Hearing Klein's words, Evah wasn't surprised. He put on a delighted expression at just the right moment. "As expected! So, you're a Seer too?"
Klein was getting used to Evah's bluntness and shocking statements. Hearing his identity called out didn't faze him much. He nodded. "I am indeed a Seer."
After "admitting" his connection to The Fool, there was no need to hide this part.
But… Klein gave Evah a suspicious glance and asked tentatively, "Too?"
He hadn't missed Evah's choice of words.
"That's right, I'm a Seer as well," Evah said, owning up to it with refreshing candor.
Klein's mouth twitched. He studied Evahand asked cautiously, "Why did you choose to become a Seer?"
"My family is one of those ancient Beyonders's lineages, though it's fallen on hard times. The younger generation still gets to choose between Seer, Marauder, or Apprentice. I liked Seer best," Evah said without so much as a blink.
No wonder you've dug up so much information… Klein thought, his expression turning odd. "Is it okay to tell me all this?"
"No problem! You're a good guy, after all!" Evah said, waving a hand with a grin. "Plus, I divined it—you won't sell me out."
Klein's mind flashed to the divination he'd done before leaving, and his mood turned a bit complicated.
Evah, who'd been deliberately teasing, let the smile fade after a chuckle and adopted a serious tone. "Actually, I suspect there's something off about those dukes tied to the Blood Emperor in the Fourth Epoch."
"What do you mean?" Klein asked, puzzled.
"I have a friend in Backlund who's probably connected to the Abraham family. From what I know, she's afflicted by a full moon curse, and it's not just her—the entire Abraham family seems to have this issue," Evah explained. "As for that Duke Amon… he's definitely not one of the good guys." At this, Evah let a wary expression show just enough.
"Do you have a grudge against Amon?" Klein asked, probing.
"It's not that I have a grudge—it's that Amon himself is trouble. If you ever run into someone who might be Amon, run immediately. He loves snacking on Beyonder from the Seer, Marauder, and Apprentice pathways," Luo Lin said, his expression growing heavier. "Oh, and Amon's trademark is a monocle. If you see someone wearing one, just bolt."
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up, Jack," Klein said, quickly committing Jack Jones words to memory. Though he wasn't sure how true they were, his wariness of Amon had definitely spiked.
Still, questions bubbled up in Klein's mind. He looked at Evah and couldn't help asking, "What pathway is Amon on, and why does he target Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway Beyonders?"
"Amon's a Marauder," Evah said, then blinked at Klein. "As for why he goes after Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway Beyonders, it's probably because these three pathways are adjacent… uh, do you know what adjacent pathways are?"
Klein shook his head honestly.
At this stage, Klein genuinely didn't know about this, or even about Beyonder characteristics. He was a proper newbie Beyonder.
"You don't know? Hmm, but I can't just teach this kind of knowledge casually…" Evah said, looking hesitant. He studied Klein, paused for a few seconds, and then revealed his true aim. "Tell you what—call me 'Teacher.' If we're master and apprentice, I can teach you this stuff without breaking any rules. Otherwise, it's not quite proper."
"Oh, and if you want to pay me for it instead…" Evah started, as if offering another option, but before he could finish, Klein cut in with a swift, "Teacher!"
The speed was so fast it was clear Klein was terrified Evah might change his mind and demand payment for the knowledge.
As expected of this Broke God!
Evah snarked to himself, completely unsurprised by Klein's reaction. He nodded with satisfaction. "Then you're my student from now on. Ha, who'd have thought I'd become someone's teacher?"
"Isn't there a chance you already are a teacher?" Klein pointed out, referencing Evah's day job. This was also why Klein had no issue calling him "Teacher" so readily.
Evah was a university professor, only a few years older than Klein. With that profession, Klein felt no psychological barrier calling him "Teacher."
"It's not the same. A teacher in the occult isn't the same as one in the regular world, is it?" Evah countered, then grinned. "Since you've called me 'Teacher,' I won't let it be for nothing. To explain adjacent pathways, you first need to understand a concept: Beyonder characteristics…"
Evah then laid out the existence of Beyonder characteristics and the three major laws—Indestructibility, Conservation, and Convergence—explaining them thoroughly to Klein. Along the way, he clarified what adjacent pathways were.
"So, Seer, Marauder, and Apprentice are interchangeable adjacent pathways. That's probably why Amon messes with Marauder from these three," Evah concluded.
As Klein absorbed this new knowledge, he began forming fresh theories about his situation. Maybe his deep connection to The Fool wasn't due to some shadowy mastermind but the gray fog itself.
He had a vague suspicion that the mysterious gray fog might be something tied to the high Sequences of The Fool's pathway—possibly even something divine.
Evah, catching every shift in Klein's expression, saw him visibly relax and let out a quiet breath of relief.
He'd gone a bit overboard with the teasing earlier, piling too much pressure on Mr. Fool. So, using the teacher-student pretext, he offered alternative explanations to ease Klein's mind.
Of course, Evah didn't deny that he genuinely wanted to be Mr. Fool's teacher. It satisfied his mischievous streak and brought them closer—a win-win.
Having sorted through the coincidences around him, Klein thought of something else and asked curiously, "So, the more Beyonder characteristics you consume, the stronger you get?"
"In theory, yes, but it's not very cost-effective. Rather than chugging extra potions of the same Sequence, it's better to advance sooner," Evah said, shaking his head. "Piling up too many characteristics from the same Sequence can actually slow down your digestion. Oh, by the way, do you know about the Acting Method?"
(End of Chapter)
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(You can skip the paragraph below it's my thoughts)
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Evah, you must not say that. Did you forget that "your enemies will be predetermined the moment you choose the same pathway or a neighboring pathway"? I think Klein will now be eternally cautious of you in the future. And why did you gave a lot of major informations for free now that's not mischief-maker... more like 'how to make myself be betrayed later better'. Or are you giving this much informations to corrupt Klein with knowledge, if this is the reason you're terrifying'...