Chapter 39: Using a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut
Playing with the future "Fool" is indeed a delightful thing.
Seeing him clearly confused but forced to feign composure satisfied Nairn's little sense of mischief.
[play value] rose a bit more, like a trickle flowing into a stream; though not a sudden burst of a torrent, it was continuous and pleasant.
Nairn saw Klein off, watching his slightly hurried back disappear around the corner.
Snapping back to reality, he leaned on the sofa, a cup of slightly steaming black tea by his side; the tea's fragrance was light but couldn't completely cover the surge of excitement deep in his heart.
He wasn't as relaxed and casual as he appeared before Klein.
That so-called calm and unruffled demeanor was just Klein's imagination.
That "out-of-print reproduction, limited-time return" wasn't easy for him either.
That performance had nearly exhausted all his mental energy.
It wasn't just acting, but a contest of spirituality; he had to use the soul of "Salist" he "acted out" to counter Old Neil's indestructible mental barrier built from regret and obsession.
It wasn't simple imitation, but injecting a non-existent soul into reality so convincingly that this "fake" soul had the power to shake a "real" obsession.
Every line spoken felt like a grueling tug-of-war.
He needed to weigh every word, carefully guiding Old Neil's thoughts, touching the most fragile yet stubborn parts of his heart while avoiding any flaws that might cause suspicion.
That level of mental concentration was more tiring than dealing with any Sequence 5 Beyonder.
Because this time he wasn't facing an enemy, but a poor soul drowning in self-punishment; he couldn't use crude methods, only the gentlest and most precise way to "treat" him.
Especially at the end, to create the atmosphere of a "divine farewell," he even invoked the Sefirah power of the [Chaos Theater] to simulate an effect similar to a "Divine Descent."
The surge of that power distorted the surrounding spiritual environment, shifting light and shadow, filling the air with a sense of transcendent solemnity.
For him, who was only a dual Sequence 9 at the time, the burden was immense.
Thus, Nairn wasn't as relaxed as he appeared before Klein.
He was just used to hiding everything under a relaxed exterior, not letting anyone see through his true state.
That ease and composure were themselves part of his "Lovers" disguise, a "script" effect meant for the "lead actor," Klein.
Fortunately, he succeeded.
When he saw the light rekindle in Old Neil's eyes and watched his back as he walked away, a sense of unprecedented, immense satisfaction and achievement filled his heart.
It felt like completing a perfect play, where all the buildup, conflict, climax, and resolution unfolded exactly as he had envisioned and achieved the desired effect.
This feeling was even stronger than when he forced back the "King of the Five Seas," Nester.
Forcing Nester back relied on information asymmetry and the bluff of a demigod's status; it was a high-stakes gamble.
He exploited Nester's wariness of unknown powerhouses and the mystery of his "thousand faces" persona, achieving the maximum effect with the minimum cost.
It was a victory of strategy, but in essence, it was still a "prank."
But this time, he had truly used his wisdom, acting skills, and Insight into the human heart to pull back a soul that was about to fall into the Abyss.
There was no trickery involved; it was all based on true ability.
He hadn't just prevented a tragedy; he had personally directed and starred in a play about "redemption."
Following that, the will of the [Chaos Theater] cheered and rejoiced.
Nairn could feel the little theater inside him vibrating with bursts of pleasure.
This cheering wasn't unfounded; it manifested directly as a massive amount of [play value].
Even now, as the effects of Old Neil's [Final Lesson] fermented, Nairn could still feel a continuous influx of [play value].
Old Neil's change caused quite a stir in Tingen City's Beyonder circles.
A veteran Beyonder who had nearly lost control due to obsession had suddenly come to his senses overnight and even proactively confessed his issues to the Church, his mental state completely refreshed—this was practically unheard of.
And Old Neil's story, through Captain Dunn's mouth, was treated as a teaching case within the Church and gradually spread through the Beyonder circles.
This was also because the content reported by newspapers like the Tingen Gazette was indeed surprising and unexpected.
A veteran Nighthawk, seen by his colleagues as an "eccentric," suddenly came to his senses and even gave such a soul-stirring "lesson" before leaving; this was inherently an event of great news value.
People love to see stories with twists and turns, and they love to see tragedies that seemed certain being overturned.
This "unexpectedness" was the greatest "fun."
This "controlled chaos" spread in a positive way, and the [play value] it generated was naturally endless.
