Klein stared at the deep blue, viscous liquid that was hard to tell whether it was a cup or a chunk, and struggled to swallow a lump of saliva. "Shall I just drink it like that?" "Is there any preparation required? For instance, a ritual, incantation, or prayer?" "Young man, don't hesitate—the more you hesitate, the more nervous or afraid you become, the more it will affect your absorption later on." Elder Neil spoke casually, facing away from Caine. Without realizing it, he had already moved to the sink beside him, turning on the tap and briskly washing his hands. Caine nodded silently, took a deep breath—much like a child sipping medicine through a nose—held the opaque cup to his mouth, and in one swift motion, tipped it back and downed it. A cool, smooth sensation rushed swiftly into his mouth, then flowed down his esophagus and settled in his stomach. The thick, deep-blue liquid seemed to grow slender, long tendrils, instantly penetrating each of Caine's cells with a cold, invigorating sharpness. He involuntarily twitched, and his vision blurred rapidly—colors deepened, reds grew richer, blues intensified, blacks deepened, the hues thick and vivid, jumbled together like a painting spilled by an Impressionist master. This scene, Kline had experienced before, when Dail, the Seer, had asked him about it. At this moment, his vision was blurred, his thoughts drifting yet clear—like a survivor floating on the sea. Gradually, he began to see the surroundings clearly, colors distinct and overlapping one another, a faint, hazy, ethereal mist diffusing gently. Around him were entities that defied description, even transparent, as if they didn't truly exist; deep within, there flowed a series of luminous, vivid streaks of different hues—these radiances seemed alive, or as though holding infinite knowledge. This was beginning to resemble the scene from the "Transfer Rite"... Instinctively, Kline looked down and realized that "he" was still standing in place, his body trembling. Suddenly, a clear understanding dawned upon him, and his consciousness plunged sharply, merging fully with his body. Boom! The mist rapidly dispersed, the color blocks stabilized, and the luminous streaks, as well as the seemingly non-existent entities, vanished instantly. The scene within the Chain Gold Chamber had returned to normal, yet Caine felt his head swelling, as though it were being stretched and possibly torn apart. Everything he looked at appeared layered with countless afterimages, and a faint, murmuring voice drifted to his ears: "Horanichs... Freglar... Horanichs... Freglar... Horanichs... Freglar..." A sharp pain surged across Caine's forehead, and a strong urge to vent, to destroy, surged through his mind. He furrowed his brows, shaking his head vigorously. "Is my vision off? And have I just begun to hear sounds I didn't hear before?" asked the old Neil, smiling gently. "Yes, Mr. Neil. What should I do?" Caine managed, suppressing his mounting agitation. Neil chuckled warmly: "This is due to the magic potion's effects spilling over, and your lack of control. Now, simply imagine in your mind a common, simple, easy object." Klein focused his attention, mentally sketching the half-high black silk hat in his mind, imagining the sensation of running his fingers over it, the precise shape of it. "Keep all your attention on it, repeat it over and over, keep sketching it—does that feel any better?" Elder Neil's voice penetrated softly, like a lullaby. Klein gradually shifted his focus to the imagined silk hat, and soon the low murmurs at his ears faded until they disappeared, and the blurring shadows in his vision began to merge, no longer hazy. "Much better," Klein said, calming the scattered emotions within him and exhaling. He looked down at his body and noticed no abnormalities. Then, moving his arms and hands with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity, he asked, "Have I succeeded? Am I now a 'seer'?" Elder Neil reached over and pulled out a silvered mirror, bringing it close to his face. "Look at your eyes." Klein gazed intently and saw that in the mirror, himself wore a black formal hat, with a deeper silhouette and ordinary facial features—besides the sweat covering his face, he appeared no different from before. Following Old Neil's guidance, he focused carefully on his eyes and then noticed that his originally brown irises had deepened considerably, deep enough to resemble the complete darkness of night, so deep that they seemed capable of absorbing others' souls. — Typically, brown eyes are often perceived as black, and without close attention, even Klein himself might not notice the difference. "This is the outward manifestation of the magic potion's power," smiled Old Neil, extending his right hand. "Congratulations, new extraordinary one—our seer." "Thank you," Klein reached out and shook hands with him. "Mr. Neil, when can I begin learning meditation?" "Now, right