not only is losing control related to the potion, it's also closely related to your emotions and mental health. The most important thing for a Beyonder is to control yourself. Only then will you be able to withstand the temptations of evil gods and devils, resisting emotions like greed and jealousy, and the erosion of desire. Of course, I don't mean that you should get rid of all your emotions and desires, because that is something that no human or even demigod can do. Yes, perhaps only some special Sequences are able to achieve that sort of state."
Selina suddenly thought about Old Neil. She couldn't help but ask in reply, "We must keep our emotions and desires at a reasonable level, preventing it from driving us to do something irrational and abnormal?"
Crestet nodded solemnly.
"Yes."
After he answered, there were wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.
"That's all I wanted to warn you about. Now, I'll pass you the Beast Tamer potion formula and the relevant ingredients."
He bent down and put his silver suitcase on the long table. He then turned around and moved a few steps, blocking Selina's view.
When the surrounding lights strangely vanished again, Selina suddenly understood that the formula and ingredients were in the suitcase that stored the holy artifact. It was simply because her gaze was attracted by the pure white bone sword which was why she didn't notice or perhaps, she couldn't notice, the other items in the suitcase.
After a few minutes, the light of the gas lamps lit up the alchemy room again. Crestet picked up his suitcase and moved away, presenting the items on the long table to Selina.
She saw a beautiful fading egg, the most eye-catching one among them—it had crystals featuring thin shells that appeared fragile. Despite its delicate appearance, it contained swirls of water inside, even without agitation.
Next to the fading egg-shaped crystal, was a bundled coalition of flowers. Seemingly looking like a de amor flower. They wrapped a holed knight's honorary sword.
Just by inhaling the intoxicating scent of this fruit causes Selina to sense an indomitable aura emanating from being a primate.
A Spring of the Elves Marrow Crystal and a Fruit of the King Sword Flower... The main ingredients of the Beast Tamer potion... Selina quietly discerned the materials and took a few steps closer.
"100 milliliters of water from the Spring of the Elves, 1 flower of the King Sword Flower, 10 drops of Wild Eggplant extract, 10 grams of Animal Corpse oil." Selina looked at the unfurled goatskin parchment and compared the written content with the formula that she had memorized.
After confirming there was nothing wrong, she recalled the demonstration Old Neil did.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to collect her emotions. With the metal pot in the alchemy room, she washed and took the water from the Spring of the Elves, pouring it alongside the supplementary ingredients.
Selina was as skillful as back when she had done chemistry experiments in high school.
As the Beyonder ingredients hadn't catalyzed just yet, she didn't see any obvious changes in the liquid in the metal pot. At most, she only saw materials floating in the surface along with the water turning faint red.
When she was done with the preparations, Selina cast her gaze at the two main ingredients and gratefully thought, There's no description of the exact size or weight of the required. Yes perhaps there's no differences, regardless of their weight, allowing them to meet the requirements... In the world of mysterious Beyonders, this is definitely possible...
If so, I don't have to worry about putting in excessive amounts of the main ingredients!
After a few seconds, Selina picked up the Spring of the Elves Marrow Crystal and threw it into the metal pot.
When the beautiful egg touched the liquid, it immediately produced a sizzling sound. The air became instilled with a strange scent and stacked voices shrilled from within.
These are various voices being imitated from around the vicinity—the crawling of insects, the squeaks of rat and the hums of birds.
Selina didn't delay any further as she immediately picked the Fruit of the King's Sword Flower and added it into the cerulean-green water.
Poof!
The amalgamation of the amplified voices completely vanished all of a sudden, and the surrounding projection of gushing waters slowly converged into the metal pot.
Selina peaked into the pot and saw the liquid turned into a grape-strawberry wine. A little viscous but emits a sweet scent.
Even though mosquitos aren't present. Selina could faintly hears buzzing noises within, as if attracting them.
The scene reminded Selina a strawberry milkshake, a blended beverage from her previous incarnation.
This looks delightful! A thought popped into her head that aligned with the characteristics of her culture.
Suppressing his nervousness, excitement, and anticipation, Selina poured the liquid from the black metal pot into a glass bottle.
What shocked her was that there wasn't a single bit of the potion left in the metal pot.
Fascinating... this truly is a potion that turns people into Beyonders... Selina raised her right hand, and looked at the beautiful strawberry-colored liquid.
Crestet Cesimir, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly smiled and said, "Don't worry. At the very least, I didn't notice any problems with the concoction of your potion.
"I've been waiting here to ensure that no accidents happen after you consume the potion. Don't worry, as long as it isn't anything serious, I should be able to save you."
Sigh, all I could do is trust... Selina nodded and took the bottle with both of her hands.
After drinking this, I'll become a Sequence 8 Beyonder...
The thought flashed in her mind and Selina hesitated a little before finally raising the bottle. She tipped her head, and gulped down the potion.
Mmh! Bitter! Like wine! Just like its appearance!
Sour! Too sour! Ugh, I need water!
At an instant, Selina felt the desperate desire to look for nearby water, to quench her runny mouth. However, she managed to suppress it.
Following this, Selina realized that her body is becoming heavy and rigid, as if it's harder for her to move due to the immense vitality bursting in her cells.
