"No need to be so excited," Mr. Devil said with a gentle wave of his hand. "Actually, I only have half-baked knowledge about it myself."
"No matter how small the clue, please, you must tell me!" Little Sun pleaded.
Under the gaze of the group, Mr. Devil suddenly turned his head toward Mr. Fool, as if asking, 'May I speak?'
'Why are you looking at me? I don't even know what you're going to say.'
Klein felt a bit awkward seeing Mr. Devil's gaze, but from Mr. Devil's attitude, he connected it to something else—
When Madam Daly had entrusted him to hint at the "Acting Method" to the Captain, she had said that everyone in the Evernight Goddess Church who grasped the Acting Method was required to take an oath not to reveal it to others.
And if Mr. Hanged Man, a suspected member of the Church of Storms, also didn't know about the Acting Method, did that mean all existing gods shared the same stance of "secrecy" toward it?
Is that why Mr. Devil concluded there was something wrong with the god the City of Silver believed in upon hearing that all two thousand people there knew the Acting Method?
Thinking of this, Klein couldn't help but feel curious himself. Thus, maintaining his persona as 'The Fool', He gave a slight nod, granting permission.
Having received Mr. Fool's approval, Mr. Devil seemed to heave a sigh of relief. He turned his gaze toward The Hanged Man and said, "Mr. Hanged Man has likely wondered why a simple method like the Acting Method, which can significantly reduce the probability of low-level Beyonders losing control, is kept under lock and key by the churches."
'Why bring me up again?' The Hanged Man frowned, sensing that the matter wasn't simple. However, he had indeed considered this question, so he nodded. "Correct. The churches have stood for thousands of years; there's no reason they wouldn't have summarized the Acting Method. Yet, they haven't informed the low-level Beyonders."
"Allow me to correct that," Mr. Devil said, raising a finger and shaking his head slightly. "The seven orthodox churches haven't just 'not informed' them; they provide an oath to any official Beyonder who grasps the Acting Method, requiring them not to spread it by any means."
"Why is that?" Miss Justice asked instinctively. Mr. Devil gave her a slight smile.
"Because it is disadvantageous for the gods."
"The gods?"
Everyone was shocked. Why would the 'acting' of mere low-level Beyonders affect the gods?
"Since you know about the Acting Method, do you know the principle behind it?" Mr. Devil didn't answer directly, but instead asked a question.
Miss Justice immediately repeated the example Mr. Fool had given previously about entering a castle in disguise. Just as Mr. Fool was worrying if his example was incorrect, Mr. Devil chuckled.
"An exquisite analogy. But have you ever thought about where the guards in the castle come from?"
"This..." Miss Justice was momentarily at a loss for words. Mr. Devil continued on his own, "Every potion, or rather, every Beyonder material, hides a special mark within it. You can think of it as the consciousness of another existence. The higher the sequence of the potion, the more powerful this consciousness is, because it often contains a portion of the previous owner's mental imprint. Thus, it's commonly referred to as a mental residue. In a sense, it can be seen as the primary culprit behind Beyonders going mad or losing control."
"This mental residue... it's the guard?" Miss Justice said thoughtfully. Mr. Devil nodded. "Exactly. But that's also where the problem with the Acting Method lies—by using it to bypass the guards, it means the guards haven't been defeated. Mmm, right, there's a crucial point to the Acting Method: 'you are only acting.' Mmm, Mr. Sun, has your City of Silver taught you this?"
Mr. Devil suddenly digressed, yet it didn't make Miss Justice or The Hanged Man feel uncomfortable. The words "you are only acting" had already given them a new understanding of the Acting Method.
Little Sun nodded immediately upon hearing Mr. Devil's words. "Yes. Our general studies classes emphasize that the only thing to keep in mind regarding the Acting Method is that 'you are only acting'."
"That's good." Mr. Devil revealed a look of relief before continuing, "The reason the Acting Method is 'only acting' is that if you get too into character and forget your original self, those mental residues might take advantage of the opening to merge into your spirit. You would cease to be yourself. Mmm, in a sense, this is also a form of madness. Using that same example: you acted your part too well, forgot to leave after getting the treasure, and were instead pushed into the guest's position by the castle guards, becoming a true 'guest'."
Audrey felt a shiver down her spine as she imagined a version of herself who only knew how to hide in dark corners and observe others. She asked tensely:
"So the churches hide the Acting Method because they're worried about this? But what does that have to do with the true gods?"
"Neither is it thus," Mr. Devil shook his head.
"Actually, you can imagine mental residue as the branch of a giant tree. The influence felt by every low-level Beyonder is merely the tip of a branch, a single leaf. And the true gods must also combat madness."
'The true gods must also combat madness?' Klein felt the weight of this information was massive. He almost reached out to pinch the bridge of his nose.
At this point, even Miss Justice didn't dare to guess blindly. Mr. Devil continued, "Every potion seems independent, yet there's a certain connection on a mystical level. Low-sequence Beyonders are influenced by high-sequence ones, and high-sequence ones are likewise influenced by low-sequence ones. Of course, due to the gap in strength, this influence is generally minuscule."
Mr. Devil's tone changed, becoming somewhat mischievous.
"Miss Justice, you said earlier that the Acting Method is like infiltrating as a guest to steal treasure. Then have you ever thought about where the castle and the guards go after the treasure is stolen?"
"Could they go to the high-sequence Beyonders... or even to the true gods?" Miss Justice made what she considered her boldest guess. Mr. Devil shook his head and pointed to his own chest.
"It remains in your body, lurking within the potion. Furthermore, if you die, a portion of your own mental residue will be added to it, even strengthening it, and influencing the next person who consumes the potion."
Audrey, who didn't know the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, didn't catch the implication regarding the "next person," but The Hanged Man and Little Sun, who possessed such knowledge, felt their hearts stir.
But then, a even bigger bombshell was dropped by Mr. Devil—
"Because everyone uses the Acting Method, in a sense, your mental state will approach the mental residue of the potion. This means that after someone who has learned the Acting Method dies, the mental residue in the potion won't change; it might even be 'repaired'. Mmm, Mr. Hanged Man, do you know how Beyonders who don't know the Acting Method 'master' a potion?"
Hearing Mr. Devil's question, The Hanged Man answered instinctively: "Ordinary Beyonders stabilize their spirits through meditation, suppressing the... mmm, mental residue within the potion. It's like taming a wild beast—suppressing it, domesticating it..."
The Hanged Man spoke to this point and suddenly felt as if a gear had clicked into place. He began to understand it all—
"Are you saying that when ordinary Beyonders 'master' a potion without using the Acting Method, it weakens the mental residue within it? And that this reduces the influence felt by the true gods?"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
A/N: The theory presented by Snow—that the "mastering" method reduces the "pollution" passed up the pathway—is a plausible deduction based on the mechanics of anchors and the nature of godhood in this world. Note: This is an interpretation/theory for this fan-novel's logic.
T/N: "Mastering" literally "Grasping/Mastering/Taming" (掌握) - The traditional, slow way of digesting a potion without knowing the acting core.
T/N: The "Castle" example - A reference to Klein's earlier explanation in the original text, which Snow is now expanding upon to hint at the "Universal Source" of Beyonder characteristics.