Lord of Mysteries: Sustainer of Salvation

At 15:00, Gregor and Lana finally left the church and took a public carriage to the hotel where they were staying.

They could have walked to the hotel since it was barely two kilometers away, but both were too tired from the funeral and decided to take the carriage instead.

The price for one person per kilometer was 10 Coppets, or as the locals called it, 2 Licks.

A Lick was equivalent to 5 Coppets, and 100 Coppets were equivalent to a Verl d'or, the main currency of Intis.

They got off the carriage one block away from the hotel. Lana took two silver Coppets, worth 40 Coppets, from her purse, and paid for both her and Gregor's trip.

The education Gregor had received, both from his original world and the Burey family, usually have made him thank Lana for paying for him and offered to pay her back later. However, his mind was still wandering elsewhere.

They finally entered the hotel room. Lana locked the door before sitting on the bed.

Gregor sat on the chair near the desk, his eyes looked empty and lost.

Trying to snap him back to reality, Lana asked, "So—what do you plan on doing next?"

Gregor finally came back to his senses. "I'm going to digest the Delusional potion and look for the Artist formula." His tone was determined, tinged with a deep hatred for the Erin and Norarta family.

"You know about the acting method?" Lana asked, surprised by how much he knew about the mysterious world.

"I learned it from the best..." Gregor's tone held a sign of longing, as if he were remembering a long-lost past.

"It honestly surprises me that you know the acting method, Lana. Did you learn it from your master?"

"No, they basically just gave me the potion and told me to figure it out myself. I learned it when I met another Beyonder by accident on one of my trips. My ability just randomly activated, and I listened to how the acting method works."

"Your master sounds like an asshole…"

Lana sighed, remembering her early days as a Beyonder. "Not everyone is as lucky as you with that cuttlefish…"

"But anyway, if you really want to go after the Artist formula, I can help."

Gregor's expression softened into a small smile.

"Any information is helpful, since I don't even know where to look."

"I don't know much, but when I was traveling in the province of Feynapotter in Lenburg, I discovered a Beyonder gathering. I can give you my pass to join it.

"But of course, I can't guarantee you'll find it there, and you'll need to cover the costs yourself."

"Don't worry. I know how these gatherings work, Lana."

"Your master taught you that too?" Lana was a mix of surprise at how much he knew and mild annoyance.

"You'll have to introduce me to your master someday."

Gregor chuckled but didn't reply.

"When do you plan on leaving, Greg?"

"As soon as possible. Trier isn't safe for me. If I stay too long, I'll inevitably get caught."

Lana thought for a moment before offering a suggestion.

"I'm leaving Trier tomorrow to go back to Balam. If you want, you can come with me. The train I'm taking stops at a small town in the Feynapotter province, you can get out there and take another train to Feynapotter City."

"Won't it be hard to get another ticket on such short notice?"

Lana chuckled as she got up to look at one of her bags.

"Remember when you asked why I have masculine clothes and I said it's to be prepared for anything?"

"Yes, and that still doesn't make any sense."

Lana pulled two train tickets out of her bag.

"I always buy two tickets when traveling, just in case I lose one." She winked as she handed one to Gregor. "I'm a cautious woman."

Not sure about cautious, since you brought a wanted criminal to your room… Gregor lampooned as he read the ticket's details.

"Thank you, Lana, for everything you've done for me."

"Don't worry, Greg. I'm your ally—no, I'm your friend, and I'm glad I can help."

Gregor couldn't help but smile. "Lana, I want to pay you back for everything you've done for me."

Lana shook her head firmly. "I didn't do it expecting anything in return, so don't worry."

Gregor stood up and took her hands in his own, looking deeply into her eyes. "I insist, Lana. I can't give you money since I can't sell Rebecca's jewelry in Trier, but at least let me teach you a few things about mysticism."

Lana was startled by his sudden gesture but quickly regained her composure.

"That's not necessary, Greg. But if it'll make you feel better, I'll accept."

Lana reluctantly accepted Gregor's proposal; she thought that even though Gregor was well-literate in mysticism and had good knowledge of it, she didn't have anything to learn from him.

Gregor's eyes lit up with excitement. He let go of her hands and began explaining. "You know how the Hallucinated, Delusional, and Devotee Pathways seem intertwined?"

"Yes, what about it?" Lana replied, still skeptical about what she could learn from him.

"There's something called neighboring pathways—or, if you prefer, adjacent pathways. Basically, every Pathway belongs to a group of neighboring pathways. Pathways in the same group usually have similar abilities or abilities that complement each other...

"At higher Sequences, usually at Sequence 4, a Beyonder can switch their Pathway to another within the same group without the risk of losing control.

"I can't say for sure, but if the Delusional and Hallucinated are indeed from the same group, that means that once you reach Sequence 5 of the Hallucinated, you can advance to the Sequence 4 of the Delusional."

Lana listened to every word in disbelief; she felt as if she were hearing the biggest blasphemy ever. Gregor's words challenged her whole understanding of the mysterious world.

Seeing her reaction, Gregor offered an example.

"For instance, the Lawyer and Arbiter Pathways. A Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Lawyer Pathway, Mentor of Disorder, can advance to Sequence 4 of the Arbiter Pathway, Imperative Mage."

Lana looked even more shocked—not just by the information, but by how casually Gregor mentioned the names of a Sequence 5 and 4, as if he was making small talk about the weather.

She sat on the bed, trying to process what she had just learned.

"Greg, you know I can't repay you for what you just told me, right?"

Gregor smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Lana. We're friends; I'm glad to be able to help you. There are still a bunch of other things I can teach you, but I think that's one of the most important."