Even if favorability wasn't an issue and Evah could borrow power from powerful figures, his own low sequence and limited spirituality would mean he could only sustain that borrowed power for a short time. In a prolonged battle or if some crafty ambush caught him off-guard after his borrowed power ran out, he'd be in serious trouble.
That's why Evah treated his "Shadow of Time" ability as a trump card and worked to build favorability with powerful individuals. But he never forgot to improve his own strength—that was his foundation.
Only by advancing his own sequence and honing his abilities could Evah ensure he had the means to protect himself in any situation. He couldn't afford to end up too weak to fight back if he couldn't borrow power, he would be left vulnerable, and ending up with a GG.
So, even though Sequence 9 ritual magic seemed trivial compared to the abilities of people like Mr. A or Azik, Evah didn't neglect it. He knew this was the power he truly possessed right now. Mastering it was what he should be doing.
If he got cocky just because he could borrow others' powers and started looking down on these "low-end" abilities, even if he managed to climb the sequence ladder smoothly, Evah had no doubt he'd end up a hollow shell. After all, even within the same sequence, the gap between individuals could be as vast as the difference between a person and a dog.
Solidly mastering his own sequence's abilities was far better than blindly advancing without knowing a thing.
Besides… "Advancing to Sequence 8 isn't exactly a walk in the park. Forget digesting the potion for a moment—the auxiliary materials needed for the Chaos Pathway are a headache in themselves," Evah muttered to himself, feeling a slight pang of frustration.
Just as the auxiliary materials needed to prepare the potion of the Mischief-maker are high-sequence related items of the high Sequence of the the Elusive Three Pathways or the Five Overseeing Pathways , the preparation of the Sequence 8 Actor Potion of the Chaos Pathway also requires a special material - a high-sequence related item of the Hunter or Witch Pathway.
To be honest, the moment he saw the requirement, Evah's first thought was the Red Priest Tarot Card. But using a Blasphemy Card as a material for a Sequence 8 potion was far too extravagant. Plus, the Blasphemy Cards were tied to the Outer Gods, which made Luo Lin wary of consuming them. And, most importantly, the Red Priest card was currently in the possession of Sauron-Einhorn-Medici. Without borrowing power from Azik or Pallez, Evah had no intention of tangling with that hotpot-loving evil spirit.
So, after careful consideration, Evah decided to wait until he'd built enough favorability with Azik before confronting Medici. He'd see if he could trade for the necessary item—either the Red Priest Blasphemy Card or, better yet, craft a qualifying material using the combined essence of the three-in-one hotpot spirit.
As for using the hotpot evil spirit itself as a material and cooking it down? Evah had his principles. He was fine with materials like the Worm of Time, but consuming an intelligent soul as a material was, in his eyes, no different from cannibalism.
As for high-sequence Witches… Luo Lin hadn't even considered them.
After all, the Mischief-maker potion had already shown that different auxiliary materials could affect the outcome of his advancement. What if using a Witch-related material caused him to gender-swap?
Evah wasn't about to gamble on that kind of disastrous possibility. He'd rather spend extra time tracking down Hunter-related materials.
Hearing Evah's request, Xio and Fors weren't too surprised. Ritual magic was a common tool for support-type Beyonders. Even Fors herself, when she first advanced to Apprentice, had spent time learning and practicing ritual magic.
Thinking back to that period—self-studying from Mrs. Aulisa's notes with no one to guide her—Fors couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for what lay ahead for Evah. Curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, "Don't you want to look for the potion formula for the next sequence in your pathway?"
Evah gave a shy smile. "Thanks to my ancestors, I'm not short on potion formulas for now."
Fors' smile froze. Thinking of her own futile search for the Trickmaster potion formula, she felt a fleeting urge to curse, which quickly morphed into deep envy. She muttered, "That's something to be jealous of."
Xio's mood mirrored Fors' in that moment. While she was slightly better off—her desired formula was available for purchase—she was too broke to afford it.
As the three chatted, they found a corner to sit in. A server soon approached to explain the rules: participants could write their requests on a slip of paper and hand it to the server, or during a break, they could enter a small room to write what they wanted to sell on the blackboard.
Evah didn't hesitate to jot down the spiritual materials he needed on the provided slip. He glanced at Fors and Xio, who had also finished writing theirs, and asked curiously, "What are you two looking for?"
"You can probably guess mine," Xio said casually. "I want to buy the Sheriff potion formula, but I haven't saved up enough money yet." Since Evah had already figured out her sequence, it wasn't something she needed to hide.
Fors sighed, then looked at Evah with a glimmer of hope. "I've been trying to buy the Trickmaster potion formula, but I haven't found any leads." Having learned from Xio that Jack might come from an ancient Beyonder family, she couldn't help but hold out hope that he might have the clue she needed.
Then she saw a hesitant expression cross Evah's face beneath his hood.
Fors, who had only asked on a whim, hoping against hope, froze. "Mr. Jack, do you actually have a lead on the Trickmaster potion formula?" she asked instinctively.
"Strictly speaking, I have the formula," Evah said, nodding with a hesitant look. "My ancestor's notes included the Trickmaster potion formula."
Fors felt a surge of excitement. "Really? Can you sell it to me?" Realizing how eager she sounded, she glanced at Evah warily and added, "Under Mr. A's supervision, of course."
Her caution was understandable. The coincidence felt almost too perfect, and she wanted to ensure she wasn't buying a fake formula.
"Of course. How about 450 pounds?" Luo Lin said, understanding her concerns and responding with a gentle tone.
"A fair price," Fors said, relaxing. She was satisfied with the quote—Sequence 8 potion formulas typically sold for around that amount, so it wasn't inflated.
Xio, watching the exchange, felt genuinely happy for her friend. But as she touched her own wallet, she couldn't help but wonder when she'd save enough to buy the Sheriff formula herself.
The two quickly finalized the transaction at the gathering, both parties thoroughly satisfied with the deal.
(End of Chapter)