Ebner had no knowledge of the battle raging in the Cherwood Borough. He was still engrossed in the excitement of having fully digested the Reader potion.
"The speed of my potion digestion… Well, it's mainly thanks to the Pure White Eye, but it's also because of the vast amount of knowledge I read and studied in my previous life. Physics, chemistry, politics, history—all that broadened my view and helped me understand and partially interpret the world's rules... Those insights essentially made me 'play the role' even before I knew about it," Ebner mused, analyzing his rapid digestion with his usual thoroughness.
He quickly gathered his belongings and hurried back to his teacher's house. Already prepared, he had long since decoded the auxiliary materials for the Sequence 8 "Student of Ratiocination" formula through the Pure White Eye using a blue gemstone that contained the Extraordinary characteristic. As for the main ingredient? That very gemstone was it!
At this time, Detective Isengard was still out investigating a case, so Ebner only notified the house's servant before stepping into the lab.
With the Sequence 8 auxiliary materials, none of which were particularly hard to find, already in hand, Ebner started by sterilizing his flask and carefully adding each ingredient in sequence. Immediately, a faint green, transparent solution formed within the flask.
Once everything was set, Ebner turned his attention to the blue gemstone formed from Extraordinary characteristics. Since learning how to create a Spirit Wall, he had kept it securely sealed with spirituality, which kept it from losing much power over the past two weeks.
After steadying himself, Ebner picked up the gemstone and dropped it into the flask.
The moment the Sequence 8 characteristic made contact with the solution, it emitted a faint sizzling sound. The air around him seemed to ripple as water vapor condensed into indecipherable symbols that quickly dissipated into the air. Ebner looked down and saw that the liquid in the flask had turned a vivid blue-green, the colors blending seamlessly and gleaming so beautifully that he nearly mistook it for a fancy cocktail.
Looks… kind of drinkable, Ebner thought, feeling his mouth water involuntarily. He quickly reined in his wayward thoughts, took a deep breath, and tipped the flask to his lips, swallowing the potion in one swift gulp.
However…
It tasted awful! Potions are never tasty! Its pretty appearance was false advertising! His face immediately felt like it was on fire, and sharp pains started to stab through his head. Still, this pain was nothing compared to the aches he'd endured from depleting his spirituality when using the Pure White Eye, so he easily endured it.
After about ten seconds, the stabbing pain in his head started to ebb and then disappeared altogether. Ebner instantly knew that he had successfully advanced; he was now a Sequence 8 "Student of Ratiocination."
Once the initial surge of excitement had settled, he moved his limbs experimentally, getting a feel for any physical changes. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much of an improvement in his physical abilities. After all, "Student of Ratiocination" was not a combat-oriented Sequence.
Next, Ebner picked up an astrology book he'd previously struggled to understand without the Pure White Eye. As he began reading, he found that his observational and analytical abilities had both improved significantly. The effect was only slightly weaker than what he'd experienced in the past by activating the Pure White Eye as a Sequence 9.
"As my teacher explained, the enhanced analytical skills from this advancement help a Student of Ratiocination better comprehend ritual magic—even allowing them to simplify and modify rituals independently... but since I've already experienced that with the Pure White Eye as a Reader, I've grasped the principles of ritual magic more deeply."
Satisfied with this realization, Ebner continued examining his new Sequence 8 abilities, especially his newly acquired Spirit Vision. For an apprentice of this path, Spirit Vision was essential. A Beyonder who couldn't see the spiritual world would miss countless clues—hardly a suitable situation for someone tasked with "deducing."
Following the guidance Old Neil gave Klein in the novel, Ebner successfully activated his Spirit Vision, seeing the world from an entirely different perspective for the first time.
According to mainstream mysticism, the non-physical aspects of a person are composed of four layers. From innermost to outermost, they are the Spirit Body (Soul Body), Astral Body (Astral Projection), Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body. The Reader path's potions primarily strengthened the Body of Heart and Mind layer, which governed reasoning, understanding, insight, and perception.
"What would happen if I activated the Pure White Eye in Spirit Vision?" The thought crossed Ebner's mind, but he refrained from trying it. He could guess the likely outcome—he wasn't yet able to fully control or restrain the Pure White Eye. If he were to activate it in Spirit Vision, it would almost certainly attempt to analyze the entirety of the spirit world. And since Spirit Vision allowed him to perceive the spiritual realm itself, doing so would likely be fatal.