It was praising, recognizing, and celebrating the success of this "fun."
By now, it had not only instantly cleared the debt he owed for advancing the [Magician] ability but also left a large surplus.
That play value gathered into streams of pure energy, flowing back from the [Chaos Theater] like a warm current, nourishing his exhausted spirit and body, quickly replenishing all his consumption.
The sense of emptiness vanished, replaced by a feeling of fullness and vitality; even his thinking became sharper.
"This feeling... isn't bad at all." Nairn let out a long breath, the corners of his mouth curling up. He stretched, feeling the abundant power within him.
After all, this discovery made Nairn realize the benefits of creating [Sensational Feats].
Not to mention that [play value] was the necessary price Nairn had to pay for advancing subsequent Sequences, and every time he used the random Sequence of the week, it required a large amount of play value to support it; it was like a currency for trading with the Sefirah, indispensable.
Just the continuous spiritual and energy nourishment from such feat feedback that satisfied the theater was enough for him to take it seriously.
It was like having a long-term positive buff—and it would strengthen as the influence of the feats Nairn created continued to expand.
The wider the scope of influence and the longer the duration, the purer and more abundant the feedback energy would be.
It was a perfect positive feedback loop.
The bigger the fun, the greater the power; the greater the power, the bigger the fun.
So the fun would only get bigger and bigger!
He had found the core law for surviving and becoming stronger in this world while maintaining his essence of "play."
Besides that, there was the importance of the medium of communication.
If not for the indirect spread through channels like the Tingen Gazette, the impact of Old Neil's incident would likely have been greatly diminished.
Nairn knew well that in this era of relatively slow information spread, an efficient communication channel was crucial for creating "sensational feats."
Clickbait titles were unscrupulous, but they were interesting and attracted readers.
People are always interested in unexpected, sensational stories, even if just for small talk over tea.
Nairn intended to make it a bit more interesting.
He didn't want his "fun" to be limited to the small circle of Beyonders. He wanted the whole world to be his stage and more people to be his "Spectator."
He could even guide public opinion and change people's perceptions.
In that case, he might as well start a newspaper himself.
Coincidentally, the task from Miss Justice also required a communication channel controlled by himself.
The plans Audrey wanted to promote all required the groundwork and guidance of public opinion.
He couldn't expect those completely independent newspaper offices to report exactly according to his intentions; mastering a media outlet of his own was the most reliable way.
And a newspaper controlled by him would also be the best promoter when Nairn needed "anchors" or the imagination of role cards.
Thinking of this, Nairn felt a bit embarrassed—
He seemed to have already obtained the Spectator Beyonder characteristic and was now a Sequence 9 [Player].
That meant he no longer needed the materials Audrey had collected for him.
The next step was to collect the sequence 8 "Melee Scholar" characteristic of the [Mystery Pryer] Pathway and the sequence 8 "Trickmaster" characteristic of the [Apprentice] Pathway.
The [Trickmaster] potion recipe was:
Main ingredients: A Spirit Eater's stomach, 20 ml of Deep-sea Marlin blood;
Supplementary ingredients: 5 ml of essential oil made from Hornbeam, 10g of String Grass powder, one blooming Red Chestnut Flower, 80 ml of pure water.
These materials weren't too difficult to obtain.
Nairn had asked Triss to look out for them before, but the girl was only a sequence 7 "Demoness"; in a small place like Tingen City, the types of Beyonder materials she could get were limited.
Beyonders in Tingen City—generally speaking, it's a small city; if not for the birth of the Fool and Ince's conspiracy, it probably wouldn't even count as a mixed bag.
Expecting her to find these in Tingen City was a bit much.
For the Deep-sea Marlin blood, he could ask the Hanged Man.
As a Punisher, Alger's knowledge of marine creatures far exceeded ordinary people, and he had a fleet under him; sailing on the great seas, it would be easy to get.
Nairn believed Alger would be very happy to help him purchase it through his own channels; this would both deepen their Connection and make Alger feel valued.
This deal was a win-win for him.
As for the Spirit Eater's stomach, Nairn thought of that member of the "Tarot Three Fledglings" known as Sun, Moon, and Star—
Sun.
Little Sun.
According to the original development, Fors obtained the Spirit Eater's stomach through Little Sun Derrick and then advanced.
But it's only early July now.
At least until August 19th.