away. The initial meditation is quite simple, especially for extraordinary beings." "Old Neil smiled and said, 'Earlier, when you mentally visualized objects to shift your focus and contained the overflowing energy, you were actually performing the very first step of meditation. Do it again.'" Cain closed his eyes and once more mentally sketched the half-high black silk hat in his mind. His attention seemed easier to concentrate than before, and soon various distractions emerged, only to fall away, leaving only the image of the hat. "Allow your mind to become slightly empty, then replace the visualized object with something entirely imaginary—something that exists nowhere in this world." "Strictly follow this rule; only by doing so can you enter true meditation, gradually unite with the 'I' that transcends, the infinite 'I,' and the cosmic 'I,' gaining insights into truth and revelations that can only be personally experienced. In esoteric studies, this is known as 'mystical experience.'" "Listen carefully," Old Neil said in a soothing tone, "for now, you only need to hear the rest. What's most important right now is to enter meditation." Is there anything in this world that doesn't exist—something entirely imagined? Does that apply to Earth as well? Klein tried to replace the half-high black hat with the long, thick, earth-green intercontinental ballistic missile he had seen on television. Yet no matter how he described it or imagined it, he only managed to focus his attention more intensely. It wasn't working... Klein had to rely on imagination once again. He sketched a glowing sphere, then several others like it, bringing them close together. The spheres overlapped, filled with a sense of fantasy. Klein's thoughts gradually grew hazy and light, as though drifting. His body and mind settled into stillness. The earlier ethereal gray mist, dotted with forms that didn't exist and shimmering with clear radiance, now reappeared, gently floating in the sky, within reach. Spirit gradually extended, inch by inch unfolding, and Klein quietly gazed upon it, felt it, and drew it in. "Excellent—no wonder you're a true seer. Your meditation went smoothly, only slightly behind my own initial efforts, just a little." Elder Neil chuckled. "Then, I shall begin teaching you the most commonly used, most easily mastered, and most promising ability in our mystical domain: *clairvoyance*!" He turned off one gas lamp after another, yet opened the dim door of the chain-gold chamber, making the space around Klein unusually dark, yet still clear enough to discern the outlines of objects. "Good. Maintain your current state. Raise your hands and place them before you, fingers pointing toward each other, but without touching." "Open your eyes, and allow yourself to adapt to the darkness." Following Elder Neil's instructions, Klein proceeded step by step, eventually seeing the outlines of his opposite fingers and the surrounding objects. "Normally, one should lie down and allow the body to fully relax. But since your meditation is working well, let's continue." Elder Neil chuckled. "Focus your gaze just behind your hands—specifically behind them—and then slowly move your fingers, keeping them relatively close but not touching, and make sure they remain within your line of sight." Klein listened calmly, directing his attention to the empty space behind his palms, and gently guided two index fingers in a slow, steady motion, maintaining their relative position without touching, while keeping them within his field of vision. Once, twice, three times… Suddenly, Klein noticed a subtle shade of bright red appearing between his fingers. "Hmm…" he murmured. "Have you seen the color? Excellent—that's the beginning of spiritual sight. The colors you perceive are manifestations of your own energy field." Elder Neil smiled warmly. "Don't worry. Just keep doing this several times to stabilize, then move on to other areas. In the meantime, I'll take this opportunity to explain the significance of different colors." "Very well." Klein moved his fingers back and forth, intently examining the spot of fiery red. After a moment's thought, Old Neil said: "In essence, the mainstream field of mysticism divides each person's non-physical aspects into four layers. The most fundamental is known as the 'spirit body'—that is, each individual's deepest spiritual essence. The animistic tradition holds that all living beings possess spirit and thus have a spirit body." "As for me, I may not be clear on all the details, but for seers, the purpose of meditation and the means to strengthen one's power both point directly toward the spirit body." "Beyond the 'Spirit Body' lies the 'Stellar Spirit Body,' which serves as the means through which the former communicates with the Spirit Realm and the celestial expanse—it is the outward manifestation of the Spirit Body and directly tied to your own will and current