Furen considered himself relatively fortunate.
After all, he had surpassed most ordinary people by becoming a Beyonder. He now possessed the capital to rise above humanity—yes, the most reliable capital.
Yet, Furen also considered himself unlucky.
This was because he had embarked on the "Apprentice" pathway, colloquially known as one of the "Stealth Triad." Among them, the "Apprentice" was the weakest—not because its Sequences were lacking, but because its representatives were unimpressive. "Diviner" had characters like Klein, Zaratul, Antigonus, and Fregra; "Error" had Amon and Pallez. Meanwhile, "Apprentice" only had Mr. Door or Bethel Abraham—figures with high mystique but quick defeat upon appearance.
However, this wasn't the main reason Furen felt unlucky. The real reason lay in his name: Furen Abraham. If nothing unexpected happened, he could at most ascend to "Astrologer." Then, he would either grow old and die, be driven to madness by Bethel's call, or fall into the arms of some evil or righteous deity.
Fortunately, a piece of news in this morning's Trier Daily caught his attention:
"Congratulations to the esteemed Governor, Son of Steam, Roselle Gustav, on the 11th anniversary of his rule over the Intis Republic."
This news made Furen nearly leap with joy. He glanced at the date printed on the newspaper: July 5, 1183.
As a devoted reader of Lord of the Mysteries, Furen was intimately familiar with its grand world-building and the rich, realistic history of its mystical world. He vividly recalled the significance this particular date held for every Abraham family member walking the "Apprentice" pathway.
It signified that Bethel Abraham's "Full Moon Call" would be connected. Bethel was the Abraham family's ancestor, its glory, and its nightmare. It was Bethel's endless whisperings that brought both suffering and security to the Abraham bloodline. During the "Full Moon Call," Roselle Gustav would chat extensively with Bethel. And now, it was July 5, 1183—Roselle would answer the hotline on November 18, 1183.
Roselle would eventually fall in 1198, but the long dialogues between him and Bethel would shorten over time, never lasting the full 15 years. During this period, Bethel's constant whisperings might diminish slightly, which in turn allowed Abraham family members to ascend their Sequences. Works like Spiritual World Observations were born during this timeframe, possibly written by a Scribe or even a Traveler. However, due to certain limitations, these authors could not become demigods.
This was most evident when Fors Wall ascended to the rank of "Secrets Sorcerer." Fors narrowly avoided losing control to Mr. Door's calls, relying on good fortune and Klein's interventions to escape Bethel's whispers.
For members of the Abraham family, ascending to the rank of demigod was even harder. After all, Fors wasn't truly part of the Abraham bloodline but had been dragged into the "Apprentice" pathway.
If Furen wanted to become a demigod, an angel, or even go further, he had to ascend to demigod within this 15-year window. Even with the Acting Method, such a rapid pace of digestion seemed like a pipe dream. It meant Furen would have to tirelessly take risks and digest potions without rest.
On the other hand, if survival was his only goal, Furen could choose to do nothing in these 15 years and merely ascend to "Astrologer." That wasn't a bad outcome either. However, time waits for no one. When his energy waned, or when he could no longer control himself, it would spell his inevitable doom.
Thus, Furen had no choice but to aim for demigod within these 15 years. Anything less would mean a lifetime of fear and instability.
Even so, ascending to demigod was fraught with danger. Surviving Bethel's whispers while maintaining a clear sense of self would be one of the greatest challenges. On this treacherous path, Furen would need to continuously seek out solutions.
Thankfully, the Abraham family's resources were sufficient to help Furen ascend to angelhood without pressure. As for Sequence 1, Furen thought it might be worth considering the "Attendant of Mysteries" potion left behind by the deranged Zaratul. This was probably his only chance to reach Sequence 1 and become a Great Angel.
For now, Furen returned to reality. After all, no one becomes powerful overnight.
Furen Abraham was currently a single, unmarried young man. He owned a house, was orphaned, and had no siblings—a classic male lead archetype from webnovels. A plain rentier, albeit one that the God of Poverty would weep over.
He owned 2% shares of the Trier Commercial Bank, yielding an annual profit of 3,000 pounds. His fixed assets included a property at 34 Corson Street, Golden Hanson District, Trier, a typical wealthy neighborhood. He had 20,000 pounds in savings, yielding 800 pounds in annual interest, and 1,342 pounds in liquid funds. While his wealth was just enough to place him in the upper class, it wasn't enough to dominate it. Still, it was enough to make the God of Poverty cry.
The "Apprentice" pathway was one of a mage-like nature. Naturally, knowledge—especially in the mystical arts—was essential for progression. Both Western mages and modern Chinese mystics wielded extraordinary powers, and the common belief was that such individuals possessed knowledge beyond mortal comprehension. Knowledge was power.
Fortunately, Furen had inherited an abundance of mystical knowledge from his late father. As for other knowledge, he could access it at Trier's renowned National Library, a sacred site for all knowledge seekers.
Furen knew he needed practical knowledge to prepare for the subsequent Sequences. The "Apprentice" pathway's Sequence 9 to 0 progression was as follows: Apprentice, Trickmaster, Astrologer, Scribe, Traveler, Secrets Sorcerer, Wanderer, Planeswalker, Key of the Stars, Door. From "Apprentice" to "Traveler" was the mortal phase; "Secrets Sorcerer" to "Wanderer" was the demigod phase; "Planeswalker" to "Key of the Stars" represented true divinity, with "Door" as the godhood stage.
During Fors's progression to "Secrete Sorcerer," the roles of "Trickmaster," "Astrologer," and "Scribe" were clearly defined, allowing for relatively quick potion digestion. Furen believed that he would need knowledge in magic, divination, travelogues, and geography to act out these roles effectively.
Analyzing the digestion process for "Apprentice," Furen speculated that this pathway required practical experience in learning and exploration. Examining Klein's potion digestion journey, it was clear that the internal logic of potions was cohesive. From reverence for fate to mastering it, the consistent principle was to hide and grow. For the "Apprentice" pathway, the concepts of guides, keys, and freedom seemed particularly significant.
Bethel Abraham, the ancestor who brought the family to its current plight, bore the honorific title: "Great Door of All Doors; Guide of Endless Cosmos; Key to all Mysterious Worlds." A god's honorific often concealed the acting method for their pathway, as well as their domain of authority.
This was common knowledge in the mystical world: Knowledge is power.
***
Hello, everyone! This is a translated fanfiction. I put a lot of effort into translating this, as Lord of Mysteries has many terms I'm unfamiliar with. I did extensive research on the different Pathways and, of course, the Beyonders. I actually read this about two years ago, but I've forgotten most of it now. Anyway, Praise the Fool! I hope you'll support this fanfiction from now on.
One more thing: if you notice any incorrect terms, please don't hesitate to point them out using the paragraph comments feature so I can fix them.