Only then would Derrick pray, and at the same time, Klein would have enough spirituality to support another member.
Only then would Derrick appear at the Tarot Club and be able to issue commissions through it.
This... the timing is a bit tight.
Nairn didn't want to wait that long.
Although he had patience, if it could be faster, why not?
To be honest, there was actually another way.
That was through other Beyonder channels.
For example, the "Fate Hermit" gathering, a loose organization of hidden Beyonders; the members were a mixed bag, but one could always find some strange materials.
For example, the gathering hosted by "Eye of Wisdom"; that was an important place for Beyonder exchange in Backlund and the surrounding areas, and the circulation of information and materials would be much better.
Or even, calling a certain "Beibei" who was searching the world for her father.
"Beibei" refers to Bernadette Gustav, the daughter of Emperor Roselle.
The latter two could also solve the problem of the Mystery Pryer Beyonder characteristic.
After all, both "Eye of Wisdom" and "Beibei" were related to knowledge and secrets; their subordinates or contacts were likely to involve Beyonders of the [Mystery Pryer] Pathway.
Moreover, the last one was the real "Beibei"—the Queen of the Beyonder world, "Huang Beibei"; the old-timers wouldn't specifically target her out of respect for her father, and with Old Roselle's teachings, she could avoid obvious dangers.
She also had various legacies and had founded the Oravi Island.
She had many powerful subordinates and an extensive intelligence network.
But to be honest.
In her complete state, she was comparable to an Angel—after all, she had so many Sealed Artifacts in hand.
The risk and reward didn't match, so Nairn temporarily ruled her out.
Dealing with her required constant vigilance because she was too smart and her obsession with Emperor Roselle was too deep.
He didn't want to become a tool for her to find clues about Emperor Roselle.
After all, according to the original development, her subordinates were quite bold, testing the Fool several times and openly helping Bernadette gather information.
She herself—plus that obsession with Old Roselle.
Unless he randomly rolled a Sequence 3 one day, only then would he consider trying.
Only that kind of power would give him enough confidence to speak with her as an equal instead of being led by the nose.
Otherwise, if he ended up being controlled or forced to fight.
It wouldn't fit Nairn's style.
He pursued "fun," not trouble.
If all else failed, he could see if there were any Sealed Artifacts or Mystical Items of the relevant Pathway.
Some Sealed Artifacts themselves contained Beyonder characteristics; if he could find such a thing, it could temporarily replace potion materials.
If even that failed, he could try killing an evil Beyonder of the relevant Pathway.
The latter could also yield more Beyonder characteristics to sell.
After all, Beyonder characteristics were hard currency; whether for personal use or sale, they were a good choice.
It's just that—Beyonders of the Door Pathway were hard to find, easy to escape, and particularly cautious.
They were good at spatial movement and hiding; catching one wasn't easy.
Mystery Pryer... Moses Ascetic Order?
Or Machinery Hivemind?
Well, that's a bit too criminal.
Both organizations had Beyonders of the [Mystery Pryer] Pathway, and their members were usually disciplined and secretive.
Trying to get characteristics from them would be quite difficult.
He wasn't a bloodthirsty person, unless the other party was heinous or there was truly no other way.
If only he could be a bit luckier.
Wait, luck?
Nairn thought of a certain little snake.
Will Auceptin.
Nairn happened to know his current whereabouts—Aaron Ceres, a well-known surgeon in Backlund, was recently in charge of a patient, a very pitiful child under ten who needed his left leg amputated due to some issues.
This was a Sequence 1 "Fate" Angel; if he could "borrow" a bit of luck from him or simply have him provide materials, it would save a lot of trouble.
Although seeking out such a Sequence 1 Angel who also possessed a Uniqueness just for sequence 8 materials...
Was a bit... like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, or using a laser cannon to hit a mosquito.
It sounded absurd, but Nairn felt it fit his "Fun-seeker" style perfectly.
He wondered what kind of expression Will Auceptin would have if he knew he was being targeted by the owner of a Sefirah for such a reason.
But so what!
The higher the level of the Beyonder, the more they knew what was important.
When the time came, showing the Chaos Theater would surely earn him some respect.
The Dread of a Sefirah was no joke.
Not to mention, he was being watched by Ouroboros!
Nairn's appearance might even bring him a "turning point."
Maybe Nairn could even "friendly"Land received an investment from Willon Catherine!