emotional state... The scenes you perceive after consuming the magical potion are precisely what the Stellar Spirit Body witnesses as it wanders through the Spirit Realm. There, the rules of the material world do not apply; instead, the concept of 'I' transcends—encompassing the infinite 'I,' the cosmic 'I,' and where past, present, and future may converge and overlap. This is the very foundation of divination." "In the Spirit Realm, what you perceive are only images and symbols—meaningful representations that must be interpreted to grasp their specific significance." "Divination, along with many other forms of magic, is enacted through the action of the Stellar Spirit Body." "The relationship and distinction between the Stellar Spirit Body and the Spirit Body must never be confused." One is the essence, the other the function—Klein continued observing the aura at his fingertip, offering a concise summary. "Beyond that lies the 'Mind Body.' From here on, it begins to integrate with the physical form... It encompasses the mind, representing the synthesis of your reasoning, thinking, insight, and capacity to perceive and understand things. Many potions are specifically designed to enhance this aspect, and numerous spells also target it." Neil explained in great detail. "The outermost layer is the 'Aether Body,' which reflects your life energy and physical condition." "The colors of the aura you perceive are the outward manifestation of your Aether Body. That is, using your spiritual sight, you not only see spirits, ghosts, and lingering souls—perhaps even some entities that shouldn't be visible—but also observe others' Aether Bodies, or their auras. By examining the varying thickness, brightness, and hues, you can assess their health and emotional states." "As your spiritual sight improves and your knowledge of esoteric studies deepens, you'll begin to discern even more subtle details, enabling you to determine the length of someone's lifespan." "Yes, I mentioned the emotional state earlier, because the 'Stellar Body' also has some external manifestations. Once your sequence increases and your spiritual vision reaches a strong stage—until you can actually see the other person's 'Stellar Body'—you'll be able to gain deeper insights. This level of perception is something only exceptional individuals akin to 'Seers' and 'Investigators' can achieve. Some people even claim that the peak state of spiritual vision allows one to perceive anything anywhere, including past and future events, though I personally remain skeptical. It sounds incredibly impressive... Kline is already starting to feel inspired." Neil cleared his throat and continued: "Let's return to the colors of the 'etheric body' or energy field. The areas involving movement—your hands and feet—will appear red; the head and surface of the brain will show purple; the sites of elimination and detoxification will be orange; the digestive system will reflect yellow; areas outside the heart and regulatory systems will appear green; the throat and certain parts of the nervous system will display blue; and overall balance will envelop the body in white—these are the signs of health." "Once these colors fade, thin out, or shift in tone, it indicates that the corresponding areas are experiencing fatigue or illness." "Also, the inner star-body's corresponding color reflects your current emotional state: red signifies enthusiasm and excitement, orange indicates warmth and contentment, yellow represents joy and extroversion, green conveys calmness and harmony, blue denotes composure and active thinking, white embodies brightness and optimism, while darker tones suggest sadness, melancholy, or silence, and purple indicates a dominant spiritual presence, with a sense of coolness and detachment..." Klein quietly noted this, stabilizing his initial spiritual vision. "Now, you may observe other things," the elder Neil said, without further explanation, simply nodding. Klein slowly turned his head to gaze at the elder. Indeed, he noticed that Neil's aura displayed various colors, varying in thickness and intensity, with a particularly bright purple at his head, somewhat dimmer red hues at his hands and feet, and a somewhat pale overall white tone. Indeed, he was growing older... Klein murmured this thought silently. Only now, after seeing these subtle details, did he truly feel like a 'Special One'! "I am a 'Special One'!" His gaze shifted, carefully studying the old Neil—yet suddenly, he noticed a pair of eye-like forms floating in the void behind him, devoid of lashes, cold and impassive, gradually becoming translucent! These nearly ethereal eyes were silently watching old Neil, watching him! This… Caine shivered, opened his mouth, and uttered: "You have eyes behind you!" Old Neil paused, then managed a smile and said: "Never mind it." PS: It's another Monday approaching. I'll continue updating this tonight at midnight.