Likewise, her senses sharpened drastically, and she felt her spirit, mind, and ether body extend outside her physical body. Incorporating different voices, expanding outward into the environment.
The squeaks of the rodents, the humming of birds, the huffs of horses and the crawls of various insects and animals undulated her mind.
She felt her sense being assaulted by these countless overlapping voices. That was, until, they gradually became coherent.
Slowly, they became clearer.
"Hey, I bet by now the trash behind Monnorel's is brimming!"
"I need to burrow! Burrow, burrow, burrow!"
"Neigh! these humans stinks."
Selina almost chuckled hearing them, and soon she felt her "self" projection returned to her body. The fibers in her anatomy becoming much more intricate.
Due to this strange senses. She felt she could extend her aura into these animals, intimidate them, or order them.
Meanwhile, her ears buzzed. She heard the murmurs and shouting echoing around her. The first time she ever experienced a beyonder advancement.
Suddenly, the voices of the animals went to a halt.
My daughter... you've returned... My daughter... you've returned... My daughter... you've returned...
They were an alternation of voices between two motherly females. One was rather familiar, the other a faint melody that acts very passionately.
Hurry up... break the seal...
Selina froze. She didn't realize that her hair was doing something unusual—the fibers that which bore her crimson tips suddenly flared to a length very noticeable.
Next to her, Cesimir's face turned stern and gravely solemn.
A desire to listen, to scurry back to Her embrace. Selina trembled and quickly recalled Old Neil's lectures regarding beyonder advancements.
No... I'm here.. come back my dear...
Those are perpetrator words, Selina wasn't easily swayed the moment she realized those weren't her real mother. Simply a voice from the dreamworld and something she couldn't comprehend.
Phew. Selina imagined the layered objects of spherical light and slowly entered a Cogitation state.
Bit by bit, she escaped from the condition of having his spirituality seep and extend out, where she had a slight loss of control.
When she opened her eyes. She noticed Archbishop Cesimir was unsettled from where he stood. eyes narrowed and his mouth was parted.
The darkness proliferated that the dim candle lights can only cast the Archbishop's face. The whole alchemy room turned gloomy and mysterious.
Shock by this. Selina turned to Cesimir and innocently asked, "You Grace, is there something wrong?"
"..." Cesimir did not spoke for awhile until he somewhat realized something. He replied with a question, "Those hair of yours, are they natural?"
Selina was utterly confused. Out of curiosity, she placed the empty bottle back onto the table and lifted her hands to untie her braided hair.
Halfway on the strands of silvery-white, she saw a harrowing deep-crimson blood occupying starting for the tips.
Isn't this? Selina gasped internally, her eyes glued into her hair.
Not long after that, the redness slowly retracts, the luster of her silver hair gradually returns to become dominate of the crimson color. She felt relieved, but it was immediately overshadowed by the presence of an Archbishop.
"Y-Your Grace! I-I..."
While she stammered herself. Cesimir took the chance to watch as the crimson hue withdrew to just faint tips of Selina's hair.
Finally, before she could finish, Cesimir's voice echoed from his collar, "It's alright."
Huh? Selina thought she was hearing things. Her mind was plagued by apprehensions and anxiety for the future. Such as being forced to a scrutiny, her existence being leaked and putting Klein and his family into danger.
"P-Pardon?"
Her focus was allocated entirely in the future that Cesimir's sudden reply came off as a buzz.
"I repeat. It's alright." Cesimir began to pack his things and head out just near the door.
Alright? Selina fell into a daze. She expected an on the spot retain to be investigated further, this became much worse!
"It's fine. You do not need to explain yourself." Cesimir echoed again as he turn the handle. His voice becoming tranquil, as if in alone in a lake reflecting a quiet moon.
"And you don't have to worry about anyone knowing this. Though I assume Klein is an exception?"
Selina jolted, after some thought she casted her gaze down and nodded weakly.
"Klein should already know this by now."
He doesn't know I'm Mrs. White. Just being the blessed of Mrs. White...
Cesimir nodded slightly and added in a gentle voice, "The Lady doesn't condemn the lost. If you sincerely return to Her, you are forgiven. Remember, do not lose yourself into temptation of losing control, as soon as possible severe yourself in the vices of the past."
He knew? The archbishop and the higher-ups knows about Milo! Selina lifted her head and looked at the Archbishop in a new light. She replied reverently and fearfully, "I will...
"Praise the Lady!"
Cesimir smiled behind his collar and reflected the same gesture of drawing a crimson moon. "Praise the Lady!"
After he left and closed the door. The creak resounded into the ear of Selina, who was alone in the alchemy room.
In the silence, she took a deep breath and held Klein's handkerchief. Slowly, while in Cogitation, filtered out the voices left behind as a result of her emotions fluctuating.
Of course Archbishop Cesimir knew, all of the higher-ups knew... but they still allowed me in... From another angle, she was grateful.
Thinking about it now, it should be expected. Selina chuckled self-deprecatingly for how she acted.
Feeling a lot better, her body leaned into the chair and quietly closed her eyes.
At that moment, although there was slight mishaps, she knew that she had advanced successfully. She knew that she's now a Sequence 8 Beast Tamer.