Shutting off his Spirit Vision, Ebner gained a clearer understanding of the capabilities he had as a Student of Ratiocination. He then lay down in the lounge for a nap to recover some of the spirituality he'd used while exploring Spirit Vision.
When he awoke, it was already two in the afternoon, and his teacher, Detective Isengard, had not yet returned, seemingly caught up in something urgent.
Ebner donned his vision-concealing glasses, took a deep breath, and activated his Pure White Eye through subtle cues to test the enhancements his new Sequence level had granted.
After about a minute, he removed the glasses, a bit fatigued, and thought, "The duration has increased to about one minute and ten seconds." This wasn't unexpected; even before fully digesting the Reader potion, he'd been able to use the Pure White Eye for over thirty seconds. This was a reasonable progression.
"My observation and logical abilities have both improved further in the Pure White Eye state—likely only a little short of what I'll have at Sequence 7 as a Detective (Knowledge Keeper). And based on that, my speed of analyzing objects has also improved."
"Additionally, while in the Pure White Eye state, I can now access some abilities from the Detective, such as Weapon Mastery, Combat Mastery, and even Scene Recreation—almost like half a Sequence 7! The only thing I lack is the Detective's enhanced constitution."
With that thought in mind, Ebner picked up his cane and uttered the word "Unsheath" in ancient Hermes. Instantly, the cane transformed into an elegant Loen-style officer's longsword.
Holding the longsword, Ebner felt a strong sense of familiarity, and he instinctively executed a few remembered strikes.
Even though he wasn't currently in Pure White Eye mode, a portion of the "Weapon Mastery" knowledge he'd acquired still lingered in his memory. With consistent practice, he might even be able to achieve a basic "weapon mastery" outside of that state.
Returning the longsword to its cane form, Ebner couldn't suppress his excitement and exhilaration. After two weeks of struggling, he finally had some real combat power—even if it only lasted for a minute.
...
In the Braveheart Bar, Maric was in the middle of a game of cards with his animated corpses when he suddenly looked to his left. There, Miss Sharon had already appeared gracefully.
"Sharon, what's the situation?" Maric asked, setting his cards down.
"Jason called in Steve and Taylor, and they've broken through the Mandated Punishers' ambush," Sharon replied curtly.
"A Sequence 7 werewolf, a Sequence 6 zombie, and a Sequence 5 wraith… We wouldn't be able to take them down quickly," Maric noted, weighing their options.
"Yes, but both Taylor and Jason are heavily injured and out of commission for at least a week. Steve was also injured by the Mandated Punisher squad captain's sacred artifact, though I can't determine how badly," Sharon's ethereal voice trailed off momentarily.
Hearing this, a predatory gleam flashed in Maric's eyes as he said, "If that's the case, it might be worth a try… Do you know where they're hiding?"
"Yes, I tailed the fleeing Taylor… They're all holed up in a clothing shop's warehouse in the Cherwood Borough," Sharon answered calmly, like a perfect porcelain doll.
"They're still in the Cherwood Borough? Guess this is what Roselle called 'hiding in plain sight,'" Maric said, narrowing his eyes as he came to a decision. "I'll need a day to set up a backup plan and escape routes. Tomorrow night, we'll launch an attack."
"I'll keep a close watch on them…" Sharon's black gown and small hat dissolved into the shadows, leaving the card room as silently as she had come.
...
In the underground headquarters of the Mandated Punishers at Saint Samuel Cathedral, the squad captain turned to one of the Wind-blessed members and asked, "Have you tracked where that werewolf escaped with the zombie?"
"Apologies, Captain. The wraith who clashed with you seems very skilled at erasing evidence. It probably also has an artifact that can cast various black magic spells, making the little remaining evidence too chaotic. Old Red has been unable to perform any reliable Scene Recreation…" the team member reported bitterly.
"Contact every precinct and tell them to notify us of any disappearances or murders immediately. The Rose School of Thought's Indulgence Faction can't suppress their urges for long," the captain said with a cold snort.
"Yes, Captain."
"Also, discreetly leak news of the Indulgence trio's injuries to a few contacts among the independent Beyonders. Have them spread it around in their gatherings. The Temperance faction will likely be better at tracking down their indulgent counterparts," the squad captain added.
...
That evening, Detective Isengard returned home with a pleased expression, ready to share with his student the news of the "tyrant's" team's failure.
But the moment he saw Ebner, his eyes widened in astonishment.
"You've already become a 'Student of Ratiocination'? In just two weeks?!"
(End of Chapter)